Indeed, Homer represents a perfection in structure and scope of the raw poetic art of the unknown author of Beowulf; Virgil, on the other hand, represents the self-conscious and literary decadence of that art. It is not until Dante that Western civilization achieves the kind of poetic perfection at which Virgil failed so magnificently. And between the pole of that failure and the pole of Dante's perfection, the primitive art of Beowulf reigns supreme.

john nist

beowulf and the classical epics, in college english journal, v.24,no.4, jan 1963, pg. 262.

among the things i called this man, "ignorant hateful business-schooled idiot" was undoubtedly the kindest. seriously. dante perfection? virgil failure!? does he read real books or just children's abridgments? time to grow up sir.

Yet the prince of the rings was too proud

to line up with a large army against

the sky-plague.

beowulf, 2345-2347

What you have done is to draw two peoples,

the Geat nation and us neighboring Danes,

into shared peace and a pact of friendship

in spite of hatreds we have harbored in the past

beowulf, 1855-1858

beowulf is a Christ figure -- one who brings not peace but a sword, but by his destruction brings life and peace.

So learn from this

and understand true values. I who tell you

have wintered into wisdom.

beowulf, 1722-1724

awesome. just awesome. want this to be said of me one day.

It was engraved all over

and showed how war first came into the world

and the flood destroyed the tribe of giants.

They suffered a terrible severance from the Lord;

the Almighty made the waters rise,

drowned them in the deluge for retribution.

beowulf, 1688-1693

it's pretty amazing that grendel's mother is slain by the sword of a giant-killer, but also that they had this idea of giants being the cause of the flood. just interesting.

For every one of us, living in this world

means waiting for our end. Let whoever can

win glory before death.

beowulf, 1386-1388

They are fatherless creatures,

and their whole ancestry is hidden in a past

of demons and ghosts. They dwell apart

among wolves on the hills...

beowulf, 1355-1358

But the Lord was weaving

a victory on His war-loom for the Weather-Geats.

Through the strength of one they all prevailed;

they would crush their enemy and come through

in triumph and gladness. The truth is clear:

Almighty God rules over mankind

and always has.

beowulf, 696-702

as a side-note to the general awesomeness of this passage, the image of God at a loom weaving the story of the world seems like a much truer picture than zeus with his jars of good and evil. just saying.

But he knows he need never be in dread

of your blade making a mizzle of his blood

or of a vengeance arriving ever from this quarter --

from the Victory-Shieldings, the shoulderers of the spear.

beowulf, 595-598

i would dread my blood being made a mizzle.

Well, friend Unferth, you have had your say

about Breca and me. But it was mostly beer

that was doing the talking.

beowulf, 530-532.

ooooooooooooh.

They had seen me boltered in the blood of enemies

when I battle and bound five beasts,

raided a troll-nest and in the night-sea

slaughtered sea-brutes...

therefore, to heighten Hygelac's fame

and gladden his heart, I hereby renounce

sword and the shelter of the broad shield,

the heavy war-board: hand-to-hand

is how it will be, a life-and-death

fight with the fiend. Whichever one death fells

must deem it a just judgment by God.

beowulf, 419-441

beowulf is a new david: a king who comes with three triumphs (remember david had already killed the bear and the lion before goliath, so having killed goliath and triumphed a third time he was ready to become king) and now, like david, renounces armor, saying that the battle is the Lord's.

The leader of the troop unlocked his word-hoard;

the distinguished one delivered this answer...

beowulf, 258-259

He took over Heorot,

haunted the glittering hall after dark,

but the throne itself, the treasure-seat,

he was kept from approaching; he was the Lord's outcast.

beowulf, 166-169

perhaps the first glimmerings of the Divine right of kings to rule.

young and old

were hunted down by that dark death-shadow

who lurked and swooped in the long nights

on the misty moors; nobody knows

where these reavers from hell roam on their errands.

beowulf, 159-164