The Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf tells the story of the hero's slaying of three fabulous monsters, set against the historical background of sixth-century Scandinavian wars and dynasties. Its alliterative and metrical rules are complex, and many previous translators have attempted to replicate them. Here, blank verse has been used, as being more suitable for the less inflected and freer syntax of modern English, and therefore offering a more familiar and neutral form - less likely to distract from the interest and subtleties of the poem. Staying close to the original throughout, Richard Hamer's translation is ideal for contemporary readers to fully enjoy this early masterpiece.
- ISBN10 0571352154
- ISBN13 9780571352159
- Publish Date 16 April 2020 (first published 14 April 2020)
- Publish Status Active
- Publish Country GB
- Imprint Faber & Faber
- Edition Main
- Format Hardcover
- Pages 160
- Language English