Beowulf The Epic Poem English Literature Essay

Beowulf The Epic Poem English Literature Essay Treasures often go for centuries without being found. And the best ones often come from unknown origins. Beowulf, the epic poem about a heroic Geat had gone untold and unappreciated for centuries until it was finally recognized in the early 1800’s. Known as one of the greatest and most important Anglo-Saxon Literatures and written by an unknown Anglo-Saxon poet, Beowulf proceeds to bring about many allusions and themes which are of great literary value. In particular however, the poet of Beowulf employs an array of Christian themes mixed in with some Germanic paganism in his epic poem. In order to completely understand Beowulf, critics often look into the mysterious poet himself. The fact that the Beowulf poet was a Christian is a recurring theme for many critics. For example, â€Å"..the Christian author who was responsible for giving the poem the general shape and tone..†(Rogers 233). Rogers goes on to talk about the attitude of the poet towards the poem and the mate rial which he used. It is safe to assume that the poet didn’t invent anything in the poem but instead, used the material in â€Å"†¦his own purpose, placing his personal emphasis upon it†(Rogers 233). Rogers feels that the poet is clearly biased pro Christianity. â€Å"The poet saw the heroic past of the Danes and the Geats through the eyes of a Christian Anglo-Saxon.† The critic then goes on to give examples of the various methods of the poet which suggest his Christian influence on the poem. The poet is portrayed as being a complacent Christian, one who believes in all things good, and is disgusted by the paganism of his time. The poet uses motives such as weapons, treasure, and society to his advantage in an entirely Christian method. Unlike in other works of literature, similar motives in Beowulf are used in a completely different method. Such as the sword, in Beowulf is melted away after performing just one great deed, when in other literature the hero would treasure it and do many great deeds. Treasure is also portrayed in a Christian way, instead of showing both sides of treasure, which most other literature would have done, the poet only emphasizes the evils of treasure (Rogers 234-235). Although the poet of Beowulf uses many Christian doctrines carefully and mostly successfully, it’s his use of paganism, and the knowledge or to some, the lack of, that intrigues many critics. â€Å"No one now doubts that it was composed by a poet thoroughly versed in Christian and biblical traditions, but whether its author had the same degree of knowledge of the background to his chosen subject matter–specifically, Scandinavian paganism–has been fiercely debated† (O’donoghue). In questioning the poet’s knowledge and views on paganism, whether Germanic or Anglo-Saxon, many critics peruse the poet’s sources, most of which include older literature available to the poet at the time. O’donogh ue goes on to analyze and compare different sources such as Old Norse-Icelandic literature and how the poet distorts and kilts it with ancient Germanic past.