For those who have the Heaney translation (but in one of the two Norton critical editions, or other editions, as there are several) it might be nice to give line numbers for dividing up the reading days for the text, rather than the pages from the one edition shown in the post.
Let me join the chorus of requests. I'm reading it included in the large anthology of all Heaney's translations so I too need line numbers. Thanks in advance!
over 40 years ago (ouch!), between my sophomore and junior year of college, I signed up for a summer class in Old English at Harvard Summer School. It was taught by the chairman of the English department (whose name is now lost to me) and I remember the privilege I experienced to be attending class with him in a spacious classroom in what may have been the faculty building in Harvard Yard. I recall wood paneling and lush carpet. I think class was held three times a week for the summer term. I still have our text book , "Brights Old English Grammar and Reader, Third Edition, by F. G. Cassidy and Richard Ringler" and I'll be keeping it close at hand. I had (just by accident really) studied German through high school (and for another year to fulfill my college language requirement) which made the Old English grammar much more accessible to me than it would have been otherwise. The following fall, I studied Beowulf (in Old English) in tutorial with the divine Ann Lauinger (now retired) at Sarah Lawrence. I cannot find my dog-eared paperback edition of the poem from that year, but I still have the paper I wrote for her. For those who want to join me in the weeds, there is a great online website that includes a recording in the original Old English. It sounds marvelous. https://ebeowulf.uky.edu/ebeo4.0/CD/main.html
Thanks for the link to this website. I checked it out; this has audio for only some sections of the poem. The first 21 lines are excellent. If anyone identifies other recorded sections it would be terrific to listen to them. This site has been used as a teaching tool. There is a full OE version (by D.C. Drout) on CD but it costs $99. I looked on Youtube but found nothing in straight OE.
Heaney's breakthrough about recognizing words from his own land in Beowulf is such a perfect example of how translation isnt just linguistic—its about finding the cultural frequency. That "poetic security clearence" phrase captures something real: you need permission from the text itself to enter it properly. I wonder how many translations fail because the translator never finds that homeground connection, just stays in the scriptorium grinding away at dictionaries.
Oh boy- I'm intrigued. Grendel, John Gardner's retelling of the tale from the monster's point of view, has for decades stood out for me as one of the worst reading experiences I had in high school, but I don't remember ever reading the work that it was inspired by. Perhaps we only read the relevant lines for context, or perhaps my hatred for Grendel just overshadowed any memory of Beowulf, but I'm ready to approach it with an open mind, and maybe I'll even revisit Grendel afterwards.
Excited for this. Hoping my book comes in time, and I'm organised enough to keep up with the reading. Loved the previous/first APS Together I did on The Odyssey.
For those who have the Heaney translation (but in one of the two Norton critical editions, or other editions, as there are several) it might be nice to give line numbers for dividing up the reading days for the text, rather than the pages from the one edition shown in the post.
I could use the line numbers too, since I’m reading An Illustrated Edition.
YES please, page 11 doesnt mean anything in my kindle
Let me join the chorus of requests. I'm reading it included in the large anthology of all Heaney's translations so I too need line numbers. Thanks in advance!
YESSSSSSSS!!! We are ready!
over 40 years ago (ouch!), between my sophomore and junior year of college, I signed up for a summer class in Old English at Harvard Summer School. It was taught by the chairman of the English department (whose name is now lost to me) and I remember the privilege I experienced to be attending class with him in a spacious classroom in what may have been the faculty building in Harvard Yard. I recall wood paneling and lush carpet. I think class was held three times a week for the summer term. I still have our text book , "Brights Old English Grammar and Reader, Third Edition, by F. G. Cassidy and Richard Ringler" and I'll be keeping it close at hand. I had (just by accident really) studied German through high school (and for another year to fulfill my college language requirement) which made the Old English grammar much more accessible to me than it would have been otherwise. The following fall, I studied Beowulf (in Old English) in tutorial with the divine Ann Lauinger (now retired) at Sarah Lawrence. I cannot find my dog-eared paperback edition of the poem from that year, but I still have the paper I wrote for her. For those who want to join me in the weeds, there is a great online website that includes a recording in the original Old English. It sounds marvelous. https://ebeowulf.uky.edu/ebeo4.0/CD/main.html
Thanks for the link to this website. I checked it out; this has audio for only some sections of the poem. The first 21 lines are excellent. If anyone identifies other recorded sections it would be terrific to listen to them. This site has been used as a teaching tool. There is a full OE version (by D.C. Drout) on CD but it costs $99. I looked on Youtube but found nothing in straight OE.
Heaney's breakthrough about recognizing words from his own land in Beowulf is such a perfect example of how translation isnt just linguistic—its about finding the cultural frequency. That "poetic security clearence" phrase captures something real: you need permission from the text itself to enter it properly. I wonder how many translations fail because the translator never finds that homeground connection, just stays in the scriptorium grinding away at dictionaries.
Oh boy- I'm intrigued. Grendel, John Gardner's retelling of the tale from the monster's point of view, has for decades stood out for me as one of the worst reading experiences I had in high school, but I don't remember ever reading the work that it was inspired by. Perhaps we only read the relevant lines for context, or perhaps my hatred for Grendel just overshadowed any memory of Beowulf, but I'm ready to approach it with an open mind, and maybe I'll even revisit Grendel afterwards.
Looking forward to this read!
Excited for this. Hoping my book comes in time, and I'm organised enough to keep up with the reading. Loved the previous/first APS Together I did on The Odyssey.
I just requested it from the library!
A fitting beginning to 2026. I read Beowulf in college wayyyyy back in the day. Looking forward to Seamus Heaney's translation!
I feel like I am really really going to need a lot of support in this, butI want to do it.