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Imagery is language that appeals to the senses. It may be thought of
as an illustration in words, which clarifies the meaning of a poem. It
is the poet’s intent to make the person or place real to the reader.
That is exactly what the author of the epic poem Beowulf does. The
character Beowulf goes through many changes and the author shows that
with imagery. Some things about the character that change are his
strength, his ability not to be hurt, and his style of battle.
Throughout the poem Beowulf demonstrates great strength. At the
beginning of the poem Beowulf shows super natural strength:
“They have seen my strength for themselves, / Have watched me rise
from the darkness of war, / Dripping with my enemies' blood. I drove/
Five great giants into chains, chased/ All of that race from the earth.
I swam/ In the blackness of night, hunting monsters/ Out of the ocean,
and killing them one/ By one; death was my errand and the fate/ They
had earned. Now Grendel and I are called/ Together, and I've come."
(Lines 417-426)
As he becomes older he becomes weaker and his strength is not as
great. This is shown with his battle with the dragon: “As Beowulf fell
back; its breath flared, And he suffered, wrapped around swirling
flames a king before, but now a beaten warrior.” (Lines 743-746)
Beowulf in his old age had lost most of his great strength.
Beowulf seemed to have super human power. This would be assumed
because of his ability to not be hurt. In his youth it seems he could
not be hurt. Beowulf’s battle with a sea monster in his youth he says,
"my mail shirt, these shining bits of metal/ Woven across my breast,
saved me/ from death. A monster seized me, drew me. But fate let me/
Find its heart with my sword, hack myself/ Free" (lines 551-558). In
his old age he loses this super human power. “And he suffered, wrapped
around swirling flames a king before, but now a beaten warrior”
(lines745-746). Without this power he fights the dragon and dies.
Beowulf’s style of battle changes drastically. At the beginning of
the poem he fights with no sword or any type of weapon: "Grendel is no
braver, no stronger/ Than I am! I could kill him with my sword; I shall
not, / Easy as it would be. This fiend is a bold/ And famous fighter,
but his claws and teeth.../With my hands empty-unless his” (lines
677-6870. Again as Beowulf becomes older he starts to lose some of his
super natural power and strength. Because of this he fights the dragon
with his weapons. “I’d rather use no sword, no weapon, if could be
killed without it, crushed to death Like Grendel, gripped in my hands
and torn limb from limb.”(Lines 668-671).
These examples show how the author uses imagery to create the
character Beowulf. They also show how Beowulf changes from the start of
the poem to the end. Beowulf goes through many changes and they all
seem to have to do with his aging. The imagery in this poem is what
helps Beowulf to be a great epic poem.
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