Beowulf and the CriticsThe most important essay in the history of Beowulf scholarship, J.R.R. Tolkien's "Beowulf: the monsters and the critics" has been much studied and discussed. But scholars of both Beowulf and Tolkien have to this point been unaware that Tolkien's essay was a redaction of a much longer and more substantial work, Beowulf and the critics, which Tolkien wrote in the 1930s and probably delivered as a series of Oxford lectures. This critical edition of Beowulf and the critics presents both unpublished versions of Tolkien's lecture, each substantially different from the other and from the final, published essay. The edition included a description of the manuscript, complete textual and explanatory notes, and a detailed critical introduction that explains the place of Tolkien's Anglo-Saxon scholarship both in the history of Beowulf scholarship and in literary history. |
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Page 101
... already in the far past , as Conybeare pointed out . But this was his only real contribution . Yet we may note that he re- jects Thorkelin's Bous and Jutland , remains an agnostic about ultimate origins ( Il- lustrations , page 33 ) ...
... already in the far past , as Conybeare pointed out . But this was his only real contribution . Yet we may note that he re- jects Thorkelin's Bous and Jutland , remains an agnostic about ultimate origins ( Il- lustrations , page 33 ) ...
Page 145
... already a greater sig- nificance than any straight account of one man's deeds : the contrast of youth and ... already antiquarian in a good sense . And it now produces a singular effect . For it is now itself to us an- cient ; and yet ...
... already a greater sig- nificance than any straight account of one man's deeds : the contrast of youth and ... already antiquarian in a good sense . And it now produces a singular effect . For it is now itself to us an- cient ; and yet ...
Page 431
... already dense and his - ^ A the although it is only just over 100 years since Scott confused Beowulf with Caed- is already ^ mon the wood so thick that with brambles that the trees are not easy to discern . If fear I too am not [ a line ...
... already dense and his - ^ A the although it is only just over 100 years since Scott confused Beowulf with Caed- is already ^ mon the wood so thick that with brambles that the trees are not easy to discern . If fear I too am not [ a line ...
Contents
Seeds Soil and Northern | 1 |
Beowulf The Critics A | 31 |
Beowulf The Critics B | 79 |
Copyright | |
5 other sections not shown
Common terms and phrases
Ælfric allegory allusions ancient Anglo Anglo-Saxon battle Beowulf Cain century Chambers Christian Christopher Tolkien criticism Danes dark death deeds dragon Earle edition England English Literature epic fate Fight at Finnsburg Folio folk-tale Footnote Text Frisian Geats Germanic Godes gods gold Grendel Guthlac heathen hell Heorot hero Heroic Age historical document Hroðgar Hrothgar Hygelac Icelandic Ingeld inserted J. R. R. Tolkien Jusserand King Klaeber language later Latin leaf left margin extends legend literary London Lord main text manuscript medieval metod monsters mythology Northern Old English Old Norse original Oxford pagan passage Paulinus Paulinus of Nola pencil line poet poetic poetry praise quotation reference Saga Saxon says sceal scholars Scyldings Shippey square bracket story tale Teutonic theme things Thorkelin top margin tradition trans translation University Press verse verso Virgil Völuspá W. P. Ker Widsith words written wyrd þæt