How did Burton Raffel translation Beowulf?
Himself a poet, Raffel made a translation that intentionally uses free verse to facilitate ease of reading. Not only does Raffel depart from the original vocabulary of Beowulf, but he also sometimes mischaracterizes the early medieval cultures that the epic describes.
Who is Burton Raffel and why is he important to our class?
Burton Raffel was a translator, poet, and scholar whose major translations include The Canterbury Tales, Beowulf, Don Quijote, The Red and the Black, and Gargantua and Pantagruel. He also annotated several Shakespeare plays for Yale University Press.
Who translated Beowulf Raffel?
scholar Burton Raffel
Literary scholar Burton Raffel, 87, dies at his Lafayette home; translated ‘Beowulf’
How did Seamus Heaney translate Beowulf?
In translating Beowulf, Seamus Heaney strikes a balance between creativity and emulation. He often copies the direct speech patterns of the Old English, especially when modern versions of the original words survive.
Why is Burton Raffel important?
He is best known for his vigorous translation of Beowulf, still widely used in universities, colleges and high schools….
| Burton Raffel | |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Writer, translator |
| Nationality | American |
| Notable works | Beowulf translation |
What was the first part of Beowulf that Burton Raffel read?
travel over the deep waves
(His exciting travel over the deep waves was the first part of the poem I read, over fifty years ago.) The poem carefully explains his heroic, profoundly social motives. Offering himself as a potential sacrifice to Grendel, he fights with and tears an arm off the monster, who flees back into darkness.
Who is Mr Burton Raffel?
Burton Nathan Raffel (April 27, 1928 – September 29, 2015) was an American writer, translator, poet and professor. He is best known for his vigorous translation of Beowulf, still widely used in universities, colleges and high schools.
Why is Beowulf a culturally significant poem that we still read today?
Historical Importance. Being the oldest surviving English poem from the Anglo-Saxon period, Beowulf gives the reader insight into the history of England and what eventually became British Literature.
How was Beowulf translated?
Originally written in Old English, the first translation of the poem was into Latin by Thorkelin, in connection with his transcription of 1818. Two years later Nicolai Grundtvig made the first translation into a modern language, Danish. The first translation into modern English was made by J. M. Kemble in 1837.
Why is Beowulf not a pagan poem?
The Beowulf story has its roots in a pagan Saxon past, but by the time the epic was written down, almost all Anglo-Saxons had converted to Christianity. As a result, the Beowulf poet is at pains to resolve his Christian beliefs with the often quite un-Christian behavior of his characters.
What do Beowulf’s motives for traveling to herot suggest about his character?
What do Beowulf’s motives for the trip tell you about his character? He’s brave, adventurous, determined, and he hates evil and suffering. Why is Beowulf’s defeat of Grendel might be described as the defeat of the “dark side” of the warriors life. He eliminated evil from the world as well by killing Grendel.
How does Raffel translate Beowulf?
In translating Beowulf, Raffel uses free verse, rather than a rhyming meter or prose. Old English poetry relies on alliteration and stresses for its power. Raffel uses alliteration selectively, employing it in moments of narrative significance.
What did Burton Raffel do for Beowulf?
Burton Raffel and Beowulf. Burton Raffel has been described as a poet-translator of Beowulf, alongside Edwin Morgan and, more recently, Seamus Heaney. Raffel’s stated goal was to create a new, vibrant work of literature, as exciting and easily understood to the modern reader as the original text of Beowulf was in its day.
Is a translation of Beowulf right for You?
Light and Life fleeing together. As a scholar of Beowulf once observed, no translation of the poem will be right for every reader. The Old English epic is notable for its beauty and excitement, but was created in a language, and in a culture, unfamiliar to modern readers.
Is Beowulf an epic hero?
Beowulf as an Epic Hero in Burton Raffel’s Translation of the Story Beowulf. to get full document. to get full document. There are many stories heard growing up as children, some old and others new. The story Beowulf, is believed to be the oldest major literature to have been written in the English language.