Beowulf Essays Tips for improvement 5=20 4=18 3=16 2=14 1=10

The Prompt Read lines 1442-1472 of Beowulf, in which Beowulf prepares to confront Grendel’s mother. Then, in a well-organized essay, discuss how this section contributes to both character development and the development of the themes of the poem. Refer to specific lines to support your points. When a prompt asks you to analyze specific lines of a work of literature, stick to those lines. If you have general knowledge of the text it is permissible to reference that knowledge but do so sparingly. The bulk of your analysis should be in regard to the lines specified in the prompt.

Things I noticed… Not answering the entire prompt (most left out theme) Read lines 1442-1472 of Beowulf, in which Beowulf prepares to confront Grendel’s mother. Then, in a well-organized essay, discuss how this section contributes to both character development and the development of the themes of the poem. Refer to specific lines to support your points. When addressing theme, keep in mind that single word ideas are not complete themes (bravery, heroism, fear, etc.) What ABOUT bravery, heroism, fear, etc.? Lack of basic organization (missing clear introduction, THESIS statements,  transitions) We discussed this with the first essay Many people have corrected this error, but there are still several who have not yet made this shift

Other things I noticed… Redundancy (yes, Beowulf is brave – you’ve told me 4 times…so what?) Expand on basic ideas – why is it important that Beowulf is depicted as brave? What is the significance of Unferth giving Hrunting to Beowulf as a gift? Effectively use quotes instead of just dropping them in Lead in AND out of quotes Don’t end paragraphs with a quote Instead of this: “In line 1459, the text says the sword had an ‘iron blade and ‘ill-boding patterns’ which describe it well.” Try this: “A clear example of the embattled diction used to personify Hrunting include ‘iron blade’ and ‘ill-boding patterns’ (Heaney 1459). These descriptive terms indicate that the sword Beowulf has been given is of great importance to the overall success of his upcoming battle with Grendel’s vengeful mother.”

One more thing… Citations When citing poetry include a slash to indicate line breaks. Also, include a parenthetical citation with the author last name and line number (no comma). “Beowulf got ready, / donned his war-gear, indifferent to death; / his mighty, hand-forged, fine-webbed mail / would soon meet with the menace underwater” (Heaney 1442-1444).

General Reminders Titles of books and epic poems should always be underlined (equal to italics in word processed essays) No personal pronouns Overall, it was better this time but still several people using “you” , “we”, etc. Casual or colloquial diction – remember your audience – this is a formal essay “messed up”, “cocky”, “got the knock-out” Tie theme and characterization together to create a cohesive essay Without a connection between the two, the essay ends up being two separate analyses on the same piece of paper

With your essay: Check your score and read the comments In your RJ on the LEFT side of your first page of Grendel notes, answer the following questions: What did you score on this essay? What are two things you could have improved upon in your Beowulf essay? What are two things you did well in your Beowulf essay? What specific item are you going to work on for the Grendel timed essay? When you are finished, put your essay in your writing folder.