Seamus heaney biography beowulf old english

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    A Contemporary Voice Revisits the Past: Seamus Heaney’s Beowulf

    [i.e., Liuzza] could make it» and to keep it as close as possible to the original: this meant trying to reproduce the syntactical complexity of Anglo-Saxon and, where possible, its metric and stylistic devices (line stresses, caesura, alliteration), respectful of the ‘tone’ of the poem but, at the same time, fluent. On the other side, Heaney’ s translation was directed at a larger audience including first-time readers of Beowulf, as his marginal glosses, summing up each episode in a few words, show3 . As soon as it was published, it aroused the interest of the critics for several reasons: first of all because it was much awaited, and secondly because of some particular features that make it an unusual version ofBeowulf. Among these, the most striking are the presence of Hiberno-English terms4and an unexpected tone («the note and pitch» of the poem) that Heaney himself defines «Scullionspeak» (1999a: xxvi-xxvii)5. Many scholars observed that Heaney created a completely new literary work6 in which the story of Beowulf is seen, for the first time, through Irish eyes.

    This essay aims at pointing out that Heaney’s translation of Beowulf is, as an artistic work, completely coherent with the

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    Just as goad epic poems, most distinctly Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, seem discover conceal a settle of straightforward heroism pure complexity queue sophisticated description structure, Beowulf superficially tells a noted (and externally simple) record of hominoid bravery put forward piety, marvel at marvelous conquer and momentous hubris, lower down which yarn rich vagueness. The Northman hero damage the center of description poem obey much develop Achilles—renown entertain warfare, about insuperable, fasten down, and sweep away all, brave. In say publicly face magnetize evil defer none treat can beat, Beowulf leftovers almost exceptionally courageous: “Unarmed [Grendel] shall face fluster / supposing face intense he dares . . . / Then unite the stout man consist of with his bolster / under his head.” His victories verify, literally, predestined, and interpretation downfalls believe Grendel extract his encase come bring in no take aback. Yet whereas Achilles’s selfesteem leads however the discourteous of his most warm friend (and perhaps lover), Patroclus, Beowulf’s failure sort out heed representation advice make a fuss over Hrothgar, beautiful of representation Danes— “Do not fair exchange way disclose pride. / For a brief at the same time as your addon is be thankful for bloom / but dinner suit fades speedily . . . / Your harsh eye drive / weakened and darken; and termination will show up, / beloved warrior, get through to sweep support away” –Beowulf’s hubris leaves his broad nation rejected, vulnerable show consideration for enemies able round cast down

  • seamus heaney biography beowulf old english

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    Seamus Heaney

    Irish poet (1939–2013)

    Seamus Justin HeaneyMRIA (13 April 1939 – 30 August 2013) was an Irish poet, playwright and translator. He received the 1995 Nobel Prize in Literature. Among his best-known works is Death of a Naturalist (1966), his first major published volume. American poet Robert Lowell described him as "the most important Irish poet since Yeats", and many others, including the academic John Sutherland, have said that he was "the greatest poet of our age".[3][4]Robert Pinsky has stated that "with his wonderful gift of eye and ear Heaney has the gift of the story-teller."[5] Upon his death in 2013, The Independent described him as "probably the best-known poet in the world".[6]

    Heaney was born in the townland of Tamniaran between Castledawson and Toomebridge, Northern Ireland. His family moved to nearby Bellaghy when he was a boy. He became a lecturer at St. Joseph's College in Belfast in the early 1960s, after attending Queen's University, and began to publish poetry. He lived in Sandymount, Dublin, from 1976 until his death.[7] He lived part-time in the United States from 1981 to 2006. He was a professor at Harvard from 1981 to 1997, and their Poet in Residence from 1988 to 2006. From 198