For Friday: Reading Beowulf

Before Friday's class, I want you to listen to both of these performances of Beowulf: the first is a short, 2-minute recitation of the poem's opening in Old English.  The second is a modern English performance by a renowned English actor (it's 10 minutes long, so you don't necessarily have to watch the entire thing).  As you watch them, consider how the poem sounds orally: what sounds do you notice, how does each performer act out the piece, and what mood/emotion do they convey to the audience?  You might also consider how a poem reads differently when recited aloud: is this preferable, in some way, to the silent performance of reading?

OLD ENGLISH VERSION

MODERN ENGLISH VERSION