Journal #3

The epic closes on a somber, elegiac note—a note of mourning. What words or images contribute to this tone? Length:  150-200 words.

 At the end of Beowulf, all of his thanes are sent into a bout of depression when their great King Beowulf has been killed by the dragon.  As a result, the ending of the epic leaves off on a somber, elegiac note, made evident by the phrasing and imagery of the last section.  For example, the author states that the “warriors rode around the tomb…all of them distraught” (lines 829-831).  Here the author emphasizes how much Beowulf meant to the men “as a man and a king” (line 832).  To them, Beowulf was the epitome of heroism and, furthermore, their last hope in life’s continuous journey against evil.  Beowulf had held the Geats together, fighting every battle for their honor and welfare.  The Geats recognized this generosity and, in mourning his death, “said that of all the kings upon the earth/he was the man most gracious and fair-minded,/kindest to his people and keenest to win fame” (lines 840-842).  The Geats realized Beowulf’s greatness and superiority and acknowledged them as the best leader they had ever had.  Therefore, when the epic closes with Beowulf’s death, the author is sure to include many literary techniques and devices that will show the reader how great of a loss it was to the Geats, Beowulf’s thanes.