The Anglo Saxon poem Beowulf marks the beginning of English Literature.
It tells the story of the heroic Beowulf and of his battles. Firstly with the monster Grendel, who has laid waste to the great hall of King Hrothgar. Then with Grendel’s avenging mother, and finally with a dragon that threatens to devastate his homeland.
Through its blend of myth and history, Beowulf vividly evokes a twilight world in which men and supernatural forces live side by side.
The poem celebrates the endurance of the human spirit in a transient world.