According to Harmon and Holman's A Handbook to Literature, caesura is "a pause or break in a line of verse" (74). In the translation of Beowulf included in the Holt McDougal Literature textbook, a caesura is often indicated by a comma. In the original translation, a caesura would have appeared in the middle of each line.
Identify one caesura in the text of Beowulf from pages 42-49. Breifly describe the effect of this pause in the line. How does it relate to the meaning of the line itself?
Ken
9/12/2014 06:29:43 pm
“(Beowulf) Proclaiming that he’d go to that famous king, Would sail across the sea to Hrothgar, Now when help was needed.” (Line 114~116). The caesura in this sentence separates the same thought into two parts to create repetition. Having two lines with the same information highlights the importance of Beowulf’s decision to sail across the sea and help the Danes. “Now when help was needed” is separated by a caesura to show that Beowulf’s main concern is to help. These three lines characterize Beowulf as a brave and heroic character.
Maxwell
9/13/2014 01:38:16 pm
Yes, I agree with Ken that this creates a repetition and it emphasizes Beowulf's desire of helping Hrothgar. Imagine if this sentence didn't have repetition and how boring that would sound. By having Beowulf repeat his desire, it makes him seem more heroic and passionate.
Nikha
9/14/2014 12:47:20 am
I agree with Ken. I also believe that the caesura here stresses on Beowulf keeping his promise. When Beowulf says he would pay a visit, he does so immediately, even if he needs to sail across the ocean.
Maxwell
9/13/2014 01:35:45 pm
"A powerful monster, living down
In the darkness, growled in pain, impatient"(Lines 1-2)
I feel like this caesura gives a dark and evil feeling to the monster. This sentence can easily be simplified to "a powerful monster growled in pain", but with the addition of the caesura, it allows us to understand where the monster lives and why it's unhappy. It's almost as if every comma you encounter is a shift in perspective but you are still looking at the same person/object.
Steve Kim
9/13/2014 02:12:21 pm
I strongly agree that the caesura gives us more clues and insight about a particular verse. The caesura often helps us what the author is emphasizing and may change how we perceive certain phrases.
Ariel
9/13/2014 06:52:41 pm
I agree with Maxwell. This caesura really gives the readers the feeling of the pain Grendel is suffering from. It's like peeling open an onion, layer by layer, and getting deeper into Grendel's heart.
Guillaume
9/13/2014 09:34:59 pm
I agree with Maxwell on the fact that the caesura allows readers to understand why it is unhappy. However, I think that this caesura actually did the opposite of conveying an evil image for Grendel since it vividly described Grendel's sufferings as though he did not deserve it.
Steve Kim
9/13/2014 02:09:23 pm
"Stood empty, and stayed deserted for years" (Line 61)
In the phrase above, the comma serves as an caesura to demonstrate the time lapse of the past and the present. The caesura above is indicated by a comma for the reader to pause in the middle of the phrase.
Alex
9/13/2014 06:06:44 pm
I think the separation of the phrase"Stood empty" from the rest of the sentence further emphasizes the emptiness of the scene.
Clifford
9/13/2014 07:21:43 pm
I agree with Alex because it tells the importance of the emptiness and changes the mood in the line
Nikha
9/14/2014 12:47:56 am
I agree with Steve. The caesura emphasizes on "empty". The place is bare. It's existence is nihilistic. The tone is negative and depressing.
Belle
9/13/2014 10:55:02 pm
“The shadow of death hunted in the darkness,
Stalked Hrothgar's warriors, old
And young, lying in waiting, hidden
In mist, invisibly following them from the edge
Of the marsh, always there, unseen.” (line 74-78)
I think this causura enhances the feeling of terror of the warriors, it may not explicitly states that the warriors are seized with fear, but it implies that Grendel's power is far beyond the warriors reach, that he is able to attack at anytime again.
Nikha
9/14/2014 12:47:36 am
I agree with Belle. But I also want to point out that the caesura here stresses on Hrothgar's warriors. No matter the age difference, the warriors are frightened by Grendel. The author seems to imply that everybody is equal when facing death.
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