Beowulf Study Guide

The first stanza of the poem describes the landscape of a country as seen through the eyes of visitors. The poet compares the land to scenery, which suggests a fake, lifeless appearance. The flowers stand straight and tall, and the grass is unnaturally green, as though people have not traveled through the area in a long time. The lake has been forgotten--like a lost handkerchief. Animals no longer visit the area. A lark's song is nothing more than a reflection or memory. The paved, Roman road, which should have been well worn from travel, now stands shining in the sun. The entire landscape appears abandoned by the people of the country. They have left the area untouched and un-traveled. The lack of human contact has cast an eerie strangeness across the country. (read more)