Home › Literary Criticism › Beowulf: An Updated Verse Translation

Beowulf: An Updated Verse Translation

by Frederick Rebsamen

Beowulf in updated verse

Regular price $12.76 USD
Regular price $21.27 USD Sale price $12.76 USD
Save 40%

Paperback New English

Delivery to your door
In stock·Dispatches in 1–2 business days
Standard shipping* from $4.35
Standard shipping transit* 5–8 business days after dispatch

Faster options are available.

Rates and delivery estimates depend on your destination and item quantity. Estimates are informational only; the final shipping method and rate are selected at checkout.

Secure checkout
American Express Apple Pay DiscoverGoogle Pay Mastercard PayPalVisa
30-day eligible returns Returns & refunds policy

Awards & Recognition

  • Critical praise

    Praised by Dick Ringler for capturing the feel and tone of the original

    Dick Ringler praises the translation for capturing the feel and tone of the original.

AlbakiReads Editorial

Beowulf in updated verse

Frederick Rebsamen’s unabridged translation brings the Old English epic into modern English verse. The supplied description identifies its central conflict: the hero Beowulf faces the monster Grendel, in a saga shaped by bravery and battle. It also emphasizes the translation’s attention to poetic features such as alliteration, stress, pause, and compound words. At 144 pages, this edition offers a focused entry point to a medieval work associated with the beginnings of English literature, while keeping its verse form in view.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Readers seeking a modern English verse translation of Beowulf.
  • Students or general readers exploring medieval literature and early English poetry.

Themes

BraveryBattleHeroismMedieval poetry and verse form

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

The acclaimed verse translation of the timeless epic tale of bravery and battle--the enduring saga of the hero Beowulf and the monster Grendel--the first true masterpiece of English literature.

"There are lots of translations of Beowulf floating around, some prose, some poetry, but none manages to capture the feel and tone of the original as well as this one." -- Dick Ringler, Professor of English and Scandinavian Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison

"No self-respecting college professor will want his students to be without it. . . . Renditions in modern English haven't taken the poetry of the original very seriously--but what a shock now that someone has! With the subtle rules of alliteration, stress, and pause in place--and with a translator bold enough to invent his own vigorous and imaginative compound nouns--the poem suddenly takes flight and carries us to the highest mountains of achievement." (Booklist)

Shipping & returnsShipping options, delivery timing, and our return policy.

In-stock items normally dispatch within 1–2 business days. The ZIP-code estimator on this page is informational only; the final shipping method, price, and availability are confirmed at checkout for your full order.

For the initial delivery estimate we use these transit windows after dispatch: Standard 5–8 business days, Expedited 2–4 business days, and Priority 1–2 business days. Holiday delays are not included.

Eligible items can be returned within 30 days in accordance with our return policy.

Customer reviews