Darkness by KirkArcena

Grendel- Image

KirkArcena — 2015-10-22 11:29:11 UTC

First, I imagined Grendel to look like a beast, terrifying, having sharp claws, long hair, furry body, colossal, intimidating and long fangs. However, after reading readings #1 and #2, I now imagine Grendel to look more like a human or I now imagine Grendel as a human being. In my imagination, Grendel is an outcast, an introvert, a person who likes pain and who likes to see others feel pain and suffer. I imagine his appearance to be more like a mountain man, who's clothes are made of animal hide, who's hair are as long as a woman's and as dry as a buffalo's fur, who's face looks like it hasn't been washed in ages and who's hands and arms are as thick as logs. Most importantly, I imagine him to be as strong as Samson since he easily "smashed thirty men in their beds."

Grendel- Music

KirkArcena — 2015-11-06 11:21:59 UTC

I imagine Grendel to an outcast, someone who's feared by many, someone who is different from the others and someone who's turned into a monster. I chose Imagine Dragons' song "I've Turned Into A Monster" because its lyrics is as if it's written about Grendel. The speaker in the song is someone who "just wants to fit in," just like what I envision Grendel to be. In our second reading, we see how Grendel has turned into a monster, a monster who does not fear taking away the lives of his preys and a monster who "smile[s] like exploding springs" as he see how people fear him.

A classmate's view

KirkArcena — 2015-11-06 11:49:41 UTC

I chose to discuss Kaitlyn Chesney's, who's from 8th period, depiction of Grendel since it piqued my interest. I like how she compared Grendel to Jefferey Dahmer, who "killed, torutured and sometimes ate his victims of at least 17 men. I like how she went all the way and searched for a killer who murdered people for 12 years just like Grendel. She also discusses how Dahmer's height of six feet agrees with how tall Grendel should be since he easily "smashed 30 men" in Hrothgar's mead hall.

News Article

KirkArcena — 2015-11-06 12:01:38 UTC

Scholarly Article

KirkArcena — 2015-11-06 12:37:27 UTC

I've learned many things by reading this scholarly article by Joan Acocella. First, I am astonished about the fact that only a few people can fluently read and write Old English and one of them is John Tolkien. I've learned that John Ronald Reuel Tolkien translated Beowulf from Old English to the modern day English language in the 1920's. I was amazed about the fact that Tolkien learned Old English and started to read Beowulf at an early age. After reading the article, I finally know who the author of the novel The Lord of The Rings. I was also fascinated by the fact that Tolkien finished translating Beowulf in 1926 at the age of 34. I find it unbelievable that at such age, he successfully translated one of the most legendary epic in the middle ages. Tolkien also did not publish his translation until 40 years after his death when his son finally revealed t to the public. By reading the article, I now know that Beowulf fights three different "monsters" in the epic. He fights Grendel, his mother and a dragon. Beowulf also becomes a king and rules for about 50 years. He also set out to kill the final monster in the epic, the dragon, at the age of 80. One of his knight, Wiglaf, helped him slay the dragon. Wiglaf stabs the dragon, weakening it, then Beowulf goes for the finish.