Anglo-Saxon Writing Assignment ROBERTSON

Rough Draft Due: Block, 9/14-9/15

Final Draft Due: Friday, 9/16

As we have discussed extensively this past six weeks, literature often reflects the attitudes of the times in which it was
written. Thus, one of the best ways to truly understand history is to experience it through great literature.

ASSIGNMENT

For this essay, examine your reading of Beowulf . Then, in a well-written 5-paragraph essay, explain how the
text reflects Anglo-Saxon life and ideas. In order to write this essay, you may want to consider:

 the Anglo-Saxon attitudes towards fate, bravery, and the afterlife

 the Anglo-Saxon attitude toward nature
 the use of literary elements in Anglo-Saxon poetry (imagery, metaphor, etc)
 Anglo-Saxon ideas, ie. Comitatus, Christian elements, or reflections of Anglo-Saxon values

Don’t try to include all of these ideas in your paper. Rather, make an assertion and use specific examples from the text to
support your assertion.

Suggested Length: 2+ typed pages

Your paper should meet all of the following criteria:

 Be typed—10-12 point font; Times New Roman; MLA format; double-spaced

 Include a strong thesis statement that makes a reasonable assertion
 Use specific, text-based evidence to support your assertion
 Use internal documentation which reflects the line numbers
 Be organized and well-structured
 Have adequate development and analysis throughout the paper
 Employ good sentence structure (paying particular attention to active voice)
 Have a good sense of voice and a pleasant style
 Be logical and coherent
 Have clear, concise language that is correctly spelled and is free of grammatical errors

DO’s & DON’Ts

 CONTRACTIONS: DO NOT HAVE ANY!

 Use italics when necessary (Beowulf); No underlining
 Always discuss literature in present tense, history in past tense
 Avoid phrases such as: “This shows that…” , “This quote says that…” , “I think that…” , “The author is saying
that…”
 Avoid “be” verbs, especially in thesis statement.
 Integrate quotes properly: They should not float! (meaning you should introduce them with your own words.)
Error: He expresses to his comrades that he does not control the outcome. “God must decide /
Who will be given to Death’s cold grip” (174-175).

Correction: In explaining his refusal to use weapons in his fight against Grendel, Beowulf
fatalistically declares, “God must decide / Who will be given to death’s cold grip” (174-175).

 If you mention the author and title early in the introduction, you DO NOT need to mention the title again in the
thesis. On second reference to the author, use last name ONLY
  NEVER refer to the author by first name
 Avoid generalities:
Since the dawn of time…
Everybody wants to be…
All books have themes…
Everyone wants friends..

 Never begin a paragraph with a quote! Never end a paragraph with a quote.

MLA RULES

Quoting Poetry--If you quote part or all of a single line or verse, put it in quotation marks within your text. You may also
incorporate two or three lines in this way, using a slash with a space on each side ( / ) to separate them.

Ex. Bradstreet frames the poem with a sense of mortality: “All things within this fading world hath end” (1).

Reflecting on the “incident” in Baltimore, Cullen concludes, “Of all the things that happened there / That’s all that I
remember” (11-12).

***The LINE NUMBERS are placed in the parentheses, NOT page numbers***
**The PERIOD goes AFTER the (parentheses) – not inside the quote**
*Notice that the quotes are incorporated into the sentence. NEVER leave a quote hanging*
Examples: What TO DO: Because “hunting was his sport,” the Monk…
What NOT TO DO: “Hunting was his sport” (111). The Monk…