People who think a modern Beowulf can come in and fix our political problems are delusional.
Obama’s “star that guides us”–the ideals in “The Declaration of Independence”–are, in “Beowulf,” the sword used to kill Grendel’s Mother.
Obama appears to be playing Beowulf-hard rather than Wealtheow-soft in budget negotiations with the GOP.
Responding to election day loss, will we be calm like Henry Fielding or in agony like Grendel?
“Beowulf” teaches us that rewarding extremism encourages rather than moderates it. The GOP should not therefore be rewarded with the presidency.
Obama’s journey over the past four years has been Beowulf’s journey, both in its high points and in its low.
Steinbeck and the Beowulf poet both point out that piling up wealth does not lead to happiness.
Is Obama in a funk over his responsibilities as a war president? If so, “Beowulf” has answers.
Mitt Romney’s characterization of 47% of the American public as people who won’t take responsibility for their lives signals that he is a dragon in the Beowulf mode.
Middle Eastern leaders could learn from Beowulf–and so could Mitt Romney–as they deal with anti-American riots.
Obama sells himself in a softer way than Beowulf does. is he right to do so?
The current political situation calls for us to be Beowulfs.
Beowulf engages in a swimming contest of Olympian dimensions.
The process of writing a book applying “Beowulf” to contemporary American politics has brought me insight and hope.
Cowering before the NRA just prompts them to become even more extreme. Obama needs to be a Beowulf.
The shootings in Aurora, Colorado call forth literary works about evil stalking the world, including “Beowulf” and “Paradise Lost.”
Grieving for a lost America reaches deep across the political spectrum, “Beowulf” provides a healthy response.
King Hrothgar in “Beowulf” describes the creeping sense of entitlement that can possess a society’s wealthiest citizens.
Posted in Beowulf Poet | Also tagged Social inequity |
In her book about Eichmann, Hannah Arendt praises the Danes for how they stood up to the Nazis. One can draw a parallel with how Beowulf stands up to Grendel and also apply the lesson to the Trayvon Martin case.
Pundits debates whether Obama has been naive in his dealings with opponents. The same question can be asked of Queen Wealtheow in “Beowulf.”
In our angry politics, we have versions of the monsters in “Beowulf.” The Geat warrior instructs tell us what we can do to effectively deal with the anger.
Posted in Beowulf Poet | Also tagged politics |
Nobel laureate Thomas Tranströmer’s poem “After a Death” accurately captures how it feels to lose someone you love.
When subjected to the Beowulf test on good leadership, Obama scores surprisingly well.
Republican brinksmanship in the halls of Congress these past few weeks has been reminding me of Grendel rampaging through Heorot Hall in “Beowulf.”
An unexpected parallel between “Beowulf” and the Tom Cruse film “Top Gun” has given me new appreciation for the 8th century Anglo-Saxon epic and a deeper insight into how at least some guys in the military handle grief.
Maybe Obama is like Beowulf, who watches out Grendel operates and allows the monster to strike first before responding. Then he reaches out with a firm grip. Bombast and theatrics are for others. His aim is to save the hall.
“We have nothing to fear but fear itself,” Franklin Roosevelt memorably told a nation in the midst of its greatest economic crisis. As I look at America today, I see a lot of our politics dictated by fear. It is as though the unscrupulous and the irresponsible are stampeding us into extreme positions. Some want [...]
Spiritual Sunday As I teach Beowulf for the umpteenth time, I am struck once again by its beautiful rendition of the Genesis creation story. I’m also struck by how the invocation of that beauty calls forth human horror. Exploring the linkage provides some insight into the mass killings we have almost come to expect. The [...]
When I wasn’t teaching class yesterday, I was continuing my marathon essay-grading session. I took a break to write today’s post, however, and used a well-known poem by Langston Hughes to reflect on what I was asking my students to do. In “Theme for English B,” the only black student in a college composition course [...]
