Beowulf
Beowulf by Francis Barton [Translator] Gummere is available here as the complete public-domain text, split into 237 reading sections of 5 sentences, each with audio and tap-to-define vocabulary.
Beowulf by Francis Barton [Translator] Gummere. Complete public-domain text from Project Gutenberg eBook #981.
Course Syllabus
This syllabus gives direct access to every published chapter and its complete sequence of five-line English readings.
Beowulf
Select a chapter to continue in the Cinema Lecture Hall with line-by-line English learning.
0 of 235 original contextual illustrations are live; remaining readings use the book cover while their artwork is reviewed.
This edition of Beowulf by Francis Barton [Translator] Gummere carries the complete text of Project Gutenberg eBook #981, divided into 10 chapters and 237 reading sections of 5 sentences each. Every sentence of the source is kept, and each chapter records which sentences cover which part of the story. Any word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry, and each section carries a contextual illustration generated from the passage itself.
Where can I read Beowulf in full?
The complete text of Beowulf is here, taken from Project Gutenberg eBook #981 and divided into 237 sections.
This page carries the whole of Beowulf by Francis Barton [Translator] Gummere, not an abridgement or a summary. The text comes from Project Gutenberg eBook #981, a public-domain edition, with the Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence removed so that only the work itself remains. It runs to 1183 sentences across 10 chapters. Each chapter stores a record of which sentences cover which part of the work, so nothing is quietly dropped between the source edition and the page you read.
How is Beowulf divided for reading?
Beowulf is presented in 10 chapters, each split into sections of 5 sentences for steady reading.
Rather than presenting Beowulf as unbroken pages, the text is grouped into 237 sections of 5 sentences each. A section is short enough to hold in mind at once, which suits a reader working in a second language or returning to a long work in short sittings. The 10 chapters follow the divisions of the source edition, and each section carries a contextual illustration drawn from the passage it accompanies rather than a stock image.
Can I hear Beowulf read aloud?
Yes. Every sentence and every individual word of Beowulf can be played aloud, and each word shows its dictionary entry.
Every sentence of Beowulf can be played aloud, and so can any single word within it. Tapping a word plays it on its own and opens its dictionary entry, with the pronunciation shown in IPA alongside the part of speech and meaning. The reading voice uses United States English. This matters most for a work of this period, where a reader meets vocabulary and turns of phrase that are no longer in daily use and cannot be guessed reliably from spelling alone.
Questions about reading Beowulf
Common questions about reading Beowulf by Francis Barton [Translator] Gummere on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Is this the complete text of Beowulf?
Yes. All 1183 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #981 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Which edition of Beowulf is used?
Project Gutenberg eBook #981, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
How long does Beowulf take to read?
About 98 minutes of reading across 237 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to read Beowulf section by section
How to work through Beowulf section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
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Open a chapter
Choose one of the 10 chapters of Beowulf to begin.
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Read one section
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
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Listen and tap
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Vocabulary met early in Beowulf
Words and structures a reader meets early in Beowulf, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
- Praise
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Beowulf; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Prowess
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Beowulf; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- People-kings
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Beowulf; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
- Spear-armed
- A word that appears in the opening chapter of Beowulf; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.