Beowulf: a verse translation. Michael Alexander. 2003.

Beowulf is the greatest surviving work of literature in Old English. It tells the story of the heroic Beowulf and of his battles, first with the monster Grendel, who has laid waste to the great hall of the Danish king Hrothgar, then with Grendel’s avenging mother and finally with a dragon that is devastating his homeland. Through a blend of history, legend and myth, Beowulf vividly evokes a twilight world in which men and supernatural forces live side by side, and celebrates the endurance of the human spirit in a transient world.

Michael Alexander’s is a landmark modern English verse translation. His introduction discusses the central themes of Beowulf and its place among epic poems, the history of its publication and reception, and issues of translation.