Caesura in Beowulf1 Function of the Caesura in the

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Caesura in Beowulf: Function of the Caesura in the Epic Poem The caesura in Beowulf occurs in most lines, having an important role. The use of caesura was common for poems at the time, and so Beowulf fits right along with its contemporaries. The benefit of caesura in Beowulf also shows us that it was likely an orally told tale. Read this to find out about caesura and its function in the epic poem What Is a Caesura in Beowulf? Caesura is defined as a break or pause in a line of poetry, and it is the same in Beowulf. The break comes where one phrase stops and a fresh one starts. While caesura was used in Ancient Greek and Roman poetry in this way, caesura in Beowulf was used a little differently. Beowulf was written in Old English, hence this pause or break in the lines came to break up a droning phrase. The usage of caesura is also linked to the use of alliteration in Beowulf. It helps to separate the beats and phrases to make them sound better. Examples of Caesura in Beowulf To get a better understanding of caesura and its function, take a look at a few examples of this tool below. All lines are pulled from Seamus Heaney’s translation of the poem. The caesura is represented through...