Writing a Descriptive Essay

INTRODUCTION Glory or Death

Attention grabber

Physical appearance

Figurative language

Thoughts

Background information

Thesis statement

The tall, heavily muscled man stretches himself on his bed in the once

mighty hall. In the moonlight his blonde hair looks ghostly white, his pale blue

eyes almost black. Staring intently toward the distant ceiling, he can just make out

the huge wooden beams that support the hall's immense roof. Around him lie his

soldiers, young men who have come with him to this far kingdom across the sea.

Their bellies are stuffed with meat and mead from King Hrothgar's table, and the

sound of their regular breathing fills the hall like a soft breeze in the grass.

Beowulf wonders how many of them will live until the morning. "There is no glory

without risk," Beowulf reminds himself.

Glory, not sympathy for the plight of the Danes, is the reason Beowulf, hero

of the poem that bears his name, has brought these warriors so far to face danger. In

his world there is only one way for a man to distinguish himself: to prove his

strength and bravery in

battle. The desire to prove himself the strongest and bravest of men

motivates Beowulf's every thought, word, and action.

BODY

Actions

Interior monologue

Beowulf shivers as the night grows colder. He pulls up his warm blanket, and his eyelids

creep down. He wrenches his eyes open again. "You must not sleep tonight,"

he tells himself. "You must wait for the monster." He frowns as he thinks of

Grendel, the foul beast that had broken into the hall night after night,

slaughtering the warriors within until finally the great hall was abandoned to

the evil monster. "Where is the monster?" Beowulf wonders. "Why doesn't he

come? I can't wait to teach the beast a lesson! Him and Unferth, too." Beowulf

remembers Unferth's sour face as he spat out the words boastful fool. "He'll

soon see whether I'm boasting or not."

Actions To guard against falling to sleep, Beowulf props himself up on one elbow and

looks around at his comrades. Moonlight from the

Sensory details

Thoughts

Sensory details

Interior monologue

Actions

Sensory details

windows gleams on the naked swords by their beds and the bright armor peeking out

from under their blankets. There is no sword beside Beowulf's bed and no breastplate on

his chest. Since the monster fights with only his hands, Beowulf has chosen to do the

same. "Where's the glory in killing the beast with a sword?" Beowulf asks himself. "Only

if I fight it hand to hand can I prove that I am the stronger."

Suddenly Beowulf hears the door break off its hinges and crash on the stone

floor. A huge shadow blocks the moonlight, and hard, scaly claws seize one of Beowulf's

sleeping comrades. As Beowulf watches, amazed, the great monster Grendel rips the man

apart and gobbles him down. Then Grendel bends over Beowulf, so close that Beowulf

can see the glittering eyes and smell the foul breath. Grendel's iron claw bites into

Beowulf's arm, but Beowulf grabs the beast's claws in his huge hands and leaps to his

feet. He holds on with all his strength as Grendel twists and pulls. Beowulf forces his

fingers to press harder, and he feels a bone snap in one of the monster's claws. Grendel

gives an ear-piercing howl of pain. "I must hold on," Beowulf tells himself. "I must show

that I am stronger than this fiend."

Roused by the monster's howl, Beowulf's men leap up, their swords in their

hands. They hack at the monster, but their blades bounce off his thick, scaly hide.

Locked together by Beowulf's mighty grip, the monster and the hero slam against the

wooden walls and overturn the great wooden tables. The Danes hear the racket in their

beds and tremble. Now Grendel wants only to escape, but Beowulf holds him fast. He

struggles and twists, screaming so

horribly that Beowulf's soldiers cover their ears. At last, "the bleeding sinews deep in his

shoulder/ [Snap], muscle and bone split/ And [break]" (816–818). Grendel wrenches

himself free and streaks from

Reactions

Exact words from the poem

CONCLUSION

Importance of scene

Reference to thesis

Final statement/Speech

the hall. His arm is still in Beowulf's hand. "Beowulf," says the poet, "Had been

granted new glory" (818–819).

After the battle, Beowulf is showered with the recognition he craves.

Hrothgar declares, "The woman who bore him . . . was granted a son for her

glory. . . . "(943–945). Even Unferth, Beowulf's enemy, is forced to recognize his

greatness: "Unferth grew quiet, gave up quarreling over/ Beowulf's old battles,

stopped all his boasting/ Once everyone saw proof of that prince's strength. . . "

(980–982). Hrothgar gives a lavish banquet for Beowulf and showers him with gifts.

For his part, Beowulf is "not ashamed to be praised" (1025). Hrothgar's queen,

Welthow, reassures Beowulf that he has achieved what he desires: "Your glory is too

great to forget," she tells him. "It will last forever, wherever the earth/ Is surrounded

by the

sea, the winds' home, / And waves lap at its walls" (1221–1224).

The ancient poem Beowulf gives us a fascinating glimpse into a world where

physical strength and courage are a man's most important traits, and fame is more

important than life itself. Beowulf is the perfect embodiment of the value system

that the poet has his hero so eloquently express: "Each of us will come to the end of

this life/ On earth; he who can earn it should fight/ For the glory of his name; fame

after death/ Is the noblest of goals" (1386–1389).