Irish poet and Seamus Heaney, Nobel Prize winner for "for works of lyrical beauty and ethical depth, which exalt everyday miracles and the living past," presents his translation of the epic poem Beowulf. I did a side-by-side reread of this while reading the Headley translation for the first time.

I'm going to keep this short because I feel like I did a lot of comparison in my Headley review. I know this is a classic, award-winning translation but honestly? It's kind of a slog, and you never forget you're reading an Ye Olde Englishe poem. It's not bad! It's just not how I'd introduce students to Seamus Heaney. Give them "Scaffolding" or the chorus from "The Cure at Troy" in the middle of the poetry unit, give them the good stuff, come on.