Composed around 1000 CE, ""Beowulf"" is the longest-known poems written in Old English. Considered to be one of the great epics, the poem tells of the heroic deeds of the great warrior Beowulf, and contains both Christian and pagan symbolism. Students will eagerly explore the poem's influential themes in this new offering from the ""Bloom's Guides"" series. They'll also learn how ""Beowulf"" is the blueprint for many of the legends often associated with medieval and Renaissance literature, as well as the prototype for the modern fantasy genre.