J.R.R. Tolkien’s influential 1936 lecture and essay focused on the Old English poem Beowulf.
“Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics” argued that scholars should take the poem’s monsters seriously as central artistic elements, rather than treating them as distractions from historical information. Tolkien emphasized the poem’s structure, symbolism, and literary power, helping reshape modern academic views of Beowulf.
Beowulf tells of the hero’s battles with Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and a dragon. Tolkien’s deep knowledge of Old English allowed him to discuss both the language and the poem’s imaginative design. The essay remains one of the most important works of modern Beowulf criticism.
Tolkien was also a translator and editor of Old English and Middle English texts. His scholarship in this area influenced his fiction, particularly its use of heroic poetry, ancient names, monsters, and legendary history.