Emily Sawyer with her amazing artwork.

My students never fail to amaze, astound, and astonish me. Whether it was a poem fashioned with alliteration and pathos or a gaffaw-inducing Leechbook for college students, my students are valiant thegns and wise warriors.

They made art, such as the painstaking embroidery that portrays the dragon, Beowulf, Grendel’s Mother, and Grendel’s arm, as Claire did.

Emma and her collage depicting good versus evil.

Emma made a collage dividing good and evil. Kyle made us roar with laughter with his “newspaper,” The Heorot Herald. It included tidbits on how to stop Grendel’s arm from rotting in the rafters and also a “Missed Connection” for Unferth, who promised to be reading Pride and Prejudice! A parody requires the writer to understand the original perfectly and is a lot of work–even if the result is to die for!

Kyle and his hysterical “newspaper,” The Heorot Herald.

Kandi and her astounding calligraphy of a beautiful, well-researched story. Her brother hand-sewed the book and its his leatherwork!!!!

Kandi fashioned a book with her own calligraphy and story, interlacing The Wife’s Lament with her own story inspired by historical characters. I think it should be a novel or series. And her brother made the leather-bound book with vellum. Truly mind-blowing!

I’m so grateful to my class for creatively showing how Old English material can be refashioned for today’s world. James made a D & D Beowulf style that was jaw-dropping in its intricate detail.