The aim of the article is to indicate that Maria Rodziewiczówna’s 1903 novel Wrzos bears some resemblance to Thomas Hardy’s 1891 novel Tess of the d’Urbervilles in terms of the characters, plot construction and literary themes. The intertextual parallels between the two works, along with the likelihood of a direct borrowing of the aforementioned elements, constitute the subject of this study.
The article aims at establishing the reasons why digressions constitute an integral part of Beowulf. It shows the wide variety of ways how these stylistic devices are related to the main plot of the poem and the latest approach towards the task of analysis. Moreover, the author rejects the misguided notion of digressions being nothing more than just “tasteless intrusions”. Even though the purpose of some digressions may not seem perfectly straightforward, all of them contribute to the artistry of the poem. Therefore, Beowulf has to be analysed in terms of a work of art and should not be regarded as valuable for merely historical significance.
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