Style and meaning in 'Judith.' (Old English poem)

The anonymous Old English poet who wrote 'Judith' used traditional heroic themes and language to convey the triumph of God's people over evil. This poem retold the Old Testament story of Judith, who helped the Bethulians to defeat the invading Assyrians by killing their leader, Holofernes. The poet deliberately repeated heroic words such as steppan and wiggend to accentuate the difference in character between the righteous Bethulians and the wicked Assyrians. His mastery of the heroic idiom is apparent in this richly meaningful work.