Beowulf, Lines 1-900

I have found this reading to be difficult and hard to understand. I also read the introduction before hand, and yet I was still having a hard time understanding what was being said, the setting of scene, or even the characters. I felt lost and confused. Even though, I have a low desire for even shakespeare, I believe that the passion for reading text from these era's is difficult. I think when a text isn't clear i have to read it over a few times to understand what is being said. For instance, it says on line 32, "A boat with a ringed neck rode in the haven,/icy, out-eager, the atheling's vessel" (37). I think this is when the king is being sent of into the water, after he dies? I really enjoyed the lecture on the history of Beowulf, and where it came from. But i wonder if that is where the passion of this text ends for me? I have read this twice, and feel overwhelmed with confusion. I hope that today's lecture can shed some light on the language. But really, should this be so difficult to read? It is hard to set the scene in my imagination for the story. I apologize for the rambling, I hope to gain more insight during today's lecture.