Kenning: Another way to describe a person, place, or thing by using descriptive words
Ex-‘’ the whale road” is a phrase used to represent the ocean.
Alliteration: Words that sound alike or begin with the same letter that usually occur one after another
Ex-“A balm in bed to the battle-scarred Swede.” Each of the words begin with a B and have a similar sound
Wyrd: Something that is linked to the past that determines the future
Ex- “There was Shield Sheafson, scourge of many tribes. Shield had fathered a famous son: Beow’s name was known through the north. And a young prince must be prudent like that.” Shield Sheafson was a great warrior, which is why his son is expected to be a great warrior like his father.
Wergild: Tribute
Ex- The king helped Beowulf’s father and he died before he could pay him back. This is the reason why Beowulf goes to help the king.
Patronym: A name deriving from a male ancestor
Ex-“In my day, my father was a famous man, A noble warrior name Ecgtheow.” Beowulf refers to his father, which part of his name derives from.
Caste: Social classes that separate the royalty from the poor
Ex- In Beowulf, there is a caste system that is shown by how well off the king lives with the extravagant feasts he has and how poorly the other villagers are living. This shows a clear split between the rich and the poor.
In Media Res: In the middle of a situation
Ex- The story of Beowulf doesn’t start until the middle of the story after the history of the Danes is told.
Epic: A type of poetry that is usually a narrative
Ex-Beowulf is an epic because it tells the story of a brave hero that travels far away to achieve his goals.
Allegory: A phrase, character, or thing that has an abstract idea or double meaning
Ex- Beowulf is an example of allegory because he represents good because he isn’t selfish and decides to help the Danes
Allusion: Something that refers to a person, place, or thing indirectly
Ex- Sigemund the Dragon-Slayer is mentioned in Beowulf and is something that refers to a mythology.
Anaphora: Repeating a word multiple times to convey a message
Ex- “No man can tell, No wise man in hall or weathered veteran” The word No is repeated to emphasize that nobody knew who will acquire the treasures on the boat of the fallen Shield Sheafson.
Aphorism: A phrase that has a deeper meaning or truth behind it
Ex- “Behavior that’s admired is the path to per among people everywhere” This phrase means that once someone performs a heroic deed, he is known and admired by all.
Apostrophe: A set of words that are used to refer to an imaginary person
Ex- “May the Almighty Father keep you and in His kindness Watch over your exploits.” He refers to God, which is referring to an imaginary person who is not present.
Archetype: A symbol that shows human nature
Ex-The comparison between Beowulf and Grendel is good/evil.
Chiasmus: A phrase that contains two parts that are similar, but the words are rearranged
Ex- “Fate goes ever as fate must.” In this phrase fate is repeated but each is used differently.
Conceit: A vague metaphor that compares two objects that is nothing alike
Ex-“ To be earth’s lamplight, lanterns for men” This is a unlikely comparison between the sun and a lantern.
Elegiac: A poem or song that is written in elegiac couplets and used to mourn a person’s death
Ex- The end of Beowulf ends with an elegiac honoring Beowulf and his achievements. This was written in elegiac couplets and used to mourn Beowulf.
Epithet: A device that uses descriptive words to make a person, place, or thing higher than it actually is
Ex-“ the God-cursed brute was creating havoc” This phrase descriptively describes Grendel and makes him seem all mighty.
Homily: A serious speech that gives moral advice
Ex- Hrothgar’s speech given after Beowulf defeats Grendel’s mother is an example of homily because he emphasizes on the importance of the relationship between a king and his warriors, which is a warning to Beowulf to not break this loyalty.
Hubris: A character’s big ego that causes their ruin
Ex- Beowulf’s ego in fighting the dragon caused his death. Because he was all high and mighty when he was younger, he still regarded himself as strong when he was in his old age, which caused his death.
Irony: Words that are used differently than how they are intended to be
Ex- When Beowulf receives the sword Hrunting, it is expected for him to kill Grendel’s mother with it, but he does not.
Litotes: The use of an understatement that is ironic
Ex- “Cain got no good from committing that murder” This phrase ironically places good and murder as well as decreasing the seriousness of the matter.
Metonymy: A phrase or word that is used in place of another word
Ex- “They stretched their beloved lord in his boat’’ Lord is used in the place of king.
Motif: A repeated symbol
Ex- Monsters that appear in this epic is what the plot revolves around
Non Sequitur: A phrase that does not have a proper structure or meaning or jumps to conclusions
Ex-When everyone assumes Beowulf is dead after seeing blood. This is a assumption made by the people that is not verified.
Parallelism: Repetition of a word or phrase that is meant to make the sentence flow
Ex- “My armor held me to hold out; My hard-ringed chain-mail, hand-forged and linked” My is repeated to emphasize the mightiness of Beowulf’s possessions.
Pathos: A literary device that creates emotion
Ex-Beowulf’s death creates sadness because once a reader reads about a character, they tend to get attached and cheer for that character.
Synesthesia: A technique that activates multiple senses at once
Ex-“ You waded in, embracing water, Taking its measure, mastering currents, Riding on the swell. The ocean swayed, Winter went wild in the waves” This is imagery that activates your sense of smell(salty smell of the sea), touch(coldness of water), hear(the waves), taste(salt water), and sight(water surrounding you).
Synecdoche: A literary device that uses part of something to refer to a larger idea
Ex- “His warrior band did what he bade them” This is a synecdoche because band represents a whole army.
Understatement: A phrase that makes something less than it really is
Ex- Hrothgar thanks God for saving the Danes, when Beowulf is the real hero. God did not help the Danes, yet Hrothgar still praises him.
Ex-‘’ the whale road” is a phrase used to represent the ocean.
Alliteration: Words that sound alike or begin with the same letter that usually occur one after another
Ex-“A balm in bed to the battle-scarred Swede.” Each of the words begin with a B and have a similar sound
Wyrd: Something that is linked to the past that determines the future
Ex- “There was Shield Sheafson, scourge of many tribes. Shield had fathered a famous son: Beow’s name was known through the north. And a young prince must be prudent like that.” Shield Sheafson was a great warrior, which is why his son is expected to be a great warrior like his father.
Wergild: Tribute
Ex- The king helped Beowulf’s father and he died before he could pay him back. This is the reason why Beowulf goes to help the king.
Patronym: A name deriving from a male ancestor
Ex-“In my day, my father was a famous man, A noble warrior name Ecgtheow.” Beowulf refers to his father, which part of his name derives from.
Caste: Social classes that separate the royalty from the poor
Ex- In Beowulf, there is a caste system that is shown by how well off the king lives with the extravagant feasts he has and how poorly the other villagers are living. This shows a clear split between the rich and the poor.
In Media Res: In the middle of a situation
Ex- The story of Beowulf doesn’t start until the middle of the story after the history of the Danes is told.
Epic: A type of poetry that is usually a narrative
Ex-Beowulf is an epic because it tells the story of a brave hero that travels far away to achieve his goals.
Allegory: A phrase, character, or thing that has an abstract idea or double meaning
Ex- Beowulf is an example of allegory because he represents good because he isn’t selfish and decides to help the Danes
Allusion: Something that refers to a person, place, or thing indirectly
Ex- Sigemund the Dragon-Slayer is mentioned in Beowulf and is something that refers to a mythology.
Anaphora: Repeating a word multiple times to convey a message
Ex- “No man can tell, No wise man in hall or weathered veteran” The word No is repeated to emphasize that nobody knew who will acquire the treasures on the boat of the fallen Shield Sheafson.
Aphorism: A phrase that has a deeper meaning or truth behind it
Ex- “Behavior that’s admired is the path to per among people everywhere” This phrase means that once someone performs a heroic deed, he is known and admired by all.
Apostrophe: A set of words that are used to refer to an imaginary person
Ex- “May the Almighty Father keep you and in His kindness Watch over your exploits.” He refers to God, which is referring to an imaginary person who is not present.
Archetype: A symbol that shows human nature
Ex-The comparison between Beowulf and Grendel is good/evil.
Chiasmus: A phrase that contains two parts that are similar, but the words are rearranged
Ex- “Fate goes ever as fate must.” In this phrase fate is repeated but each is used differently.
Conceit: A vague metaphor that compares two objects that is nothing alike
Ex-“ To be earth’s lamplight, lanterns for men” This is a unlikely comparison between the sun and a lantern.
Elegiac: A poem or song that is written in elegiac couplets and used to mourn a person’s death
Ex- The end of Beowulf ends with an elegiac honoring Beowulf and his achievements. This was written in elegiac couplets and used to mourn Beowulf.
Epithet: A device that uses descriptive words to make a person, place, or thing higher than it actually is
Ex-“ the God-cursed brute was creating havoc” This phrase descriptively describes Grendel and makes him seem all mighty.
Homily: A serious speech that gives moral advice
Ex- Hrothgar’s speech given after Beowulf defeats Grendel’s mother is an example of homily because he emphasizes on the importance of the relationship between a king and his warriors, which is a warning to Beowulf to not break this loyalty.
Hubris: A character’s big ego that causes their ruin
Ex- Beowulf’s ego in fighting the dragon caused his death. Because he was all high and mighty when he was younger, he still regarded himself as strong when he was in his old age, which caused his death.
Irony: Words that are used differently than how they are intended to be
Ex- When Beowulf receives the sword Hrunting, it is expected for him to kill Grendel’s mother with it, but he does not.
Litotes: The use of an understatement that is ironic
Ex- “Cain got no good from committing that murder” This phrase ironically places good and murder as well as decreasing the seriousness of the matter.
Metonymy: A phrase or word that is used in place of another word
Ex- “They stretched their beloved lord in his boat’’ Lord is used in the place of king.
Motif: A repeated symbol
Ex- Monsters that appear in this epic is what the plot revolves around
Non Sequitur: A phrase that does not have a proper structure or meaning or jumps to conclusions
Ex-When everyone assumes Beowulf is dead after seeing blood. This is a assumption made by the people that is not verified.
Parallelism: Repetition of a word or phrase that is meant to make the sentence flow
Ex- “My armor held me to hold out; My hard-ringed chain-mail, hand-forged and linked” My is repeated to emphasize the mightiness of Beowulf’s possessions.
Pathos: A literary device that creates emotion
Ex-Beowulf’s death creates sadness because once a reader reads about a character, they tend to get attached and cheer for that character.
Synesthesia: A technique that activates multiple senses at once
Ex-“ You waded in, embracing water, Taking its measure, mastering currents, Riding on the swell. The ocean swayed, Winter went wild in the waves” This is imagery that activates your sense of smell(salty smell of the sea), touch(coldness of water), hear(the waves), taste(salt water), and sight(water surrounding you).
Synecdoche: A literary device that uses part of something to refer to a larger idea
Ex- “His warrior band did what he bade them” This is a synecdoche because band represents a whole army.
Understatement: A phrase that makes something less than it really is
Ex- Hrothgar thanks God for saving the Danes, when Beowulf is the real hero. God did not help the Danes, yet Hrothgar still praises him.