Beowulf
Poetic Devices
Name: _________________________________
1. Figurative Language: is language that communicates meaning beyond the literal meanings of the words. An example
of figurative language in the poem is line 19 on page 21: “He [Grendel] was spawned in that slime”. The author could
have made a literal statement such as “Grendel was born in a swamp.” The first phrase is more effective because it adds
information about the swamp, the words spawned and slime have negative connotations, slime appeals to the senses of
touch and sight, and the alliteration of the repeating initial S sound is rhythmic. Below are some additional examples of
figurative language. Explain what each phrase means in literal terms and then discuss why figurative language is better.
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Pg 22, lines 64-64: “His [Hrothgar’s] misery leaped/The seas”
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Pg 30, line 379: “When night had covered the earth with its net”
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Pg 33, lines 480-481: “…trying to open/A path for his evil soul”
2. Alliteration: is the repetition of the beginning sound of several words in a line. It is used to created rhythm, to
emphasize a line, and to add to the imagery of sound. An example of alliteration appears on page 21 in lines 9-12: “Then
proudly setting the sun and moon/To glow across the land and light it; The corners of the earth were made lovely with
trees/And leaves, made quick with life”. Find three more separate examples of alliteration in lines 1-40 on pages 21-22.
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3. How does alliteration in line 15 on pg 21 contribute to the happy mood before Grendel arrives?
4. How does the alliteration in lines 442-444 on page 32 contribute to the imagery of sound?
5. Sometimes consonant sounds are repeated in the middle and at the ends of words. This is called consonance. Note
the example on pg 22 in line 52. Why might the author have chosen to create this hissing sound at this point?
6. Judging from the rhythm created by the midline punctuation or caesura in lines 392-399 on pg 31, how would you
describe Grendel’s approach to high Herot?
7. Hyperbole is a figure of speech that uses exaggeration not intended to be taken literally, usually for emphasis. The
author uses hyperbole on pg 23 in lines 109-111. What effect does this kind of exaggeration have on epic poetry?
8. Kennings are epithets (descriptive phrases or compound words) that substitute for nouns. On pg 32 in line 429, “a
strong-hearted wakeful sleeper” substitutes for the noun Beowulf.
Find two more kennings for Beowulf on pg 33-34 in lines 472-517
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Find two kennings for Grendel on pg 32-33 in lines 432-473
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Find two kennings for Grendel’s mother on pg 36-37 in lines 570-632
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9. Imagery: is descriptive writing that appeals to the five senses. Examine the following passages for three examples of
imagery. Note the phrase and the sense it appeals to.
The fight inside Herot on pg 33 in lines 449-472
Sense:
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The swamp scene on pg 35 in lines 545-569
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The dragon battle scene on pg 44-45 in lines 688-741
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