Anglo-Saxon Riddles Image Credit: http://www.utm.edu/staff/ngraves/shakespeare/OERiddles.htm The Riddles Were recorded in the Exeter Book – the largest known “anthology” of Old English poetry and verse. Literary Terms (page 17) The following terms are found in much of the Anglo Saxon poetry that we will study. As we study the riddles and poems of this time (including Beowulf) always be on the look out for these devices at work. The use of these devices made it easier for poets to “sing” the songs to their audiences. They aided memorization. Kennings Two-word poetic renamings of people, places, or things. Poetic synonyms EXAMPLE: Whale road = sea EXAMPLE: Trumpet blarer = Mrs. Wood EXAMPLE: Knowledge vessels = you students Alliteration Repetition of the same initial consonant sounds in poetry. EXAMPLE: Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. EXAMPLE: Every day she danced and dared to be her best. Caesura A natural pause in a the middle of a line of poetry. Give time for poet to take a breath. LOOK FOR: Punctuation in the middle of a line EXAMPLE: Grendel, who haunted the moors, the wild Marshes, and made his home in a hell Not hell but earth. He was spawned in that slime, Conceived by a pair of those monsters born of Cain, murderous creatures banished… Assonance The repetition of vowel sounds in unrhymed, stressed syllables. EXAMPLE: Batter the ramparts Riddles What is a riddle? What do riddles sound like? Do you know any riddles? What is the point of the riddle? If you are going to write one, what are you trying to do? What makes a good riddle? Directions Find your group. Read through all the riddles in the packet Fill in your chart for each riddle. Focus on solving the riddles and observing the poetic devices being used. When you are finished with the chart, we will go over the answers. 15 minutes – We will come back together as a class. Write your own riddle. Minimum of 12 lines Do not put your name on it. Type/write big font and neatly – so can be read easily. Answer on back in pencil. Put in alliteration, caesura, and one example of kennings. One example of each minimum. These WILL be shared/read tomorrow. You WILL be asked to show where you included the literary elements.