Beowulf is an epic poem that consists of many figures of speech, imagery, and most importantly- a virtuous message. Though this poem does not consist of any rhyming or rhyme schemes, it still identifies as a poem because of several different noticeable factors. Some factors that contribute to a poem include: alliteration, imagery, metaphor, personification, repetition, theme, and many more. Some of these elements are recognized in the poem, Beowulf. First, one of the main aspects of the poem is the imagery, which is prevalent in the first part of the epic. Several times, there are words and phrases that can attribute to the reader creating a mental image about the situation. For example, one line of imagery states, “of all mead-halls, deserted and useless when the moon / hangs in the skies and the sun had lit,”. This line from the poem creates imagery with words such as deserted and moon hangs. Though imagery is not the most prominent factor of …show more content…
One example of personification appears in line eight, which says, “light and life fleeing together”. In this line, light and life have human traits, because they cannot actually flee. Instead, the speaker means that happiness and joy leaves when Grendel comes to fight. Another use of personification is in line thirty-one, where it says, “If I let my sword / go where my feet were afraid to,”. Swords, like light and life, cannot go anywhere. This is a use of personification to represent that Beowulf is attempting to be led by his dignity and his bravery, instead of letting his fear, or his feet, stop him from defeating Grendel. Another example is the phrase, “death was my errand”. This phrase is not exactly personification, but it is close to personification because death is not a normal errand that is attended. This phrase is instead used as a hyperbole, which dramatizes the danger of which Beowulf will be in when he fights
Heroism is shown throughout the poem. Beowulf was heroic in the fight with Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the dragon. “Behind some broad linden shield: my hands alone shall fight for me, struggle for life against the monster…” (lines 172-174). In those lines, Beowulf is saying he will fight Grendel alone and without any weapons. “Then Beowulf rose, still brave, still strong…” (line 633).
1. Find an example of a literary device and write the example. Be sure to label what device it is and explain how your example fits the description. Alliteration was the literary device used in Beowulf's Last Battle in the sentence "Then Beowulf rose, still brave, still strong and with his shields at his side, and a mail shirt on his breast, strode calmly, confidently, toward the tower". The repeated letter was "s" in the words still, strong, shields, side, shirt, and strode.
Personification is when a writer gives human qualities to nonhuman things. The first example of personification occurs when the tavern knave describes the death of their friend to the three rioters. He says, “There came a privy thief, they call him Death… He speared him through the heart, he never stirred.” (Chaucer, ll.
Source: Cain and Abel Allusion #1: “He took over Heorot, haunted the glittering hall after dark, but the throne itself, the treasure-seat, he was kept from approaching; he was the Lord's outcast” (Beowulf, lines 164-169). Allusion Identification: The author alludes to the story of Cain and Abel through Grendel and Beowulf, showing Grendel as the villain, similar to Cain. The author writes the character of Grendel as an outcast, unaccepted by the people of Heorot. While following the script of being an evil creature, the author of Beowulf takes it a step further, shunning the creature entirely.
A good example of personification would be "as soon as he beckoned, I ran" because the author Donald justice is referring to death as a person. Another example
In the epic poem Beowulf, the author uses alliteration to help emphasize the descriptive nature of the words by displaying it in the elucidation of characters. Examples are when the author narrates people, things, and actions like Grendel, Hrothgar's mead hall, and a sailing boat. When the author uses alliteration, it makes the story more interesting. It also gives the story a more lulling, lyrical effect. Lastly, it enables a connection to the poem, almost like they're in it.
Paying attention to the structure of a poem is extremely important because it gives significant hints of what the reader expect from the piece of literature. The epic poem Beowulf is structured with quantitative verse, emphasis on syllables with long vowels allowing alliteration to occur. When the tale of Beowulf was created, it was an oral epic that was spoken. The alliteration written down was a byproduct of the oral tradition because it kept the speaker and audience focused on the tale. Beowulf also is structured with incremental repetition for a sense of progression in the tale.
Beowulf is a poem that based in the 10th and 11th century that revolved around the idea of good vs evil. The poem is named after Beowulf who is a supernatural hero that slays any evil that crosses his path but is a real sweetheart when it comes to other people or the king. Beowulf is to be considered an epic poem because the hero in the story creates acts of being courageous and even superhuman in some cases, reflecting timeless values such as courage and honor, and the poem reflects unforgettable values with honor and courage. Typically in an epic poem, one will see a character or “the hero” who has outstanding courage and commit superhuman deeds and show values to other people in that era. “Then he drew himself up beside his shield./The fabled warrior in his warshirt and helmet/trusted in his own strength entirely/
Although these lines are also an instance of characterization, they are an excellent example of imagery as well. King’s description supplies us with a very distinct mental image of the man in the black suit, that the reader can continue to visualize as they read the
Beofwulf’s structure, events, diction, and the story of a complete warrior depict what a true epic poem looks like. The poem shows the reader many events and tragedies that create a long line-filled poem. Beowulf endures many journeys throughout the narrative that solidify as heroic and truly legendary. Many unlikely and superhuman abilities are displayed throughout Beowulf as well. Structure, heroics, and superhuman abilities in the narrative Beowulf, which tells of Beowulf’s journeys, provide a great example of an epic.
In Beowulf, the alliteration captures the sounds of battle which emphasizes the fierce nature of the conflict. During Grendel and Beowulf’s battle, the letter b in the phrase “...bodies beating at its beautiful walls…” imitates the booming sounds of war (line 295). The use of alliteration enhances the intensity of this scene by making the fight more ferocious and tense. Furthermore, in lines 403 through 405, the repetition of the letter s during Grendel’s mother’s invasion at Herot mimics the sound of swords clashing during war. This emphasizes Grendel’s mother’s strength; warriors can continually slash at her, but they will have no effect on the powerful beast.
The literary device that seems ubiquitous in this poem is alliteration. The first one found in lines 633-634, “ still brave, still strong/ And with his shield at his side, and a mail shirt on his breast.” The “S” sound is repeated. Another example of alliteration shown is on lines 717-718.
Alliteration, Imagery, and Kenning in Beowulf In the Anglo-Saxon poem “Beowulf”, the author’s used multiple different literary devices, three in particularly stuck out throughout the entire story, being alliteration, kenning, and imagery; the literary devices were used to connect the story, and help the reader understand the life of Beowulf, and emphasize the parts that were not clear throughout the story. The author uses literary devices throughout the story of “Beowulf” to emphasize on Beowulf’s heroism, and to connect Beowulf to the epic poem. The use of alliteration is used to create a voice that only the readers will understand from reading throughout the story, an example following the idea of alliteration would be “Whichever one death fells must deem it a just judgement by God” (lines 400-441). Alliteration is to be described as a repetition of similar consonant sounds.
For example, in Heaney’s translation of Beowulf is in line 710 when he describes the fog as “mist-bands.” This particular part creates an imagery to show that the mist is binding together to create a sort of fog. Another example on how kennings are able to become personifications is by Moncrieff’s translation in line 727 when he writes “leaping-flame.” This part describes Grendel’s eyes to fire with the use of kenning and personification, by how Moncrieff illustrates the fire as “leaping.” Ultimately, Heaney and Moncrieff uses kennings to illustrate their objects by kennings that may also connect to becoming
Pyre and Brimstone: A Close Analysis of the Imagery in Beowulf’s Final Scene In the epic poem Beowulf, the death scene of the titular hero is a climactic and poignant moment that showcases the immense power of imagery in conveying the emotional and symbolic depth of the narrative. Through a meticulous selection of vivid and evocative descriptions, the poet magnifies the significance of Beowulf's ultimate sacrifice. This essay will closely analyze specific examples of imagery in Beowulf's death scene, illustrating how they enhance the reader's understanding of the hero's valor, the ephemeral nature of life, and the timeless theme of the heroic ideal.