Beowulf
The epic poem Beowulf, written in Old English by Christian monks around 750 AD, is a wonderful adventure story about a warrior who kills ferocious monsters. The use of description and imagery enlivens the story, making it possible for a reader to really see in his or her mind the characters and events. Metaphors, exaggeration, and alliteration are three devices that together allow the reader to experience this poem which is quite different than most other poetry. A metaphor is a figure of speech in which a word or phrase that ordinarily means one thing is applied to another thing to suggest a likeness between the two. Metaphors are used extensively throughout the poem to paint a more colorful picture in the listener's mind. These metaphors are used in phrases called "kennings". A kenning is a descriptive, poetical expression used instead of a simple name for a person or thing. Beowulf is hardly ever called by his actual name. Instead there are many kennings referring to him, such as: "Prince of the Weders", "The Son of Ecgtheow", "The Geatish hero", and "The Lord of the Seamen". These kennings describe Beowulf to us in a more interesting way tha
Exaggeration is another device to make Beowulf a more interesting, entertaining, and dramatic poem. For example, even though this story is a fantasy, it is hard to believe that the character of Beowulf would be able to kill a monster like Grendel with his bare hands. Exaggerating Beowulf's bravery makes the story more exciting. Another exaggeration used to convince us how great our hero is, is the passage, "Over all the world, or between the seas, / Or under the heaven, no hero was greater." (671-672). This dazzles the listener with Beowulf's bravery. His bravery is again exaggerated when he jumps in the swamp wearing heavy armor to fight and kill Grendel's mother. It's unlikely even a strong warrior could win a battle with a she-monster in an underwater cave with a broken sword. But it adds to the excitement. In the line "The head of Grendel, with heavy toil; / Four of the stoutest, with all their strength, / Could hardly carry on swaying spear / Grendel's head to the gold-decked hall." (1109-1112) exaggerations are made concerning the size and weight of the monster's head. Again, it portrays a more gruesome and dramatic scene to the listener's imagination.
Some common words found in the essay are:
Beowulf Imagery, Exaggerating Beowulf's, English Christian, Lord Seamen, Hall Heart, , epic poem, Ecgtheow Geatish, throughout poem, beowulf's bravery,
Approximate Word count = 784
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)
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