Essay On Literary Devices In Beowulf

Impending Doom The language and usage of various traditional Anglo-Saxon literary elements in “Beowulf,” translated by Charles W. Kennedy, help the reader to understand the purpose of the folk epic. When Beowulf arrives to kill Grendel’s mother in an underwater hall, he and his men see “on the rocky sea-cliff,/…slaughtered Æschere’s severed head./ The water boiled in a bloody swirling/ With seething gore as the spearmen gazed” (931-934).

This alliteration was used to describe how strong Beowulf is. 6. Choose three vocab words to type and define. Then create an original sentence for each word that uses it correctly. Be sure to use context clues in your sentences.

His translation is also in a vertical form arranged by line, similar to the original epic. Francis B. Gummere’s translation of Beowulf is concerned with maintaining a similar style and tone to the original, although he is willing to sacrifice a few choice words from the original to do so. That indicates a looser formal equivalence philosophy. Gummere was careful in maintaining the alliteration built into Beowulf, most exemplified by the first five lines which contain ample alliteration.

Beowulf, son of Higlac, was an epic hero and a good man. He did many noble deeds throughout his life. He saved the Danes, and he fought the dragon in his perishing battle. His ever expanding glory will never be burned in a pyre no matter how big. His accomplishments exceed the expectation of an average man.

Beowulf Rhetoric Essay Beowulf, an Old English epic poem made in the eighteenth century, is about a hero who defeats the monster Grendel and his mother, then becomes the king of the Geats, and lastly dies trying to kill a dragon. Beowulf translated by Seamus Heaney is the Old English translation attempting not to lose the original meaning while keeping the rhythm and poetic element at the same time. He tried to keep the original meaning of this epic poem written by catholic priests, in fear of losing their traditions, to fit their religious beliefs. Beowulf was written to keep oral traditions, depict honor and bravery, and teach catholic morals, which proves to be effective.

This attests to his aging and the stronger forces that he is facing. Beowulf uses different and progressively stronger weapons that carry a cultural attachment of his people, enabling the hero to to defeat his enemies even though he is getting older and his enemies are getting stronger.

These themes are mostly found in the weapons, armor, and treasure in the story, which not only serve to further key plot lines, but are also heavily laden with symbolism. One of the first examples of the not-so-subtle symbolism in Beowulf we see is when Beowulf prepares for his fight against Grendel. He is well aware of how many men Grendel has killed and just how dangerous this monster is, yet Beowulf refuses to use any armor or weapons when he fights the beast. Later, in the second act of the story, Beowulf seeks out and faces off against Grendel’s mother. This time, Beowulf is fully equipped with chainmail armor and Unferth’s family sword, Hrunting.

This Anglo-Saxon epic poem Beowulf, displays a constantly changing theme of good versus evil, creating a suspenseful atmosphere throughout.

Doctorate student and instructor, Evelyn Reynolds, in her analysis, “Beowulf’s Poetics of Absorption”, describes the usage of thematic and narrative elements to affect the mood and feelings of readers. Reynolds’s purpose is to provide in-depth analysis of the narrator’s usage of specific textual elements, in which she embraces her own knowledge of Old English, and showcases the narrator’s subtle appeal to instinctual human responses. Evelyn Reynolds is a graduate student at the University of Indiana and graduate of the University of Tulsa. Having a basic understanding of the original text allows Reynolds to emerge above her peers when researching and analyzing a text.

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.

Mythological or Archetypal philosophy has been around for centuries and is used across numerous cultures. Carl Jung, a close colleague of Sigmund Freud, defined the word archetype as “a figure...that repeats itself in the course of history wherever creative fantasy is fully manifested.” Archetypes can come in various forms: characters, images, and situations. Though many different forms of archetypes appear in the tale of Beowulf, specifically, the archetypal character roles of the hero and the outcast are major aspects of the story. The role of the hero is a popularly recognizable element of many stories.

In the epic Beowulf, translated by Seamus Heaney, Beowulf is depicted as a heroic figure who fights monsters and defends the weak. During its time, Beowulf would be considered a great hero, however in today 's standards Beowulf would only be considered a great warrior. That’s because a hero should value the lives of the people and not seek to be rewarded. Instead, Beowulf committed heroic acts for his own selfish reasons and never shows to values the lives of the people. From fighting Grendel to slaying the dragon, Beowulf only fought because he value the fame and fortune that comes along with those accomplishments.

Once upon a time, there was a marvelous warrior that was a hero to so many and king to some. In the story of Beowulf, the hero, Beowulf, must follow and go through the hero’s journey. The hero’s journey has twelve stages, or three acts. The stages go in the order: 1) The Call to Adventure, 2) Assistance, 3) Departure, 4) Trials, 5) Approach to the Inmost Cave, 6) Crisis, 7) Treasure, 8) Result, 9) Return, 10) New Life, 11) Resolution, and 12) Status Quo (Winkler). Since Beowulf is facing three different monsters, there is not only the story’s significant journey, but also multiple inside it.

The adventurous journeys Beowulf took during this epic poem are well told with many literary devices strategically placed throughout the book. These devices are not easily distinguished in old literature, although it is clear that alliteration, kenning, and foreshadowing are key components to the stories. Without each of these techniques the poem would lose rhythm and meaning. Although there are many more techniques to point out, alliteration, kenning and foreshadowing give this poem a lot of charm and character one may not expect. Keep in mind that this time period, during 507 B.C., the Danish and Swedish full-heartedly believed in fate.

The epic poem Beowulf is a classic tale of good versus evil. Good, as shown in the story, is any action that fights evil and defends the community and the people of it. The evil intent of Grendel, the story’s antagonist and cannibalistic murderer, who is depicted as a “fiend out of hell” (99), is strongly countered by the heroic actions of the stories main protagonist, Beowulf. The noble King Hrothgar is a role model for young Beowulf at the beginning of the epic, displaying acts of charity and wisdom throughout his life.