Beowulf literary terms

Kennings

Alliteration

•The repetition of similar sounds in a group of words (AEL 1118)▫Applied to consonants or consonant

clusters•Examples from Beowulf:

Imagery

•One of the most common terms in literary criticism and very broad in meaning. (AEL 1124) ▫Basically: Words or phrases that create

pictures, or images, in the reader’s mind Never, ever write the phrase “paints a picture

in the reader’s mind” or similar sentences. As a matter of fact, try to never discuss either

painting or the reader’s mind.▫Better to think as describing an object in

terms of the senses.

Symbols

•Any object, person, place, or action that has a meaning in itself and that also stands for something larger than itself, such as a quality, an attitude, a belief, or a value.