Literary Devices
This term describes the poem Beowulf. It's an acronym for Embodies and protects community values; Possess supernatural traits; Identifies a need to go on a quest; and Carries themselves with confidences.
What is EPIC?
Beowulf straddles two cultures. The values that the character of Beowulf embodies are from which two cultures?
What are Pagan and Christain?
Beowulf was first written in this language.
What is English? or What is Old English?
Identify if the bold word is positive, neutral, or negative.
The Norman Conquest changed England.
What is neutral?
What is alliteration?
Beowulf is demonstrating this value when he decides to fight Grendel with his bare hands.
What is courage?
Beowulf was most likely first written by someone with this job.
What is a monk?
Identify if the bold word is positive, neutral, or negative.
The Norman Conquest distorted England.
What is negative?
The attitude a writer has towards a topic can be inferred from this. The author's word choices can help us to decide if they have a positive, negative, or neutral point of view.
What is tone?
Wiglaf decides to stay and fight with Beowulf even after it's clear the dragon has won. This act demonstrates this value, which is central to the culture of the Anglo-Saxons.
What is community? or What is loyalty?
Because Beowulf was originally meant to be spoken aloud and remembered, the poem uses these two devices in its form.
What are kennings and caesuras?
Identify if the bold word is positive, neutral, or negative.
The Norman Conquest modernized England.
What is positive?
An emotion that a writer strives to evoke in the reader. The "vibe".
What is solitude? (What is the opposite of community?)
"The man-ruler famous, the long-worthy atheling, sat very woful,” is an example of what device?
What is a kenning?
Identify if the bold word is positive, neutral, or negative.
The Norman Conquest improved England.
What is positive?
What are imagery and word choice?
Beowulf fights a dragon at the end of the poem. The dragon is able to kill him, and we can infer it is because this value has changed for Beowulf.
What is greed?
“Grendel struggled:—his grudges he cherished” is mostly an example of this Anglo-Saxon poetic device.
What is caesura?
Identify if the bold word is positive, neutral, or negative.
The Norman Conquest weakened England.
What is negative?