Literary Devices
The repetition of a consonant sound at the beginning of consecutive words
Alliteration
Refers to the folkloric religions native to England before Christianity
Paganism
The King of the Danes, and the Lord of Herot
Hrothgar
A recent understanding of elegy which is more freeform than the Anglo-Saxon elegy
Modern elegy
Exile (or isolation)
A two-word metaphorical description used in Anglo-Saxon poetry
Kenning
A nobleman to whom Anglo-Saxon warriors pledged their allegiance
Feudal Lord
This character's physical description is left vague, so that the reader can "fill in the blank" with what they think evil looks like.
Grendel
A type of elegy characterized by a specific rhyme scheme and syllable pattern
Anglo-Saxon elegy
A major theme in Anglo-Saxon poetry, the idea that human life is predetermined by the divine
Fate
The juxtaposition of two ideas to emphasize a particular quality in one or both ideas
Contrast
The invasion of this group into England resulted in the destruction of many Anglo-Saxon texts
The Vikings
This young warrior introduced when Beowulf is an old man reminds the reader of Beowulf's own youth
Wiglaf
A religious poem from the Exeter Book, which compares earthly life to the harsh realities of life on a ship
The Seafarer
The original manuscript containing elegies such as The Seafarer, The Wanderer, and The Wife's Lament
The Exeter Book
A mid-line pause in a line of poetry
Caesura
Written by Bede, this is one of the first written histories in the English language
History of the English Church and People
This character archetype describes a leader with superhuman qualities, who lives by a code of bravery, honor, and loyalty
Epic hero
An elegy mourning the lost life of a man who has been exiled from his homeland
The Wanderer
The role of the poet in Anglo-Saxon society (similar to a memoirist in modern day)
Memory-Keeper
The repetition of "where is" or "where are" in an elegy to emphasize the importance of what was lost
Ubi Sunt Formula
This event caused Anglo-Saxon England to shift from oral storytelling to written records.
Christianization of England
The feudal lord that Beowulf has pledged his loyalty to
Higlac (or Hygelac)
An elegy from the Exeter Book mourning a woman's separation from her husband
The Wife's Lament
The only people who were literate during Anglo-Saxon times, which resulted in almost every surviving written work being of religious nature
Monks