Vocab
What does vexed mean?
Irritated, annoyed
Does Beowulf have a consistent rhyme scheme?
no
The following passage contains what literary device?
"At night, that lake burns like a torch"
simile
Who is the hero of the epic we just read?
Beowulf
In what language was Beowulf originally written?
Old English
or Anglo Saxon English
Use the word, furrows, correctly in a sentence.
We searched the ocean furrows for a silvery fin.
This passage is an example of which sound device?
''Herot towers high on your hills''
alliteration
Which literary device is shown in this line?
"[Hrothgar's] misery leaped the seas."
personifcation
Who is the first monster the hero battles in the epic?
Grendel
How would people have experienced the epic of Beowulf originally?
The story would have been told aloud by a scop in a great hall.
Use pilgrimage in a sentence
Theirs was a long and winding pilgrimage to the holy land.
This passage is an example of which sound device?
''As day after day the music rang"
assonance
What is an allegory?
a fictional work in which the elements are symbolic
Which character is the only one to fight by Beowulf's side in the final battle against the dragon?
Wiglaf
What two religions pervade the epic?
Christianity and Paganism
Give a synonym for the word, gorged.
devoured, gobbled, scarfed
What is a caesura, and what does it do?
It is a pause or break int he middle of a line of poetry, indicated by a comma, period, colon, dash, etc.
It creates space for suspense to build, the mood to intensify, the last word to resonate, the subject to change, an exception to be presented, etc.
Give an example of a kenning.
whale-road=ocean
What is the name of the King of the Danes?
Hrothgar
Give 3 different qualities of an Anglo-Saxon hero.
super strength
oratory skill
pursuit of glory-no fear
loyalty to king-comitatus
generational prestige
belief in fate-wyrd
confidence
vengeance
wergild
Use reprisal correctly in a sentence.
After my prank went wrong, I feared a swift reprisal.
Explain the effect of the parallel structure in these lines.
"No trembling harp, no turned timber, to tumbling hawk swerving through the hall, no swift horse pawing the courtyard."
The repetition of "no" before each of these sounds and movements, emphasizes the absence of all activity in and around Herot after Grendel started attacking. Each mirrored section redirects the listener's focus to another place where there should be sound and motion but isn't, creating an eerie, desolate scene.
What characteristics make Beowulf an epic?
It is a long narrative poem that details the adventures and feats of a legendary hero.
Which character challenges Beowulf's prowess during his boast?
Unferth
What King is credited for his role in preserving the English language?
King Alfred the Great