Beowulf LRJ#1

Emma Holmes
Ms. Peifer
10 IB Hour 5
5 December 2008

1. The values of the society in Beowulf included a strong and well-knit community, their military strength and their faith and dependence on a hero or some sort of leader. When describing the construction of Hrothgar's gread mead-halll, the text says, "...it would be his throne-room and there he would dispense/ his God-given goods to young and old-..." (Heaney 71-72). This shows how Hrothgar, their king, was sharing his wealth with the community in order to bring people together. It also shows his strength as a leader. A few lines before this, the text is describing how Hrothgar came to power by saying, "The fortunes of war favoured Hrothgar./ Friends and kinsman flocked to his ranks,/ young followers, a force that grew to be a might army" (Heaney 64-67). This also describes the society's willingness to depend on a leader but it also shows that they prized a strong army.

2. Alliteration is a commonly used literary device used in Beowulf. Even from the beginning when the story is being introduced when is says, "There was Shield Sheafson, Scourge of many tribes" (Heaney 4). Since Beowulf was recited orally, alliteration helped create more dramatic sounding scenes and helped the sentences flow more easily. This is seen again when it says, "...broad-beamed, bound by its hawser..." (Heaney 302). The repetition of the "b" sound makes the sentence stand out from the others. Another example of alliteration is found here: "...renowned as a warrior, well-known for his wisdom..." (Heaney 349). Each alliteration contributes to the pleasing and dramatic sound heard when reading the text aloud.

3. Kennings is used often throughout Beowulf. Its effect is to create a new way of think of a simple noun. For example, the text describes a dark sky by saying, "cloud-murk" (Heaney 651). It is also seen in describing Grendel as he creeps around the village. Instead of saying simply monster and beast the text says "shadow-stalker" (Heaney 703). This creates a better picture of Grendel's stealth and uses an interesting combination of words that creates a new possibility in the mind. Also, instead of using the word "guts", it uses the term, "wound-slurry" (Heaney 848). This depicts the material spewing from Grendel's wound in a very descriptive way that enhances the imagery.