LITERARY AND POETIC ELEMENTS OF ANGLO-

SAXON POETRY

Alliteration & Alliterative Verse

Alliteration: The repetition of consonant

sounds in words that are close together.

Alliterative Verse: Poetry that uses

alliteration as the major organizing

principle.

Example: Peter Piper picked a peck of

pickled peppers.

Compounding

The combining of two words to make one

word.

Example: Spear- Danes

Kenning

A metaphorical phrase or compound word

used to name a noun indirectly.

Examples: whale road (ocean), sky candle (sun), better-half (spouse), life-sick (mortally wounded)

Appositive Phrase

Nouns or pronouns that identify, explain, or

re-name other nouns or pronouns to

provide important information about

characters and settings. Appositive

phrases remind the audience of important

facts/characters.

Example: Beowulf, son of Edgar, spoke …

Epic

A poem which meets the following

characteristics …

1.) long, narrative poem

2.) celebrates the deeds of a heroic/legendary figure who embodies the values of his society and is larger than life

3.) Presented in a serious manner

4.) Uses elevated language (lots of figurative language, imagery, etc.)

5.) Tells the story of good vs. evil

Examples:

Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter

The Odyssey

Beowulf

Epic Hero

The hero of an epic poem who embodies

the values of his society and is larger than

life.

Examples:

Luke Skywalker, Odysseus, Beowulf

Censura

A break in the middle of a line of poetry. It

gives the scop a chance to breathe and

creates rhythm.