The epic poem Beowulf, written in Old English by Christian monks around 750 AD, is a
wonderful adventure story about a warrior who kills ferocious monsters. The use of
description and imagery enlivens the story, making it possible for a reader to really see
in his or her mind the characters and events. Metaphors, exaggeration, and alliteration
are three devices that together allow the reader to experience this poem which is quite
different than most other poetry.
A metaphor is a figure of speech in which a word or phrase that ordinarily means one
thing is applied to another thing to suggest a likeness between the two. Metaphors are
used extensively throughout the poem to paint a more colorful picture in the listener's
mind. These metaphors are used in phrases called "kennings". A kenning is a
descriptive, poetical expression used instead of a simple name for a person or thing.
Beowulf is hardly ever called by his actual name. Instead there are many kennings
referring to him, such as: "Prince of the Weders", "The Son of
Ecgtheow", "The Geatish hero", and "The Lord of the Seamen".
These kennings describe Beowulf to us in a more interesting way than just stating the hard
facts. Without these kennings Beowulf would be less interesting and we would learn less
about him. Anybody would say that describing or referring to a person by his or her name
over and over again is boring. So the use of kennings and metaphors is very important in
this long epic poem.
Exaggeration is another device to make Beowulf a more interesting, entertaining, and
dramatic poem. For example, even though this story is a fantasy, it is hard to believe
that the character of Beowulf would be able to kill a monster like Grendel with his bare
hands. Exaggerating Beowulf's bravery makes the story more exciting. Another exaggeration
used to convince us how great our hero is, is the passage, "Over all the world, or
between the seas, / Or under the heaven, no hero was greater." (671-672). This
dazzles the listener with Beowulf's bravery. His bravery is again exaggerated when he
jumps in the swamp wearing heavy armor to fight and kill Grendel's mother. It's unlikely
even a strong warrior could win a battle with a she-monster in an underwater cave with a
broken sword. But it adds to the excitement. In the line "The head of Grendel, with
heavy toil; / Four of the stoutest, with all their strength, / Could hardly carry on
swaying spear / Grendel's head to the gold-decked hall." (1109-1112) exaggerations
are made concerning the size and weight of the monster's head. Again, it portrays a more
gruesome and dramatic scene to the listener's imagination.
Alliteration, which is repeating the same sound, usually a consonant, at the beginning
of words or in accented syllables, gives this story a more poetic sound. Alliteration also
helped the scops or storytellers in memorizing the tales. Examples of alliteration can be
found throughout the poem such as, "The Hall of the Heart", "His pledge and
promise", "Dragging the dead men home to his den", "Fitted and
furnished", and "Showed sea-cliffs shining". This device adds creativity
and rhythm to the poem. It makes it more entertaining to read, speak, or listen to such a
long story.
Metaphors in the kennings, exaggerations, and alliteration all help in developing vivid
descriptions and imagery to entertain and beautifully tell the story of Beowulf. Imagery,
figures of speech that help the mind to form pictures, are throughout the poem. One of the
strongest examples was found where it reads, " The demon delayed not, but quickly
clutched / A sleeping thane in his swift assault, / Tore him in pieces, bit through the
bones, / Gulped the blood, and gobbled the flesh, / Greedily gorged on the lifeless
corpse," (558-563). This is the image of Grendel killing one of the soldiers before
his fatal fight with Beowulf. Great descriptive passages are found about Grendel's
swamp-home describing it as, "a dismal covert / Of trees that hung over hoary
stone, / Over churning water and bloodstained wave." (926-928), "The
water boiled in a bloody swirling" (933) "The swimming forms of
sea-dragons, / Dim serpent shapes in the watery depths". These are the pictures that
nightmares are made of.
In comparison to our modern fiction, Beowulf might seem wordy and lengthy but when a
reader takes time to savor the graphic descriptions, vivid imagery, clever alliteration,
and fantastic exaggerations one can understand how this thirteen hundred-year-old epic
poem has lasted through the years. It is beautifully and creatively written and has
therefore stood the test of time for the reader or the listener.
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