Grendel's Figurative Language In Beowulf

Beowulf, one of the greatest heroic tales, opens with a historical account of the Danes, followed by the introduction of its first monster, Grendel. This section of verse, from lines 88-144, acquaint us with the demon and his first series of attacks on Heorot. The passage of Grendel’s introduction works within Beowulf by introducing complex themes and a complex antagonist. Other facets of this passage such as context, versification, point of view, figurative language, character, and theme are all important to consider when assessing the purpose of the passage within the poem as a whole. The content and context of this passage...

Grendel’s introduction is the second main passage in the poem. Right after Beowulf opens with a historical account

The passage’s versification includes components such as the caesura, alliteration, and a prominent stress pattern, all of which are consistent throughout the whole of the poem. Each line of verse within Beowulf contains a slight pause about halfway through the line, known as a caesura. This pause splits the line into two parts, each of which contains two stresses. Thus, the poem follows a pattern of four total stresses per line of verse; this pattern is known as tetrameter. Another notable feature of Old English verse, observed in Beowulf, is the use of alliteration. This feature is so prominent that another common name for Old English verse is “alliterative verse.” Usually, the poet repeats a sound in the beginning of words or within the stressed syllable of words. The repetition of this sound traditionally carries over the caesura. For example, when Grendel attacks Heorot for the first time he is “greedy and grim, he grabbed thirty men” (122). Here, the caesura is marked with a comma and the repetition of the hard ‘G’ sound continues over the halfway point of the line. Using this same line, the tetrameter stress pattern is apparent. A stress occurs on the words greedy, grim, grabbed, and men—this places two stresses on each side of the caesura. While these features of versification can be employed to emphasize lines or maintain a certain tone, their impact on the meaning of