Examples Of Kennings In Beowulf

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Old English and Old Norse poetry are known to commonly use kennings, which are compound expressions with metaphorical meanings. This is no exception in the epic poem, Beowulf. The 2007 movie based on the famous story took a similar approach, using metaphors, comparable to kennings, albeit slightly different, to describe the important events and characters within the story. Examples of these similarities are most evident in the scenes involving Grendel and his mother. Throughout Beowulf, both the poem and the movie, Grendel is portrayed as a gruesome creature who causes havoc on Heorot and its people. In the text, during his battle with Beowulf, Grendel is described as terror-monger (line 765). Along with being a terrifying beast, he is also

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