- Kenning: a poetic phrase that acts as substitute for a noun. EX.) treasure-seat = throne
- Alliteration: when the same letter is used at the beginning of each word in a poetic verse. EX.) “...their heathenish hope; deep in their hearts…” (ln 179)
- Wyrd: fate/destiny of a character. EX.) “Fate goes ever as fate must.” (ln 454)
- Wergild: the value of a person’s life that can be paid in money or goods instead of getting revenge when a warrior or tribe is wronged. EX.) “The treasure had been won, bought and paid for by Beowulf’s death.” (ln 2842)
- Patronym: a name derivational of the father’s or ancestor’s name. EX.) "...my father was a famous man,a noble warrior-lord named Ecgtheow...” (ln 262-263)
- Caste: social class. EX.) Warriors- High Class & Valued
- In Media Res: a narrative that begins in the middle of the story, usually at the crucial point. EX.) Story begins with Grendel already ravaging the Danes.
- Epic:a long serious poem narrating a heroic tale. EX.) Beowulf
- Allegory: when philosophical ideas are described in characters, figures, and events to tell a story with the purpose of teaching a moral/lesson. EX.) Heorot = heart and belief
- Allusion: an indirect reference/mention to a historical event, book, person, ect. EX.) “Cain’s clan, whom the Creator…. He gave them their reward.” (ln 106-114) -Cain and Abel reference.
- Anaphora: when the first part of a sentence is intentionally repeated multiple times. EX.) "I can show the wise Hrothgar a way to defeat his enemy and find respite— if any respite is to reach him, ever. I can calm the turmoil and terror in his mind." (ln 279-282)
- Aphorism: a statement or opinion that is expressed cleverly and concisely. EX.) “Behaviour that’s admired is the path to power among people everywhere." (ln 24-25)
- Apostrophe: when a character addresses an imaginary/not present person or thing. EX.) "As God is my witness, I would rather my body...” (ln 2650-2651)
- Archetype: a character, situation, or action that symbolizes common human nature. EX.) Beowulf = The Hero Archetype
- Chiasmus: when 2 or more clauses are reversed against each other to balance sentence structure and seem more poetic. EX.) "...nor stop his death-dealing nor pay the death-price..." (ln 166)
- Conceit: when two majorly different things are likened using similes and metaphors. EX.) "...she flew like a bird until her curved prow had covered the distance...” (ln 218-219)
- Elegiac: a part of a poem that mourns and laments the death of a certain character. EX.) "Rest? What is rest? Sorrow has returned. Alas for the Danes! Aeschere is dead.
He was Yrmenlaf’s elder brother and a soul-mate to me, a true..." (ln 1322-4) - Epithet: adjective or descriptive phrase that is commonly used as a way to make the person, place, or thing more well-known. EX.) "The captain of evil discovered himself..." (ln 749)
- Homily: a sermon or speech that religious/divine person or priest gives to promote moral rectification of a group. EX.) "A protector of his people, pledged to uphold truth and justice and to respect tradition, is entitled to affirm that this man was born to distinction.Beowulf, my friend, your fame has gone far..." (ln 1700-1704)
- Hubris: the pride or arrogance a character shows that causes their downfall. EX.) "I was strongest swimmer of all." (ln 536)
- Irony: when a word's meaning is used differently than its intended use. EX.) "...I struck
the dwellers in that den. Next thing the damascened sword blade melted; it bloated and it burned..."(ln 1664-1667) - Litotes: when a positive sentence is shown by countermanding its opposite expressions. EX.) "That is no good place." (ln 1372)
- Metonymy: using the name of one object for that of another that are in someway related. EX.) "...warriors loaded a cargo of weapons, shining war-gear..." (ln 213-214)
- Motif: when an idea or object constantly repeats through literary work. EX.) Monster motif
- Non Sequitur: statements, adage, or conclusion that has no logic or reason. EX.) "...until the greatest house in the world stood empty, a deserted wallstead." (Ln 145-6)
- Parallelism: sentence that are grammatically similar or same as pertaining to the sentence's construction, meter, meaning, and the way it sounds. EX.) Beowulf parallel to Sigemund
- Pathos: when the author means to instill emotions of pity, sorrow, sympathy, and other emotions using the literary work. EX.) "Rest? What is rest? Sorrow has returned. Alas for the Danes! Aeschere is dead. He was Yrmenlaf’s elder brother and a soul-mate to me, a true..." ( ln 1322-4)
- Synesthesia: method the author uses to voice ideas, characters, or places by appealing to the senses (hearing, seeing, smelling,ect) at a given point. EX.) "...above a mere; the overhanging bank is a maze of tree-roots mirrored in its surface." (ln 1363-1365)
- Synecdoche: when the small part of something symbolizes the whole or the whole symbolizes the small part. EX.) "A ring-whorled prow rode in the harbour..." (ln 32)
- Understatement: when the author makes the situation seem less important. EX.) "There was Shield Sheafson, scourge of many tribes........That was one good king." (ln 1-11)