For example, "whale-road" is a kenning for the sea. Plus, get practice tests, quizzes, and personalized coaching to help you succeed. Old English literature, or Anglo-Saxon literature, encompasses literature written in Old English, in Anglo-Saxon England from the 7th century to the decades after the Norman Conquest of 1066. 35. Example of Litotes. (Beowulf, translated by Seamus Heaney) The anonymous author of the Old English epic Beowulf used a particular type of analogy called a “kenning.” A kenning is a compound word that is a metaphorical recreation of a common concept. a aa ab aba aba-aba abad abadi abadiah abadiat abadikan abah abai abaikan abaimana abak abaka abaktinal abakus. Beowulf lives in Geatland, a realm not far from Denmark, in what is now southern Sweden. In the above excerpt, which is the opening paragraph of Beowulf, there are several kennings. Here’s a quick and simple definition: A kenning is a figure of speech in which two words are combined in order to form a poetic expression that refers to a person or a thing. As a member, you'll also get unlimited access to over 83,000 lessons in math, English, science, history, and more. Course Summary Our 12th Grade English: High School course is designed to help students quickly strengthen their knowledge of important English concepts. Kenning Definition. In A Modest Proposal, Jonathan Swift prefaces his proposal to cure poverty by eating poor people’s children with a litotes: In literature, rhythm is the pattern of stressed and unstressed beats. Rhetorical Question Asking a question for a purpose other than obtaining the information requested. Understatement definition, the act or an instance of understating, or representing in a weak or restrained way that is not borne out by the facts: The journalist wrote that the earthquake had caused some damage. What is a kenning? This turned out to be a massive understatement of the devastation. Definition of Rhythm. Litotes Understatement used deliberately. 3,021 Likes, 39 Comments - William & Mary (@william_and_mary) on Instagram: “Move-In looks a little different this year, and we know there are mixed emotions right now. Beowulf hears tales about the Danish King Hrothgar’s problems with Grendel. Beowulf, thane of the Geats’ king, Hygelac, is the greatest hero in the world. Semantic Inversions. abal aban abang abangan abangga abangmu abangnya abar abaran abas abasiah abatoar abau abbreviata abc abdas abdi abdikasi abdomen abdominal abdu abductee abduh abduksi abduktor abdul abdullah abdurrahman abe abece abel abelmaschus abelmoschus aben aberasi abesif … The main archetype is Beowulf himself – the heroic monster-slayer who swims all the way to Denmark to try his hand at killing the monster Grendel. Litotes. Meiosis Reference to something with a name disproportionately lesser than its nature (a kind of litotes). We want…” Here Beowulf explains that when he and his men set out on their journey, it was with the thought that he would save the people of Herot, or die fighting Grendel. See more. He asserts that he is up for the challenge of carrying out a brave deed, knowing he could fail—but Beowulf is determined to complete his quest … Beowulf is a great work of literature and extremely important in the history of Old English, but it definitely has elements of an action story. Beowulf decides to help Hrothgar defeat Grendel. Beowulf gathers the … Litotes, from a Greek word meaning “simple,” refers to an affirmation where you say something by negating the contrary.