Grendel & Beowulf

Reread lines 35–38 from Beowulf for a specific feature of Old English poetry. The author substitutes the name Grendel with the kenning God-cursed brute in order to —

• show the reader that Grendel presents no real challenge

• describe the havoc Grendel creates in detail for the reader

• stress the excess of Grendel’s greed

• emphasize the depth of Grendel’s evil

What typical element of epic poetry does the battle between Beowulf and Grendel best reflect?

• The style of the fighting shows that the enemies fought with weapons of their era.

• The conversational diction during the battle heightens a sense of immediacy.

• The journey taken to get to the battle describes the culture at the time.

• The battle portrays the universal theme of good versus evil.

Among the following choices, which typical literary device from Old English poetry helps establish a particular mood?

• Words with negative connotations such as greedy and brute create an energetic mood.

• Alliteration such as blundering back with the butchered corpses creates a barbaric mood.

• Descriptive language such as flushed up and inflamed creates an anxious mood.

• Imagery such as gorged on him in lumps creates a satisfied mood.

The events in epic poems reflect the culture and time in which they are written. Beowulf does this by —

• telling a story celebrating a noble and courageous hero who is a product of his time

• making use of long speeches to show the speaking style and diction of the time

• employing formal syntax to create a sense of how serious people were at the time

• using details that reflect historical events from a time preceding the action

Which one is not an element of epic poetry

• includes formal diction and a serious tone

• usually involves supernatural creatures, great deeds, and perilous journeys

• imbues the hero with traits that reflect the ideals of the larger culture

• conveys universal themes found in the literature of all time periods and cultures, such as trickster characters