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WorksheetsAnglo Saxon Poetry/Beowulf Review
Total questions: 58
Worksheet time: 44mins
Who or what does Beowulf fight in his final battle?
Grendel
Grendel's mother
Hrothgar
A fire breathing dragon
Type of poetry that laments the loss of loved ones, and the loss of the past
Heroic
Elegy
Sonnet
Ballad
"The mighty men at midnight" is an example of...
Alliteration
Kenning
Personification
Caesura
Mead halls, in Anglo-saxon culture, were important because...
They were a place to come together with your brothers to drink and boast of heroism
They were a place of refuge that was safe from the battles and wars of opposing armies
They were a place of learning where monks could write down the oral records
They were a place of great wealth for only the most important citizens to gather
A kenning is a literary device in Old English literature that is best defined as...
A metaphorical two-word compound that renames a person, place, or thing
A pause in the middle of the line indicated by a comma, semi-colon, or period
the repetition of initial consonant sounds
Replacing a character's name with a descriptive phrase (The Shadow of Death = Grendel)
The first part of "The Seafarer" tell us the story of
a heroic battle
an ocean storm off the coast of England
a man's life on the sea.
The purpose of a caesura in a line of Anglo-Saxon poetry is to
remind a scop what to say
indicate a pause for breath
mark a place in the line.
What does the speaker of "The Wanderer" seem to miss most?
love
companionship
material possessions
What initiated the wife's exile in "The Wife's Lament"?
a plot by her husband's kinsmen
she traveled in spite of her husband's
wishes
her husband's long absence
In “The Seafarer” the speaker says, “So summer’s sentinel, the cuckoo, sings / in his murmuring voice…”. What is a sentinel?
a person who guards
a snake
a traveler
The speaker of “The Seafarer” states that “Even from hatred and rancor, of bravery / Flung in the devil’s face, and death / Can only bring you earthly praise…”. What is rancor?
propulsion
ill will
desire
The phrase "summer's-sentinel," meaning a cuckoo, is an example of
a kenning
a scop
analogy
During this time in history, many groups of people left, or were sent from, their homes. Knowing this helps the reader understand why
each person was sent away
each person was lonely
the theme of 'exile' was so common
the lyric poem was so popular
In "The Wife's Lament," the wife assumes her husband is now
on an exciting adventure and does not think of her.
on his way home for a reconciliation.
married to someone else.
melancholy, as she is.
What is an Epic?
A short poem about Irish people.
A long poem that does not rhyme. It can be about anything.
A long poem that tells the story (narrative) of a hero and his or her adventures.
A love poem that is set in the country.
In Medias Res means...
In the middle of things. Meaning we join the action of a story as it is taking place.
In the middle of nowhere. We have no idea where the story is set.
In the middle of the ocean. The hero is on a journey in the ocean.
In the middle of the mind. We can see into the hero's thoughts.
Beowulf leaves his home to ...
find a wife
fight a monster
fight his enemies
fight his brother
Grendel is ...
Beowulf's best friend
Hrothgar's brother
Wiglaf's sister
The monster causing trouble
Why is Beowulf so special?
He can fly
He can lift a lot of weight
He is the strongest and bravest man in the world
No reason
The first part of the story is set in which country?
Where does the battle with Grendel take place?
Who is the monster Beowulf will have to fight after he has defeated Grendel?
In what language was Beowulf written?
Old Norse
Old English
Middle English
French
Why is Grendel in pain at the beginning of the story?
the music & noise from the hall make him jealous
He's sick.
the sunlight hurts him
He lost his family.
What does Grendel do when he comes to the hall at night?
feast with the warriorss
kills 30 warriors in their sleep
begs for food
watches the warriors & imagines what it would be like to be one of them
How long does Grendel attack the hall?
12 years
10 years
12 weeks
10 days
What do the warriors start to do to stay safe from Grendel?
fight back
run away
plan a trap
summon a witch
The line, “The most famous of all dwellings, towering majestic, its glittering roof” is describing:
HROTHGAR
BEOWULF
HEROT
GRENDEL'S LAIR
What is the only thing Grendel will NOT touch or destroy in Herot?
Statues of the old stone gods
The gold/treasure
Civilians (He only fights warriors)
Hrothgar's throne
When Beowulf vows to rid Herot of Grendel, what stipulation does he make about the battle?
He will not use any weapons since Grendel doesn't use any either.
He will only kill Grendel for gold on behalf of his lord Higlac.
Only his men, the Geats, will be permitted to help him in battle.
He requests an enormous feast in his honor should he win.
Grendel attacks Herot only during the day.
True
False
Beowulf seems to boost his own ego when he discusses his previous battles with Hrothgar.
True
False
What is a "whale-road"?
A simile about how big whales are
An allusion to the novel Moby Dick
An example of alliteration
A kenning for the ocean
Why can't the Danes fight Grendel off when he attacks?
They're too sleepy
They're passed out from drinking too much
They're too weak
They do fight back and defeat him right away
Which of the following best summarizes the theme of Beowulf?
What type of work is Beowulf?
Play
Book
Epic Poem
none of these are correct
Epic heroes are typically the main character in epic poems. They have these traits:
bravery, supernatural abilities
frustrated, flawed, evil
intelligence, cunning
loving, happy, heroic
The fire dragon is awakened by an act of
Cowardice
Defiance
Greed.
Violence.
Beowulf's preparation for battle against the fire dragon differs from his preparation for battle against Grendel in that Beowulf
Carries weapons.
Doesn’t boast.
Doesn't seek fame
It does not differ
When Beowulf realizes that the battle with the fire dragon will go against him, he
continues to fight.
cures fate and blames God.
orders his men to help him.
quits and tries to negotiate a treaty.
Why does Beowulf want Wiglaf to bring him the jewels from the fire dragon's castle?
He is afraid that they will fall to others.
He wants the comfort of seeing the prize he has won.
He wants to make sure there is no other monster in the tower.
He wants to see if Wiglaf is brave enough to succeed him.
As Beowulf lay dying, his attitude toward his death is one of
Acceptance.
Anger
Bitterness
Fear
The storyteller’s moral warning about the power of gold & treasure implies that lust for gold
always wins
drives all of mankind's decisions
is a necessary evil.
is destructive for all men.
Beowulf's deeds require tremendous
Courage
Friendship
Generosity
Trust
The main struggle in Beowulf is between
Good & evil
Love & hate
Man & nature
Man & society
Why does Grendel dare not touch the throne?
God protects it.
He cannot eat it.
He's scared of Hrothgar.
He's scared of it because it's golden.
Why is Beowulf included in English IV textbooks?
All literature textbooks must have an epic poem included.
It's an excellent example of epic poetry.
It helps us understand our past & gives us insight into how much the English language has changed.
It's very hard to read and only seniors can understand it.
