Alliteration, Caesura, and Kennings

Poetic Devices

Anglo-Saxon Poetry

Three Poetic Devices

The following poetic devices are essential features of Anglo-Saxon poetry:

• Alliteration
• caesura
• kennings

What Is Alliteration?

Alliteration is the repetition of consonant sounds in words that are close to one another. Alliteration may occur

• at the beginnings of words, as in “bright blue” or “kind comment”
• within words, as in “jacket pocket”

Alliterative Anglo-Saxons

Instead of rhymes, Anglo-Saxon oral poets used alliteration along with carefully placed pauses called caesura to add music and rhythm to their poems.

• Lines of Anglo-Saxon verse often are divided into two halves separated by a rhythmic pause, or caesura.
• Some lines have three alliterative words—two words in the first half before the caesura and one word in the second half.
• Other lines have only two alliterative words—one in each half.

Alliterative Anglo-Saxons

Examples:

Went up to Herot, wondering what the warriors (caesura after Herot)

Would do in that hall when their drinking was done.”

What Is a Kenning?

A kenning is a metaphorical phrase or compound word used to name a person, place, thing, or event indirectly.

• Kennings such as whale-road and battle-dew fill Anglo-Saxon poetry.
• Combining existing words from the relatively small Anglo-Saxon vocabulary helped poets to create alliteration.
• Kennings were memorable, ready-made phrases that bards could reuse and pass on to others.

Kennings Then and Now

The Use of Alliteration and Kennings

Anglo-Saxon literature was part of an oral tradition. Poems, songs, and stories were passed from one generation to another orally.

• Anglo-Saxon poets and storytellers used alliteration and kennings because these devices
• aided memory
• created sound effects
• pleased the audience

While there is NO Eng. 10 homework assigned during Spring Break you should review the weekly lesson plans for the week after Spring Break.  This will allow you to be prepared for the week we come back to school.