| The wind in the grasses…held its breath. | Personification – It is giving the wind the human-like quality of being able to breathe and/or hold its breath. |
| The dragon roared with anger. | Onomatopoeia – roar is a sound word |
| Unferth gnawed at his knuckles like an animal trying to rid itself of a wounded and unwanted limb. | Simile – comparing Unferth to an animal |
| Her arms winding and unwinding about him like sinewy, swollen snakes. (Hint – It’s two different types!) | Simile – comparing her arms to snakes andAlliteration – repetition of the “s” – sinewy, swollen snakes |
| He crept inside a narrow crack in the rock…Teeth tore at him as he wriggled along. | Metaphor – comparing the cave walls to teeth without using the words like or as |
| Men said that Fitela would run away from him own shadow if Sigemund was not with him. | Hyperbole – Fitela may have been scared without his uncle, but it’s an exaggeration to say he would run away from his own shadow. |
| The sun seemed to dance over the land of the Danes. | Personification – giving the sun the human-like ability to dance |
| Then there was a hissing, gasping, panting sound outside the door… | Onomatopoeia – hissing, gasping,etc. are sound words |
| His golden breastplate shone like a holy light in all that dark. | Simile – comparing the reflection of the light off of Hrothgar’s breastplate to that of something holy |
| You sound like my toothache… | Simile – Beowulf comparing the raven’s singing to his own toothache, meaning it was painful 🙂 |
| …its golden roofs can be seen a day’s march away, brighter than the sun itself. | Hyperbole – the roofs can be seen from far away because they are bright, but it is an exaggeration that they are brighter than the sun |
| The eagle was the king of the air. | Metaphor – comparing the eagle to a king without using like or as |
| …the monster managed only the merest tiny little cough. | Alliteration – repetition of the “m” |
| Light has you in its power. (Hint – It’s two different types!) | Metaphor – Light holding Grendel is being used a metaphor for good overcoming evilPersonification – giving light the human-like ability to hold something |
| Rain poured from a surly sky. | Personification – giving the sky the human-like ability to experience emotion |
Beowulf Figurative Language
February 21, 2020