Content Objective

Today I will identify how alliteration enhances the meaning of Beowulf by choosing an alliterative passage from the text and analyzing it for meaning as a journal entry

ALLITERATIVE PROSE IN BEOWULF

AlliterationAlliteration is the repetition of initial sounds in neighboring words.

Example:

Wordsworth: And sings a solitary song/That whistles in the wind.

The repetition of consonants is called alliteration, or the repeating of the same letter (or sound) at the beginning of words following each other immediately or at short intervals. A famous example is to be found in the two lines by Tennyson:

The moan of doves in immemorial elms,And murmuring of innumerable bees.

The ancient poets often used alliteration instead of rhyme in their poetry. We call this “alliterative prose.” Like rhyming, the use of alliteration makes a poem easier to remember. It also creates a rhythm when spoken aloud.

The epic poem of Beowulf is distinguished by its heavy use of alliteration. There are many examples of alliteration in Beowulf, often three examples in every line. Here is a selection of Beowulf in “Old English.” Even without knowing the meaning of the words, we can still “hear” the alliteration. Please underline the letters in the passage that create the alliterative effect:

Hwæt! We Gardena in geardagum,þeodcyninga, þrym gefrunon,hu ða æþelingas ellen fremedon.

                                 Oft Scyld Scefing sceaþena þreatum,monegum mægþum, meodosetla ofteah,egsode eorlas. Syððan ærest wearðfeasceaft funden, he þæs frofre gebad . . .

In our translation of Beowulf, there may not be three examples of alliteration per every line. Still, there are many examples. Below are a few lines from Beowulf translated that use alliteration. Underline the letters in the passage below that create the alliterative effect:

 Now Beowulf bode in the burg of the Geats.

Cunningly creeping, a spectral stalker

Hot-hearted Beowulf was bent upon battle

He had often haunted Hrothgar's house

Now glutted with gore he would guzzle his fill

Other than establishing a rhythm and helping to remember a text, alliteration can also create meaning in the text. Look at the two examples below:

Susan slipped away from the scene like a slithering snake.

He broke his bones with a bash on the head.

In the first example, the use of the “s” sound, which itself sounds “slippery,” creates the sense that Susan is actually moving like a snake.

In the second example, the harsher “b” sound creates the sense of breaking bones and the violent “bashing” of his head.

In reading our last chapter, we will keep an eye out for the use of alliteration and how it creates meaning in the text.

Quick Check for UnderstandingAnswer the following questions:

What style of poetry uses alliteration rather than rhyme?

List three effects that the use of alliteration creates in poetry.