Litotes
IRONIC UNDERSTATEMENT. a peculiary anglo saxon backhand way of saying something positive by denying something negative
Kenning
A device employed in Anglo-Saxon poetry in which the name of a thing is replaced by one of its functions or qualities, as in “ring-giver” for king and “whale-road” for ocean.
alliteration
repetition of initial consonant sounds
wergild
the idea that people have an established worth according to their rank in society
flyting
outrageous boasting or trash talking
wyrd
fate or destiny
scops
minstrels who memorized and performed poetry
epic
a long narrative poem telling of a hero’s deeds
beowulf
bear
epithets
short descriptive pharses that define or describe a character
caesura
a pause in the line of poetry
canto
a chapter in the poem
heroic ideal
anglo saxon culture was governed by the ideals of bravery, loyalty
foreshadowing
the use of hints or clues to prepare the reader for events to come
allusions
reference to a well known person, place, event, written work, or work of art
elegiac
the changing tone of the poem