Beowulf- the use of alliteration

In Beowulf, the English translation uses alliteration throughout to not only add to the flow of the poem, and to create vivid mental imagery, but to also help with memory.
This poem contains an array of literary devices throughout in order to add to the entertainment value. Originally this poem was only carried through spoken dialogue. Therefore, alliteration was used as a way to remember your place. If one takes care when reading, they will notice that alliteration normally comes towards the end or the very start of the stanza. This acts as an alliteration sandwich, mushing the details of the poem between this artistic method of imagery. You can view this sandwich technique on line 704, at the start of the stanza, where it states, “...the shadow-stalker, stealthy and swift….” and then later on again, at the beginning of the stanza on line 808, “then he who had harrowed the hearts….”
In poetry the meter, or speed of the poem is very important. This helps establish the fluidity and pace the poem is read. Since Beowulf was popularized by telling the story aloud, the meter and words that were emphasized could alter how the audience reacted to the story. Thus, the choice of saying, “...beaten in battle, bloodying the path….” adds a more forceful and dynamic image to those listening (844).
Not only does alliteration help with memory of the poem and the meter, it also helps with illustrating what the original author had intended. For instance, on line 769 this translation chooses to say, “...contenders crashed….” This choice in selecting these words not only use the literary device of alliteration, but it also creates imagery. Furthermore, if another word such as ‘hit’ or ‘fell’ was used it would not have the same impact.

Nonetheless, the use of alliteration has many benefits to the reader, such as memorization, meter, and imagery.

Comments

  1. UnknownSeptember 7, 2017 at 1:52 PM

    Lexi, I agree that the author uses alliteration to help readers remember the story. The vivid imagery from alliteration caught my attention, added to the artistic value of the writing, and piqued my interest. In this section of Beowulf, the alliteration captures the hardship and trials conveyed in Unferth’s account of the swimming competition: “The ocean swayed, winter went wild in the waves” (515-6). “Winter went wild in the waves” expresses the difficulty Unferth faced swimming against Beowulf and how Beowulf ultimately defeated Unferth. This description further contributes to the perception of Beowulf as powerful and prepared to defeat any opponent. While excessive use of alliteration can detract from the writing, the author’s use of alliteration adds interest and depth to Beowulf.

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