1. 8/26

2. Agenda Reminder: Beowulf quiz Friday – Alliteration: repeated consonant sounds at the beginning of words in a series. – Allusion: a reference to a person, place, historical event, or work of art that the writer thinks the audience would recognize. Ex. Cain – Structure – Flashback: an interruption the chronological flow of events in order to give information about something that happened in the past. – Epithet: a short description with which a character in an epic is introduced – In medias res: in the middle of things – Kenning: A creative/unfamiliar way of describing the familiar Beowulf Reading Guide 662-835 due Thursday Paraphrase

3. Freytag’s Pyramid Exposition: characters and situation are established Rising Action: tension or conflict is introduced Climax: tension/conflict come to a turning point Falling Action: tension/ conflict begins to dissipate; results of actions in the climax are clear Resolution: Re-establishment of order

4. Must-do’s for paraphrasing Get the gist: – Which characters are in the scene, and what are they doing? – Is the scene being narrated in first or third person? (Who’s “talking”?) – What overall impression do you get about the situation or the “point”?

5. Must-do’s for paraphrasing Look out for familiar characters or objects being described in unusual/unfamiliar ways. – Unpack figurative language.

6. Must-do’s for paraphrasing Trace pronouns back to their antecedents. – It can be hard to figure out who’s being talked about if you lose track of pronouns.

7. Beowulf v. Grendel: #1 Q: To whom does the epithet in #1 refer? A: Beowulf – He is described using an epithet, a short phrase used to describe important characters in an epic.

8. #2 Q: Who is the “caller” to which the poet refers in #2? A: Grendel – A “caller” is an old-fashioned word for “visitor” and usually doesn’t have any negative connotations. – Here, it’s being used ironically because Grendel is a sinister being—not just any “visitor”.

9. #3 Q: “Ancestral blades” is a poetic way of describing what? A: Swords – The fact that we are told they are “ancestral” seems important. Why do you think the poet takes the trouble to give us this detail?

10. #4 Q: Using context, define “stalwart” as best you can. A: “Stalwart” means “strong”, “brave”, or “valiant”. – What context clues suggest the definition?

11. #5 Q: Using context, define “conjured” as best you can. A: “Conjure” means “to cast a spell upon” or “bewitch”.

12. #6 Q: What, exactly, is being described in #6? A: The poet is describing the reason why Beowulf’s men’s swords don’t work.

13. #7 Q: Who are the “fiends” to which the poet refers in #7? A: We can only assume that the poet (well…the scribe) is referring to the DEVIL and his minions. – Grendel is going to hell.

14. #8 Q: What literary technique is used in #8? A: Alliteration – The repetition of consonant sounds (here, “H”) at the beginning of words in a series. – If you are still not sure what alliteration is, I recommend that you write down the definition above and review Apex 1.2.4 before FRIDAY.

15. #9 Q: To whom does the epithet in #9 refer? A: Beowulf – Often, in an epic, the poet will refer to the main characters (which are always male) with what’s called a patronymic epithet—a short description that indicates something about the hero’s paternity. – BTW: lineage is pretty important in Beowulf. One of the “problems” with Grendel is that no one is quite sure who is father is.

16. #10 Q: What literary technique is used in #10? A: Kenning – There’s also, in the extended passage, some alliteration: sinews split and bone-lappings burst.