1. Anglo-Saxon Riddles Image Credit: http://www.utm.edu/staff/ngraves/shakespeare/OERiddles.htm

2. The Riddles  Were recorded in the Exeter Book – the largest known “anthology” of Old English poetry and verse.

3. Literary Terms (page 17)  The following terms are found in much of the Anglo Saxon poetry that we will study.  As we study the riddles and poems of this time (including Beowulf) always be on the look out for these devices at work.  The use of these devices made it easier for poets to “sing” the songs to their audiences. They aided memorization.

4. Kennings  Two-word poetic renamings of people, places, or things.  Poetic synonyms  EXAMPLE: Whale road = sea  EXAMPLE: Trumpet blarer = Mrs. Wood  EXAMPLE: Knowledge vessels = you students

5. Alliteration  Repetition of the same initial consonant sounds in poetry.  EXAMPLE: Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.  EXAMPLE: Every day she danced and dared to be her best.

6. Caesura  A natural pause in a the middle of a line of poetry.  Give time for poet to take a breath.  LOOK FOR: Punctuation in the middle of a line  EXAMPLE: Grendel, who haunted the moors, the wild Marshes, and made his home in a hell Not hell but earth. He was spawned in that slime, Conceived by a pair of those monsters born of Cain, murderous creatures banished…

7. Assonance  The repetition of vowel sounds in unrhymed, stressed syllables.  EXAMPLE: Batter the ramparts

8. Riddles  What is a riddle?  What do riddles sound like?  Do you know any riddles?  What is the point of the riddle? If you are going to write one, what are you trying to do? What makes a good riddle?

9. Directions  Find your group.  Read through all the riddles in the packet  Fill in your chart for each riddle.  Focus on solving the riddles and observing the poetic devices being used.  When you are finished with the chart, we will go over the answers.  15 minutes – We will come back together as a class.

10. Write your own riddle.  Minimum of 12 lines  Do not put your name on it.  Type/write big font and neatly – so can be read easily.  Answer on back in pencil.  Put in alliteration, caesura, and one example of kennings. One example of each minimum.  These WILL be shared/read tomorrow.  You WILL be asked to show where you included the literary elements.