Kennings https www poetryfoundation orgpoems50114beowulfmodernenglishtranslation A kenning is
Kennings https: //www. poetryfoundation. org/poems/50114/beowulf-modernenglish-translation
A kenning is … Where a two-word phrase is used in the place of a one-word noun. Kennings were first used in Anglo-Saxon and Norse poetry. The famous Anglo-Saxon poem Beowulf uses many kennings, for example: Body – bone-house Sword – battle-light Ship – wave-floater Sea – whale-road
Kennings are sometimes metaphorical For example, looking at the kennings on the previous slide, the body is not really a house, but it does provide a ‘house’ for bones; a sword is not really a ‘light’, but it reflects the light so appears like one; the sea is not really a ‘road’, but it is something that whales need to travel, so acts like a road for them. Kennings can be used to describe everyday people, animals, objects: • Baby: noise-maker • Computer: data-giver
Your turn … • Write a poem, but first think of as many kennings as possible. • So, create a spider diagram with the topic (e. g. moon) in the middle. • Write as many words around the outside relating to the noun/topic as you can think of, for example: sends us to sleep in the evening, helps animals to wake up, cool but bright, casts shadows, eerie, makes us afraid, makes us want to stay indoors, etc • Turn these ideas into kennings – see next slide
Turn these ideas into kennings • Write as many words around the outside relating to the noun/topic as you can think of, for example: sends us to sleep in the evening, helps animals to wake up, cool but bright, casts shadows, eerie, makes us afraid, makes us want to stay indoors, etc • Sleep maker • Animal stirrer • Shadow lengthener • Fear feeder
Now use these ideas in your poem • Sleep maker • Animal stirrer • Shadow lengthener • Fear feeder
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