Beowulf LRJ #1

The author of Beowulf uses alliteration to emphasize the words in phrases that are important to the plot of the story. In this passage, "is the path to power among people everywhere"(Heaney, 25), the author uses alliteration to emphasize "the path to power" which makes power more of a important part of the story. Another passage the author uses alliteration in is "Cain's clan, whom the creator had outlawed"(Heaney, 106), empahsizes the point that Cain's clan was condemned, therfore Grendel too, and that makes Grendel even more sinister. The alliteration in this passage "stealthy night-shapes came stealing forth"(Heaney, 650), makes the passage, more descriptive and makes the line easier to picture.
The kennings in this story actually make the story more fun in some ways, because some of them are kind of ridiculous, but a lot of the kennings make the subject more interesting by making the name more descriptive. "for who could be blind to the evdience of his eyes, the obviousness of that hall-watchers hate?"