ENGLISH LITERATURE (CBSE/UGC NET)

Detailed explanation-1: -The famous Anglo-Saxon poem Beowulf uses many kennings, for example: Body – bone-house. Sword – battle-light. Ship – wave-floater.

Detailed explanation-2: -A kenning is a special kind of metaphor considered artful in Anglo-Saxon poetry. It is a picturesque metaphoric compound in Old English that stands for a simple noun. You might think of them almost as riddles, which Anglo-Saxon people loved.

Detailed explanation-3: -The role of kenning in poetry is related to describing an object in an alternative way in order to provide a different and often richer meaning for that object to an audience. Kenning is a poetic technique that goes back to ancient Anglo-Saxon and Norse poetry.

Detailed explanation-4: -In medieval times, the scop was a poet who traveled around the countryside visiting mead halls. There, he’d regale the men and women with poems designed to chronicle their escapades and revel in their victories. The most important purpose of a scop was to entertain.