The kenning is an Anglo-Saxon literary device, very common ...



The kenning is an Anglo-Saxon literary device, very common in Anglo-Saxon poetry, in which a new noun or noun phrase is coined to replace a more familiar noun. Examples from Anglo-Saxon poetry including calling the sea the whaleroad, a sword a battlefriend, the body a bonehouse.  Essentially, they are metaphorical circumlocutions (the use of an unnecessarily large number of words to express an idea), describing a well-known noun in a new way which gives information about its qualities and characteristics. In contemporary poetry and in developing understanding of poetry with young writers, the kenning forces displacement of the familiar and invites deeper thinking about how to describe and encapsulate the ordinary in an extraordinary way.



A Mother Is...

Nose wiper, bottom swiper,

peacemaker, morning waker,

food provider, task collider,

lie detector, nagging heckler.

"No" repeater, morals preacher,

bedroom tidier, taxi driver,

chore finder, chore reminder,

cuddly soother, household hooverer.

Fun wrecker, homework checker,

Manners monitor, always on at ya,

Love radiator, family mediator,

"never too old for hugs" articulator.

Sharon Rodd

Mole Swan

 

Now, it’s your turn! Think of a person (teacher, mom, dad, sister, coach, principal, warrior, Beowulf, etc.) or animal (Grendel, dragon, kangaroo, swan, parrot, sloth, crocodile, mustang, etc.) and create a kenning poem. Use the person or animal as your TITLE. Then, come up with 10 pairs of words to describe your person or animal. Start off with a great one, like the two samples above. Use the space below to jot down your ideas.

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Mole

Worm muncher

brilliant digger

nocturnal mover

browny colour

good senser

blind eye-er

earth burrower

Assignment

* examine stylistic features characteristic of a particular author or time period

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