There are very few works of literature that can last for many centuries and still place the same effect over the readers. Not very many of these works withstand decay or accidentally get thrown away by those who do not realize what they have. However, Beowulf was preserved and is still read today. The original work was supposedly written around 700 A.D.. Unfortunately, the author of this epic poem is unknown, so no one can claim the credits off of this amazing work of literature. The author is thought to be a Christian monk whom was very wise, especially within two religions. These religions are Christianity as well as paganism. Perhaps the combination of these two religions along with a heroic story is what keeps the work alive. After an analysis…show more content… In the beginning of the poem, Herot Hall is described as being deserted for twelve long years. Herot Hall is made out of ivory, iron, wood, and the greatest treasure, gold. Herot Hall gleams, almost as if it contains the light of Heaven. Near the middle of the poem, the reader will find the dreaded lake. This specific lake is far from peace and tranquility. The lake is where Grendel and his mother reside. Unlike the heavenly features of Herot Hall, the lake is steamy with boiling water and compares to the features of Hell. My last example of imagery in this poem would be Beowulf’s last battle. Beowulf refuses to give in to the fire-breathing dragon, even in the smoky haze of the cave. The unknown author of Beowulf included a diversity of tone as well. In the beginning, our soon to be hero is introduced. The first few passages give the reader background information and sets the reader up for things to come. The tone is very informative. This informative tone changes beginning with passage eight. Passage eight brings us a very suspenseful tone. The suspense comes from a range of battles that are within the next few passages. A reader is instantly hooked by the feeling of an exciting battle approaching. The upbeat tone continues through Beowulf’s second battle. This time, our hero is battling Grendel’s mother. The suspenseful tone keeps the reader hooked throughout the battles; however, it changes for the last battle.…show more content… The unknown writer repeated many consonant sounds throughout; this is forever known as alliteration. The reader of this poem might recognize that some lines are written as if they are cut in half, this is a technique known as caesura. A caesura is a pause in the line of the poem. To keep the four beat line, the writer split lines in half. The author of Beowulf referred to people or things indirectly. This specific technique is known as the use of kennings. Kenning is defined as a metaphorical phrase of compound words. There are four types of kennings used in the epic: open compound (wakeful sleeper), prepositional phrase (shadow of death), hyphenated compound (bracelet-wearing queen), and possessive kenning (Healfdane’s son). The words used in the work are very formal. A reader might also notice that most of the vocabulary within the work is suggesting a meaning; they do not have an exact meaning. This characteristic of diction is known as connotative. Lastly, the work of Beowulf contains many litotes. Litotes are words that make situations that would originally be considered gruesome, and portray them as situations that are not as