The Anglo-Saxon Sonnet Rewriting Shakespeare’s Sonnet 130

The Anglo-Saxon Sonnet: Rewriting a Shakespeare’s Sonnet â€Å"130† Through the Eyes of the Author of Beowulf My woman’s sight-seers shine like the sun; Her kiss-givers grant a great fiery glow; Her bone-house is a rare beast made to stun; The hairs on her head hang as soft as snow. Like a pollen-producer gleams garnet, Her cheeks blush, blinding any early man; Unlike a slimy serpent’s foul sweat, Her scent smells of fresh gold, or better than. Her voice flows like the whale-road, that I’m sure, My love quickens when I hear her murmur; She strolls above the ground, I can assure, For my toes touch the terrain more firmer. My fondness for her, rapid in my heart, Will keep us together, never to part. William†¦show more content†¦Shakespeare also incorporates alliteration in sonnet â€Å"130,† but not quite to the extent of usage like the author of Beowulf. Kennings are another writing method that the author of Beowulf deeply integrates throughout his poem. In Beowulf, the kennings â€Å"wave-crosser† and â€Å"sea-shawl† are used to give short metaphors of specific things such as a boat and the sail on a boat. In my rewrite of sonnet â€Å"130† I stressed and slightly exaggerated the usage and variety of kennings to demonstrate this unique figurative language that’s greatly adopted by the author. I note the compound â€Å"kiss-givers† to describe this certain woman’s lips. This kenning explains the intended purpose that the woman’s lips hold to the speaker; to give kisses to him. Another kenn ing I added is â€Å"pollen-producer,† which represents a flower. The flower is then later compared to the woman’s blushing cheeks. This kenning assists in giving the striking picture of the woman’s face by comparing it to a delicate, beautiful, red flower. Kennings are a form of metaphoric language that adds variety to the poem, while also helping the described features be more understood by using a familiar comparison. Imagery is seen in both William Shakespeare’s works and in Beowulf to suggest a more significant visual experience for the reader. Imagery can help set the scene, describe a character, or explain an event; imagery can be utilized for a countless number of situations. In