Grendel's one thought was to run from Beowulf, and flee back to his marsh. Grendel fought for his freedom with all he got. He had been caught, he had been trapped. It was a miserable journey for the monster. Beowulf had been granted new glory. He ended the grief, sorrow and suffering in the kingdom of Hrothgar. From the rafters of the mead hall stood the monster's arm, claw, shoulder and all.

        Throughout this section of the poem, diction is used to enhance the battle between these two larger-than-life characters. For example, Beowulf's role as the perfect hero who fights for the well being of others is enhanced through descriptive phrases such as "the mighty protector of men" and "him who of all the men of earth was the strongest". In addition, Grendel's role as the wrathful monster who seeks destruction is enhanced through the use of diction such as "hell's captive" and "sin-stained demon". Furthermore, the poem incorporates religion through the reference of Beowulf as "Almighty God" and Grendel as a "demon". 

          It starts off by telling stories of how people have seen Grendel and Grendel's mother out in the wilderness, and the terror that ensues when they are around. They go to the lake where Grendel's mom hides, and Beowulf fearlessly dives in. He meets Grendel's mother and she brings him to her lair. She claws and tears at his armor but has no success in breaking it. Beowulf swings his sword at him and catches her neck, but it doesn't cut through. They tussle for a minute, and sooner or later Beowulf sees a sword on the wall. It was forged by the giants, one that no man could carry. But our fearless warrior picked it up with no issue and slayed Grendel's mother. 

      The author uses advanced diction in order to progress the story in a comprehensible yet intriguing fashion. For example, the evil lands from which Grendel is said to come from are described as "where mist steams like black clouds, and the groves of trees" are "covered with frozen spray". By depicting evil in such a dark manner, the audience is more invested in the storytelling. In addition, the sword that Beowulf uses to kill Grendel's mother is described as "the best of all weapons" and is said to be "hammered by giants". By describing the sword with advanced diction, the audience is able to visualize the situation easier.

Irony is a situational device in which the audience expects something different than what is stated. For example, if an ambulance hits a person while the ambulance is trying to save another person, that is irony. Ambulances are typically vehicles that are used to save the lives of those in need of medical attention, but since the ambulance injured someone, the audience's expectations are opposed. In the "Canterbury Tales", Chaucer uses irony to expose the actions of many of the characters from very diverse social classes and backgrounds. The use of irony leads many of the readers to recognize the hypocrisy that they convey, leading to a more humorous and satirical story.

Dr. Lowe

English IV Honors

November 2022

The Canterbury Tales was written in the Middle Ages by Geoffrey Chaucer. This piece of literature dives into a fictional story that was based on what life was like during the time it was written. The characters in The Canterbury Tales are created around societal stereotypes of the Middle Ages. Chaucer uses literary and situational techniques in order to symbolize, explain, and expose the social norms of the Middle Ages.

I can infer that the Doctor is very educated in medicine and his job as a whole because "no one alive could talk as well as he did on points of medicine and surgery". In addition, he is very stern, as he wore gold on his outfit because "gold stimulates the heart ". I can infer that the Monk is well known by the people because he is described as a good hunter and a very manly individual. The Monk was Prior to the cell. The Monk is a good man to the horse, and he seems rich because he owns nice fur and the “prettiest horse in the land”. In addition, he is fat, meaning that he has plentiful access to food, which alludes to his richness. I can infer that the Yeoman is very experienced in all aspects of nature. This is because he is described as "a proper forester" who "knew the whole of woodcraft up and down". In addition, the Yeoman is equipped with a "mighty bow", so he is ready to hunt at any moment. 

The knight is a courteous man, because he is described as a "man who followed chivalry". Since chivalry is a code of loyalty and respect that people followed during the time that The Canterbury Tales was written, it is safe to assume that the knight was a gentleman. In addition, I can assume that he has much experience at war, since the text states that he had "ridden into battle" many times. Throughout The Canterbury Tales, the knight is described as a mighty, courteous, and noble man who fought to maintain prosperity for the land in which he resides. Shortly after detailing the knight's positive character traits, the text lists the many places he has been to war, including, Eastern Europe, Western Asia, and Northern Africa. Based on reading and summarizing the text, I conclude that the Knight is a chivalrous man who has deep insight on the art of war and fighting. On the other hand, The Wife of Bath is described as having a "bold", "handsome" face. In addition, the Wife of Bath is very particular about her wardrobe, as she wore "the finest scarlet red" and shoes that were "soft and new". The story describes the Wife of Bath as a very beautiful woman who is very conscious about her outfit. Furthermore, the Wife of Bath has had 5 husbands, and has been to Jerusalem three times. Based on reading and summarizing the text, I conclude that the Wife of Bath is a very uptight woman who places excess value on her external appearance, and she cares very much about love because she has had five husbands.

Irony is a situational device in which the audience expects something different than what is stated. For example, if an ambulance hits a person while the ambulance is trying to save another person, this situation is irony. Ambulances are typically vehicles that are used to save the lives of those in need of medical attention, but since the ambulance injured someone, the audience's expectations are opposed. In the "Canterbury Tales", Chaucer uses irony to expose the actions of many of the characters from very diverse social classes and backgrounds. The use of irony leads many of the readers to recognize the hypocrisy that they convey, leading to a more humorous and satirical story. 

Chaucer finds humor in the difference between real and ideal characters. Chaucer highlights these differences between real and ideal characters through the use of literary devices. For instance, Chaucer uses irony in order to expose the hypocrisy that these characters convey. Irony is a literary technique in which an unexpected outcome happens to a usually expected person, place, object, or idea. The use of irony gives the audience a deeper insight to the society in which this The Canterbury Tales was written and exposes the fatal flaws of the Middle Ages.

Dr. Lowe

English IV Honors

November 2022

The Canterbury Tales was written in the Middle Ages by Geoffrey Chaucer. This piece of literature dives into a fictional story that was based on what life was like during the time it was written. The characters in The Canterbury Tales are created around societal stereotypes of the Middle Ages. Chaucer uses literary and situational techniques in order to symbolize, explain, and expose the social norms of the Middle Ages.

I can infer that the Doctor is very educated in medicine and his job as a whole because "no one alive could talk as well as he did on points of medicine and surgery" (Chaucer 140). In addition, he is very stern, as he wore gold on his outfit because "gold stimulates the heart" (Chaucer 141). Similarly, I can infer that the Monk is well known by the people because he is described as a good hunter and a very manly individual. The Monk was Prior to the cell. The Monk is a good man to the horse, and he seems rich because he owns nice fur and the “prettiest horse in the land” (Chaucer 134). In addition, he is fat, meaning that he has plentiful access to food, which alludes to his richness. On the other hand, I can infer that the Yeoman is very experienced in all aspects of nature. This is because he is described as "a proper forester"(Chaucer 132) who "knew the whole of woodcraft up and down” (Chaucer 132). In addition, the Yeoman is equipped with a "mighty bow", so he is ready to hunt at any moment. 

Furthermore, I can also infer that the knight is a courteous man, because he is described as a "man who followed chivalry” (Chaucer 130). Since chivalry is a code of loyalty and respect that people followed during the time that The Canterbury Tales was written, it is safe to assume that the knight was a gentleman. In addition, I can assume that he has much experience at war, since the text states that he had "ridden into battle" (Chaucer 131)  many times. Throughout The Canterbury Tales, the knight is described as a mighty, courteous, and noble man who fought to maintain prosperity for the land in which he resides. Shortly after detailing the knight's positive character traits, the text lists the many places he has been to war, including, Eastern Europe, Western Asia, and Northern Africa. Based on reading and summarizing the text, I conclude that the Knight is a chivalrous man who has deep insight on the art of war and fighting. On the other hand, The Wife of Bath is described as having a "bold" (Chaucer 141), "handsome (Chaucer 141)" face. The Wife of Bath is very particular about her wardrobe, as she wore "the finest scarlet red"(Chaucer 141) and shoes that were "soft and new"(Chaucer 141). The story describes the Wife of Bath as a very beautiful woman who is very conscious about her outfit. Furthermore, the Wife of Bath has had 5 husbands, and has been to Jerusalem three times. Based on reading and summarizing the text, I conclude that the Wife of Bath is a very uptight woman who places excess value on her external appearance, and she cares very much about love because she has had five husbands.

Irony is a situational device in which the audience expects something different than what is stated. For example, if an ambulance hits a person while the ambulance is trying to save another person, this situation is irony. Ambulances are typically vehicles that are used to save the lives of those in need of medical attention, but since the ambulance injured someone, the audience's expectations are opposed. In the "Canterbury Tales", Chaucer uses irony to expose the actions of many of the characters from very diverse social classes and backgrounds. The use of irony leads many of the readers to recognize the hypocrisy that they convey, leading to a more humorous and satirical story. 

Chaucer finds humor in the difference between real and ideal characters. Chaucer highlights these differences between real and ideal characters through the use of literary devices. For instance, Chaucer uses irony in order to expose the hypocrisy that these characters convey. Irony is a literary technique in which an unexpected outcome happens to a usually expected person, place, object, or idea. The use of irony gives the audience a deeper insight to the society in which this The Canterbury Tales was written and exposes the fatal flaws of the Middle Ages.

2. I want to center, relax, and to dream
3. Because us kids sit and we do not play

4. Look like I’m together as it would seem 

5. Confused and bewildered teenage years stink 

6. I want to be home and watching a show

7. Not supposed to be this way so I think

8. I guess this is just how I stretch and grow

9. School these days seems like it’s an endless pit

10.I feel like it’s sucking out all my joy

11. A dark hole with no bottom to be hit

12. I treat school as if it is one big toy

13. I will get it together and get out of this funk

14. I will keep going to school it’s a slam dunk