Beowulf: Metaphors 4 key examples

The Danes and Beowulf’s men “beheld that hand” in awe, noting in a simile that “the sturdy nails to steel was likest,” and further characterizing the hand in a metaphor as a “hand-spear.” Their examination of Grendel’s severed arm reveals that the monster was far from human, with a distinctive and powerful body. The comparisons drawn between Grendel’s nails and various forms of metal emphasize his lethal capabilities. Additionally, these comparisons underscore Beowulf’s strength. Because Grendel does not fight with a weapon, Beowulf decides to fight the monster with his bare hands, making it an “even” fight. In this passage, however, the crowd observes that Grendel’s hands are already weapons in a sense, implying that Beowulf defeated the odds in his slaying of Grendel. 

This scop, who is also a “thane” who serves the King, has “made many vaunts” and is “mindful of verses,” suggesting that he is a well-experienced storyteller. The narrator metaphorically describes the scop’s poems as if they are physical goods that must be crafted and stored. The scop is “stored with sagas and songs of old,” as if they are physically inside him. Further, the scop tells stories of legendary warriors in a “well-knit [rhyme],” metaphorical language which suggests that the storyteller has weaved threads of previous stories into one. The narrator of the poem, then, praises the fictional storyteller and treats the art of poetry as if it is a profession or craft in its own right. 

Beowulf earns the praise and admiration of those around him for his incredible accomplishment in defeating the supernaturally strong Grendel. “Beowulf’s glory” is “echoed” by all, and the group declares that there is no warrior “more valiant” than him anywhere on earth, from “sea to sea, or north to south,” neither on Earth nor “under vault of heaven.” The “vault of heaven” is a historical idiom that metaphorically imagines the stars and planets as if they were painted on the ceiling of some tremendous building, such as a church. Many ancient cultures believed that the earth was flat and that the stars and planets were embedded in a spherical dome or “vault” over the earth, and the poem’s use of this idiom both reflects this once-common belief and emphasizes Beowulf's achievement.  

The men, mourning the death of their virtuous King, have no interest in keeping the “dear-bought” but rusty treasures. Instead of dividing the treasure between themselves, they decide to bury it with the King. They are much less respectful, however, to the body of the slain dragon, which they toss over the cliff to be “swallowed” by the waves below. Here, the narrator describes the dragon as a “shepherd of gems.” In this metaphor, the dragon is imagined as taking care of the hoard of treasures, just as a shepherd takes care of his flock of sheep. There is a sense of bitter irony in this metaphor, as the dragon did not protect life, as a shepherd does, but instead destroyed it.