- Kenning- God- All-wielding Ruler, Guardian of Heaven, The Wielder of Glory.(lines 66-68.)
- Alliteration- The son of his sire
- Wyrd- Numerous men have had the chance of killing Grendel themselves but it was Beowulf's fate (wyrd) to kill Grendel
- Wergild- After killing many, the monster Grendel refused to pay wergild when demanded
- In media res- Beowulf does not open with in media res like most poems do
- Epic- Beowulf is an epic poem because of its main center on an heroic figure
- Allegory- The difficult journey on the sea can be an allegory for the difficult journey that Beowulf endures to find himself
- Allusion- Biblical allusions are referenced in this story such as Grendel being descended from Cane or good vs evil -Grendel (monsters) vs. Beowulf
- Aphorism- "Behavior that's admired is the path to per among people everywhere" (lines 24-25).
- Archetype- Beowulf is an archetype of a classic hero just like Grendel is an archetype of a monster
- Conceit- for Grendel: Shepard of Evil
- Elegiac- The story ends on a elegiac note
- Epithet- "the lord of all life"; "the ruler of all glory"
- Homily- Hrothgar's sermon to Beowulf upon returning from defeating Grendel's mother
- Irony- The scene with the fight between Grendel's mother ad Beowulf: the audience know that Beowulf killed Grendel's mother but the Geats and the Danes assume that Grendel's mother killed Beowulf
- Litotes- "Not a pleasant place!" (line 1363)
- Metonymy- “wave-swimmer” & “ocean-keel” are used to refer to the entire ship
- Motif- monster and the mead hall are motifs in this story
- Understatement- (lines 1007-1048)