Composition: Kennings (Friday; 30/10)

K: Know the definition of kenning.

U: Understand how to use kenning.

D: Find out the meaning for each kenning.

Words of the Day

1. Metaphor

2. Adjective

Kenning

A kenning is a figure of speech in which two words are combined in order to form a poetic expression that refers to a person or a thing.

For example, "whale-road" is a kenning for the sea. A kenning can also be described as a simile (the sea is like a road for whales).

Kennings in Depth

1. The base word is the noun, the referent, and shares a metaphoric (though not always immediately evident) similarity to what it is actually referring to.

2. The determinant is the adjective where it changes the noun, to help reveal the base word's connection to what it is referring to.

Example:

1. Couch potato: Here the referent (a lazy person) is being compared to a potato (which is similar to the lazy person in its lack of movement), so 'potato' is the base word. The noun 'couch' becomes an adjective because it describes what kind of potato it is (one that sits on a couch), so 'couch' serves as the determinant.

2. Bookworm: In this case, the referent (a voracious reader) is being compared to a worm (a voracious eater), so the 'worm' is the base word. The noun 'book' becomes an adjective because it describes the type of worm, so 'book' is the determinant.

Task Time

Please refer to page 26 on your workbook.