What poetic features appear in Old English poems such as Beowulf?

Old English poetry, including the epic Beowulf, is defined by a highly consistent and conservative set of formal techniques that remained stable for centuries. Key poetic features include:12

• Alliterative Verse: The fundamental structure is a four-stress line divided into two halves by a caesura—a rhythmic pause between the second and third stresses. These two halves are linked by alliteration, where the initial sounds of stressed syllables correspond.12
• Formulaic Language: Poets utilized a shared cultural fund of stock phrases and patterns to describe common scenes, such as battles or the passage of time.12
• Kennings: This device involves using a figurative, often compound noun to describe an object, such as "swan-road" to represent the sea.12
• Variation: This technique involves repeating a single idea or concept using different words, with each iteration adding new layers of meaning or nuance.12
• Recurring Imagery: Poets frequently employed standard images to evoke specific moods, such as the eagle and wolf to signify battle, or ice and snow to signal sorrow.2

These devices collectively provided a dignified, formal style suitable for the heroic tradition.3