What literary conventions are shown in Beowulf?

Literary conventions are the definable features which
dictate a text as being part of a particular
genre.

Therefore, the literary conventions depicted in
Beowulf are ones which support the naming of the text as a heroic
epic poem.

A heroic epic poem needs to be broken down so as
to examine each part of the descriptive title so as to fully understand why it fits into
the genre which it does.

The "heroic" aspect of
Beowulf adheres to the Anglo-Saxon characteristics which detail the
adventures of a man deemed superior in the Anglo-Saxon culture as deemed important by
the culture. Anglo-Saxons raised up men who were warriors, leaders, polished speakers,
and fought epic battles (battles fought against a foe who is equal or greater than the
protagonist).

An "epic" is a long narrative, derived from
oral traditions, which told of the legendary deeds of either heroes or legendary figures
of the culture.

Therefore, a heroic epic tells the
legendary deeds of a hero, not a legendary figure.

Outside
of this, the poetic devices used in the poem, which are characteristic of the genre are
the use of alliteration and the kenning.Alliteration is the repetition of a consonant
sound within a line of poetry. A kenning is a metaphorical phrase, or grouping of two
words (typically hyphenated), which is used to elevate the language and provide for a
more imagery ridden phrasing. An example of a kenning is battle-boast which means
promise.