# Writing Poetry: Kenning



## Ariel (Dec 2, 2016)

This month I'll be posting a discussion a week. These ones will be shorter and about some of my personal favorite poetic techniques. Hopefully these will inspire you to use these techniques too.

*Writing Poetry: Kenning*


As a poetic technique kenning dates back to Old Norse and is prevalent in the oldest surviving piece of English literature, Beowulf. "The word kenning derives from the Old Norse phrase kenna eitt vio, meaning 'to express or describe one thing in terms of another.'  The term came into English through the medieval Icelandic treatises on poetics.  The word ken meaning 'to know' is still used in Scottish dialectics.  The kenning, a metaphoric transfer, is a way of knowing (Hirsch 331)."


Kenning is the combining together of two or more common nouns or ideas as a way of describing a third noun or idea. It is a way to rename and re-envision an object. Kenning can produce some surprising and uncommon imagery, and "operates as a sort of ''miniature riddle (Hirsch 331)."


Kenning remains common in modern English and is, in fact, a source of many common item or idea names. The tradition of kenning has led to the advent of many compound words that, when examined with that knowledge, are easily seen to have begun as a kenning.  Some examples include "holiday" (holy day), "peppermint," "backpack," and "download."  Kenning that are not part of every day vernacular and are purely metaphorical are usually represented by hyphenating  the words that comprise the new metaphorical word.  As the kenning becomes more regular and common the hyphen disappears and a new word is born (aw, isn't it cute?).


Kenning is a type of metaphorical speech which can replace more common words to illustrate new ways of looking at an object or idea.  It can be a powerful tool to inform meaning and imagery for a poet.


*Works Cited*


Hirsch, Edward. Poet's Glossary.  Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2014.


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## The Fantastical (Dec 2, 2016)

The interesting thing about Kenning is that the poems are almost always riddles.


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## Ariel (Dec 2, 2016)

Can you supply examples?  In my experience poems that contain kenning are rarely a riddle themselves.


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## The Fantastical (Dec 2, 2016)

I didn't find any examples of it but it was mentioned on a few sites when I looked up more info about Kenning...



> A kenning is a much-compressed form of metaphor, originally used in Anglo-Saxon and Norse poetry. In a kenning, an object is described in a two-word phrase, such as 'whale-road' for 'sea'. Some kennings can be more obscure than others, and then grow close to being a riddle. *Judith Nicholls' 'Bluebottle' uses kennings as part of a larger poem, that is itself a riddle; Andrew Fusek Peters and Polly Peters go further, building a pair of poems both consisting entirely of kennings.*





> Kennings were originally written in Old English or Old Norse. A kenning describes something familiar in an uncommon way, without using its name. The poem usually takes the form of a list – and each depiction of the object is two words. Sometimes a kenning can take the form of a puzzle poem. I’ve included a couple of my own to give you an idea.



From a kids poetry site (they have a way of explaining thing simply for the beginner)

http://poetryzone.co.uk/childrens-archive/kennings/



> *Definition of Kenning*
> 
> A Kenning is derived from Norse and Anglo-Saxon poetry. It is a stylistic device and can be defined as a two-word phrase that describes an object through metaphors. A *Kenning poem is also called a riddle that consists of a few lines of kennings which describe someone or something in confusing detail. It is also described as a compressed metaphor that means meanings illustrated in a few words. For example, a two-word phrase “whale-road” represents the sea.*



http://literarydevices.net/kenning/


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## EmmaSohan (Dec 2, 2016)

I liked this source, especially the comments that followed the article: http://literary-devices.com/content/kennings


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## The Fantastical (Dec 2, 2016)

EmmaSohan said:


> I liked this source, especially the comments that followed the article: http://literary-devices.com/content/kennings



The comments are hysterical!


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## sas (Dec 3, 2016)

Now, in the heat of verbal battle, I won't know whether to call someone a "Wind bag" or a "bag of water"? Geez, too many choices.


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## Darkkin (Dec 3, 2016)

amsawtell said:


> Kenning that are not part of every day vernacular and are purely metaphorical are usually represented by hyphenating  the words that comprise the new metaphorical word.
> 
> Kenning is a type of metaphorical speech which can replace more common words to illustrate new ways of looking at an object or idea.  It can be a powerful tool to inform meaning and imagery for a poet.




Okay, I think I have found something that is on par with my terror of iambic.  I do not ken the kenning, although I understand what ken and keen mean.  Kenning is indeed so far beyond my keen; I know it is a skill I will never glean.  Through a linear construct, metaphors are illogical.  Literally.  I don't understand them.  Why does a word have to mean something else entirely, and then to say 2 + 2 = Blue Giraffe! (Which embodies sadness...).

Very interesting historical aspects, but like algebra, I don't understand what logical function metaphors serve...To say that the sky is green when you know its, blue.  In Lauren Willig's _A Garden Intrigue_, coded messages were passed from British agents to the Home Office disguised as horrendous, flowery poetry.  However, the recipients of these poems had the language key to decode the message.  I don't have a key to decode metaphors, as a reader, I will take the word at face value.

Kudos to all who have the ability to figure them out.

Tangential observation:  Now knowing what kennings are, if one takes a look at Native American legends that have been translated into English, they are populated with phrases that look like kennings but aren't .  e.g. the Star People referenced in the Anasazi culture, the Thunderbird who brings the rain...Stories that explain origins, why things happen, and like the Big Foot what things are...English doesn't have an easy way to perfectly describe somethings so we approximate.  So much is lost in translation, we tend to overcompensate.

Building on the _Land Before Time _example of the tree star, which describes a specific type of leaf, it describes the object exactly, a literal translation.  But for the most part how does the writer know that the reader is going to ken their implied meaning?  Why the roundaboutation?

- D. the T.


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## EmmaSohan (Dec 3, 2016)

I could have written "He gives me a quick hug to signal we're done." (with their long kiss). But, because of this discussion, I could write quick-hug. I don't know if that's actual kenning, but at that point I don't care, I think it's a better description -- I didn't mean a hug that was quick, I meant the quick hug you would use to signal someone that the hug was done. That becomes: "He quick-hugs me to signal we're done."

I know, it's prose, but poetry is just a way of communicating and I was trying to make that passage poetical. So . . . thanks for the lesson.


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## Darkkin (Dec 3, 2016)

EmmaSohan said:


> I could have written "He gives me a quick hug to signal we're done." (with their long kiss). But, because of this discussion, I could write quick-hug. I don't know if that's actual kenning, but at that point I don't care, I think it's a better description -- I didn't mean a hug that was quick, I meant the quick hug you would use to signal someone that the hug was done. That becomes: "He quick-hugs me to signal we're done."
> 
> I know, it's prose, but poetry is just a way of communicating and I was trying to make that passage poetical. So . . . thanks for the lesson.



In essence, a squeeze...


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## Ariel (Dec 3, 2016)

Metaphor is useful for those that understand it to imply further meaning and emotion. It is easier to comprehend an abstract when a metaphor is used to describe it for most people. You use quite a few metaphors in your villanelles, Darkkin.  Whether you intend for them to be metaphors or not they are still there.


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## Darkkin (Dec 3, 2016)

No two readers ever read the same book, as the perception of each individual is unique.  If the reader sees a metaphor that the writer did not intend, it adds meaning for the reader.  It is all in how one defines and views the words they read.  The reader may see profound meaning in a piece of whimsy, while the writer is about as deep and profound as a pie pan.  

It remains in the hands of the author to determine, if a literary device like kenning or an extended metaphor have been deployed.  The reader's opinion and observations, while valued and astute, do not overshadow those of the author.  Both are equal in their own right, but as the writer, since they are they source of origin, only they can ever really know a piece's complete meaning.

It is a bit like kenning, both sides right, neither especially clear.  As there is no right or wrong way to write, it is not for the reader to tell the writer what their words mean.  The reader is entitled to their observations, and if they glean a deeper meaning, then the writer has done their job.  It doesn't have to be a deliberate act of kenning or a metaphoric riddle, this is why fairy tales, folklore, narrative poems, fiction...Stay with us long after the book has been closed.  Their lessons are subtler, more delineated, a slice of escapism, whose function has served a greater purpose since the dawn of language.


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## The Fantastical (Dec 3, 2016)

Hidden meanings and riddle esk lines are all very well but i think that something that authors have to keep in mind is the fact that they have to still be understandable to the reader. I don't know how many poems I have read where I am sure there is some great personal truth for the author in there but what they are actually talking about... I have nnooooooo idea!


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## PiP (Dec 3, 2016)

The Fantastical said:


> Hidden meanings and riddle esk lines are all very well but i think that something that authors have to keep in mind is the fact that they have to still be understandable to the reader.



I know exactly what you mean. I enjoy the language and music in poetry but, for me, if the meaning is so obscure that it takes a cryptic crossword genius to unravel, then what is the point?


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## Darkkin (Dec 3, 2016)

It is about finding balance.  Writing enough mystery to keep the reader engaged and wondering, but without trying to outwit them.  Look at folklore, it teaches a lesson, told in a way that the reader is more likely to retain the information.  Children look to the stars for stories, direction, lost loved ones...They learn what it means when raptors ride the thermals.  

Like adjectives and analogies, I'm guessing that a little kenning will go a long way.  The spoofy adventure movie _National Treasure_ actually has a scene that illustrates kenning quite well.  What really makes the scene is the verbalised thought process to decyphering the poem's meaning.

The opening line from the _Cremation of Sam McGee_ has a deft bit of kenning:

There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who toil for gold.

Right away the reader knows the general region where the story takes place from the phrase land of the midnight sun, you're either north of the Arctic Circle or in Antarctica, and since you don't read much about the gold rush at the South Pole it is safe to assume that you are in Alaska.  It also allows for the use of an internal rhyme.  Makes sense, has context, doesn't leave the reader going huh?!

Some of the examples listed in the links were quite cunning.  I'm half tempted to try incorporating the use of whale road sometime, or maybe a dolphins' byway...


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## The Fantastical (Dec 4, 2016)

Tell a good story, that is all that is needed IMO!


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## 1Zaslowcrane1 (Dec 4, 2016)

I understand
I've heard my (Scots) Grandfather say d'ye ken what a' mean?


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## Ariel (Dec 4, 2016)

The Fantastical said:


> Tell a good story, that is all that is needed IMO!



There are several ways to tell a good story. This is just a tool to help writers and poets do so.  Having a good tool box is good for every craftsman.


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## The Fantastical (Dec 5, 2016)

All I meant was that some of the best poems I have ever read, have been simple, easy to read, just a story being told. No fancy techniques or special anythings and it is worth keeping that in mind.


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## Ariel (Dec 5, 2016)

They were probably more complicated than you think. A lot of poems seem simple at the surface but when analyzed are a lot more difficult.  There are sound patterns that can be used besides rhyme, there are meters that can be used, and there are techniques that most people have never heard of.

And once again, if you don't like a technique I'm presenting, for whatever reason, you don't have to use it. These are some of my personal favorites whether for historical reasons like kenning, or for practical reasons.  Knowing what you're doing only makes you a better poet.


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## The Fantastical (Dec 5, 2016)

It really isn't a matter of liking or not... it was just for the sake of conversation and not getting lost in the techniques.


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## Darkkin (Dec 5, 2016)

Having read through some of the examples in the provided links, a couple like the whale road and light-of-battle, really do allow for more layers of texture while maintaining the mysteries of the pie pan.  Whale road especially, got me thinking.  Take it one step further, a bit more outside the box.  Whale and road, coupled their meaning is clear, the nouns, however, are very generic.  Thus the question becomes how can a writer make a kenning akin in meaning, yet decidedly their own.  

Simple, look at the definitions of the words, what do they mean at their most basic level.  Whales are a huge, diverse family of marine mammals and a road is a route leading from one point to another.  This is where imagination and a thesaurus come in handy.  Synonyms.  Words that are inherently similar, but read truer to the writer's voice and style.  From the idea of a whale road, I've ended up with a piece revolving are a pathway known as the Spinners' Byway.  Spinner dolphins (a whale cousin) get their name from the rather astounding aerial spins they can do when they breach for breath.

Consider too, narratives by their inherent traits really do invite the use of kenning, as a way not only to aid the story, but to add a bit of fire to a tale that has been told a thousand times before.  Harkening back to the light-of-battle example, in the _Vanguard of Utter Dark_, Winkken, the eldest of three brothers is called to war.  He is the keeper of _Dark Blight_.  The use of the word play allows of a double meaning with the definitions of the words while maintaining a verbal pattern within a villanelle.  The sword is named _Dark Blight_ because it is a blight to all who serve Utter Dark.

A similar doubled down word play:  _Timbre Rising_.

Metaphors can overwhelm and I still don't understand how 2 + 2 = Blue Giraffe.  However, if logic is applied and words maintain their definitions, kenning can become a powerful tool.  What ultimately determines how well a kenning is understood is the context it is presented with.  Without context the reader will be lost.


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## Ariel (Dec 5, 2016)

This discussion _is_ about a poetic technique. Technically anything else is off-topic and belongs elsewhere. If you don't find it interesting or useful then don't bother with it.


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## Darkkin (Dec 5, 2016)

Kenning, I think is all in how you look at it.  To me, kenning makes a bit more sense because you can approach it like a logic puzzle.  Basic definition(s) of (a) word(s).  It sublimates to the lowest common denominator.  You can see how 2 + 2 = 4.  Where as regular metaphors are overt, often obscure, and too far beyond my keen.  Logic doesn't necessarily apply.  Kenning will make you think outside the box, but you can ascertain their meaning with out induce a migraine.  I've enjoy experimenting with them, something I didn't think I would be saying when I saw the original definition of the technique...8-[

Edit:

One of my favourite phrase repeats in my 'Ways: the Tidal Clock, is a kenning, and I didn't realise it until reading this thread.  It marks the beating, cycling heart of my realms, keeping track of Turtle and Helia, as well as the Tide Swans.

I guess it comes down to a bit of a paradox, the definition of kenning scared me because the definition is how I determined a word's function.  However, having seen how the kennings actually function, I can appreciate and understand the logic behind it.  This technique is not clearly delineated by its definition.  It is subtler than that.  It gives the writer a chance to further their own creative, define their voice.


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