Question

Which literary technique does the poet use in these lines from Beowulf? "That [sword] was not useless to the warrior now." A. caesura B. alliteration C. litotes

Answer 1

c.....................................

Answer 2

Answer:

C. litotes

Explanation:

This is an example of litotes. This refers to a figure of speech that emphasizes a point by stating a negative to further affirm the positive. Litotes also tend to incorporate double negatives for effect. The way in which we can tell this is an ironic statement depends both on context and intonation. In this case, the author tells us that the sword was "not useless" in order to convey that it was actually extremely important.