Beowulf

The narrator uses rich imagery in describing the beginning of Beowulf’s journey to travel to the land of the Danes and defeat Grendel in fulfillment of his father’s debt to Hrothgar. After Beowulf and his band of brave Geatish warriors board a boat to head to present-day Denmark, the narrator states: 

On board they climbed, 
warriors ready; waves were churning 
sea with sand; the sailors bore
on the breast of the bark their bright array, 
their mail and weapons: the men pushed off, 
on its willing way, the well-braced craft.
Then moved o'er the waters by might of the wind 
that bark like a bird with breast of foam,
till in season due, on the second day,
the curved prow such course had run 
that sailors now could see the land, 
sea-cliffs shining, steep high hills, 
headlands broad. Their haven was found, 
their journey ended.

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The narrator uses both imagery and hyperbole to depict the frenzied scene in which Grendel attacks the mead-hall Heorot:

Angry were both
those savage hall-guards: the house resounded.
Wonder it was the wine-hall firm
in the strain of their struggle stood, to earth 
the fair house fell not; too fast it was 
within and without by its iron bands 
craftily clamped; though there crashed from sill 
many a mead-bench—men have told me—
gay with gold, where the grim foes wrestled.
So well had weened the wisest Scyldings 
that not ever at all might any man
that bone-decked, brave house break asunder, 
crush by craft,—unless clasp of fire 
in smoke engulfed it. Again uprose din redoubled.

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