His first work was a hymn to creation.
Plowman are both in alliterative verse.
Aside from its alliteration, there are a few other characteristics of Old English poetry that are important. Usually a descriptive metaphor, the kenning identified the noun by representative action or appearance. Since the contrary is usually expressed as an understatement, litotes, then, is also an ironic statement. Notice how the following assertion works in Beowulf. The other two characteristics have to do with semantics and characterization.