What do the alliteration and kenning in lines 474-478 of this old English poem help convey?

In lines 474-478, the poet personifies the sea as a "whale-road," and the ship carrying Odysseus is described as a "foamy-necked floater," which travels over "the swan's-road." The alliteration with the "f" sounds in "foamy-necked floater" and the repeated "s" sounds in "swan's-road" and "sea" create a sense of movement and fluidity, evoking the image of the ship gliding over the waves.

At the same time, the kenning "whale-road" suggests the vastness of the sea and the ship's journey, implying that the sea is as wide as a whale's path. It highlights the immense distance and challenges Odysseus must overcome to return to his homeland.

In context, these literary devices convey a sense of adventure and the treacherous journey that Odysseus faces as he navigates the sea in his quest to return to Ithaca.