1) The Beginnings of British Literature Flashcards

1
Q

Into which two periods is often divided medieval English literature?

A

Old English Literature, Middle English Literature

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2
Q

Division of Old English literature:

A
  1. Northumbria at the age of Bede, 2. The Programme of King Alfred the Great, 3. The Benedictine Revival of the late 10th century
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3
Q

Division of Middle English literature:

A
  1. Early period/Anglo-Norman literature, 2. Late period or Middle English Literature as such
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4
Q

What were the origins Anglo-Saxon literature like?

A

oral tradition, they were illiterate, nothing was written down until the conversion to Christianity, focuses primarily on legendary or historical figures who lived before the Anglo-Saxon period

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5
Q

Who was “scop”?

A

a poet, expected to perform verses at celebratory gatherings in the royal, lordly and even monastic halls, based on essentially oral tradition

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6
Q

What are “kennings”?

A

metaphorical expressions for frequently used words, e.g. storm of swords is a kenning for battle

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7
Q

Name two important works from the phase of Northumbria of the age of Bede

A

The Dream of the Rood, Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum

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8
Q

Who established English as a literary language?

A

Alfred the Great

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9
Q

What is the first truly great work of English literature and when was it written?

A

Beowulf, 800-1000

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10
Q

What is the name of the Danish king in Beowulf and the monster?

A

Hrothgar, Grendel

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11
Q

What happens to Beowulf at the end?

A

he dies

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12
Q

Name two OE heroic elegies

A

The Seafarer, The Wanderer

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13
Q

Name two OE love elegies

A

The Husband’s Message, The Wife’s Complaint

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14
Q

What happened to English literature after the Norman conquest?

A

English was displaced as the medium of literature, and even after its full parity with french there was no standard literary English

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15
Q

Who wrote “lais” and what is it?

A

Marie de France, it is lyrical, narrative poems in verse dealing with knightly adventures and love escapades

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16
Q

Name some medieval genres

A

chansons de geste, chivalric romances, exempla and fabliaux, fables, ballads, chronicles

17
Q

Which works belong to the Matter of Britain?

A

Historia Regum Brittainae, Wace: Roman de Bruts, Germanic legends- King Horn, The Tale of Gamelyn, History of Holy Grail

18
Q

The most important material of Matter of Britain is related to _____________

A

the legendary figure of King Arthur

19
Q

What are fables?

A

animal stories (The Fox and the Wolf)

20
Q

Name some critical chronicles

A

The Evil Times of Edward II, Land of Cockayne

21
Q

Piers Plowman

A

The Vision of Wiliam Concerning Piers Plowman

22
Q

John Gower

A

Confessio Amantis

23
Q

What is “Pearl”?

A

unconventional allegory using the motifs from the Apocalypse, lament of a father over the death of his young daughter

24
Q

What is the best chivalric romance written in the English language?

A

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

25
The Vision of William Concerning Piers Plowman is an ________________ and deals with the problem of ___________________
allegorical poem, salvation in a corrupt world
26
Who is the greatest English poet of the Middle Ages and the father of the English language?
Geoffrey Chaucer
27
Geoffrey Chaucer
Canterbury Tales, The Book of the Duchess, The House of Flame, The Parlament of Fowels
28
Name some of the tales from Canterbury Tales
The Knight’s Tale, The Miller’s Tale, The Wife of Bath’s Tale, The Pardoner’s Tale
29
What is the first great work of English prose fiction and who wrote it?
Le Morte D’Arthur, T. Malory
30
Which authors belong to the English reformation and humanism?
Desiderius Erasmus, Sir Thomas More
31
Desiderius Erasmus
Praise of Folly
32
Sir Thomas More
Utopia
33
Who translated the New Testament into English?
William Tyndale