english test 03/26 Flashcards
What year was the author born?
1431
What type of family was the author born into?
Poor family
What is the author considered in relation to French poetry?
Precursor of modern French poetry
What genre of poetry did the author write a great deal of?
Satirical poetry
What was an important theme in the author’s poetry?
Death
During which historical period did the author write?
Middle Ages
How would you describe the author’s lifestyle?
Violent lifestyle
What kind of crowds did the author associate with?
Wrong crowds
What crime did the poet commit?
Killed a priest in a fight
Who admired the poet’s poetry?
The royal family
Why did the poet write the ballade?
Because he was awaiting his own death sentence
What aspect of humanity does the poet emphasize in his work?
The humanity of each individual, no matter how bad the criminal
What was the outcome of the poet’s death sentence?
He was not executed but exiled from Paris for 10 years
What narrative style is used in the ballade?
First person narration
What is the theme of the ballade?
Capital punishment
What is the situation of the speaker in the ballade?
The speaker is dead and was a victim of a public hanging
What was a common practice during the Middle Ages?
Public hanging
Who else used first person narration in their work?
dante
What was the effect of using first person narration?
effective ploy to
evoke sympathy from readers
What persuasive technique involves evoking pity through emotional appeal?
Appeal to Emotion (Pathos)
Example: Describing the gruesome fate of the hanged men to elicit sympathy.
How does the speaker create a sense of connection with the audience?
By calling the audience ‘brothers’
This fosters solidarity and urges readers not to judge harshly.
What imagery is used to depict physical suffering in the poem?
Birds pecking out eyes and plucking beards and eyebrows
This unsettling image emphasizes dishonor and suffering.
What is the speaker’s request to the audience regarding the dead?
To ask for prayers and compassion rather than scorn
The speaker emphasizes seeking mercy from God.
What warning does the speaker give about arrogance?
Anyone could meet a similar fate
This serves as a reminder of the fragility of life.
What is the tone of the poem?
Mournful and pleading
It conveys a sense of regret and desperation.
What is a key difference between The Ballad of the Hanged Men and Dante’s Divine Comedy?
The speaker in Villon’s poem is already dead making it a plea of mercy and remembrance
This contrasts with Dante, who is alive and learning about divine justice and moral consequences
What does the speaker hope for after death?
Prayers and forgiveness
This reflects the theme of mercy in the poem.
Fill in the blank: The mood of the poem is described as _______.
somber and reflective
True or False: The speaker in The Ballad of the Hanged Men has control over his fate.
False
The speaker is already dead and powerless.
