Final (Since Test 2) Flashcards by Sam McCubbin

What two movements are associated with 20th Century British and American Literature?

Modernism and Contemporary (includes postmodernism)

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What did mankind have faith in…
Before WWI?
After WWI?
After WW2?

society and art
art (but not society)
neither society nor art

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What is 20th Century Modernism?

term for the first half of the century

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What methods and ideologies were rejected in 20th C. modernism?

Victorian and Realistic

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What two things were emphasized in 20th C. Modernist writing?

industrial-era social and political issues

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20th C. Worldviews

Darwinsim–biologic determinism
Marxism–political determinism
Freudianism–psychological determinism
Secularism–Unaware of Christian truths
Existentialism–must find own meaning in life
Nihilism–no meaning in life at all
Pluralism–no absolutes (truth is subjective)

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20th C. Literary Characteristics

Highly experimental
Rejected traditional literary styles
Free forms
Lack of true meaning
Cynical and pessimistic

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20th C. Literary Themes

Alienation of “Modern” man
Disintegration of civilization
Moral relativism
Moral looseness

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Who is known for showing characters who show dangers of skepticism and corruption?

Joseph Conrad

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Work: An Outpost of Progress

Author: Joseph Conrad
Themes: The destructive results of colonization and imperialism
Setting: African jungle

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List and explain the 3 main characters of “An Outpost of Progress.

Kayerts and Carlier: White men newly assigned to work at a trading post
Makola: African man who is their bookkeeper–he is also in charge of 10 slaves

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Who was the first modern black poet to use black dialect and to achieve popularity among black and white audiences?

Paul Laurence Dunbar

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Work: We Wear the Mask

Author: Paul Laurence Dunbar
Theme: What society sees vs. what we hide

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What things was Edwin Arlington Robinson known for?

“Portrait” poems
“Tilbury Town”
Characters who were desolate, lonely, disillusioned, materialistic, and failures

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Work: Richard Cory

Author: Edwin Arlington Robinson
Theme: Perception vs. Reality of Happiness

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Whose early career was influenced by Naturalism (Determinism) but they later rejected?

Willa Carther

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Work: Paul’s Case

Author: Willa Carther
Theme: Fate determined by heredity and environment
Setting: Pittsburgh/NYC early 1900s
Symbols: Red carnation, Cordelia Street (his name), Trains

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What was D. H. Laurence known for?

(English author) Controversial novels that challenged moral traditions

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Work: Odour of Chrysanthemums

Author: D. H. Lawrence
Theme: The ability of traumatic events to put things into perspective

What is Free Verse?

Verse with no consistent metrical pattern
Made popular by Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass
Stanza, Refrain, Open form

Who is considered to be one of the greatest American poets of the 20th Century?

Robert Frost

Work: After Apple Picking

Author: Robert Frost
Theme: Hard work brings exhaustion

Work: The Road not Taken

Author: Robert Frost
Themes: Choices, consequences, and regret
Robert Frost’s most famous poem

Which important modernist poet was also a doctor who delivered babies?

William Carlos Williams

What is Imagism?

Focus on imagery and aesthetics rather than meaning

Work: The Red Wheelbarrow

Author: William Carlos Williams Theme: Significance in experience Anything can become significant

Work: Spring and All

Author: William Carlos Williams Theme: Struggle of new life Non-traditional approach to a poem about spring

What is James Joyce known for?

The greatest Irish Modern Era novelist | Known for "stream of consciousness" style

Work: Araby

Author: James Joyce Theme: Failed expectations Symbol: the bazar

What is Wilfred Owen known for?

Fought in WWI but died just before the end | His works were collected and published by a friend after he died

Work: Dulce et Decorum Est

``` Author: Wilfred Owen Theme: Realities of war First-person perspective of the destruction of war Imagery of the poison gas Major device: irony ```

What is T. S. Eliot's poetry known for?

Its use of language and imagery rather than meaning

Work: The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock"

Author: T. S. Eliot Themes: Man's inability to live a meaningful existence in the modern world/Poking fun at inability and spinelessness Modern dramatic monologue written in stream of consciousness

Who coined the term "Age of Anxiety" for the postwar era?

W. H. Auden

Work: The Unknown Citizen

``` Author: W. H. Auden Theme: Personal identity vs. citizenship Style: Saterical funeral elegy Written about becoming a part of the American system Irony: so many details but still unknown ```

What shifted the focus of blacks from slavery to more modern problems and issues?

The Harlem Renaissance

Who was a primary Harlem Renaissance poet?

Langston Hughes

Work: Theme for English B

Author: Langston Hughes Theme: Understanding other perspectives

What style did William Faulkner use?

American Southern Gothic

Work: A Rose for Emily

Author: William Faulkner Themes: Decline of the Old South/Dealing with loss/Community vs. isolation

What is e. e. Cummings known for?

Experimentation with language

Work: anyone lived in a pretty how town

Author: e. e. Cummings Theme: Namelessness of society

What author was mainly known for humorous stories but was launched into the spotlight with "The Lottery"?

Shirley Jackson

Work: The Lottery

Author: Shirley Jackson Theme: Questioning those who blindly follow traditions

Work: The Lanyard

Author: Billy Collins Theme: Repaying sacrificial love

Work: The Black Walnut Tree

Author: Billy Collins Theme: The importance of preserving a family legacy Symbols: The tree--family; the decision--preserving the past