Literary Periods (4) Flashcards
- Mythology
A collection of myth is, especially one belonging to a particular religious or cultural tradition.
- also the study of myths
- Titanomachy
the cosmological struggle between the Greek gods and their parents/ the Titans. Features Prometheus
- Prometheus
himself a Titan- managed to avoid being the direct confrontational cosmic battle between Zeus and the other Olympians against Cronus and the other Titans. His struggle would be of vast merit to human society as he was to be credited with the creation of humans and therefore all of humanity as well. Pandora’s Box derives from this myth as one of Zeus’ creations to destroy Prometheus.
- Medieval Period
Ranges from 476 AD to the 15th Century and the beginning of the Renaissance in Italy. Lots of Biblical/Catholic teaching/ Includes Epic Poems like Beowulf and The Song of Roland/ and Fabliaux/ a style of writing in the 13th century that was sarcastic/ cynical/ and comic stories/ usually in poetic verse (like in Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales).
- Epic Poems Examples
The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri/ Summa Theologica by Thomas Aquinas/ Sir Gawain and The Green Knight/ Le Morte d’Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory/ The Book of the City of Ladies by Christina Pizan/ Consolation of Philosophy by Boethius/ Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio/ Scivias by Hildegard of Bingen.
- Troubadours
In the 11th century/ composers and performers of lyric poetry wrote about chivalric romance.
- King Arthur
According to the medieval histories/ King Arthur was the British leader who led Britain’s army against invaders in the 5th and 6th centuries. Historical sources: Annales Cambriae/ Historian Brittonum.
- Death Be Not Proud
Also known as Sonnet X. John Donne uses personification of death to criticize and confront it. Instead of cowering in its face/ Donne denies the finality of death by stating that it will eventually be conquered/ which aligns with his strong Christian faith in the body’s resurrection. Part of John Donne’s collection/ Holy Sonnets.
- Piers Plowman by William Langland
An allegorical moral and social satire/ written as a “vision” of the common medieval type. A Medieval poem written in allegory and alliterative verse/ detailing the crucifixion of Christ and identifying works and grace as pillars of Christianity.
- Renaissance Period
Started in the 16th century. Key developments included the invention of the printing press by Johann Gutenberg and Europe’s newly formed trade routes with India and China. The Sonnet became popular during this time/ with later evolution into metaphysical poetry (using the poem to understand faith and environment instead of accepting standard religious teaching) through John Donne.
- Restoration Period
Right after the Renaissance/ celebrated the restored court of Charles II. Key works include John Milton’s epic poem/ Paradise Lost/ and John Bunyan’s Christian allegory/ Pilgrim’s Progress.
- Hamlet
The protagonist of Hamlet is Prince Hamlet of Denmark/ son of the recently deceased King Hamlet/ and nephew of King Claudius/ his father’s brother and successor. Hamlet seeks revenge on Claudius for murdering his father/ leading to a tragic conclusion where Hamlet/ Claudius/ and most of the royal family die.
- Macbeth
Macbeth and Banquo are generals under King Duncan when they meet the Witches/ who tell them prophecies. Macbeth harbors ambitions of becoming king/ leading to a tragic downfall. Lady Macbeth urges him to murder Duncan/ and Macbeth’s reign is marked by tyranny and guilt/ ending in his death by Macduff.
- Othello
Roderigo/ upset over Desdemona’s marriage to Othello/ is manipulated by Iago/ leading to tragic events fueled by jealousy and deceit. Othello/ misled by Iago/ kills Desdemona and ultimately himself.
- Romeo and Juliet
Set in Verona/ Italy/ the play tells the story of two young lovers from feuding families. Their secret marriage and tragic deaths ultimately reconcile their families.
- King Lear
One of the great triumphs of this play is Shakespeare’s addition of the character of the fool/ who attempts to comfort his old master but also ironically emphasizes the folly and tragedy of the old man.
- The Faerie Queene
An epic poem written by Edmund Spenser in the 17th century/ divided into 6 books/ each focusing on a different virtue through the story of a different knight’s quest.
- Age of Enlightenment
Many changes in the world influenced literature during the 17th-18th centuries. Three new literary forms emerged during this period.
- Romantic Period
Emphasis post-Enlightenment was on freedom/ imagination/ and emotion/ and nature. Prominent authors included William Wordsworth/ Lord Byron/ Mary Shelley/ and Gothic writers like Edgar Allan Poe. Key works include Lyrical Ballads by William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge/ marking the beginning of the English Romantic movement in literature. Gothic authors included Edgar Allan Poe/ Nathaniel Hawthorne/ and Washington Irving. Examples of Romantic literature include The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving/ The Raven & Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allen Poe/ The Hunchback of Notre Dame & Les Miserables by Victor Hugo.
- Augustan Period
During the 18th century/ ending in 1745 with the deaths of Alexander Pope and Jonathan Swift.
- Pre-Raphaelites
Established in 1849 by William Holman Hunt/ John Everett Millais/ and Dante Gabriel Rossetti/ they advocated for a brighter and more detailed style in contrast to the muted colors of their time.
- Picaresque
A genre of prose fiction depicting the adventures of a roguish hero/heroine of low social status who lives by their wits in a corrupt society. Examples include The History of Tom Jones & Joseph Andrews by Henry Fielding/ The Adventures of Tom Sawyer & The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain.
- Realism
A movement in art and literature starting in the mid-19th century in France/ focusing on describing story elements without elaborate imagery or figurative language. Examples include Charles Dickens’ David Copperfield/ Oliver Twist/ A Tale of Two Cities/ and Great Expectations. George Eliot’s Middlemarch. Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest.
- Naturalism
A literary genre that started in the late 19th century as a type of extreme realism/ focusing on man’s relationship with the environment and the influence of social conditions on human character. Examples include Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser/ The Grapes of Wrath and The Pearl by John Steinbeck/ The Call of the Wild and White Fang by Jack London.
