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British Literature > Midterm Review > Flashcards

Midterm Review Flashcards

1
Q

A stage device in which a character briefly discloses his thoughts in the presence of other characters who by convention do not hear him.

A

Aside

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2
Q

The emotion pervading a work

A

Atmosphere

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3
Q

The repetition of similar consonant sounds within a group of neighboring words or lines. Often initial consonant sounds are repeated. This poetic device often increases the musical effect of the language.

A

Alliteration

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4
Q

A narrative poem that can be set to music and sung. Often features alternating lines of iambic tetrameter and iambic trimester with a regular meter and rhyme scheme.

A

Ballad

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5
Q

Unrhymed iambic pentameter

A

Blank Verse

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6
Q

A break or pause introduced in the midst of a line of verse, language or by content

A

Caesura

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7
Q

A striking and often elaborate comparison carried out in considerable detail

A

Conceit

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8
Q

A pair of rhymed lines.

A

Couplet

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9
Q

Literature intended to teach or instruct

A

Didacticism

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10
Q

A mournfully contemplative poem that mourns the death of someone, or the loss of something

A

Elegiac Poetry

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11
Q

A long narrative poem, usually larger-than-life heroes and legendary events, which celebrates the history, culture and character of a people

A

Epic

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12
Q

Anonymously composed and passed down orally through the generations before it is committed to print

A

Folk Ballad

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13
Q

A narrative technique where by a main story is contained within another story that acts as its setting. (Group of stories unified by central situation.)

A

Frame Story / Tale

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14
Q

A standard type or category of literature.

A

Genre

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15
Q

Exaggeration - implies less than what is said

A

Hyperbole

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16
Q

A form of poetic imagery commonly found in Anglo-Saxon poetry. A metaphorical phrase or compound word that is used to indirectly name a person, place or thing.

A

Kenning

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17
Q

Is written by known poets for literary effect.

A

Literary Ballad

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18
Q

Short, melodious poems that focus on expressing emotions

A

Lyric Poetry

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19
Q

The regular arrangement of stressed and unstressed syllables in a poem

A

Meter

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20
Q

An expression in which a related thing stands for the thing itself

A

Metonymy

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21
Q

A work that treats a trivial subject in heroic terms.

A

Mock Epic

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22
Q

A highly artificial literary mode which centers on shepherds and idealizes rural settings

A

Pastoralism

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23
Q

The expression of an idea in a roundabout, more elegant way

A

Periphrastic Epithet

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24
Q

A figure of speech in which instinctive human characteristics such as emotions and reason are attributed to an animal, object or idea

A

Personification

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25
Q

First eight line, called the octave, rhymes abbaabba and forms a distinct unit of the thought; the last six lines, a sestet, rhymes variously with them or three new rhymes and forms another unit of thought.

A

Petrarchan / Italian Sonnet

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26
Q

Connect d seri s of incidents. Connecting principle is not chronological but casual.

A

Plot

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27
Q

A stanza consisting of four lines or a four-line poem

A

Quatrain

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28
Q

Typical long narrative poem

A

Romance

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29
Q

Identical sound in corresponding words or phrases

A

Rhyme

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30
Q

An Old English poet or bard

A

Scop

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31
Q

The unit of thought is usually distributed over three quatrains with a concluding couplet, the whole rhyme scheme is ababcdcdefefgg

A

Shakespearean / English Sonnet

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32
Q

A speech addressed to an audience by an actor alone on stage

A

Soliloquy

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33
Q

A lyric poem of fourteen iambic pentameter lines conventionally rhyming according to one of two patterns

A

Sonnet

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34
Q

An object that stands for something else as well as for itself

A

Symbolism

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35
Q

A recurring or emerging idea in a work of literature

A

Theme

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36
Q

The attitude of a work towards its subject

A

Tone

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37
Q

Implies more than what is said

A

Understatement

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38
Q

The repetition of an idea in different words with the same grammatical form

A

Variation

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39
Q

What is the earliest surviving English poem?

A

“Caedmon’s Hymn”

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40
Q

Humor in Old English poetry evidenced itself in the forms of what?

A

Irony and riddles

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41
Q

Name the common features of English poetry.

A

Irony, alliteration, variation

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42
Q

Epics are traditionally what?

A

Didactic

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43
Q

What are other forms of epics?

A

Literary and folk

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44
Q

The most accurate assessment of the Middle Ages is that the period was a time of ______________ change.

A

Dynamic

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45
Q

Benedictine monk

A

Bede

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46
Q

“The Ecclesiastical History of the English People” is a major source of information about who and before the time of who?

A

Anglo-Saxons and Alfred the Great

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47
Q

What was the purpose of “The Ecclesiastical History of the English People”?

A

To chart the spread of Christianity throughout England from Roman times to the present

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48
Q

The 3 basic philosophical questions alluded to by Edwin’s counsellors deal with what subjects?

A

Origin, meaning, and destiny

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49
Q

What heroic virtues does Beowulf have?

A

Fortitude, prudence, loyalty and generosity

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50
Q

What does wyrd mean?

A

Fate

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51
Q

What is the main theme of Beowulf?

A

That the continuance of civilization requires virtuous heroes

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52
Q

Grendel is the of who?

A

Cain

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53
Q

Why are the Danes being assaulted by Grendel?

A

Because of the sin of pride

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54
Q

Who is most responsible for initiating the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles?

A

Alfred the Great

55
Q

Who was sever as a ruler?

A

William the Conqueror

56
Q

Old English literature reacted primarily against the ____________ threat to society while Middle English literature sought to remedy the _________ threat to society.

A

External ; internal

57
Q

What did the writers of the Middle English period declare to be the primary remedy for the ills of society?

A

A return to the ideals of the past

58
Q

The event associated with the end of the English Middle Ages was

A

The ascension of Henry VII to the throne

59
Q

What system blended philosophy and theology, and what did it attempt to do?

A

Scholasticism and attempted to use reason to support faith

60
Q

Which writers most influenced English medieval poets who wrote for sophisticated audiences?

A

French

61
Q

Name three elements emphasized in the medieval romance.

A

An adventurous knight’s quest, romantic love, acts of chivalry, supernatural elements, the ideals of civilized society

62
Q

What is Wycliffe associated with?

A

Nationalism, scholasticism, and Lollardism

63
Q

Who considered Wycliffe’s beliefs to be heretical and who was his trial brought before?

A

Chancellor at Oxford University and the Ecclesiastical council
Ecclesiastical synod

64
Q

In “For the Order of the Priesthood,” Wycliffe taught that the primary requirement for clergy is

A

A godly lifestyle

65
Q

What were Chaucer’s aims?

A

Literary as well as moral

66
Q

Civil official and diplomat

A

Chaucer

67
Q

Chaucer’s work offers both what?

A

High literary artistry and a satiric commentary on his times

68
Q

Chaucer used satire to successfully do what?

A

Entertain and show moral indignation

69
Q

The original plan for “The Canterbury Tales” projected about how many stories?

A

120

70
Q

Why was Chaucer’s use of pilgrimage appropriate?

A

It allowed him to structurally unite a variety of tales in a single composition and it provided a vehicle for social commentary by bringing together people from all walks of society and with universal character traits

71
Q

In what section of “The Canterbury Tales” does the author give his plan for the work?

A

“The General Prologue”

72
Q

In “The General Prologue” where does the story start and where do the Pilgrims first meet?

A

Tabard Inn in Southward, London

73
Q

What were the embellishments added as the legend of King Arthur spread in the 13th and 14th centuries

A

The French turned Arthur from chieftain into King.
The welsh added supernatural elements to the tale.
When the legend returned to England, it became fiercely patriotic.
The Tudor dynasty claimed descent from Arthur.

74
Q

What incidents in Morte d’Arthur foreshadow the outcome?

A

Lancelot’s stating his opinions that Beaumains is “a man of great worship.”
The narrator’s mentioning of the kinship of Beaumains and Sir Gawin.
The narrator’s mentioning of Beaumains’s interest in observing jousts.

75
Q

In Morte d’Arthur, why does King Arthur agree to let Beaumains try to rescue the damsel?

A

He promised him 3 wishes and it was one of them

76
Q

List the typical characteristics of a ballad.

A

Impersonal, concentrated, dramatic ironic
Repetition, detachment, conciseness
Thee features generate atmosphere and tone

77
Q

What is incremental variation?

A

Repetition with variation

78
Q

Which famous cycle of ballads especially communicates the common man’s viewpoint?

A

“The Robin Hood Cycle”

79
Q

This ballad is not concerned with death

A

“Get Up and Bar the Door”

80
Q

During the Tudor Period, how did the middle class gain power?

A

Rise if power of local governments
Growth of the trade companies
Increased membership in the House of Commons

81
Q

Which decree officially divorced England from the Roman Catholic Church?

A

Act of Supremacy

82
Q

Describe Elizabeth’s religious policy

A

Moderate

83
Q

Who was the leading humanist during the Tudor period?

A

Thomas More

84
Q

Who produced the first complete Bible in English?

A

Miles Coverdale

85
Q

What is pastoralism?

A

A highly artificial literary mode which centers on shepherds and idealizes rural setting

86
Q

The greatest English literature was written for what purpose?

A

Moral improvement

87
Q

Why was the Reformation not as successful in Italy as it was in England?

A

The reformation took hold quickly because the growing strength of the middle class. The Italian middle class was equally as strong, but the reformation didn’t take hold because they didn’t have the doctrine

88
Q

What writers and what did they teach that enabled them to offer more to God’s people than those of any other British literature period?

A

Tudor period writers, moral and religious issues

89
Q

More’s humanism is evident in

A

Utopia

90
Q

More’s Dialogue is a reply to what work by Tyndale’s?

A

Parable of the Wicked Mammon

91
Q

The main subject of Tyndale’s Parable of the Wicked Mammon is

A

Salvation by faith

92
Q

Tyndale says that the righteous man is one who

A

Hears and believes the Word of God

93
Q

In his Answer unto Sir Thomas More’s Dialogue, Tyndale declares that the true interpreter of scripture is

A

The Holy Spirit

94
Q

Tyndale’s style is informal as a result of what?

A

His evangelizing

95
Q

What does Tyndale use to reach the common people?

A

Plain, energetic language

96
Q

What did Tyndale’s influence determine about the style of the English Bible?

A

It would popular rather than erudite and liturgical

97
Q

Who was the person most responsible for the organization and style of The Book of Common Prayer?

A

Thomas Cranmer

98
Q

The popular title of Foxe’s great work is Book of Martyrs; the more accurate title is

A

“Acts and Monuments”

99
Q

The influence of John Foxe’s book helped make England firmly what’s?

A

Protestant

100
Q

Why did Foxe decide to publish an English version of his Book of Martyers?

A

He wanted to influence the common people

101
Q

Describe John Foxe’s writing

A

Honest, straightforward, structured

102
Q

What is the scriptures reference for the beatitudes?

A

Matthew 5:1-12

103
Q

What is the date of the King James Version?

A

1611

104
Q

Which two versions of scripture are most similar to each other?

A

The Geneva Bible and the King James Version

105
Q

What did Wyatt introduce to England?

A

Renaissance themes and verse forms

106
Q

The typical sonnet line has how many poetic feet?

A

5

107
Q

A sonnet consists of how many lines?

A

14

108
Q

What did Surrey invent? Define it

A

Blank verse - unrhymed pentameter

109
Q

What best describes Sidney?

A

Idealistic

110
Q

What did Sidney defend and what did he say about it?

A

He defended poetry and said it was more effective than philosophy or history

111
Q

According to An Apology for Poetry, what is the dual purpose of poetry?

A

They may convey universal spiritual truths rather than particular historical truths

112
Q

According to An Apology for Poetry, what is the dual purpose of poetry’s?

A

Teach and delight

113
Q

What are the “gowns of clay” to which Raleigh refers in “The Pilgrimage”?

A

Earthly bodies

114
Q

What is the name of Spenser’s sonnet sequence?

A

“Amoretti”

115
Q

Sonnet 68 “(Most Glorious Lord”) celebrates Christ’s

A

Resurrection

116
Q

Who is the Fairy Queen?

A

Gloriana

117
Q

Who is Spenser’s ideal gentleman-warrior in “The Faerie Queene”?

A

Arthur

118
Q

In “The Faerie Queene”, the dwarf represents what concept?

A

Reason

119
Q

Una represents what two concepts?

A

Truth and faith

120
Q

“The Faerie Queene” is an epic that is both what?

A

A romance and an allegory

121
Q

What 6 subjects of the 6 completed books does Spenser treat respectively?

A

Holiness, temperance (self-control), chastity (chaste love between the sexes), Friendship, justice, and courtesy. There were to be six others also.

122
Q

Which character does not in some way represent Roman Catholicism?

A

Una

123
Q

In “The Faerie Queene,” the flimsiness of the House of Pride is indicated by what?

A

It’s thin, insubstantial walls, the crumbling back section, and it’s foundation of sand

124
Q

During the Renaissance, what type of human love was considered the highest and most spiritual?

A

Friendship

125
Q

About how many plays did Shakespeare write?

A

35-37

126
Q

Name one of Shakespeare’s two long narrative poems.

A

“The Rape of Lucrece”

“Venus and Adonis”

127
Q

What kind of reputation did Shakespeare have and what was he considered?

A

He had a great reputation and was well off. He was also considered materially successful and people followed him.

128
Q

How did Shakespeare support himself and his company?

A

by writing plays with a general appeal and an evident meaning.

129
Q

Shakespeare couldn’t afford to do what?

A

He could not afford to let meanings be shadowy and only resurface in classrooms centuries later.

130
Q

What genuine goods does Macbeth forfeit because of his treason?

A

Sleep, love, and honor

131
Q

The witches’ statement that “fair is foul, and foul is fair” introduces which major theme of Macbeth?

A

Deceiving appearances / reversal of values

132
Q

What prevents Lady Macbeth from murdering Duncan herself?

A

Duncan reminded her or looked like her father in his sleep

133
Q

What is the primary function of the porter in Act II?

A

To provide comic relief for the audience

134
Q

The appearance of Banquo’s ghost at the banquet in his honor is an example of what type of irony?

A

Situational

British Literature (6 decks)

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