Test Reviews Flashcards
Character that embodies England’s greatest Legend
King Aurthur
During whose reign did learning, literacy and literature advance in Anglo Saxon times
Alfred the Great
What genre is Beowulf?
Oral Epic
The Anglo-Saxon term for fate is…
Wyrd
Epics traditionally are..
Didactic
One evidence of the mixing of pagan and Christian elements in Beowulf is…
..the assertion that wyrd is providence
Wyrd = Providence
Beowulf mortally wounds Grendel by..
tearing off his arm
What was the original purpose of The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle?
To inform
How do transitional phrases help a text accomplish its purpose?
They add clarity and organization to the text’s structure.
What king was responsible for the initiation of the Domesday Survey?
William I
According to The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, which word best describes William the Conqueror as a ruler?
Severe
In Sir Gawain, what does the pentangle symbolize about Gawain?
Faithfulness
In Sir Gawain, what is the significance of the five points on the pentangle?
They represent the five aspects of Gawain’s virtue.
In Sir Gawain, by continuing to wear a green sash, what does every Round Table knight commemorate?
The frailty of human hearts and the virtue of humility
What is the most famous form of poetry from the Tudor era?
Sonnet
In Europe, the sonnet was originally popularized by
Petrarch
What imaginative Englishman imitated Petrarch’s poetry and ultimately introduced the sonnet into English?
Wyatt
Who invented blank verse and developed the English sonnet form?
Surrey
The typical sonnet line has how many poetie feet?
five
The speaker of Wyatt’s “Farewell, Love” decides that his romantic love
is not worth the trouble it causes.
The following words end the lines in “Farewell, Love.” Given the rhyme scheme created, what form does the poem follow? “forever,” “more,” “lore,” “endeavour,” “persever,” “sore,” “store,” “lever,” ”hearts,” “authority,” “property,” “darts,” “time,” “climb”
Italian sonnet
In “farewell, love and all thy laws forever “ what figurative device does Wast use in referring to Love?
apostrophe
What was the true reason for the speaker’s success in Sidney’s Sonnet 41 (“Having this day my horse”)?
his sweet’s presence
Spenser’s Sonnet 68 (“Most glorious Lord”) celebrates Christ’s
resurrection
How does Spenser’s Amoretti differ from Sidney’s Astrophil and Stella in content?
Spenser celebrates courtship and marriage, and Sidney speaks of lost love.
Where is Spenser’s Sonnet 75 (“One day I wrote her name”) from Amoretti set?
on the seashore
The major virtue praised in Sonnet 116 (“Let me not to the marriage of true minds”) is
constancy
What literary device is used in the following except from Holy Sonnet 14?
“Bend your force, to break, blow, burn, and make me new.”
alliteration
What figurative expression is in the following excerpt from Holy Sonnet 14? “For I, / Except you enthrall me, never shall be free, / Nor ever chaste, except you ravish me.”
paradox
What process does “Jordan (2)” refer to and illustrate throughout the poem?
writing poetry
In “Love (3),” whom does Love represent?
God
In “The Pulley,” the main comparison uses a basic tool to illustrate
God’s relationship with humanity
In “Song to Celia,” what does the speaker ask Celia to leave in the cup?
a kiss
Which of the following poems is an elegy?
“On My First Son”
According to “On My First Son,” what is Jonson’s “best piece of poetry”?
his son, Ben Jonson
This author influenced and possibly collaborated with Shakespeare and was a credible dramatist in
his own right.
Christopher Marlowe
This writer was well-known for his preaching; his poetry was admired by his peers but did not gain
wide recognition until the early twentieth century
John Donne
This first poet laureate of England created poetry that embraced classical ideals of simplicity,
restraint, and precision.
Ben Jonson
This rural Anglican minister wrote some of the finest devotional poetry in English.
George Herbert
This English adventurer soared high in his political career, achieving the position of Captain of the Queen’s Guard, but was beheaded during the reign of James I.
Sir Walter Raleigh
the pattern of end rhyme found in a poem or stanza
rhyme scheme
a mode of writing set in an idealized rural life usually populated by shepherds and shepherdesses
pastoral
Latin for “seize the day,” refers to the classic theme to take pleasures where you can because life is
short-
carpe diem
a sonnet made of an octave and a sestet in which the octave presents a problem, and the sestet answers or resolves it -
Italian sonnet
the repetition of initial consonant sounds
alliteration
a statement that seems to contradict itself and thus draws readers attention to its underlying truth-
a metaphor, often extended, that draws a parallel between highly dissimilar objects or concepts-
blank verse???! Nooooo
Conceit 
the addressing of some non-personal or absent object as if it were able to reply-
apostrophe
a type of lyric poem classically comprising fourteen lines in iambic pentameter -
sonnet
the giving of personal characteristics to something that is not a person-
personification
unrhymed lines in iambic pentameter-
blank verse
a sonnet containing three quatrains and a couplet; quatrains usually develop a topic and then couplets
resolve it or comment on it-
English sonnet
a type of short poem from classical poetry that dealt with one subject and was noted for wit,
pithiness, and balanced, polished style -
epigram
a rhythmic pattern of accented and unaccented syllables in a line -
meter
a reference to poems that are typically brief, personal, and emotional, presenting the speaker’s thoughts and feelings from his own perspective -
lyric poetry
ten-syllable lines consisting of five iambic feet, an unstressed followed by a stressed syllable-
iambic pentameter
In what two primary ways did medieval English literature engage with society?
It preserved English cultural values and strengthened communal relationships.
Which of the following works is not one of the great masterpieces of Middle English Poetry?
Everyman
Who is known as the Father of English History?
Bede
Why was Bede given the title, “venerable?”
Bede was outstandingly pious and scholarly.
Who is the oldest known English poet?
Caedmon
Who recorded one of the oldest existing Old English poems?
Bede
What two principles of aesthetics do many short lyric poems rely upon?
Unity and progression
In Bede’s History, the most accurate description of Caedmon is that he was…
A humble, uneducated man who had the gift of versifying Scripture.
What character embodies England’s greatest legend? -
King Arthur
The subject of “Caedmon’s Hymn” is…
Creation
During whose reign did learning, literacy, and literature advance in Anglo-Saxon times? -
Alfred the Great
What genre is Beowulf? -
oral epic
How does Caedmon’s hymn show the quality of progression?
Its images move from heaven to earth
The Anglo-Saxon term for fate is -
wyrd
Epics are traditionally -
didactic
Which ballad or song celebrates Christ’s birth?
“I Sing of a Maiden”
One evidence of the mixing of pagan and Christian elements in Beowulf is -
the assertion that wyrd is providence.
What is the theme of “Sir Patrick Spens?”
Injustice
Beowulf mortally wounds Grendel by -
tearing off his arm.
What was the original purpose of The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle?-
to inform
In Revelations of Divine Love, Julian interprets her sickness as…
An answer to her prayer
Which of the following is not a type of medieval drama?
Memorial play
Who is the only steadfast companion of Everyman?
Good Deeds
Who is known as the Father of English Poetry?
Geoffrey Chaucer
Which of the following images is not used by Julian to picture a spiritual truth?
She compares God to a medicine used to heal people
The original plan for The Canterbury Tales project about how many stories?
120
In what season of the year does “The Prologue” of The Canterbury Tales begin?
Spring
Which of the following is not true of the medieval work Piers Plowman?
It called for English peasants to gain more legal representation
Chaucer’s presentation of human society in The Canterbury Tales is set against what backdrop in the first 40 lines of “The Prologue?”
Nature
In The Canterbury Tales, Chaucer’s description of the Prioress that “She was… by no means under grown” indicates what about her?
She is overweight and therefore likely rich
Methods of organizing information in a nonfiction text
Text structures
A biography of a saint
Hagiography
The ridiculing of a person, group, or institution in order to provoke corrective change in the beliefs or behaviors of those involved
Satire
A brief, fanciful tale in which animals act like humans and that embodies a moral
Beast fable
A larger, unifying situation or story that provides structure to smaller narrative within its overarching tale
Frame tale
Verbal cues that guide readers through a writer’s train of thought to reinforce a greater pattern within the text
Signal words
An issue or circumstances that violate a reader’s expectations
Situational irony
A type of broad, highly exaggerated comedy
farce
The use of dialogue, description, or action to reveal a character to the reader
indirect characterization
Created with quatrains, the first and third lines have four stresses and no rhyme; the second and fourth have three stresses and rhyme
Ballad stanza
A situation in which a speaker means something other than what he says
verbal irony
How do transitional phrases help a text accomplish its purpose? -
They add clarity and organization to the text’s structure.
According to The Anglo-Saxon Chronidle, what heroic quality does Alderman Eadric lack the most?-
loyalty
A line, part of a line, or group of lines repeated throughout a song
refrain
What king was esponsible for the intation of the Domesday Survey?-
William I
According to The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, which word best describes William the Conqueror as a ruler? -
severe
In sir Gawain, what does tie pentangle symbolize about Gavain? -
faithfulness
The telling of an allegorical story representing a spiritual theme or truth
Morality play
In Sir Gawain, what is the significance of the five points on the pentangle?-
They represent the five aspects of Gawain’s virtue.
In sir Gawain, by continuing to wear a green sash, what does every Round Table knight commemorate?-
the frailty of human hearts and the virtue of humility
The imitation of an author’s style for comic effect
parody
Which of the following statements about the evolution of the King Arthur legend is not true?-
The Germans added the gallant Lancelot to the Round Table.
In Le More d’Arther what event most clearly establishes King Arthur as a Christ figure? -
his death
A narrative poem of common origin, intended to be sung and consisting of simple stanzas usually with a refrain; presenting dramatic, engaging stories in a compressed form
Folk ballad
In LeMore d’Arthur what is the name of King Arthur’s sword?-
Excalibur
The attitude an author has toward his subject that readers are meant to share
Tone
in texts, cues thar indicate main ideas and supporting points or show how these poins relate to each other-
transitional phrase
along, stylized narrative poem celebrating the deeds of a national hero of legend-
epic
Descriptions based on sense perceptions using figurative language to convey those perceptions
Imagery
a poetic narative focused on courtly life and a knighly code of chivalry, involving a knightly quest and magical elements-
romance
unrhymed, conventional Old English verse form, incorporating stresses and caesuras and using words’ initial sounds to structure its lines-
alliterative verse
something in a story- usually an object, character, or setting that carries meaning or significance in addition to itself-
symbol
A reflective address to church laity that is written to encourage individuals to deepen their devotion to God
Devotional literature
a relationship of mutual respect and friendship in which a tribal leader protects and provides for his followers, who in turn pledge their loyalty and support in battle-
comitatus bond
A device in Germanic oral poetry, communicating an indirect metaphor using a compound expression-
kenning
Dramatizes stories from Church saints’ lives
Miracle play
The author’s use of explicit statements to tell the reader about a character
Direct characterization
a record of a placo’s or group’s history, organized by time and woven into a unified narrative-
chronicle
A tale that treats a trivial subject in heroic terms
Mock epic
a pagan Germanic concept functioning as a determiner in human affairs-
wyrd
a character who resembles lesus Christ in characterization or function within a story-
Christ figure
A cycle of short plays depicting biblical stories meant to be performed together
Mystery play
the use of new, ofen grammatically parallel phrases to elaborate on something just stated-
variation
the mental view or outlook influencing an account of a story-
perspective
beliefs or thinking that preclude fairness in judgment-
bias
“Singing as he was, or fluting all the day; / He was as fresh as is the month of May”
Squire
a supposedly historial story that is populatly believed but that laoks actual evidence-
legend
instructive works of literature-
didactic
“At meat her manners were well taught withal; / No morsel from her lips did she let fall.”
Prioress
“And He would gladly learn, and gladly teach”
Cleric
“He so had set / His wits to work, none knew he was in debt.”
Merchant
“Nowhere there was so busy a man as he; / But was less busy that he seemed to be.”
Lawyer
“But what a pity - so it seemed to me, / That he should have an ulcer on his knee.”
Cook
“In company she liked to laugh and chat / And knew the remedies for love’s mischances.”
Wife of Bath
“First following the word before he taught it / And it was from the gospel he had caught it. / This little proverb he would add thereto / That if gold rust, what then will iron do?”
Parson
“And, as the gospel bade him, so did he, / Loving God best with all his heart and mind.”
Plowman
“Black, scabby brows he had, and a thin beard. / Children were afraid when he appeared.”
Summoner
“He kept the gold he won in pestilences. / Gold stimulates the heart, or so we’re told.”
Doctor
“No bailiff, serf, or herdsman dared to kick, / He knew their dodges, knew their every trick.”
Reeve
“His house positively snowed with meat and drink / And all the dainties that man could think.”
Franklin
The folloving excerpt fom The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle reveals whatabout the writer?.
“Then the Scandinavian army at once went to London and besieged the town from the outside and fought strongly against it both by water and by land, but Almighty God delivered it.”
perspective
The following except from Beowulfexemplife whatconventional Old English verse form? “Then,
when darkness had dropped, Grendel / Went up to Hero, wondering what the warriors / Would do in that hall when their drinking was done.”
alliterative verse
Calling Grendel the “shadow of death” exemplifies wha kind of Anglo-Saxon poetic feature?-
kenning
“If, when he fought, the enemy vessel sank, / He sent his prisoners home; they walked the plank.”
Skipper
Phrases from Beowulf such as “he famous ring-giver,» *the bracelet-wearing queen,” and
“Edgetho’s brave son” exemplify what kind of Anglo-Saxon poetic feature?
stock epithet
In Sir Gawain and the Green Knigh, ine color grun, a pentangl, and the green girdie an all
examples of what literary feature?
symbol
“He was an easy man in penance-giving / Where he could hope to make a decent living”
Friar
In Beowulf when Hrothgar offers a huge banquet after the building of Herot Hall, such generosity reveals his dedication to what kind of relationship between him and his followers?
comitatus
What literary term refers to opening a narrative in the middle of the story’s action?
- in medias res
The following lines from Beowulf exemplify what Anglo-Saxon poetic device?
“Their weapons and armor are nobly / Worked- these men are no beggars”
litotes
“He was of sovereign value in all eyes. / And though so much distinguished, he was wise”
Knight
The following quotation from Beowulf exemplifies what aspect of Anglo-Saxon culture and
perspective?
“Fate will unwind as it must!”
wyrd
The foloving cxcampt fom Peomit/foxamplies wha incion of Ang lo-Saxon Literatures?
“Hail / to those who will rise to God, drop off / Their dead bodies and seek our Father’s peace!”
didactic
The following phrases used in The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle exemplify what technique of clear
writing?
“then,” “afterwards,” “then before,” and “when”
transitional phrases
What tern refers to a perspective that precludes fames in judgment?
bias
Because they developed from an oral tradition but lacked factual evidence, the Arthurian tales are classified as what kind of literature?
legend
In Le Morte d’Arthur, the character of Arthur is comparable to a real person in his characterization and narrative function; the similarity is particularly obvious regarding Arthur’s death. What is the term for this literary concept?
Christ figure
“His head was like a nut, his face wears brown. / He knew the whole of woodcraft up and down.”
Lawyer
“On one short day, in money down, he drew / More than the parson in a month or two”
Pardoner
“He used to watch the market most precisely / And got in first, and so he did quite nicely.”
Manciple
“HIs mighty mouth was like a furnace door. / His was a master-hand at stealing grain.”
Miller
Bacon makes use of what tool of wit and compression in the following excerpt from his “Of Studies?” “Reading maketh a full man; conference a ready man; and writing an exact man.”
Aphorism
What kind of rhetorical device does the 1611 KJV feature in the following excerpt? “Blessed are the poore in spirit… Blessed are they that mourne… Blessed are the meeke.”
Anaphora
In his speech in Foxe’s Book of Martyrs, Cranmer surprisingly declares that his true faith is…
Biblical Christianity
Which decree officially divorced England from the Roman Catholic Church?
The Act of Supremacy
The following excerpt from Elizabeth I’s speech explosives what rhetorical device? “Not doubting but by your obedience to my general, by your concord in the camp, and your valour in the field, we shall shortly have a famous victory.”
Parallelism
The phrasing of the title of the marriage ceremony in The Book of Common Prayer indicates what about the ritual?
Marriage is a serious undertaking
Book 1 of The Faerie Queene uses the journey of the Red Cross Knight to address the maturing of what character quality?
Holiness
Elizabeth I’s religious policy is best described as…
Moderate
How did the exploratory nature of humanism during the Renaissance affect language in English culture?
Explorations encouraged creativity within the English language and borrowings from other languages.
How did society’s focus change between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance?
It changed from a focus on the communityand the spiritual world to man as an individual and earthly life.
The leading English humanist and defender of the Roman Catholic Church during the Tudor period was
Sir Thomas More
The following excerpt from Bacon’s “Of Studies” illustrates his effective use of repetition with what specific tool?
Tricolon
During the Renaissance, what even most significantly expanded the number and classes of readers?
The arrival of the printing press
Which character in The Faerie Queene represents reason?
The dwarf
What literary element is evident in the following excerpt from the 1611 Authorized Version of Scripture? “Blessed are the poore in spirit: for theirs is the kingdome of heaven.”
Paradox
The Book of Common Prayer was commissioned by ____, and it was unique because it was written in ____and it absented key ____ doctrines.
Edward VI, English, Catholic
Under which English monarch was the first Authorized Version of Scripture compiled?
King James I
Which author from this unit rose to prominence in the court of James I only to fall into disgrace for taking bribes and endured imprisonment in the Tower of London?
Sir Francis Bacon
Executed by beheading, this author had a reputation as being the most leamed layman ofhis day and a thorough humanist and defender of Catholicism -
Sir Thomas More
The first Englishwoman to publish poems for the public, this poet produced a work that comments on ideas about and treatment of women; she was the first Englishwoman to publish a long religious poem. -
Amelia Lanier
One of England’s greatest posts, this author blended elements of classical works, literary traditions, and folklore, boasting four diverse masterpieces.
- Edmund Spenser
This monarch helped to define a sense of English national identity and expertly balanced opposing religious, social, governmental, and personal forces.
Elizabeth I
This cupbearer to Queen Elizabeth I was interested in an array of subjects and published in a variety of genres prose fiction, literary criticism, sonnets, etc.); his works were published posthumously.
Sir Philip Sidney
This Father of Modern Science is likely best known for establishing a new approach to pursuing knowledge; he advocated for the direct observation of nature.
- Sir Francis Bacon*
An English minister and historian, this author is famous for one major work about Christian martyrs (primarily those who died under Queen Mary’s rule); as a historian, his use of primary sources was ahead of his time.
- John Foxe
