English Flashcards
(77 cards)
is a prefix indicating a relation to the Angles, England, the
English people, or the English language. It is used somewhat
loosely to refer to people of British Isles descent in the Americas,
New Zealand, and Australia.
anglo
It encompasses works written during the 600-year
Anglo-Saxon period of Britain, from the mid-5th century to the
Norman Conquest of 1066.
Anglo-American Literature stems from Anglo-Saxon (Old English)
Literature.
include genres such as epic poetry, hagiography, sermons, Bible translations, legal works, chronicles, riddles, and others.
Old English literature
- reverence to knighthood/heroism
-value of courage, strength, and power
-Christianity - Battle of Good vs Evil
-war - Beowulf - by an anonymous Author
Old English literature
(dubbed the Father of English Literature; of
English poetry) composed “The Canterbury Tales”, a collection of
over 20 stories told in the voices of 31 pilgrims whose stories of
knights, fairies, preachers, and others presented moral lessons on
love and life.
Geoffrey Chaucer
morality (generosity vs greed; loyalty us deception
-faith and religion
-civilization vs nature
- The canterbury tales by Geoffrey Chaucer
Middle English literature (1400-1500)
is characterized by the adoption of
humanist philosophy, influenced by European cultural, artistic, political, and economic “rebirth” from the Middle Ages, as well as
“self-actualization” and interest in beauty, wit, and truth.
The works of William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe were
developed during the blank
English Renaissance (1500 - 1660) (Elizabethan and Jacobean
Period; Late Renaissance)
This period is characterized by order, accuracy, and structure. writers portrayed man as inherently flawed and
emphasized restraint, self-control, and common sense. Conservatism flourished in both politics and literature.
Neo-classical Period (Restoration Age, 1660 - 1700; Augustan
Literature, 1700s; Age of Sensibility, 1970s - 1800)
Literature of this period is concerned with political and social
affairs, covering realistic topics based on folktales, ballads, and
emotions. Themes of individual freedom, nationalism, and simple
aesthetics are also introduced.
Romanticism (1800 - 1860)
Even more faithful/objective representation of life is observed in
the literature of this period, such as Mark Twain’s works, which
concentrate on the middle and lower class groups, scenes of
humble backgrounds, and criticism of social conditions.
realism (1855-1900)
In this period, the “stream of consciousness,” interior monologue
style of narration, trended. Most recognized authors include
novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald and poets T.S. Eliot and E. E. Cummings.
Modernism (1900-1950)
Topics of texts discuss and embody the complexities of
contemporary life: moral relativism, loss of faith in moral authorities, and alienation. Employing dark humor, parodies, and
absurdity, writers of this period criticized perceptions of “classical”
and “low vs. high” literature.
Postmodernism (1950 to present)
● Self-actualization
● Magic vs. religion
● Gender and
sexuality
● Rise of the merchant
class
● Love and romance
● Value of aesthetics
English Renaissance
● Flaws of man
● Restraint/self-control
● Use of science,
mathematics, and
natural laws
● Conservatism in
politics and literature
Neo-classical Period
● Celebration of
nature
● Individuality and
spirituality
● The life of the
common man
● Idealization of
women
● The social class
Romanticism
Appearance of
what is real and true
● Life of the middle
and lower class
● Criticism of social
conditions
● Depicting events of
everyday life
Realism
● Loss and exile
● Rejecting
conventional
“truths”
● Rejecting authority
● Man’s sense of self
(man’s
self-consciousness)
● Experimentation in
artistic/literary
techniques
● Absurdity of life
Modernism
● Rejecting the notion
of “absolute
meaning”
● Anti-authoritarianis
● Value of concrete
experience over
abstract principles
● Notion that ideas
and experiences are
NOT universal
Postmodernism
is the oldest and first epic poem in the
English language. It is written more than a
thousand years ago, narrating the story of a legendary hero who wins fame by fighting three supernatural monsters.
Beowulf
- It is the oldest surviving epic poem in English.
- It is a very important piece of English literature, giving
information about the past. - It is a pagan story told by a Christian poet.
- It exists in only one manuscript.
- The sole manuscript was nearly destroyed in a fire in the 18th
century
Beowulf
He is a mighty warrior and noble individual, the
poem’s hero, who comes to the aid of Hrothgar’s Danes.
Later on, he became the king of the Geats.
beowulf
He is a descendant of the biblical Cain. The
enormous ogre who despises mankind’s joy. He menaces Hrothgar and the Danes for 12 years before facing Beowulf
in battle.
Grendel
She is another formidable foe. She and
her son live in a cave beneath a swampy lake where she
battles Beowulf.
Grendel’s mother
He is the aging king of the Danes. His great
mead-hall, Heorot, symbolizes the kingdom’s success,
civilization, and joy.
Hrothgar
