Exam review - Define Flashcards
(29 cards)
Define: 7
Romanticism
Realism
Gothicism
Individualism
Naturalism
Aestheticism
Hedonism
Eras of Literature: 8
Old English
Middle English
Renaissance
Neoclassical
Romantic
Victorian
Modern
Postmodern
Elements of Literature: 7
Character traits (characterization)
Point of View
Conflict
Setting
Plot
Suspense
Imagery
Define: Romanticism
Its a literary, artistic, and intellectual movement that originated in the late 18th century, emphasizing emotion, imagination, nature, and individual experience over reason and classical order. Romanticism often celebrated the beauty of the natural world, the power of human passion, and the value of personal freedom.
Define: Realism
A movement in art and literature that emerged in the mid-19th century, focusing on the accurate, detailed, and unembellished depiction of everyday life and ordinary people. Realism rejects idealization and romantic exaggeration, aiming instead to portray life as it truly is.
Define: Gothicism (Gothic)
A style and genre in literature and architecture characterized by mystery, horror, the supernatural, and dark, brooding atmospheres. Gothicism often features old castles, haunted houses, and psychologically complex characters, exploring themes of fear, death, and the unknown.
Define: Individualism
A social and philosophical doctrine that emphasizes the moral worth, independence, and rights of the individual. Individualism values personal freedom, self-expression, and self-reliance, often in contrast to collective or societal control.
Define: Naturalism
A literary and artistic movement that developed in the late 19th century, closely related to realism. Naturalism portrays life with a scientific objectivity, emphasizing the influence of environment, heredity, and social conditions on human behavior, often depicting the darker or more deterministic aspects of existence.
Define: Aestheticism
An artistic movement of the late 19th century advocating the pursuit of beauty and “art for art’s sake.” Aestheticism values the sensory and formal qualities of art over social, political, or moral messages, focusing on the experience of beauty and pleasure.
Define: Hedonism
A philosophical doctrine that considers pleasure or happiness as the highest good and primary motivation of human life. Hedonism encourages the pursuit of sensual and intellectual enjoyment, sometimes without regard for moral or social constraints.
Name 4 characteristics and 4 authors: Old English
Define:
- Also known as the Anglo-Saxon Period
Characteristics:
1- The style is elevated. Very grandiose;
2- The hero is an important figure, usually of historical or legendary magnitude.
3- The hero’s actions demonstrate superhuman strength and courage.
4- Gods or other supernatural forces are frequently involved in the action
5- The setting is not limited
6- Themes often religious or heroic, with a blend of pagan and Christian elements
Authors:
- A lot of them were Anonymous
- Aldhelm
- Caedmon
- Cynewulf
- King Alfred
Name 4 characteristics and 4 authors: Middle English
Define:
- Also known as the Dark Ages and/or Medieval Literature
- Change in the English language, similar to what we speak and write today
Characteristics:
- Themes of courtly love, chivalry, and religious allegory
- Rise of narrative poetry and prose; increased focus on individual characters and social commentary
- Development of distinct genres: romance, allegory, and morality plays
- Use of Middle English rather than Latin or Old English
Authors:
- Geoffrey Chaucer (Canterbury Tales)
- William Langland (Piers Plowman)
- Sir Tomas Malory (Le Morte d’Arthur)
- The Pearl Poet (Anonymous) (Sir Gawain and the Green Knight)
Name 4 characteristics and 4 authors: Renaissance
Characteristics:
- Art and learning flourished
- Age filled with intellectual and religious revolution
- Exploration, discovery, and questioning of traditional authority
- Humanism and Individualism seen in literature
- Scientific thoughts - Rationalism
Authors:
- William Shakespeare: (Hamlet, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet.)
- Christopher Marlowe: (Doctor Faustus, Tamburlaine.)
- Edmund Spenser: (The Faerie Queene.)
- John Donne: (Songs and Sonnets, Holy Sonnets.)
- Francis Bacon (Essay: Of Truth)
Name 4 characteristics and 4 authors: Neoclassical
Characteristics:
- Restoration
- Augustan Age; emphasis on social concerns and their idea of moderation, decorum and urbanity
- The Age of Sensibility
- Period of conscious self-awareness (reason - order - moral)
- Rise of newspapers, periodical, theatre and birth of novels
- People wanted to be entertained
- Emphasis on order, reason, and decorum; admiration for classical antiquity
Authors:
- Thomas Gray (Ode on the Death of a Favorite Cat)
- Alexander Pope (Ode On Solitude)
- Jonathan Swift (Gulliver’s Travels, A Modest Proposal)
- John Dryden (Astra Radix)
- John Milton (Paradise Lost)
- Daniel Defoe (Robinson Crusoe)
- Lady Mary Wortley Montagu (The Lover: A Ballad)
Name 4 characteristics and 4 authors: Romantic
Characteristics:
- Themes:
1. The spirit of age
- Nature of Poetry (Nature scenes)
2. Glorification of the ordinary (Poetry about situations from common life)
3. The Supernatural (Fairies, witchcraft, dreams, etc)
4. Individualism (Self-sufficiency, potential of humans)
- It opposes the Enlightenment and its emphasis on reason and refinement
- It stresses strong emotions as a source of aesthetic experience
(trepidation, horror and awe. Often in relation to nature)
- It was influenced by elements of the medieval period
Authors:
- Mary Shelly (The Moral Immortal)
- William Wordsworth (Lyrical Ballads, The Prelude)
- Samuel Taylor Coleridge (The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, Kubla Khan)
- Lord Byron (Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage, Don Juan)
- John Keats (Ode to a Nightingale, Ode on a Grecian Urn)
- William Blake (The Tyger)
- Robert Burns (To a Mouse)
Name 4 characteristics and 4 authors: Victorian
Characteristics:
- Themes:
- Construct of social classes or social plight as well as religion versus science were popular themes in literature
- Morality
- Social Reform
- Industrial progress
- Realism and attention to detail; exploration of social issues.
- Influence of science, religion, and empire.
- Reflected the pressing social, economic, religious and intellectual issues and problems of the era
- Literature was a mix of romanticism and realism
Types:
- Magical realism: blurred lines between fantasy and reality
- Social realism: about the living conditions of working class and poor
- Naturalism: influenced by Darwin’s theory of evolution
- Psychological realism: about what motivates people to take certain decisions and why
Authors:
- Alfred Lord Tennyson (Break, Break, Break)
- The Bronte sisters (Emily, Charlotte, Anne): (Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, The Tenant of Wildfell Hall)
Name 4 characteristics and 4 authors: Edwardian
Characteristics:
- Focuses on the bigger picture of things, represented symbolically and metaphorically
- Also examine the fear and social anxiety of the world around
- Psychological insight and knowledge of all things
Authors:
- Rudyard Kipling
- Siegfried Sassoon
- Robert Graves
- David Lawrence
Name 4 characteristics and 4 authors: Modernism
Characteristics:
- Experimentation: experience with writing techniques that broke the traditional conventions Ex. nonlinear narratives, stream of consciousness
- Surrealism: dream logic, unconscious mind, breaking reality, irrationality
- Individualism: focus on the individual rather than the society as a whole
- Multiple perspectives: 1st person P.O.V. with multiple characters to emphasize the subjectivity of each character, also help add depth to the story
Authors:
- William Butler Yeats
- Ezra Pound
- Siegfried Sassoon
- T.S Eliot
- Virginia Woolf
- D.H Lawrence
Name 4 characteristics and 4 authors: Postmodernism
Characteristics:
- Embrace of randomness: unreliable narrators, subjectivity, rejects the idea of absolute meaning
- Playfulness: black humour, wordplay, irony
- Fragmentation: temporal distortion, collage-style form
- Metafiction: a text that examines the elements of fiction itself.
- Intertextuality: text written overtly in dialogue, tackles subjects that were previously considered inappropriate
- Existentialism: individual freedom & choice, absurdity of existence, alienation & isolation, rebellion against traditional values, moral ambiguity…
Authors:
- John Barth
- Margaret Atwood
- Roland Barthes
- Jorge Luis Borges
- Jean-François Lyotard
- Kurt Vonnegut
Elements of Literature: Character Traits (Characterization)
Definition:
- Characterization is the process by which authors reveal the personality, traits, and motivations of characters in a story. Character traits are the qualities, attitudes, and values that define a character, such as bravery, selfishness, or kindness
Influence/Role:
- Characters drive the plot and connect readers emotionally to the story. Well-developed characters make the narrative relatable and compelling, allowing readers to experience the story’s events through their eyes
Technique of Power:
- Direct characterization: The author explicitly describes a character’s traits.
- Indirect characterization: Traits are revealed through actions, dialogue, thoughts, and how others react to the character.
- Dynamic vs. static characters: Showing growth or change makes characters more realistic and engaging
Elements of Literature: Point of View
Definition:
Point of view (POV) is the perspective from which a story is told. Common types include first person (“I”), second person (“you”), and third person (“he/she/they”)
Influence/Role:
POV shapes the reader’s experience and understanding of the story. It determines how much the reader knows about the characters’ thoughts, feelings, and events
Technique of Power:
- Unreliable narrators: Create intrigue and ambiguity.
- Shifting perspectives: Offer multiple viewpoints to deepen the narrative.
- Limited vs. omniscient: Control how much information is revealed to the reader
Elements of Literature: Conflict
Definition:
Conflict is the struggle between opposing forces that drives the plot forward. It can be internal (within a character) or external (between characters, society, nature, etc.)
Influence/Role:
Conflict creates tension and stakes, motivating character actions and keeping readers invested in the outcome.
Technique of Power:
- Raising stakes: Escalating the conflict increases suspense.
- Multiple conflicts: Layering internal and external conflicts adds complexity.
- Moral dilemmas: Force characters to make difficult choices
Elements of Literature: Setting
Definition:
Setting is the time and place in which a story occurs. It includes the environment, historical period, and social context
Influence/Role:
Setting establishes the mood, influences characters’ behavior, and can act as a catalyst for events or conflict
Technique of Power:
- Vivid descriptions: Use sensory details to immerse readers.
- Symbolic settings: Reflect themes or character states.
- Dynamic settings: Change the setting to mirror plot developments
Elements of Literature: Plot
Definition:
Plot is the sequence of events that make up a story, typically structured as exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution
Influence/Role:
- Plot provides structure and direction, giving purpose to characters’ actions and guiding the reader through the narrative
Technique of Power:
- Nonlinear timelines: Use flashbacks or multiple timelines for complexity.
- Foreshadowing: Hint at future events to build anticipation.
- Twists and surprises: Defy expectations to keep readers engaged
