Humanities Clep* Flashcards
(150 cards)
What is an an Allegory?
An allegory is a story in which the characters (people, active objects or animals) represent abstract ideas or qualities, such as goodness, evil, love, death, lust, greed.
Two famous allegories are The Faerie Queen and Pilgrim’s Progress
Why study Humanities?
The purpose of studying the humanities is to increase general knowledge and appreciation of life.
What is Alliteration?
The repetition of initial consonant sounds, or any vowel sounds in successive words or syllables
What is an apostrophe?
The addressing of a person or thing not actually present.
This device first appeared in literature as an invocation of (or prayer to) the Muses that opened Greek poetry and epics.
In Shakespeare’s tragic play, Romeo and Juliet, when Juliet is alone on her balcony and says “O, Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?”
What is this an example of?
Apostrophe
What is denouement?
The final unraveling of the plot in any work that tells a story.
What is Didacticism?
Literature whose primary aim is to expound some moral, political, or other teaching.
What is an epic?
An epic is a long narrative poem written in lofty style, presenting characters of high social position in a series of adventures. The action is tied to one central figure of heroic proportions and the whole poem details the history of a nation or race.
What are some examples of an epic?
- The Illiad and The Odyssey (written around 850 B.C.) by the Ancient Greek poet, Homer.
- The Aeneid (20 B.C.) by the Latin poet, Vergil
- Beowulf (725A.D) an English tale of unknown authorship
- The Divine Comedy (1321) by the Italian, Dante
- Paradise Lost (1667) John Milton, an Englishman
A gross exaggeration for effect, not to be taken literally, is called what?
Hyperbole
What is an example of an hyperbole?
We use hyperbole in everyday speech to color and enliven conversation, or to make a point about something.
The expressions:
- It was so hot I thought I’d sweat to death
- There were a million ants at the picnic
The language to represent things, actions or ideas in a descriptive manner is called —?
Imagery
• Imagery is detailed literary scenery that appeals to the physical senses.
What is Irony?
Contradiction between a situation in a story as it appears to the characters, and truth as the audience knows it. The audience alone understands the ironic moment; the characters do not.
What is an example of Irony?
• Oedipus Rex
Despite the efforts of Oedipus and his father, the events told by the Oracle of Delphi still occur, because of their efforts.
What is a metaphor?
An implied comparison between two normally unrelated things, indicating a likeness of analogy between them.
- His room is a garbage dump.
- War is hell
- The new teacher brought order to the zoo.
What is Onomatopoeia?
The use of words whose sound suggests it’s meaning.
Example:
• Hiss, buzz, sizzle, and slam
What is personification?
A figure of speech that gives human traits (thoughts, action, feeling) to animals, objects and ideas.
Example:
• George Orwell’s book, Animal Farm is replete with personification of a farm full of animals who overthrow their cruel human master and set up a government.
A form of writing that blends criticism with humor and wit, ridiculing a person or an institution with the purpose of inspiring reform is called —?
Satire
• Jonathan Swift (Gulliver’s travels)
What is a simile?
A direct comparison between two unlike things, using connectives such as “like” and “as.”
- John swims like a fish
- He eats like a horse
- The building is as tall as a mountain
What is symbolism?
The use of an object to represent another idea or object. Symbols are used by authors to recreate in their readers feelings of truth that are impossible to communicate verbally.
- In Herman Melville’s novel, Moby Dick, a great white whale, symbolizes evil.
- A flowing river is a popular symbol for life
The central or dominating idea of a work (includes movies, paintings, and all works of art) is called —?
The theme
What is an example of denouement?
- The denouement of Romeo and Juliet is the double suicide of the lovers
- The denouement of Moby Dick by Herman Melville is the death of Captain Ahab while harpooning for the great, white whale.
What two elements are involved in the writing and reading of poetry?
Meter and foot
In poetry, what is a meter?
The repeating pattern of stressed and UNstressed syllables established in a line of poetry. The stressed syllable is also called the accented or “long” syllable. The UNstressed syllable is known as he U accented or “short” syllable.