Study Guide for Literary Timeline and Rhetorical Analysis/Argument Test

Topics on the test include: Literary Timeline, Rhetorical Analysis/Argumentation, and Book Club Book questions. For Rhetorical Analysis and Argumentation you will need to be able to identify examples of each in addition to knowing the definition. Tips for Success include: Review key authors and characteristics of each literary period, Understand the differences between Rhetorical appeals and argument structures, Practice identifying rhetorical devices in short passages, Use process of elimination for true/false and multiple-choice questions, and Study your book club book for the final portion of the test. Literary Timeline and Rhetorical Analysis and Argumentation portion: 25 questions. Book Club Book portion: 10 questions. Both portions multiple-choice or true/false.

Anglo-Saxon Period (c. 450-1066 AD)

-Beowulf is an epic poem of this era.

-Old English was the primary language.

Middle English Period (c. 1066-1500 AD)

-The blending of Old French/Old Norman and Old English contributed to the development of Middle English as the Normans and the Angles.

-Geoffrey Chaucer was a key figure (The Canterbury Tales).

Neoclassical Period (1660-1798)

-Emphasized reason, order, and decorum.

-Charles II ruled during this time, embodying the contrast between public image and private reality.

Romantic Period (1789-1837)

-Focused on nature, imagination, and individual emotion rather than just romantic love.

-Key writers: Wordsworth, Coleridge, Shelley, Keats, Byron.

Victorian Period (1837-1901)

-Industrialization, social reform, and moral rigidity.

-Key writers from this period were Charles Dickens, Alfred Tennyson, Thomas Hardy, Oscar Wilde, and Charlotte Bronte.

Modern Period (1901-1945)

-Experimentation in literature; disillusionment post-Word War I.

-Key authors: James Joyce, Virginia Woolf, W.B. Yeats, T.S. Eliot.

-This period often embraces individualism and isolation.

Postmodern Period (1945-Present)

-Celebrates fragmentation and questions the idea of a coherent, central truth.

-Texts feature unreliable narrators, irony, skepticism towards grand narratives, playful use of language, and an emphasis on the constructed nature of reality, often exploring multiple interpretations and questioning the idea of a single, definitive meaning.

Appeal

Persuasive technique to engage the audience (e.g., logos, ethos, pathos).

Logos

Logic, reasoning, facts (e.g., using statistics and data).

Ethos

Credibility of the speaker.

Pathos

Emotional appeal.

Repetition

Reinforces key points by repeating words or phrases.

Analogy

A comparison to clarify ideas.

Claim

The main argument or stance.

Counterargument

Opposing viewpoints.

Rebuttal

Response that refutes the counterargument.

Concession

Acknowledging part of the counterargument as valid.

Tone Example

ENTHUSIASTICALLY PLAYFUL - With an upbeat tempo to the song, a prismatic use of color and light, Lumiere has created a fun and playful environment for Belle to experience her first meal at the castle. He uses images of "entertaining" flatware and candlestick tricks to keep the song upbeat and fun.

Appeals Example

PATHOS - He identifies her fear "You're alone / and you're scared" but attempts to make her feel welcome and reverse that feeling of fear with "we tell jokes / I do tricks / with my fellow candlesticks"

Choices Example

RHETORICAL QUESTION: Lumiere provides Belle with a long list of delicious food that they can offer her, and asks, "Don't believe me?" This rhetorical question deepens his credibility, as he is ready to give her someone to talk to should she not believe him. In his humorous style, he urges her to confirm the delicious grey stuff with "the dishes". Clearly, dishes would know what items people love and which people leave behind - this is also a playful form of personification, as in "real" life we know that dishes are inanimate, but this further helps Lumiere pamper Belle with the best of the best he can offer.

Exigence Example

The deadline for their transformation back to human is imminent; the first possibility of true love has presented itself and the Beast is going to screw it up.

Purpose Example

Lumiere is attempting to distract Belle from her circumstances and warm her up to the idea of being in the castle. He needs to undo the negative first impression that the Beast gave her.

Context Example

The magical spell, the ultimatum with the rose petals, story about Belle & her father, setting of castle in woods.

Message Example

Beauty & the Beast: Lumiere is trying to tell Belle to relax and enjoy herself at the palace.

Audience Example

Belle from Beauty & the Beast.

Speaker Example

Lumiere from Beauty & the Beast.

Rhetorical Analysis

A challenging set of skills to learn, but it's the most important thing you can learn moving into adulthood. Understanding the messages being sent to you, how they're being manipulative, and how to make a decision based on that message is what will make you an informed, thoughtful citizen and consumer.

Rhetorical Triangle

A diagram that illustrates the interrelationship among the speaker, audience, and subject in determining a text.

Speaker

The narrator of a poem.

Audience

Who the speaker is directing his/her message towards.

Message

What the speaker is attempting to communicate towards the audience; the central claim of the argument.

Context

The circumstances surrounding the argument. This includes things like year, weather, historical context, etc.

Purpose

The reason why the speaker is sending the message to the intended audience.

Exigence

The immediate need to deliver the message.

Choices

Rhetorical devices a writer or speaker uses to achieve meaning, purpose, or effect of their message to the audience.

Tone

Attitude of the author toward the audience.