12th grade literature test 1

comitatus

In Anglo Saxon social tradition a relationship of mutual respect and friendship in which a tribal leader protected and provided for his followers who in turn pledged their loyalty and support in battle

epic

A long, stylized narrative poem celebrating the deeds of a great national or ethnic hero of legend

kenning

A metaphorical compound of two words, peculiar to Germanic oral poetry

litotes

A type of understatement in which something if affirmed by denying its contrary

wyrd

Fate

stock epithet

A stock phrase inserted to describe or rename a particular person or thing that recurs in a poem generally in an epic

variation

New grammatically parallel phrases to elaborate on something just stated

alliterative verse

Unrhymed poetry that uses alliteration to structure its lines

didactic

Literature that is instructive

chronicle

A record of places or groups history chronologically by year listing significant facts and events and often weaving all into an overall narrative

perspective

The authors mental view or outlook that influences his account of a story

bias

Personal preferences or viewpoints that inhibit one from seeing the potential value of others judgments or rendering events or ideas impartially

transitional phrase

symbol

A person place or thing within a narrative or poem that means something in addition to itself

legend

An ostensibly historical story that is popularly believed but that lacks factual evidence

prose romance

A romance without the line and other conventions of poetry but with the usual romance content

Christ figure

A character who resembles Jesus Christ in characterization or function a form of biblical allusion drawing parallels between christs life and character