Brit Lit Midterm

Caedmon’s Hymn genre/form

Christian hymn

Caedmon’s Hymn main lines/ideas

“Now we ought to praise Heaven-kingdom’s guardian, / the Maker’s might and his mind’s thoughts…” God as a Holy Creator

Abbess Hild of Whitby author

Bede

Abbess Hild of Whitby genre/form

Ecclesiastical History

Abbess Hild of Whitby main ideas

Social conditions/realities of the era, church history, women’s church roles

The Wanderer author

Unknown (wanderer)

The Wanderer genre/form

Elegy, Lyric poem

The Wanderer main ideas

Wyrd (Fate) is fully fixed; images of exile, storms, and destroyed buildings; moral, self control and temperance

The Wife’s Lament author

Unknown (wifes lament)

The Wife’s Lament genre/form

Lament poem and elegy

The Wife’s Lament main ideas

Isolation, love, and loss; “my lord,” exile from husband/miserable dwelling

The Dream of the Rood author

Unknown (dream of the rood)

The Dream of the Rood genre/form

Heroic poem and elegy

The Dream of the Rood main ideas

Personified struggling cross, Christ as victor

Bisclavret (The Werewolf) author

Marie de France

Bisclavret (The Werewolf) genre/form

Lai (short romance narrative poem)

Bisclavret (The Werewolf) main ideas

Exterior Appearance vs. Internal Truth; Clothing as a Symbol; Treachery

The Canterbury Tales: The General Prologue author

Geoffrey Chaucer (1)

The Canterbury Tales: The General Prologue genre/form

Satirical poem

The Canterbury Tales: The General Prologue main ideas

Pilgrimage, various types of people together

The Man of Law’s Tale author

Geoffrey Chaucer (2)

The Man of Law’s Tale genre/form

Moral, religious poem

The Man of Law’s Tale main ideas

Power of faith, conversion

The Nymph’s Reply to the Shepherd author

Sir Walter Ralegh

The Nymph’s Reply to the Shepherd genre/form

Lyric Reply poem

The Nymph’s Reply to the Shepherd main ideas

Time destroys all, “my mind might move to live with thee;” realism

The Bait author

John Donne

The Bait genre/form

Reply poem, image poem

The Bait main ideas

Extended metaphor of fish, image poetry

The Passionate Shepherd to His Love author

Christopher Marlowe (1)

The Passionate Shepherd to His Love genre/form

Pastoral lyric poem

The Passionate Shepherd to His Love main ideas

Idealism, love and leisure, carpe diem

To the Virtuous Reader author

Amelia Lanyer (1)

To the Virtuous Reader genre/form

Preface to her book

To the Virtuous Reader main ideas

Women speaking down on themselves

Eve’s Apology in Defense of Women author

Amelia Lanyer (2)

Eve’s Apology in Defense of Women genre/form

Proto-feminist poem

Eve’s Apology in Defense of Women main ideas

Not Eve’s fault, men’s faults are worse

The Description of Cooke-ham author

Amelia Lanyer (3)

The Description of Cooke-ham genre/form

Occasion poem of the empty of Cooke-ham house

The Description of Cooke-ham main ideas

Female relationships, joy and grief, scripture references

King Lear author

William Shakespeare

King Lear genre/form

Tragedy drama (1)

King Lear main ideas

Justice, nature, power, madness

Inviting a Friend to Supper author

Ben Johnson (1)

Inviting a Friend to Supper genre/form

Poetic letter

Inviting a Friend to Supper main ideas

Modest hospitality

To Penshurst author

Ben Johnson (2)

To Penshurst genre/form

Country house poem

To Penshurst main ideas

Surface vs. Substance, generous hospitality

The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus author

Christopher Marlowe (2)

The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus genre/form

Tragedy drama (2)

The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus main ideas

Good vs evil, forgiveness

Petrarch’s sonnets genre/form

Sonnet (Shakespearean/English rhyme)

Petrarch’s sonnets main ideas

Beauty vs grief of lost love; metaphor of ship in storm; metaphor of deer hunting

Shakespeare’s sonnets genre/form

Sonnet (Shakespearean rhyme)

Shakespeare’s sonnets main ideas

Time destroys in love, death, poetry lasts forever