Introduction to Anglophone Literature (1800-Present)

These flashcards cover key terms and concepts that are essential to understanding the course on Anglophone literature from 1800 to the present.

Anglophone Literature

Literature written in English, encompassing a wide range of authors and contexts from 1800 to the present.

iClicker

A digital tool used for attendance tracking and participation in class activities.

Syllabus

A document outlining the objectives, expectations, and requirements of a course.

Neoclassical Poetry

A style of poetry that emphasizes reason, classical themes, and maintaining the existing social order.

Heroic Couplet

A pair of rhymed lines in iambic pentameter commonly used in Neoclassical poetry.

Enlightenment

An intellectual movement of the late 17th to 18th century emphasizing reason and science over tradition and religious beliefs.

Phillis Wheatley

An African American poet who wrote during the Neoclassical and Romantic periods, illustrating themes of slavery and Christianity.

Human Reason

The capacity of humans to think logically, as emphasized during the Enlightenment and by philosophers like René Descartes.

Pope's Style

Alexander Pope's poetic style characterized by heroic couplets and the use of devices like paradox, antithesis, and aphorisms.

Aphorism

A concise statement that expresses a general truth or principle, often used in poetry.

Didactic Poetry

Poetry intended to instruct or educate, conveying moral or philosophical lessons.

'Cogito, ergo sum'

Latin for 'I think, therefore I am', a philosophical statement by René Descartes affirming self-awareness.

Christian Universalism

The belief that all humans can be redeemed and experience salvation through Christ.

The Great Chain of Being

A hierarchical structure of all matter and life, meant to reflect the divine order of the universe.

Rationalism

The belief that reason is the primary source of knowledge, as opposed to tradition and religious authority.