English Literature-Midterm Topics List

Figurative Language

Language that uses words or expressions with a meaning that is different from the literal interpretation, often to create vivid imagery or convey complex ideas.

Imagery

Descriptive language that appeals to the senses and creates mental images for the reader.

Simile

A figure of speech that compares two different things using the words 'like' or 'as'.

Metaphor

A figure of speech that makes a direct comparison between two unrelated things by stating that one is the other.

Personification

A literary device that attributes human characteristics to non-human entities or abstract concepts.

Overstatement (Hyperbole)

An exaggerated statement or claim that is not meant to be taken literally, often used for emphasis or effect.

Paradox

A statement that appears contradictory or self-refuting but may reveal a deeper truth upon closer examination.

Verbal Irony

A figure of speech in which the speaker says one thing but means another, often the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect.

Ancient Literature

Refers to written works produced in various cultures before the 6th Century CE

What themes does medieval literature focus on?

Religious themes, chivalry, and courtly love

In what language was much Medieval Literature often written?

Latin

What is often the focus of Medieval Literature?

Moral instruction

What is classicism?

A movement that emphasizes reason, order, and balance.

What does classicism draw inspiration from?

The art and literature of ancient Greece and Rome.

What is the goal of classism?

Striving for universal truth.

What period is known as the Age of Reason?

Enlightenment / Neoclassicism

What was the Enlightenment / Neoclassicism built upon and what did it emphasize along with that?

Built upon classical ideas but emphasized reason, individualism, and social progress

What methods were often used during the Enlightenment to promote ideas?

Critical analysis and satire

What did the renaissance movement embrace?

Embraced a revival of classical Greek and Rome art, literature, and philosophy + the development of humanism

What did Romanticism emphasize?

Emphasized emotion, imagination, and individualism

What does Realism depict

life and society as they are

What does Realism focus on

ordinary people and everyday situations

What does Transcendentalism emphasize?

Emphasized intuition, self-reliance , and the spiritual connection between humanity and nature

What does Modernism react against?

traditional forms and values

What themes does Modernism explore

themes of alienation, fragmentation, and psychological impacts of modernity

What was the Harlem Renaissance?

A cultural movement that celebrated black culture and identity.

What was one aim of the Harlem Renaissance?

To redefine black identity and challenge negative stereotypes

How did the Harlem Renaissance challenge negative stereotypes?

Through artistic expression.

What does Postmodernism do

Builds upon and critiques modernism, embracing irony, metafiction, and pastiche

What is a pastiche

an artistic work in a style that imitates that of another work, artist, or period

Biblical allusion

a literary device in which an author makes an indirect reference to a person, character, event, story, or place from the bible

Symbolism

a literary device used to make something or someone represent something or someone else

Analogy

A comparison of two different things that are similar in some way

Connotation

The emotional response suggested by a word

Dialect

a particular form of a language which is peculiar to a specific region or social group.

Epic Poem

A long narrative poem that recounts the deeds of a hero or a group of heroes

What is an Epic Hero?

The central figure in an epic poem.

What distinguishes an Epic Hero?

Superhuman abilities, noble birth and participation in a grand, often perilous, quest

What do Epic Heroes participate in?

A grand, often perilous quest.

What is an Epic Simile (Homeric Simile)?

a detailed comparison in literature often found in epic poems

What does a Epic Simile use to extend a comparison over several lines

uses "like" or "as"

Foreboding

fearful apprehension; a feeling that something bad will happen

Epithet

a descriptive literary device that uses a word or phrase to characterize a person, place, or thing, often in place of a name or title

What is cacophony?

The use of jarring, harsh, and inharmonious sounds.

What effect does cacophony create?

A discordant or unpleasant effect.

What types of sounds are often used in cacophony?

Hard constant sounds.

Euphone

refers to a series of words that when said or heard together is melodious and pleasant

In medias res

the start in the middle of a narrative

Hubris

excessive pride toward or defiance of the gods, leading to their down fall

What is divine intervention?

the belief that a deity like god actively intervenes in the affairs of humans

How does a deity often intervene in divine intervention?

often in ways that defy natural laws or are seen as miraculous

What is the invocation of the muse?

A literary device where the poet asks for inspiration or guidance from a muse.

In what type of literature is the invocation of the muse typically found?

Epic poetry.

Plot

A series of basic events that form a whole narrative

Exposition

Readers learn background information about the characters and setting

Inciting Incident

Readers begin to understand the nature of the conflict and whether its internal or external

Rising Action

conflict becomes more clear and the protagonist is beginning to face challenges / feel tension

Climax

Where suspense, emotions, and tensions peak; critical turning point.

How does the story change after or during the climax?

In comedies, they improve. In tragedies, they worsen.

Falling Action

Details the effects of the climax

What does the French term 'denouement' mean?

Untying the knot

What do readers learn during the denouement of a story?

How the conflict has reached a resolution

What begins after the conflict is resolved in a story?

A new normal

What have authors started doing when it comes to writing stories (Order)?

Started writing stories not in chronological order

In medias res

middle of the action

Flashbacks

Narrative explains events that have occurred prior to the story's beginning

Forshadowing

Narrator hints at events to come

Character

any person, animal, or figure represented in a literary work

Protagonist

Main character

Antagonist

opposition to the goals of the protagonist

Round characters

Display wide variety of emotions and characteristics

Flat characters

Lack of complexity and depth

Foil characters

a character opposite in personality to another character in the story to highlight contrast

What is the purpose of the Foil characters?

To highlight contrast

Stock characters

recognizable stereotypical characters e.g The nice guy, the rebel, the girl next door, the mentor

Job of a stock character

Does a specific role or function in the story without changing significantly or developing

Minor characters

characters that help the plot, but play a less prominent role

Characterization

the development of a character in the story

Indirect characterization

describes a character through actions, thoughts, and dialogue

Direct characterization

Author describes character explicitly

Setting

The time and place of a story or novel

Impact of setting

shapes the readers expectations and contextualized character behavior

Historical setting

Authentic location during a historical time period

Cultural setting

Religious location bringing emphasis to a specific region

Geographical setting

time, place, weather, season; WHERE

Point of view

The narrator's point of view to the story

Role of position (Point of view)

Shapes the narrator's perspectives which influences the readers

First person

"I" and "Me" standpoint. Readers have direct access to the Characters interpretation of what happened in a story

Second person

"You" standpoint. readers experience the situation directly

Third person

"He, She, They". Narrator's have a perspective that keeps them at a distance

Limited Omniscient

limited to one character

Omniscient

shares every character's thoughts and feelings

Symbol

object, places. events. or characters that have meaning and significance beyond their physical forms

What does symbol do

created complexity and enhances overarching ideas

Theme

central ideas of the story or novel that focused on nuanced and layered experiences

What theme often communicates

perspective on human nature or other real world issues

What theme does

Increases the text's relevance and complexity

What does style elicits

an emotion of conveying a message

Why do authors use style elements

to communicate implicitly

How do authors create style

using diction and word choice