Terms to Know for English Exam

Allegory

a story in which characters, events, and settings represent abstract ideas or moral qualities.

Alliteration

repetition of initial consonant sounds

Ballad

a narrative poem that tells a story, often involving conflict, love, or tragedy

Caesura

a pause or break within a line of poetry.

Chivalric Romance

a medieval narrative involving knights, quests, adventure, honor, and often courtly love

Courtly Love

a medieval narrative involving knights, quests, adventure, honor, and often courtly love

Epic

a lengthy narrative work concerning heroic deeds, often involving a larger cultural or historical struggle.

Frame Narrative

a story that contains one or more stories within it.

Heroic Poetry

poetry celebrating the courage and accomplishments of a heroic figure

Kenning

a metaphorical compound expression used in Old English poetry, such as “whale-road” for the sea.

Romance

a medieval genre involving adventure, knights, quests, love, and supernatural elements.

Satire

the use of humor, irony, or exaggeration to criticize individuals, institutions, or society.

Symbolism

the use of an object, character, setting, or event to represent a larger idea.

Vernacular

the everyday language spoken by ordinary people in a particular region.

Anglo-Saxon

Germanic peoples who settled England beginning in the 5th century/culture associated with them

Bard/Scop

a poet or storyteller who preserved and performed stories orally

Chivalry

the medieval code of conduct associated with knights, emphasizing courage, loyalty, honor, and service

Feudalism

a hierarchical social and political system based on land ownership, loyalty, and service.

Guild

an organization of people who shared a particular trade or occupation.

Manorialism

the economic system centered on the medieval manor and the agricultural labor of peasants and serfs.

Monasticism

a religious way of life involving withdrawal from secular society and devotion to spiritual pursuits

Pilgrimage

a journey to a sacred or religious site.

a religious journey undertaken as an act of devotion or penance

Serf

a medieval agricultural laborer who was legally tied to a lord’s land.

Clergy

members of the Christian religious hierarchy, such as priests, bishops, and monks.

Morality Play

a medieval drama in which characters personify virtues, vices, or other abstract concepts

Penance

an act performed to demonstrate repentance for sin..

Providence

the belief that God guides human events according to a divine plan.

Sin

an act considered to violate divine or religious law.

Archetype

a recurring character, situation, image, or pattern found across literature

Fate

a predetermined course of events believed to be beyond human control.

Fellowship

a bond of loyalty, companionship, and mutual support, particularly important in heroic literature.

Honor

a character’s reputation, moral standing, and adherence to social expectations

Hubris

excessive pride or self-confidence that can lead to a character’s downfall

Loyalty

faithfulness to a lord, king, family member, lover, or social obligation

Moral Instruction

the use of literature to teach ethical, religious, or social lessons