121B Honors British Literature Final Exam Study Guide

Literary Terms

  • Epigram: A concise, clever, and memorable statement, often with a surprising or satirical twist

  • Sonnet: A 14-line poem using a specific rhyme scheme. Forms include Petrarchan, Shakespearean, and Spenserian.

  • Epic: A long narrative poem recounting heroic deeds.

  • Satire: The use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices.

  • Dramatic Monologue: A poem in the form of a speech or narrative by an imagined person, in which the speaker inadvertently reveals aspects of their character while describing a particular situation or series of events.

  • Couplet: Two lines of a verse, usually in the same meter and joined by rhyme, that form a unit.

  • Apostrophe: An address to a dead or absent person, or personification as if he or she were present.

  • Octave: A stanza of eight lines, especially the first eight lines of a Petrarchan sonnet.

  • Sestet: The last six lines of a Petrarchan sonnet.

  • Conceit: An elaborate metaphor or simile comparing two seemingly dissimilar things.

  • Personification: The attribution of a personal nature or human characteristics to something nonhuman, or the representation of an abstract quality in human form.

  • Speaker: The voice or narrator of a poem.

  • Paradox: A statement that appears self-contradictory but contains a deeper truth.

  • Tone: The attitude of the writer or speaker.

  • Rhyme Scheme: The ordered pattern of rhymes at the ends of the lines of a poem or verse.

  • Theme: A main idea or an underlying meaning of a literary work, which may be stated directly or indirectly.

  • Simile: A comparison using "like" or "as".

  • Allusion: An expression designed to call something to mind without mentioning it explicitly; an indirect or passing reference.

  • Epithet: An adjective or descriptive phrase expressing a quality characteristic of the person or thing mentioned.

  • Statement of Theme: The central message or idea conveyed by a literary work.

  • Purpose: The reason for which something is done or created.

  • Audience: The intended readership or viewers of a work.

  • Hyperbole: Exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally.

  • Occasion: The event or situation that prompted the literary work.

  • Invocation to the Muse: A prayer or address made to one of the nine muses of Greco-Roman mythology, in which the poet asks for inspiration, skill, knowledge, and appropriate mood to create poetry.

  • Paraphrase: Express the meaning of (the writer or speaker or something written or spoken) using different words, especially to achieve greater clarity.

  • Imagery: Visually descriptive or figurative language, especially in a literary work.

  • Juxtaposition: The placement of two things closely together to emphasize comparisons or contrasts.

  • Irony: The expression of one's meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect.

  • Characterization: The creation or construction of a fictional character.

Sonnets

  • Forms:

    • Petrarchan: This is the rhyme scheme commonly associated with the Petrarchan sonnet, where the first eight lines follow the ABBA pattern and the last six lines may have variations such as CDECDE or CDCDCD.

    • Shakespearean: Consists of three quatrains (four-line stanzas) and a concluding couplet (two lines), usually following an ABAB CDCD EFEF GG rhyme scheme.

    • Spenserian: Similar to the Shakespearean sonnet but uses an interlocking rhyme scheme: ABAB BCBC CDCD EE.

  • Sonnets from Sonnet Packet:

    • "Sonnet 18" - A famous sonnet by William Shakespeare, in which the speaker compares his beloved to a summer's day and argues that her beauty will last forever through the poem itself.

    • "Sonnet 1," from Amoretti - The first sonnet in Edmund Spenser's Amoretti sequence, where the speaker expresses his love and admiration for his beloved and hopes that his verses will capture her heart.

Neoclassical Literature

  • "Holy Sonnet 10" - Death be not proud - triumph over death by asserting that it holds no power over humanity, as eternal life is achieved through one's faith and legacy.

  • "To His Coy Mistress" - Persuade women to date him

  • "To the Virgins, To Make Much of Time" - Encouraging young people—especially women—to enjoy life and love while they are still young.

  • Book 1 from Paradise Lost - Satan and Beelzebub in Hell plotting their revenge against God and discussing the fall of mankind, showcasing themes of rebellion, ambition, and the consequences of pride.

  • "A Modest Proposal" - Poverty and irony suggesting that the impoverished Irish might ease their economic troubles by selling their children as food to the wealthy, highlighting the cruelty of British policy towards the Irish.

Romantic Poetry

  • Romantic Characteristics

  • "The Tyger" - Explores the mystery of creation, particularly how something as fierce and terrifying as a tiger could be created by the same God who made innocence and beauty.

  • "Tintern Abbey" - Finding comfort in nature with sister

  • The Rime of the Ancient Mariner - killed albatross, entire crew dies

  • "When I Have Fears That I May Cease to Be" - A deeply personal and emotional poem expressing his fear of dying young—before he can fulfill his artistic and romantic potential.

  • "She Walks in Beauty" - Praises a woman’s external beauty and inner goodness

Frankenstein

  • Characters -

    • Victor Frankenstein: An ambitious scientist who creates a creature in his quest for knowledge, ultimately grappling with themes of responsibility and guilt.

    • The Creature: A tragic figure seeking acceptance and companionship, representing the consequences of isolation and rejection.

    • Elizabeth Lavenza: Victor's fiancée, symbolizing idealized beauty and the consequences of societal expectations.

    • Henry Clerval: Victor's best friend, embodying the spirit of humanism and contrasting with Victor's obsession with knowledge.

    • Robert Walton: An explorer who pursues fame and adventure, serving as a narrative frame for Victor's story and highlighting the dangers of ambition.

  • Plot

    • The story follows Victor Frankenstein's journey as he creates a living being, leading to tragic consequences, and explores themes such as isolation, the quest for knowledge, and the search for identity.

  • Themes

Victorian Literature

  • "Ulysses" - A dramatic monologue by Alfred Lord Tennyson that reflects on the themes of adventure, the passage of time, and the desire for exploration beyond the confines of aging.

  • "The Lady of Shalott" - Victorian ideas for women to stay confined and working

  • "Porphyria's Lover" - Strangles wife with her hair.

  • "My Last Duchess" - Arranging next marraige, painted a picture of his dead wife that he killed and shows to the dutch’s assistant

  • The Importance of Being Earnest

    • Characters

      • Jack

      • Algernon

      • Lane

      • Cecily

      • Gwendolen

A Study in Scarlet

  • Characters

  • Plot