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What does Jonathan Swift's 'Modest Proposal' ironically suggest?

Encouraging Irish farmers to grow more crops

Establishing schools for Irish children

Promoting the rights of the Irish people

Fattening Irish babies for sale as meat (correct)

What is one of the primary themes of 'Gulliver's Travels'?

Promotion of scientific advancements

Satire on human folly and stupidity (correct)

Celebration of human intelligence

Idealization of rural life

What is a key characteristic of the Romantic Movement?

Belief in the importance of imagination and intuition (correct)

Preference for impersonal poetry

Focus on urban sophistication

Emphasis on scientific rationality

What type of literature did the Romantic writers often focus on?

Myths, legends, and supernatural themes Signup and view all the answers

How does 'Robinson Crusoe' differ from its real-life inspiration?

It has little resemblance to the actual events Signup and view all the answers

What shift occurs between the Romantic Movement and the Victorian Era?

From personal expression to objective surveys of human life Signup and view all the answers

What genre does Ben Jonson's 'Song to Celia' best represent?

A love poem Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following topics did Romantic writers typically avoid?

Political and social issues of the day Signup and view all the answers

Which author is known for employing the technique of stream of consciousness in their works?

James Joyce Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following novels is NOT written by Charles Dickens?

To the Lighthouse Signup and view all the answers

What literary approach is T.S. Eliot best known for formulating?

The objective correlative Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes a bildungsroman?

A novel depicting a character's growth and development Signup and view all the answers

Which work is associated with the theme of measuring out life in 'coffee spoons'?

The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock Signup and view all the answers

Which author is recognized for depicting local color in their works and is considered England's best-loved novelist?

Charles Dickens Signup and view all the answers

What literary genre is Stephen King credited with reviving?

Horror Fiction Signup and view all the answers

Which novels are considered among Virginia Woolf's best works?

Mrs. Dalloway and To the Lighthouse Signup and view all the answers

What central theme is explored in Henry James's novels?

The relationships between naive Americans and cosmopolitan Europeans Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following authors is classified as a Naturalist?

Mark Twain Signup and view all the answers

What characterizes the protagonists in F. Scott Fitzgerald's novels?

Their disillusionment with success and personal fulfillment Signup and view all the answers

What major global event influenced the Modernist literary period?

World War II Signup and view all the answers

Which literary style is characterized by its focus on social realities and the lives of ordinary people?

Realism Signup and view all the answers

In which work does Ernest Hemingway depict the 'lost generation'?

A Farewell to Arms Signup and view all the answers

What is a common theme found in the poetry of Edwin Arlington Robinson?

Traditional metrics and social realism Signup and view all the answers

Which literary period coincides with the delayed impact of modernization and technology in everyday life?

The Contemporary period Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary purpose of a sonnet?

To express deep feelings or emotions within a structured format Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a key characteristic of an elegy?

A lament for the dead, focusing on themes of mourning Signup and view all the answers

What distinguishes a song from other types of lyrical poetry?

Its intent to be performed or sung with a melodious quality Signup and view all the answers

Which poem by Robert Burns is mentioned as an example of simple lyric poetry?

A Red Rose Signup and view all the answers

What type of sonnet does William Shakespeare's Sonnet 18 exemplify?

Shakespearean Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following works is NOT written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow?

Sonnet 18 Signup and view all the answers

What are the two common forms of sonnet mentioned?

Shakespearean and Petrarchan Signup and view all the answers

What does the term 'elegeia,' which is the origin of the word elegy, signify?

To lament Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary focus of the interior life of an individual in literature?

Character's yearnings and impulses Signup and view all the answers

Which novel is categorized as a social novel that addresses societal issues?

To Kill a Mockingbird Signup and view all the answers

What type of novel is characterized by a loosely constructed plot and a panoramic view of life?

Panoramic Novel Signup and view all the answers

In which type of point of view does the story get narrated from the perspective of the main character?

Internal POV Signup and view all the answers

Which characteristic best describes Tennessee Williams' writing style?

Incantatory repetitions and Freudian exploration Signup and view all the answers

What distinguishes a formal essay from an informal essay?

Formal essays address serious important topics and informal essays can cover any subject Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary goal of an essay?

To explain an idea, theory, or point of view Signup and view all the answers

Which author is credited with being the Father of the English Essay?

Francis Bacon Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Jonathan Swift

Wrote A Modest Proposal, which ironically suggested that Irish babies be fattened and sold for meat due to the harsh conditions imposed on the Irish by the English.
Wrote Gulliver's Travels, a satire critiquing human folly and stupidity.
Swift believed his purpose in writing was to "vex the world" rather than entertain it.

Daniel Defoe

Wrote Robinson Crusoe, which was inspired by a real-life castaway story but diverged significantly.
Robinson Crusoe is considered realistic fiction as it depicts a man’s struggles to adapt and survive on a deserted island. He learns essential skills, establishes routines, and even finds solace in religion.
However, the novel highlights the importance of human connection as Crusoe’s existence is ultimately incomplete without society.

Romanticism

Emphasized the importance of individual expression, imagination, and intuition.
Shifted the focus from reason to the senses, feelings, and imagination.
Moved interest away from urban society to the rural and natural world.
Promoted the transition from public, impersonal poetry to subjective poetry.
Showed a shift from the scientific and mundane to the mysterious and infinite.
Romanticism drew inspiration from old legends, folk ballads, antiquities, ruins, “noble savages,” and rustic characters.
Celebrated the power of imagination and sensory experiences, often describing rural scenes, graveyards, majestic mountains, and roaring waterfalls.
Explored the supernatural, incorporating elements like ghosts, haunted castles, fairies, and mad folk.

Song to Celia

A love poem by Ben Jonson, a renowned poet, dramatist, and actor known for his lyrics and satirical plays.

William Blake

A prominent Romantic poet and artist.

Samuel Taylor Coleridge

A prominent poet, and one of the most important figures in English Romanticism.

Victorian Era

Emphasized objective surveying of human life’s problems, departing from the subjective expression of Romanticism.
Focused on social issues.
Saw the rise of the novel as a literary form.

Charles Dickens

Master of local color, particularly in The Pickwick Papers.
Considered England’s best-loved novelist.
Wrote novels that explored social injustices and the realities of life in Victorian England, including Great Expectations, Hard Times, Oliver Twist, A Christmas Carol, and A Tale of Two Cities.

Brontë Sisters

Charlotte (1816-1855), Emily (1818-1848), and Anne (1820-1849) were prominent Victorian novelists who wrote romantic novels.

Modern English Literature /Early 20th-Century Prose

Marked by experimentation with literary techniques, including the interior monologue, stream of consciousness, and bildungsroman.

T.S. Eliot

Influential poet, essayist, and dramatist.
Advocated for the importance of literary and social traditions for modern poets.
Famous for coining the term "objective correlative," which refers to using objects, situations, or events to convey emotions indirectly.
The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock embodies this approach, reflecting the protagonist’s mundane existence and wasted life through imagery like coffee spoons.

James Joyce

Irish expatriate author known for innovative use of the interior monologue and stream of consciousness in novels like Ulysses, Finnegans Wake, and A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man.
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man is a notable bildungsroman, exploring the protagonist's journey from innocence to maturity.

Virginia Woolf

Also believed that consciousness and reality are like a flowing stream.
Her works, such as Mrs. Dalloway and To the Lighthouse, immerse readers in the flow of characters' thoughts and experiences.

Contemporary Literature

Embraces diverse themes and styles, reflecting the complexities of modern life.

American Literature

Spans a vast period and stylistic range, from the early colonial era to the present day.

Stephen King

Highly influential American novelist and short-story writer known for reviving the horror genre.

Realism / Naturalism

Emerged in the late 19th century, emphasizing social realities and the lives of ordinary people.

Naturalism

Focused on heredity and environment, significantly influenced by Charles Darwin’s theories.
Characterized by bleak perspectives and the belief that individuals are often helpless against social and environmental forces.

Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens)

One of the most celebrated American novelists of the 19th century.
Tom Sawyer is one of his most famous works.

Henry James

Highly regarded American novelist.
Believed art, particularly literature, enriches and elevates life.
Known for his exploration of the "international theme" - the dynamics between naive Americans and sophisticated Europeans.
The American, Daisy Miller, and The Portrait of a Lady are some of his most famous novels.

Edwin Arlington Robinson

American poet of the late 19th century.
Used traditional metrics in contrast to his contemporaries.

Modernism in American Literature

Emerged in the early 20th century, reflecting the impact of science and technology, the Great Depression, and World War I.

F. Scott Fitzgerald

Noticed for his novels that explore the disillusionment of characters with the "American Dream."
The Great Gatsby, Tender Is the Night, and The Beautiful and the Damned are notable works that highlight the devastating cost of success and the emptiness of extravagance.

Ernest Hemingway

American novelist and short-story writer who won the Nobel Prize and Pulitzer Prize.
The Old Man and the Sea, a novella about a fisherman’s heroic struggle, is one of his most famous works.
Wrote about war, death, and the disillusionment of “the lost generation” after World War I.
His characters are often tough and cynical, marked by their experiences.

Contemporary Period / Liberation

After World War II
Collapse of the Soviet Union (1992).

1950s and 1960s

Marked by modernization and technology, especially in everyday life.

Simple Lyric

A type of lyric that doesn’t fall under other specific categories.

Robert Burns

Scottish poet known as the “national poet of Scotland.”
Wrote in both Standard English and the Scots dialect.
A Red Rose is one of his famous simple lyric poems.

William Wordsworth

English Romantic poet
I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud is a famous example of his simple lyrics.

The Song

Short, lyrical poetry intended to be sung.

Ben Jonson

Known for his song, like Song to Celia

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

American poet, noted for his narratives about American history and European traditions.
Evangeline, The Song of Hiawatha, and The Courtship of Miles Standish are popular long narrative poems based on American legends.
Also wrote short lyrics such as The Jewish Cemetery at Newport, My Lost Youth, and The Tide Rises, The Tide Falls.

The Arrow and the Song

A poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow that utilizes quatrains.
Highlights the enduring impact of poetry on a friend's heart, even if the immediate effects are unknown.

Sonnet

A lyric poem with 14 lines and a formal rhyme scheme.
Originated in Italian, where "sonetto" means “a little sound or song.”
Two common sonnet forms: Shakespearean and Petrarchan.

Sonnet 18

A Shakespearean sonnet where the speaker compares the beauty of a beloved to a summer day, but argues that the beloved’s beauty will last longer and not fade like summer.

The Elegy

A type of poem that laments death or loss, often conveying grief and sorrow.
Originates from the Greek word "elegeia," which means "to lament.”
Similar to a eulogy, which is a speech commemorating the deceased.

Gone Girl

A contemporary novel by Gillian Flynn.

Deals with the norms, customs, and problems of a specific social group or community.
Often explores issues like politics, economics, or race.

To Kill a Mockingbird

A famous novel by Harper Lee that explores themes of racism, injustice, and childhood innocence.

Structure of the Novel

Different types of novel structures exist:

Panoramic Novel

Follows a loosely constructed plot that spans a broad range of time and characters, showcasing a wide section of life.
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy is an example, covering the Napoleonic Wars and a diverse cast of characters.

Dramatic Novel

Emphasizes the interaction of characters and the unfolding of action, creating a sense of dynamism and tension.
A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams is a classic example of a dramatic novel that explores the complexities of its characters’ lives.

Tennessee Williams

American playwright known for exploring disturbed emotions, unresolved sexuality, and loneliness within families, often set in the South.
The Glass Menagerie and A Streetcar Named Desire are his most famous plays.

Point of View

Refers to the perspective from which a story is told.

Internal Point of View

The story is narrated from the protagonist’s point of view.
The story is told by a minor character.
Multiple characters’ perspectives are combined to create a composite point of view.

External Point of View

The story is told from an omniscient perspective, where the narrator has a comprehensive understanding of the characters, events, and even their thoughts and feelings.

Non-Fiction

Deals with real facts and events, rather than imagined stories.
Examples include essays, biographies, and historical accounts.

Essay

Prose composition that aims to explain an idea, theory, impression, or point of view.

Francis Bacon

English philosopher and writer, considered the "Father of Inductive Reasoning" and the “Father of the English Essay.”
The Essays is a collection of essays that showcases his insightful observations on various topics.

Formal Essay

Deals with serious and important subjects, covering philosophy, theology, science, politics, and morality.
Politics and the English Language by George Orwell and Of Studies by Francis Bacon are classic examples of formal essays.

Informal Essay

Deals with any subject, even the commonplace and ordinary, aiming to entertain and amuse.

Of Studies

A famous essay by Francis Bacon which explores the nature of reading and the different ways in which books can be approached: some for pleasure, some for knowledge, and some for deeper understanding and reflection.

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