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Questions and Answers
What does Jonathan Swift's 'Modest Proposal' ironically suggest?
What is one of the primary themes of 'Gulliver's Travels'?
What is a key characteristic of the Romantic Movement?
What type of literature did the Romantic writers often focus on?
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How does 'Robinson Crusoe' differ from its real-life inspiration?
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What shift occurs between the Romantic Movement and the Victorian Era?
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What genre does Ben Jonson's 'Song to Celia' best represent?
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Which of the following topics did Romantic writers typically avoid?
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Which author is known for employing the technique of stream of consciousness in their works?
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Which of the following novels is NOT written by Charles Dickens?
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What literary approach is T.S. Eliot best known for formulating?
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Which of the following best describes a bildungsroman?
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Which work is associated with the theme of measuring out life in 'coffee spoons'?
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Which author is recognized for depicting local color in their works and is considered England's best-loved novelist?
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What literary genre is Stephen King credited with reviving?
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Which novels are considered among Virginia Woolf's best works?
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What central theme is explored in Henry James's novels?
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Which of the following authors is classified as a Naturalist?
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What characterizes the protagonists in F. Scott Fitzgerald's novels?
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What major global event influenced the Modernist literary period?
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Which literary style is characterized by its focus on social realities and the lives of ordinary people?
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In which work does Ernest Hemingway depict the 'lost generation'?
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What is a common theme found in the poetry of Edwin Arlington Robinson?
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Which literary period coincides with the delayed impact of modernization and technology in everyday life?
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What is the primary purpose of a sonnet?
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Which of the following is a key characteristic of an elegy?
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What distinguishes a song from other types of lyrical poetry?
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Which poem by Robert Burns is mentioned as an example of simple lyric poetry?
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What type of sonnet does William Shakespeare's Sonnet 18 exemplify?
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Which of the following works is NOT written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow?
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What are the two common forms of sonnet mentioned?
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What does the term 'elegeia,' which is the origin of the word elegy, signify?
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What is the primary focus of the interior life of an individual in literature?
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Which novel is categorized as a social novel that addresses societal issues?
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What type of novel is characterized by a loosely constructed plot and a panoramic view of life?
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In which type of point of view does the story get narrated from the perspective of the main character?
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Which characteristic best describes Tennessee Williams' writing style?
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What distinguishes a formal essay from an informal essay?
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What is the primary goal of an essay?
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Which author is credited with being the Father of the English Essay?
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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.
Social Novel
- 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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