Elegy
Define Ubi Sunt
Where are they - Latin
What are the different qualities of a character to make him/her a protagonist, give 5.
Any good qualities that make someone a hero. (Kind, Smart, Courageous, Skilled, Resilient, etc)
Medieval ballads often use _______________ which are lines that are repeated throughout the poem.
refrain
Who is the Father of English Language & Literature during the medieval period who wrote a famous frame narrative?
Geoffrey Chaucer
What are the different types of Sensory Images?
Auditory, Visual, Gustatory, Kinesthetic, Tactile, and Olfactory
T/F: An elegy is a form of poetry that doesn’t show sorrow, usually for someone who has passed away.
False
What do you call the two important characters in an epic?
Protagonist and Antagonist
What are the four types of ballad,s and how do they differ from one another?
Folk Ballad, Broadside Ballad, Literary Ballad, and Modern Ballad
Recall the different elements of a metrical tale.
characters, setting, plot, literary devices, tone
What are the different common literary devices during Anglo-Saxon period?
Kennings, Caesura, Alliteration, Epithet
Wyrd is considered an inescapable force in life. Recall what is the meaning of Wyrd and why it is evident in Anglo-Saxon Elegies.
Fate. It reflects the Anglo-Saxon belief that human life is controlled by forces beyond one’s power.
What are the different parts of an epic hero cycle?
1. The epic hero possesses supernatural abilities.
2. The epic hero travels to a vast setting.
3. The epic hero must complete a quest.
4. The epic hero interacts with other interesting characters.
5. The epic hero is tested to prove his/her worth.
6. The epic hero must encounter a low point.
7. The epic hero experiences a form of resurrection.
8. The epic hero experiences a form of reinstatement.
What makes a ballad a song (lyrical) compared to our other poetries we discussed?
Refrain. There are lines that are being repeated to enhance the meaning and mood of the song.
Specify the different parts of a plot
Exposition, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action, Denouement
What is an epithet? Give two examples.
An epithet is a descriptive phrase expressing a quality characteristic of the person or thing mentioned.
1. Odysseus, the much-enduring man of many sorrows, master of cunning words and clever devices, who wandered long upon the wine-dark sea.
2. Athena, daughter of thunderous Zeus, mistress of strategy and cunning arts, who drives back the darkness with the brilliance of her mind.
Explain why the reflection of life's transience is a common theme of the fleeting nature of life in an Elegy.
Elegies often dwell on the transience of life because they are poems of mourning and reflection. By highlighting impermanence, elegies remind readers or listeners of the inevitability of death and the sorrow that comes with loss.
Reinstatement usually refers to the restoration of the hero’s rightful place, dignity, or role after trials, losses, or exile. Give an example of a reinstatement in a story.
Odysseus experiences reinstatement when he finally returns to Ithaca after years of wandering and hardship. After defeating the suitors who overran his palace, he is restored to his rightful place as king, regains his honor, and is reunited with his wife Penelope and son Telemachus.
Recall the ballad, Lord Randal, "For I’m weary wi' hunting, and fain wald lie down." What is the emotional portrayal of this line and its significance?
On the surface, Lord Randal seems tired from hunting, but beneath it lies a sense of fatal exhaustion—a foreshadowing of his impending death from poisoning.
What makes metrical tales different from an elegy, epic, and ballad?
A metrical tale centers on storytelling in verse without the mournful tone of an elegy, the grandeur of an epic, or the song-like qualities of a ballad.
What makes a foreshadowing different from flashback?
Foreshadowing looks forward (hints at the future) while Flashback looks backward (reveals the past).
How does sensory imagery helps us to understand the persona's experiences in an elegy? Use The Ruined City as an example.
Sensory imagery helps us understand the persona’s experiences in an elegy because it allows us to see, hear, and feel the emotions of loss and transience more clearly. These sensory details draw us into the persona’s mourning, making us share in the reflection that life, like the city, is fleeting and fragile.
Recall Beowulf's Battle with Grendel. How does his quest build the protagonist's act of heroism?
In Beowulf, the battle with Grendel builds the protagonist’s act of heroism because it shows his courage, strength, and sense of duty in protecting others. Beowulf risks his life to face the monster barehanded, proving his bravery and confidence in his own might.
In the given line, "For I’m weary wi' hunting, and fain wald lie down," what mood does it like to emphasize and why?
The line “For I’m weary wi’ hunting, and fain wald lie down” emphasizes a mood of weariness and impending sorrow.
This mood is significant because it foreshadows his tragic death, heightens the ballad’s mournful tone, and reflects the themes of betrayal and mortality that define the poem.
Recall the story of Pardoner's Tale. What theme can you associate with the story and why?
The theme of greed can be closely associated with The Pardoner’s Tale because it shows how the desire for wealth leads to destruction. In the story, three men set out to kill Death, but their own greed for gold causes them to betray and murder one another, which results in their downfall. This highlights the moral that greed is the root of evil and ultimately brings death and ruin instead of happiness.
"They sought for Death but found a pile of gold instead,
Greed gave them life’s delight, yet left them lying dead."
How do these lines show contrast in The Pardoner's Tale?
These lines show contrast in The Pardoner’s Tale by presenting the difference between what the men sought and what they found, as well as between what they desired and what actually happened. They set out looking for Death to destroy it, but instead they discovered gold, which symbolized wealth and temptation. The contrast deepens when the gold, which promised delight and fortune, became the very cause of their betrayal and death. This highlights the tale’s central irony: what seems like a blessing (riches) turns into a curse (death) because of greed.