OLD ENGLISH

1. What was the time period of 500-1100 AD in British history characterized by?
It was characterized by foreign invasions and internal struggles. This resulted in the
mixing of several races, tongues and cultures.
2. What three influences shaped the Old English language?
Most English words were Germanic, having come from the languages of the Angles,
Jutes and Saxons. Latin, however, also had a strong influence on early English.
Later, the Scandinavians (Vikings) contributed many words to Old English.
3. What does Old English literature consist of?
It consists of poetry, prose, charms, riddles, maxims, proverbs, and various other
wisdom sayings. It is a mixture of pagan traditions, thoughts about life, the universe
and nature, as well as Christian thought and moral value.
4. How did the invasions and occupations of Britain influence Old English literature?
Many writings of this era are chronicles, annals and historical records. The themes
are war, conquest and bravery. Lament and melancholy are frequently present in
describing man's struggles against his environment, life's difficulties and the passage
of time. Often a prologue and epilogue express hope in God's compassion and
mercy. Other poems depict the separation of a man and a woman and the
accompanying sadness.
5. What are elegies and what mood and circumstances are frequently present in
them?
Elegies are Old English poems that lament the loss of worldly goods, glory or human
companionship.
6. Describe the epic poem, Beouwulf, mentioning the setting of the story, pagan and
Christian influences, contrasting themes, and the literary style.
Beowulf is an epic poem which glorifies a hero and the values of bravery and
generosity.
The story is set in Scandinavia around 500-600 AD, a time of battles and conquests.
It incorporates both pagan and Christian ideas. From the pagan traditions come a
love of war and the virtue of courage, and from the Christian tradition, it incorporates
morality, obedience to God, and avoidance of pride. There are many contrasts, such
as water and fire, life and death, rise and fall of nations and individuals, heroism and
cowardice, etc. Elegy is apparent throughout. It is written in characteristic Old
English verse style, has artistic maturity and unity. It uses alliteration, kennings and
internal rhyme.
7. What contributions to Old English poetry were made by Caedmon and Cynewulf?
Caedmon was one of the religious writers of the time. His works were based mainly
on the Old Testament. A 3000-verse poem and a short hymn, both about the creation
of the world, are attributed to Caedmon.
Cynewulf, a later poet, and his followers, drew on the New Testament, as well as
historical events connected with Christianity. Cynewulf's work is clear and technically
elegant.
8. Describe the important contribution to Old English prose made by King Alfred.
King Alfred was one of the most significant rulers of the first millennium. He made his
kingdom into a cultural centre and translated many works from Latin, especially in
the areas of religion, history and philosophy. This was the foundation of the written
national language.
9. What Old English prose styles came as a result of the Benedictian reform and who
were the chief writers at the time?
The Benedictian reform, a monastic reform which resulted in a religious revival which
included literary styles such as homilies, sermons, stories of saints' lives and Bible
translations. The chief authors were Aelfric and Wulfstan.
10. What were the origin and the sources of Old English drama?
The origin of Old English drama goes back to brief scenes in which monks acted out
in churches to illustrate Bible stories. Sources of drama were primarily Catholic
traditions and ceremonies. Drama was developing in churches where the whole
society, from the king to the lowest citizen, gathered.
11. What two strong undercurrents influenced Old English drama?
Two strong undercurrents influenced early drama: Folk plays based on ancient
nature culls and pagan traditions; and classic Greek and Latin drama which were
preserved throughout the Dark Ages.
 MIDDLE ENGLISH LITERATURE
1. Why is Geoffrey Chaucer important for English Literature?
Geoffrey Chaucer was the greatest poet of Middle English, he is often called the
father of English poetry. It is much easier to read Chaucer than to read anything
written in Old English.
2. What can you say about 'The Canterbury Tales'?

3. What is a Miracle Play?

Miracle Plays were plays that told religious stories and were performed in or near
churches. Even though the Miracles were serious and religious in intention, English
comedy was born in them.
4. What is a Morality Play?
Morality Plays were plays in which the characters were virtues or bad qualities which
walked and talked.
5. What is an interlude?
An interlude is a kind of play often funny and which were performed away from
churches, in colleges or rich men's houses or gardens.
6. What is the characteristic of Middle English Prose?
Middle English Prose's main characteristic is religion.

ELIZABETHAN PERIOD
1. Why was Sir Wyatt Thomas important?
Sir Wyatt Thomas wrote works of value about the Elizabethan era. He was the first to
take the sonnet to England.
2. Why was the Earl of Surrey important?
The Earl of Surrey also wrote works of value about the Elizabethan era. His works
were important because he wrote the first blank verse in English.
3. When did the Elizabethan age start?
Even though Queen Elizabeth ruled from 1558 to 1603, the great Elizabethan literary
age is not considered to begin until 1579.
4. What is a sonnet?
A 14-line lyric poem of fixed form and rhyme pattern.
 ROMANTIC PERIOD
1. Why can we say that 'the Lyrical Ballads' was an important book?
The Lyrical Ballads was the signal of the beginning of the romantic age.
2. Who was William Wordsworth?
William Wordsworth was a poet of nature that had the special ability to throw a
charm over ordinary things.
3. Who was Samuel Taylor Coleridge?
Samuel Taylor Coleridge was a poet who could make mysterious events acceptable
to a reader's mind.
4. Can you name other important poets and their works?
Lord Byron: Don Juan, She walks in beauty, Childe Harold's pilgrimage
Percy Bysshe Shelley: The Spirit of Solitude, Ozymandias, To a Skylark, Adonais.
John Keats: To Autumn, To a nightingale.
5. What were the main characteristics of the romantic period?
Emotion and imagination, critique of industrialization, emphasis on aesthetic beauty,
return to the past, idealization of women, purity of childhood