Literary Terms: Medieval Unit
Ballad: A story told in verse, and usually meant to be sung. In many countries, the folk ballad was one of the earliest forms of literature. Folk ballads have no known authors. They were transmitted orally from generation to generation and were not set down in writing until centuries later after they were first sung. Characteristics of a ballad include:
Ballad Stanza: A type of four-line stanza found in ballads. The second and the fourth line rhyme (ABCB)
Bob and Wheel: A short line of one, two, or three syllables (the bob) followed by four rhymed lines (the wheel). Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is the only poem in Literature 12 that contains this device.
Foil: A character who sets off another character by contrast. In The Canterbury Tales, the Parson is a foil for other corrupt members of the church such as The Monk, Friar, and Summoner
Heroic Couplet: Two consecutive rhyming lines of iambic pentameter. Poems in Lit 12 that used Heroic Couplets: Canterbury Tales, The Rape of the Lock
Irony: A contrast between what is stated and what is really meant, or between what is expected to happen and what actually happens. In Canterbury Tales Chaucer creates irony by a) Writing himself into the story as a dim-witted narrator (so there is a contrast between how he describes the characters and who they really are.) b) by including many ironic characters such as the Nun, Monk, and Friar who are not what they should be
Narrative: A story. Examples of narrative poetry studied in Literature 12 are ballads and epics.
Refrain: A word, phrase, line, or group of lines repeated regularly in a poem, usually at the end of each stanza. Refrains are commonly used in ballads.
Satire: A kind of writing that holds up to ridicule or contempt the weaknesses and wrong-doings of individuals, groups, institutions, or humanity in general. The aim of satirists is to set a moral standard for society, and they attempt to persuade the reader to see their point of view through the force of laughter.
Examples of Satire in Lit 12: The Canterbury Tales, A Modest Proposal. Modern Satire: The Simpsons, The Family Guy, Southpark, The Colbert Report, The Daily Show, The Rick Mercer Report, Modern Family, Glee
Ballad: A story told in verse, and usually meant to be sung. In many countries, the folk ballad was one of the earliest forms of literature. Folk ballads have no known authors. They were transmitted orally from generation to generation and were not set down in writing until centuries later after they were first sung. Characteristics of a ballad include:
- Subject comes from everyday life of the common people
- Usually tragic
- Relatively short (compared to an epic)
- Usually include dialogue
- Often include a refrain
Ballad Stanza: A type of four-line stanza found in ballads. The second and the fourth line rhyme (ABCB)
Bob and Wheel: A short line of one, two, or three syllables (the bob) followed by four rhymed lines (the wheel). Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is the only poem in Literature 12 that contains this device.
Foil: A character who sets off another character by contrast. In The Canterbury Tales, the Parson is a foil for other corrupt members of the church such as The Monk, Friar, and Summoner
Heroic Couplet: Two consecutive rhyming lines of iambic pentameter. Poems in Lit 12 that used Heroic Couplets: Canterbury Tales, The Rape of the Lock
Irony: A contrast between what is stated and what is really meant, or between what is expected to happen and what actually happens. In Canterbury Tales Chaucer creates irony by a) Writing himself into the story as a dim-witted narrator (so there is a contrast between how he describes the characters and who they really are.) b) by including many ironic characters such as the Nun, Monk, and Friar who are not what they should be
Narrative: A story. Examples of narrative poetry studied in Literature 12 are ballads and epics.
Refrain: A word, phrase, line, or group of lines repeated regularly in a poem, usually at the end of each stanza. Refrains are commonly used in ballads.
Satire: A kind of writing that holds up to ridicule or contempt the weaknesses and wrong-doings of individuals, groups, institutions, or humanity in general. The aim of satirists is to set a moral standard for society, and they attempt to persuade the reader to see their point of view through the force of laughter.
Examples of Satire in Lit 12: The Canterbury Tales, A Modest Proposal. Modern Satire: The Simpsons, The Family Guy, Southpark, The Colbert Report, The Daily Show, The Rick Mercer Report, Modern Family, Glee