English III Semester Exam Review

  1. Characteristics of 5 Major Literary Periods:

There will be questions over the 5 major literary periods that have been covered so far this semester. Information to know about each period include: types of genre(s), focus for writing and beliefs.

  1. Puritan/Colonial
  2. Revolutionary
  3. Early and Dark Romanticism
  4. Transcendentalism
  5. Realism
  1. Authors

You need to know who wrote what and what each of these is essentially about.

  1. Henry David Thoreau – Walden, “Civil Disobedience”
  2. Ralph Waldo Emerson – Nature, “Self-Reliance”
  3. Thomas Jefferson – The Declaration of Independence
  4. Thomas Paine – “The Crisis”
  5. Edgar Allan Poe – “The Raven”, “Masque of the Red Death”
  6. Arthur Miller – The Crucible
  7. Patrick Henry – Speech to the Virginia Convention
  8. Ambrose Bierce – An Occurrence at OwlCreekBridge
  1. Literary Terms

You must be able to identify EXAMPLES of each of the following literary terms through the literature you have read this semester. If you are unfamiliar with any of these terms, look them up and study!

  1. AlliterationF. Climax
  2. AllusionG. External Conflict
  3. AntagonistH. Theme
  4. ProtagonistI. Mood
  5. SymbolJ. Personification
  1. Persuasive and Rhetorical Terms

You must know the definitions of the following persuasive terms, as well as be able to identify examples of each.

  1. EthosF. Rhetorical Questioning
  2. PathosG. Restatement
  3. LogosH. Antithesis
  4. Parallel StructureI. Analogy
  5. Repetition
  1. Literary Works

Understand the following information from each literary piece.

  1. The Crucible

1. Plot Detail – What are the key events that take place in the play?

2. Characters – Identify each of these characters: Abigail Williams, Reverend Parris, Tituba, Reverend Hale, John Proctor, Elizabeth Proctor, Rebecca Nurse

3. Who is the antagonist and protagonist of the play?

4. Type of Genre – How is this play an allegory?

5. What motivates Abigail to accuse the first women and then Elizabeth?

6. What is the main example of dramatic irony in the play?

7. What is the climax of the play?

8. External and Internal Conflicts – Who has conflicts with each other in the play? Who struggles with an internal conflict and why?

  1. “The Raven”
  2. What is the mood of this poem?
  3. What are some of the allusions used (historical, biblical)?
  4. What do the bust of Athena and the raven symbolize?
  5. How is imagery used in the poem?
  6. How does the poem tie to Poe’s real life?
  1. Application: You will have to apply what you have learned to new reading material. You will read an essay and poem and answer questions that relate to literary terms and theme explored this semester.

VII. Essays of Emerson and Thoreau

Principles of Each Man, Philosophies About Individualism and Simplicity