Literature Section/Rouse
Midterm Exam Tues., Dec.16th, @ 10:30 a.m.
Name
English 4 Midterm Exam Study Guide
Literature Selections and Guidelines




Beowulf
The Canterbury Tales
Cold Read selections will also be on the midterm.
The midterm is all multiple choice and open book.
Literature Focus Questions for Beowulf
1. What did Beowulf’s culture value?
2. How about in regards to the kings?
3. How is Beowulf an epic hero?
4. What is the role of women in the epic?
5. Give an example of alliteration.
6. Give an example of a kenning.
7. What monsters does Beowulf face?
8. What are the purposes and difficulties in fighting each monster?
9. What is a wergild?
10. What is Unferth’s purpose in the epic?
11. How is this society both pagan and Christian? Why are they this way?
Literature Focus Questions for The Canterbury Tales
1. Geoffrey Chaucer is known as the Father of English
English language
because he made the
.
2. The Canterbury Tales is a snapshot of
society.
3. Chaucer brings a group of people with varied
them to explore different aspects of life in
and beliefs and uses
.
1
Literature Section/Rouse
4. The characters are joined in a common quest of a pilgrimage, or
journey, from
to the shrine of the martyr Saint Thomas a Becket
at Canterbury Cathedral.
5. How is Chaucer’s story follow a frame story format?
6. Each character represents a
of life.
7. What is the most popular time of year for pilgrimages?
8. What are characteristics of pilgrims that Chaucer detested?
9. What are characteristics of pilgrims that Chaucer admired?
Literature Terms
1. Alliteration: repetition of consonant sounds in words that are close together
2. Antagonist: character who blocks the protagonist from getting what he or she wants
3. Archetype: a pattern that appears in literature across cultures and genres and is repeated through the
ages. An archetype can be a character, an image, or a setting.
4. Characteristics of an Epic
a. Long narrative poem about a hero, told in formal, elevated language
b. Larger-than-life hero who embodies the values of particular culture
c. Incredible plot involving large-scale events
5. Conflict
a. External: involves a character and another person or thing
b. Internal conflict: always takes place inside a character’s mind, heart, or soul
6. Epic Hero: godlike being who embodies the particular values of his or her society. Typically
undertakes a quest to achieve something of tremendous value to themselves or their society.
7. Flashback: scene that occurs out of sequence and tells of events that happened in the past
8. Foreshadow: A hint or clue about something that will happen later in a story
9. Frame story: a story that contains other stories
10. Irony: A contrast between what is expected with what actually happens
11. Kenning: a metaphor made of 2 words is a staple of Anglo-Saxon literature. An example is “sky
candle” for sun.
12. Mood: atmosphere, affecting the way we feel as we read
2
Literature Section/Rouse
13. Motif: recurring elements
14. Motivations: reasons for or forces behind the action of a character
15. Protagonist: main character; one who drives the action
16. Setting: the story’s time and place
17. Symbol: person, place, thing, or event that stands for both itself and for something beyond itself
18. Theme : the central message or insight about human experience revealed in a work of literature
19. Tone: writer’s attitude toward subject
MLA Format (I will provide samples for you to analyze.)
1. MLA – Basic Format
 1” margins (top, bottom, left, right)
 Double-spaced
 In the upper right hand corner, the student’s last name is beside the page number.
 Left- hand header on page 1 only - Student Name, Teacher’s Name, Course, and Due Date (Military Style –
no commas)
 All paragraphs indented
 Title is centered, 12 point font, no bold, no underlining.
 If a literature text’s title is in the paper’s title, it is italicized.
 There are no extra returns in between the left-hand header and the title or in between the title and the first
paragraph.
2. MLA – In-Text Citation/Parenthetical Citation
o
o
o
o
o
For every quote, there is a citation. (Otherwise, it is plagiarism!)
Each quote has a sentence before it that introduces it.
Each quote has a sentence after it that analyzes the quote.
Each citation is in one of the following 2 formats:
 According to some, dreams express "profound aspects of personality" (Foulkes 184), and yet,
others disagree.
 Dreams may express "profound aspects of personality" (Foulkes 184).
For every quote, that specific quote’s author’s last name is listed as an entry on the Works Cited page.
3. MLA – Works Cited Page







Works Cited page is on a separate page at the end of your research paper.
1” margins (top, bottom, left, right)
Double-spaced
In upper right hand corner, student’s last name beside page number (this should be the next page # after
your last page in your essay).
Page # is not 1 on each page. The page # will be the next number after the last page number of your essay.
Title is Works Cited. Title is centered, 12 point font, no bold, no underlining.
Entries are alphabetical by author’s last name. If no author’s name is available, then alphabetical by the
article’s title.
3
Literature Section/Rouse




Each author used a parenthetical citation has an entry for that specific author on the Works Cited page. No
author should be listed on the Works Cited page who is not cited in a parenthetical citation.
Double spaced all citations. There are no extra returns in between the entries.
For entries with a 2nd line or more, these have hanging indents (indent the second and subsequent lines of
citations by 1/2 inches to create a hanging indent.)
This sample is for a 1 book and 1 author entry.
Lastname, Firstname. Title of Book. City of Publication: Publisher, Year of Publication. Print.

If an electronic source, it will be Web. Look at the sample below to see if the student is missing anything.
This sample is for a website.
Editor, author, or compiler name (if available). Name of Site. Name of institution/organization affiliated with the
site (sponsor or publisher), date of resource creation (if available). Web. Date of access.
Writing (I will provide samples for you to analyze.)
1. Introduction
 Background info about the story, poem, play, etc.
 Thesis is the last sentence in the intro.
 Thesis specifically states the main points of the paper and is a clear and strong opinion.
 Introduction is at least 5 sentences but not over 1 page.
2. Detail Paragraphs
 There is an introduction sentence for each paragraph explaining what the paragraph will be cover.
 No paragraph begins with a pronoun.
 For every quote, there is a citation. (Otherwise, it is plagiarism!)
 Each quote has a sentence before it that introduces it.
 Each quote has a sentence after it that analyzes the quote and does not simply rephrase the quote.
 The quotes are not too short and not too long.
 There is a conclusion sentence for each paragraph tying in the main point of the paragraph (that the writer
referenced in the intro sentence) with the evidence that the writer provided in the paragraph.
 Detail paragraphs are at least 5 sentences but not over 1 page.
3. Conclusion
 The first sentence is the restated thesis.
 Does not simply repeat ideas that were in the paper, but the writer shows how the points made and the
support and examples used were not random, but fit together.
 Conclusion is at least 5 sentences but not over 1 page.
4