Literture Final Exam Notes

A motif is defined as a distinctive feature or dominant idea in an artistic or literary composition. The motif of baseball is of great prominence in the play Fences by August Wilson. The recurring theme of baseball is essential to the development of Troy’s character as well as his relationships with his loved ones, particularly Rose and Cory. The motif is also used often within Troy’s speech throughout the play to allude to significant themes and conflicts such as death and his adulterous affair with Alberta. Troy perceives death in many ways.

12. A Petrarchan Sonnet has two parts, one stanza that contains 8 lines and another containing 6. It “uses a rhyme scheme that ties the first eight lines (the octave) together, followed by a rhyme scheme that unifies the last six (the sestet)” (Foster

A sonnet by definition is, a poem of fourteen lines using any of a number of formal rhyme schemes, in English typically having ten syllables per line. A poem is a piece of writing that says a lot in a few words; this sonnet does exactly that, it utilizes a multitude of literary devices to tell a story of a writer examining life with an ending message to push forward and go. In “An Echo Sonnet”, the author, Robert Pack uses repetition, hypophora, antithesis and synecdoche to reveal the voice experiencing writer's block which leads to the discussion of life and death between the voice and the echo.

A Petrarchan sonnet, such as this one, is divided into two main parts, called the octave and the sestet. The octave is the first eight lines long of the sonnet. The sestet occupies the remaining six lines of the sonnet. Between the octave and the sestet, an imperative change takes place within the poem. The

-We have to carefully compare and contrast all parts of the sonnet in order to see the deeper meaning that all sonnets hold.

“Where is the glory in doing something that others have done” (Rick Riordan, The Lightning Thief). A quote befitting of the character Beowulf who slew the abomination known as Grendel to save the people of Heorot, then killing his vengeful mother using the sword Hrunting and finally as his last legendary exploit he brought down a mighty dragon to save his kingdom, the most prominent definition of an epic hero and the epitome of what the ideal Scandinavian hero is. On the surface, this may seem like Beowulf is a selfless hero willing to go to great lengths to save the people around him but after deeper analysis of the story, it may be that Beowulf’s pride and search for glory is what truly drives him.

A sonnet is a poem of fourteen lines that rhyme in a particular pattern. William Shakespeare’s sonnets were the only non-dramatic poetry that he wrote. Shakespeare used sonnets within some of his plays, but his sonnets are best known as a series of one hundred and fifty-four poems. The series of one hundred and fifty-four poems tell a story about a young aristocrat and a mysterious mistress. Many people have analyzed and contemplated about the significance of these “lovers”. After analysis of the content of both the “young man” sonnets and the “dark lady sonnets”, it is clear that the poet, Shakespeare, has a great love for the young man and only lusts after his mistress.

In the book, Fahrenheit 451, Clarisse McClellan is a thought out, important motif. A motif is a recurring object, theme, or item in a literary text that contributes to the plot of the story. Clarisse makes for a good example of a well-written motif.

23. Apostrophe, without confusing it with the punctuation mark in speech, is a literary term for severing a discourse to address an absent object, person, or idea as if it existed.

Endure your troubles today. Bear up and be the man I expect you to be." (B.1386-1395) Beowulf's epic deeds demonstrate his honor in warrior culture, and how important he values high moral principles "I had a fixed purpose when I was put to sea… I meant to perform to the uttermost what your people wanted or perish in the attempt...

The structure of this sonnet corresponds to a Petrarchan sonnet. This is identified by the rhyming scheme “abba abba cde cde”. The sonnet is constructed by an octave, which are two quatrains combined then a sestet following after that.

Motifs are recurring structures, contrasts, or literary devices that can help to develop and inform the text’s major themes.

     The sonnet, being one of the most traditional and recognized forms of poetry, has been used and altered in many time periods by writers to convey different messages to the audience. The strict constraints of the form have often been used to parallel the subject in the poem. Many times, the first three quatrains introduce the subject and build on one another, showing progression in the poem. The final couplet brings closure to the poem by bringing the main ideas together. On other occasions, the couplet makes a statement of irony or refutes the main idea with a counter statement. It leaves the reader with a last impression of what the author is trying to say.

Written as a Petrarchan sonnet, "It Is a Beauteous Evening, Calm and Free" can be divided into two parts, an octet

Going on to the poetic elements in this Sonnet, we can see repetition in lines 2,13-14