ANGLO - SAXON LITERATURE KEYS AND FACTS

Old English literature: EARLY 1550-
ANGLO - SAXON AND CHAUCER KEYS AND FACTS And with important MCQS.

• Old English literature or Anglo-Saxon literature, encompasses literature written in Old English, in Anglo-Saxon England from the 7th century to the decades after the Norman Conquest of 1066. ... Besides Old English literature, Anglo-Saxons wrote a number of Anglo-Latin works.
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• The poem is set in Scandinavia. Beowulf, a hero of the Geats, comes to the aid of Hrothgar, the king of the Danes.
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• The Anglo-Saxon period lasted for 600 years, from 410 to 1066, and in that time Britain's political landscape underwent many changes.
• Anglo-Saxon hero is well defined by the actions of Beowulf. It is obvious that Beowulf is the quintessential hero.
• The last Roman soldiers left Britain in AD 410, and then new people came in ships across the North Sea. Historians call them Anglo-Saxons. The new settlers were a mixture of people from north Germany, Denmark and northern Holland. Most were Saxons, Angles and Jutes.
• The four main kingdoms in Anglo-Saxon England were: East Anglia. ... Northumbria, including sub-kingdoms Bernicia and Deira. Wessex.
• Anglo-Saxon poetry survives almost entirely in four manuscripts. Beowulf is the oldest surviving Germanic epic and the longest Old English poem; other great works include The Wanderer, The Seafarer, The Battle of Maldon, and the Dream of the Rood.
• Beowulf is the oldest surviving Germanic epic and the longest Old English poem; it was likely composed between 700 and 750
• Caedmon and Cynewulf are the two important Old English poets. Caedmon was a poor peasant who was asked by an angel to sing the praise of God. Only a part of his songs remain. Cynewulf’s poems are religious and were written in the eighth century. He wrote Juliana, The Fates of the Apostles, Christand Elene.
• Old English literary prose dates from the latter part of the Anglo-Saxon period. Prose was written in Latin before the reign of KingAlfred (reigned 871–99), who worked to revitalize English culture after the devastating Danish invasions ended. As hardly anyone could read Latin, Alfred translated or had translated the most important Latin texts. He also encouraged writing in the vernacular.
• A great deal of Latin prose and poetry was written during the Anglo-Saxon period.

ANGLO SAXON MCQS

which of these is magnum opus of chaucer?

And. The canterbury tales

Where were the pilgrims going in the canterbury tales?

Ans.To the shrine of saint thomas becket at canterbury cathedral

In which language the stories of canterbury tale are written?

Ans.Middle english

chaucer's franklin was guilty of which sin?

Ans.Gluttony

How many languages did chaucer know?

Ans.4

from which language the name ''chaucer'' has been driven?

Ans.french

Where did chaucer bury? 

Ans.westminster abbey

chaucer was imprisoned during----------------------?
Ans.hundred years' war

how many children chaucer had?
And. (English, French, Latin, Italian)

1. The earliest surviving work in English Literature is

Ans: Caedmon’s Hymn

2. The epic poem Beowulf consists

Ans: 3182 alliterative lines

3. Which epic poem from old English Literature has been declared the national epic poem of England?

Ans: Beowulf Epic Poem

4. The epic poem Beowulf is written in

Ans: Scandinavian Script

5. Who wrote the epic poem Beowulf?

Ans: Anonymous

6. The Old English “Martyrology” is a Merican collection of

Ans: Hagiographies

7. Eynsham was a prolific 10th-century writer of

Ans: Hagiographies and Homilies

8. The earliest English poet whose name is known is;

Ans: Caedmon

9. King Alfred’s reign ended in

Ans: 9th century

10. In the battle of Maldon in 991, The Anglo-Saxons failed to prevent

Ans: Vikings’ Invasion

11. “The Wanderer” is an old English poem that consists

Ans: 115 Lines of alliterative verse

12. A poem that mourns a loss, or has the more general meaning of a simply sorrowful piece of writing is called;

Ans: Elegy

13. The English Literature is generally seen as beginning with the;

Ans: Epic Poem Beowulf

14. Normans conquered the England in

Ans: 1066

15. Which language became the standard language of courts, parliament and polite society during the reign of Normans?

Ans: Law French

16. Who translated the Bible in the Middle English Period?

Ans: Wycliffe

17. Which pre-Reformation movement rejected many of the distinctive teachings of the Roman Catholic Church?

Ans: The Lollard Movement

18. The term “Lollard” refers to whom?

Ans: The followers of John Wycliffe

19. A prominent theologian who was dismissed from the University of Oxfard in 1381 for criticism of the Church was;

Ans: John Wycliffe

20. Middle English Period lasts up till the;

Ans: 1470

21. Patience and Purity are alliterative poems written by;

Ans: Sir Gawain

22. What is the term “Chancery Standard” meant in English Literature?

Ans: A form of London-based English

23. Where is the Geoffrey Chaucer buried in?

Ans: Poet’s Corner of Westminster Abbey

24. Geoffrey Chaucer is best known for his;

Ans: Canterbury Tales

25. The first recorded association of Valentine’s Day is in Chaucer’s;

Ans: Parliament of Fouls

26. Who was the personal friend of Geoffrey Chaucer?

Ans: John Gower

27. Which book is believed to be the first published book written by a woman in the English language?

Ans: Revelation of Divine Love

28. William Caxton invented the printing press in

Ans: 1476

29. Pilgrim’s progress is a famous allegory of medieval period written by;

Ans: John Bunyan

30. Renaissance is usually regarded as beginning in 14th-century in;

Ans: Italy

31. The term Renaissance in English Literature means

Ans: Re-birth

32. The English Renaissance was actually the;

Ans: Cultural and Artistic Movement

33. John Florio was an excellent;

Ans: Linguist and Lexicographer

34. Sonnet was introduced into English Literature from

Ans: Italian Literature

35. The Faerie Queene, an epic poem was written by

Ans: Edmund Spencer

36. The defense of the poetry is the work of

Ans: Sir Philip Sidney

37. What is significant about “Gorboduc” the first verse drama in English Literature?

Ans: Blank Verse was used in it for the first time ever

38. Reign of the Elizabeth-I started in

Ans: 1558

39. Reign of the James-I started in

Ans: 1603

40. Thomas Wyatt is one of the earliest English poet of

Ans: Renaissance Age

41. Who is known as the poets’ poet in English Literature?

Ans: Edmund Spencer

42. Sonnet is a

Ans: 14-lines poem

43. What is called the first eight lines of Sonnet?

Ans: Octave

44. What is called the last six lines of Sonnet?

Ans: Sestet

45. What is the rhyming scheme of Octave in sonnet?

Ans: a-b-b-a-a-b-b-a

46. What is the rhyming scheme of sestet in sonnet?

Ans: : c-d-e-c-d-e or c-d-c-c-d-c.

47.William Shakespeare, BEN JOHNSON ,and Christopher Marlowe were.

Ans:Elizabethan age playwrights.

48. Dr. Faustus is the very famous play, written by

Ans: Christopher Marlowe

49. The Alchemist, comedy was written by

Ans: Ben Johnson

50. The ‘Table Alphabeticall’ is believed to be first ever dictionary in English language was written in 1604 by;

Ans; Robert Cawdrey

• Goethe defined literature “the humanization of the whole world”
• In 450 coming of Saxons to England
• Bede wrote Ecclesiastical History of the English People in 731
• Weimer Classicism is a cultural and literary movement, the movement from 1772 until 1805 involved John Wolfgang von Goethe as German literary writer.
• His first novel was The Sorrow of Young Werther
• Anglo-Saxon literature ranges from 7thto 11th
• Anglo-Saxons were people who in habitated from Germanic Tribes. Anglo-Saxon periods denote the early settlement of British history until the Norman conquest, between about 450 and 1066.
• Norman were from Scandinavia
• Norman defeat the Anglo Saxon King in the battle of Hastings in 1066
• Normans brought with them Chornicles
• Anglo Saxon Poetry has been derived from Church
• The main result of the victory of Normans over French as they lost their civilization
• William , the duke of Normandy became the master of England beating the last of the Saxon Kings
• The main outcome of the battle of the Hastings in 1066 was that it changed the civilization of whole nation
• Chanson National Epic is also known as “Chanson de Roland”
• Complete history of Britons was written by Geoffrey of Monmouth, who was a Welsh Monk
• Battle of Hastings , Death of Edward and William of Normandy becomes the king in 1066
• Advocate’s Library gives a complete picture of Normandy Literature
• Merri Greenwood Men ballads were later collected into Geste of Robin Hood
• Seven Wise Masters is a collection of French oriental tales
• The Matter of Greece , is related to tales of Alexander
• Alisoun is the melodious love song written at the end of 13th century
• Rule of Achoresses , an English prose written by Bishop Poore in 1225
• Battle of Brunan was an English victory in 937 by the army of the Athelstan, King of England and his brother Edmund over the Scots.
• Battle of Hastings was fought on 14thOctober 1066 between Norman French army an English Army under the Anglo Saxon King Harold II.
• The battle of Lewes took place in 1264, conflict known as Second Baron’s War. War took place between Henry III and Simon de Manfort .
• Henry II also known as Henry Curtmentle.( 1154-89)
• Edward I reign 1272 t0 1307 , was first son of Henry III
• Cursor Mundi, a metrical romance was written in 1320
• Edward III defeated the French at the Battle of Poitiers and battle of Crecy in 1336 and 1346. The Battle of Poitiers was a major battle between England and France, popularly known Hundred Years’ War.
• Laurence Minot (1330-1352 ) , he belongs to patriotic versifier.
• The first public school, Winchester College was established in 1373.
• Peasant Revolt also known as Wat Tyler’s revolt was a major revolt of 1381. The problems generated by the black death in 1340. It estimated 75 to 200 million people died in Europe.
• Fall of Constantinople, the capital of eastern Roman Empire (6th April -29th of May 1453.
• Black Death 1348-49
• Battle of Crecy was in 1346
• Henry IV ascended the throne in 1399 to 1413
• The war of roses was the series of dynastic wars of the throne of England. Between House of York and house of Lancaster (1455-1487)
• Post Chaucerian period is known as1400-1455
• Edward III came to the throne in 1327.
• Richard II came to the throne in 1377
• East midland dialect became standard English (king’s English) by the time of Chaucer.
• In war of Roses , roses stands for Houses.
• Henry VII is also known as defender of the faith.
• French had become official language after Norman conquest in 1066
• Magna Carta in 1215
• 1340 , birth of Geoffrey Chaucer
• 1370 , Chaucer wrote Book of Duchess
• 1377 , Langland wrote Piers Plowmen
• 1400 , death of Chaucer and murder of Richard II
• 1415, Battle of Agincourt
• William Caxton, History of troy, the First book in English in the year 1474-75.

     Age of Chaucer (1350- 1400)

• In Physician’s Tale , a daughter is killed by her father
• The Canterbury Tales are rhymed couplets with five stress lines
• Theban warriors are related to Knight’s Tale
• The knight has fought crusades for the sake of Christianity
• The Knight represents the value of chivalry , truth , honor and justice
• The Squire was the son of Knight, he was a vain and lusty young man
• He enjoys singing, writing poetry and horse-riding and considers himself a lady’s man
• Yeoman is the servant of knight and the Squire
• The monk’s character is in complete to his religious vocation. He was found of eating good food and wine. He loved to eat roasted swan
• The Friar’s name is Hubert ,he is sensual licentious man, he was quite irreligious
• The merchant was shrewd and arrogant
• The clerk of Oxford- a sincere student of philosophy at Oxford University
• He was poor and spend all of his money on books
• He speaks less , but when he does, his words are full of wisdom and moral virtue
• The wife of bath, the most famous character in literature. Her name is Alisoun. She was professional weaver, and was deaf
• Bath represents a town
• Parson’s Tale is based upon a part on notable French sermon of Friar Laurens
• Chaucer gave the first full expression of ‘the English sense of humor’
• Langland translated “ Romance of the Rose” into English
• Langland also called “ Morning Star of the Renaissance”
• Canterbury Tales doesn’t belong to Italian Period of Chaucer
• The Book of the Duchess is written by Chaucer on the death of Blanche , wife of his patron
• There are 3 people who represent military profession in the Canterbury Tales
• Pilgrims were going to shrine of St. Agnes at Canterbury
• Greselda appears in the “The Clerk’s Tales”
• The Merchant tells the story of January and may in the Canterbury tales
• Troilus and Cryseyde represents background of the Trojan War by Chaucer
• Pandare is one of the characters of Troilus and Cryseyde
• “miller’s and reeve’s tales are the example of Fabliau
• In the Canterbury Tales , The wife of bath , where Bath represents the name of town
• “ He was fresh as month of may” these line are for …Squire
• The Parson’s Tale is in Prose in the Canterbury Tales
• From 1370-1378 , Chaucer was on diplomatic mission abroad
• Canterbury Tales was supposed to written in 1388
• “His voice was merrier than the organ’s” these lines are from “ Nun’s Priest’s Tales
• The Canterbury Tales represents the 14th century of England
• Pandarus , the first great comic character in English literature depicted by Chaucer
• Troilus and Cryseyde is the first English novel in verse
• Boccaccio’s Decamenon is the main idea source for Chaucer for his Canterbury Tales
• The House of fame is related to Dante’s Divine Comedy
• In Legend of Good Woman , Chaucer has used first time heroic couplet
• Chaucer is considered as Father of English Poetry after the Canterbury Tales
• Merchant had had the forked beard
• The wife of bath was deaf character
• Children used to get afraid by Summoner’s face
• In Nun’s Priest’s tale , widow had thethree sons
• Chanticleer was the name of cock in the Canterbury Tales
• In Nun’s Priest’s tale , the character , Pertelote appeared
• And Kenelphus, the noble king of Mercia had been referred in the Nun’s Priest’s tale
• In Nun’s Priest’s tale, is a superb satire on human marital relationship
• Andromache was the wife of Hector
• April month refers in the first lines of The Canterbury tales
• Chaucer begins his story  with description of the Knight
• The Yeoman used to wear the coat ofGreen color
• The reeve’s tale is about Simkiin
• The Knights Tale tells about Plamon and Artcite
• Canterbury tales is about 17000 lines are in verse
• The verse consists of Rhymed Couplet
• Chaucer started his job as Comptroller of Customs for the port of London on 8th June, 1374, It was his prolific period when he wrote maximum major works
• The complaints of Chaucer to his purse suggests about the grants which were not paid to Chaucer
• There are 83 manuscripts survived of Chaucer
• It has become difficult publishing the Editions of Chaucer’s works because of complicating process for reconstructing inventing Chaucer’s biography
• The monk was fond of hunting and riding
• And his favorite dish was roasted swan
• The Book of Duchess was written at the end of 1369
• In the Parliament of Fouls , there is celebrations of St. valentine’s day
• A love story had been told with care and delicacy of psychological awareness
• French Period of Chaucer ranges from1360 to 1370
• Italian period of Chaucer is 1370-1385
• Chaucer was elected a knight of the shrine of Kent in 1386
• Chaucer celebrated the betrothals in his The Parliament of The fouls
• Troilus and Crysedye was inspired byBoccaccio
• Latin had an indelible impact on Chaucer
• Life span of Chaucer was from 1340-1400
• Edward III, Richard II and Henry IV , Chaucer lived during the period of these kings
• Canterbury Tales is an Allegory
• The rocks of Britanny  featured in “Franklin’s Tale”
• Verse of The Canterbury Tales consists of rhymed couplets
• There were 29 pilgrims in the Canterbury Tales
• There were 3 women characters in The Canterbury Tales
• Chaucer visited Italy in 1372-73
• When Chaucer was in Italy , he was influenced by the work of Dante, Boccaccio and Petrarch
• Legende of Good Women is written in 1385
• There are  8 ecclesiastical characterspresent in the Canterbury  Tales
• The name of inn where all pilgrimage stayed was Tabard Inn
• Treatise on Aristotle is one of the Prose work of Chaucer
• He was not taken work from Homer
• The Book of Duchesses is considered his one of the earliest works of Chaucer
• Goddess Venus was appeared in hisThe Parliament of Fouls
• Troilus and Criseyde is considered his Psychological Novel
• Rhyme Royal was used by Chaucer
• Chaucer used mock-heroic technique in Nun’s Priest’s Tale
• William Langland is the author of Piers the Plowman
• He was contemporary to Chaucer and was born in 1332
• The lead character in this poem is a hard working , sincere and honest plowman
• It is an allegorical poem
• He was born in ledbury
• It represents the common medieval form of the dream vision
• The poem consists of three dream visions
• The Vision of Piers the Plowman is correct title of his book
• Malvern Hills mentioned in his Vision
• Irony is considered his chief weapon in his works
• The first version of VISION written in 1362
• The beautiful lady Holy Church appeared in his Piers the Plowman
• In Piers the Plowman , he saw a series of visions , the first vision was a field full of folks
• In Langland’s Piers the plowman, piers plowman first appears in Passus V
• Richard , the Redeless was written by Langland
• There are seven Cantos in Langland’s Piers the Plowman
• The Vision of Holy  Church is the first Canto in Piers the Plowman
• John Gower was contemporary of Chaucer
• The life span of Chaucer was 1325-1408
• Confessio Amanetis is famous work of John Gower
• Mirroir de l’ Homme, a French work of Gower
• Vox Clamantis deals with the peasant’s Revolt of 1381
• Speculum Meditantis , is French work written by John Gower
• Vox Clamantis is inspired by Peasant’s Revolt of Gower
• He died in the year 1408
• Vox Clamantis is written in Latin
• It is a collection of tales in English octosyllabic couplets
• Speculum Hominis is written by Gower
• Vox Clamantis consists of five books
• In Vox Clamantis , Gower divided the class into three categories – clerk, soldier, ploughman
• Traite was the last work of Gower written in 1397
• John of Trevisa translated Hidgen’s Polychronicon , it was a long chronicle  divided into seven books , that was imitation of seven days of Genesis
• The travels of Sir John Mandeville was written in 1377 by John Mandeville
• It was originally written in French
• Wyclif and the Lollards began Reformation in 1377
• John Wyclif was the first to challenge the authority of the catholic church
• He was known as father of English Prose
• Sir John Mandeville wrote his wroks in latin , French and finally in English
• The complete translation of the Bible in 14th century by john Wycliff
• Aunt, in hope of marrying her daughter to him, to keep property in Ipswich , kidnaaped the father of Chaucer
• He was the first to distribute Pamphlets and leaflets among people
• He was also called “The Morning Star of Reformation”
• 1324-1384 was the period of John Wyclif
• The followers of Wyclif were Lollards
• He translated The Bible from Latin into English in 1380
• 1370-1450 was the life span of Thomas Occleve , a consistent follower of Chaucer
• Regement of Prices , is work of Thomas Occleve
• Thomas wrote a famous poem on the death of Chaucer named “ The Governail of Princes”
•  The life span of Alexander Barclay is 1477-15552
• Barclay was the first to use of the pastoral of satire for court life
• Alexander Barclay translated the work of German poet Sebastian Brant entitled “The Ship of Fools” into English
• “Ecologue” (Pastoral Poems ) were introduced by Alexander Barclay
• He was the first poet who chose German subjects
• Example of Virtues written by Chaucer
• English Chaucerian , Stephen Hawes written The Pastime of Pleasure
• The Fall of Princes was written by John Lydgate
• John Lydgate made frequent use of tag phrases (like “sothly to telle) in his works
• John Lydgate considered the most voluminous poet of medieval time
• 1460-1529 was the life span of John Skelton
• “The Bowge of Court” has been written by John Skelton
• Skelton praised himself in “garland of laurel”
• William Nevill’s “Castell Pleasure” was published in 1518
•  Robert Henryson was the Scottish Chaucerian of 15th century
• James I wrote “ King’s Quair”
• William Dunbar is known as the Chaucer of Scotland
• He is considered the greatest of the Scottish Chaucerian
• The Thistle and the Rose considered as the union of the two countries – England and Scotland by William Dunbar
• “Palace of Honour” by Douglas is a imitation of Chaucer’s House of Fame
• Gavin Douglas translated whole of work of Virgil into English verse
• The poem “ The Cuckoo and the Nightingale”    is written by anonymous writer
• In the poem “ the Flower and the Leaf” flower stands for pleasure of life
• “ Lord Randal” is a famous ballad
• Ballad is derived from the word “ballare “ which means to dance
• “The Nut Brown Maid is a well known ballad
• John Fortescue mainly wrote in Latin
• Fortescue praised the constitution of his country in “De Laudibus Legum Aliae”
• William Caxton was the first printer of England
• Caxton printing press was set up in 1476
• William Caxton was a merchant
• The printing press fixed forever the East-Midland dialect as the national language of England
• The Recuyell of the History of Troye was the first printed English book
• Translation of the Golden Legend had the largest circulation of all published books by Caxton
• Sir Thomas Malory wrote Morte d’ Arhtor in 1470
• Malory wrote most of his stories in Prison
• Guenevere is the name of character appeared in Morte d’ Arhtor
• Morte d’ Arhtor was the first book in English in poetic prose
• “ praise of Folly” is a famous piece of satire written by Desiderius Erasmus
• Desiderius Erasmus , gave teaching of Greek in Cambridge
• Thomas More’s Utopia is considered ‘the true prologue to the Renaissance
• It was originally written in Latin
• The Schoolmaster is a well known work written by Roger Ascham
• English Prayer Book which was adopted as the official prayer book in 1549 written by Thomas Cranner
• William Tyndale’s English New testament is the earliest version of the Bible
• Sir Thomas Wyatt , a young courtier of the court of Henry VIII was deeply influenced by Italian tradition
• The vogue of the lyric was inaugurated by Wyatt
• Henry Howard , Earl of Surrey divided his sonnet into three quatrains and a couplet
• Thomas Sackville is known as the link between Chaucer and Spenser
• The works of Wyatt and Surrey were published in Tottel’s Miscellay in 1558
• The Licensing Act for closing of all theatres except Drury Lane and Covent garden was passed in 1737
• Morality Plays represent abstract qualities
• Theological events were in Miracle plays
• The Betraying of Christ is a morality play
• John Rastell is a famous writer of interludes
• The Marry play is written by John Heywood
• Miracle Plays were based on the stories from the Bible
• Balnk verse is used for the first time for dramatic purposes in Gorboduc
• The first English playhouse called “The Theatre” was founded in 1576
• The first regular comedy Ralph Roister Doister was written by Nicholas Udall
• The first regular tragedy Gorbuduc was written by Sackville and Norton
• The book Revelation of Divine Love has been written by Julian of Norwich
• The Birth of Jesus is a famous Miracle play
• Adam is known as the earliest known religious play
• In Lyndsay’s morality play The Satire of the Three Estates , the three estates are the nobility, the clergy and the merchants
• Real and allegorical characters mingled freely for the first time in King Johan.

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