1 1 Old & Middle English Literature Ⅰ. Essay Questions 1. What are the three parts told in the story of Beowulf? How is heroic ideal reflected in Beowulf? 2. State the social significance of William Langland ’s Piers the Plowman and comment on the poem ’s writing features. 3. Compare Chaucer ’s The Canterbury Tales with old English poetry and the works of other Middle English poets to illustrate that Chaucer is the first realistic writer in English literature. 4. What is the function of the General Prologue to The Canterbury Tales? Ⅱ. Define the following terms. 1. Old English period (the Anglo Saxon period) 2. Alliteration 3. Prose 4. Courtly love 5. Morality play 6. Couplet 7. Meter 8. Foot 9. Scottish Chaucerians 10. Ballad (Popular ballad) 11. Middle English period 12. Anglo-Norman period 13. Arthurian legend 14. Romance Ⅲ. Fill the blanks. 1. The Old English poetry can be divided into two groups: the_____ poetry and the ____ poetry. 2. _____ is regarded as the “Father of English Song”, the first known religious poet of England. 3. The history of English literature begins in the____ century. 4. _____is the most prevailing literary form in the Middle Ages. 5. The most magnificent prose work of the 15th century is Morte d’ Arthur concerning with____ legend. 6. The only important prose writer in the 15th century is Sir______. 7. Critics tend to divide Chaucer’s literary career into three periods: the ____ period, the___ period and the____ period. 8. Among the Middle English poets, three are the greatest. One is the author of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. The other two are ____ and ____. 9. The Canterbury Tales contains the ____ and 24 tales, two of which left unfin...
