Lit Tems Quarter 3

Early American period of lit

1600-1765 (approx) Mostly practical, historical and religious texts

Neo-classicism period of lit

1765-1790 (approx) Return to classical thought about government and philosophy. Emphasis on rational thought.

Romanticism period of lit

1790-1860 (approx) Emphasis on emotion, individualism, and return to nature. Apprehension, terror, euphoria, awe. Finding the sublime in nature.

Transcendentalism period of lit

1820s-1830s Philosophical movement that is part of Romanticism. Reaction against the strict intellectualism of Neo-Classicism. Focus on inherent goodness of people and nature. Guided by emotion and intuition over mere reason. Society corrupts individuals, so they must become self-reliant and resist when society conflicts with conscience. (Romanticism on steroids)

Realism period of lit

1860-1900 (approx) As a response to the Civil War and industrialism, literature became more gritty and realistic, attempting to represent life as it is. Focus on urban environments and everyday activities. Regional dialects and voices emerge more clearly, shedding European influence.

Naturalism period of lit

1900-1914 Enhanced focus on reality (Realism on steroids). Increased focus on scientific objectivism, determinism, warnings about the corrupting influence of emotion, social commentary

Modernism period of lit

1914-1939 Focus on new experimental forms in poetry and fiction, cultural issues such as racism and sexism. In large part a response to the psychological scarring of World War I and the Great Depression. Loss of self, confusion about society; hope for a new beginning. Harlem Renaissance. Reality is fragmented by conflicting perspectives. Heroic figure is distorted. Failure of the American Dream.

Post- modernism period of lit

1940-present General emphasis on unreliable narration, metafiction, and a questioning of established forms and ideas. The self is the point of reference, and traditional ideas about truth, morality, and objective perception are rejected. Money and technology corrupt. Absurdity of war and life in general.

Syllogism

A kind of logical argument that applies deductive reasoning to arrive at a conclusion based on two or more propositions that are asserted or assumed to be true. Conditional Syllogism: If A is true then B is true (If A then B). Categorical Syllogism: If A is in C then B is in C. Disjunctive Syllogism: If A is true, then B is false (A or B).

Ergo

A latin word meaning 'therefore' or 'hence' Used as a conjunctive adverb

Fallacy - slippery slope

An exaggeration of something occurring, with one thing leading to another: A often leads to B. B often leads to C. C often leads to D.. all the way to Z. Essentially, the first step will lead to a final, extreme step

Antecedent

Antecedents are things or events that existed before or logically precedes another. Also sometimes used grammatically with pronouns and the nouns they refer to.

Fallacy - appeal to authority

Appeal to authority is a common type of fallacy, or an argument based on unsound logic. When writers or speakers use appeal to authority, they are claiming that something must be true because it is believed by someone who said to be an "authority" on the subject.

Cacophony and euphony in language

Cacophony: a discordant mixture of words (usually consonants or hard sounds) Euphony: the use of words having pleasant and harmonious effects (usually vowells and soft sounds)

Hero: classic, tragic, and anti

Classic Hero: an ordinary person, but which displays greatness given the right set of circumstances, or possesses a great skill or talent which sets them apart from normal people. Tragic Hero: a person who faces adversity, or demonstrates courage, in the face of danger, however ultimately experiences downfall. Antihero: a person who has characteristics opposite to that of a conventional hero. This character is often clumsy, unsolicited, unskilled, and exhibits both good and bad qualities.

Ethos, logos, pathos - broad terms

Ethos is about establishing your authority to speak on the subject Logos is your logical argument for your point Pathos is your attempt to sway an audience emotionally.

A priori

It is reasoning or knowledge which proceeds from theoretical deduction mensrather than observation or experience. (i.e. it is knowable without experience)

Homily

Literally: a sermon or speech typically delivered by a member of the clergy whose purpose is to offer a moral change in direction A passage in a work that gives stern solemn advice on how to live and is mostly concerned with morals and conduct

Apostrophe - not the grammar mark

Literary device in which someone directly addresses an inanimate object or someone who is either dead or simply not there.

Fallacy - begging the question

Logical fallacy where the writer assumes a conclusion to be true and builds his argument on top of that assumption; avoids asking the right question to verify the truth about the statement It is a type of circular reasoning where you don't answer the question directly, and instead, beat around the bush

Meiosis (understatement)

Making a major understatement to better highlight a point or create a dramatic tone.

Point of View (POV):

Point of view is the angle of considering things, which shows us the opinion or feelings of the individuals involved in a situation. First person point of view involves the use of either of the two pronouns "I" or "we." Second person point of view employs the pronoun "you." Third person point of view uses pronouns like "he," "she," "it," "they," or a name.

Fallacy - ad hoc

When a person gives an explanation for an event and the explanation is written or said as an argument for the event--untestable answer does not truly answer or explain anything

Fallacy - poisoning the well

When negative information that is irrelevant about a target is presented ahead of time to discredit the target's argument.

Fallacy - straw man

When someone refutes an argument that was not actually presented by the other party while presenting it as that argument.

Fallacy - band wagon

When someone's argument is not logically sound and it just follows what others have said

Fallacy - ad hominem

When, in an argument, someone goes after personal qualities of an individual as opposed to the qualities of the idea being proposed

Quid pro quo

a favor or advantage granted or expected in return for something

A posteriori

relating to or derived by reasoning from observed facts

Mens rea

the intention or knowledge of wrongdoing that constitutes part of a crime, as opposed to the action or conduct of the accused.