Knowledge Organiser: Year 7 - English Literature Timeline. Week 3: The Enlightenment (1700-1800AD).

Enlightenment: A European intellectual movement of the

late 17th and 18th centuries emphasizing reason and
Week 1: The Medieval Period (500-1500 AD). individualism rather than tradition
Week 2: The Renaissance Period (1500-1670 AD).
-Conventions: A common way of showing something in Epistolary novel: A novel told through the medium of
-A.D is an abbreviation of ‘Anno Domini’ which means, letters written by one or more of the characters.
‘In the year of our lord’. art of writing. For example, a convention of a Gothic
novel is the presence of a curse or prophecy. Satire: A text that is actively criticising people or ideas in
-B.C is an abbreviation of ‘Before Christ’. a humorous way, especially in order to make a political
-Chronological order means ordering events in accordance with the -Couplet: A pair of successive lines of verse, typically rhyming and
of the same length. point.
time sequence in which they occurred. Secular: Not having any connection with religion
-Literature refers to works of drama, poetry and prose. -Quatrain: A stanza containing four lines.
-Sonnet: This is a one stanza poem, written in or spirituality.
-Folktale: A tale or legend originating and traditional among a Travelogue: A film, book, or illustrated lecture
people or folk and shared orally. 14 lines.
-Stanza: A group of lines in a poem. about the places visited by or experiences of
a traveller.
• In 1476, William Caxton’s printing press is brought to
England and allows for mass publication of texts. • -The play form was the most popular as it was inexpensive • A key idea was that human reasoning could discover
• Many stories were shared orally as the majority of the to watch and appealed to both monarchs and the low-born. truths about the world.
population were illiterate. • -Shakespeare remains the dominant playwright because he • Samuel Johnson’s dictionary is published in 1755 and
• There were three key themes within literature: religion, broke traditional conventions; he put clowns in his tragedies is the first, comprehensive documentation of words
war and the trials of daily life. and kings in his comedies, juxtaposing public and private, and their meanings.

Week 5: The Victorian Period (1837 - 1901AD).

Climax: The climax (from the Greek word meaning "staircase" and Week 6:
Week 4: The Romantic Period (1790 -1870AD). Modern (1910 – 1965) and
"ladder") is the point of highest tension and drama.
Ballad: A simple narrative poem of folk origin, Post-Modern (1965 - present).
Exposition: This is a literary device used to introduce background
composed in short stanzas and adapted for singing. First person narrator: When a text is written from the
information about events, settings, characters, or other elements of a
Marginalise: To treat (a person, group, or concept) as ‘I/we’ perspective.
work to the audience or readers. The word comes from the Latin
insignificant or peripheral. Second person narrator: When a text is written from
language, and its literal meaning is “a showing forth.”
Objective: When a person is not influenced by personal feelings the ‘you/your’ perspective.
Falling action: This is when the characters work to solve the problem or
or opinions in considering and representing facts. Third person narrator: When a text is written from the
conflict.
Ode: A lyric poem, typically one in the form of an address to a ‘he/she/they/it’ perspective.
Rising Action: Rising action in a plot is a series of relevant
particular subject, written in varied or irregular metre. Omniscient narrator: An omniscient narrator can tell or
incidents that create suspense, interest, and tension in a
Subjective: When a person’s work is based on or influenced by show the reader what each character thinks and feels in
narrative.
personal feelings, tastes, or opinions. a scene, freely, because she/he/it is not one of them.
Resolution: the resolution is the part of the story's plot
where the main problem is resolved or worked out. Stream of consciousness: a person's thoughts and
• The Romantics renounced the rationalism and order conscious reactions to events, perceived as a continuous
associated with the preceding Enlightenment era, flow.
stressing the importance of expressing authentic personal • The population nearly doubled, the British Empire expanded
• Science and technology—and even reason and
feelings. exponentially and technological and industrial progress helped
logic—are inherently destructive and oppressive,
• They had a real sense of responsibility to their fellow Britain become the most powerful country in the world.
because they have been used by evil people,
men: they felt it was their duty to use their poetry to • A feminine code of conduct was levied on women which
especially during the 20th century, to destroy
inform and inspire others, and to change society. described every aspect of their being from the proper
and oppress others.
apparels to how to converse, everything had rules.