REVIEWER IN SURVEY IN ENGLISH AND
AMERICAN LITERATURE- FINAL TERM
Summary: The Knight’s Tale
The Knight's Tale recounts the tale of Palamon
and Arcite. Together, Theseus, the king of
Thebes, imprisons them in a tower. The knights
spend their days gazing out the single window
of the tower.
They saw Emily, the queen's younger sister,
strolling through her garden one day. Both
Palamon and Arcite fall instantly in love with
her, but they soon realize there is no point in
fighting over her because they are both
confined in a tower and therefore equally
unlikely to ever meet her or marry her.
Eventually, Arcite escapes the tower with the
aid of a companion. He becomes a page in
Emily's household but does not confess his love
for her. During this time, Palamon remains in
prison for several more years before escaping.
Theseus interrupts the dispute between the two
knights over Emily by insisting that they hold a
proper tournament. Each Palamon and Arcite is
given a year to form an army and return to
Thebes. The winner will receive Emilye's hand
in marriage.
Palamon, Arcite, and Emily visit one of the three
shrines built into the arena's walls the night
before the tournament. Arcite visits the shrine
of Mars, the Roman god of war, to pray for
tournament victory. In the temple of Venus, the
Roman goddess of love, Palamon prays for
Emily's hand. Emily visits the shrine of Diana,
the Roman goddess of chastity; she expresses
her willingness to accept Diana's will, whatever
it may be.
The tournament begins the day after tomorrow.
Arcite emerges as the victor of the tournament
after much combat, but he is thrown from his
horse and suffers a fatal injury. On his
deathbed, he wishes for Emily to marry
Palamon.
Early Periods in American Literature
1. The Colonial Period (1492-1700)
- stories and poems are orally spread by the
first inhabitants the native Americans.
- writers who upheld the English style of writing
are called “Pale Faces”.
- poems of Pale Faces are called “cooked
poetry”. (Benjamin Franklin, Ezra Pound, Henry
Longfellow)
- "Redskins" are writers who explored and
shaped America's literary work.
- Poems of Redskins are called “raw poetry”.
(Walt Whitman, Ralph Waldo Emerson)
2. The Revolutionary Period (1700-1800)
- as dissatisfaction with Britain grew, writers
became politically anti-British.
- essays, speeches, and pamphlets took great
acclaim in this era.
- writings from this era are mostly speeches,
letters, and correspondence to politics.
Representative Writers of The Revolutionary
Period
1. Thomas Paine (1737-1809)
- a well-renowned English-born essayist and
pamphleteer.
- his pamphlet “Common Sense” convinced
American colonies to abolish monarchy and
establish democracy.
2. Thomas Jefferson (1735-1813)
- a well-renowned essayist who later became
the third president of the United States of
America.
- his book "Notes on the State of Virginia" not
only discusses the state's geography and
natural resources, but also his views on
government, race, and education.
Selected Literary Devices
Irony
- The intended meaning of a word or expression
is contrary to its conventional sense, it is
employed for comedic effect, to surprise, or to
point out the absurdity of a given situation.
Types of Irony
1. Verbal Irony
- A huge disparity between what is said and
what is meant; the speaker says one thing but
means another.
Sample Verbal Ironies in Literature
1. “I will not marry; when I do, I swear it shall be
Romeo.”
2. “She is tolerable but not handsome enough to
tempt me.”
3. “Of course Donkey, you can stay with me.”
4. “Your stunned silence is very reassuring.”
2. Situational Irony
- a disparity exists between the anticipated
outcome and the actual occurrence within a
given context.
Sample Situational Ironies
1. A police station in England has been roughly
robbed.
2. Following a semester of good health, some
college students become ill during the week
preceding their final exams.
3. The mayor was tasked to attend a seminar
regarding punctuality, yet he arrived late.
4. After emphasizing the significance of
abstaining from junk food in his prior subject
matter, the health teacher is observed
consuming junk food.
Later Periods in English Literature
1. The Romantic Period
- one of the major social changes in Wales and
England due to the rapid development of
industrial cities.
- roughly between 1750-1850
- William Wordsworth’s Lyrical Ballad in 1792
marked the beginning of Romanticism.
Lyric Poetry
a. Ode
- A formal lyric poem written to appreciate,
dedicate, and celebrate.
- It does not require a strict stanza or line.
- Poets can use this to reach out to intangible
forces and inanimate objects like seasons or
emotions.
Poets and their Famous Odes
1. Ode to Duty by William Wordsworth
Serene will be our days and bright,
And happy will our nature be,
When love is an unerring light,
And joy its own security.
And they a blissful course may hold
Even now, who, not unwisely bold,
Live in the spirit of this creed;
Yet seek thy firm support, according to their
need.
2. Ode on Solitude by Alexander Pope
Happy the man, whose wish and care
A few paternal acres bound,
Content to breathe his native air,
In his own ground.
NOTE:
Literature is more flexible than language
(phonemes in the segments and
suprasegments are unaltered); writers,
dramatist, and poets, on the other hand, can
twist and turn literary language to suit their
write-ups. (Anana, 2021)
b. Elegy
- A poem that acknowledges and reflects upon
death or loss.
- It subjects sorrow and melancholy.
- Often, it can also explore themes of
redemption and consolation.
Poets and their Famous Elegy
1. Epitaph by Katherine Philips
What on Earth deserves our trust?
Youth and Beauty both are dust.
Long we gathering are with pain,
What one moment calls again.
2. O Captain! My Captain! By Walt Whitman
O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is
done,
The ship has weather’d every rack, the prize
we sought is won,
The port is near, the bells I hear, the people
all exulting,
While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel
grim and daring;
But O heart! heart! heart!
O the bleeding drops of red,
Where on the deck my Captain lies,
Fallen cold and dead.
 2. Victorian Period - Paradox = “The more you learn, the more you
- The novel became the leading literary genre realize how little you know.”
in English. - Oxymoron = sweet sorrow
- One of the most important aspects of this era
was the emphasis on women as both authors
Sample Paradoxes
and readers.
1. “Change is the only thing constant.”
- Samuel Langhorne Clemens (Mark Twain)
introduced renowned literary masterpieces 2. “Here are the rules: Ignore all rules.”
namely Tom Sawyer (1876) and Adventures of 3. “I must be cruel to be kind.”
Huckleberry Finn (1884). 4. Ma’am Abby is a wise fool.
5. To be lonely is not lonely.
Selected Literary Devices 6. The heartbroken shut his eyes so that he
Literary Devices could see.
- used by writers to take their masterpieces 7. “I can resist anything but temptation.
beyond literal meanings
- It empowers the reader to perceive and
interpret the world in new ways.
- They set Literature apart from other
disciplines and make it uniquely powerful and
beautiful.

a. Euphemism
- used to tone down something unpleasant,
taboo, or embarrassing.
- This is used to observe politeness and
discretion mostly to subjects such as getting
old, death, sex, aging, and the like.

Sample Euphemisms
1. He was tempted to watch adult entertainment
every night.
2. They say that Balibago, Angeles is the home
for night angels or garden tool mamas.
3. Some politicians are often economical with
the truth during seasons of the campaign.
4. Developmentally delayed people are kept in
mental hospitals.
5. He said, Netflix and Chill, but she doubted.
6. A college student is most probably on a tight
budget during this time of the year.
7. It’s fun to “mine” pre-owned items presented
on Facebook lives.
8. The senior citizens are the backbone of a
community.

b. Paradox
- This seems to contradict itself, but upon
which, further examination, contains some
kernel reason or truth.
- This is NOT an Oxymoron