Pre-Advanced Placement English 3-4, 2017-2018
Joseph A. Gregori High School
Congratulations on completing your first year of high school; you are probably looking forward
to your second!
To prepare for next year, you are assigned to read one of the earliest texts of the English
language: The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer. You are encouraged to acquire this text
for annotation. If possible, acquire the text I use (ISBN: 978-0-14-042438-6; this is the edition
our school bookroom carries).
1. The Canterbury Tales annotations (due first day of school, 14 August 2017) (25pts):
Read and annotate the novel. Take special consideration with the following topics: 1)
ambiguity; 2) morality; 3) love and romance; 4) chivalry; 5) social status; 6) social expectations;
7) gender roles (masculinity & femininity); 8) satire; 9) irony (situational & dramatic); 10) the
estates (those who fight, those who pray, and those who labor); 11) comedy.
Your book (or double entry journal) will be collected on the first day of school and your teacher
will expect to see at least 200 solid annotations. To receive full points, you should annotate the
entire novel, even if you have 200 annotations 3/4s of the way through the novel.
2. Essay (due on Schoology the first block day, 17/18 August 2017) (50pts):
In a well-developed essay, answer the following prompt. Your essay MUST include: introductory
paragraph, minimum two (2) body paragraphs but no more than four (4), and a conclusion
paragraph. DO NOT MERELY SUMMARIZE the text; while some summary is necessary, it should
not be the focus of your essay. Instead, analyze the text in response to the prompt. As a result,
textual evidence is required to receive an above-average score. Make sure to cite your evidence
in MLA style.
Prompt: During his life in the 14th century CE, Geoffrey Chaucer wrote about Medieval life in his
poetic masterpiece The Canterbury Tales. In it, he discusses several topics, and incorporates
humor to convey a message about each particular estate. Consequently, the tales come with a
sense of irony, humor, and satire. To what extent is Chaucer’s work a satire on Medieval life?
Consider the following questions: Which tale provokes the most humor and provides the most
satirical content? What is Chaucer satirizing? What is the purpose of the satire?
Note: Plagiarism is when you pass someone else’s work as your own. Plagiarism is also when
you do not properly cite references. Do not plagiarize. Plagiarized essays will result in a zero
grade on the assignment.
3. Journal of literary devices (due first day of school 14 August 2017)(25pts):
Your job is to create a composition book of literary devices. We will use this book throughout
the year, so make sure you get a composition book that has 100 sheets. However, you could
potentially use regular college ruled paper for this assignment, but since we will use it
throughout the year a composition book is ideal.
The book should have a TABLE OF CONTENTS. The first fifty (50) pages of the book should be
dedicated to the terms listed in this assignment. Each term should have its own separate page.
You may format and decorate each page as you wish, but they should contain the following: 1)
term and its definition; 2) an image that you associate with the literary term; 3) an example
from literature you have personally read; 4) ample room to add throughout the year from
various texts we read. Note: Do not write on the back pages of your composition books; use
only the front.
The following terms are as follows:
1. Literary analysis
2. allusion
3. apostrophe
4. assonance
5. consonance
6. archetype
7. aside
8. atmosphere
9. ballad
10. blank verse
11. chorus
12. couplet
13. dynamic character
14. denotation
15. dialect
16. figurative language
17. foil
18. foot (poetic device)
19. free verse
20. hyperbole
21. inference
22. irony (dramatic)
23. irony (situational)
24. irony (verbal)
25. lyric
26. meter
27. metaphor
28. paradox
29. monologue
30. narrative
31. parody
32. parable
33. persona
34. personification
35. realism
36. rhythm
37. satire
38. stock character
39. symbol
40. symbolism
41. tone
42. tragic hero
43. antiquity
44. Anglo-Saxon
45. Medieval Period
46. Renaissance
47. Neo Classical
48. Romantic
49. Victorian Period
50. Modern Period
Note: The Modesto City Schools Passport to Literature has the following information regarding
The Canterbury Tales for parent notification: “The General Prologue and tales from Chaucer’s
fourteenth-century classic reflect all social classes of English medieval life joining together to make a
pilgrimage to Canterbury Cathedral. Some tales contain ribald humor.” For more information, please
email Mr. Salazar no later than 25 May 2017.
If you have any questions, you may email Mr. Salazar. His email address is as follows:
[email protected]
Have a great summer and happy reading!!!