Prefixes

Prefixes are syllables which add on to the start of a word to change its meaning.
Usually you tack them on without any alteration: dis + appear = disappear 
Keep any double letters that result: dis + satisfaction = dissatisfaction

Common prefixes are: dis, un, mis, re, al (not all), pre, bi, semi, tri, ex, inter, post, trans

Some prefixes change their first letter to make the words easier to pronounce:
in + legal + illegal   in + mature = immature   sub + fix = suffix

Oral narration in The Canterbury Tales

We encounter this in literary study of The Canterbury Tales and it is important to recall that the frame narrative (the pilgrimage) implies that the stories are heard by listeners. Also the Tales would be taken in by ear if someone read aloud to an audience from one of the expensive texts available. This affects the composition as more blatant effects are needed, such as the narrator stating clearly when he or she is about to change the topic.
For detailed analysis of many of the Tales, visit my website Classics of English Literature also hyperlinked from this page.

Intertextuality

Intertextuality occurs when one text refers to another either openly or by suggestion. John Fowles' The French Lieutenant's Woman is the richer if the reader thinks of Jane Austen's Persuasion as a forerunner.

OCCUPATIO

Occupatio is a rhetorical device in classical and medieval literature whereby the narrator states that he/she will not tell the reader/listener something. This has the effect of shortening the story but there is a false yet skilful usage when the teller says the detail will not be related and then proceeds to give it as in: "I will not describe what they ate at the feast, the plump fowl, the succulent venison, the steaming puddings ...." Whilst the listener is reassured he will not be bored, he is absorbing the full account and the device is important in oral narrative.

METER and METRE

Both these words are concerned with measuring.
A meter is the object that counts how much gas or electricity etc you have used.
Metre is the method of making sure that each line of a formal poem is the right length and rhythm. To help you to remember the spelling, think of the term metrical poetry.

ANALYSING A POEM

You may be asked to analyse ("appreciate" or "criticise" mean the same) an unseen poem out of context.
Here are some aspects you could comment on:
1) Topic and theme: the topic is the obvious subject (a vase of flowers) and the theme is the more abstract idea conveyed by it (the transience of life).
2) Speaker and audience: is there an evident personality or persona writing the poem and/or a specific audience?
3) Imagery: use of metaphor, simile and symbol
4) Verse form: sonnet and blank verse are the main types you should recognise. If not, note the rhyme scheme and rhythm.
5) Diction/lexis/vocabulary: notice any contrasts such as colour, the prevalence of a part of speech such as verbs, repetition, conversation, clusters of words with similar references, use of several monosyllables and overall register, whether formal or colloquial.
6) Sound effects: alliteration, assonance, onomatopoeia
7) Tone (irony etc) and mood (emotional atmosphere).
Always relate your findings to the local or total effect
A useful book defining technical terms is: The Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms by Chris Baldick
Many are explained elsewhere on this blog.

FLOUT AND FLAUNT

These two words are often confused, possibly because both have a sense of impudence about them.
Flout is used when rules or the law are broken in an obvious fashion: She flouted the dress code of her office by wearing jeans.
Flaunt means to show off as in: "If you've got it, flaunt it."