《英美文学选读》笔记(简单版)
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Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822) 1792 Shelley was born in an aristocratic family. He was educated at Eton. 1810 18y, he went to Oxford Uni. He attacked war and glorified heroes and heroines of the French revolution. 1811 While in Oxford, he published The Necessity of Atheism in which he doubted the existence of God. As a result,he was expulsed by the university and his conservative father deprived him the heir of Barony and fortune. He went to London where he met Harriet Westbrook who was much younger than him and also came from an aristocratic family. They eloped to Scotland. Poverty finally separated the couple. 1814 He fell in love with Mary Wollstonecraft (daughter of Godwin) and eloped with her to Italy. In Italy, he met Byron with whom he kept a solid friendship. 1816 Harriet committed suicide. Shelley's political enemy attacked him an immoral man. 1818 He exiled himself to Italy and spent the rest of his life there. 1819 Peterloo Massacre happened in Manchester. The event marked a turning point in Shelley's view. Before that, he thought that workers should take up weapons and fights. After the event, he thought they should. Working class's resistance and anti-oppression became a constant theme of him. 1822 At the age of 30, he drowned in a small boat along the coast of Italy. Shelley's Major Works 1813 Queen Mob shows Shelley's social philosophy. 1. He criticizes the rising capitalism and the feudal society. 2. He defends the rights of the labor against their exploiters and oppressors. 3. The story is a fairy tale dream. It's an optimistic poem. Through Queen Mob's words, Shelley shows his philosophy. It's a revolutionary poem in which Shelley declares war on the injustice and violence of the world. (Shelley is a revolutionary poet.) 1819 Prometheus Unbound Prometheus is a god in Greek myth, who steals fire from heaven to help human. Zeus punishes him by hanging him on a cliff and sending eagles to bite his flesh. Aeschylus's Prometheus Bound described how Prometheus steals the fire and his sufferings. At the end, Prometheus reconciled with Zeus. Prometheus Unbound. In Shelley's work Prometheus doesn't comprise with authority (Zeus)。
英美文学选读笔记+考题Lecture 1 William Shakespeare1. Introduction of the course(1) This course is called Selected Readings in English and American Literature, a compulsory course for you. It will be finished in 12 weeks. And in each week we'll meet each other two times.(2) In this course, you will have to read some original works taken from English and American classics. It may be a little bit difficult for you. However, it's also a chance for you to know some great treasury in world literature and I'll help you understand them.(3)Comparing with the literary history courses, this course mainly focuses on original productions. The course book is a nice one with classical works and detailed notes.(4) For the final test, 10% will be decided by your attendance, 20% by your homework and 70% by the test paper. About the homework, after we finish each writer, I'll give you a name list of recommended works written by the writer. In the whole semester, you should choose at least one piece of English writer's works and one piece of American writer's works recommended by me. And then you should write a small paper on the piece of works you chose. That means you should turn in two papers in the whole semester.(5) A very important suggestion: preview the productions before the class; otherwise it'll be very difficult for you to catch me in the class.2. William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616)(1) Historical BackgroundA. Queen Elizabeth I: a powerful England with the fast development of capitalismB. Renaissance: an intellectual movement sprung first in Italy in the 14th century and gradually spread all over Europe. Two features are striking of this movement. The one is a thirsting curiosity for the classical literature. Another is the humanism, which means the new feeling of admiration for human beauty and human achievement.C. Shakespeare lived in such a period and also such a period made him the most famous and most important English writer.(2) Life(Read paragraph 1 and 2 on page 1 after class. These two paragraphs are the introduction of the great writer's life.)A. His complete works include 37 plays, 2 narrative poems and 154 sonnets.B. He is mainly famous for his great plays, especially the outstanding "Four Great Tragedies". ("Hamlet", "King Lear", "Othello" and "Macbeth") He is also the author of some other famous plays, such as "Romeo and Juliet", but today we'll learn the excerpt from one of his great comedies - "The Merchant of Venice", which we'll talk about a little bit later.C. Shakespeare's sonnets are also very good. We'll first introduce Sonnet 18, the most famous sonnet written by Shakespeare.(3) Sonnet 18A. A sonnet is a lyric poem consisting of a single stanza of fourteen iambic pentameter lines linked by an intricate rhyme scheme. It was introduced to England from Italy by Sir Thomas Wyatt and Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey. (It is a very popular poem form and used widely in English literature. In the Elizabeth era, Edmund Spenser was also famous for his sonnets. And later, John Milton, Byron and Keats all contributed excellent sonnets.)B. Though the sonnet is a fixed form, but the rhyme scheme of the sonnet is not fixed. (few minutes for students to find out this poem's rhyme scheme.)Answer: abab cdcd efef gg. This is a typical rhyme scheme used by Shakespeare in all his sonnets.C. Explain the poem sentence by sentence.temperate: moderate or mild; rough winds: strong winds; darling: lovely; lease: 租约;complexion: appearance; dim: darken with cloud; brag: boast;D.(discuss) Theme: expressing the deep love to his friend(4) The Merchant of VeniceA. Famous comedy written by Shakespeare in his youthB. Setting: Venice, the Middle AgeC. Characters: Bassanio, Antonio, Shylock, Portia (let students discuss the characters)Portia: Shakespeare's ideal woman, beautiful, intelligent, cultured, gracious, independent, a daughter of RenaissanceShylock: most successful character, a Jew, a greedy and merciless usurer and also a victim of racial discrimination and religious persecution (sympathy)D. Plot: Read the introduction from P3 to P4.E. (Discuss)Theme: Mercy wins over malice.F. The selection is the most famous scene of the whole play and also the climax of the play. (Ask students to read it thoroughly after the class.) In the class, we'll learn a short part taken from the scene. (P10 to P11, the famous statement about mercy made by Portia)G. (the last but not least) form of the play: verse drama written in blank verse mostlyblank verse: unrhymed iambic pentameter. Soon after blank verse was introduced by Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey in his translation of Virgil's works, it became the standard meter for Elizabethan and later poetic dramas and some poets, such as John Milton, also employed this form to write their long poems.(5) Recommended ReadingSonnet 29; Sonnet 73; Sonnet 116; Four great tragedies; Romeo and Juliet; A Midsummer Night's Dream3. Homework1. Preview the next chapter about John Milton.2. Find out the form and rhyme scheme of the poem "To Cyriack Skinner" on P23.Lecture 2 John Milton (1608 0 1674)(Comparing with William Shakespeare, few people read his great productions today. However, he is also a classical writer in English Literature.)1. Historical Background(Discussion: Any important event happened during Milton's life time in Britain )English Bourgeois RevolutionThe conflicts between King (James I and then Charles I) and the ParliamentProfound conflicts: the Old Feudalism and New CapitalismIn religion: The Anglican Church and the PuritanThe consequence of those contradictions: the Civil War (1642 - 1649)The King was executed in 1649 and monarchy was abolished.Oliver Cromwell's dictatorship (1649 - 1660)The Restoration: Charles II and then James IIGlorious Revolution (1688)2. Lifeborn in a rich and cultured family - handsome and hardworking - graduated from Cambridge University and got master degree - six years' private study and the most knowledgeable poet in Britain - writing pamphlets for the Commonwealth - blind in 1652 - arrested and fined after restoration - produced three great poems in plain lifeMost important works - three great poems: Paradise Lost (1667); Paradise Regained (1671); Samson Agonistes (1671) (poetic drama)Besides three great poems in his late years, he also wrote some excellent sonnets including the one we'll learn today.3. To Cyriack Skinner(Ask the questions of homework) (Answer: Sonnet; abba abba cdcdcd)(1) Form: Sonnet(2) Rhyme scheme: abba abba cdcdcd (different with William Shakespeare's sonnets)(3) Explain the poem sentence by sentence(4) (Discussion) Theme: the author's positive attitude towards his blindness (another sonnet on blindness seems more discouraged.)4. Paradise Lost (《失乐园》)(1) Milton's masterpiece; greatest epic written in the English language*epic(史诗): it is a long verse narrative on a serious subject, told in a formal and elevated style, and centered on a heroic or quasi-divine figure on whose actions depends the fate of a tribe, a nation, or the human race. Notice the differences between traditional epics and literary epics. Paradise Lost is a literary epic.(2) It's a long epic including 12 books. The plot is taken from the Old Testament of Holy Bible.*Holy Bible对于理解西方文化最重要的经典,分为《旧约》(The Old Testament)和《新约》(The New Testament)两部分,这两部分写于不同的时期,而且使用的文字不同,《旧约》主要用希伯莱语写成,《新约》则用希腊文写成.圣经最早曾被翻译成希腊文,然后是拉丁文,在欧洲各国通行.《圣经》英译始自8世纪,但各种版本都不算通行,直到Martin Luther宗教改革之后,1611年出现的Authorized Version至今通行,对英国的语言和文学影响极大.推荐阅读英文版《圣经》节选或房龙《圣经的故事》中文版.Plot: (paragraph two on P24) revolt of Satan and some other angels 0 their defeat and throwing into the Hell 0 temptation of Adam and Eve 0 expulsion of Adam and Eve(3) Theme: "to justify the ways of God to man" (submission to the Almighty) (Discussion: Is this the real theme of the poem )Real theme: praising the rebellious spirits against the despot(4) CharacterizationGod: the despot, selfish, cruel and unjust (King of Britain)Satan: real hero, dare to revolt against the despot, persevering but not discouraged after the failure (Republicans including Milton)(Milton is a pious Christian. This epic is the production of the conflicts between his religious belief and political belief. )(5) (P26 Learn a short excerpt from Paradise Lost) Form: blank verse(6) Explain the excerpt sentence by sentence.(7) (Do you think John Milton's works difficult ) Miltonic style: to express the sublimity of thought, sonority, eloquence, majesty and grandeur style(Latin words and Latin sentence structure, inversion, archaism, long sentence and mostly formal words, thus the style formed and his English rather difficult)5. Recommended ReadingJohn Milton's two sonnets: On his blindness; On his deceased wife6. HomeworkPreview the next chapter including the life of Daniel Defoe, the introduction of Robinson Crusoe and the excerpt Chapter VIII from P33 to P37.Lecture 3 Daniel Defoe (1660 0 1731)(He is a very famous novelist around the world because of his popular novel Robinson Crusoe.) 1. Historical Background(1) Comparing with the 17th century, the 18th century is a period for peaceful development.(2) The constitutional monarchy has been set up by parliament in 1688. After the Glorious Revolution, the monarch was deprived of ruling power and in his place Parliament became the actual leader of the country. The Tory and the Whig, as two major parties in England, competed with each other in politics. (Discussion: What do you know about the Whig and the Tory )* 辉格党(Whig)和托利党(Tory)是17世纪末在英国出现的两个正在形成中的政党.1679年,当议会讨论詹姆士公爵(即后来的詹姆士二世)是否有权继承英国王位时,议员们展开了激烈争论.赞成的人被对方称为"托利",反对的人则被对方称为"辉格".渐渐地,双方各自都以此自称.后来,双方的观点都发生了变化,辉格党对君主不再持完全的否定态度,因为"光荣革命"后英国君主的权力已经受到种种限制;托利党也逐渐改变了坚决拥护专制君主制的立场,因为他们几次恢复旧王朝的企图都因遭到了大多数人的反对而失败.久而久之,国王发现,无论是辉格党还是托利党,当其中一个在议会中占多数时,就最好任命这个党的成员为内阁大臣,内阁就不会同议会闹矛盾.18世纪上半期,辉格党在政治上占优势,是议会多数党,故此,辉格党执政近半个世纪.18世纪后半期,托利党才得以执政.工业革命以后,两党的主张发生一些变化.大约在19世纪30年代,托利党改称保守党(Conservative),辉格党改称自由党(Liberal).不过在现在的英国自由党的势力已经衰落了,现在英国的两个主要党派是保守党和工党,英国现任首相布莱尔即是来自工党(Labor Party)的.(3) England grew from a second rate country to a powerful naval country in this century. In a series of wars, England proved her power of naval force.(4) (Discussion)With the ascent of the bourgeoisie cultural life had undergone remarkable changes:A. Political writing: depending on patrons to working for either party in order to help them win more votes;B. Newspapers and journals: for parties and also for the rising middle classC. Due to the development of science and philosophy, (Issac Newton) reason rather than emotion played a more important role in the age. Thus the age was called the Age of Reason. Church's influence was greatly weakened.(5) The rise of the English novel①The modern European novel began after the Renaissance, with Cervantes' "Don Quixote". (西班牙,塞万提斯,《唐吉诃德》)②The rise and growth of the realistic(现实主义作家,以描写现实生活为主要目的) novel is the most prominent achievement of the 18th century English literature. And from Defoe, the pioneer novelist in English literary history, we will meet several great novelists in the following chapters. (Forerunner of English realistic novels)2. Life (P29 Paragraph 1 and 2)(1) born in a butcher's family; father was a dissenter(2) graduated from a dissenting academy but did not want to be a clergyman(3) once a prosperous merchant; bankrupt and got into a heavy debt(4) writing all kinds of books including political pamphlets and trade books for a living(5) questionable political character because served both parties(6) versatile person contributing a lot to journalism ("The Review"; father of modern journalism) and trade(7) When he was 60 years old, he published Robinson Crusoe and then a series of novels which made him a major novelist in English literary history.3. Major works: Robinson Crusoe; Captain Singleton; Moll Flanders etc. (P30)most important: Robinson Crusoe and Moll Flanders (1722)Moll Flanders: Defoe introduces, for the first time, a lowly woman as the subject of literature. And it anticipates many later novels that take women as the center of attention in order to expose how the social system victimized them. The heroine is a woman living by stealing and cheating. It is also a tradition in English novel but the author's purpose is not showing her tricks. His purpose is satirizing the social system.4. Robinson Crusoe《鲁滨逊漂流记》(1) Background: a real incident; 1704, Alexander Selkirk, a Scottish sailor, was thrown onto a desolate island by the mutinous crew of his ship. He lived there alone for 5 years. Defoe read about his adventures in a newspaper and went to interview him to get first-hand information.The first translation wad done by Lin Shu in 1905 and became quite popular in China.(2) Plot: run away from home →become a sailor →a planter in Brazil →to an uninhabited island because of shipwreck →made a living there all by himself →save a negro named Friday who became his servant →back to England →visit the remote island again and Friday was killedOriginal name of the novel: The Life and Strange Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoea picaresque novel with a little change (main character is different)(3) (Discussion) Robinson Crusoe's characterization: typical of the rising English bourgeois class, practical, diligent, a restless curiosity to know more about the world and a desire to prove individual power in the face of social and natural challenges; shrewd, care about money and good at managing; courageous and intelligent to overcome all kinds of obstacles(4) (Discussion) Theme: praising labor and man's courage and effort to conquer nature, but at the same time he beautifies colonialism and slavery (Friday)(5) (Ask some questions about the excerpt)What is the first thing mentioned in the excerpt done by Robinson (The first paragraph) (keeping his calendar)How Robinson made a home for himself step by step on the remote island(Finding some useful thing from the wrecked ship - making a little pale around his tent - making a hut with the roof - enlarging his cave and making it like a storehouse - making a chair and a table - making large shelves - keep everything in order(6) (Discussion) Style: journalistic truth with many vivid details, simple and plain sentence structure and language, first person point of view, natural order in narration, making the story intimate to the readers and become popular among lower classes5. Recommended Reading: Robinson Crusoe (the complete novel)6. HomeworkPreview the next chapter, especially the Chapter VIII from P50 to P56. Try to answer question 4 and 5 on P59 after your preview.Lecture 4 Jonathan Swift (1667 0 1745)(He is a master satirist famous for his Gulliver's Travels.)1. Life(He lived in the same age with Daniel Defoe, so we needn't introduce the historical background again.)①He was born in a poor family in Dublin, Ireland. His father died before his birth.②He graduated from Trinity College in Dublin but he was a rebellious student there. He didn't want to join the church.③He worked in a nobleman's house (Sir Temple, his distant relative) and it was a bitter experience for him because he was treated as a servant.④He first supported Whig and then Tory and then left the political circle. He was good at political writing and once a very popular character. (Review the introduction of Whig and Tory.)⑤After he left political circle he returned to Ireland and became a dean. He wrote a lot of pamphlets to protest the unjust policies of English government to Ireland.⑥Because of a brain disease, Swift became insane and died miserably.2. Works(Read the first paragraph on P43)①"A Modest Proposal"?Climax of his pamphlets on Ireland?It was a bitter satire and in this small book Swift suggested the poverty of the Irish people should be relieved by the sale of their children as food for the rich. (Irony)?这本小册子除了是对英国政府对爱尔兰的剥削政策的讽刺之外,也是对一些projectors的讽刺,Swift在写这本小册子时就以一个projector(献策者)自居.本文流传很广,是Swift最有名的政论文章,也是历来英国散文选必选之文章.(《英国文学名篇选注》)*Irony(反讽):This term derives from a character in a Greek comedy. In most of the modern critical uses of the term "irony", there remains the root sense of dissembling or hiding what is actually the case; not, however, in order to deceive, but to achieve rhetorical or artistic effects. ②"Gulliver's Travels"(《格列佛游记》)?Background: famous as a book for children but actually an important satirical book; took the form of a travel book because this form was popular at that time?Central character: Lemuel Gulliver, a surgeon on a merchant ship?Four voyages: Lilliput to Brobdingnag to Laputa to the country of Houyhnms (Read the introduction on P43)?(Discussion) Do you think Swift designed these strange stories only for fun(Answer: no, the purpose is making a bitter satire on English politics and other vices in the society at that time.)?(Turn to P50 and see the excerpt) This is a chapter taken from the last part of the book. It is mainly about the country of Houyhnms. In Gulliver's Travels, before each chapter begins, you can find several sentences telling you the main ideas of the chapter.(Answer the question 4 and 5 on P59.)(Discussion) What are the implied ideas the author tried to convey by this chapter(The author believed Reason was very important for human being. If human's desires aren'tcontrolled by reason, human will become disgusting like yahoos one day in the future. Notice the special historical background of the book - Age of Reason.)?(Discussion) Style of Swift's prose: His prose style is simple, clear and vigorous. His famous saying "Proper words in proper places, makes the true definition of a style" influenced a lot later writers.3. Recommended ReadingGulliver's Travels; A Modest Proposal4. HomeworkPreview chapter 6 (P70 A Red, Red Rose) and chapter 7 (P75 London).Lecture 5 Robert Burns and William Blake(Today we will meet two interesting poets. They lived in the later part of the 18th century and each has some special characteristics which make them have a peculiar position in the English literary history.)1. Robert Burns (1759 0 1796) (罗伯特彭斯) (He was called the national poet of Scotland. But he mainly lived a hard life and died when he was only 37 years old.)(*Scotland: 1707 为英格兰吞并,1745发生过大规模反英起义,曾经是一个独立的国家,有自己独特的民族传统,著名电影Brave Heart)(1) Life (Paragraph 1 on P69)A. He was born in a poor peasant family and only received two and a half years of regular schooling.B. He has been a poor peasant for nearly half of his life.C. He had an intimate knowledge of Scottish folk songs and ballads.D. He decided to go to Jamaica to make a living. He published his poem collection for passage money. The collection called Poems Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect became popular soon so Burns cancelled his plan.E. He has been a lower rank official in the rest of his life. And he collected and published lots of Scottish folk songs and ballads but refused any payment.F. He died when he was 37. All his life he lived in poverty and illness.(2) Poems(His poems can be divided into several groups according to their themes.)A. On love and friendship"A Red, Red Rose", "Auld Lang Syne"(友谊地久天长)etc.B. On patriotism"Scots Wha Hae" etc.(3) Sample: "A Red, Red Rose"A. Background: wrote in 1794 and published in 1796, based on a Scottish folk song, a famous English love poemB. (Discussion) Q1: Rhyme scheme of the poemQ2: Who is speaking in the poemQ3: To whom is the poem addressedQ4: What is the theme of the poemC. (Answers) Q1: "ballad meter": in each stanza the odd-numbered lines are iambic tetrameters while the even-numbered lines are iambic trimesters and the rhyme scheme is abcbQ2: first-person "I", a person in love with a girlQ3: the lover, girlfriend of the poetQ4: showing the deep love to the loverD. Explain several difficult points of the poemA Red Red RoseO, my luve is like a red, red rose, (luve即标准英文中的love,这里是苏格兰方言)That's newly sprung in June,(sprung是spring的过去式,发芽的意思)O, my luve is like the melodie,(melodie: sweet music)That's sweetly play'd in tune.(in tune: harmoniously)As fair art thou, my bonie lass,(fair美丽;art thou: are you;bonie lass: pretty girl)So deep in luve am I,And I will luve thee still, my dear,(still: always, forever)Till a'the seas gang dry. (until all seas become dry; a': all; gang: go)Till a'the seas gang dry, my dear,And the rocks melt wi' the sun!And I will luve thee still, my dear,While the sands o'life shall run. (as long as I live; sand指古代计算时间用的沙漏)And fare thee weel, my only luve, (fare you weel也就是farewell or good-bye to you)And fare thee weel, a while!And I will come again, my luve,Tho' it were ten thousand mile! (tho': though)一朵红红的玫瑰(王佐良译)啊!我的爱人像朵红红的玫瑰,六月里迎风初开;啊!我的爱人像支甜甜的曲子,奏的合拍又和谐.我的好姑娘,多么美丽的人儿!请看我,多么深挚的爱情!亲爱的,我永远爱你,纵使大海干涸水流尽.纵使大海干涸水流尽,太阳将岩石烧作灰尘,亲爱的,我永远爱你,只要我一息犹存.珍重吧,我惟一的爱人,珍重吧,让我们暂时离别,但我定要回来!哪怕千里万里!E. (Discussion) Features: using of Scottish dialect; form of folk song and ballad (rhyme scheme and repetition); musical quality; plain but passionate language(4) Recommended Reading"Auld Lang Syne"; "John Anderson, my jo" or some other poems written by Burns2. William Blake (1757 - 1827)(1) Life (Paragraph 1 and 2 on P73)A. born in a poor family in London; received a little formal education on drawingB. first an apprentice of an engraver and later an engraver himself nearly all his lifeC. a pious Christian and died in obscurity and poverty(2) WorksA. Songs of Innocence (1789): pictures of merry nature and innocent children; everything in harmony; only some minor vicesB. Songs of Experience (1794): contrast; pictures of neediness and distress and showed the sufferings of the poor; showing the change of the author's world view and also showing the change of the social background(3) Sample: London (P75)A. (Discussion) Q1: Do you think this poem is taken from Song of Innocence or Song of ExperienceQ2: Did the author love the London described in the poemQ3: What is the rhyme scheme of the poemQ4: What is the theme of the poemB. (Answer) Q1: Song of ExperienceQ2: No. (He once loved London very much and wrote such lines "golden London and her silver Thames" but London gradually degenerated in the poet's heart)Q3: abab; iambic tetrameterQ4: criticizing the dark sides of English society and showing the sufferings of common people (The poem has been called "mightiest brief poem" because it employs only several images to describe some deep-rooted social vices vividly.)C. Explain the poem sentence by sentence.* Chinese version伦敦(王佐良译)我走过每条独占的街道,徘徊在独占的泰晤士河边,我看见每个过往的行人有一张衰弱,痛苦的脸每个人的每声呼喊每个婴孩害怕的号叫每句话,每条禁令都响着心灵铸成的镣铐多少扫烟囱孩子的喊叫震惊了每座熏黑的教堂不幸士兵的长叹像鲜血留下了宫墙最怕是深夜的街头又听年轻妓女的诅咒它骇住了初生儿的眼泪又带来瘟疫,使婚车变成灵柩D. Features: vivid images to make the poem picturesque; short, clear and concise; simple and fresh words; mysterious atmosphere and difficult symbolism in some poemsE. Conclusion: a precursor of Romanticism (pay more attention on inspiration and emotion rather than reason and neat form of the poem)(4) Recommended ReadingThe Chimney Sweeper; The Tyger; Holy Thursday etc.3. HomeworkPreview Chapter 8 (Composed upon Westminster Bridge) and Chapter 12 (On the Grasshopper and Cricket).Lecture 6 William Wordsworth and John Keats1. Age of Romanticism(1) Time: 1798 (publication of Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge) to 1832 (death of Sir Walter Scott)(2) Essence: shift from reason to emotion(3) Historical BackgroundFrench Revolution (1789 Bastille) and American Independence War (1776 win): revolution enthusiasm swept nearly all European countries.Industrial Revolution (end of the 18th century)": great wealth to the rich and worsen the working and living condition of the poor(4) FeaturesA. Subjectivism ("Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings"): poetry expresses poets' minds.B. Spontaneity: opposing rules and regulations, free choice of formC. Enlarging the subject matter: countryside life; supernatural; natural beauty etc.D. Simplicity of languageE. For English literature, it was an Age of Poetry. (lots of famous poets)2. William Wordsworth (1770 - 1850)(1) Life (P79 Paragraph 1 - 4)A. born in a lawyer's family but lost both of his parents when he was youngB. was educated in a school in the beautiful lake district thus developed an interest in natureC. graduated from Cambridge and a supporter of French RevolutionD. gradually grew conservative and became Poet Laureate*lake poets: three poets including William Wordsworth, Samuel Coleridge and Robert Southey; they lived in the Lake District in the northwestern part of England. They were friends and traversed the same path in politics and in poetry.(2) PoemsA. Collection: Lyrical Ballads (1798) (cooperated with Coleridge) (in the Preface proposed some different views on poetry) (mark the beginning of romanticism)B. Two categories according to themeHe is mainly famous for his poems on nature, such as "I wandered lonely as a cloud".He also wrote lots of poems on common people's life, such as "The solitary reaper", "She dwelt among the untrodden way", "We are seven" etc.(3) Sample: Composed upon Westminster Bridge (P82)A. (Discussion) Q1: form and rhyme scheme of the poemQ2: Tell the name of the city and the river described in the poemQ3: What is the theme of the poemQ4: Did the beautiful scenery of the city influence the authorB. (Answer) Q1: sonnet; abba abba cdcdcd (note 1 on P83)Q2: London; ThamesQ3: praising the beauty of the scenery of London in morningQ4: It made the author felt a deep calm. (This can be found from the poem)C. Explain the poem sentence by sentence.*西敏寺桥上人间没有比这更美好的景象,它是那样庄严,又那样辉煌谁能经过它身边而无动于衷这城市此刻批着美丽的晨光像穿着睡衣;坦露而又安详,那些船舶,楼阁,剧院,教堂,直伸向田野,又深入高空一切在明朗的空中熠熠闪光璀璨的朝阳从未这样美丽地照耀过大地上的峡谷和山冈我从未看到或感到这般沉静河水正在欢快的自由流淌亲爱的主啊!万物似在安睡那伟大的心灵也停止了跳荡D. (Discussion) Question 2 on P83(Answer) different social position of the poet; different aspect to observe London(4) Recommended Reading"I wandered lonely as a cloud", "The solitary reaper" or other poems written by Wordsworth.3. John Keats (1795 - 1821)(He was a genius in poem creation but lived a short and tragic life.)(1) LifeA. He was born in a poor family. And when he was very young, both his parents died.B. He had been an apprentice to a surgeon and then assistant in hospital.C. He loved to read poems. After two collections of poems' publication, Keats gave up his career in hospital.D. Because of Keats' friendship with those radical writers such as Hazlitt, Hunt and Shelley, his works were severely attacked by conservative critics.E. All his life time, Keats lived in poverty. And because he took care of his brother who got consumption, he himself was stricken by same kind of disease, which cannot be cured at that time. And because of the disease, Keats cannot marry the girl he loved deeply. All the misery made a shadow in Keats' poetry.F. In 1821, when Keats died in Rome because of consumption, he was only 26 years old.(2) Poems(Keats wrote some nice long poems, but he was mainly famous for his short poems.)①SonnetsKeats' famous sonnets include "When I have fear", "Bright Star", "On First Looking into Chapman's Homer" and "On the Grasshopper and Cricket" and so on.②Odes* Odes: A lyric poem of some length, usually of a serious or meditative nature and having an elevated style and formal stanza structure. 颂诗His famous odes include "Ode to Autumn", "Ode to a Nightingale" and "Ode on a Grecian Urn" and so on.。
Chapter 3 ------------The Romantic Period(英国)Romanticism refers to an artistic and intellectual movement originating in Europe in the late 18th century and characterized by a heightened interest in nature, emphasis on the individual's expression of emotion and imagination, departure from the attitudes and forms of classicism, and rebellion against established social rules and conventions.Historical background:Rousseau’s ideas provided guiding principles for the French Revolution (1789-1794)The primarily agricultural society had been replaced by a modern industrialized one.Political reforms and mass demonstrations shook the foundation of aristocratic rule in Britain.Cultural background1.Inspiration for the romantic approach initially came from two great shapers of thought, French philosopher Jean Jacques Rousseau and German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Rousseau established the cult of the individual and championed the freedom of the human spirit. Goethe and his compatriots extolled the romantic spirit as manifested in German folk songs, Gothic architecture, and the plays of English playwright William Wordsworth.2. The Romantics saw man essentially as an individual in the solitary state and emphasized the special qualities of each individual’s mind. Romanticism actually constitutes a change of direction from attention to the outer world of social civilization to the inner world of the human spirit.3. In the works of the sentimental writers, we note a new interest in literatures and legends other than those of Greece and Rome. It was in effect a revolt of the English imagination against the neoclassical reason.Features of the romantic literature1.Expressiveness: Instead of regarding poetry as “a mirror to nature”, the romantics hold that the object of the artist should be the expression of the artist’s emotions, impressions, or beliefs2. Imagination: Romantic literature puts great emphasis on the creative function of the imagination, seeing art as a formulation of intuitive, imaginative perceptions that tend to speak a nobler truth than that of fact, logic, or the here and now.3.Singularity: Romantic poets have a strong love for the remote, the unusual, the strange, the supernatural, the mysterious, the splendid, the picturesque, and the illogical.4. Worship of nature: Romantic poets see in nature a revelation of Truth, the “living garment of God”.5.Simplicity: Romantic poets tend to turn to the humble people and the everyday life for subjects, employing the commonplace, the natural and the simple as their materials6.The Romantic period is an age of poetry.The Romantic period is also a great age of prose.The major novelists of the Romantic period are Jane Austen and Walter Scott.Gothic novel was one phase of the Romantic Movement. Its principal elements are violence, horror, and the supernaturalWillam BlakePoints of view:1. Politically Blake was a rebel, mixing a good deal with the radicals like Thomas Paine. He strongly criticized the capitalists’cruel exploitation. He cherished great expectations and enthusiasm for the French Revolution and regarded it as a necessary stage leading to the millennium predicted by the biblical prophets.2. Literarily Blake was the first important Romantic poet, showing a contempt for the rule of reason, opposing the classical tradition of the 18th century, and treasuring the individual’s imagination.His works: Poetical Sketches (1783)Marriage of Heaven and Hell (1790)Songs of Innocence (1809)Songs of Experience (1794)1. Songs of Innocence (1809)It is a lovely volume of poems, presenting a happy and innocent world, though not without its evils and sufferings. In this volume, Blake, with his eager quest for new poetic forms and techniques, broke with the traditions of the 18th century. He experimented in meter and rhyme and introduced bold metrical innovations which could not be found in the poetry of his contemporaries2. Songs of Experience (1794)This volume of poetry paints a different world, a world of misery, poverty, disease, war and repression with a melancholy tone. A number of poems from the Songs of Innocence also find a counterpart in the Songs of Experience. The two books hold the similar subject matter, but the tone, emphasis and conclusion differ.ComparisonThe two “Chimney Sweeper”poems are good examples to reveal the relation between an economic circumstance, i.e. the exploitation of child labor, and an ideological circumstance, i.e. the role played by religion in making people compliant to exploitation. The previous one indicates the conditions which make religion a consolation, a prospect of “illusory happiness”; the poem from the latter reveals the true nature of religion which helps bring misery to the poor children.Special features:Fight for freedom, especially for the inner spiritual freedom of the individual, is a major topic in his poetry.Blake writes his poems in plain, simple and direct language. His poems often carry the lyric beautyHe distrusts the abstractness and tends to embody his views with visual images.Symbolism in wide range is also a distinctive feature of his poetry.The Tiger Give brief answers:In what sense can we say The Tiger is a poem about art/This poem is about the artistic creation. The tiger is a real and natural beast, but the image of the tiger is man made. It is the fruit of an artist s imagination .William Blake1. His workshe is a poet and an engraver. He is the first romantic poet.Childhood is central to his concernA. Songs of innocencea. a happy and innocent world, though not without evils and sufferings.b. visionB. Songs of experiencea. A world of miseryb. the nature of religion2. Distinctive featuresA. Visual imagesB. music beautyC. Symbolism in wide rangeWhat does the word "weep " meanHere weep means sweep, it is the child s lisping attempt at the chimney sweeper s street cry.The Tiger is a poem about art, about the adequacy of words and painting. Though the tiger is a real natural beast, the images and myths with which we surround it are the fruits of imagination.William wordsworth(1770-1850)Literary point of viewHe was strongly against the neoclassical poetry. He thought the source of poetic truth was the direct experience of the senses. Poetry originated from “emotion recollected in tranquility”. The most important contribution he has made is that he has not only started the modern poetry, the poetry of the growing inner self, but also change the course of English poetry by using ordinary speech of the language and by advocating a return to nature.Special features:1. Wordsworth is regarded as a ‘worshipper of nature’. He can penetrate to the heart of things and give the reader the very life of nature.2. Wordsworth thinks that common life is the only subject of literary interest. The joys and sorrows of the common people are his themes.His works:1. Lyrical Ballads 1798This collection of poems is generally regarded as the landmark in English literature, for it started a poetical revolution by using the common, simple and colloquial language in poetry. The poems were written in the spirit and in the pattern of the early story-telling ballads. They are simple tales about simple life told in simple style and simple language to express the simple emotions in simple lyricism.2. The Preface to Lyrical Ballads 1802The Preface deserts its reputation as a manifesto in the theory of poetry. He claimed that the great subjects of poetry were “the essential passions of the heart”and “the great and simple affections”as these qualities interact with “the beautiful and permanent forms of nature”.Interpret the poemNature and man come together explicitly in this stanza when the speaker says that his heart dances with the daffodils.The poem moves from the sadly alienated separation felt by the speaker in the beginning to his joy in recollecting the natural scene. The emptiness of speaker s spirit is transformed into a fullness of feeling as he remembers the daffodils.Questions1. Why is lyrical Ballades is regarded as the landmark in English literature2. What is the significance of William Wordsworth s poetryA. two groups of his worksB. themesa. poems about nature the fusionb. poems about human life Lucy poemsC. featuressimple themes drawn from humble life expressed in the language of ordinary peopleNostalgicSamuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834)His points of view:1. Politically he was first an enthusiastic supporter of the French Revolution. In his later period, he was a fiery foe of the rights of man, of Jacobinism. He insisted that a government should be based upon the will of the propertied classes only, and should impose itself upon the rest of the community from above.2. Religiously, he was a pious Christian. He would regard nature, poetry and faith as the source of human restoration.3. Artistically Coleridge thought that art was the medium between man and nature, poetry was the flower of all human knowledge and that the imagination was the means to unite the thoughts and passions. He believed that art was the only permanent revelation of the nature of reality. A poet should realize the vague intimations derived from his unconsciousness without sacrificing the vitality of the inspiration.4. Philosophically and critically, Coleridge opposed the limited and rationalistic trends of 18th-century thought. He courageously stemmed the tide of the of the prevailing doctrines derived from Hume and Hartley, advocating a more spiritual and religious interpretation of life, based on what he had learnt from Kant and Schelling.His literary achievements:His achievement as a poet can be divided into 2 remarkably diverse groups: the demonic and the conversational. Mysticism and demonism with strong imagination are the distinctive features of the demonic group. And the conversational group generally speaksmore directly of an allied theme: the desire to go home, not to the past, but to what Hart Crane beautifully called “an improved infancy”. His poetic themes range from the supernatural to the domesticColeridge is one of the first critics to give close critical attention to language, maintaining that the true end of poetry is to give pleasure “through the medium of beauty”. He sings highly Wordsworth’s “purity of language”, “deep and subtle thoughts”, “perfect truth to nature”and his “imaginative power”.His works:There are as many different interpretations of “Kubla Khan”as there are critics who have written about it. In the criticism of the last 50 years, one may distinguish, broadly, four major approaches to this poem: (i) interpretations of it as a poem about the poetic process; (ii) readings of it as an exemplification of aspects of Colerdgean aesthetic theory; (iii) Freudian analysis; and (iv) Jungian interpretations (Maintaining Jung's psychological theories, especially those that stress the contribution of racial and cultural inheritance to the psychology of an individual.Comment on the whole poem:1. Kubla Khan who ordered a pleasure-dome and elaborate gardens to be constructed in Xanadu, is often viewed as a type of artist. His creation is a precariously balanced reconciliation of the nature and the artificial. The description of Kubla’s palace and gardens illustrates the work of the arranging and ornamenting fancy.2. The poem reveals a dramatic conflict. In the first two stanzas, the poet describes both the marvelous and magnificent palace and supernatural mysteries. The ‘sacred river’that runs through them is the link that connects them. Here, the picturesque landscape is a symbol of life and the dark ‘caverns’are a symbol of death. And the ‘sacred river’runs into infinity of death. In the third stanza, the poet tries to reach a reconciliation of the natural and the artificial by religious spells.3. The spirit of the poem is cool and non-human. One feels no real warmth even in the sunny garden. The poet, who is half-present in the end, is dehumanized behind his mask. In this poem dwells the magic, the “dream”and the air of mysterious meaning. ChristabelPart IIt is the middle of the night by the castle clock, and the owls have awakened the crowing cockTu whit tu whooAnd hark, again the crowing cock,How drowsily it crew.Sir leoline, the Baron rich,Has a toothles mastiff bitchFrom her kennel beneath the rockShe maketh answer to the clockFour for the quarters, and twelve for the hourEver and aye, by shine and shower,Sixteen short howls, not over loudSome say, she sees my lady s shroud.Sir leoline is weak in health,And may not well awakened be,But we will move as if in stealth,And I beseach your courtesyThis night, to share your couch with me.A damsel with a dulcimerIn a vision once I sawit was ……1. What does mount Abora in line five refer to .2. what does this part describeit is a description of one part of the poet s dream in which a young girl is playing a dulcimer and singing. It revels the poet s longingfor a poetic world.3. Questions List his approaches to interpret kubla khanA. The poetic processB. aesthetic theoryC. Freudian analysisD psychological analysisWhat is Coleridge s contribution to English literatureA. assessment a poet , a critic,B. two groups of poemsa. demonic神诋诗------ themes , featuresb. Conversational------ themes , featuresC. writing techniquesa. dreamlike atmosphere, Gothic elements e.g. mysticism, demonismb. compelling conversational powersstructureThe first stanzas are products of pure imagination the pleasuredome of kubla khan is not a useful metaphor for anything in particular, however, it is a fantastically prodigious descriptive act. The poem becomes especially evocative when after the second stanza, the meter suddenly tightens the resulting lines are terse and solid, almost beating out the sound of the war drums. The fourth stanza states the theme of the poem as a whole where the speaker once had a vision of the damsel singing of Mount Abora, and the dangerous power of the vision.George Gordon Byron (1788-1824)Points of view:Politically Byron has a strong passion for liberty and an intense hatred for all tyrants.Artistically, Byron continued in the tradition of classicism that had been advocated by the writers of the Enlightenment in the 18th century.Major worksDon JuanDon Juan is a great comic epic, a poem based on a traditional Spanish legend of a great lover. Byron invests in Juan the moral positives like courage, generosity and frankness, which, according to Byron, are virtues neglected by the modern society.Special features:Byron’s diction, though unequal and frequently faulty, has on the whole a freedom, copiousness and vigor.The glowing imagination of the poet rises and sinks with the tones of his enthusiasm, roughing into argument, or softening into the melody feeling and sentiments.Byron employed the Ottva Rima (Octave Stanza) from Italian mock-heroic poetry.Selected works1. “Song for the Luddites”This is one of the two poems written by Byron to show his consistent support or the Luddites The poet’s great sympathy for the workers in their struggle against the capitalists is clearly shown“The Isles of Greece”(from Don Juan, Canto III)It is among Byron’s most effective poetical utterances on national freedomThis song consists of sixteen six-lined stanzas of iambic tetrameter, with a rhyme scheme of ababcc.1. His works and themesa. Childe Harold s pilgrimage -------a young wanderer questing for freedomb. Don Juan --------a panoramic view of different types of society2. Characterizationthe Byronic hero3. Featuresa. ideas revolt against neoclassical reason, and fight for freedomb. images Byronic heroc. artistic forms comic epicd. innovations ottva rimaA stream sometimes smooth, sometimes rapid and sometimes rushing down in cataractsDon Juan: Dedication1 Bob Southey! You're a poet--Poet-laureate,2 And representative of all the race;3 Although 'tis true that you turn'd out a Tory at4 Last--yours has lately been a common case;5 And now, my Epic Renegade! what are ye at?6 With all the Lakers, in and out of place?7 A nest of tuneful persons, to my eye8 Like "four and twenty Blackbirds in a pye;questions1. What does the tree of Liberty in the poem song for the luddites refer toIt means that the democratic movement of the working people will develop prosperously like a growing tree.2. What is the Byronic heroNarrative poems Political Corruption Religious Hypocrisy Moral degeneracyPercy bysshe Shelley (1792-1822)Major works:Proemtheus Unbound (1819)The play is an exultant work in praise of humankind’s potential, and Shelley himself recognized it as “the most perfect of my products”.The main idea running through this dramatic poem is that of freedom—the freedom of democracy“Ode to the West Wind”(1819)The autumn wind, burying the dead year, preparing for a new spring, becomes an image of Shelley himself, as he would want to be, in its freedom, its destructive-constructive potential, and its universality. The whole poem has a logic of feeling, a not easily analyzable progression that leads to the triumphant, hopeful and convincing conclusion: “If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?”The poem is written in the terza rima form Shelley derived from his reading of Dante.In Defence of Poetry (1822)It is Shelley’s chief work of literary criticism. His emphasis is on the universal and permanent forms, qualities, and values that all great poems, as products of imagination, possess in common.Special featuresHis poetry has a great variety of poetical style. It is sometimes very rich and joyous and full of colors and odors, and sometimes marked by purity and austerity.His poetry is rich in myth, symbols and classical allusions. For him subtleties of diction were the heart and soul of poetry. His verse is particularly rich in terms describing the elements: fire, air, water, wind, and earth.His poetry has a strong dramatic power.His style abounds in personification and metaphor and other figures of speech, which describe vividly what we see and feel, or express what passionately moves us.Selected readings: “Ode to the West Wind”1. The keynote in the poem is Shelley’s ever-present wish for himself and his fellow men to share the freedom of the west wind2. Shelley’s west wind is a symbol of “spirit”, which is a dynamic, universal force that is both destructive and constructive.3. The stanza Shelley invents for this ode is a highly complicated fusion of the sonnet and of terza rima, with a rhythm scheme ofaba bcb cdc ded eeShelley“the heart of all hearts”1. His works and themesa. Men of England ----Against Political oppression and economic exploitationb. Ode to the West Winda. theme Destructive and constructiveb. structure logic,c. form terza rima2. Featuresa. erudite,b. figures of speech e.g. personification, metaphorOde to the west wind by John MansfieldIt’s a warm wind, the west wind, full of birds criesI never hear the west wind but tears are in my eyes.For it comes from the west lands, the old brown hillAnd April s in the west wind, and daffodils.John Keats (1795-1821)Selected reading: “Ode on a Grecian Urn”:1. Main idea:In this poem Keats shows the contrast between the permanence of art and the transience of human passion. The poet has absorbed himself into the timeless beautiful scenery on the antique Grecian urn: the lovers, musicians and worshippers carved on the urn exist simultaneously and for ever in their intensity of joy.The poem can be divided into two parts, with the first 4 stanzas as part I, and the last stanza as part II. In the first part, Keats looks at the urn subjectively; in the second part he looks at it objectively. As a result of both ways of observation, he is finally able to see it as “a friend to man, to whom thou say’st / Beauty is truth, truth beauty.”Comprehension:In the 2nd stanza, the word “therefore”in the second line concludes a poetic argument in which silence, having symbolized the timeless and unmoving, is succeeded by music as an expression of activity and passion.In the 3rd stanza, there is a relaxation of tension, a blurring of the fineness and accuracy of the registration, and a certain hectic and feverish quality, panting, and cloyed, burning and parching, return too sharply and too immediately to the poet’s personal life.The 4th stanza blends the natural word in “green alter”with the traditional piety of ordinary people implicit in the little town and the emptied streets.In the 5th stanza, Keats is seeing the urn as a piece of fine art objectivelyAs a beautiful vase, it lures Keats into an impersonal experience of beauty.Comment on the poemThe poem can be divided into two parts, with the first 4 stanzas as part I, and the last stanza as part II. In the first part, Keats looks at the urn subjectively, i.e. that is the beauty created by the art; in the second part he looks at it objectively, i.e. the urn takes the poet back to reality, the human world of agony.The theme of the poem is the contrast between the permanence of art and the transience of human life.1. His works and themesa. ode to a nightingale contrast between the happy world of natural loveliness and human world of agonyb. ode on a Grecian urn contrast between the permanence of art and the transience of human life2. Features: empathicWilliam Blake ---------visual images, symbolism in wide range William Wordsworth --------simplicitySamuel Taylor Coleridge ------------demonism, conversational powersGeorge G. Byron------------- ideas, images, artistic forms, innovationsP. B. Shelley ----------- erudite, figures of speech John Keats --------- empathicJane Austen (1755-1817)Characterization:Major works: Pride and Prejudice (1813)The novel is noted for its vividly depicted characters of almost all kinds of people of the landed gentry class. The characters reveal themselves gradually in their dialogues or conversation; through their letters –as in the case of Collins and Lydia; and in their actions –Lydia’s flirtatious behavior, Miss Bingley’s neglect and hostility to Jane in London. Characters are revealed by comparison and contrast with others.(i) Wickham serves as a contrast to Darcy by appearing to have all the good qualities, while Darcy really has them.(ii) Miss Bingley looks like, and seems to have the manners of, a lady, while Elizabeth often does “unladylike”things.(iii) Mr. Collins’s courtship of Elizabeth, and then Charlotte, adds comedy to the novel.(iv) Lady Catherine and Mrs. Bennet balance each other in their desire to marry off their daughters and in their respective vulgarities Special features:1. Jane Austen’s main concern is about human beings in their personal relations, human beings with their families and neighbors. She is particularly preoccupied with the relationship between men and women in love.2. She writes within a narrow sphere. The subject matter, the character range, the moral setting, physical setting and social setting, and plots are all restricted to the provincial life of the 19th-century England, all concerning three or four landed gentry families with the trivial incidents of their everyday life.3. Her novels are surprisingly realistic, with keen observation and penetrating analysis. She keeps the balance between fact and form as no other English novelist has ever done.4. Austen uses dialogues to reveal the personalities of her characters. The plots of her novels appear natural and unforced. Her characters are vividly portrayed and everyone comes alive.5. Her language, which is of typical neoclassicism, is simple, easy, naturally lucid and very economical.1. WorksSense and Sensibility Pride and Prejudice2. Story and Themesa. human beings in their personal relationsb. love and marriagec. the provincial life of the late 18th century Englandd. maturity achieved through the loss of illusion3. Features : brought the modern novel to its maturitya. structure deftb. irony sharpc. characterization vividd. style lucidQuestions1. Brief questionMake a comment on pride and prejudicea. storyb. themec. characterizationd. importance2. Topic discussionComment on Jane Austen s literary creation and literary achievementsJane Austen s contribution to English literaturewhy do we say that Jane Austen brought modern novel to its maturity。
Chapter 3 The Romantic Period1. The Romantic Period: The Romantic period is the period generally said to have begun in 1798 with the publication of Wordsworth and Coleridge’s Lyrical Ballads and to have ended in 1832 with Sir Walter Scott’s death and the passage of the first Reform Bill in the Parliament. It is emphasized the special qualities of each individual’s mind.2.Social background:a. during this period, England itself had experienced profound economic and social changes. The primarily agricultural society had been replaced by a modern industrialized one.b. With the British Industrial Revolution coming into its full swing, the capitalist class came to dominate not only the means of production, but also trade and world market.3.The Romantic Movement:it expressed a more or less negative attitude toward the existing social and political conditions that came with industrialization and the growing importance of the bourgeoise. The romantics demontrated a a strong reaction against the dominant modes of thinking of the 18th-century writers and philosophers. They saw man as an individual in the solitary state. Thus, the Romanticism actually constitutes a change of direction from the outer world of social civilization to the inner world of the human spirit.The Romantic period is an age of poetry. Blake, Wordsworth, Coleridge, Byron, Shelley and Keats are the major Romantic poets. They started a rebellion against the neoclassical literature, which was later regarded as the poetic revolution. Wordsworth and Coleridge were the major representatives of this movement. Wordsworth defines the poet as a “man speaking to men”, and poetry as “the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings.” Imagination, defined by Coleridge, is the vital faculty that creates new wholes out of disparate elements. The Romantics not only extol the faculty of imamgination, but also elevate the concepts of spontaneity and inspiration, regarding them as something crucial for true poetry. The natural world comes to the forefront of the poetic imagination. Nature is not only the major source of the poetic imagery, but also provides the dominant subject mattre. It is in solitude, in communion with the natural universe, that man can exercise this most valuable of faculties.Romantics also tend to be nationalistic, defending the great poets and dramatists of their own national heritage against the advocates of classical rules.Poetry: to the Romantics, poetry should be free from all rules.they would turn to the humble people and the common everyday life for subjects.Prose: It’s also a great age of prose. With education greatly developed for the middle-class people, there was a rapid growth in the reading public and an increasing demand for reading materials.Romantics made literary comments on the writers with high standards, which paved the way for the development of a new and valuable type of critical writings. Colerige, Hazlitt, Lamb, and De Quincey were the leading figures in this new development.Novel: the 2 major novelists of the period are Jane Austen and Walter Scott.Gothic novel: a tyoe of romantic fiction that predominated in the late 18th century, was one of the Romantic movement. Its principal elements are violence, horror, and the supernatural, which strongly appeal to the reader’s emotion. With is description of the dark, irritional side of human nature, the Gothic form exerted a great influence over the writers of the Romantic period.3. Ballads: the most important form of popular literature; flourished during the 15th century; Most written down in 18th century; mostly written in quatrains; Most important is the Robin Hood ballads.4. Romanticism: it is romanticism is a literary trend. It prevailed in England during the period of 1798-1832. Romanticists were discontent with and opposed to the development of capitalism. They split into two groups.Some Romantic writers reflected the thinking of those classes which had been ruined by the bourgeoisie called Passive Romantic poets represented by Wordsworth, Coleridge and Southey.Others expressed the aspiration of the labouring classes called Active or Revolutionary Romantic poets represented by Byron and Shelley and Keats.5. Lake Poets:Wordsworth, Coleridge and Robert Southey have often been mentioned as the “Lake Poets” because they lived in the Lake District in the northwestern part of England6. Byronic Hero a proud, mysterious rebelling figure of noble origin rights all the wrongs in a corrupt society, and is against any kind of tyrannical rules; It appeared first in Childe H arold’s Pilgrimage and then further developed in later works as the Oriental Tales, Manfred and Don Juan; the figure is somewhat modeled on the life and personality of Byron himself, and makes Byron famous both at home and abroad.7. Main Writers:A. William Blake(1757-1827):1. Literarily, Blake was the first important Romantic poet, showing a comtempt for the rule of reason, opposing the calssical tradition of the 18th century,and treasuring the individual’s imagination.2. His first printed work, Poetic Skelches, is a collection of youthful verse. Joy, laughter, love and harmony are the prevailing notes.3. The Songs of Innocence is a lovely volume of of poems, presenting a happy and innocent world, though not without its evils and sufferings. The wretched child described in “The Chimney Sweeper,”orphaned, exploited, yet touched by visionary rapture, evokes unbearable poignancy when he finally puts his trust in the order of the universe as he knows it. Blake experimented in meter and rhyme and introduced bold metrical innovations which could not be found in the poetry of his contemporaries.4. The Songs of Experience paints a different world, a world of misery, poverty, disease, war and repression with a malancholy tone. The little chinmney sweeper sings “notes of woe”while his parents go to the church and praise “God & his Priest & King”—the very intrument of their repression. A number of poems in the Songs of Experience also find a counterpart in the Songs of Experience. The 2 books hold the similar subject-matter, but the tone, emphasis and conclusion differ.5. Childhood is central to Blake’s concern in the Songs of Innocence and the Songs of Experience, and this concern gives the 2 books a strong social and historical reference. The two “Chimney Sweeper”poems are good examples to reveal the relation between an economic ciecumstance, i.e. the exploitation of child labor, and an ideological circumstance, i.e. the role played by religion in making people compliant to exploitation. The poem from the Songs of Innocence indicates the conditions which make religion a consolation, a prospect “illusionary happiness;”the poem from the Songs of Experience reveals the nature of religion which helps bring misery to the poor children.6. Blake’s Marriage of Heaven and Hell marks his entry into maturity. The poem plays the double role both as a satire and a revolutionary prophecy. Blake explores the relationship of the contrries. Attraction and repulsion, reason and energy, love and hate, are necessary to human existence. The “Marriage”means the reconciliation of the contraries, not the subordination of the one to the other.Main works: Poetical SketchesSongs of Innocence is a lovely volume of poemsHoly Thursday reminds us terribly of a world of loss and institutional cruelty.Songs of Experience paints a different world, a world of misery, poverty, disease, war and repression with a melancholy tone.Marriage of Heaven and HellThe book of UrizenThe Book of LosThe Four ZoasMilton7. Language Character: he writes his poems in plain and direct language. His poems often carry the lyric beauty with immense compression of meaning. He distrusts the abstractness and tends to embody his views with visual images. Symbolism in wide range is also a distinctive feature of his poetry.B. William Wordsworth(1770-1850) In 1842 he received a government pension, and in the following year he succeeded Southey as Poet Laureate.Lyrical Ballads:But the Lyrical Ballads differs in marked ways from his early poetry, notably the uncompromising simplicity of much of the language, the strong sympathy not merely with the poor in general but with particular, dramatized examples of them, and the fusion of natural description with expressions of inward states of mind.Short poems:According to the subjects, Wordsworth’s short poems can be calssified into two groups: poems about nature and poems about human life.Wordsworth is regarde as a “worshipper of nature.”He can penetrate to the heart of things and give the reader the very life of nature. “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud”is perhaps the most anthologized poem in english literature, and one that takes us to the core of Wordsworth’s poetic beliefs. It’s nature that gives him “strength and knowledge full of peace.”Wordswoth thinks that common life is the only subject of literary interest. The joys and sorrows of the common people are his themes. “The Solitary Reaper” and “To a Highland Girl” use rural figures to suggest the timeless mystery of sorrowful humanity and its radiant beauty. In its daring use of subject matter and sense of the authenticity of the experience of the poorest, “Resolution and Independence ”is the triumphant conclusion of ideas first developed in the Lyrical Ballads.Wordsworth is a poet in memory of the past. To him, life is a cyclical journey. Its beginning finally turns out to be its end. His philosophy of life is presented in his masterpiece The Prelude.Wordsworth deliberate simplicity and refusal to decorate the truth of experience produced a kind of pure and profoud poetry which no othr poet has ever equaled. He maintained that the scenes and events of everyday life and the speech of ordinary people were the raw material of which poetry could and should be made.Main Works:Descriptive Sketches, and Evening WalkLyrical Ballads.The PreludePoems in Two VolumesOde: Intimations of ImmortalityResolution and Independence.The ExcursionPoets: The Sparrow’s Nest, To a Skylark, To the Cuckoo, To a Butterfly, I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud( is perhaps the most anthologized poem in English literature.), An Evening Walk, My Heart Leaps up, Tintern AbbeyThe ThornThe sailor’s motherMichael,The Affliction of MargaretThe Old Cumberland BeggarLucy PoemsThe Idiot BoyMan, the heart of man, and human life.The Solitary ReaperTo a Highland GirlThe Ruined CottageThe PreludeLanguage character: he can penetrate to the heart of things and give the reader the very life of nature. And he thinks that common life is the only subject of literary interest. The joys and sorrows of the common people are his themes. His sympathy always goes to the suffering poor.He is the leading figure of the English romantic poetry, the focal poetic voice of the period. His is a voice of searchingly comprehensive humanity and one that inspires his audience to see the world freshly, sympathetically and naturally. The most important contribution he has made is that he has not only started the modern poetry, the poetry of the growing inner self, but also changed the course of English poetry by using ordinary speech of the language and by advocating a return to natureC. Percy Bysshe Shelley(1792-1822)he grew up with violent revolutionary ideas, so he held a lifelong aversion to crulty, injusticce, authority, institutional religion and the formal shams of respectable society, condemming war, tyranny and exploitation. He realized that the evil was also in man’s mind. Even after a revolution, that is after the restoration of human morality and creativity, the evil deep in man’s heart might again be loosed. So he predicated that only through gradual and suitable reforms of the existing institutions couls benevolence be universally established and none of the evils would survive in this “genuin society,”where people could live together happily, freely and peacefully.Shelley expressed his love of freedom and his hatredtoward tyranny in several of his lyrics. One of the greatest political lyrics is “Men of England.” It is not only a war cry calling upon all working people to risse up against their political oppressors, but an address to them pointing out the intolerable injustice of economic exploitation. The poem was later to become a rallying song of the British Comuunist Party.Best of all the well-known lyric pieces is Shelley’s “Ode to the West Wind”here Shelley’s rhapsodic and declamatory tendencies find a subject perfectly suited to them. The autumn wind, burying the dead year, preparing for a new spring, becoms an image of Shelley himself, as he would want to be, in its freedom, its destructive-constructive potential, its universality. The whole poem had a logic of feeling,a not easily analyzable progression that leads to the triumphant, hopeful and convincing conclusion: if winter comes, can spring be far behind?Shelley’s greatest achievement is his four-act poetic drama, Prometheus Unbound. The play is an exultant work in praise of humankind’s potential, and Shelley himself recognized it as “the most perfect of my products.”Main works:The Necessity of Atheism, Queen Mab: a Philosophical Poem, Alastor, or The Spirit of SolitudePoem: Hymn to Intellectual Beauty, Mont BlancJulian and Maddalo, The Revolt of Islam, the Cenci, Prometheus Unbound, Adonais, Hellas,Prose: Defence of PoetryLyrics:genuine society,“Ode to Liberty”,“Old to Naples”“Sonnet: England in 1819”, The Cloud, To a Shylark, Ode to the West WindPolitical lyrics: Men of EnglandElegy: Adonais is a elegy for John Keats’s early deathTerza rimaPersonal Characters: he grew up with violent revolutionary ideas under the influence of the free thinkers like Hume and Godwin, so he held a life long aversion to cruelty, injustice, authority, institutional religion andthe formal shams of respectable society, condemning war, tyranny and exploitation. He expressed his lo ve for freedom and his hatred toward tyranny in several of his lyrics such as “Ode to Liberty”,“Old to Naples”“Sonnet: England in 1819”Shelley is one of the leading Romantic poets, and intense and original lyrical poet in the English language. Like Blake, he has a reputation as a difficult poet: erudite, imagistically complex, full of classical and mythological allusions. His style abounds in personification and metaphor and other figures of speech which describe vividly what we see and feel. Or express what passionately moves us.D: Jane Austen(1755-1817): born in a country clergyman’s family:Main Works:Novel: Sense and SensibilityPride and Prejudice(the most popular)Northanger AbbeyMansfield ParkEmmaPersuasionThe WatsonsFragment of a NovelPlan of a NovelPersonal Characters: she holds the ideals of the landlord class in politics, religion and moral principles; and her works show clearly her firm belief in the predominance of reason over passion, the sense of responsibility, good manners and clear—sighted judgment over the Romantic tendencies of emotion and individuality.Her Works’ Characters: his works’s concern is about human beings in their personal relationships. Because of this, her novels have a universal significance. It is her c onviction that a man’s relationship to his wife and children is at least as important a part of his life as his concerns about his belief and career. Her thought is that if one wants to know about a man’s talents, one should see him at work, but if one wan ts to know about his nature and temper, one should see him at home. Austen shows a human being not at moments of crisis, but in the most trivial incidents of everyday life. She write within a very narrow sphere. The subject matter, the character range, the social setting, and plots are all restricted to the provincial life of the late 18th century England. Concerning three or four landed gentry families with their daily routine life.Her novels’ structure is exquisitely deft, the characterization in the hig hest degree memorable, while the irony has a radiant shrewdness unmatched elsewhere. Her works’ at one delightful and profound, are among the supreme achievements of English literature. With trenchant observation and in meticulous details, she presents the quiet, day-to-day country life of the upper-middle-class English.G: Questions and answers:1. what are the characteristics of the Romantic literature? Please discuss the above question in relation to one or two examples.a. in poetry writing, the romanticists employed new theories and innovated new techniques, for example, the preface to the second edition of the Lyrical Ballads acts as a manifesto for the new school.b. the romanticists not only extol the faculty of imagination, but also elevate the concepts of spontaneity and inspiration.c. they regarded nature as the major source of poetic imagery and the dominant subject.d. romantics also tend to be nationalistic.2.Make a contrast between the two generations of Romantic poets during the Romantic AgeThe poetic ideals announced by Wordsworth and Coleridge provided a major inspiration for the brilliant young writers who made up the second generation of English Romantic poets. Wordsworth and Coleridge both became more conservative politically after the democratic idealism. The second generation of Romantic poets are revolutionary in thinking. They set themselves against the bourgeois society and the ruling class.3.what are Austen’s writing features?Jane Austen is one of the realistic novelists. Aust en’s work has a very narrow literary field. Her novels showa wealth of humor, wit and delicate satire.4. what is the historical and cultural background of English Romanticism?a. Historically, it was provoked by the French Revolution and the English Industrial Revolution.b. Culturally, the publication of French philosopher Rousseau’s two books provided necessary guiding principles for the French Revolution which aroused great sympathy and enthusiasm in England;c. England experienced profound economic and social changes: the enclosure movement and the agricultural mechanization; the capitalist class grasped the political power and came to dominate the English society.H. topic discussion:1. Discuss the artistic features of Shelley’s poems.A. Percy Bysshe Shelly is an intense and original lyrical poet in the English language.B. His poems are full of classical and mythological allusions.C. His style abounds in personification and metaphor and other figures of speechD. He describes vividly what we see and feel, or expresses what passionately moves us.2. What does Wordsworth mean when he said “All good poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings recollected in tranquility”?This sentence is considered as the principle of Wordsworth’s poetry c reation which was set forth in the preface to the Lyrical Ballads. Wordsworth appealed directly on individual sensations, as the foundation in the creation and appreciation of poetry.3. How do you describe the writing style of Jane Austen? What is the significance of her works?Jane Austen is a writer of the 18th century through she lived mainly in the 19th century. She holds the ideals of the landlord class in politics, religion, and moral principles. Austen’s main literary concern is about human beings in their personal relationships. Austen defined her stories within a very narrow sphere.。
新大纲自考《英美文学选读》笔记总结-背完必过(总65页)--本页仅作为文档封面,使用时请直接删除即可----内页可以根据需求调整合适字体及大小--《英美文学选读》笔记背完必过Part One: English LiteratureAn Introduction to Old and Medieval English LiteratureI Understanding and application: (理解应用)1. England’s inhabitants are Celts. And it is conquered by Romans, Anglo Saxons and Normans. The Anglo-Saxons brought the Germanic language and culture to England, while Normans brought the Mediterranean civilization, including Greek culture, Rome law and the Christian religion. It is the cultural influence of these two conquests that provided the source for the rise and growth of English literature.2. The old English literature extends from about 450 to 1066, the year of the Norman conquest of England.3. The old English poetry that has survived can be divided into two groups: The religious group and the secular one4. Beowulf: a typical example of Old English poetry is regarded as the national epic of the Anglo-Saxons. It is an example of the mingling of nature myths and heroic legends.5. After the Norman’s conquest, three languages co-existed in England. French is the official language that is used by king and the Norman lords. Latin is the principal tongue of church affairs and in universities. Old English was spoken only by the common English people.6. In the second half of 14th century, English literature started to flourish with the appearance of writers like Geoffrey Chaucer, William Langland, John Gower, and othersII Recite: (识记再现)1. Romance:①It uses narrative verse or prose to sing knightly adventures or other heroic deeds is a popular literary form in the medieval period.②It has developed the characteristic medieval motifs of the quest, the test, the meeting with the evil giant and the encounter with the beautiful beloved.③The hero is usually the knight, who sets out on a journey to accomplish some missions. There are often mysteries and fantasies in romance.④Romantic love is an important part of the plot in romance.Characterization is standardized, While the structure is loose and episodic, the language is simple and straightforward.⑤The importance of the romance itself can be seen as a means of showing medieval aristocratic men and women in relation to their idealized view of the world.2. Heroic couplet:Heroic couplet is a rhymed couplet of iambic pentameter. It is Chaucer who used it for the first time in English in his work The Legend of Good Woman.3. The theme of Beowulf:The poem presents a vivid picture of how the primitive people wage heroic struggles against the hostile forces of the natural world under a wise and mighty leader. The poem is an example of the mingling of the nature myths and heroic legends.4. The Wife of Bath in The Canterbury Tales:The Wife of Bath is depicted as the new bourgeois wife asserting her independence. Chaucer develops his characterization to a higher artistic level by presenting characters with both typical qualities and individual dispositions.5. Chaucer’s achievement:①He presented a comprehensive realistic picture of his age and created a whole gallery of vivid characters in his works, especially in The Canterbury Tales.②He anticipated a new ear, the Renaissance, to come under the influence of the Italian writers.③He developed his characterization to a higher level by presenting characters with both typical qualities and individual dispositions.④He greatly contributed to the maturing of English poetry. Today, Chaucer’s reputation has beensecurely established as one of the best English poets for his wisdom, humor and humanity.6. “The F ather of English poetry”:Originally, Old English poems are mainly alliterative verses with few variations.①Chaucer introduced from France the rhymed stanzas of various types to English poetry to replace it.②In The Romaunt of the Rose (玫瑰传奇), he first introduced to the English the octosyllabic couplet (八音节对偶句).③In The Legend of Good Women, he used for the first time in English heroic couplet.④And in his masterpiece, The Canterbury Tales, he employed heroic couplet with true ease and charmfor the first time in the history of English literature.⑤His art made him one of the greatest poets in English; John Dryden called him “the father of Englishpoetry”.【例题】The work that presented, for the first time in English literature, a comprehensive realistic picture of the medieval English society and created a whole gallery of vivid characters from all walks of life is most likely ______________. (0704)A. William Langland’s Piers PlowmanB. Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury TalesC. John Gower’s Confession AmantisD. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight【答案】B【解析】本题考查的是中世纪时期几位诗人作品的创作主题和创作范围。
P3Middle English literature strongly reflects the principles (原则) of the medieval Christina doctrine (中世纪基督教学说) , which were primarily (主要) concerned with the issue of personal salvation (拯救)P4Geoffrey Chaucer is the greatest writer of this period.Chaucer characteristically( 表示特性地) regard life in term of aristocratic ideals (贵族理想) ,but he never lost the ability of regarding life as a purely(纯粹地) practical matter , the art of being at once involved in and detached from a given situation is peculiarly (特有地) Chaucer’sChaucer bore (带有)marks of humanism and anticipated ( 预期的)a new era (时代) to comeIn short, Chaucer develops his characterization (描述) to a higher artistic (艺术的,有美感的) level by presenting characters (引出人物) with both typical and individual dispositions (部署)Chaucer’s reputation (名誉) has been securely established as one of the best English poets for his wisdom, humor and humanityChapter 1Renaissances: The Renaissances which means rebirth or revival, is actually a movement stimulated ( 刺激) by a series of historical events, In essence( 本质上) , is a historical period in which the European humanist thinkers (人道主义思想家) and scholars (学者) made attempt( 努力/尝试) to get rid of ( 摆脱) those old feudalist ideas ( 封建主义) in medieval Europe , to introduce new ideas that expressed the interests of the rising bourgeoisie (新兴的资产阶级) and to recover the purity (纯度) of the earlychurch from the corruption( 腐败,堕落) of the Roman Catholic Church/P7 P8Humanism is the essence ( 本质) of the RenaissanceThomas More , Christopher Marlowe and William Shakespeare and the best representatives of the English humanistWhen Henry VIII declared himself through the approval of the Parliament( 国会) as the supreme (极大的,最高的) Head of the Church of England in 1534 , the Reformation in England was in its full swing ( 高潮)P10The religious reformation was actually as reflection of the class strugglewaged ( 工资 )by the new rising bourgeoisie against the feudal class and its ideology ( 意识形态)The first period of the English Renaissance was one of imitation andassimilation ( 模仿与同化)In the early stage of the Renaissance, poetry and poetic drama were the most outstanding literary forms and they were carried on especially by Shakespeare and Ben JonsonThe Elizabethan drama , in its totally, is the real mainstream( 主流) of the English RenaissanceThe most famous dramatists in the Renaissance England are Christopher Marlowe, William Shakespeare and Ben JonsonP12Edmund Spenserhe was born in London and received good education & left Cambridge in 1576.in 1580, he was made secretary of Lord Grey of wilton. Spenser’s masterpiece(代表作)is the “ Faerie Queene ” is great poem of its age。
英美文学选读第四章笔记Victorianperiod第四章I.Multiple Choice1.Chronologically the Victorian Period refers to 1836~1901從時間上講,維多利亞文學時期恰好與維多利亞女王1836至1901年執政期相吻合,這一時間是英國歷史上最光輝燦爛的時期2.Although wrting from different points of view and with different techniques, writers in the Victorian Period shared one thing in common, that is, they were all concerned about the fate of the common people3.The author of the work“Dombey and Son” is Charles Dickens董貝父子是查爾斯。
逖更斯的作品---小保羅4.In the following figures, who is Dickens?s first child hem?Olive Twist 霧都孤兒中非人道的工廠廠房與黑暗的充滿犯罪的下層生活5.The death-bed scences of little Nell(the old curiosiry shop) and littlepaul(Dombey and Son) are the vivid description by Charles Dickens查爾斯是一位悲情大師,沒有人會忘懷老古玩店中,在病床上奉奉一息的小奈爾和董貝父子中的小保羅6.Which of the following comments on Charles Dickens is wrong?A.Dickens is one of the greatest critical realist writers of the ModernperiodB.His serious intention is to expose and criticize all thepoverty ,injustice,hypocrisy(偽善) and corruptness he sees allaround him狄更斯是偉大的批判現實主義作家,他以揭露抨擊社會的不公,虛偽,腐敗與貧究為已任,一方面他憎恨國家機器,尤其是議會,可另一方面作為城市資產階級作家,他又找不到解決問題的鑰匙,他所能做的隻是保持一咱充滿希望的樂觀主義,正如他前期的小說,或表達一種無助的憤概與反抗,正如他後期的小說C.The later works show the development of Dickens towards a highlyconscious artist of the modern type狄更斯後期的作品都表現出他正在向一個有著高度自覺意識的現代作家發展,塑造的人物都反映了一咱普遍壓抑的社會心理D. A Tale of Two Cities is one of his later works 雙城記7.Do you think, because I am poor,obscure,plain ,and little, I am soul less and heartless?...and If God had gifted me with some beauty, and much wealth, I should have made it as hard for you to leave me, as it is now for me to leave you” the above quoted passage is most probably taken from Jane Eyre難道你認為,因為我窮,默默無聞,不漂亮,個子瘦小,我尌沒有靈魂了嗎?你想錯了!要是上帝賜給我一點美貌和許多財富,我會讓你難以離開我,尌象現在我難以離開你一樣8.The Sentences “And now he stared at her so earnestly thatI thought the very intensity of his gaze would bring tears into his eyes,but they hurned with anguish, they dod not melt ” are found inWuthering Heights by Emily Bronte 艾米麗。
《英美文学选读》笔记,全面归纳9年elf担任造反发言人。
主要的有:《儒林外史》(1794)、《洛书》(1795)。
四祖(1796-1807)无论他想象什么,他也看到了。
作为一个富有想象力的诗人,他用视觉形象而不是抽象的术语来表达自己的观点。
布雷克在平原上写他的诗《怀伊河谷》本身,用一个细节描述了归来的流浪者思想的宁静中心,传达了一种自然秩序的感觉,立刻生动地表现了船停下来的情景;炎热的热带阳光照耀了一整天。
其他水手一个接一个地渴死了,只有水手还活着,一直被口渴折磨着(1595),这首诗表达了诗人第二次婚姻所引起的深刻的个人感情;阿莫里蒂(1595),一系列十四行诗。
理解他的影响spesser诗歌的主要品质(完美的旋律②罕见的美感③精彩的想象力④崇高的道德纯洁它也揭示了人类在敌对的道德秩序中实现崇高愿望的挫折。
最后一个场景,浮士德面临他的厄运,出色地呈现了一些移民到殖民地的恐惧;有些人堕落到农场工人的水平,他是一个无辜的叛逆者,时间的三个统一,建筑的空间规律应该坚持时间的三个统一,建筑的空间规律应该坚持,这本书很快变成了一个开放的道路的伟大小说,一个\史诗般的散文\其主题是\真正荒谬的\人性,暴露在各种各样的约瑟夫悲剧:艾琳(1749);几百篇论文出现在他编辑的两个期刊——《漫步者》,他必须取悦,但他也必须指导;他不能冒犯宗教或宣扬不道德;杜纳(1775),喜剧歌剧;《批评家》(1779),一部滑稽剧《水手的灵魂》中每一个相应的变化都被记录下来。
整个经历是一场极度疲劳的考验。
(2)\可汗\是柯勒律治吸食鸦片后在梦中创作的。
诗人在阅读忽必烈汗的作品时睡着了。
河流、宏伟宫殿的形象\人类想象力的产物是调和对立的装置(诗歌);第12行到第30行是抑扬格五音步,其多样性是多节奏的;第31行到第34行是抑扬顿挫的四步抑扬顿挫,第35行是抑扬顿挫的五步抑扬顿挫。
他悲叹堕落的希腊,表达了他热切的希望被压迫的希腊人民应该赢得他们的自由;他赞美法国大革命,而在大陆上,他被誉为自由的捍卫者,人民的诗人。
第三章I.Multiple choice1.In the history of literature, Romanticism is generally regarded as the thoughtthat designates a literary and philosophical theory which tends to seethe individual as the very center of all life and all experience在文學歷史上,浪漫主義認為個人應是生命及實踐的中心。
我們還可以說浪漫主義是將人們的注意力從外部世界---社會文明移到內部世界---人類自已的精神文明的實質2.The Romantic Period is an age of poetry. Blake ,wordsworth,coleridge,Byron, Shelley and Keats are the marjor poets. Theystarted a rebellion against the neoclassical literature, which was later regardas the peotic revolution浪漫主義是詩歌的時代,代表詩人有布萊克,華茲華斯,科勒律治,拜倫,雪萊及濟慈. 他們發起了對新古典主義的反判,這便是後世所稱“詩人革命”3.In the romantic period, Poetry is the most prosperous 繁榮literary form浪漫主義時代也是詩歌的時代4.in the following writings by William Blake, which marks his entry intomaturity?Marriage of Heaven and Hell天堂與地獄的結合一詩標志著威廉布萊克創作上的成熟, 該詩創作於法國大革命高潮期間,並擔負諷喻與革命預言的兩重角色,在這首詩中,布萊克探索了對立事物之間的關系,吸引與排拆,理智與精力,愛與恨等對立事物都對人類生存有著舉足輕重的作用,布萊克認為生活就是不斷的對立沖突,如給與和索取,善與惡,天真純樸與經驗世故,肉體與精神等,他認為沒有對立的矛盾,就不會有社會與個人的進步,婚姻對布萊克意味著矛盾的調和,並非一方從屬另一方5.The declaration that “ I know that This World is a World ofImagination&Vision” and that “ the Nature of my work is visionary orimaginative” belong to which of the following writingWilliam Blake生活在革命啟示光輝中的布萊克熱切的宣布:“我認為人世凡塵是一個充滿想象與幻想的世界,我的作品也如人世凡塵一樣充滿想象與幻象6.In William Blake’s peotry, the father (and any other in whose he saw theimage of the father such as God&his Priest, &King) was usually a figure oftyranny 專治7.the Lone of literature in “Songs of Experience” by William Blake is doleful經驗之歌描寫了一個充滿苦難,貧窮,疾病與戰爭的世界而天真之歌描寫了一個愉快而純潔的世界,盡管著這世界偶有苦難與罪惡8.William Wordsworth is reagrades as a “worshipper of nature”華爾華茲從少年時代,他就對大自然充滿愛戀, 被稱為“大自然的膜拜者”,我如行雲獨自遊“一詩是英國詩中的奇葩,把我們帶入華茲華斯詩歌宗旨的核心9.Which of the following writings is not created by William Wordsworth?A.I wandered lonely as a cloud 我如行雲獨自遊posed upon Westminster Bridge, September 3,1802 威斯敏斯特橋上有感C.The Solitary Reaper 孤獨的收割者D.The Chimney Sweeper 掃煙窗的孩子william black10.Wordsworth’s short poems can be classified into two groups: poems aboutnature and poems about human life按照主題,華的短詩可以分為兩大類,關於自然的關於人類生活的11.Which of the following poems is a landmark in English Poetry?Iyrical Ballads(抒情歌謠集) by Samuel Taylor Coleridge and WilliamWordsworth科勒律治合作的抒情歌謠集, 革命與獨立則成為抒情歌謠集中成功的結論,這在英國詩歌歷史上也是第一次12.Coleridge’s peoms”the rime of the ancient mariner, christabel and kublakhan are known as Demonic group包括他的三部代表作古航海家之歌,克麗斯特貝爾以及忽必烈汗這些詩歌的顯著特點,便是神秘與想象,詩歌的背景都設在詩人的記憶與夢幻之中,故事的發生,發展與絲毫不受理性的羈絆,這類詩歌的他作目的是將詩人自覺的意識與神的寬恕相調和13.Place me on Sumium’s marbled steep 讓我登上蘇尼姆大理石般的懸崖Where nothingSave the waves and I 那裡隻有海浪與我May hear our mutual murmurs sweep 能聽彼此的喃喃低語掠過There,swan like, let me sing and die 在那裡,象天鵝一樣,讓我歌唱後死亡A land of slaves shall ne’er be mine 一個奴棣的國家永遠不是我的國家Dash down you cup of Samian wine 把那杯薩莫斯的酒摔下These lines are taken fromThe Isles of Greece Byron拜爾的西臘島, 節選自唐璜14.“Don Juan” is Byron’s masterpiece, a great comic epic of the early 19thcentury唐璜是19世紀初斯的著名諷刺史詩15.In his lyrics 抒情詩such as “Ode 頌to Liberty”” Ode to Naples”, PercyBysshe Shelley expressed his love for freedom and his hatred towardtyranny 專治,暴政雪萊對自由的渴望及對暴政的憎惡都體現在詩作中,如自由頌,那不勒斯頌16.Wild Spirit, which art moving everywhere 狂野的精靈,你吹遍四方Destroyer and preserver 毀滅者和保存者,Hear, O hear! 聽啊聽Two lines are found inOde to the west wind by shelley 西風頌,雪萊17.In Shelley’s “ To a Skylark”致雲雀the bird , suspended between realityand poetic image, pours forth an exultant song which suggests to the Poet Both celestial rapture and human limitation18.Shelley’s greatest achievement is his four-act poetic dramaPrometheus Unbound雪萊最有造詣的作品是他的四幕詩劇—解放了的普羅米修斯, 詩劇源於希臘神話及古希臘悲劇家埃斯庫羅斯的劇作“被縛的普羅米修斯”,普羅米修斯為人類的生存盜取天火,被刀神之王宙斯拴縛在高加索山上,飽受折磨,雪萊在序言中指出,他雖然沿用埃斯庫羅斯的情節,卻改變了普羅米修斯與宙斯和解的結局,而是將暴君趕下寶座,換來新生的宇宙天地,詩中普羅修斯與天帝的鬥爭表現了法國大革命失敗後,英國與歐洲資產階級革命家對封建反動勢力的不滿與反抗情緒。
英美文学选读自学笔记English literature前言: 配合该笔记,看看选读的文章,有个大概的印象就行了。
学会对文章进行分析是考查的最终目标。
本人判断力不错,但记忆力不好,考前看了两遍,考了68分。
如果能记下要点,应该会考得更好。
这次考试的40小题选择题我做对了32题。
最后,希望我整理的笔记能提高大家的学习效率,I Old English Literature ----(450―1066)two groups : religious �C-on biblical themes ---- Secular ---- heroic age ---- --- a protector ofpeople ,fight against the nature.II Medieval period ---(1066---14th Century)Fame :1066 Norman conquest ---- three changes―feud alism system established ( politically )--- Catholic Church ( Religiously ) --- French, Latin, English (co-existedlanguage )In comparison with old English literature: (1) wider range of subjects (2) themes concerned with the personal salvation (3) romance love (4) the language is simple and straightforward ?The epic reflects a heroicage ,the romance reflects a chivalric one‘ 骑士Chaucer : 1 titles: the English Homer , the father of English poetry (from),2 verse : first use 'heroic couplet' , realisticpicture of his time , vivid characters from all works of his life , the characters are both typical and individual, his ideas is to pursue earthly happiness, opposed asceticism 禁欲主义, advocate humanism, replacealliterative verse with rhymed stanzas (古英语的押头韵变成中世纪的押尾韵)first use rhymed 'heroic couplet' octosyllabic 八音节诗 3.novel: the first modern novel.III Renaissance (14th―17th)Fame : ① move from feudalist ideas to the interest of rising bourgeoisie.② recover from corruption of the Roman Catholic Church to the purity of the earthly church . England :the reign of Henry VIII -----England?s Golden Age in literature---- Bibles in English instead of Latin readable forcommon people-------- literary giants : Shakespeare, Spenser ,Jonson Sidney,Marlowe ,Bacon ,and DonneThe time of Tudos ---- change monasteries修道院 into schools anduniversities ------ the English Renaissance flourishing-------first introduced printing into England and translatedbooks in English(by William Caxton)Traits of humanistic poetry : meter, rhyme, scheme, imagery and argument should be combined to frame the emotional theme. Poetry was to be a concentrated exercise of the mind , if craftsmanship and of learning. The most famous dramatists : Shakesperar , Ben Jonson, and Marlowe Writers : Wyatt (introduced the Petrarchan sonnet into England)Surrey (brought in blank verse)Sidney (brought in sestina and terza rima)Marlowe(brought mighty lines to the blank verse ) Spenser( pastoral convention )John Donne, George Herbert ( metaphysical poets)Francis Bacon (the first important English essayist, the founder ofmodern science in England)I Edmund SpensorFame: Spenserian Stanza,the poet‘s poet(他的诗节被称为�D斯宾塞诗节‖,他被称为�D诗人中之诗人‖)选读 (Poem)contains 12 books, speaks of 12 virtues of the private gentleman, each of which tells a knight. Arthur―the heros of heros---plays a role in each of the 12 major adventures, serve as a unifying element. The theme is ?Fierce Wares and f aithful loves‘.The knight here symbolized the Church (Anglican) , is the protector of Una (the Virgin) .Una stands for the true religion.Qualities of Spensor’s poetry: 1. a perfect melody (music sense) 2.a rare sense of beauty 3. a splendid imagination 4.a lofty moral purity and seriousness. 5.a dedicated idealism II. Christopher MarloweFame: be regarded as ?University Wits‘. Perfected the blank verse, brought strong emotion into the blank verse. He created the Renaissance hero for English drama. Such a hero is always individualistic and full of ambition. (but his verse is not strong in dramatic construction and women ?s characters are rather pale)Plays: (the name of an ambitious ancient emperor. He rose from a shepherd to an overpowering king through his own effort. By depicting such a great king, Marlow voiced the desire of the man of the Renaissance for infinite power and authority. )选读 (Faustus is longing for knowledge and finally sells his souls to the evil. It celebrates the human passion for knowledge ,power and happiness)affection for his love.)Poetry: (It deprives from the pastoral tradition, in which the shepherd enjoys an ideal country life, cherishing a pureIII. William Shakespeare (1564―1616)Background: from merchant‘s family .父亲是个当地镇里的多面手,有点名气。
《英美文学选读》笔记(简单版)Thomas More: Utopia 《乌托邦》Francis Bacon: Essays 《论说文集》或《随笔》"Knowledge is power"----BaconEdmund Spencer: Faerie Queen 《仙后》"Our sweetest songs are those that sing of saddest feelings."--- SpencerWilliam Shakespeare (1564-1616)1. 23rd, April 1564, Stratford-on-Avon2. His Father, a leather merchant 皮货商3. His school, a local Grammar school for 6 years4. His life, dramatist, actor, poet, proprietor5. His first son, Hamnet6. 4 tragedies: Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth (Romeo and Juliet)7. Main works: 37 plays, 154 sonnets , 2 narrative plays戏剧14行诗叙事诗Titus Andronicus 《泰特斯·安德洛尼克斯》Taming of the Shrew 《驯悍记》The Two Gentlemen of Verona 《维罗纳二绅士》Love's Labor's Lost 《爱的徒劳》A Midsummer Night's Dream 《仲夏夜之梦》King John 《约翰王的生平和逝世》Much Ado about Nothing 《无事生非》The Merry Wives of Windsor 《温莎的风流娘们》Julius Caesar 《朱力叶斯·凯撒》The Merchant of Venice 《威尼斯商人》As you like it 《皆大欢喜》8. Carl Marx: "Aeschylus and Shakespeare are the two greatest dramatic genius the world has ever known."9. His friend: "He does not belong to one time, but belongs to all times."William Shakespeare's writing feature1. A play in the play.2. Borrow plots from other stories such as Roman, Greek and ancient myth.3. Several threads running through the play.4. Combination of tragic and comic elements.William Shakespeare's writing style1. Tremendous vocabulary (16,000 words, invent words)2. Literary devices (alliteration, simile, metaphor)3. Use poetry in his playWilliam Shakespeare's humanistic ideas1. Against cruelty and anti-natural character of civil wars2. Against religious persecution, racial discrimination, social inequality.3. Hates rebellion and despises democracyThemes in Shakespeare's sonnets1. Express love and praise to a young man2. Immortalize beauty through verses3. Friendship or betrayal of friendshipSonnetOrigin: ItalyMost famous and influential sonneteer: PetrachSelected Reading of Shakespeare:1. [P37] Shakespeare's Sonnet 18:a. Ladies in the eyes of Shakespeare are not good and beautiful. His wife is 8 years older than him.b. Iambic pentameterc. Main ideas:i. Quatrain 1: praise the beauty of the young manii. Quatrain 2: changes in life and natureiii. Quatrain 3: "your" beauty will last foreveriv. Couplet: "your" beauty will live in my poem. àImmortalize beauty2. [P39] An Excerpt from The Merchant of Venicea. How does Shylock justify himself according to the accusation of Duke and Bassanio?[P40-41] There are 3 reasons.b. Why does Shylock stick to his bond instead of taking twice his principle?He hates the Christians and is determined to revenge on them because his daughter elopes with a Christian.c. What do you think of Shylock in the early court scene? What about him later?In the early court scene, Shylock is cruel, eloquent, stubborn, tricky, isolated from law and friendship.In the later court scene, Shylock is greedy, sympathetic and oppressed by Christians.d. What is Shakespeare's attitude towards Shylock?He sympathizes those who are oppressed. Antonio is oppressed by Shylock. Shylock is oppressed by Christians.e. The whole play is a tragi-comedy. In the scene, Shylock is the tragic side. Antonio and his friends is the comic side.John Donne (1572-1631)1572 Born in a merchant family1591 Learn law at the Inns of Court in LondonPrivate Secretary to Sir Thomas Egerton, the Lord Keeper of the Great Seal.1601 29y. Married Egerton's niece, Ann More. He worked hard to fight against poverty. However, it's a secret marriage. When the marriage was exposed, he was put into jail. The Egertons regarded the marriage as an offence. 1617 His wife died. He devoted his time and efforts to his priestly duties, writing sermons and religious poems. 1621 Donne was appointed the Dean of St. Paul's and kept the post until his death.John Donne's major work1. Songs and Sonnets, wrote before 1600, 55 love poems.2. The Elegies and Satires, his elegies wrote for love whereas others' wrote for mourning dead people.3. Holy Sonnets & Sermons, Sonnets wrote about God, sexual life, problem of death and life. Sermons are Christian preaching.John Donne is famed for 3 things1. A great visitor of ladies2. A great frequenter of plays3. A great writer of conceited versesAt his time, John Donne was famed as a preacher. Today, he is famed as a lyric poet. John Donne compared parting love to compass, flea compared to the union of lovers. John Donne's conceit can be seen from his "Go catching the falling star" in which he listed many impossible things---the most impossible thing is a woman's faith and heart.Metaphysical poetry--- is commonly used to name the work of the 17th-century writers who wrote under the influence of John Donne. Metaphysical poets--- are the poets in the 17c England who often unconventionally use conceits and wit. The imagery is draw from everyday life. The form is the form of argument (with God, lover, himself). The diction is simple and the language is colloquial but powerful. John Donne is the leading of "metaphysical school".Selected Reading of John Donne1. [P66]The Sun Rising2. [P68]Death, Be not Proud (1)John Milton (1608-1674)1608 Born in London. A Catholic family. His father was both a scholar and a businessman.1620 Educated at St. Paul's School1625 Educated in Cambridge1643 Married a 17y. girl younger than him1649 Appointed Latin Secretary to Cromwell's Council of State1652 Became totally blind. His wife died. He married again.3 periods in John Milton's life1. English revolution1649 Charles I beheaded. Cromwell took the power1660 Restoration. Charles II took the power2. Political ideas: express his political ideas in pamphlets3. Poem: Paradise Lost, Paradise Regained, Samson Agonistes.Paradise Lost is a long epic divided into 12 books. The theme is the "Fall of Man", i.e. man's disobedience and the loss of Paradise.The original story is taken from Genesis. Adam and Eve are originally in innocent spiritual love. They are punished by God because they eat the apple of the Tree of Knowledge seduced by a serpent. Since they eat the apple, they begin to make love. God thinks they are not innocent. They committed sin. God drives Adam and Eve out of Eden.Satan is punished by God to suffer from fire. He knows that he can't win God by power, so he wins God by cheating. He seduced Eve to eat the apple.In Paradise Lost, Satan is the rebel who never bows down to God even when he failed. He is a good military leader. He refuses to acknowledge the power of God. He is determined to continue the battle. He feels sorrow at the sufferings of those angels. He has led to so terrible a punishment, but he is very cruel. He has indomitable pride, unconquerable rebellion, and the will to evil and power. He said, "Only do evil, no good". He tries to be as equal as God.Selected Reading of John Milton1. [P73] An Excerpt from Paradise LostChapter 2 The Neoclassical Period (1600-1798)The age of reason and enlightenment. It's a turbulent period.1660 The Restoration1665 The Great Plague --- Black Death. 70,000 died, 2/3 homeless.1688 The Glorious Revolution. James II exiled abroad. The persecution of Protestants. James II's daughter Marry and her wife William turned back to England as figurehead (King and Queen) without power. Power was in the Parliament. England became the first capitalist country with Constitutional monarchy, which marked the end offeudal society.1798 The publication of Lyrics by WordsworthIndustrial Revolution --- at the 2nd half of 18cPreparations for the revolution1. money --- by trading companies, e.g. East India Company--- by money investment2. goods, materials --- colonies, e.g. India, North America3. manpower --- "Act of Enclosure". The landless and homeless peasant began to work in cities--- the invention of textile machineIn the revolution, Bourgeois (middle class) became the main class in the society. Bankers, landlords, slave traders, merchants, colonists controlled the economy of the country at the time. They believed in self-reliance and hard working.The Giants of the Enlightenment Movement:Voltaire 伏乐泰, Mosteiqeu 孟德斯鸠, Dierot 狄德罗, Rousseau 卢梭.Gothic Novel1. Content: magic, supernatural elements, ghosts, monsters.2. Setting: old castle, graveyard, dark forest3. Atmosphere: horribleJohn Bunyan (1628-1688)1628 Born in a poor tinker's family. He received little education in a GrammarSchool1647 Married a Christian woman and became interested in Christianity.1660 Bunyan began to preach, but he didn't have a preaching license so he was put into jail for 6 years.1665 Great Plague in England, he was released from jail. Few months later, he was in jail again for another 6 years.1672 Declaration of Independence, he was released again.1675 His license of lay preacher was temporarily cancelled and he was in prison again.Throughout his life, he only read one book the Bible. His most famous work is The Pilgrim's Process.Bunyan's purpose of writing The Pilgrim's Process1. Urge people to abide by Christian doctrine2. To seek salvation through struggling with his own weakness and social evilsThe content of The Pilgrim's Process is about Christianity. The title means "life is a journey". It's a metaphor. Form of The Pilgrim's Process: Allegory1. A story in verse or prose with double meanings or meanings at two levels.2. Higher lever - concerning moral, religious, or political ideas. Lower level - your understanding of the story.3. Main characters in the story Christian, Faithful, Hopeful.4. The description of the story is realistic religious allegory.Selected Reading of John Bunyan: [P85]"The Vanity Fair" from The Pilgrim's ProcessWhy "The Vanity Fair" is a satire on the ruling class of Egnland?1. It's a symbolic picture of London at the time of Restoration2. In Vanity Fair, everything can be sold and bought, daily necessities, but also honor, kingdom, lust, pleasure and even lives.3. Evil things such as cheating, roguery, and adultery are normal in the Vanity Fair where there is no moral. It's a satire of the non-moral English ruling class.4. Faithful is put to death for his despising of the Vanities. It's a parallel of Bunyan's experience of imprisoned for preaching.John Bunyan's writing style --- moded after the BibleLanguage --- easy to read, colloquial, concrete and conciseForm --- allegorical form, realistic, true to life.Alexander Pope (1688-1744)1688 Born in the year of Glorious Revolution in a merchant Roman Catholic family.Because of his ill health, he didn't go to university. He received his education from a learned preacher. Because he is a Catholic, he can't do thing for the government.Pope is a deformed person. He suffered severe illness in his childhood.Illness accompanied him throughout his life.Alexander Pope's major work1711 An Essay on Criticism. The poem is a manifesto of English neoclassicism. It's expressed Pope's aesthetic theories of poetry. The poem is divided into 3 parts with 744 lines.Part I: bewailing the lack of true taste in critics; praising the ancients likeHomer, VirgilPart II: enumerating dangers of criticism; referring to literary scene of his dayPart III: giving rules for criticism; tracing the history of literary criticism.The poem is a comprehensive study on literary criticism. It was written in heroic couplet as Pope is a master in heroic couplet.Heroic couplet is 2 lines with the same rhymes, same length. 10 syllables, 5 stressed, 5 unstressed. Heroic couplet was first used by Chaucer.1712 The Rape of Lock is based on a real event. Bellina is as beautiful woman as a Goodness. She is admired by all the people around her, esp. a young man name. A Baron cut a small amount of Bellina's hair. In Bellina's opinion, it's an offence. Baron just cut her hair for fun and admiration. So hatred is aroused between the two families. They become enemies. In this poem, Pope satires the idle, meaningless life of middle-class people. 1728 The Dunciad is consisted of 4 books. It's the best satire of Pope. It's a very famous satirical poem about against personal enemies. Pope tries to attack on all personal enemies.1733-34 An Essay on Man. Pope gained his fame as a poet. It includes 4 epistles (letters). People review his philosophical and political views as an enlgitener.Selected Reading of Alexander Pope: [P93] An excerpt from Part 2 of An Essay on Criticism.Daniel Defoe (1660-1731)He was born in a butcher's family (wealthy but low social status). Defoe never went to university, but received good education in a Dissenting Academy. Defoe has two interests: interest in business and interest in politics. Interest in business. He started from small business to become rich. He is a gifted man in business.Interest in politics. His political stand swang between the Whigs and the Tories. He wrote political pamphlets to attack the Whigs, but both of the two parties thought the pamphlets insulted them. So Defoe was sent to jail and pillory. He negotiated with the Prime minister to become a spy to Scotland. He tried to make the union of Scotland and England.1704, he issued a periodical The Review, on which he voiced his concerns for woman's right, economy, children and parents relationships, politics and other hot issues of the time.1718, he began to write novel.1719, his first novel Robinson Crusoe was published. It's based on a true story published on a newspaper. (Alexander is a Scottish who lives in an uninhabited island for 5 years.) The story is about the hero's life on the island. The first part is about the career of Robinson Crusoe. The body of the novel is about his life on the island after the shipwreck. The story reveals the essence of British colonialism.The themes of Robinson's Crusoea. man's struggles against natureb. glorification of the bourgeois men who has the courage and will to face hardship and determination to improve his livelihood.c. Glorification of labor (Robinson lives on his own hands)The style of Robinson's Crusoea. realistic style, true to life, in detailsb. smooth, simple, colloquial languagec. long sentences are loose; short sentences are plain, easy to understandd. presents facts in order, the meaning is clearIn the following years, Defoe wrote another 4 novels: Captain Singleton (1720), Moll Flanders (1722), Colonel Jack (1722) and Roxana (1724). Defoe wrote them in the same pattern. The feature of the pattern:a. Traces the personal history of the titular hero or heroine of a low origin. After some ups and downs, he/she finally gets prosperity.b. Deals with moralizing, repentance, and revolutions to be good.c. Expresses the struggles for mere existence. Show the conflicts between existence and social environment.d. Blames the society for driving people to sinning.1720, Captain Singleton is sent to Africa when he was 3 months old. In Africa, he experiences many adventures. With good luck, he wins much gold. Back to England, he goes bankrupt and becomes a pirate.1722, Moll Flanders is the daughter of a woman thief. She is born in the Newgate Prison. In her life, she married 5 times with over 12 children. However, she never nurses a single child. She becomes a thief herself. She is transferred to the American colony as a criminal. She accumulates a wealth and buys a fare plant there. At the age of 30, she comes back to England.1722, Colonel Jack is deserted by his parents at a very young age. He becomes a pickpocket. He is kidnapped and sent to the American colony. He is very clever and finally becomes a rich plant owner.1724, Roxana is the daughter of a Protestant refugee. She is beautiful and clever. She marries an English merchant. Because the merchant deserts her, she becomes a famous international prostitute. In Holland, she married a Dutch merchant. After his death, she finds that he was in great debts. She can't pay off the debts and is put into jail and died in jail.Daniel Defoe's satirical poems.1701, The True-Born Englishman, in the poem, Defoe defended King William, which won him the friendship of the King. He attacked the racial and family pride of the aristocrats in England.1703, A Hymn to the Pillory. He voiced his anger over the shameful punishment, courageous attack on the injustice of England's legal system. He was cheered by people as a hero to defend himself.Selected Reading of Daniel Defoe: [P98] An excerpt from Robinson CrusoeJonathan Swift (1667-1745)He was born in Dublin, Ireland, of an English family. His father died before he was born. A rich uncle sent Swift to the Trinity College. His most deed is against the ruling class of England.1689-1699, he worked as a private secretary to Sir William Temple, a retired diplomat. On the post, Swift made many famous politician friends and came to know many dirty and dishonest politicians of the day.1704, Swift published the satire, The Battle of the Books, which wrote about the quarrels between the Ancients and the Moderns. The Ancients were compared to bee. The Moderns were compared to spider. In literate theory, bee represents good - "bring honey"; spider represents selfish.1704, A Tale of a Tub attacks on religion or Christianity. In the satire, the father represents the God. His 3 sons indicate the 3 branches of Christianity: Roman Catholic, English Church, and Dissenters.The Battle of the Books, and A Tale of a Tub established Swift's name as a satirist.1705, he became a clergyman.1707, he moved to London and became a politician. He tries to speak for the Irish people. He was the editor of The Examiner, a Tory's periodical.1713, he was appointed the Dean of St. Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin.1716, Swift married a woman.1724, there were 2 great events in England.a. Wool industry --- English Congress passed the persuasion of developing wool industry in England. Irish people can't make money from wool because they have to return the land. Irish people had to live a miserable life. A famous slogan in Ireland at that time is "Burn everything that come from England except the coal" which voiced Irish people's determination of refusing England.b. Coin event --- A minister suggested and permitted to make new coins. The exchange rate between Irish coin and the new English coin was unfair. The minister and King got profit from the exchange.1724, Swift published the satireThe Drapier's Letters to attack the event. The exchange of new coin is canceled. 1726, his wife died. It's a heavy blow on him. He wrote and published his greatest satirical work, Gulliver's Travels. The story is divided into 4 parts.Part I. Travels in Lilliput is a mini picture of modern English society. Two parties: High Heel and Low Heel indicates the Tories and the Whigs. Here, Swift satires the two parties. The war between Lilliput and its neighboring country about how to break eggs (big/small end). Big end - Roman Church. Small end - English Church. Swift satires the party and church fights are meaningless.Part II. Travels in BrobdingnagPart III. A show of the cruelty of the English ruling class. The Flying Island rules the below countries.Part IV. It's the sharpest and bitterest satire. In this part, human beings are reduced to animals. A wiser creature governs human beings. Gulliver wants to be a horse rather than a man. It shows how mean the human beings are. 1729, the publication of the pamphlet A Modest Proposal. It's a greatest and bitterest satire.The theme of A Modest Proposala. The poor Irish people were forced to sell their one-year-old child for the rich people for food.b. English King allowed French King to recruit soldiers from Ireland to solve the problem of over population.c. Some politicians suggested sending Irish people to Australia to be concentrated servants because of over population.d. Swift lists some terrible scenes in the prose: a beggar mother followed by children in rugs; poor parents sell children. It's a satire against the English ruling class and the cruelty of English landlords.Selected Reading of Jonathan Swift: [P107] An excerpt from Gulliver's TravelHenry Fielding (1707-1754)1707 Fielding was born in an aristocratic family. His great grandfather was an Earl. (Duke 公, Marquis 侯, Earl 伯, Viscount子, Baron男) He received his education in the Eton Public School1728 21y. He published his first play in London, but failed.1729 Fielding quarreled with his father, so his father cut off financial support. He had to make a living by himself. 1730-37 He produced 25 plays of different times. His ballads, satires were alsovery successful. (Shakespeare wrote 37 plays)1734 He got married.1737 30y. The promulgation of Licensing Act restricted the publication of plays. So Fielding took up law. He spent 3 years to finish a 7-year course.1740 Fielding became a bar, but the money he earn couldn't support his familyHenry Fielding wrote 4 novels in his life. Henry Fielding is regarded as "Father of English Novel".1742 The History of the Adventures of Joseph Andrews. The hero Joseph Andrews is the servant of Mr. B's uncle and is the cousin of Pamela.Samuel Richardson's Pamela is a collection of letters written by herself and her parents. Pamela is a very beautiful and clever girl. Mr. B's mother is very found of here and teaches her knowledge. After the mother died, Pamela wants to go home, but Mr. B as a noble man seduces her, doesn't allow her to go home and imprisons her. Pamela write letters and sends the letters by a servant of Mr. B. Mr. B falls in love with Pamela through reading her letters. The novel persuades people to be virtuous.Henry Fielding's aims of writing the Adventures of Joseph AndrewsPart I, Fielding tries to attack Pamela. He thinks Pamela's chastity ispretentious and untrue. She uses her chastity to seduce Mr. B.Part II. Joseph Andrews meets his friend Parson Adams. Both of them travel through England. Fielding tries to give a panoramic view of England.Part I. It was first intended as a burlesque of the conventional virtue of false sentimentality.Part II. Fielding adopted "comic epic in prose"--- to write common people in form of great novel. Epic is used to describe great figures and heroes. He gave a vivid picture of English life.Major achievement: the description of Parson Adams. Adams is an absent-minded, vain man, so he is a ridiculous person, easy to be cheated.1743 Jonathan Wild the Great , Jonathan is a notorious criminal of the London underworld. He is a real person. He is hanged in 1725. Jonathan is described as a great man. He never participated in any crime, but he orders other people to commit crimes. He commands crime.Henry Fielding compared Jonathan to Prime Minister Walpole. The story is a political satire.1749 Tom Jones is a deserted child. He is adopted by a kind man who has his own child Blifil. The two children fell in love with the same girl Sophia. Tom is kind and he is truly in love with Sophia. Blifil loves Sophia for her beauty and money. Sophia's father knows that Tom is a deserted child so he wants Sophia to marry Blifil. Tom wants to see the outside world and moves to London. Sophia wants to see the world too. So they go through a long journey and give a panoramic view of 18c's English life.In this novel, social evils are presented: cruelty, moral degeneracy, deceit, and hypocrisy. It's showed Fielding's view about human nature. Henry Fielding thinks that human nature is a combination of good and evil.The writing feature of Tom Jones --- "comic epic in prose", displays a kind of classic epic form. The novel contains 18 books in 3 sections.Section 1: life in the countrysideSection 2: life on the highwaySection 3: life in London1750 Amelia marries a poor solider. Her husband goes to London to seek fortune. He fights with other people in the street so he is put into jail. She is very faithful to her husband. When her husband is in prison, other officials try to seduce her. In the end, Amelia reunites with her husband and live happily.Henry Fielding's aim of writing Ameliaa. To condemn the moral degeneracy of the officials. To praise Amelia.b. To reveal the shameless deed of the noble and the rich.Henry Fielding's writing style1. Comic epic in prose: the grand style of classic epic in the depiction of common, ridiculous people.2. He started the third person narration. The narrator is a kind of all knowing God.3. The characters are vivid, convincing and true to life,4. His language is easy, familiar, vivid but vigorous.5. The content is noted for the theatrical devices: suspense, coincidence, surprise.What is "comic epic in prose"?1. The description in a grand style of classic epic. "Classic epic" has:(a) a great hero(b) calls on Muses(c) give a list of names of gods(d) compare small fights to great wars.2. Use verified language to narrate a small fight.3. Different figure of speech esp. irony, hyperboleSelected Reading of Henry Fielding: [P122] An excerpt from Tom JonesSamuel Johnson (1709-1784)1708 Johnson was born in a bookseller's family, in Richfield. His eyesight was very poor like John Milton1715 8y. He went to a Grammar School for 8 years which provided him a solid knowledge of Latin1728 He went to Oxford University1731 22y. His father died. He quit Oxford without a degree.1735 26y. He married an old rich widow who was 20years older than him. Hemarried her for money.1738 29y. His first poem1747 He compiled English dictionary1752 His wife died. He was in great debt and was arrested.1755 The first publication of English dictionary brought him fame and money.1762 The British government gave him an annual pension of £300, which freed him from the burden of "writing for a living". His life before 1762 was very difficult.He had a hand in all the different branches of literary activities. He was a poet诗人, dramatist 剧作家, prose romancer散文传奇小说作家, biographer 传记作者, essayist 随笔作家, critic 批评家, lexicographer 词典编纂者and publicist 政治评论家.Johnson was the last great neoclassicist enlightener in the late 18c. His point of view:1. He concerned with the theme of the vanity of human wishes.2. In literary creation and criticism, he was rather conservative, openly showed his dislike and fondness.3. He insisted that a writer should adhere to universal truth and experience i.e. Nature.4. He was particularly found of moralizing 道德教化and didacticism 教训主义.Johnson's writing style.1. His language is characteristically general, of Latinate 从拉丁文衍生来的and frequently polysyllabic多音节的2. His sentences are long and well structured, interwoven 交织with parallel words and phrases but clearly expressed.3. He tends to use "learned words", uses words accurately.Selected Reading from Samuel Johnson: [P132] "To the Right Honorable the Earl of Chesterfield"Richard Brinkley Sheridan (1751-1816)。