shakespear's achievement

英美文学专业课复试题准备What’s you favorite writer?Jane Austin is one of my favorite writers. Maybe some critics will think her themes of novels are limited in the relationship between man and women. But in my opinion, in this field, seldom writers can surpass her. Her advancing ideas about love and marriage and her dexterity in writing techniques attracts me a great d eal. She wrote several famous novels like Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Emma, Persuasion. But, her masterpiece Pride and Prejudice is my favorite one. The novel is well embodied her view towards love and marriage. It reveals the beauty of women more than physical beauty and their longing for freedom in marriage. What’s more, in Pride and Prejudice, her writing techniques are extraordinary. I like the first sentence: It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wif e. After finishing the novel, the readers will find that it is actually about husband hunting. In fact, the novel conveys that it’s a woman in possession of little fortune must be in want of a wealthy husband. It’s just the opposite of the point he gets in the beginning of the story.Jane Austin’s writing techniquesHer wit and humor. In her masterpiece Pride and Prejudice, the first sentence, you will find the use of the bathos. It makes a big contrast and makes people burst into laughter.She writes in gentle irony and satir e. Take an scenery as example in Pride and Prejudice, Mr Darcy and Mrs Binley took part in a dance part, but most of people think Mr Darcy is more handsome than Mr Binley just because he have a lager fortune than Mr Binley. It show Austin’s satire to the public prejudice towards the higher rank though it may be a not good man.Her exactness in the portrait of characte rs. Proper words are used in proper character. Every character has their unique spoken manner. For example, Mrs Bennet is fussy, fawning and boastful. Like, My dear Mr Bennet, have you heard that Netherfield is let at last?Her bright and witty dialogue s.I also likes the bestseller novels like Flipped, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry. When it comes to this novel, the hazy but a bit blissful love occurs in my mind. At the same time, it teaches me something precious, which is exactly the charm of the protagonist, Juliana. She is the girl who sees things not just through the surface, but through the whole. Nowadays, every time I start to comment one event, I will ruminate on whether I have considered it comprehensively.What do you think English and American Literature? Are they useful to learn at this age?I think literature plays an unparalleled role in our life.First of all, we can know the society at that time. Life is the source of the art.Compared with history, literature can give us more vivid and detailed information of at that age.Secondly, it’s a quite good method to learn langua ge.Thirdly, reading literature can cultivate our rational thinking. At the information age, we are overwhelmed by massive fragmented information. When we are devoted to finish one book, it will calm us down and carefully think of the story.Fourthly, some literature figures will inspire us to pursue self-perfection. Like Elizabeth in Pride and Prejudice, she is a woman with independent wit and thought. She read lots of books to perfect herself.Why do you like academic research?Firstly, academic research is a necessary and wonderful way to dig into the deeper connotation of literature.Secondly, it’s my curiosity. Know internal implication.Thirdly, it’s influenced by my teacher. encourageThe Renaissance, humanism, neoclassicism, romanticism, realism, modernism Answer the question point by point. You can make use of conjunction words like, in terms of , what’s more, actually, besidesCharles Dickson’s writing techniques,George Eliot’s writing features,William Wordsworth’s nature view,His status: the representative of romanticism, worshipper of natureView about nature: human being, knowledge and strength in peaceMasterpiece: I wandered lonely as a cloud (All good poetry is arising from emotions recollected in tranquility.) There is a vivid description of the daffodils here, showing poet’s view that it’s a bliss to recollect the beauty of nature in his mind while he is in solitude.William Shakespeare’s achievement,His works: prolific and productive. 31 plays, 2 narrative poems and 159 sonnets ( Four Great Comedies and four great tragedies)The theme:Historical plays: national unity under a might ruler is necessaryRomantic comedies: an optimistic attitude towards love, friendship and youth Tragedies: portrays some nobles heroes, who faces the injustice of life and is caught in a difficult situation and whose fate is closely connected with the fate of his nation. To language: common language and phrases come from his work.To literature: many literary figures are inspired by his achievement.To literary achievement: the creation of Shakespeare Sonnet, characters, plot construction, free verseFrancis Bacon’s achievementThe first essayist in English literature.The founder of materialistic philosophy: investigation, discovery, the verification Washington Irving’s writing characteristics,Emerson’s transcendentalismHis fame:His opinions: the over soul- base his region on an intuitive belief in an ultimate unity The significance of individualismNature as the symbol of spiritual world, nature mediates the god and human.The power of intuitionThoreau’s WaldenIt’s not only demonstrates the Emersonian ideas of self-reliance but also develops and tests Thoreau’s own transcendental philosophy.Nature is not merely symbolic but also divine in itself and human can receive precise communication from itThe importance of individual, even holds society fetters the freedom of individuals Self-culture and self-reliance to achieve the spiritual perfection.Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter.Black vision of life and human beings-concern human sins and evil;His concern is moral issues of sin and guilt and his psychological analysis of people; theme: the universality of guilt and explores the complexities and ambiguities of man’s choices;Writing techniques: symbolism, ambivalence;Language: clarity, directness, firmness, surenessHerman Melville’s Mobby DickIts surface and deep meaningIts romanticism and realismSymbolism and allegoryWalt Whitman’ democratic view (fame, content, masterpiece)Emily Dickson’ writing techniquesHer concernHer style: personal and meditativeI hear a fly buzz- when I diedStress pattern- dash, capital lettersOstential formal simplicity_variety, subtlety and richnessShort, on single imageAmerican Romanticism,It started (The Sketch of Book, The Leaves of Grass)They share common characteristics: moral enthusiasm, the importance the individual, intuitive perception and a resumption that natural world, Man’s societyAmerican transcendentalism is the summitEmerson, Thoreau, Hawthorne, MelvilleAmerican TranscendentalismThe summit of American RomanticismAbsolute good, unspotted innocent nature, humanity is godlike and that evil was nonexistent.They stresses the oversoul, the importance of individual, nature as the symbol of spiritual world.Nature asAmerican PuritanismThe beliefs and practices of the members ofPredestination, original sin, total depravity and limited atonment through the infusion of the grace.As a cultural heritage, it exerted an influence on theWhat’s the difference between American Romanticism and English Romanticism?They share some commons including emphasis on imagination, individualism, nature and the exalt of the commonplace.American literature has unique features: describe their native nation, local language, puritanism, transcendentalism and Calvinism of original sin are are the influential elements.What’s the biggest achievement you have made during you undergraduate period? What’s literature?Definition: Literature is an art formTypes: poem, prose, essay, novel, fable and allegory.Functions: cultural exchange, a way to learn language, an indispensable role in life to calm us downLiterature is an art to vividly present social life and author’s inner thoughts by means of language. Literature includesWhat’s the characteristic of prose? What do you think of Bacon’s essayProse is all forms of writing and speech which have no structured mete r. Prose is the representative of several forms of communication, including dramatic, fiction,nonfiction and correspondent.It’s noted for its brevity, compactness and powerfulness.The essays are well arranged and enriched by biblical allusions, metaphors and cadence.What’s the difference between Chinese and American culture?EducationThinking modeCollectivism and individualismCan you tell us something about you research paper?Reason: Inspired by the study confusion, I started the researchMain contents: the current situation including teaching faculty, curriculum, book resources and language atmosphere.Measures:from the following aspects including the government, the teaching faculty, the resources for minority languageCan you tell me the concept of “wasteland” in relation to the works of those writers in 20th century?The Waste Land is a poem written by T.S Eliot with the theme of physical disorder and spiritual chaos in the contemporary world, in a mood of despair, frustration and disillusion, criticizing the civilized society.Fitzgerald describe the spiritual waste world where people are lost in disillusion and decadency amid grandeur and extravagance.Ernest Hemingway dramatized the sense of loss and despair he tried his ideaWilliam Faulkner exemplified the T. S Eliot’s concept modern society as the waste land. He created his mystical kingdom that mirrored the decline of south American and spiritual wasteland of the whole American society.Stream of consciousnessmultiple points of view,the lost generation,Imagist Movement,symbolismLocal colorismRealistic writing techniqueThey present the society through the portrait of characters in his region including the landscape, people living in that region and other peculiarities like customs, dialects and costumes.They emphasize the objectivityThey worked from their personal experiences to record the facts of unique environment.Mark Twain, Henry JamesThe gilded age,Gross materialism and blatant political corruptionCaricature of leading figuresthe Jazz Age,It refers to years from the the end of World War I to the great depressionIt’s an age of the roaring 1920sAmerican dreamIt is widely considered to be achieved by massive wealthMaterial pleasureHedonismUtilitarianismThe criterion of utilityThe exploitationdramatic monologueDramatic moment or crisis, talk about their minds and heartsThe readersRobert BrowningExpressionismA revolt against realism and naturalism, a seeking to achieve psychological reality rather than to record the external events.In dream, the expressionistic works are characterized by a bizarre distortion of reality. Eugene O’Neil’s The Hairy Ape is the typical work.Thomas HardyHis novels are also set in Wessex, the fictional primitive and crude region, which is threatened by the invading capitalismInfluenced by Darwin’s theory: Naturalism: pessimistic view of life dominates his workLocal colorist: rustic dialect and poetic flavorTess of the D’UrbervillesAlec, Tess, ClareTheme: the cruel capitalist exploitation in English countryside and the hypocritical morality in bourgeois society.Pessimism by attributing Tess’s tragedy to chance and fate.整理复习面试内容NaturalismEvolve from realism when the author’s tone become less serious, less sympathetic but more detached, ironicThe theme is often about human bestialityNaturalistic writing is often unpolished in language, lacking in academic skills and unwieldly in structurePresent a detached and scientific objectivity in the treatment of natural man American ModernismMovement against realismTheoretical base: irrational philosophy and psycho- analysisTheme: relationship between man and man...Concern: private, internal, psychologicalIt implies a sense of fragmentation and alienationWhy modernism is different from realism?RationalismStress internal, private, psychologicalExperiment on new forms and expression, cast all the traditional forms, including story, characters, plots, setting, narrative points of view, themeModernism works are considered as anti-novels, anti-poetryWhat’s the difference between neoclassicism and romanticism?1.Romanticism is against neoclassicism. Romanticism show negative attitudes towards the existing social and political condition.2.Romanticism emphasizes the individual while neo stresses the society3.Rom embraces the inner world of the human beings, while Neo celebrated science, rationality, equality of the outside world.4.In literature, Neoclassicism has fixed laws of each type, which is often didactic and moralizing, While the expressions should be free from all rules.5.The most important form in rom is poem, neo in prose.What characters does it have in Victorian Literature?(coincide with the rein of Victoria who ruled over England from 1836 to 1901)Darwin’s theory shook the theoretical basis of the traditional faithUtilitarianism was widely accepted and practiced, devalue of culture, cold indifference to human feelingsVictorian literature represents the reality of the age, criticize the corrupting society: money worship, widespread poverty and injustice and defended for the mass and concern the common peopleCharles DicksonWriting career:youthful optimistic: The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club, Oliver TwistExcitement and irritation: American Notes, David CopperfieldIntensifying pessimissism: Hard Times, Bleak House, Great Expectation, The Tale of Two CitiesTechniques:Character sketches and exaggerationBoard human and penetrating satire。

1.(1)Chaucer:He is the earlist writer of humanist thought .he is the first man use many common English word in his writing.His early influence as a satirist is also important.Chaucer was a man of immense knowledge, culture and experience. He wrote wittily and observantly and never boringly. He lived at a time when English was beginning to emerge in something resembling its present form, which makes him accessible to the modern reader. Chaucer's great achievement was to establish English as a major literary language. Nothing like his "Canterbury Tales" had been produced before in English and it is a masterpiece of characterisation and narrative. He is able to present them with a wonderfully detached but sympathetic eye .he also might have been continuing an English tradition that had evolved from the alliterative verse of the Middle Ages and reflected the 'natural' rhythms of English speech.1.(2)MIlton:h e is political both in life and art.he is a militant pamphleteer of the English literature and the he is the greatest revolutionary poet of the 17th century;h e wrote the greatest epic in English literature,and he and Shakespeare have always been regard as two patterns of English verse;h e is a master of blank verse,he is the first man use in non-dramatic works;h e is a great stylist and famous for his grand style.h is sublimity of thought and majesty of expression have admired by many people.2.<Of studies>"Of Studies" is written by Francis Bacon,the founder of English materialist philosophy.He is the first English essayist."Of Studies" is the most famous essay of Bacon's collection of 58 essays. This paper analyzes the main purpose of learning, shows that different people has different learning methods.Also it tells that how study could have a subtle influence on human character. "Of studies" uses the marvelous and convincing language.It has concise and compact structure. Bacon reveals the objective attitude of learning to readers .AS its structure,he used many rhetoric methods,such as parallelism, Using this way could enhance persuasiveness of this essay.3.(1)Shakespeare is a major representative in Renaissance.He has 154 sonnets,37 plays and 2 long narrative poems.He is one of the founders of realism in world literature.Shakespeare's work has made a lasting impression on later theatre and literature. In particular, he expanded the dramatic potential of characterization, plot, language, and genre. His work heavily influenced later poetry. The Romantic poets attempted to revive Shakespearean verse drama, though with little success. Shakespeare influenced novelists such as Thomas Hardy, William Faulkner, and Charles Dickens. In Shakespeare's day, English grammar, spelling and pronunciation were less standardize than they are now,and his use of language helped shape modern English.The popularity of Shakespeare is a worldwide phenomenon.His name has been known to China for more than a hundred year,and many of his plays have been widely read among Chinese people.Shakespeare has been universally acknowledged to be the summit of the English Renaissance,and one of the greatest writers the world over.3.(2)Charles Dickens was the greatest critical Realism Novelist in the 19th century in Britain.he was the most popular English novelist of Victorian era and remais popular ,his novels have delighted generations of readers with their warmth and gentle humor. his achievement was second to to those of Shakespeare.The tone of his works changed from naive optimism to gloom,which shows Dickens criticized and exposed the evils of capitalist society from the humanist point if view.His greatest contributions of his works were in drawing attention to the horrifying and disgusting conditions of poverty in which most of London lived. He also served on several boards that addressed the issues of poverty; he was one of the founders and primary donors of a house for prostitutes who wanted to "get out of the life." He was able to place many girls in service outside London, where the need and temptation to return to the life was highest.4Jane Austen was an English realism novelist who biting social commentary,having masterful use of free indirect speech,burlesque and irony have earned her a place as one of the most widely read and best-loved writers in English literature.4.From 1811 and 1815,with the release of Sense and Sensibility,Pride and Prejudice,Mansfield Park,and Emma,she achieved success as a published writer.She wrote two additional novels,Northanger Abbey and Persuasion,both published after her death.A usten's works critique the novels of sensibility of the second half of the eighteenth century and are part of the transition to nineteenth century realism.Austen's plots,though fundamentally comic,highlight the dependence of women on marriage to secure social standing and economic security.E lizabeth embodies the true value of their marriage and what time to pursue.Elizabeth has several different approaches to Darcy's marriage proposal.In fact it reflects the women's pursuit of personality independence and equal rights.Elizabeth ,clever,courageous,visionary,has a strong self-esteem and good thinking.This makes her assertive in the issue of her love,and gained happiness at the end.。

莎士比亚生平及成就The life of ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare was baptized on 26 April 1564 and died on 23 April1616.He was a great English poet and playwright on Europe Renaissance time,and he was widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language andthe world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poetand the "Bard of Avon".Shakespeare was born and raised in Stratford-upon-Avon. At the age of 18,he married a 26-year old woman Anne Hathaway. When not reach 21 years oldhe had three children: Susanna, and twins Hamnet and Judith.Years later he came to London. Between 1585 and 1592, he began asuccessful career in London as an actor, writer, and part owner of a playingcompany called the Lord Chamberlain's Men, later known as the King's Men.He appeared to have retired to Stratford around 1613. Shakespeare lived inLondon for more than 20 years, and during this period his wife still stayed bases.Shakespeare produced most of his known work between 1589 and 1613.Hisearly plays were mainly comedies and histories, and he rose to the peak ofsophistication and artistry by the end of the sixteenth century. In his last phase,he wrote tragicomedies, also known as romances, and collaborated withotherplaywrights.In 1616, Shakespeare left the world at the age of 52 years old. In these 52years profession, he wrote 37 scripts for the common people, as well as154sonnets and two long narrative poems. His plays have been translated into everymajor living language and are performed more often than those of any otherplaywright.Shakespeare’s representative work has 4-big tragedy: "Hamlet", "Othello","King Lear " ,"Macbeth " . 4-big comedy: "A Midsummer Night's Dream ","The Merchant of Venice ", " Twelfth Night ", " "As You Like It" . Historicalplay: "King Henry the Fourth Part 1 ", " King Henry the Fifth ", " King RichardII " and so on.Shakespeare's works start from the real life, and profoundly reflect thetimes and social nature. He is good at starting from the real life, showing broadsocial background. He provides the characters in the works and events with richera characteristics of typical environment. The plot of his works is rich and vivid;the characters have a distinct personality, as well as typical significance; thedepiction of realism is cleverly combined with romantic atmosphere; language isrich and expressive.Shakespeare was a respected poet and playwright in his own day, but hisreputation did not rise to its present heights until the nineteenth century. In thetwentieth century, his work was repeatedly adopted and rediscovered by newmovements in scholarship and performance. His plays remain highly populartoday and are constantly studied, performed and reinterpreted in diverse culturaland political contexts throughout the world.Nearly four hundred years, his works have been brought a lot of joy to thereaders and critics . Because Shakespeare has accepted the test of time, he notonly belongs to one era but also belongs to the whole century. He receives a lotof famous people's praise, such as:1. "The greatest genius in drama of mankind" ——Marx2. "His work is based on such a wide range of life that everything created underhis pen appears genuine and believable to us. Someone once suggested that hedidn't belong to the scope of modern poets called as "romantic", but belonged tothe "naturalistic" genre, because his works are filled with neoteric reality, andseldom touch the passion generated by uncommited desires unless when he wasmost excited." ——Engels3."If there's someone who may make a solemn scene rise in my mind, that he issitting high on the top of a rock, with the thunder storm and blustering sea underhis feet, and the bright sky shining on his head, it is just what Shakespeare does.——But certainly, there's still one point to add that, a large crowd of people aremuttering on the bottom of his throne of rock, explaining him, saving him,convicting him, defending him, adoring him, libeling him, translating him,slandering him, while he can hear nothing of what they are saying. ——Herder4. "Shakespeare is the infinity";"Shakespeare, who is unable to be explainedthoroughly"! "The spiritual reality contained in Shakespeare's style of works farexceeds the visible actions". ——Goethe5. "Who has created most is Shakespeare, being only second to God." ——DumasIn my heart, Shakespeare is a great man, I like reading his works. He has agreat influence on me.。

lesson oneTranslate the following into English.1)Use the verb + noun collocation.出席会议to attend a meeting 干的不错to do a good job体验苦难to experience bitterness 自学英语to teach oneself English 发现奇迹to discover wonders 忍住咳嗽to hold back one' s cough掌握技能to master skills 获取知识to acquire knowledge需要勇气to require courage 丰富生活to enrich one' s life接受修正to accept rectification 改正错误to correct mistakes不再指望to cherish no hope 作出努力to make efforts2)Use the "useful expressions w .1.新造的大桥坍塌了，一名工程师和两名地方官员为此受到刑事起诉。

The collapse of the big newly-built bridge led tj criminal prosecution against an engineer and two local government officials.2.他工作了一天，午饭都没动。

He worked all day, leaving his lunch untouched.3.经常性的体育运动使学生身体强壮，更好的适应学习，决不是浪费时间。

Far fron| being a waste of time, regular sports activities make students physically strong and deal with their study better.4.在海洋世界公园，海豹和海豚能够表演各种技巧，逗的小观众们乐不可支。

Part One: Early and Medieval English LiteratureWhat’s epic?Epic is one of the ancient types of poetry and plays a very important role in early development of literature and civilization. An epic is a long narrative poem of great scale and grandiose style about the heroes who are usually warriors or even demigods. It deals with noble characters and heroic deeds.Basically, it is a story about hero, more significantly, it reflects national history.The significance of Beowulf:It sings of the exciting adventures of a great legendary hero whose physical strength demonstrates his high spiritual qualities, i.e. his resolution to serve his country and kind folk, his true courage, courteous conduct, and his love of honor. In the poem, Beowulf is strong, courageous, selfless, and ready to risk his life in order to rid his people evil monsters.Geoffrey Chaucer杰佛利•乔叟1340-1400长诗：The House of Fame声誉之堂;Troilus and Criseyde特罗勒斯与克丽西德小说：Canterbury Tales坎特伯雷故事集----英国文学史上现实主义第一部杰作（他是最早有人文主义思想的作家，现实主义文学的奠基人Father of English poetry & Founder of English realism）(Boccacio 薄伽丘The Decameron十日谈)The significance of The Canterbury Tales is as follows:1.It gives a comprehensive picture of Chaucer‟s time.2.The dramatic structure of the poem has been highly commended by critics.3.Chaucer‟s humour: Humour is a characteristic feature of the English literature.4.Chaucer‟s contribution to the English language.Heroic couplet英雄双行体Part Two: The English Renaissance (1550-1642)Renaissance is commonly applied to the movement or period in western civilization, which marks the transition from the medieval to the modern world. It first started in Florence and V enice.HumanismAccording to them it was against human nature to sacrifice the happiness of this life for an after life. They argued that man should be given full freedom to enrich their intellectual and emotional life.In religion, the H thinking was a relation against the narrow mindedness of the Catholic Church; they demanded the information of the church.In art and literature, instead of singing praise to God, they sang in praise of man and of the pursuit of happiness in this life. H shattered the shackles of spiritual bo ndage of man’s mind by the Roman Catholic Church and opened his eyes to “a brave new world” in front of him.Edmund Spenser (1552?-1599) The Fearie Queene仙后Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593) They were predecessors to Shakespeare and were later called the University Wits（大学才子派）.William Shakespeare莎士比亚1564-1616“He was not of an age, but for all time.”Shakespeare’s achievements:1.Shakespeare represented the trend of history in giving voice to the desires and aspirations ofthe people.2.Shakespeare‟s humanism3.Sh akespeare‟s characterization4.Shakespeare‟s originality5.Shakespeare as a great poet6.Shakespeare as master of the English languageHamlet as a Character(Hamlet‟s theme is revenge interrelated with theme of faithlessness, love and ambition.)Soliloquy（自言自语，独白）is a dramatic speech delivered by on character speaking aloud while under the impression of being alone. The soliloquist thus reveals his or her inner thoughts and feelings to the audience, either direct address. It is also known as interior monologue.“To be, or not to be.” The speech conveys a sense of world weariness as well as the author‟s. SonnetA sonnet is a short song in the original meaning of the word. Later it became a poem of 14 lines, usually in iambic（长短格，抑扬格，抑扬格诗）pentameter（五步格诗）with various rhyming schemes.Part Three: Literature of Revolution Period (1603-1688)Francis Bacon培根1561-1626 essayist 散文家(the chief figure in English Prose in the first half of the 17th century and his essays began the long tradition of the English essay in the history of English literature.) Advancement of Learning学术的进展;Novum Organum 新工具;New Atlantic新大西岛;Essays论文集（Of Studies论学习;Of Wisdom for a Man‟s Self）Of Studies purpose: This essay is intended to tell people how to be efficient and make their way in public life.Language Appreciation:Parallel structure; succinct（简明的）expression; long complex sentences side by side with short simple ones; classical diction（发音）; good and clear logical reasoning, with examples and facts; objective impersonal, persuasiv e writing without “we”, “I”.Conceit(高傲，骄傲自大)Conceit originally means “concept” or “idea” and later came to mean “fanciful idea”. A conceit is a metaphor or simile that is mad elaborate (far-fetched), often extravagant（奢侈的，夸张的）. The difference between a conceit and a metaphor or simile is largely to degree. A metaphor or simile appeals mainly to the reader‟s 5 senses and is easier to understand; a conceit may strike the reader as weird.Founder of the Metaphysical school——John Donne; features of the school: philosophical poems, complex rhythms and strange images; the most famous preacher of his time. (In the first stage he was Donne the courtier, the lover, and the soldier. In the second stage he was Dr. John Donne, Dean of St. Paul‟s Cathedral.)John Milton约翰•弥尔顿1608-1674 (He was the man of revolution enthusiasm. The military leader of the revolution, John Milton was the man of thought, and with his pen he defended the revolutionary cause.) L…Allegro欢乐的人;Il Penseroso沉思的人;Comus科马斯;Lycidas列西达斯;Areopagitica论出版自由;Pro Populo Anglicano Defense为英国人民声辩; Pro Populo Anglicano Defense Secunda再为英国人民声辩; Paradise Lost失乐园; Paradise Regained复乐园; Samson Agonistes力士参孙.The blank verse 素体无韵诗, i.e., the unrhymed lines of iambic pentameter, is used throughout the epic and is characterized by its employment of long and involved sentences, which run on many lines with a variety of pauses, and achieving sometimes an oratorical and sometimes an elaborately logical effect.John Bunyan班扬1628-1688 The Pilgrim‟s Progress天路历程(Vanity Fair名利场);The Life and Death of Mr Badman培德曼先生的一生Part Four: The Eighteenth Century and Neo-classicism (1688-1798)What is Neo-classicism新古典主义?Neo-classicism was a reaction against the intricacy and occasional obscurity, boldness and the extravagance of European literature of the late Renaissance, as seen for instance, in the works of the metaphysical. In favor of simplicity, charity restraint regularity and good sense. The characteristics of neo-classicism can be summed up as follows:1.People emphasized reason rather than emotion, form rather than content.2.As reason was stressed, most of the writings of the age were didactic（迂腐的）and satirical.3.As elegance, correctness, appropriateness and restraint were preferred; the poet found closed couplet the only possible verse form for serious work.4.It is almost exclusively a “town” poetry, catering to the interests of the “society” in greatcities.5.It is entirely wanting in all those elements that are related with the “romantic”.28、Classicism (新古典主义)名词解释Classicism implies (意味着) the revival (复苏) of the forms and traditions of the ancient world，a return to works of old Greek literature from Homer to Plato and Aristotle. But French classicism of the 17th century was not conscious of being a classical revival (并非古典主义的复苏)。

Shakespeare莎士比亚生平及成就When I was a little child, I was attracted by literature. I like Hans Christian Andersen’s stories very much at that time. Later, I started to read Four Great Classical Novels and other foreign masterpieces. So, I met him someday.In western literary history, only very individual writers were qualified to be judged as “without him, the literary will become another way”. He is one of them, the greatest playwright and poet in the history. He is also a time spirit, and belongs to all but not belong to the century. Who is he? He is Shakespeare, the greatest man in my heart.Shakespeare was born in a wealthy family in Britain. He was studied in “literary school" when he was young. But because his father went bankrupt, he failed to graduate and had to go alone on the road to earn a living.He worked as a butcher's apprentice, taught in rural schools, and also worked in other occupations, which made him accumulate a lot of social experience. When he was 20 year old, he entered the theater and worked as an actor, director and screenwriter. He started to write in 1588, first is recomposing the previous script, but soon began to independent creation.Shakespeare entered the aristocratic culture salon later, which expanded his vision of life. It also provided a rich source for his creation. Generally, Shakespeare's drama creation can be divided into three periods:The first period (1590 ~ 1600) in this period, Shakespeare mainly wrote historical drama and comedy. He left 9 historical drama, 10 comedies and 2 tragedies to us.These historical dramas summed up the British history more than 100 years of unrest, created a series of positive, negative image of monarchy, which reflected Shakespeare against the feudal rule, supported the centralization of power, condemned the tyrant and tyranny, required enlightened monarchs took top-down reform, suggested to establish a harmonious society based on humanistic political and moral ideal.The second period(1601~1607) in this period,Shakespeare mainly wrote tragedy, finished 3 Department of the Rome opera,5 tragedies and 3" dark comedy" or" problem plays".Four tragedies:" Hamlet,"" Othello"," King"," Mike white" and" tragedy Timon of Athens" marked of the era, the life of the deep thinking, and strove to create the new era of tragic hero.The third period (1608~ 1613) in this period, Shakespeare mainly inclined to write compromise and the illusion of tragedy and comedy or drama.Many of these works were written about reunion and framing. Although they were still adhere to the ideals of humanism, and the dark reality has been exposed, but contradictory settlement mainly rely on magic, fantasy, the lucky chance coincidence and the accident, and to the end by promoting forgiveness, tolerance, compromise.The works of this period are often through the mythical fantasy, with the help of supernatural power to solve the contradiction between the ideal and reality. And theywere full of beautiful life fantasy, romantic exotic appeal.After I read most of his works, I realized that Shakespeare is a great master of language. He absorbed the people's language, the essence of ancient and modern literary language. He could choose to write poetry or prose according to the characters and plot. And these works were always lively and full of image. Many of my classmates are fond of his famous remarks and we can also find his remarks on the wall of our school.“Romeo and Juliet” was a bridge that connected me with Shakespeare.I still remembered that I was crying after I finished “Romeo and Juliet”. At that time, I was too young to understand the meaning of this masterpiece. At my age, I imagined everything was beautiful, and I thought everything should have good results. I would very sad when I faced with bad ends. But now, with the age grows, my understanding becomes more and more profound. I realize that everything should experience the twists and turns in their life. This masterpiece not only praised Romeo and Juliet’s pure and beautiful love and their courage that dare to seek for freedom, but also attacked the traditional concept of human spiritual oppression. The end of the part glared the light of humanity. Romeo and Juliet's death transformed real life pattern and affected on their families heavily, which made the future living in two feuding families of young people not to repeat their fate. They used their young lives to foreshadow their hopeful tomorrow. "Romeo and Juliet" was worthy of a tragedy with optimism. It gave us a deep enlightenment, which was important for our future.Shakespeare, you are always the greatest man in our heart, we will continue to enjoy the beauty and the enlightenment of your masterpiece!。

英国文学选读简答题1.What are Shakespeare’s achievements?a.Shakespeare represented the trend of history in giving voice to de desires and aspirations ofthe people.b.Shakespeare’s humanism: more important than his historical sense of his time, Shakespearein his plays reflects the spirit of his age.c.Shakespeare’s characterization: Shakespeare was most successful in his characterization. Inhis plays he described a great number of characters.d.Shakespeare’s originality: Shakespeare drew most of his materials from sources that wereknown to his audience. But his plays are original because he instilled into the old materials a new spirit that gives new life to his plays.e.Shakespeare as a great poet: Shakespeare was not only a great dramatist, but also a greatpoet. Apart from his sonnets and long poems, his dramas are poetry.f.Shakespeare as master of the English language.2.What are the basic characteristics of ballads?a.The beginning is often abrupt.b.There are strong dramatic elements.c.The story is often told through dialogue and action.d.The theme is often tragic, though there are a number of comic ballads.e.The ballad meter is used.3.How do you interpret Humanism?With the spreading of the Greek and Roman culture there appeared a number of humanist scholars who took great interest in the welfare of human beings. According to them it was against human nature to sacrifice the happiness of this life for an after life. They argued that man should be given full freedom to enrich their intellectual and emotional life. In religion they demanded the reformation of the church, in art and literature, instead of singing praise to God, they sang in praise of man and of the pursuit of happiness in this life. Humanism shattered the shackles of spiritual bondage of man’s mind by the Roman Catholic Church and opened his eyes to “a brave new world” in front of him.4.How do you sum up the characteristics of Neo-Classicism?a.People emphasized reason rather than emotion, form rather than content.b.As reason was stressed, most of the writings of the age were didactic and satirical.c.As elegance, correctness, appropriateness and restraint were preferred, the poet found closedcouplet the only possible verse form for serious work.d.It is almost exclusively a “town” poetry, catering to the interests of the “society” on greatcities. The humbler aspects of life are neglected and it shows no love of nature, landscape, or country things and people.e.It is entirely wanting in all those elements that are related with the “romantic”.5.What is the significance of The Canterbury Tales?a.It gives a comprehensive picture of Chaucer’s time.b.The dramatic structure of the poem has been highly commended by critics. In the CanterburyTales, stories are related to the personalities of the tellers.c.Chaucer’s humor: humor is a characteristic feature of the English literature. His gentle satireand mild irony.d.Chaucer’s contribution to the English language. Chaucer greatly increased the prestige of theEnglish language.6.Please summarize the characteristic features of the Romantic Movement.a.Subjectivism: romantic poets describe poetry as “the spontaneous overflow of powerfulfeelings” which expresses the poet’s mind.b.Spontaneity: Wordsworth defines poetry as “the spontaneous overflow of feelings”. The roleof instinct, intuition, and the feelings of “the heart” is stressed.c.Singularity: romantic poets have a strong love for the remote, the unusual, the strange, thesupernatural, the mysterious, the splendid, the picturesque, and the illogical.d.Worship of nature: the romantic poets are worshippers of nature, especially the sublime aspectof a natural scene.e.Simplicity: romantic poets take to using everyday language spoken by the rustic people asopposed to the poetic diction used by neo-classic writers. There is a dominating note of melancholy in the poems of the romantic poets.f.It was an age of poetry by which the poets outpoured their feelings and emotions.7.What is William Wordsworth’s definition of the word “poet”?He defines poetry as “the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings”.8.What are the main factors that explain the rise of novels asa dominantliterary genre during the Victorian age?First, the growth of urban population resulted in the appearance of a new reading public. Second, with the development of the method of printing and paper making, the price of books dropped, and besides regular books, there were serial publications. In addition, many libraries were set up by philanthropists so that books were now available to readers who could not afford to buy books.Third, writing had become a profession, which made it possible for the writers to make a living by writing.Fourth, with the ascendancy of the industrial capitalists, the majority of whom lived an idle life on interests, there was a large idle class who needed recreation and entertainment. Novels met with their desires.Fifth, the conditions of the time and the dire poverty on the one hand and the enormous wealth on the other hand needed a secular form to explore human relations rather than sermons given in the church.Finally, the feminist movement had much to do with the growth of the novel.9.Please summarize Dickens’ artis tic techniques.a.Dickens has a tendency to depict the grotesque (very odd or unusual, fantastically ugly orabsurd) characters or events.b.Dickens loves to instill life into inanimate things and to compare animate beings to inanimatethings.c.Dickens is noted for his descriptions of pathetic scenes that aim to arouse people’s sympathy.10.Please define Robert Browning’s dramatic monologue.A poem in which there is one imaginary speaker addressing an imaginary audience.In his dramatic monologues, he penetrates to depth the psychology of his characters and through their own speeches, he analyzes and dissects his characters and reveals the innermost secret of their lives.。