英国文学重点
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英国文学1.中古时期的英国文学Ballad(民谣):(1) Ballad is a story in poetic form to be sung or recited. (2) Ballads were passed down from generation to generation. (3) Robin Hood is a famous ballad singing the goods of Robin Hood. Coleridge’s The Rime of Ancient Marine is a 19th century English ballad.Epic(史诗):(1) Epic, in poetry, refers to a long work dealing with the actions of gods and heroes. (2) Beowulf is the greatest national epic of the Anglo-Saxons. John Milton wrote three great epics:Paradise Lost, Paradise Regained and Samson Agonists.Romance(罗曼文学/骑士文学):(1) Romance is a popular literary form in the medieval England. (2) It sings knightly adventures or other heroic deeds. (3) Chivalry (such as bravery, honor, generosity, loyalty and kindness to the weak and poor) is the spirit of romance.Alliteration(押头韵):(1) Alliteration means a repetition of initial sounds of several words in aline or group. (2) Alliteration is a traditional poetic device in English literature. (3) Robert Frost’s poem Acquainted with the Night is a case in point: “ I have stood still and stopped the sound of feet”.Beowulf《贝奥武甫》:(1)Beowulf , a typical example of Old English poetry, is regarded as the greatest national epic of the Anglo-Saxons. (2) The epic describes the heroic deeds of Scandinavian hero, Beowulf, in fighting against the monster Grendel, his revengeful mother, and a fire-breathing dragon. (3) The poem conveys a hope that the righteous will triumph over the evil.Geoffrey Chaucer(乔叟):(1) He is regarded as the father of English poetry. (2) The Canterbury Tales is his masterpiece. (3) He presents, for the first time in English literature, a comprehensive realistic picture of medieval English society and created a whole gallery of vivid characters from all walks of life. (4) Chaucer introduced from France rhymed stanzas of various types (heroic couplet) into English poetry to replace the Old English alliterative verse.(5) It was Chaucer who made London dialect the foundation for modern English speech. (6) His characterization is vivid.His major works: The Canterbury Tales 《坎特伯雷故事集》, Troilus and Criseyde《特罗勒斯和科丽西德》, The Romaunt of the Rose 《玫瑰罗曼史》, The House of Fame《声誉之堂》.Brief description of The Canterbury Tales: (1) The Canterbury Tales is Chaucer’s monumental success. (2) It is a collection of stories told b y a group of pilgrims on their way to Canterbury. (3) It was influenced by Boccaccio(薄伽丘)’s Decameron(《十日谈》). (4) In the poem Chaucer presents, for the first time in English literature, a comprehensive realistic picture of the medieval society and creates a whole gallery of vivid characters from all walks of life. (5) The poem shows Chaucer’s humanism and anticipates a new era to come.William Langland (威廉•兰格伦):(1) Piers Plowman(《农夫皮尔斯》)is a poem that gives a picture of the life in feudal England. (2) It is a protest against the then social injustice.2.文艺复兴时期的英国文学Renaissance(文艺复兴):(1) the word “Renaissance” means “rebirth”. It meant the reintroduction into Western Europe of the full cultural heritage of Greece and Rome. (2) The essence of Renaissance is humanism. Attitudes and feelings which had been characteristic of the 14th and 15th centuries persisted well down into the era of Humanism and Reformation. (3) The real mainstream ofthe English Renaissance is the Elizabethan drama with William Shakespeare being the leading dramatist.Humanism(人文主义):(1)Humanismis the essence of Renaissance. (2) It emphasizes the dignity of human beings and the importance of present life. Humanists voiced their beliefs that man was the center of universe and man did not only have the right to enjoy the beauty of the present life, but had the ability to perfect himself and to perform wonders.Spenserian stanza(斯宾塞诗节):(1)Spenserian stanza is the creation of Edmund Spenser .(2) It refers to a stanza of nine lines, with the first eight lines in iambic pentameter and the last line in iambic hexameter(六步音),rhyming ababbcbcc. (3) Spenser’s The Faerie Queene was written in this kind of stanza.Conceit(奇特的比喻):(1) Conceit is a far-fetched simile or metaphor, a literary conceit occurs when the speaker compares two highly dissimilar things. (2) Conceit is extensively employed in John Donne’s poetry.Metaphysical poetry(玄学派诗歌):(1) Metaphysical Poetry is commonly used to name the name of the work of the 17th-century writers who wrote under the influence of John Donne.(2) With a rebellious spirit, the metaphysical poets tried to break away from the conventional fashion of the Elizabethan love poetry. (3)The diction is simple as compared with that of the Elizabethan or the neoclassical periods, and echoes the words and cadences of common speech. (4) The imagery is drawn from actual life.Sonnet(十四行诗):(1)Sonnet is one of the most conventional and influential forms of poetry in Europe. (2) A sonnet is a lyric consisting of 14 lines, usually in iambic pentameter, restricted to a definite rhyme scheme. (3) Shakespeare’s sonnets are well-known.Blank verse (无韵体诗):(1)Blank verse is verse written in unrhymed iambic pentameter. (2) It is the verse form used in some of the greatest English poetry, including that of William Shakespeare and John Milton.Meter(格律):(1) The word “meter” is derived from the Greek word “metron”, meaning“measure”. (2) In English when applied to poetry, it refers to the regular pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables. (3) The analysis of meter is called scansion (格律分析).Allegory(寓言) :(1)Allegory is a story told to explain or teach something, especially a long and complicated story with an underlying meaning different from the surface meaning of the story itself. (2) Allegorical novels use extended metaphors to convey moral meanings or attack certain social evils. Characters in these novels often stand for different values such as virtue and vice. (3) Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress,Golding’s Lord of the Flies and Melville’s Moby Dick are three examples of this kind.Stanza(诗节):(1)Stanza is a group of lines of poetry, usually four or more, arranged according to a fixed plan. (2) The stanza is the unit of structure in a poem and poets do not vary the unit within a poem.University Wits(大学才子):(1)University Wits refer to a group of scholars during the Elizabeth Age who graduated from either Oxford or Cambridge. They came toLondon with the ambition to become professional writers. Some of them later became famous poets and playwrights. They were called “university wits”. (2) Thomas Greene, Thomas Kyd, John Lily and Christopher Marlow were among them. (3) They paved the ways, to some degree, for the coming of Shakespeare.Foreshadowing(预兆):(1) Foreshadowing, in drama, means a method used to build suspense by providing hints of what is to come. (2) In Shakespeare’s Romeo andJuliet, Romeo’s expression of fear in Act 1, scene 4 foreshadows the catastrophe to come:I fear too early; for my mind misgivesSome consequence yet hanging in the stars…Soliloquy(独白):(1) Soliloquy, in drama, means a moment when a character is alone and speaks his or her thoughts aloud. (2) In the lines “To be, or not to be, that is the question”, which begins the famous soliloquy from Act 3, Scene 1 of Shakespeare’s Hamlet. In this soliloquy Hamlet questions whether or not life is worth living, and speaks of the reasons why he does not end his life.Narrative Poem(叙述诗):(1)A Narrative Poem refers to a poem that tells a story.(2) It may consist of a series of incidents, as in Homer’s The Iliad and The Odysseus, and John Milton’s Paradise Lost.3.启蒙主义时期的英国文学Literary TermsThe Enlightenment Movement(启蒙运动)(1)Enlightenment Movement was a progressive intellectual movement which flourished in France and swept through Western Europe in the 18th century. (2) The movement was a furtherance of the Renaissance from 14th century to the mid-17th century.(3) Its purpose was to enlighten the whole world with the light of modern philosophical and artistic ideas. (4) It celebrated reason or rationality, equally and science. It advocated universal education. Literature at the time became a very popular means of public education. (5) Famous among the great enlighteners in England were those great writers like John Dryden, Alexander Pope, Joseph Addison and Sir Richard Steele, the two pioneers of familiar essays, Johnathan Swift, Richard Bringsley Sheridan, Daniel Defoe, Henry Fielding and Samuel Johnson,etc.Neoclassicism(新古典主义)(1)In the field of literature, the Enlightenment Movement brought abouta revival of interest in the old classical works. (2) This tendency is known as neoclassicism. The neoclassicists held that forms of literature were to be modeled after the classical works of the ancient Greek and Roman writers such as Homer and Vigil and those of the contemporary French ones. (3) They believed that the artistic ideals should be order, logic, restrained emotion and accuracy, and that literature should be judged in terms of its service to humanity.The Graveyard School(墓地派诗歌)(1)The Graveyard School refers to a school of poets of the 18th century whose poems are mostly devoted to a sentimental lamentation or meditation on life, past and present, with death and graveyard as themes.(2) Thomas Gray is considered to be the leading figure of this school and his Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard is its most representative work. The Heroic Couplet(英雄对偶句)The Heroic Couplet means a pair of lines of a type once in English poetry, in other words, it means iambic pentameter rhymed in two lines.Elegy(挽歌)(1)Elegy has typically been used to refer to reflective poems that lament the loss of something or someone. (2) In Memoriam by Alfred Tennyson is a famous elegy.Satire(讽刺)(1)Satire means a kind of writing that holds up to ridicule or contempt the weakness and wrongdoings of individuals, groups, institutions, or humanity in general. (2) The aim of satirists is to set a moral standard for society , and they attempt to persuade the reader to see their point of view through the force of laughter. (3) Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels is a great satire of the then English society from different aspects.Sentimentalism(感伤主义)(1)Sentimentalism is a pejorative term to describe false or superficial emotion, assumed feeling, self-regarding postures of grief and pain. (2) In literature it denotes overmuch use of pathetic effects and attempts to arouse feeling by “pathetic” indulgence. (3) The Vicar of Wakefield by Oliver Goldsmith is a case in point.Didactic( 说教的)(1)Didactic literature is said to be didactic if it is deliberately teaches some moral lesson. The use of literature for such teaching is one of its traditional justifications. (2) Most modern literary works during the Enlightenment period tended to be didactic.Farce(闹剧/滑稽剧)Farce refers to a play full of ridiculous happenings, absurd actions, and unreal situations, meant to be very funny.Aside(旁白)(1)Aside refers to words spoken by an actor which the other actors are supposed not to hear. (2) An actor’s asides are usually spoken to the audience. (3) Hamlet’s very first line is an aside.Denouement(戏剧结局)Denouement, pronounced Dee-noo-ma, is that part of a drama which follows the climax and leads to the resolution.Name of the WriterAlexander Pope(亚历山大.蒲柏)(1)He is a representative of the Enlightenment and the greatest poet of the Neoclassical period.(2)He is the first to introduce rationalism to England. He strongly advocated neoclassicism, emphasizing that literary works should be judged by classical rules of order , reason, logic, restrained emotion, good taste and decorum.Works An Essay on Criticism 《论批评》(1) An Essay on Criticism is his masterpiece. It is a didactic poemwritten in heroic couples.(2) It consists of 744 lines and is divided into three parts.(3) It sums up the art of poetry as upheld and practiced by theancientslikeAristotle, and the 18th century European classicists.(4) Pope first laments the dearth of true taste in poetic criticism of hisdayand calls on people to turn to the old Greek and Romanwriters for guidance.(5) It helped spread neoclassicist tradition in England.The Rage of the Lock 《夺发记》The Dunciad《群愚史诗》John Dryden(约翰.德莱顿)(1)He is called “the father of English Criticism”.(2)An Essay of Dramatic Poesy is his masterpiece.Works An Essay of Dramatic Poesy 《论戏剧诗歌》(1) An Essay of Dramatic Poesy is John Dryden’s best work.(2) In it he discusses the works of the great playwrights of Greece and Rome, the English Renaissance, and contemporary France.(3) He was call ed “the father of English Criticism”.All for Love 《一切为了爱》Alexander’s Feast 《亚历山大的宴会》Thomas Gray (托马斯.格雷)He is the leading figure of the Graveyard School.Works Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard 《墓畔哀歌》(1) Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard is the most representative workof the Graveyard School.(2)In this poem, Gray reflects on death, the sorrows of life, and themysteries of human life with a touch of his personal melancholy.(3) The poet compares the common folk with the great ones, wonderingwhat the commons could have achieved if they had had the chance.Herehe reveals his sympathy for the poor and the unknown, but mocksthegreat ones who despise the poor and bring havoc on them.4.浪漫主义时期的英国文学Romanticism(浪漫主义)(1)In the middle 18th century, a new literary movement called Romanticism came to Europe and then to England. (2) It is characterizedby a strong protest against the bondage of neoclassicism, which emphasized reason, order and elegant wit. Instead , romanticism gaveprimary concern to passion, emotion, and natural beauty. (3) In thehistory of literature, romanticism is generally regarded as the thought thatdesignates a literary and philosophical theory which tends to see theindividual as the very center of all life and all experience. (4) The EnglishRomantic Period is an age of poetry. Major romantic poets include Blake, Wordsworth, Coleridge, Byron, Shelly and Keats. Romanticism prevailedin England from 1798 to 1837.Lyric( 抒情诗 )(1)Lyric is a short poem wherein the poet expresses an emotion orillustrates some life principle. (2) Lyric often concerns love. “My love is like a red, red rose” is Robert Burns well-known lyric.Byronic Hero( 拜伦式英雄 )(1)Byronic Hero refers to a profound, mysterious rebel figure of noble origin. (2) With immense superiority in his passions and powers, this Byronic hero would carry on his shoulders the burden of righting all the wrongs in a corrupt society, and would rise single-handedly against any kind of tyrannical rules either in government, in religion or in moral principles with unconquerable wills and inexhaustible energies.(3) Byron’s chief contribution to the English literature is the creation of “Byronic hero”.Terza Rima( 三行诗 )(1)Terza Rima is an Italian verse that consists of a series of three line stanzas in which the middle line of each stanza rhymes with the first and third lines of the following stanza with the rhyming scheme a b a, b c b, c d c, d e d, etc.(2) Shelly’s Ode to the West Wind is a case in point.Ottava Rima( 八行诗 )(1)Ottava Rima is a form of eight-line iambic stanza rhyming a b a b a bc c.(2) Byron’s Don Juan and William Butlter’s Sailing to Byzantium are outstanding examples.Canto( 诗章 )(1)Canto is a section of division of a long poem.(2) The most famous cantos in literature are those that make up Dante’s Division Comedy, a 14th century epic. In English poetry Alexander Pope’s The Rage of the Lock and Byron’s Don Juan are divided into cantos.Gothic Novel( 哥特式小说 )(1)Gothic Novel is a type of romance very popular late in the 18th century and at the beginning of the 19th century.(2) Gothic novel empathizes things which are grotesque, violent, mysterious, supernatural, desolate and horrifying.(3) Gothic originally means in the sense of “medieval, not classical” was applied by Horac e Walpole to his novel The Castle of Otranto, a Gothic story, published in 1765.(4) With its description of the dark and irrational side of human nature, Gothic novel has exerted a great influence over the writers of the Romantic period. Works like The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe and Frankenstein by Mary Shelly are typical Gothic romance.High Comedy(正统喜剧 )High Comedy is a comedy that deals with a polite society and depends more on witty dialogue and well-drawn characters than on comic situations.Ode (颂歌)(1)Ode is a dignified and elaborately structured lyric of some length,praising and glorifying an individual, commemorating an event, or describing nature intellectually rather than emotionally.(2)John Keats wrote great odes. His Ode on a Grecian Urn is a case inpoint.Lake Poets(湖畔派诗人)In English literature Lake Poets refer to such romantic poets as William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Robert Southey who lived in the Lake District. They came to be known as the Lake School or “Lakes”.William Blake (威廉布莱克)(1)He is one of major English Romantic poets in the 19th century.(2)The distinctive feature of his poetry is the symbolism in wide range.(3)He is famous for his two volumes of poems: Songs of Innocence andSongs of Experience.(4)Chil dhood is central to Blake’s concern in these two volumes of poems. Works: Songs of Innocence《天真之歌》Songs of Innocence is a lovely volume of poems, presenting a happy and innocent world, though not without its evils and sufferings.Songs of Experience 《经验之歌》Songs of Experience presents a different world, a world ofmisery,poverty, disease, war and repression with amelancholy tone.The Tiger《老虎》The Tiger is also a famous poem by Blake. Lamb in the poem is a symbol of peace and purity whereas tiger a symbol of dreadand violence.Poetical Sketches《素描诗集》Robert Burns (罗伯特彭斯)(1)H e is the greatest Scottish poet in the late 18th century.(2)I n his poetry he glorifies a natural man—a healthy, joyous and clever Scotch peasant.(3)H e wrote in Scottish dialect, drawing his inspiration from the treasury of Scottish folklore.(4)H is poetry is rich in such qualities as love, humor, pathos and love of nature. All these qualities suggest the coming of EnglishRomanticism.Works:A Red , Red Rose《一朵红红的玫瑰》My Heart’s in the Highland《我的心在高原》Auld Lang Syne《友谊地久天长》Mary Shelly (玛丽雪莱)She was the wife of Percy Bysshe ShelleyWork: Frankenstein《弗兰克肯斯坦》Frankenstein is a Gothic novel.Walter Scott(沃尔特司各特)(1)H e is the creator and a master of the historical novel. His historical novel is his chief contribution to English literature.(2)H is historical novels concern the history of Scotland, English history and the history of European countries.Works: Waverley《威弗利》The Black Dwarf《黑侏儒》Rob Roy《罗伯罗伊》Old Mortality《清教徒》Ivanhoe 《艾凡赫》(1)Ivanhoe is Scott’s masterpiece.(2)It is a novel of English subjectcovering the days after the Norman Conquest.5.维多利亚时期的英国文学Critical Realism(批判现实主义)(1)C ritical Realism is a term applied to the realistic fiction in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.(2)I t means the tendency of writers and intellectuals in the period between 1875 and 1920 to apply the methods of realistic fiction tothe criticism of society and the examination of social issues. (3)R ealist writers were all concerned about the fate of the common people and described what was faithful to reality.(4)C harles Dickens is the most important critical realist.Dramatic Monologue(戏剧独白)(1)D ramatic Monologue,in literature, refers to the occurrence of a single speaker saying something to a silent audience.(2)R obert Browning’s My Last Duchess is a typical example in which the duke, speaking to a non-responding audience, revealsnot only the reasons for his disapproval of the behavior of hisformer duchess, but some tyrannical and merciless aspects of hisown personality as well.Psychological novel(心理小说)(1)P sychological novel refers to a kind of novel that dwells on acomplex psychological development and presents much of thenarration through the inner workings of the character’s mind.(2)T hackeray’s characterization of Rebecca Sharp is very much psychological.Point of View(叙述角度)(1)P oint of View can be divided by the narrator’s relationship with the character, represented by the grammatical person: the first-person narrative, the third-person narrative, and omniscientnarrator.(2)I n the first-person narrative, the narrator appears in the novel as “I”or “me”. In the third-person narrative, the narrator does notactually appear and all the characters are referred to as “he” or“they”. If the speaker knows everything including the actions,motives and thoughts of all the characters, the speaker is referredto as omniscient.Plot(情节)(1)Plot refersto the structure of a story.(2)The plot of a literary work includes the rising action, the climax, thefalling action and the resolution. It has a protagonist who is opposed by an antagonist, creating what is called conflict.Flashback (倒叙)(1)F lashback refers to an event which took place prior to the beginning of a story or play.(2)F lashback is used in Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights. In Hemingway’s The Snow of Kilamanjaro the protagonist, Harry Street, has been injured on a hunt in Africa. Dying, his mind becomes preoccupied with incidents in his past. In a flashback Street remember one of his wartime comrades dying painfully on barded wire on a battlefield in Spain.Allusion(典故/暗指)(1)A llusion means a reference to a person, a place, an event, or a literary work that a writer expects the reader to recognize andrespond to.(2)A n allusion may be drawn from history, geography, literature, or religion.(3)T hacker’s Vanity Fair serves as a literary example. The name of the novel is borrowed from the famous scene in John Bunyan’ ThePilgrim’s Progress.Protagonist and Antagonist(正面人物与反面人物)(1)I n a literary work Protagonist refers to the hero or central character who is often hindered by some opposing force either human or animal (Antagonist)in accomplishing his or her objective.(2)F or example, Captain Ahab is the protagonist in Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick whereas the white whale (Moby-Dick) is the antagonist.Charles Dickens(查尔斯狄更斯)(1)H e is one of the greatest critical realist writers of the Victorian Age. (2)H is works are intended to expose and criticize all the poverty, injustice, hypocrisy and corruptness of the 19th-century England, particularly London.(3)A ll his works are characterized by a mingling of humor and pathos Works:Oliver Twist《雾都孤儿》Oliver Twist criticizes the dehumanizing workhouse system and the dark, criminal underworld life.David Copperfield《大卫科波菲尔》David Copperfield is about the debtor’s prison.Dombey and son《董贝父子》Dombey and son exposes the money-worship that dominates people’s life, corrupts the young and brings tragedy to Mr.Domby’s family.Bleak House《荒凉山庄》Bleak House attacks the legal system and practices that aim at devouring every penny of the clients.Hard Times《艰难时世》Hard Times lashes the Utilitarian principle that rules over the English education system and destroys young hearts and minds.Great Expectations《远大前程》Our Mutual Friends 《我们共同的朋友》Great Expectations and Our Mutual Friends expose the overwhelming social environment which brings moral degeneration and destruction to people.A Tale of Two City 《双城记》The Old Curiosity Shop 《老古玩店》Little Dorrit《小杜丽》The Pickwick Papers Great ExpectationsOur Mutual FriendsRobert Stevenson Treasure Island《金银岛》(罗伯特﹒史蒂文森) Kidnapped 《诱拐》6.现代时期的英国文学Modernism (现代主义)(1)Modernism is an international movement in literature and arts, especially in literary criticism, which began in the late 19 century and flourished until 1950s.(2)Modernism takes the irrational philosophy and the theory of psycho-analysis as theoretical case.(3)The modernist writers concentrate more on the private and subjunctive than on the public and objective, mainly concerned with the inner of an individual.(4)James Joyce, T. S. Eliot, Virgina Woolf and William Faulkner are prominent modernist writers.Dadaism(达达主义)Dadaism refers to a western European artistic and literary movement (1916---1923) that sought the discovery of authentic reality through the abolition of traditional, cultural and aesthetic forms by a technique of comic derision in which irrationality, chance, and intuition were the guiding principles.Stream of Consciousness(意识流)(1)Stream of Consciousness has something to do with a method of storytelling in which the author tells the story through the freely flowing thoughts and associations of one of the characters. It is used to depict the mental and emotional reactions of characters to external events, rather than the events themselves.(2) Among English writers, James Joyce and Virgina Woolf are two major advocates of this technique.The Theater of Absurd(荒诞派戏剧)(1)The Theater of Absurd is a kind of drama that explains an existential ideology and presents a view of absurdity of the human condition by the abandoning of usual or rational devices and the use of nonrealistic form.(2)The most original playwright of the Theater of Absurd is Samuel Beckett, who wrote about human beings living a meaningless life in an alien, decaying world. His play, Waiting for Godot, is regarded as the most famous and influential play of the Theater of Absurd.。
英国文学选读笔记重点一、引言英国文学是世界文学的重要组成部分,其丰富的历史背景、独特的文化传统和卓越的文学成就使其在世界文学史上占有重要地位。
在英国文学选读中,我们不仅可以欣赏到众多杰出的文学作品,还可以深入了解英国的历史、文化和社会背景。
二、重点作家及其作品莎士比亚莎士比亚是英国文学史上最伟大的作家之一,他的作品包括《哈姆雷特》、《奥赛罗》、《罗密欧与朱丽叶》等。
莎士比亚的作品具有深刻的思想内涵和卓越的艺术表现力,是英国文学的经典之作。
简·奥斯汀简·奥斯汀是英国19世纪著名的女性作家,她的作品如《傲慢与偏见》、《理智与情感》等,以细腻的人物描写和精湛的心理分析而著称。
她的作品反映了当时英国社会的风俗习惯和道德观念,具有很高的社会价值。
狄更斯狄更斯是19世纪英国最著名的现实主义作家之一,他的作品如《双城记》、《雾都孤儿》等,以对社会问题的深刻揭示和对人性的深刻剖析而著称。
他的作品反映了当时英国社会的贫困、不公和阶级斗争,具有很高的社会意义。
三、重点主题爱情与婚姻爱情与婚姻是英国文学中的重要主题之一。
在许多作品中,作者通过描写爱情与婚姻的关系,探讨了人性的复杂性和生活的真谛。
例如,在简·奥斯汀的作品中,她通过对婚姻的思考,揭示了当时英国社会对婚姻的看法和期望。
社会问题社会问题是英国文学中的另一个重要主题。
许多作家通过描写社会问题,揭示了当时社会的矛盾和冲突。
例如,在狄更斯的作品中,他通过对贫困、不公和阶级斗争的描写,揭示了当时英国社会的种种问题。
人性与命运人性与命运是英国文学中的永恒主题。
许多作家通过描写人性的复杂性和命运的无常,探讨了人生的意义和价值。
例如,在莎士比亚的作品中,他通过对人性的深刻剖析和对命运的无奈揭示了人生的无常和无奈。
四、结语英国文学选读是了解英国文化和历史的重要途径之一。
通过对英国文学的学习和研究,我们可以更好地理解英国的历史、文化和社会背景,同时也可以提高我们的审美能力和文化素养。
Colonial Period (1607-1775)---PuritanismMajor Writers & Literary WorksCaptain John SmithWilliam BradfordJohn WinthropAnne BradstreetIII. Main types of writing:diaries, histories, journals, letters, travel books, autobiographies/biographies, sermonsIV.Captain John Smith (1580—1631)True Relation of Virginia (1608)Description of New England (1616)General History of Virginia, New England, and the Summer Isles (1624)Puritanism in AmericaPuritanism 清教主义Puritanism is the practices and beliefs of puritans. Doctrines:- Predestination- Original sin and total depravity (human beings are basically evil.)- Limited atonement (or the Salvation of a selected few)Puritan values (creeds):Hard work, thrift, piety, sobriety, simple tastes.Puritans are more practical, tougher, and to be ever ready for any misfortune and tragic failure.They are optimistic.Influence-- one of the most enduring shaping influences in American thought and American literature.-- American literature is based on a myth, i.e. the Biblical myth of the Garden of Eden.-- tendency to moralize.- Puritanism can be compared with Chinese Confucianism.American Puritanism&Chinese Confucianism1) powerful shaping factor in the cultural maturity of the nation;2) burned its way into the very fabric of social life and way down into people’s consciousness;puritan style of writingfresh, simple, directrhetoric is plain, honestinfluence of biblemoralizeAnne Bradstreet (1612-1672)The first publication of a book of poems in America,the first publication by a woman in America.She also wrote The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung Up in America in 1650.Anne Bradstreet (1612—1672)安妮.布雷特兹里特The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung Up in America <美洲最近出现的第十缪斯> ----published in Britain in 1650 by her brother-in-lawSeveral Poems Compiled with a Great Variety of Wit and Learning, Full of Delight <一些风格各异,充满机智和学识的诗歌>----the first edition of her poetry in North America in 1678 after her death Contemplation <沉思>----a long poem imitated Edmund Spenser both in rhythm and themeUpon the Burning of Our HouseTo My Dear and Loving HusbandAge of EnlightenmentGeneral Backgrounds –dominant thought(1) EnlightenmentAn 18th-century movement that focused on the ideals of good sense, benevolence, and a belief in liberty, justice, and equality as the natural rights of man.. It advocated reason or rationality, the scientific method, equality and human beings ’ability to perfect themselves and their society.Originated in Europe: 17th CResources: Newton’s theory; deismBasic principles: stressing education; Reason (Order); employing reason to reconsider the traditions and social realities; concern for civil rights –equality, justiceSignificance: accelerating social progress; freeing people from the limitations set by prevailing Puritanism; making spiritual preparation for Am, Revolution.Representatives: Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Paine, Thomas JeffersonInfluence on LiteratureIn form: imitating English classical writersIn content: utilitarian tendency ( for political or educational purpose) (2)The Great Awakening (1730s—1740s)A series of religious revivals that swept over the American colonies about the middle of 18th century. The main aim is to revive people’s enthusiasm towards Calvinism. In New England it was started by Jonathan Edwards.Major writers3.1two representatives of Puritanism in two aspectsJonathan Edwards (1703—1785) 乔纳森.爱德华兹---Outstanding representative of Puritanism--the last great voice to re-assert Calvinism in America.His WorksPersonal Narrative 《自述》Freedom of the Will 《意志的自由》The Doctrine of Original Sin Defend《原罪说辩》The Nature of True Virtue 《真正美德的本质》Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God《发怒的上帝手中的罪人》Images or Shadows of Divine Things《神灵的形影》Jonathan Edwards’ Points of view(1) Regeneration of man(人的来世): He urges his people to enjoy the sweetness of “conversion”(转变).(2) God’s presence: God is the source of all being, the substance of all life. God made the world by an extension of Himself, he manifests Himself in nature and man, and that man, being a part of God, is divine(神圣的).–his sense of God’s overwhelming presence in nature and in soul anticipated the Transcendentalism.His Position1 He was the last great voice that was ever heard in America to reassert the Calvinist stance so as to bring the people back to its fold.2 He was in part instrumental in bringing about the Great Awakening3 He was the first modern American and the country’s last medieval man. Benjamin Franklin (1706—1790)本杰明.富兰克林The Autobiography 《自传》—first of its kind in liter.Its Significance/1) It is the first of its kind in American literature.2) It is a puritan document of its self-examination & self-improvement. (Franklin’s 13 virtues)3) a success story of self-reliance, the book celebrates, in fact, the fulfillment of the American dream4)It is regarded as one of the most important works of American literature producedduring the 18th century.5)he represents American idea--- man is basically good and free by nature, endowedby God with certain inalienable(不可剥夺的) rights of liberty and the pursuit of happiness.7) The Autobiography is in the pattern of Puritan simplicity, directness, and concision. 思考题小结:Edwards vs FranklinSimilarity---Both were inheritors of the puritan tradition. Both came from the same parent stock, the Puritanism of New England.Differences----They moved in different directions: Puritan idealism vs materialism. Edwards used Calvinist beliefs and tenets to stage a series of religious revivals, --the great awakening in north America from 1735 to 1750. Franklin used deism as an effective practical support to the new ideas of progress. With him as spokesman, 18th C Am. Experienced enlightenment, reason and order like England and Europe.Thomas Paine (1737—1809) 托马斯.潘恩Fight for the rights of manHelp to spur and inspire two greatest revolutions of his agePropagandist, pamphleteer, a master of persuasion who understands the power of language to move a man to action.Main works:Common Sense 《常识》The American Crisis 《美国危机》The Rights of Man 《人的权利》The Age of Reason 《理智时代》3.2Philip Freneau (1752—1832) 菲利普.弗瑞诺1. significanceUse his poetic talents to serve his nationHe is the most important poet in the 18th CHe was entitled Father of American PoetryHe was born in New York and graduated from Princeton University.He wrote lots of poems supporting Am. Revolution and human liberty.He was the most notable Representative of dawning nationalism in literature.His poems presented Romantic spirits but his form and taste were mainly influenced by Classicism.Most famous poems “the Wild Honey Suckle” The Indian Burying Ground 《印地安人墓地》2. Works: The British Prison ship 《英国囚船》The Rising Glory of America (graduation poem in college of New Jersey) 《美洲光辉的兴起》/《蒸蒸日上的美国》The Indian Burying Ground 《印地安人墓地》—on the imagined afterlifeThe Wild Honey suckle 《野金银花》---on mortalityThe Dying Indian: Tomo Chequi 《将死之印第安人图默.凯奎》3. The Wild Honeysuckle1.It is a deistic celebration of nature, romantic use of simple nature imagery,inspired by themes of death and transience. Much of the beauty of the poem lies in the sounds of the words and the effects created through changes in rhythm.2. Flower vs Human Being, Duration vs Life3. Show us how to live an useful life.4. In a revolution, one should not do nothing for his country for fear of being hurt, harmed and destroyed.This a piece of lyric about nature, four-stanza poem, each stanza with 6 lines. Theme— it’s a hymn of wild honey suckle, of its whiteness, beauty, and purity, meanwhile sorry for silence and the frail duration. It suggests a relationship between the life of the flower and the life of human beingsIt implies that life and death are inevitable law of nature. The whole poem shows slight sadness, but life and death are inevitable law of nature, so the poem hinted us that we should face life optimistically and calmly.Rhyme scheme: a regular pattern of thyme, ababccDictions—using soft consonants, such as /t/, /m/, /s/. it is sounded calmly and easily.Washington IrvingAmerican Romanticism(1820-1860) 1. Time: From the end of the 18th century to the outbreak of the Civil War.The romantic period, one of the most important periods in the history of American literature, also called “ the American Renaissance”.1.General features RomanticismRomanticism•Definition: romanticism rose in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. In contrastto classicism, it is associated with imagination and creation of individuality. Romantic writers attach importance to the portrayal of features of distinctive characters. They reproduce life in their writings according to their ideal and prefer imaginative, even fantastic vision to restriction of objective depiction, passion to elegance, and irregular beauty to perfect proportion.•Ideals: Democracy and political equality became the ideals of the new nation. Features of the romantic literatureA.stressing emotion rather than reasonB.stressing freedom and individualityC.idealism rather than materialismD.writing about nature, medieval legends and with supernatural elements. Irrationalism: opposing rationalism/neo-classicism; focusing on feelings, intuitionsand emotions; worshipping ideals, imaginationIndividualism: placing the individual and the common man against the group, against authorityBeing close to nature: the world as a living, breathing being; the close relationship between man and natureSimplicity:turned to the humble people and the everyday life,adopted the everyday language3.American Romanticism was both imitative and independent.Independent--A real new experiencea.peculiar American experience ( landscape, pioneering to the west, Indiancivilization, new nation’s democracy and dreams)—wild honey suckle, cooper, new Adam, new garden of Eden, Whitman)b.Puritan heritage (more moralizing, edifying more than mere entertainment)(careful about love and sex. Example: Scarlet Letter)5. Three periods and representativesA. Early romanticism—Washington Irving, James Fennimore CooperB. summit of Romanticism –American TranscendentalismEmerson, ThoreauC. Late RomanticismHawthorne, Melville, Poe.Whitman, DickinsonWashington Irving (1783--1859)First American to make a living as a writerFirst American storytellerFirst to get international fameFather of American literature•Appreciation of “Rip Van Winkle”Time : the pre-independent war & post-independent war timePlace: the Appalachian Mountain Area, in and old Dutch villageSetting: the pastoral, peaceful, calm but backward atmosphere•Narrative elements (1): 3-part structure & plotBeginning – Rip as a hen-pecked husband;•Middle – his venture into Catskills;•End – his returnAnalysis of the characterRip: --- idle, lazy, Hen-pecked, weak-minded, good-tempered, warm-hearted, timid, care-free, simple-minded, obedient, irresponsible, a little foolish, etc.His wife:--- virago, sharp-tempered, vulgar, rude, ill-mannered, rural-bred,responsible, strong-minded, self-important, nagging, sharp-tongued, hard-working, uneducated country woman•Analysis of the theme•1. A story of man who has difficulty in facing his age•2. Criticism of some teachings of Puritanism:•Unceasing labor, no play, all kinds of pleasures are condemned, greedy for wealth •Express a strong desire for leisure•3. The theme of escape from one’s responsibility and even one’s history•4. Bewildering about the rapid changes after the independent war.•5. Nostalgic longing for the past pastoral way of life.•6. The loss of identityTone: conservative (never accepted a modern democratic America and believed changes upset the natural order of things.)Symbolism: on his return to the village, he senses a loss of identity. His wife(ruler) is gone. (from Gorge III to George Washington)•【小说风格】是指某一时代、某一民族、某一地域或某一小说家的小说作品在思想内容和艺术表达形式上所呈现出的特点的总和。
英国文学—The old and medieval periods1.Beowuf这部作品Romance是这个时期最流行的文学形式;Chaucer第一个引进“英雄偶句”诗体。
Beowulf(贝奥武甫(八世纪初的一篇古英语史诗; 该史诗中的主角)), a typical example of old English poetry, is regarded today as the national epic (民族史诗)of the Anglo-Saxons. Literary position: The poem was originally in an oral form, it is written down in the 10th century. Thematically 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.Romance (骑士抒情诗),a popular literary form in the medieval period) uses narrative verse or prose to sing knightly adventures or other heroic deeds, whose motifs(主题, 主旨)of the quest is for truth, beauty and kindness.Chaucer(乔叟): whose masterpiece is The Canterbury Tales《坎特伯雷故事集》. The famous character of his works is the Wife of Bath. Chaucer employed the heroic coupletverse form (英雄双韵诗形式) with true ease and charm for the first time in the history of English literature. He is the father of English poetry.英国文学—The renaissance periods 1.《仙后》一部寓言(allegory), 人物象征意义与主题.The Faerie is an allegory.The Red-crosse Knight stands for St.George, the patron saint of England, and he also represent Holiness.A lovely Ladie, virgin Una, symbolizes the thruth or the true faith of religion.A milke white lambe reprents the God.Dragon and infernall feend refer the SatanThe theme is not “Arms and the man,” but something more romantic—“fiece warres and faithful loves”.2. 斯宾塞的诗歌特点The five main quailites of spenser’spoetry are:1) a perfect melody;2) a rare sense of beauty;3) a splendid imagination;4) a lofty purity and seriousness;5) a dedicated idealism.3.《浮士德》的主题Dr. Faustus is a play based on theGerman legend of a magician aspiringfor knowledge and finally meeting histragic end as a result of selling his soulto the Devil. The play’s dominantmoral is human than religious. Itcelebrates the human passion forknowledge, power and happiness; italso reveals man’s frustration inrealizing the high aspiration in ahostile moral order. And theconfinement to time is the cruelest factof man’s condition.4.《威尼丝商人》的故事及主题The play has a double plot:1) Bassanio——Portia2) Antonio——ShylockThe traditional theme of the playis to praise the friendship betweemAntonio and Bassanio, to idealizePortia as a heroine of greate beaulity,wit and loyalty, and to expose theinsatiable greed and brutality of theJew. Tody, many people tend to regardthe play as a satire of the christians’hypocrisy and their false standards offrindship and love, their cunning wayof pursuing worldliness(俗心, 俗气)and their unreasoning prejudice againstJews.5.Milton的三部作品Paradise Lost, Paradise Regained,Samson Agonistes.英国文学—The neoclassical periods1.Bunyan的《天路历程》是一部寓言(allegory),其主题及《名利场》的寓意The Pilgrim’s Progress is themost successful religious allegory inthe English language. Its purpose is tourge people to abide by Christiandoctrines and seek salvation throughconstant struggle with their ownweakness and all kinds of social evils.Its predominant metaphor —life as ajourney — is simple and familiar. Theobjects that Christian meets arehomely and commonplace, and thescence presented a typical Englishones, but throughout the allegory aspiritual signifiance is added to thecommonplace details.The Vanity Fair symbolizeshuman world, for “All that cometh isvanity.”Everything and anything inthis world is “vanity”, having no valueand no meaning. The Vanity Fair, a“marcket selling nothingness” of allsorts, is a dirty place originally built upby devils, but, this town “lay” in theway to the Celestial City, meaningpilgrims had to resist the tempatationsthere way through. So, the depiction ofthe “Fair” in selling things worldly andin attracting people bad, representsJohn Bunyan’s rejection of the worldlyseekings and pious longing for the pureand charming “Celestial City” hisChristian ideal.2.鲁宾逊的意义Robinson is here a real hero: atypical eighteenth-century Enlishmiddle-class man, with a greatcapacity for work, inexhaustible energy,courage, patience and persistence inovercoming obstacles, in stugglingagainst the hostile natural environment.He is the very prototype of the empirebuilder, the pioneer colonist.3.Gulliver’s Travel的四个部分The book contains four parts.The first part —— LilliputThe second part —— BrobdingnagThe third part —— flying IslandThe fourth part —— Houyhnhnmland, YahooAs a whole, the book is one of themost effcetive and devastatingcriticisms and satires of all aspects inthen English and European life —socially, politically, religiously,philosophically, scientifically, andmorally.4.Fielding的贡献Fielding has been regarded by some as “Father of the English Novel”.He was first to set out, both in theory and practice, to write specifically a “comic epic in prose,” the first to give the modern novel its structure and syle. Before him, the relating of a story in a novel was either the Episolary form or the picaresque form, but fielding adopted “the third-person narration,” in which the author become the “all-knowing God”.英国文学—The romantic periods 1.Blake青春之歌与经验之歌的比较The Song of Innocence is a lovely volume of poems, presenting a happy and innocent world, though not without its evils and suffering.His Songs of Experiecnce paints a different world, a world of misery, poverty, disease, war and repression with melancholy tone.The 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 compiant to exploitation. The poem from the Songs of Innocence indicates the conditions which make religion a consolation, a prospect(景色, 前景)of “illusory happiness;” the poem from the Songs of the Experience reveals the true nature of religion which helps bring misery to the poor child.2.拜伦式英雄Buyron’s chief contribution is his creation of the “Byronic hero,” a proud, mysterious rebel figure of noble origin. With immense superiority in his passions and powers, this Byronic hero would carry on his shoulders the burdens of righting all the wrongs in a corrupt society, and would rise single-handedly against any kind of tyrannical rules either in government, in religion, or in moral principles with unconquerable wills and inexhaustilbeenergies.3.KEATS的希腊古瓮颂的主题Ode on an grecian Urn shows thecontrast between the permanence of artand the transcience of human passion.4.奥丝丁的三种婚姻观Stories of love and marriageprovide the major theme in all JaneAusten’s novels, in which femalechatacters are always playing an activepart. In their pursuit of a marriage,they ate usually categorize into threetypes according to their differentattitudes: those who would marry formaterial wealth and social position,those who would marry just for beautyand passion, and those who wouldmarry for true love with aconsideration of the partn er’s personalmerit as well ad his economical andsocial status.5.《傲慢与偏见》的故事及主题Pride and Prejudice mainly tellsof the love story between a rich,pround young man Darcy and thebeautiful and intelligent ElizaethBennet. None of the daughters caninherit the estate of the family for ithas been entailed upon the nearestmale heir, Willian Collins, Collinsintends to marry and he decides toshoose Elizabeth as a way of makingamends for inheriting the family’sestate. Collins is a preposterous(荒谬的) suitor, and Elizabeth rejects theproposal. Another young man calledDarcy proposes her, but she hasprejudice against him because shethinks that he has nothing but pride.After many twists and turns, they arehappily united. This book tells us agreat deal about attitude towardmarriage in Austen’s time.Stories of love and marriageprovide the major themes in all hernovels, Jane Austen tries to say that itis wrong to marry just for money or forbeauty, but it is also wrong to marrywithout it.as it is said in the book that it is a truthuniversally acknowledged that a singeman in possession of a good foutunemust be in want of a wife.英国文学—The victorian periods1.Dickens小说的3种角色类型及创作生涯。
英国Chapter1 The Renaissance period(14世纪至十七世纪中叶)文艺复兴1. Humanism is the essence of the Renaissance.人文主义是文艺复兴的核心。
2. the Greek and Roman civilization was based on such a conception that man is the measure of all things.人文主义作为文艺复兴的起源是因为古希腊罗马文明的基础是以“人”为中心,人是万物之灵。
3. Renaissance humanists found in then classics a justification to exalt human nature and came to see that human beings were glorious creatures capable of individual development in the direction of perfection, and that the world they inhabited was theirs not to despise but to question, explore, and enjoy.人文主义者们却从古代文化遗产中找到充足的论据,来赞美人性,并开始注意到人类是崇高的生命,人可以不断发展完善自己,而且世界是属于他们的,供他们怀疑,探索以及享受。
4. Thomas More, Christopher Marlowe and William Shakespeare are the best representatives of the English humanists.托马斯.摩尔,克利斯朵夫.马洛和威廉.莎士比亚是英国人文主义的代表。
5. Wyatt introduced the Petrarchan sonnet into England.怀亚特将彼特拉克的十四行诗引进英国。
第一讲英国文学概论教学要求:认识学习《英国文学》的意义和方法,了解该学科的概况。
教学重点与难点:《英国文学》的主要流派教学内容:从总体上介绍学习英国文学的意义和方法以及这门课程的性质1.为什么要学习英国文学2.学习英国文学的意义3.从盎格鲁·撒克逊时期到后现代主义时期的英国文学4.如何学习这门课程本章习题要点:1. 你对英国文学的了解有多少?2.文学和文化/历史/社会的关系第二讲中古时期英国文学教学要求:了解早期英国文学,尤其盎格鲁·撒克逊时期文学的主要特征和主要作品。
教学重点与难点:一史诗、传奇、民谣二《贝尔武夫》选读第三讲乔叟时代教学要求:了解乔叟时期文学的主要特征和主要作家作品。
教学重点与难点:一英雄双韵体、五步抑扬格等英语诗歌知识二《坎特伯雷故事集》选读本章习题要点:英语诗歌的格律和韵脚。
为何乔叟被称为“英国诗歌之父”?第四讲英国文艺复兴时期的文学教学要求:了解英国文艺复兴时期的文学的主要特征和代表作家作品。
教学重点与难点:文艺复兴;莎士比亚的戏剧和诗歌一文艺复兴运动二人文主义思潮三文艺复兴时期的重要作家四威廉·莎士比亚1. 莎士比亚生平及戏剧创作生涯2. 莎士比亚作品的思想意义及艺术成就3.《哈姆雷特》片断赏析4.《第18首、第29首十四行诗》赏析本章习题要点:人文主义思想在文学作品中的反映;莎士比亚的戏剧和诗歌。
第五讲十七世纪资产阶级革命和王朝复辟时期(一)教学要求:了解十七世纪资产阶级革命和王朝复辟时期的文学和主要作家作品。
教学重点与难点:培根;约翰·邓恩一培根的哲学思想及《论学习》赏析二玄学派诗人约翰·邓恩及《临别词:莫悲伤》赏析第六讲十七世纪资产阶级革命和王朝复辟时期(二)教学要求:了解十七世纪资产阶级革命和王朝复辟时期的文学和主要作家作品。
教学重点与难点:清教思想;《失乐园》一历史背景二约翰·弥尔顿1. 弥尔顿的生平及文学创作2. 《失乐园》选读本章习题要点:资产阶级革命对文学的影响;弥尔顿的文学价值和社会价值。
英国Chapter1 The Renaissance period(14世纪至十七世纪中叶)文艺复兴1. Humanism is the essence of the Renaissance.人文主义是文艺复兴的核心。
2. the Greek and Roman civilization was based on such a conception that man is the measure of all things.人文主义作为文艺复兴的起源是因为古希腊罗马文明的基础是以“人”为中心,人是万物之灵。
3. Renaissance humanists found in then classics a justification to exalt human nature and came to see that human beings were glorious creatures capable of individual development in the direction of perfection, and that the world they inhabited was theirs not to despise but to question, explore, and enjoy.人文主义者们却从古代文化遗产中找到充足的论据,来赞美人性,并开始注意到人类是崇高的生命,人可以不断发展完善自己,而且世界是属于他们的,供他们怀疑,探索以及享受。
4. Thomas More, Christopher Marlowe and William Shakespeare are the best representatives of the English humanists.托马斯.摩尔,克利斯朵夫.马洛和威廉.莎士比亚是英国人文主义的代表。
5. Wyatt introduced the Petrarchan sonnet into England.怀亚特将彼特拉克的十四行诗引进英国。
西南大学英国文学选读考试重点☆英国文学名家名著《贝奥武甫》(Beowulf)是英国盎格鲁·撒克逊时期的一首英雄史诗,古英语文学的最高成就,同时标志着英国文学的开始。
史诗的第一部分讲述瑞典青年王子贝奥武甫来到丹麦,帮助丹麦国王赫罗斯加杀死了12年来常来进行夜袭的巨妖格伦德尔及他的母亲;第二部分简述了贝奥武甫继承王位,平安统治50年。
后来,他的国土被一条喷火巨龙蹂躏,老当益壮的贝奥武甫与火龙交战,杀死火龙,自己也受了致命伤。
杰弗里·乔叟(Geoffrey Chaucer ,1340-1400)是英国文学之父亲和前最杰出的作家。
主要作品有《坎特伯雷故事集》等。
作品的主要特点是主题、题材、风格、笔调的多样性及描写人对生活的追求的复杂性。
他的代表作品是《坎特伯雷故事集》(The Canterbury Tales)不仅描绘了31位朝圣者的各个社会阶层,而且也反映了他们各自叙述故事的不同风格,读者广泛,对后世影响很大。
威廉·莎士比亚(William Shakespeare ,1564-1616)是文艺复兴时期英国著名的剧作家和诗人。
他创作了大量的作品,其中包括喜剧、悲剧和历史剧。
他的剧本至今仍在许多国家上演,并为人们所普遍阅读。
莎上比亚的作品文才横溢,创造的喜、怒、哀、乐场面使人印象深刻,历久难忘。
主要作品有四大悲剧:《奥赛罗》(Othello)、《哈姆雷特》(Hamlet)、《麦克白》(Macbeth),《李尔王》(King Lear);四大喜剧:《仲夏夜之梦》(A Midsummer Night’s Dream)、《威尼斯商人》(The Merchant of Venice)、《无事生非》(Much Ado about Nothing)和《皆大欢喜》(As You Like It)等。
此外,历史剧《亨利六世》(Henry VI)三部曲,爱情悲剧《罗密欧与朱丽叶》(Romeo and Juliet)也都很受欢迎。
❝“Paradise Lost”失乐园--Milton’s masterpiece--blank verse❝Old Testamentthe creation/the rebellion in Heaven of Satan and his fellow-angels/their defeat and expulsion from Heaven/ the creation of the earth and of Adam and Eve/the fallen angels in hell plotting against God/Satan’s temptation of Eve/the departure of Adam and Eve from Eden Theme and Characterization❝Story❝Theme and Characterization-- a revolt(反抗)against God’s authority--God is no better than a selfish despot(独裁者). He is cruel and unjust in his struggle against Satan.-- Archangel is bore. His angels are silly(愚蠢的).-- Satan is by far the most striking character in the poem.Adam and Eve embody(体现)Milton’s belief in the powers of man. Their craving(渴望)for knowledge adds a particular significance to their characters.This longing for knowledge openbefore mankind a wide road to an intelligent and active life.Satan is the real hero of the poem. Like a conquered and banished(驱逐的)giant, he remains obeyed and admired by those who follow him down to hell. He is firmer than the rest of the angels. It is always from him that deep counsels(忠告), unlooked-for resources and courageous deeds(行动)proceed. It is he who makes man revolt against God. Though defeated, he prevails(战胜), since he has won from God the third part of angelsand almost all the sons of Adam. Though wounded, he triumphs(胜利), for the thunder which hit upon his head left his heart invincible(无敌的).❝Though feebler(微弱的)in force, he remains superior in nobility(高贵), since he prefers independence to happy servility (奴性), and welcomes his defeat and his torments(折磨)as a glory, a liberty and a joy.❝Satan is the spirit questioning the authority of God.❝These are the proud and somber(昏暗的)political passions of the persecuted(迫害)Republicans after Restoration.Ode to the West Wind(西风颂) In the poem the poet eulogizes(颂扬)the west wind as a powerful phenomenon of nature that is both destroyer and preserver, that enjoys boundless freedom and that has the power to spread messages far and wide. The poem shows the poet’s wish for himself and his fellow men to share the freedom of the west wind, and atthe same time remembering his own and common human miseries.This note of optimism following his words bewailing(悲悼)human sufferings shows at once the poet’s critical attitude toward the ugly social reality of his day and his faith in a bright future for humanity. And the forceful language couched(埋伏)in haunting (不易忘怀的)verse(诗)rhythm adds to the artistic finish of the poem and enables it to be ranked the great lyrics in theEnglish language.William Shakespeare莎士比亚The Great ComediesA Midsummer Night’s DreamThe Merchant of VeniceAs You Like It and Twelfth NightThe Great TragediesOthelloKing LearMacbethHamlet哈姆雷特the summit of Shakespeare’s artan old Danish legend.Thomas Kyda tragedy of “blood and thunder” reflected his age and his own innermost thoughts and feelingsThe Character of Hamlet1 Hamlet is a humanist(人道主义者), an idealist, a man who is free from medieval prejudices and superstitions. He has an unbounded (无限的)love for the world instead of the heaven.“this goodly frame the earth,this most excellent canopy the air,the brave o’erhanging firmament,This majestical roof fretted with golden fire.”2Starting from his humanist love of man, he turns to those around him with the same eagerness.3His intellectual genius is outstanding.The melancholy(忧郁)of Hamlet His melancholy is not the negative, hair-splitting (吹毛求疵的)and fruitless(不成功的)kind. It is rather the result of his penetrating (有洞察力的)habit of mind.1. Revenge is easy, but it is notmerely personal revenge that Hamlet seeks. What is more important is to expose the roots of the evil and to establish a reign of justice. His responsibility is thus enlarged into a radical transformation of society.2) In spite of his melancholy anddelay in action, Hamlet still retains his active energy.Sonnet 18十八首By William ShakespeareShall I compare thee to a summer’s day?Thou art more lovely and more temperate:Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,And summer’s lease hath all too short a date:Sometimes too hot the eye of heaven shinesAnd often is his gold complexion dimed;And every fair form fair sometimes declines,By chance or nature’s changing course untrimmed;But thy eternal summer shall not fade,Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st;Nor shall death brag thou wander’st in his shade.When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st:So long as men can breathe,or eyes can see,So long lives this,and this gives life to thee.十四行诗(其十八)威廉·莎士比亚我能把你比作夏日吗?尽管你更可爱、更温和;夏日的狂风可能会摧残五月的花儿,季节的限制又减少了可拥有的日光;天空的巨眼有时过于灼热,常使自身的辉煌无故湮没;每一种美都会消逝,不管愿意或是无奈;然而你这盛夏将永存不朽,连你所有的美都不会褪去;死神不忍逼近,生命只会长存;只要人类能呼吸,能看见;我的诗就会存在,而你的生命也会延续。
名词解释1.Philosophy:The word “” is Greek for “love of wisdom” and has come to mean a systematic search for answerto life’s great questions.(哲学定义)2.Rationalism:Ancient Greeks believe that some universal truth has always existed and that reason is theprimary source of knowledge.(理性主义定义)3.Idealism:Human senses provide inexact concepts of things; only human reason can give us true knowledgeabout the world.(柏拉图Plato)(理念论/唯心主义定义)4.The Renaissance:The French word “renaissance” means “rebirth” in English. It refers to the rebirth ofknowledge in Europe, particularly the rediscovery of the Greco-Roman texts.(持续300年)(文艺复兴定义) 5.Magna Carta: The barons wrote the famous document called the Magna Carta, which they forced John toaccept on June 15, 1215 at Runnymede. This Magna Carta, also called the Great Charter, was designed to obtain public liberties and to control the king’s power.(大宪章定义)6.Puritan:The term “Puritan” comes from the desires of these English Christians to “purify” the AnglicanChurch by removing all traces of Roman Catholicism.(清教徒定义)7.Industrial Revolution(简称I.R): During the latter half of 18th century, a rapid series of changes began,especially in the field of manufacturing. There were so many new inventions the whole process is often described as ~~(工业革命定义)8.The factory of the world:British was once called~~~~~, because the Industrial Revolution promoted itsdevelopment of production.(世界工厂定义)9.The Enclosure Movement: In the end of 15th century, the cloth industry increased the value of wool. Raisingsheep became more profitable. Large areas of lands were often fenced by landlords without any warning to the peasants. This process is called~~~(圈地运动定义)10.Boston Massacre: On Mach 5, 1770, angry Boston citizens died and eight were wounded. Dubbed the“Boston Massacre”, the incident was regarded as proof of British tyranny.(波士顿惨案内容)(美国革命序曲) 11.1the Declaration of Independence: On July 4, 1776 the Second Continental Congress officially declaredindependence and formed the United States of America by adopting the Declaration of Independence, written by Thomas Jefferson of Virginia. The document declared that “all men are created equal” and are “ endowed by their creator” with certain “ inalienable rights” including “life ,liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”.(独立宣言定义)12.checks-and-balances: The US Constitution also provided for checks-and-balances between the three branchesof government. Executive Branch—the president行政权—总统Legislative Branch—the Congress立法权—国会Judicial Branch—the U.S. Supreme Court司法权—最高法院Each branch was given powers and duties that ensured that the other branches would not have too much power.(三权分立,分权制衡定义)13.the New Deal: Roosevelt’s program of “Relief, Recovery and Reform” was popularly known as “the NewDeal”, a program that significantly and dramatically increased the national government’s intervention in the economy.(罗斯福新政定义)14.Prohibition: The 18th Amendment to the Constitution(1919) is known as “Prohibition”, because it prohibitedthe sale of alcoholic beverages in the United States.(禁酒法令定义)15.Cold War:The “Cold War”, a term popularized by Winston Churchill in 1946, means alternative forms ofwarfare that rely on limited violence and ideological, economic and political methods.(美苏冷战定义)16.Mayflower: In 1620, a group of 132 Separatists (Puritans who had “separated” or left the Church of England)boarded the Mayflower and sailed for Virginia. The Mayflower was blown off course and landed in what is now Massachusetts, far to the north of Virginia.(五月花)简答、填空、选择1.What role did Winston Churchill play in World War II? (丘吉尔在二战中起到什么作用?)⑴He played the important role in World War II.⑵In 1941, he led the country through the miracle of Dunkirk, that was 338000 allied solders’ evacuation to Britain.⑶In 1943, he met Stalin and Roosevelt at Teheran Conference and decided to open the Second Battlefield West Europe.⑷In 1945, he proposed to fight against the Japanese Army till the end of the war.2.Why did I.R firstly take place in Britain?(工业革命首先在英国爆发的原因?)There are four prerequisites.4个先决条件Firstly, the accumulation of original capital.资本的原始积累Second, the development of capitalistic farming.资本主义农业取得发展Third, the appearance of free labor reserve.自由劳动力的出现Fourth, the expansion of markets, domestic and foreign.国内外市场的扩张3.New York为什么叫Big Apple?New York’s nickname is “the Big Apple”, a phrase used by jazz musicians to explain the ultimate in achievement, size and excitement.4.The first major Greek philosopher was Thales. Thales claimed that Nature is rational. He asked, “From whatdo all things come and to what do all things return?”(泰勒斯)5.Furthermore,this was the origin of metaphysics, the philosophical study which probes the nature of realityitself.形而上学6.数学家Pythagoras explained the entire natural world with numbers.(提出数字3)3=1(unity)+2(diversity)Three elements of Universe------earth, ocean, heavenThree elements of World ------animals, plants, mineralsThree elements of Gods ------Jupiter, Neptune, PlutoThree elements of Goddess ------Fate, Revenge, Beauty早期基督教教义Trinity (三位一体)人类3个indispensables------body, soul, spirit7.赫拉克利特Heraclitus is remembered because he introduced the concept of change as the onlyunchanging reality in the universe.He compared life to a flowing river:A person cannot step into the same river twice.8.德谟克利特Democritus. He argued that everything in the universe obeys the laws of necessity(必然性法则).9.观点:机械论His mechanistic view of the world was accepted by western thinkers as early as the 16thcentury.10.“Atom” means “uncuttable”(原子→不可分割)11.At the time when Chinese scholars, Confucians and Taoists, were concerned with social relationships andhuman harmony with the natural world, Greek philosophers were arguing about what Nature itself was.12.Athens was famous for its writers, architects, sculptors, thinkers and sports contests, including the originsof the modern-day Olympic Games.(雅典,奥林匹克发源地)13.Socrates→Lived in Athens.(苏格拉底,雅典人)One thing only I know, and that is that I know nothing.He distinguished between two types of knowledge: inner knowledge and empirical knowledge.Inner指each person has Virtue which is not learned through the physical sense.Another major contribution was his question-and-answer technique.14.Aristotle亚里士多德If Plato’s motto was “Mind over Matter”, then Aristotle’s motto was “Matter over Mind”.Aristotle founded the science of logic. His method is called a syllogism which argues from a general principle to a specific examples:General Principle: All men are mortal.Connection: I am a man.Deductive Conclusion: I am mortal.15.牛顿运动定律Newton’s laws of motion explained all visible motions,from those of stars to those of tinypebbles.16.培根Bacon, a British statesman and writer, wrote the first description of the modern scientific method.“Of studies”, “Essays”17.笛卡尔Descartes has also been called the father of modern Rationalism and the father of modern westernphilosophy.(近代理性主义之父,近代西方哲学之父)I think; therefore, I am.我思故我在。
英国文学重点Jane AustenShe restricted her subject matter to a narrow range of society and events.However, she treated this material with subtlety of observation, depth of psychological penetration, and delicacy of touch that she is ranked among the best of English novelists. Her works show a wealth of character studies, and abound in wit, humor and charm.She knew how to sketch figures with so pure and suggestive a pen that they stand out in a strong and unforgettable relief.She is credited with having brought English novel to its maturity.Pride and Prejudice描写人物的方法·By showing the character acting and speaking·By revealing a physical description of the character·By revealing the character’s thoughts·By revealing what other characters think about the character·By the author’s direct comment on the character·By the relation and contrast between characters·By the character’s development (change)ByronRomantic poetDon Juan (poem)Byron tries to remove the cloak of high society and show its sins. As a sociopolitical satiric poem, the work has tremendous force of the exposure and high artistic quality.Percy Bysshe Shelley✓Song to the Men of England (分析内容、形式)It is a powerful political lyrical. He calls upon the working people to rise againstOde to the West WindThe old world must go, a new world must come with the Spring, laden with fresh sweet promises for suffering humanity.West Wind symbolizes:1) change of seasons2) power, energy, strength3) the poet’s poetic inspiration4) the poet’s rebellious character5) destroyer and preserver6) hopeJohn Keats --- English romanticsTo the grasshopper and cricket --- Italian sonnetTo Autumn 秋色、秋人、秋声(见书本笔记)Charles Dickens --- English critical realismDavid Copperfield --- autobiography novelMr. Micawber 的语言1) Like to use long sentences, complex structures, words;2) Sum up in plain English after lengthy words;3) Certain favorite expressions like “in short”.Mr. Micawber 的外貌(P121)William Makepeace ThackerayVanity Fair (第三人称全知叙述;人物、情节P137)Subtitle: “A novel without a hero”和Bunyan’s “The Pilgrim’s Progress”(天路历程)的关系?--- “Vanity Fair”took its title from the fair described in Bunyan’s “The Pilgrim’s Progress”, where all sorts of cheats are displayed for sale, and Thackeray makes his novel a moralizing explosion of the shams of society.Emily BronteWuthering Heights叙述者Dual narration --- told by Mr. Lockwood, Heathcliff’s tenant, and Nelly Dean, the housekeeper.Mr. Lockwood: begin and end of the narration; Nelly: most of the narration.发生地: Wuthering Heights, the Earnshaws; Thrushcross Grange, the Lincolns他人对她的评价:Kettle ---“WH”is an expression in the imaginative terms of art of the stresses and tensions and conflicts, personal and spiritual, of 19th century capitalist society.Ralph Fox --- “WH” is the novel become poetry, it’s one of the most extraordinary books human genius has produced… Catherine and Heathcliff are the revenge of love against the 19th century.Thomas HardyTess of the D’UrbervillesSubtitle: “A pure woman faithfully portrayed”Oscar WilderIrishA spokesman for aestheticism and “Art for art’s sake”.His works contain some elements of social protest and criticism; his very brilliant and successful plays brought an end to the almost unrelieved mediocrity of English theatrical production for a whole century.The Importance of Being Earnest ---Punning (双关)Act I --- commentGwendolen: aggressive, dominant, confident, idealistic, formalistic, artificialLady Bracknell: arrogance, snobbish, of an iron will, mercenary about marriage.John Galsworthy --- one of the most prominent 20th century English realistic writers Nobel Prize winnerThe Forsyte Sage: The Man of Property, In Chancery, To Let (三部曲)+ 2 InterludesDavid Herbert LawrenceOne of the great English novelists of the 20th centurySon and LoversHe wrote chiefly about the relationship between parents and children, the passion between men and women, the ugliness, mammonism, and sham morality of modern industrialized society.*His well-known short poem “How Beastly the Bourgeois Is” shows his disgust with the bourgeois society of his time.Bernard Shaw --- an outstanding realistic dramatistPygmalion is a poignant satire on the middle-class morality.A parody(戏仿) --- there is a parallel relationship between this play and the original Greek mythological story.Features of language:1) Different levels of English (educated and uneducated, colloquial, vulgar, slangy) are brought into sharp contrast on the stage, in an amusing and vivid manner.2) The humorous and witty dialogues, the paradoxical statements, and Doolittle’s seemingly absurd polemics(争论).3) It has an underlying social satire.James JoyceUlysses, Finnegans WakeThe two works revolutionized the form and structure of the novel in the development ofthe stream of conscious(意识流) technique.Virginia WoolfStream-of-consciousness novelsWorks: Jacob’s Room, Mrs. Dalloway, To the Lighthouse, A Room of One’s Own, The Waves, The Years, Between the Acts.She is a distinguished literary critic and a feminist writer who defended women’s rights in England.Thomas Stearns Eliot (T.S. Eliot)Nobel Prize winnerThe Egoist – a magazine advocating the theory of poetry called ImagismMurder in the Cathedral is perhaps the most noteworthyThe Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock (Importance) has been called the first masterpiece of modernism in English. In the form of a dramatic monologue it presents with irony and pathos the musings of an aging young man, uncertain, unable to commit himself to the love he desires or to life at all, a figure representative of the frustrations in the modern life and of a sterile up-class culture.The Waste Land is a long poem on the theme of the sterility and chaos of the contemporary world, an expression of the despair of the post-war era.Morning at the Window (见书本笔记)Definition:●Paradox is a figure of speech in which a statement appears to be logicallyself-contradictory, but which on further thinking and study may prove to be true, well-founded, and even to contain a succinct point.e.g. “the importance of being earnest” --- (P185) Mrs. Bracknell thinks it’s important to“know nothing”. Nothing should damage the natural innocence, which is like delicate exotic fruit. She criticizes that modern education is unsound and can produce no effect. It can even be a danger to the upper classes if it works. It seems absurd, yet considering the reality of that time, it reveals some truth.● A parody is an imitative work created to ridicule, ironically comment on, or poke someaffectionate fun at the original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation of the style & techniques. It deflates the original by applying the imitation to a lowly or comically inappropriate subject.E.g. there’s a parallel relation between “Pygmalion” and the original Greek mythology.Professor Higgins transforms Liza Doolittle, a flower girl, into a lady, while Pygmalion created Galatea, the ivory statue, who finally has life. Professor Higgins it to Liza what Pygmalion is to Galatea, yet Liza doesn’t become Higgins’s wife like the original ending.●The pun is a form of word play which suggests two or more meanings, by exploitingmultiple meanings of words, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect.e.g. “the importance of being earnest”--- “earnest”has two-folded meanings, thename Earnest and the word means “seriousness”. Both Jack and Algernon hope very much to be named as “Earnest”and tell some lies in this process. Actually it’s important for them to be honest and win the girls’ love.●Critical realism is the theory to argue for the material presence of the social an naturalworld outside of our knowledge of it, to show the deeper structures and relations that are not directly observable but lie behind the surface of social reality.e.g. “David Copperfield”, Charles Dickens, exposes the social injustice and child laborof the capitalist world through the story of the boy named David Copperfield. We can see from it the brutal treatment of the poor in a society sharply divided by wealth.。