英国文学史复习资料大二英语专业必考

本文部分内容来自网络整理，本司不为其真实性负责，如有异议或侵权请及时联系，本司将立即删除！== 本文为word格式，下载后可方便编辑和修改！ ==英国文学史复习资料篇一：英国文学史复习资料英国文学史资料British Writers and WorksI. Old English Literature & The Late Medieval Ages<Beowulf>贝奥武夫:the national epic of the Anglo-SaxonsEpic: long narrative poems that record the adventures or heroic deeds of a hero enacted invast landscapes. The style of epic is grand and elevated.e.g. Homer‘s Iliad and OdysseyArtistic features:1. Using alliterationDefinition of alliteration: a rhetorical device, meaning some wordsin a sentencebegin with the same consonant sound（头韵）Some examples on P52. Using metaphor and understatementDefinition of understatement: expressing something in a controlled wayUnderstatement is a typical way for Englishmen to express their ideasGeoffery Chaucer 杰弗里?乔叟1340(?)~1400(首创―双韵体‖，英国文学史上首先用伦敦方言写作。

英国文学史复习资料
以下是一些关于英国文学史的复习资料：
1. 《英国文学的发展与演变》（The Development and Evolution of British Literature）：这本书提供了英国文学史的全面概述，从中世纪到现代不同时期的文学作品和文学流派都有介绍。

2. 《英国文学史导论》（Introduction to British Literary History）：这本导论书通过对英国文学史的重要事件、作家和作品进行深入讲解，帮助读者理解英国文学的演变和发展。

3. 《英国文学史简明教程》（A Short History of English Literature）：这本书以简明清晰的语言介绍了英国文学史的重要内容，包括不同时期的文学作品和重要作家的生平和作品。

4. 网络资源：有许多网站提供关于英国文学史的资料和学
术文章，如英国文学史学术网站、大学的文学部门网站等。

你可以在搜索引擎上搜索英国文学史相关的关键词，找到
适合你的学习资料。

5. 学术论文和专著：在学术期刊和图书馆中，你可以找到
许多针对英国文学史的研究论文和专著，这些都是深入了
解英国文学史的重要资源。

无论使用哪种资料，重要的是要有系统地学习和复习英国
文学史，理解各个时期的文学作品和文学流派的特点和发
展趋势，同时熟悉一些重要的作家和作品。

英国文学史复习资料整理篇一：英国文学史复习资料整理(1)? historical background: the making of BritainA. Briton (Celtic tribes)B. the Roman Conquest---Roman Briton1thJulius CaesarA.D.43ClaudiusC. mid-5thAnglo-Saxons (Angles, Saxons, Jutes)Anglo-Saxon periodD. Danish invasionlate 8th, Daneslate 9th, Alfred the Greatthe literaturethe literature of this period falls naturally isto two divisions—pagan and Christianpagan represents the poetry which the Anglo-Saxons probably brought with them in the form of oral sagasChristian represents the writings developed under teaching of the monks..All of the earliest poetry of England was copied by the monks, and seems to have been more or less altered to give it a religious coloring.The angles, an important Teutonis tribe, furnished the name for the new home, which was called Angle-land afterward shortened into England. The language spoken by these tribes is generally called Anglo-Saxon or Saxon.Literary term★ Epic: a long narrative poem telling about the deeds of a great hero and reflecting the values of the society from which it originated. Many epics were drawn from an oral tradition and were transmitted by song and recitation before they were written down.(examples: Iliad, Odyssey, Chanson de Roland)2. Beowulf– national epic★ the longest and most monument of A-S poems★ the oldest surviving epic in British literature.? oral form (6th), earliest written record (7th or 8th)? set in Denmark and SwedenBeowulf1. 3183 lines2. contents:Beowulf centers on the narration of the exploits of the heroic figure beowulf.3 adventuresMonster---GrendelGrendel’s motherfiery dragonTheme: primitive peo ple’s struggle against hostile forces of the natural world under a wise and mighty leader.Beowulf is not simply a man of great military prowess but he is forever eager to help others in distress and in his last adventure with the dragon he shows himself a worthy leader ready to sacrifice his own life for the welfare of his people.Features:＊part-historical and part legendary＊heathen tribal society, feudal elements, Christian coloring＊A-S or old English; alliteration metaphorIn the year 1066, at the battle of Hastings, the Normans headed by William, Duke of Normandy, defeated the Anglo-Saxons.Brought to England is remarkable for its bright, romantic tales of love and adventure.England literature is also a combination of French and Saxon elements.The three chief effects of the conquest were1. the bringing of Roman civilization to England2. the growth of nationality a strong centralized government, instead of the loose union of Saxon tribes3. the new language and literature were proclaimed in Chaucer1the Norman conquest accelerated the development of feudalism.? on land: the ruling class possessed large tracts of land? on society: distinct class division, miseries of peasants? on language: scholar wrote in French and Latin; eiched English.The developmentof romance and knights’ legends★ Romance: A long composition, sometimes in verse, sometimes in prose, describing the life and adventures of a noble man. The central character is the Knight, who has a noble birth, is skillful in the use of weapon and devotes to the church or King. The rules governing the manners and morals of a knight are known as chivalry.? Themes of romance:the matter of Britain— king Arthur and his knights of the Round Table (Arthurian romances) the matter of France— Charlemagne and his knights (Chanson deRoland)the matter of Rome— from the Trojan War to Alexander the GreatKing Arthur:＊historical figure of Celts; mythological figure in Welsh literature;＊legendary hero in ? Geoffery of Monmouth: “History of the Kings of Britain” ?Layamon:“Brut”? Sir Tomas Malory: “Le Morte D?Arthur”? Anglo-Saxon? Later legends about a hero named Arthur were placed in this period of violence. The invaders were variously Angles, Saxons, Frisians, Jutes, but were similar in culture and eventually identified themselves indifferently as Angles or Saxons.The most outstanding single romance on the Arthurian legend—―Sir Gawain and the Green Knig ht‖ (four sections)a.The fight between Sir Gawain and the Green Knight at King Arthur?s Christmas feast.b. Gawain?s adventures on the way to find the Green Knight of the Green Chapel篇二：英国文学史及选读__复习要点总结《英国文学史及选读》第一册复习要点1. Beowulf: national epic of the English people; Denmark story; alliteration, metaphors and understatements （此处可能会有填空，选择等小题）2. Romance （名词解释）3. “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight”: a famous roman about King Arthur’s story4. Ballad（名词解释）5. Character of Robin Hood6. Geoffrey Chaucer: founder of English poetry; The Canterbury Tales (main contents; 124 stories planned, only 24 finished; written in Middle English; significance; form: heroic couplet)7. Heroic couplet (名词解释)8. Renaissance（名词解释）9.Thomas More——Utopia10. Sonnet（名词解释）11. Blank verse（名词解释）12. Edmund Spenser“The Faerie Queene”13. Francis Bacon “essays” esp. “Of Studies”（推荐阅读，学习写正式语体的英文文章的好参照，本文用词正式优雅，多排比句和长句，语言造诣非常高，里面很多话都可以引用做格言警句，非常值得一读）14. William Shakespeare四大悲剧比较重要，此外就是罗密欧与朱立叶了，这些剧的主题，背景，情节，人物形象都要熟悉，当然他最重要的是Hamlet这是肯定的。

Old and Medieval English Literature1.How to define the period of Old English Literature?English literature begins with the Anglo-Saxon settlement in England at about 450 and ends at 1066, the year of Norman Conquest of England of Old English literature, a few relics are still preserved. All of them are poems, or songs by the Anglo-Saxon scop or gleeman (minstrels) who sang of the heroic deeds of old time.2.What does Old English Poetry include?Old English poetry includes two groups: the religious group and the secular one. The former is mainly on biblical themes. For example, Genesis A, Genesis B and Exodus are poems based on the Old Testament, while the latter shows the harshness of circumstance and the sadness of the human lot. A typical example is England’s national epic Beowulf.3.What is the plot and theme of England’s national epic Beowulf?Beowulf, nephew of the king of the Geats, hears that Hrothgar, a Danish king, is in great trouble. The kingdom of the king is harassed by a monster called Grendel. He at once sails there, grapples with the monster, and wounds in fatally. Then comes Grendel’s mother, a she-monster, in revenge of her son. Beowulf follows her to her under water cave and kills her with a giant sword. With these honors won, he returns to his homeland and reigns as its king for 50 years. Then a fire-breathing dragon comes out of its den and kills many people. Though old now, Beowulf still kills its single-handedly. But he, too, is fatally wound and later dies. 4.What is epic?Epic is an extended narrative poem in elevated or dignified language, like Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey.It usually celebrates the feats of one or more legendary or traditional heroes. The action is simple but full of magnificence. Today, some long narrative works, like novels that reveal an age and its people are also called epic.5.How to define the Medieval Period in English literature?The Medieval period in English literature starts at 1066, the year of Norman Conquest, and ends at about the 15th century. The early part of the period, i.e. from 1066 to the mid-14th century, English literature flourishes with the appearance of writers like Geoffrey Chaucer, William Langland, John Gower, and others.pared with Old English literature, what are the characteristics of Medieval EnglishLiterature?In comparison with Old English literature, Medieval English literature deals with a wider range of subjects. It is uttered by more voices and in greater diversity of styles, tones and genres. And it is deeply influenced by the principles of the medieval Christian doctrine, which are primarily concerned with the issue of personal salvation. Romance become a popular literary form, indicating the age to be a chivalric rather than heroic one.7.What is the miracle play?The miracle play, he medieval dramatization of a Biblical story (e.g., Cain and Abel) or of a sain t’s life, was chiefly popular from the twelfth through the fifteenth centuries. The term is sometimes limited to plays on saint’s lives. The Biblical plays are then called mystery plays.8.Why is Chaucer regarded as ―the Father of English Poetry‖?Originally, Old English poems are mainly alliterative verses with few variations. Chaucer introduced from France the rhymed stanzas of various types to English poetry to replace it. In The Romaunt of the Rose, he first introduced to English the octosyllabic couplet. In TheLegend of Good Women, he used for the first time in English heroic couplet. And in his masterpiece, The Canterbury Tales, he employed heroic couplet with true ease and charm for the first time in the history of English literature.Besides this, though he drew influence from French, Italian and Latin models, he is the first great poet who wrote in the current English language. His production of so much excellent poetry was an important factor in establishing English as the literary language of the country.And he made the dialect of London the foundation for Modern English speech. Small wonder latter day writer, John Drydon would call him ―the Father of the English Poetry‖.9.What is Heroic Couplet?Heroic couplet is rhyming couplet of iambic pentameter, often containing a complete thought.There is a fairly heavy pause a the end of the first line and a still heavier one at the end of the second. Commonly there is a parallel or an antithesis within a line, or between the two lines. It is called heroic because in England, especially in the 18th century, it was much used for heroic (epic) poems.10.What is Chaucer’s literary achievement?(1) First of all, he presented a comprehensive realistic picture of his age and created awhole gallery of vivid characters in his works, especially in The Canterbury Tales.(2) He anticipated a new era, the Renaissance. In his works, the spirit of Renaissance can bealready seen.(3) He developed his characterization to a higher level by presenting characters with bothtypical qualities and individual dispositions.(4) And he greatly contributed to the maturing of English prosody by adopting differentrhyming skills. Drydon called him ―Father of English poetry‖.11.What is popular ballad?Ballad is originally a song intended as the accompaniment to a dance. In the modern sense, a ballad is just a simple spirited poem in short stanzas in which some popular story is graphically narrated. The English popular ballad flourished from the 12th century to the 15th century, reflecting the life of the people then. And the most remarkable ones are the Robin Hood ballads. These are ballads about an outlawed hero who lives in the forest with his men, robs the rich and help the poor. Major collections of these ballads did not begin until the 18th century and the most creditable among them are Thomas Percy’s Relics of Ancient English Poetry, Walter Scott’s Minstrels of the Scottish Border, etc.12.How would you define the term Renaissance?This term refers to a great bourgeois cultural movement in Europe which began in the 14th century and continued to the mid-17th century. It first started from Italy and then spread all over Europe. Originally, the term means ―rebirth‖ or ―revival‖. And the movement seems to be a rebirth or revival of ancient Greek and Roman culture, caused by a series of historical events, such as the new discoveries in geography and astrology, the religious reformation and the economic expansion. The Renaissance, therefore, in essence, is a historical period in which the European humanist thinkers and scholars tried to get rid of those old feudalistic ideas in Medieval Europe, to introduce new ideas that express the interests of the rising bourgeoisie, and to recover the purity of the early church form the corruption of the Roman catholic church.13.How to define the term Humanist?Humanism is a system of beliefs upheld by writers and artists of the Renaissance period in fighting against medieval asceticism. It states that man is godly, that man is able to find truth, goodness and beauty, and that man is in control of the present life rather than being controlled by God. Briefly, humanism puts man at the center of their beliefs and takes man to be the measure of every thing while the former asceticism puts God at the center of their beliefs and takes personal salvation to be the most important thing on the earth for man.14.What are the main characteristics of humanist writings?Humanist writings affirm the value of man and repudiate the absolute control of man by God.They call for man’s freedom in thinking, praise man’s worldly aspirations, and denunciate the feudalistic control of man’s thought. They state that man has a right for earthly happiness and that asceticism is against human nature. In them, reason and science are put into a very high place while mysticism is thrown away. They are mostly realistic in essence.15.What is bland verse?This term, which was first brought into England by Surrey, is used to name the unrhymed iambic pentameter line in poetry.16.What is sonnet?Sonnet is a type of poem consisting of one single fourteen-line stanza. It was perfected by the Italian poet in the 13th century and introduced into England in the early 16th century.English sonnets in terms of structure, largely fall into two classes: the Petarchian or Italian form and the Shakespearian or English form. The form divides its fourteen lines of iambic pentameters into two parts: one octet and one sestet; while the latter consists of three quatrains and a final couplet. The three quatrains develop the poem’s subject consistently and the couplet condenses the emotion into an epigram.17.Why is Edmund Spencer regarded as ―the poet’s poet‖?Edmund Spencer (1552～1599) is the author of Faerie Queene, creator of the Spencerian stanza and one of the greatest figures of the Renaissance period in England. His poetry usually enjoys five qualities : (1) a perfect melody, (2) a rare sense of beauty, (3) a splendid imagination, (4) a lofty moral purity and seriousness; and (5) a dedicated idealism. It is just his idealism, his love of beauty, and his exquisite melody that make him known as “the poet’s poet.18.What is the Spencerian stanza?A Spencerian stanza is one that consists of eight five-foot iambic lines, followed by aniambic line of six feet, rhyming ababbcbcc. It is so named because it was Spencer that first used this form in his masterpiece Faerie Queene.19.What is the dominant theme in Marlowe’s Dr. Faustus?Dr. Faustus is a play based on the German legend of a magician. The hero, Dr. Faustus, aspires for knowledge and in order to get it, sells his soul to the devil. He experiences a lot of strange things and finally meets his tragic end.The play’s dominant moral is human passion for knowledge, power and happiness; it also reveals man’s frustration in realizing the high aspirations in a hostile moral order. And the confinement to time is the cruelest fact of man’s condition.20.What is Marlowe’s literary achievement?Marlowe’s greatest achievement lies in that he perfected the blank verse and made it the principal medium of English. It is Marlowe who brought vitality and grandeur into the blankverse with his ―mighty lines‖, which carry strong emotions.Marlowe’s second achievement is his creation of the Renaissance heroes for the English drama. Both Tumburlaine and Dr. Faustus, characterized by endless aspiration for power, knowledge and glory, are typical in possessing the true Renaissance spirit.Owing to the above, though Marlowe is not strong in dramatic construction, and his women characters are somehow pale, he is still regarded as an eminent pioneer of the English drama.21.Roughly speaking, Shakespeare’s literary career can be divided into four periods. What are thefour periods? And what are the major works in each period?Shakespeare’s dramatic works can be divided into four periods: The first period of Shakespear e’s drama career was one of apprenticeship, characterized by histories, and comedies, including Henry VI, Richard III, The Comedy of Errors, The Two Gentlemen of Eerona, The Taming of the Shrew, and Love’s Labour’s Lost.In the second period, Shakespeare’s style and approach became highly individualized. By constructing a complex pattern between different characters and between appearance and reality, Shakespeare made subtle comments on a variety of human foibles. However, optimism still prevails in most of the works.Shakespeare’s third period includes his greatest tragedies and his so-called dark comedies.His optimism waned in this period and strong touch of pessimism marked most of his works, which revealed the society to be an evil one. The famous four tragedies were all written in this period, which include Hamlet, Othello, King Lear and Macbeth.The last period of Shakespeare’s work includes his principal romantic tragicomedies.22.What is the theme of The Merchant of Venice?The traditional theme of the play is to praise the friendship between Antonio and Bassanio, to idealize Portia as a heroine of great beauty, wit and loyalty, and to expose the insatiable greed and brutality of the Jew.But modern critics tend to view it from another aspect. Many people today regard the play as a satire of the Christian’s hypocrisy and their false standards of friendship and love, their cunning ways of pursuing worldliness and their unreasoning prejudice against Jews, here represented by Shylock.23.What are the common characteristics shown in the four great tragedies of Shakespeare?Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies are: Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth. They have some characteristics in common.(1) Each portrays some noble hero, who faces the injustice of human life and is caught in adifficult situation. His fate is closely connected with the fate of the whole nation.(2) Each hero has his weakness of nature. Hamlet, the melancholic scholar-prince, faces thedilemma between action and mind. Othello’s inner weakness is mad use of by the outside evil force. The old King Lear, who is unwilling to totally give up his power, makes himself suffer from treachery and infidelity. And Macbeth’s lust for power stirs up his ambition and leads him to incessant crimes.(3) The whole play is usually centered about the hero. All characters and incidents serve butto set him off.(4) And along with the portrayal of the weakness and bias of the hero, the sharp conflictsbetween the individual and the evil forces in the society is also revealed.24.How to analyze the complicated character of Hamlet?Without a knowledge of his character, Hamlet’s story would hardly be intelligible. Hamlet is neither a frail and weak-minded youth nor a thought-sick dreamer. Though he is deprived of his right to the throne, he is still loved and respected by everyone. Though a scholar, he is also fearless and impetuous in action. We see him rushing after the Ghost, killing Polonious, dealing with Claudious’agents, boarding the pirate, leaping into the grave and at last executing his revenge. A mere scholar can never do such things.Hamlet is humanist, a man who is free from medieval prejudices and superstitions. He has an unbounded love for the world rather for heaven. He cherishes a profound reverence for man and a firm belief in man’s power over destiny. Such a delight in nature and man is characteristic of the humanists of the Renaissance.His intellectual genious is outstanding. He is a close observer of man and manners. His quick perception drives him to penetrate below the surface of things and question what others take for granted. So he is forever unmasking his world.From these we may know that Hamlet is not a mere scholar, simply meditative by nature.On the country, Hamlet is a man of genius, highly complicated and educated, a man of profound perception and sparkling wit. He is a scholar, soldier, and statesman all combined.His image reflects the versatility of the men of the Renaissance.And it is just because he is blessed with such a profound perception that he, through his personal wrongs, perceives something rotten in the state affairs and his sense of personal wrongs grows to a disgust for world in which such crimes prevail. He seems to understand that his mere revenge upon his uncle would in on way solve the problems that trouble and upset him. This, and this only, is the cause of his profound melancholy and his delay in action.So Hamlet’s melancholy expresses, in a way, the crisis of humanism at the end of the 16th century and the beginning of the 17th century.25.Why is it said that Shakespeare’s heroines are ―the daughters of the Renaissance‖?In Shakespeare’s plays, he shows an equalitarian attitude toward women. His heroines no longer cling about the neck of a father or a husband, unable to defend themselves. Instead, they are of a new type. They are witty, bold, loving, optimistic and faithful. They are happy and make the others happy. They carry their destinies with them and in speaking and thinking as well as in feeling are men’s equals or even superiors. Though there are moments of weariness and frailty, their courage never fails them in times of danger. And with every pang of affection and anxiety they only grow stronger and more capable of coping with the situation. In the ideal women of his plays, the heart and head sway away equal. This is best exemplified in the character of Portia, heroine of The Merchant of Venice. She is beautiful, prudent, resourceful and witty. She chooses her own husband and is capable of rising to an emergency. She is independent in character and takes her own path of life. In a word, Shakespeare’s heroines are the masters of their own fates and in them, the influence of the Renaissance can also be seen. Some people even call them ―daughters of the Renaissance‖.Their splendor is unprecedented in the English history and it is not until the modern age that women characters again obtain equal position with men.26.What is Shakespeare’s literary achievement?(1) Shakespeare is one of the founders of realism in world literature.(2) Shakespeare is amazingly prolific. Within 22 years, he produced 37 plays, 154 sonnets,and 2 long poems.(3) Shakespeare was skilled in may poetic forms, the song, the sonnet, the couplet, and thedramatic blank verse.(4)Shakespeare has been universally acknowledged to be the summit of the EnglishRenaissance, and one of the greatest writers the world over.27.Who is Bacon and what are the three classes of his works?Francis Bacon (1561～1626), a representative of the English Renaissance, is a well-known philosopher, scientist, and essayist. He lays the foundation for modern science with his insistence on scientific way of thinking, and fresh observation rather than authority as a basis for obtaining knowledge. His Essays is the first example of that genre in English literature, which has been recognized as an important landmark in the development of the English prose.And some phrases have even entered the English literary tradition.His works can be divided into three groups. The most important works of his first group, the philosophical ones, include The Advancement of Learning(1605), written in English;Novum Organum (1620), an enlarged Latin version of the Advancement of Learning, etc. his literary works are in the second group, among which the most famous is his Essays. And the third group is his professional works, including mainly Maxims of Law and The Learned Reading Upon the Statue of Uses.28.What is the characteristics of Bacon’s Essays?Bacon’s essays are famous for their brevity, compactness and powerfulness. The neatness, preciseness, the gravity, and the weightiness are the essential qualities of his writings.The theme of the essays vary, including his personal opinions on friendship, love, old age, beauty, public performance, etc. the essays are well arranged and enriched by Biblical allusions, metaphors and cadence. So the reasoning is very persuasive.29.How would you define ―Metaphysical Poetry‖?‖Metaphysical Poetry‖ is commonly used to name the works of the 17th century poets who wrote under the influence of John Donne (1575～1631), leader of the school, Andrew Marvell, George Herbert, Richard Crashaw, and Henry Vaughan. With a rebellious spirit, the metaphysical poets tried to break away from the conventional fashion of Elizabethan love poetry. The diction is simple as compared with that of the Elizabethan or the Neoclassic periods, and echoes the words and cadences of common speech. The imagery is drawn from actual life. The form is frequently that of an argument with the poet’s beloved with God, or with himself.30.What is the social and background of John Milton’s writings?Milton lives in the 17th century, a century of revolution and restoration in the English history.During the Tudor dynasty (1485～1603), the crown seemed to be able to win the support of the English bourgeoisie. But at the end of Elizabethan’s reign, clashes between the two appeared and under Charles I, the situation became worse as he insisted upon absolute monarch and paid no attention to the people’s cries. A civil war broke out in the 1642 and lasted till 1649. the revolutionary camp won and England became a Republic. Later, the revolutionaries split up and Cromwell, leader of the big bourgeoisie, put down the middle bourgeoisie and declared dictatorship. After his death, parliament recalled Charles II to England in 1660. the Restoration ushered in a period of white terror to the country. Many Republicans were killed. Then, afraid of another revolution, the big bourgeoisie, expelled Charles II and invited William, Prince of Orange, from Holland, to be king of England in1688. this was called ―Glorious Revolution‖, glorious because it was bloodless and there was no revival of the revolutionary demands.31.Who is Milton? What are his major works? And what is the social significance of his writings?John Milton, the greatest 17th century English poet and writer of political pamphlets, serves as the representative writer of the English revolutionary camp. During the Revolution, he used hi pen as the weapon in fighting against the king and the Catholic Church. His representative works in this period are Defense of the English People (1650), Second Defense of the English People (1652), and Areopagitica (1644)。

英国⽂学⼈物作品（英语专业必备）英国⽂学史复习⼤纲(English Literature)以下复习⼤纲仅罗列重要条⽬，请参照课本、课件、笔记复习备考。

⼀、中古时期英语⽂学（Old and Medieval English Literature）包括古英语时期或盎格鲁--萨克森时期(449-1066)（The Old English Period or The Anglo-Saxon Period ）和中世纪（1066-ca.1485/ 1500）(The Medieval Period /The Middle English Period)1. 主要的作家、作家概况及其代表作品2. ⽂学术语：epic, alliteration, heroic couplet , romance, ballad (Textbook I, p51) , iambic pentameter1)英国中古时期主要的⽂学作品：《贝奥武甫》Beowulf《⾼⽂爵⼠与绿⾊骑⼠》Sir Gawain and the Green Knight2) 杰弗⾥·乔叟Geoffrey Chaucer (The Founder of English Poetry)《坎特伯雷故事集》The Canterbury Tales⼆、英国⽂艺复兴时期⽂学（The Renaissance Period）(1500-1660)1．主要作家的创作思想、艺术特⾊、代表作品及其语⾔风格2．⽂学术语：Renaissance，humanism, sonnet, Shakespearean sonnet, blank verse, comedy, tragedy, history, tragicomedy, Spenserian stanza, comedy of humours, metaphysical poetry, conceit, elegy1) 英国⽂艺复兴时期主要作家：埃德蒙·斯宾塞 Edmund Spenser （后⼈称之为“诗⼈的诗⼈”。

I.Choose the relevant match from Column B for each item in Column A. (30 points inall, 1.5 point for each)1. ( ) Edmund Spenser A. Women In Love2. ( ) Oliver Goldsmith B. Sense and Sensibility;3. ( ) Laurence Sterne C. Queen Mab4. ( ) Daniel Defoe D. Young Goodman Brown5. ( ) Henry Fielding E. The Portrait of A Lady6. ( ) George Gordon Byron F. The Sound and the Fury7. ( ) Percy Bysshe Shelley G. The Great Gatsby8. ( ) Jane Austen H. For Whom the Bell Tolls9. ( ) Sir Walter Scott I. Childe Harold's Pilgrimage10. ( ) Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell J. The Faerie Queene11. ( ) George Eliot K. Ivanhoe12. ( ) John Galsworthy L. Mary Barton13. ( ) William Shakespeare M. The Forsyte Saga14. ( ) Nathaniel Hawthorne N. Robinson Crusoe15. ( ) Henry James O. Tom Jones16. ( ) Theodore Dreiser P. The Vicar of Wakefield17. ( ) Scott Fitzgerald Q. A Sentimental Journey18. ( ) Ernest Hemingway R. American Tragedy19. ( ) William Faulkner S. Middlemarch20. ( ) David Herbert Lawrence T. Othello1-10 JPQNO ICBKL 11-20 SMTDE RGHFAplete each of the following statements with a proper word or a phrase according to the textbook. (20 points in all, 2 points for each)1.The earliest settlers of the British Isles were the ______, who migrated to the British Islesabout 600 B.C. .2.The Anglo-Saxons were heathen people before they accepted ______.3.After the Norman conquest, Latin and ______ were the languages of the upper class,spoken at courts and used in churches and schools.4.______ in the 14th century claimed the lives of one third of the whole population in Europe.5.The House of Lancaster and the House of York fought the Thirty Years’ War from 1455 to1485, the House of York using ______ as its emblem.6.The Elizabethan spectators paid a penny to stand throughout the performance in the pitwere called ______.7.Sonnets was first written by the Italian poet ______ who wrote them to a lady named Laura.8.As a philosopher Bacon is praised by Marx as “______” because he stressed the importanceof experience, or experiment.9.Pope translated the entire “______”and half of the “Odyssey”, the other half beingtranslated by two Cambridge scholars.10.The Rape of the Lock is a brilliant satire written in the form of a ______ poem.1. the Celts2. Christianity3. French4. Black Death5. a white rose6. groundlings7. Petrarch8. the progenitor of English materialism9. Iliad10. mock-heroicIII.Each of the following statements below is followed by four alternative answers.Choose the one that would best complete the statement. (20 points in all, 2 points for each)1.The Renaissance is actually a movement stimulated by a series of historical events，whichone of the following is NOT such an event?A. The rediscovery of ancient Roman and Greek culture .B. England’s domestic rest.C. New discovery in geography and astrology.D. The religious reformation and the economic expansion.2._________ is the successful religious allegory in the English language.A. The Pilgrim’s ProgressB. Grace Abounding to the Chief of SinnersC. The Life and Death of Mr. BadmanD. The Holy War3.Generally，the Renaissance refers to the period between the 14th and mid-17th centuries，its essence is _________A. scienceB. philosophyC. artsD. humanism4.Among the representatives of the Enlightenment，who was the first to introduce rationalismto England?A. John BunyanB. Daniel DefoeC. Alexander PopeD. Jonathan Swift5.It is _________ alone who，for the first time in English literature，presented to us acomprehensive realistic picture of the English society of his time and created a whole gallery of vivid characters from ail walks of life.A. Geoffrey ChaucerB. Martin LutherC. William LanglandD. John Gower6.In A Tale of Two Cities, the "two cities" refer to London and _________.A. DublinB. ParisC. New YorkD. Vienna7.The Lyrical Ballads written by Wordsworth and Coleridge was published in ________.A. 1789B. 1798C. 1829D. 19038._______ is the representative of Aestheticism and Decadence in English literature.A. R. L. StevensonB. Oscar WildeC. Samuel ButlerD. Charles Dickens9.Which of the following novels does not belong to the "stream of consciousness" school ofnovel writing?A. UlyssesB. Mrs. DallowayC. The RainbowD. To the Lighthouse10.The unquenchable spirit of Robinson Crusoe struggling to maintain a substantial existenceon a lonely island reflects _________A. man’s desire to return to natureB. the author’s criticism of the colonizationC. the ideal of the rising bourgeoisieD. the aristocrat s’disillusionment of the harsh social reality1-5 BADCA 6-10 DABCCIV.Explain the following literary terms. (12 points in all, 4 points for each)1.Renaissance2.The War of Roses3.Morality PlayV.Chose the relevant match from Column B for each item in Column A. (15 points in all,1.5 points for each)A. Find out the author and his work.1.( ) Thomas More a. Gorge Green2.( ) Edmund Spencer b. Eupheus3.( ) John Lyly c. The Fairy Queene4.( ) Christopher Marlowe d. Utopia5.( ) Robert Greene e. The Jew of MaltaB. Find out the work from column on the left and its content from column on theright.6.( ) Il Penseroso a. attack on the censorship7.( ) Lycidas b. defense of the Revolution8.( ) Defense for the English People c. about dear friend9.( ) Areopagitica d. Satan against God10.( ) Paradise Lost e. meditationA. Find out the author and his work.1-5 d c b e aB. Find out the work from column on the left and its content from column on theright.6-10 e c b a dVI.Decide whether the following statements are true or false and write T or F in the brackets. (15 points in all, 1.5 points for each)1.( ) The author of The Song of Beowulf is Cynwulf.2.( ) The setting of The Song of Beowulf is in Scotland.3.( ) Alfred the Great compiles The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles.4.( ) Venerable Bede wrote The Ecclesiastic History of the English people.5.( ) The author of Paraphrase is Caedmon.6.( ) Chaucer’s poetry traces out a path to the literature of English renaissance.7.( ) Being specially fond of the great writer Boccaccio, Chaucer composes a longnarrative poem Filostrato based upon Boccaccio’s poem Troilus and Cressie.8.( ) The 32 pilgrims, according to Chaucer’s plan, was to exceed that ofBo ccaccio’s Decameron.9.( ) The Prologue is a splendid masterpiece of Romantic portrayal, the first of itskind in the history of English literature.10.( ) The Canterbury Tales is a vivid and brilliant reflection of 15th century ofEngland.1-10 F F T T T T F T F Fplete each of the following statements with a proper word or a phrase according to the textbook. (20 points in all, 2 points for each)11.The earliest settlers of the British Isles were the ______, who migrated to the BritishIsles about 600 B.C. .12.Geoffrey Chaucer, the “______”and one of the greatest narrative poets of England,was born in London in about the year 1340.13.The ______ provides a framework for the tales in The Canterbury Tales, and itcomprises a group of vivid pictures of various medieval figures.14.In contradiction to the _______ verse of Anglo-Saxon poetry, Chaucer chose themetrical form which laid the foundation of the English tonico-syllabic verse.15.The House of Lancaster and the House of York fought the Thirty Years’War from1455 to 1485, the House of York using ______ as its emblem.16.The 16th century in England was a period of the breaking up of ______ relations andthe establishing of the foundations of capitalism.17.Sonnets was first written by the Italian poet ______ who wrote them to a lady namedLaura.18.As a philosopher Bacon is praised by Marx as “______”because he stressed theimportance of experience, or experiment.19.______ is often referred to as “the poets’ poet”.20.The Rape of the Lock is a brilliant satire written in the form of a ______ poem.21.Celts 2. Father of English Poetry 3. Prologue 4. Alliterative 5. a white rose 6.feudal7.Petrarch8.the progenitor of English materialism9.Edmund Spencer10. mock-heroicVIII.Each of the following statements below is followed by four alternative answers.Choose the one that would best complete the statement. (20 points in all, 2 points for each)1.About Edmund Spencer which of the following statements is not true?A. He was educated in Cambridge.B. His father was the Keeper of the Privy Seal to Queen Elizabeth.C. He interacted with Philip Sidney.D. He wrote “Epithalamion” to his love affair with Elizabeth Boyle2.About the Renaissance humanists which of the following statements is true?A. They thought money and social status was the measure of all things.B. They emphasized the dignity of human beings and the importance of the presentlife.C. They couldn't see the human values in their works.D. They thought people were largely subordinated to the ruling class without anyfreedom and independence.3.In his tragedy Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare eulogizes _____.A. the faithfulness of loveB. the spirit of pursuing happinessC. the heroine's great beauty, wit and loyaltyD. both a and b4.One of the distinct features of the Elizabethan time is _____.A. the flourishing of the dramaB. the popularity of the realistic novelC. the domination of the classical poetryD. the close-down of all the theatres5.Which of the following is not John Milton's works?A. Paradise LostB. Paradise RegainedC. Samson AgonistesD. Othello6.Tempest is a typical example of Shakespeare______ view of life towards human lifeand society in his late years.A. pessimisticB. optimisticC. satiricalD. none of the above7.______ introduced the Petrarchan sonnet into England, while ______ brought in blankverse, ie. The unrhymed iambic pentameter line.A. Wyatt…SurreyB. Wyatt…SidneyC. Surrey…SidneyD. Sidney…Spencer8.Christopher Marlowe’s greatest achievement lies in that he perfected the ______ andmade it the principal medium of English drama.A. blank verseB. free verseC. sonnetD. alliteration9.Christian is the character in ______.A. The Life and Death of Mr. BadmanB. The Pilgrim’s ProgressC. Grace Abounding to the Chief of SinnersD. None of the above10.The significance of The Canterbury Tales excludes:A. A comprehensive picture of Chaucer’s time.B. The dramatic structure of the poem.C. Chaucer’s humour.D. “Round” characters.11.The ceremony of May Day comes from the tradition of _______.A. The CeltsB. The SaxonsC. The NormansD. The Angles1-5 BBBAD 6-10 AABDAII. Definitions of literary terms (1’×10=10’):1. A group of dramatists active in the 1950s, who believed that human life was meaningless andabsurd and that the world was irrational _____________.[A] the angry young men [B] the beat generation[C] the theatre of the absurd [D] dramatist of black humour2.A long narrative poem about the deeds of some national hero(es) ____________.[A] a lyric [B] an epic[C] a sonnet [D] a satirical poem3. A poem describing the life and love of shepherds and shepherdesses__________.[A] an eclogue [B] a pastoral poem[C] a lyric poem [D] a narrative poem4. The unconscious tendency of a son to be attached to his mother and hostile toward his father_______[A] psychoanalysis [B] Oedipus complex[C] inferiority complex [D] interpretation of dreams5. Works in prose or poetry meant to ridicule and correct the follies and vices of the society and of the individuals ___________.[A] sentimentalism [B] Neo-classicism[C] allegory [D] satire6. Traditionally a song that tells a story which became a form of poetry later __________[A] a folk song [B] a sonnet[C] a ballad [D] romance7. A long piece of poetry or prose describing the adventures and love of a medieval knight _________.[A] romance [B] epic[C] ballad [D] narrative poem or prose8.Two lines of poetry in iambic pentameter rhymed aa ____________.[A] sonnet [B] ballad[C] ode [D] heroic couplet9. Unrhymed poetry in iambic pentameter ____________.[A] free verse [B] blank verse[C] sonnet [D] heroic couplet10. A story in verse or prose with a double meaning, a surface meaning and an under-the-surface meaning ________[A] allegory [B] romance[C] satire [D] ballad1 C2 B 3.B 4.B 5.D 6.C 7.A 8.D 9.B 10.A1. The technique to describe various thoughts and feelings that pass through the mind _____________.[A] the angry young men [B] stream of consciousness[C] the theatre of the absurd [D] black humour2. Poetry or prose describing the adventures and love of a medieval knight ____________.[A] a romance [B] an epic[C] a sonnet [D] a satirical poem3. A poem describing the life and love of shepherds and shepherdesses__________.[A] a pastoral [B] an eclogue[C] a lyric poem [D] a narrative poem4. The unconscious tendency of a son to be attached to his mother and hostile toward his father_______[A] psychoanalysis [B] Oedipus complex[C] inferiority complex [D] interpretation of dreams5. Works in prose or poetry meant to ridicule and correct the follies and vices of the society and of the individuals ___________.[A] sentimentalism [B] Neo-classicism[C] allegory [D] satire6. Traditionally a song that tells a story which became a form of poetry later __________[A] a ballad [B] a sonnet[C] a folk song [D] romance7. A long piece of poetry or prose describing the adventures and love of a medieval knight _________.[A] romance [B] epic[C] ballad [D] narrative poem or prose8.Two lines of poetry in iambic pentameter rhymed aa ____________.[A] sonnet [B] ballad[C] ode [D] heroic couplet9. Unrhymed poetry in iambic pentameter ____________.[A] free verse [B] blank verse[C] sonnet [D] heroic couplet10. A story in verse or prose with a double meaning, a surface meaning and an under-the-surface meaning ________[A] ballad [B] romance[C] satire [D] allegory1 B2 .A 3.A 4.B 5.D 6.A 7.A 8.D 9.B 10.DIII. Matching authors with corresponding works(1’×20=20’)1.Thomas More a. Sons and Lovers2.Geoffrey Chaucer b. Mrs. Dalloway3. Edmund Spenser c. Tess of the D’Urbervilles4. Christopher Marlowe d. Pride and Prejudice5.George Bernard Shaw e. The Pickwick Papers6.Ben Jonson f. Ivanhoe7. John Milton g.Vanity Fair8. Jonathan Swift h.Don Juan9. James Joyce i.Ode to the West Wind10. Richard B. Sheridan j. V olpone11.William Wordsworth k.Samson Agonistes12.George Gordon Byron l.Finnegans Wake13.Percy Bysshe Shelley m.The School for Scandal14.Walter Scott n. Lyrical Ballads15.Charles Dickens o.Widowers’ Houses16. W. M. Thackeray p.The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus17.Jane Austen q.Faerie Queene18.Thomas Hardy r.The Canterbury Tales19.D. H. Lawrence s. Utopia20. Virginia Woolf t.Gulliver’s Travels1.s2.r3.q4.p5.o6.j7.k8.t9.l 10.m11.n 12.h 13.i 14.f 15.e 16.g 17.d 18.c 19.a 20.b1.William Shakepeare2.Samuel Johnson3. John Keats4. Christopher Marlowe5.George Bernard Shaw6.Ben Jonson7. John Milton 8.Daniel Defoe9. James Joyce 10. Richard B. Sheridan11.Geofrey Chaucer 12.George Gordon Byron13.Percy Bysshe Shelley 14.Walter Scott15.George Bernard Shaw 16. William Makepeace Thackeray17.Jane Austen 18.Thomas Hardy19.D. H. Lawrence 20. Virginia Woolfa. Tamburlaine the Greatb.A Dictionary of the English Languagec. King Leard. Major Barbarae. Pride and Prejudicef. Ivanhoeg.Vanity Fair h.Don Juani.Promethus Unbound j. V olponek.Samson Agonistes l.Finnegans Wakem.The School for Scandal n. Robinson Crusoeo..Widowers’ Houses p.Sons and Loversq.To the Lighthouse r.Tess of the D’Urbervilless.Ode to the Nightingale t.The Canterbury Tales1.c2.b3.s4.a5.o6.j7.k8.n9.l 10.m 11.t 12.h 13.i 14.f 15.d 16.g 17.e 18.r 19.p 20.qIV Each of the following statements below is followed by four alternative answers. Choose the one that would best complete the statement. (2’×10=20’)12.About Edmund Spencer which of the following statements is not true?A. He was educated in Cambridge.B. His father was the Keeper of the Privy Seal to Queen Elizabeth.C. He interacted with Philip Sidney.D. He wrote “Epithalamion” to his love affair with Elizabeth Boyle13.About the Renaissance humanists which of the following statements is true?A. They thought money and social status was the measure of all things.B. They emphasized the dignity of human beings and the importance of the presentlife.C. They couldn't see the human values in their works.D. They thought people were largely subordinated to the ruling class without anyfreedom and independence.14.In his tragedy Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare eulogizes _____.A. the faithfulness of loveB. the spirit of pursuing happinessC. the heroine's great beauty, wit and loyaltyD. both a and b15.One of the distinct features of the Elizabethan time is _____.A. the flourishing of the dramaB. the popularity of the realistic novelC. the domination of the classical poetryD. the close-down of all the theatres16.Which of the following is not John Milton's works?A. Paradise LostB. Paradise RegainedC. Samson AgonistesD. Othello1-5 BBBAD6．In A Tale of Two Cities, the "two cities" refer to London and _________.A. DublinB. ParisC. New YorkD. Vienna7．The Lyrical Ballads written by Wordsworth and Coleridge was published in ________.A. 1789B. 1798C. 1829D. 19038．_______ is the representative of Aestheticism and Decadence in English literature.A. R. L. StevensonB. Oscar WildeC. Samuel ButlerD. Charles Dickens9．Which of the following novels does not belong to the "stream of consciousness" school of novel writing?A. UlyssesB. Mrs. DallowayC. The RainbowD. To the Lighthouse10．The unquenchable spirit of Robinson Crusoe struggling to maintain a substantial existence on a lonely island reflects _________A. man’s desire to return to natureB. the author’s criticism of the colonizationC. the ideal of the rising bourgeoisieD. the aristocrats’disillusionment of the harsh social reality6-10 DABCCV. Essay Questions (30%; choose only ONE of the following five topics and write a short essay of at least 200 words.)1. How much do you know about the English literature in the Victorian period?pare any two periods in the history of English literature with reference to ideological tendencies and literary trends (Find out their similarities and differences by using major writers as examples).3.Describe how your knowledge of English literature is improved after taking this course.4.Analyze why in English literature Shakespeare is considered to be the greatest playwright or why Dickens is regarded as the greatest novelist.5. Why is Thomas Hardy often regarded as a transitional writer?6．How much do you know about Romanticism?7. How much do you know about the Enlightenment Movement and Neoclassicism?8. Analyze the characteristics of the Renaissance period and the Victorian age.9. Discuss why Dickens is regarded as the greatest novelist in English Literature10.Through Hamlet in Hamlet, please analyze the theme of this novel.11. What is Utopia about?12.What is the social significance of The Canterbury TalExplain the following literary terms. (18 points in all, 6 points for each)4.The Rising of 13815.John Locke6.Humanism。

I. Old English Literature & The Late Medieval Ages<Beowulf>贝奥武夫:the national epic of the Anglo-SaxonsEpic: long narrative poems that record the adventures or heroic deeds of a hero enacted in vast landscapes. The style of epic is grand and elevated. e.g. Homer‟s Iliad and OdysseyArtistic features:ing alliterationDefinition of alliteration: a rhetorical device, meaning some words in a sentence begin with the same consonant sound（头韵）Some examples on P5ing metaphor and understatementDefinition of understatement: expressing something in a controlled way Understatement is a typical way for Englishmen to express their ideasGeoffery Chaucer 杰弗里•乔叟1340(?)~1400(首创“双韵体”，英国文学史上首先用伦敦方言写作。

约翰·德莱顿（John Dryden）称其为“英国诗歌之父”。

代表作《坎特伯雷故事集》。

)The father of English poetry. writing style: wisdom, humor, humanity.① <The Canterbury Tales>坎特伯雷故事集：first time to use …heroic couplet‟(双韵体) by middle English②<Troilus and Criseyde>特罗伊拉斯和克莱希德③ <The House of Fame>声誉之宫Medieval Ages’ popular Literary form: Romance(传奇故事)Famous three：King Arthur Sir Gawain and the Green Knight BeowulfII The Renaissance Period文艺复兴A period of drama and poetry. The Elizabethan drama is the real mainstream of the English Renaissance. Renaissance: the activity, spirit, or time of the great revival of art, literature, and learning in Europe beginning in the 14th century and extending to the 17th century, marking the transition from the medieval to the modern world.英国16th 开始Three historical events of the Renaissance – rebirth or revival:1.new discoveries in geography and astrology2.the religious reformation and economic expansion3.rediscovery of ancient Roman and Greek cultureThe most famous dramatists: Christopher Marlowe William Shakespeare Ben Johnson.1.Edmund Spenser埃德蒙•斯宾塞1552~1599（后人称之为“诗人的诗人”。

Charles Dickens (1812-1870)Oliver Twist雾都孤儿Bleak House荒凉山庄Hard Times艰难时世Little Dorrit小杜丽A Tale of Two Cities双城记Great Expectations远大前程Our Mutual Friend我们共同的朋友The Pickwick Papers匹克威克外传The Old Curiosity Shop老古玩店David Copperfield大卫·科波菲尔Dombey and Son董贝父子A Christmas Carol圣诞颂歌Dickens：①His novels offer a most complete and realist picture of the English bourgeoissociety of his age. They reflect the protest of the people against capitalist exploitation and criticize the vices of capitalist society.②Dickens is a petty bourgeois intellectual. He could not overstep the limits of hisclass. He believed in the moral self-perfection of the wicked propertied classes.He failed to see the necessity of a bitter struggle of the oppressed against their oppressors. There is a definite tendency for a reconciliation of the contradictions of capitalist society.③Almost all his novels have happy endings.④His novels tell much of the experiences of his childhood.⑤He is a great humorist. His novels are full of humor and laughter.William Makepeace Thackeray (1811—1863)Works: 名利场The Virginians弗吉尼亚人Comments on Vanity Fair●In the novel Thackeray describes the life of the ruling classes of England in theearly decades of the 19th century, and attacks the social relationship of the bourgeois world by satirizing the individuals in the different strata（阶层）of the upper society. It was a world where money grubbing was the main thing in the minds of all members of the ruling classes, and they had no scruples (良心上的不安,顾忌) whatever in employing all possible means to attain that end.George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans) (1819-1880)G. Eliot’s Major Works●Adam Bede 《亚当·比德》●The Mill on the Floss 《弗洛斯河上的磨坊》●Silas Marner《织工马南》●Middlemarch 《米德尔玛契》●Romola《罗慕拉》●Felix Holt, the Radical《激进分子费立可斯·霍尔特》●Daniel Deronda《丹尼尔·德龙达》The characteristics of Eliot’s literary works• a particular concern for the destiny of women•leading in the direction of both the naturalistic and psychological novel •Interest in the interior life of human beings, moral problems and strains •ReligionCharlotte Bronte ( 1816-1855)major works The Professor《教授》Jane Eyre《简·爱》Shirley 《雪丽》Themes of Jane Eyre●1. the relations between men and women;●2. women’s equality;●3. the treatment of children and of women;●4. religious faith and religious hypocrisy (and the difference between the two);●5. the realization of selfhood;●6. the nature of true love.Comments on Charlotte BronteCharlotte Bronte is a representative writer of realism combined with romanticism of that time. In her works, she paints a vivid realistic picture of the English society by exposing the cruelty, hypocrisy, and other evils of the upper classes and by showing the misery and suffering of the poor. Her works are famous for the depiction of the life of the middle class working women, particularly governesses.Emily Bronte (1818-1848) Wuthering Heights《呼啸山庄》The theme of Wuthering Heights●The novel is a riddle which means different things to different people. From thesocial point of view，it is a story about a poor man abused，betrayed & distorted by his social betters because he is a poor nobody. As a love story，this is one of the most moving：the passion between Heathcliff and Catherine proves the most intense，the most beautiful & at the same time the most horrible passion ever to be found possible in human beings.Comment on Wuthering Heights●Emily has a passionate love for the wilderness of the moor all the year roundand enjoys staying outside as far as she could. She is a child of nature. That accounts for the mysterious setting in Wuthering Heights.●Emily is a great poet. Her poems are works of strange sublimity and beauty.Reading her poems is conducive to a better understanding of Wuthering Heights.●As a love story, the passion between Heathcliff and Catherine proves to be themost intense, the most beautiful and at the same time the most horrible passion ever to be found in human beings.Anne Bronte (1820-1849)●Agnes Grey (1847) 《艾格妮斯·格雷》and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (1848) 《威尔德菲尔的房客》,。

英国文学史资料British Writers and Works一、中世纪文学（约5世纪—1485）•《贝奥武甫》（Beowulf）•《高文爵士和绿衣骑士》（Sir Gawain and the Green Knight )杰弗利·乔叟（Geoffrey Chaucer)“英国诗歌之父”。

（Father of English Poetry）《坎特伯雷故事》（The Canterbury Tales）二、文艺复兴时期文学（15世纪后期—17世纪初）•托马斯·莫尔（Thomas More ）《乌托邦》（Utopia）•埃德蒙·斯宾塞（Edmund Spenser）《仙后》（The Faerie Queene)•弗兰西斯·培根（Francis Bacon）《论说文集》（Essays)克里斯托弗·马洛Christopher Marlowe•《帖木儿大帝》（Tamburlaine）•《浮士德博士的悲剧》（The Tragical History of the Life and Death of Dr. Faustus）•《马耳他岛的犹太人》（The Jew of Malta）威廉·莎士比亚William Shakespeare喜剧《仲夏夜之梦》（A Midsummer Night’s Dream）、《威尼斯商人》（The Merchant of Venice）悲剧《罗密欧与朱丽叶》（Romeo and Juliet）、《哈姆莱特》（Hamlet）、《奥赛罗》（Othello）、《李尔王》（King Lear）、《麦克白》（Macbeth）历史剧《亨利四世》（Henry IV）传奇剧《暴风雨》（The Tempest）本·琼生Ben Johnson•《人人高兴》（Every Man in His Humor）•《狐狸》（V olpone）•《练金术士》（The Alchemist）三、17世纪文学约翰·弥尔顿John Milton《失乐园》（Paradise Lost）《复乐园》（Paradise Regained）诗剧《力士参孙》（Samson Agonistes）•约翰·班扬（John Bunyan）《天路历程》（The Pilgrim’s Progress）•威廉·康格里夫（William Congreve）《以爱还爱》（Love for Love）《如此世道》（The Way of the World）四、启蒙时期文学（17世纪后期—18世纪中期）18世纪初，新古典主义成为时尚。

I.Some Historical Facts ★★★The earliest inhabitants: Britons （a tribe of Celts）Britain: "the land of Britons" © Now, the Three Famous Conquests:A.The Roman Conquest （55BC-410AD）1.Britain was invaded by the Romans under the leadership of Julius Caesar in 55 BC, and was completely subjugated to the Roman Empire in 78 A.D.2.Roman mode of life came across to Britain:Conquerors— theaters; bathsnative Britons— slaves3.Roman Empire began to decline at the beginning of the 5th C.In 410 A. D. all the Roman troops withdrew and never returned.B.The Anglo-Saxon Conquest （449-1066）In 449 A.D., Britain was invaded by three Germanic tribes from the Northeast of Europe:Angles （盎格鲁人）Saxons （撒克逊人）Jutes （朱特人）C.The Norman Conquest （1066-1485）French-speaking Normans, under the leadership of Duke William （William the Conqueror） came in 1066.After defeating the English at Hastings, William was crowned as the King of England. In the Anglo-Norman period, the prominent kind of literature, Romances, were at first all in French.At the end of the 14th century, English became dominant once more.II. Anglo-Saxon LiteratureAnglo-Saxon Poetry★★1.Pagan Poetry （世俗诗）Also called secular poetry, it does not contain any specific Christian doctrine. It was represented by Beowulf （贝奥武甫）.2.Religious Poetry （宗教诗）Also called Christian poetry, it is mainly on biblical stories and saints9 lives. But sometimes there is a mixture of Christian and pagan （异教徒）ideas. It is represented by Caedmon （凯德蒙）and Cynewulf （基涅武甫）・National epic （民族史诗）★★National epic: epic written in vernacular （本国的）languages, namely, the languages of various national states that came into being in the Middle Ages.It was the starting point of a gradual transition of European literature from Latin culture to a culture that was the combination of a variety of national characteristics. Poetic Features of “Beowulf （贝奥武甫）★★★i.The use of alliteration （头韵）is one of its most striking features.In alliterative verse, certain stressed or accented words in a line begin with the same consonant. There are 4 stresses in a line generally, of which three or two show alliteration.ii.The use of kennings:Kenning （代喻）:compound words that serve as metaphor, used in place of a name or noun, especially in Old English and Old Norse poetry.For example: "storm of swords" is a kenning for "battle".iii.The use of understatements（抑言陈述）or euphemism （委婉语），e.g.: "not troublesome" > very welcome"need not praise" > a right to condemniv.The basically pagan poem has an evident Christian overlay.e.g.:（l） "God" or "Lord" is frequently mentioned as the omnipotent supreme being, along with such Christian concepts as the belief in "future life".（2）Grendel is said to be descendant of the errant biblical figure, Cain.The Religious Poetry ★★The religious poetry is also called Christian poetry. It is mainly on biblical stories and saints9lives. But sometimes there is a mixture of Christian and pagan ideas in these poems. It is represented by Caedmon and Cynewulf.Anglo-Saxon Prose （散文）★★Prose literature did not show its appearance until the 8th century.There were two famous prose writers:Venerable Bede （比德）Alfred the Great （阿尔弗烈德大王）Anglo-Norman Literatures^1066, the year of the Norman conquest, marks the beginning of Anglo-Norman period （1066-1485）.Ca. 1200: the beginning of the Middle English Literature.A. Romance ★★★Romance （骑士文学），mostly in French, is the dominant kind of literature in the Anglo-Norman period.It is a long composition in verse or prose, describing the life and adventures of a noble hero. It generally concerns knights and involves a large amount of fighting as well as a number of miscellaneous adventures.Essential features of the Romanced ★★1.It lacks general resemblance （相似）to truth or reality.2.It exaggerates the vices （罪恶）of human nature and idealizes the virtues.3.It contains perilous （危险的）adventures more or less remote from ordinary life.4.It lays emphasis on supreme devotion to lady.5.The central character of the romance is the knight, a man of noble birth, skilled in the use of weapons. He is commonly described as riding forth to seek adventures, taking part in tournaments, or fighting for his lord in battle. He is devoted to the church and the king.The Matters of Britain★★★This Cycle mainly deals with the exploits （功绩）of King Arthur and his knights of the Round Table.Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is the culmination （高潮）of the Arthurian romances.Sir Gawain and the Green Knight**Sir Gawain and the Green Knight （《高文爵士和绿衣骑士》），a verse romance of 2530 lines, derived from Celtic legend. It was considered as the best of Arthurian romance.English Ballads (民歌)★★1.It is oral literature of the English people (esp. peasants).2.It is a story told in song, usu. in 4-line stanzas, with the 2nd and the 4th lines rhymed.3.Its subject matters: young lovers9 struggle against patriarchy (父权制)；conflict between love and wealth; cruelty of jealousy; criticism of the civil war (1337〜1453) between England and France.; matters of class struggle.Robin Hood Ballads: most noted.Translation of the Bible**1. John Wycliffe (1320-1384), the first attempt to translate the Latin version of the Bible into Middle English.King James9 version (the Authorized Version) (1611)Geoffrey Chaucer (1343-1400)杰弗里•乔叟(GeoffreyChaucer) ★★★Father of English poetryThe first great poet writing in Middle EnglishFounder of English realismMain WorksThe Romance of the Rose《玫瑰传奇》The House of Fame《声誉殿堂》Troilus and Criseide《特罗伊拉斯和克莱西德》The Canterbury Tales《坎特伯雷故事集》Chaucer's Contributions★★★i.Chaucer made the London dialect the standard for modern English language, and was the first to write in English. In doing so, established English as the literary language of the country.ii.He introduced ( from France and Italy) the rhymed stanza (诗节)of various types, esp. heroic couplet (英雄偶句诗),to take the place of the old alliterative verse.iii.His works give a comprehensive picture of Chaucer's time; For his true-to-life (写实的)depictions, Chaucer is generally regarded as the forerunner of English realism.iv.Chaucer's gentle satire （讽束!j） and mild irony made him a pioneering English humorist writer.The Canterbury Tales （坎特伯雷故事集）（1387-1400）***1.The outline of the storyThe story opens with a general prologue telling that on a spring evening, at the Tabard Inn （泰巴旅店）,at the South end of London Bridge, Chaucer meets 29 pilgrims ready for Canterbury and he joins them.Suggested by the host of the inn, each is to tell 2 stories going and 2 returning. The best teller will be treated with a fine supper, by the host.Clearly, the structure of The Canterbury Tales is indebted to Boccaccio's Decameron （《十日谈》）.As a gigantic plan, 120 stories should be told but only 24 were written.But these tales cover practically all the major types of medieval literature: a. romance;b. folk tale;c. beast fable （1 申话）；d. adventures;e. saint's life;f. allegorical tale （寓言）;g. sermon （训诫）;h. alchemical account （炼丹术）,etc.2.The General Prologue （总序言）The Canterbury Tales consists of three parts:The General Prologue,24 tales, four of which left unfinished,Separate prologues to each tale.The General Prologue was considered the best part of the whole work, which supplies a picture of people from all walks of life in the medieval England. It in essence serves asa guide.3.The charactersAll kinds of people except the highest and the lowest are represented by these thirty pilgrims （朝圣者）：The gentle class （2申士阶层）is represented by the knight, the squire （骑士扈从）, the monk, the prioress （女修道院院长）,the Oxford scholar, and the Franklin （地主）; The burgher class （市民阶层）is represented by the wealthy trademan, thehaberdasher（月艮装店主），the carpenter, the landed proprietor（土地业主），the weaver, the tapestry-maker （挂毯商）,and the Wife of Bath （巴斯夫人）；The professionals are represented by the lawyer and the physician.Rhymed ★Alliteration （头韵）：stressed words in a line begin with the same consonant, e.g.: great, grewAssonance （谐韵）:stressed words in a line share the same vowel （谐元韵），e.g.: great, failRhyme （尾韵）：Identity or sameness of terminal sounds in poetic lines or in words, e.g.: great, bait Feet （音步）feet: small groups of syllables （音节）,i.e. the combination of a strong stress and one or two weak stresses.simply put （简言之）:Combination of one stressed syllable （重读音节）& one or two unstressed syllables （非重读音节）e.g. hazel; to swell;The clock struck one.Four standard（1）iambic （抑扬格,n. iamb）an unstressed syllable is followed by a stressed syllable:defeat return（2）anapestic （抑抑扬格,n. anapest）two unstressed syllables t a stressed:understand with a leap（3）trochaic （扬抑格,n. trochee）a stressed an unstressed:listen double（4）dactylic （扬抑抑格,n. dactyl）a stressed 一 two unstressed syllables: Here we go merrilyNumber of feet in a(1)monometer 单音步(one foot)(2)dimeter 二音步(two feet)(3)trimeter 三音步(three feet )(4) tetrameter 四音步(fourfbet )(5) pentameter 五音步(five feet )(6) hexameter 六音步(six feet)(7) heptameter 七音步(sevenfeet)(8) octameterMeter (韵律)八音步(eightfeet)The meter of a line (诗行的韵律)not only includes the predominant foot of the line, but also the number of feet that it contains.rhymed stanza (押＜尾＞韵诗节)Rhymed: correspondence of terminal sounds of words, or of lines of verse.Stanza: a group of lines in a repeated pattern that form a unit within a larger poem.List of stanza names according to number of lines:2lines = Couplet (对联)3lines = Tercet (三行诗)4lines = Quatrain (四行诗)5lines = Cinquain (五彳亍诗)6lines = Sestet (六行诗)7lines = Septet (七行诗)8lines = Octave (八行诗)heroic couplet (英雄诗体，英雄双韵句)It is a rhymed couplet (押韵对句)：a pair of rhyming lines in iambic pentameter.rhyming scheme (韵法)英语诗歌的行与行之间的押韵格式称韵法。