英国文学笔记
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• A Brief Outline of British Literature History•1. Medieval Literature (5 A.D. -1485) (中世纪文学)Geoffrey Chaucer (1340—1400 )2. The English Renaissance (1500-1625) (文艺复兴时期文学)Thomas More (1478—1535)Edmund Spenser(1552—1599)Christopher Marlowe(1564—1593)Francis Bacon (1561—1626)William Shakespeare (1564—1616)3. The Seventeenth century (17th century)( 17 世纪文学)John Milton (1608—1674)John Donne (1572—1631)John Bunyan (1628—1688)4. English Enlightenment and neo-Classicism (17th century -18th century ) (英国启蒙运动和新古典主义文学)Alexander Pope (1688—1744)Jonathan Swift (1667—1745)Daniel Defoe (1660—1731)Henry Fielding (1707—1754)5. Romanticism in England (1798-1832) (浪漫主义时期文学)Robert Burns (1759—1796)William Blake (1757—1827)William Wordsworth (1770—1850)Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772—1834)George Gordon Byron(1788—1824)Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792—1822)John Keats (1795-1821)6. English Realism (1830s-1918) (现实主义时期文学) /Victorian Age (1832—1901) Robert Browning (1821—1889)Alfred Tennyson ( 1809—1892)Jane Austen (1775—1817)The Bronte SistersCharles Dickens (1812—1870)William Makepeace Thackeray (1811—1863)Thomas Hardy (1840—1928)Joseph Conrad ( 1857—1924)Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950)7. Modernism (1918-1945) (现代主义文学)T.S. Eliot (1888—1965)William Butler Yeats (1865—1939)James Joyce (1882—1941)Virginia Woolf (1882—1941)D.H. Lawrence (1885—1930)••1. Medieval Literature (5 A.D. -1485) (中世纪文学)Beowulf《贝奥武夫》: the national epic of the English people.romance (浪漫传奇):the most prevailing kind of literature in feudal England Theme: loyalty to king and lordKing Arthur and his knights of the Round Table《亚瑟王和他的圆桌骑士》Sir Gawain and the Green Knight 《高文爵士和绿衣骑士》★Geoffrey Chaucer (1340-- 1400)Literary Position: The father of English poetryMasterpiece: The Canterbury Tales 《坎特伯雷故事集》(Old English)Literary Achievements: Heroic couplet (英雄双韵体)2. The English Renaissance (1500-1625) (文艺复兴时期文学)The word “Renaissance” means revival(复活). The term originally indicates a revival of classical (Greek and Roman) arts and sciences after the dark ages of medieval obscurantism(蒙昧主义). Humanism: the essence of RenaissanceEdmund Spenser (1552-- 1599): "the poets' poet"Masterpiece :The Faerie Oueene《仙后》Thomas More (1478-1535)Masterpiece: Utopia(乌托邦)Christopher Marlowe (1564--1593): most gifted of the "University Wits"(大学才子派). Masterpiece: The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus. 《浮士德博士的悲剧》★Francis Bacon (1561-1626 )Literary Position:—the founder of modern science in England;—one of the earliest essayist(散文家)in English languageMasterpiece : Essays《论说文集》Of Studies (论读书)★William Shakespeare(1564—1616)Literary Position:·“not of an age, but for all time”,·the greatest giant of English language and poetic form,·one of the founders of realism in world literature,·o ne of the greatest writers in the world’s literature.Literary Achievements:38 plays (comedies(喜剧), histories(历史剧), tragedies(悲剧), tragicomedies/romances(悲喜剧)2 narrative poems154 sonnets (Sonnets 1-126 addressed to a young man, Sonnets 127-152 addressed to “Dark Lady”, Sonnets 153-154 addressed to Cupid, the God of love in Greekmythology )Plays(4 periods)1. First period (1592-1594): His apprenticeship in plays.Historical plays: King Henry VI《亨利六世》, Richard Ⅲ《查理三世》Comedies: Love’s Labour’s Lost 《爱的徒劳》2. Second period (1595-1600): Mature period, a marked increase in the knowledge of humanismRomeo and Juliet《罗密欧与朱丽叶》(4大喜剧):A Midsummer Night’s Dream《仲夏夜之梦》The Merchant of Venice《威尼斯商人》As You Like It《皆大欢喜》Twelfth Night《第十二夜》3. Third period (1601-1608): Flourishing period, a period of gloomy and depression(4大悲剧):Hamlet《汉姆雷特》Othello《奥赛罗》King Lear《李尔王》Macbeth《麦克白》4. Fourth period (1608-1612): The period of romantic drama in the form of tragicomediesReconciliation plays: The Winter’s Tale《冬天的童话》, The Tempest《暴风雨》3. The Seventeenth century (17th century)( 17 世纪文学) Historical background1. The English revolution(英国革命)and the Restoration(王朝复辟).·Causes: the conflict between the monarch and Parliament; the persecution of the Puritans2. The bourgeois Dictatorship and the Restoration·Glorious Revolution—a bloodless revolution·The constitutional monarchy.★John Milton (1608—1674)Literary Position·A master of the Blank verse·The greatest English revolutionary poet of the 17th century·One of the greatest poets of the English languageLiterary AchievementsPoems·Paradise Lost《失乐园》(1667): his masterpiece——The greatest epic in English literature.·Paradise Regained (1671) 《复乐园》·Samson Agonistes (1671) 《力士参孙》Paradise Lost《失乐园》—John Milton 1. Introduction·Long epic in 12 books·Written in blank verse·Based on Genesis《创世纪》in the Old Testament·Dramatizes the Biblical account of humanity’s banishment.2. Theme—Milton’s aimed purpos e: “justify the ways of God to man”(昭示天道对人的公正)—Real purpose: Challenge the restored monarch·God — tyrannical, represents the king·Satan — rebelling against monarch·Love between Adam and Eve — human pursuit for happiness, the spirit of Renaissance3. Writing features—Milton style: Sonority洪亮, Eloquence雄辩, Majesty尊严, Grandeur壮美·The blank verse·Long and involved sentences★John Donne (1572-1631)Literary Position—founder of Metaphysical School(玄学派)—the greatest of the metaphysical poets.Literary AchievementsSongs and Sonnets 《歌与十四行诗》The Flea《跳蚤》Holy Sonnets《圣十四行诗》: Holy Sonnet 10Features of metaphysical poetry:—conceits(奇喻)—strange paradoxes(悖论)—far-fetched (牵强的)imageryJohn Bunyan (1628-1688):Masterpiece: The Pilgrim’s Progress《天路历程》4. English Enlightenment and neo-Classicism (17th century -18th century )(英国启蒙运动和新古典主义文学) (1688-1798)Historical Background1. Comparatively peaceful development under the constitutional monarchy·A compromise between Tory and Whig·The leading navel power in Europe2. The Industrial Revolution 工业革命·Unprecedented technical innovations·Rapid growth of industry and commerceThe EnlightenmentAn intellectual movement in Europe began in the late 17th and 18th centuries and ended with the French revolution of 178918th century : Age of Reason/ Age of Enlightenment1. Importance—a lasting heritage for the 19th and 20th century—it marked a key stage in the decline of the church and the growth of modern secularism(世俗主义)—it served as the model for political and economic liberalism.2. The development of Poetry: neo-Classicism 新古典主义3. Characteristic of neo-Classicism1). Emphasizing reason rather than emotion, form rather than content.2). Didactic and satirical3). Heroic Couplet (英雄双韵体)4). Town poetry writing for the rising bourgeoisieAlexander Pope (1688-1744)Literary Position—an outstanding enlightener—The greatest and the most important representative of the English classical poetry.★The Rise of FictionDaniel DefoeJonathan SwiftHenry Fielding ※ FictionThe mainstream of 18th century literature, & The rise and growth of realistic novel —the most prominent achievement of 18th century English literature★Daniel Defoe (1660-1731)Literary Position—Father of English novelLiterary Achievements:—— Robinson Crusoe (1719)《鲁宾逊漂游记》·Defoe’s masterpiece·The first English novel in a real sense·The first English realistic novelRobinson Crusoe—Daniel Defoe 1. Theme:—to sing the praises of human labor—to celebrate the strength of human rational will to conquer the natural environment—to beautify colonialism & Negro slavery2. Plot:run away from home → become a sailor → a planter in Brazil → to an uninhabited island because of shipwreck → made a living there all by himself → save a negro named Friday who became his servant → back to England → visit the remote island again and Friday was killed3. Robinson Crusoe’s characterization:typical of the rising English bourgeois class, practical, diligent, a restless curiosity to know more about the world and a desire to prove individual power in the face of social and natural challenges; shrewd, care about money and good at managing; courageous and intelligent to overcome all kinds of obstacles★Jonathan Swift (1667-1745)Literary Position—one of the greatest masters of English Prose—a master satirist(讽刺作家)Style of Swift’s prose:simple, clear and vigorous. His famous saying“Proper words in proper places, makes the true definition of a style” influenced a lot later writers.Literary AchievementsBooks·The Battle of Books《书籍之战》·A Tale of Tub 《一个桶子的故事》·Guliver’s Travels《格列佛游记》——his masterpiece: a satire on the whole English society of the 18th century. Pamphlets·The Draper’s Letters《一个布商的书信》·A Modest Proposal《一个温和的建议》——(A Modest Proposal for Preventing the Children of Poor People in Ireland from Beinga Burden to Their Parents)Guliver’s Travels《格列佛游记》—Jonathan Swift Plot:Part I: A Voyage to LilliputPart II: A Voyage to BrobdingnagPart III: A V oyage to Laputa, Balnibarbi, Glubbdubdrib, Luggnagg and JapanPart IV: A V oyage to the Country of the HouyhnhnmsHenry Fielding (1707-1754)Literary Achievements·The History of Tom Jones, A Founding 《弃儿汤姆·琼斯》Literary Position·—The founder of English realistic novel-setting up the theory of realism in literary position.5. Romanticism in England (1798-1832) (浪漫主义时期文学)Pre-Romanticism: Latter half of the 18th centuryRobert BurnsWilliam Blake 1. Romantic revival·A strong protest against the bondage of Classicism (=Formalism)·A recognition of the claims of passion and emotion.2. Representatives·Robert Burns (1759-1796) 罗伯特·彭斯·William Blake (1757-1827) 威廉·布莱克★Robert Burns (1759-1796)Literary position—the national poet of Scotland—A poet of the peasants, a poet of the peopleLiterary AchievementsPoems chiefly in the Scottish Dialect《苏格兰方言诗集》A Red, Red Rose《一朵红红的玫瑰》,Auld Long Syne《昔日时光》A Man's A Man for A‘ That".《无论何时都要保持尊严》My Heart ’s in the Highlands《我的心在高原》.Theme·Love and friendship·The natural beauty of his native Scotland·The life and label of the common people·The patriotism of his compatriots and their struggle for libertyFeatures of his poetryScottish dialect★William BlakeLiterary Position—a Pre-Romantic or a forerunner(先驱)of the Romantic poetry of the 19th century Literary Achievements:Songs of Innocence《天真之歌》Songs of Experience《经验之歌》Songs of Innocence《天真之歌》·Written for children, express the poet’s delight in life.·a lovely volume of poems, presenting a happy and innocent world without evils and sufferingsTo depict the happy condition of a child before it knows anything about the pains of experience.·Simple without being naïve, childlike without being childish, innocent, everything seems to be in harmony.e.g. The Lamb《羔羊》Songs of Experience《经验之歌》·Much mature work·The atmosphere is no longer sunny but sad and gloomy.·Presenting a world of misery, poverty, disease, war and repression with a melancholy tone.e.g. The Tiger《老虎》The Age of Romanticism (1798-1832)Political and social factors1. The American and French revolution: an upsurge of national liberation and democraticmovementsAmerican revolution (1775-1783)—The formation of the independent United States.French revolution of 1789—“Liberty, equality and fraternity”2. The Industrial RevolutionIntellectual Background--Shift from emphasis on reason to instinct and emotionGeneral characteristic features (style)1.Subjectivism2.Spontaneity3.Singularity4.Simplicity: everyday language spoken by the rustic people5. A dominating note of melancholy6. A freer verse form★ Romantic Poetry1. Lake poets (湖畔派诗人)—the passive or escapist romanticists: Wordsworth, Coleridge,Southey—detesting the real world, escaping from the reality.2. Revolutionary poets(革命派诗人)—(Active or radical) romanticists:Byron, Shelley, Keats—striving to strengthen man’s will to live and raise him up against the darkness in the world.Lake Poets (湖畔派诗人)William WordsworthSamuel Taylor ColeridgeRobert Southey ★William Wordsworth (1770-1850)Literary Position—Poet Laureate 桂冠诗人(1843)—the best and the most famous romantic poet—A great poet of natureLiterary AchievementsLyrical Ballads (1798) 《抒情歌谣集》:The Prelude (1850) 《序曲》:—Wordsworth’s autob iographical poem.Major works:I wondered lonely as a cloud 《我好似一朵流云独自漫游》Lucy Poems 《露西》The Solitary Reaper 《孤独的收割女》Major concern1. Nature2. The life of ordinary peoplePoetic features—Simplicity and purity of his language.Lyrical Ballads (1798)《抒情歌谣集》—William Wordsworth1. Written by Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge2. Marked the break with the conventional poetic tradition of 18th century classicism, and thebeginning of romanticism in English poetry3. The preface serves as the manifesto of the English romantic movements in poetry.4. The principle of poetry: “All good poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feeling.”——“所有好诗都是强烈感情的自然流露.”—William Wordsworth ★Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834)Literary position—Poet, critic, and philosopher of Romanticism.Literary Achievement·The Rime of the Ancient Mariner(1798)《古舟子吟》·Kubla Khan (1816)《忽必烈汗》Robert Southey (1774-1843)Revolutionary Poets (革命派诗人)George Gordon ByronPercy Bysshe ShelleyJohn Keats ★George Gordon Byron (1788—1824)Lifeborn in a noble familyinherited the baronial titlegraduated from Cambridge Universityentered House of Lordsstrongly criticized by those conservatives and at last left Englandstayed in Italy and then Greecedied in Greece at 36Literary Position—one of the most excellent representatives of English Romanticism.—His literary career was closely linked with the struggle and progressive movements of his age. Major Works·Child Harold’s Pilgrimage《恰尔德·哈罗德游记》—One of his most readable books·Don Juan《唐璜》—His masterpieceByronic Heroes—The men with fiery and unbending will express the poet’s own ideal of freedom.— The men who rise against tyranny and injusticeDon Juan 《唐璜》—George Gordon Byron 1. Hero of the long poem:Don Juan, a Spanish young man born in a noble family; strange adventures he has experienced (Greece, Turkey, Russia and England);2. A panorama of the whole Europe and a strong satire★Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792—1822)Literary Position—The great poet of revolutionary romanticism in England.—The most wonderful lyric poet England has ever producedMajor Works·Prometheus Unbound《解放了的普罗米修斯》—lyrical drama·Ode to the West Wind《西风颂》Artistic Features— Lyrics intensity·Lyrics on politics·Lyrics on nature·Lyrics on love— Revolutionary ardency— Optimistic idealism—Image(意象)& symbol(象征)Ode to the West Wind《西风颂》—It made Shelley the greatest English lyrical poet, and is the lyric of lyrics.1. Main ideaThe old world must go, a new word must come with the Spring, laden with fresh sweet promises for suffering humanity.2.1). Stanza ⅠWest wind is·Blowing over the land·Driving dead leaves away·Carrying the seeds to wintry bed so that they would grow up next year.·Both a destroyer and preserver—A destroyer of old, useless, decaying things, such as dead leaves.—A preserver of new, life-going things, such as seeds.2). Stanza ⅡWest wind is·Sweeping in the sky·Gathering the loose clouds·Preparing a storm with black rain, lightening and hail·Calling the dirge of the dying year3). Stanza ⅢWest wind is·Moving across the sea·From the Mediterranean to the Atlantic Ocean·Becoming stronger and stronger·Even frightening the sea vegetation4). Stanza ⅣThe poet compares “I” to and with the west wind·“if”s·Poetic inspiration·The poet’s personality5). Stanza ⅤThe poet’s wishes·To share the spirit of the west wind·To use his poem to quicken a new birth and awaken the earthThe poet’s prophecy·If winter comes, can spring be far behind?3. West wind: A symbol·Strength, power·Change of season·Approaching revolution·The poet’s personality·The poetic inspiration·A revolutionary spirit·The destroyer of the old world·the preserver of the new world·Hope for the new life★John Keats (1795—1821)Literary AchievementShort Poems—of the numerous short poems by Keats, the most important are his sonnets and odes.·Ode on Melancholy《忧郁颂》·Ode to Nightingale《夜莺颂》·Ode to Autumn《秋颂》·Ode on a Grecian Urn《希腊古瓮颂》Features1. A clean split with 18th century classicism.Byron & Shelley: attempted to remold the contemporary society with both poetry andpolitical action.Keats: restricted his application of the principle of liberty to the sphere of Art.2. Beauty in truth, truth in beauty. (美即现实,现实即美)Keats found beauty in nature, in literature, esp. poetry, and in human struggle for liberty.6. English Realism (1830s-1918) (现实主义时期文学) /The Victorian Age(1832—1901)Charles DickensWilliam Makepeace ThackerayThe Brontë Sisters Historical background1. The Victorian Age—First Period (1832-1848): a time of social unrest—The mid-Victorian Period (1848-1870): The heyday of the Victorian Age—The last period: (1870-1901): The decay of Victorian values2. The end of poetry poem3. The rise of novels—Novel: dominant literary genreCritical Realism1. Appeared in 19th century and flourished in 1840s and early 50s2. RepresentativesCharles DickensThackerayThe Brontë Sisters3. Basic characteristicsTo expose and criticize the evil and injustice of capitalist societyTo satirize the ruling classes and show sympathy for the common peopleEssentially democratic and humanistic attitudeAiming at social reform rather than revolution.★Charles Dickens (1812—1870)Literary Position— The greatest and outstanding representative of English critical realismLiterary Achievements: Three periods—The 1st period (1836-1841): Naïve optimism, “Virtue will triumph in long run.”·Sketches By Boz 《博兹特写集》·The Pickwick Papers 《匹克威克外传》·Oliver Twist 《雾都孤儿》·Nicholas Nickleby《尼古拉斯·尼克尔贝》·The Old Curiosity Shop 《老古玩店》—The 2nd period (1842-1850): period of excitement and irritation, his naïve optimism about capitalism was profoundly shaken.·American Note《美国札记》·Martin Chuzzlewit《马丁·朱述儿维特》·Dombey and the Son《董贝父子》·David Copperfield 《大卫·科波菲尔》—The 3rd period (1851-1870): a Period of steadily intensifying pessimism, his loss of hope for English bourgeois·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 Expectation 《远大前程》/《孤星血泪》·Our Mutual Friend《我们共同的朋友》Features of Dickens's Novels·Character Sketches & Exaggeration( grotesque characters)·Broad Humor & Penetrating Satire·Complicated & Fascinating Plot·The Power of ExposureWilliam Makepeace Thackeray (1811-1863)Literary Position·One of the outstanding representatives of English critical realism.·A great satiristLiterary Achievements·Vanity Fair《名利场》——his masterpiece·★The Brontë Sisters·Charlotte Brontë—Jane Eyre《简·爱》·Emily Brontë—Wuthering Heights《呼啸山庄》·Anne Brontë—Agnes Grey《艾格尼斯·格雷》Themes of Jane Eyre—The criticism of the bourgeois system of education—Jane Eyre, the heroine of the novel, maintains that women should have equal rights with men.★Jane Austen (1775-1817)Literary Position—The first important English woman novelist—One of the greatest novelists of the 19th and 20th centuriesLiterary AchievementsSix Novels·Northanger Abbey《诺桑觉寺》·Sense and Sensibility 《理智与情感》·Pride and Prejudice 《傲慢与偏见》·Mansfield Park 《曼斯菲苑林》·Emma 《艾玛》·Persuasion 《劝导》Writing Characteristics— Chief interestsThe relationship between men & women in love— Artistic features·Subtlety of observation 细致入微的观察·Depth of psychological penetration 深刻的心理分析·Delicacy of touch 细腻的笔触Pride and Prejudice《傲慢与偏见》——Jane Austen’s best-known novel 1. Theme—Love and marriage—Darcy’s pride against Elizabeth’s prejudice2. Feature—Irony·Verbal irony in dialogue and situation·Dramatic irony—Witty and delightful dialoguesThe Victorian Poets(维多利亚诗人)Lord Alfred TennysonRobert BrowningMatthew Arnold"The Big Three"★Lord Alfred Tennyson (1809-1892)Literary Position—Poet Laureate(桂冠诗人)—The representative or spokesperson of the ageLiterary AchievementsIn Memoriam A. H. H 《悼念》—131 short poems—as a lament (哀悼)for the death of his friend Hallam—a discussion of the relations between religion and scienceeg. Break Break Break 《溅吧,溅吧,溅吧》★Robert Browning (1812-1889)Literary Position—The most innovative poet of the AgeLiterary Achievements—dramatic monologue (戏剧独白)(his contribution to English poetry)e.g. My Last Duchess 《我的公爵夫人》★Matthew Arnold (1822-1888)Literary Position—a poet and a literary criticMajor Works :Dover Beach 《多佛海滩》—Challenges to the validity of long-standing theological and moral precepts have shaken the faith of people in God and religion★Thomas Hardy (1840—1928)Literary Position—the last important novelist and poet of the 19th century—a naturalistic(自然主义的)and a critical realist writer※ Wessex Novel—The novels describing the characters and environment·Romances and Fantasies罗曼史与幻想·Novels of ingenuity爱情与阴谋故事·Novels of character and environment性格和环境小说(大多为悲剧)Literary Achievements—6 “Wessex novels”·Under the Greenwood Tree《绿荫下》·Far From the Madding Crowd 《远离尘嚣》·The Return of the Native 《还乡》·The Mayor of Casterbridge 《卡斯特桥市长》·Tess of the D’Urbervilles 《德伯家的苔丝》·Jude the Obscure 《无名的裘德》Characteristics of Hardy’s Novels▪1)determinism/fatalism(宿命论)▪2) naturalism(自然主义)▪3)symbolism(象征主义).Modernist dramatistsOscar WildeGeorge Bernard ShawAestheticismOscar Wilde Aestheticism (唯美主义)A literary and artistic tendency of the late 19th centuryPre-Raphaelites — the predecessorSlogan:Art for Art’s Sake为艺术而艺术Art is self-sufficient and need no moral or practical purpose. The pursuit and enjoyment of beauty is the chief purpose of life.A kind of escapism (逃避主义) in essence.★Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)Literary Position—A spokesman for Aestheticism(唯美主义)Literary AchievementsThe Picture of Dorian Gray《道林·格雷画像》The Importance of Being Earnest《认真的重要性》– his masterpieceWriting Feature—Witty paradoxes and epigrams in the dialogue—Cleverly constructed plotsThe Importance of Being Earnest《认真的重要性》—Oscar Wilde1. three-act play2. Major characters:—John (Jack) Worthing: a double identity·Jack: a very serious and upright young man in the country·Ernest: a dandy pursues a life of pleasure in the city of London.3. Name “Ernest”—A wordplay (pun) upon Earnest-seriousness —Beneath the frivolity there lies seriousness.★George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950)Life·Born in Dublin, Ireland·Mother: a talented musician·Fabian Society (费边社)·Negative about the theory of “Art for Art’s Sake”Literary Position—An outstanding realistic dramatist and satirist— It was Shaw who gave English drama a new lease of life.— In 1925 he received the Nobel Prize for literature.Literary Achievements·Widowers' Houses《鳏夫的房产》·Mrs. Warren’s Profession《华伦夫人的职业》·Arms and the Man 《武器与武士》·Candida 《康蒂妲》·Major Barbara 《巴巴拉少校》·Pygmalion《卖花女》·Heartbreak House 《伤心之家》·The Apple Cart 《苹果车》·Too True to be Good 《真像毕露》Subjects concern·Slum landlordism—(Widowers' Houses) ·Prostitutes and prostitution—(Mrs. Warren’s Profession)·Attack on Victorian conventions, such as home, romantic love, military glory, and idealism—(Arms and the Man) ·Inequality between social classes and censure of middle class morality—(Pygmalion) ·Pre-war spiritual poverty in Europe and the shallow Victorian work ethic—(Heartbreak House) Features of writing·Witty remarks, surprise, and paradox·Caricature(讽刺画,漫画) types·The rich suggestive classic myths as underpinning metaphors·Poignant satirePygmalion《卖花女》——George Bernard Shaw —This play…·Based on classical myth·plays on the complex business of human relationships in a social world·A satire on middle-class morality★Joseph Conrad (1857-1924)Literary Position—one of the greatest novelists in the English language—a forerunner of modernismLiterary AchievementsThe Nigger of the "Narcissus"《水仙号上的黑家伙》Lord Jim《吉姆老爷》Heart of Darkness《黑暗之心》Heart of Darkness《黑暗之心》1. The double meaning of Heart of DarknessAfrican hinter land and colonizers’ dark side2.Features : narrative structure(叙事结构)a lot of symbolism (大量象征手法)3. Themes: Conrad bitterly satirizes the inhumanity of imperialism and colonialism.7.Modernism (1918-1945) (现代主义文学)Poets:T. S. Eliot (1888-1865)William Butler Yeats (1865-1939)★T. S. Eliot (1888-1865)Literary Position—a leader of the modernist movement in English poetry—a great innovator of verse technique—He profoundly influenced 20th century English poetry between World War I and II.—In 1948 he was awarded the Nobel Prize.Literary AchievementsThe Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock《阿尔弗雷德·普罗弗洛克的情歌》—The first masterpiece of modernism in English·The Hollow Men《空心人》—An impressive picture of the spiritual and emotional aridity of modern men·The Waste Land《荒原》—A landmark in English poetry, ending the Romantic period signifying the emergence of Modernism. It gave a picture of the spiritual ruins of Europe shortly after the end of World War I, and expressed the disillusionment of a generation of intellectuals. Poetry techniques:ImagesSymbolsliterary allusions(典故)/references(文献)★William Butler Yeats (1865-1939)Literary Position·one of the twentieth century's key English-language poetsThe l eader of the “ Irish Renaissance ”(爱尔兰文艺复兴运动)·Awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1923·“The greatest poet of our time—certainly the greatest in this language.”——T.S. EliotMajor Works·The Wild Swans as Coole《库勒的野天鹅》·The Winding Stair《旋梯》·The Tower《塔》Poetry Concern—His early poetry·Romanticism, sometimes with elements of mysticism·Often dealt with Irish themes—Later poetry·Powerful and mature·Realistic, symbolic and visionary(幻想的)Modern Novelists。
• A Brief Outline of British Literature History1. Medieval Literature (5 A.D. -1485) (中世纪文学)Geoffrey Chaucer (1340—1400 )2. The English Renaissance (1500-1625) (文艺复兴时期文学)Thomas More (1478—1535)Edmund Spenser(1552—1599)Christopher Marlowe(1564—1593)Francis Bacon (1561—1626)William Shakespeare (1564—1616)3. The Seventeenth century (17th century)( 17 世纪文学)John Milton (1608—1674)John Donne (1572—1631)John Bunyan (1628—1688)4. English Enlightenment and neo-Classicism (17th century -18th century ) (英国启蒙运动和新古典主义文学)Alexander Pope (1688—1744)Jonathan Swift (1667—1745)Daniel Defoe (1660—1731)Henry Fielding (1707—1754)5. Romanticism in England (1798-1832) (浪漫主义时期文学)Robert Burns (1759—1796)William Blake (1757—1827)William Wordsworth (1770—1850)Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772—1834)George Gordon Byron(1788—1824)Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792—1822)John Keats (1795-1821)6. English Realism (1830s-1918) (现实主义时期文学) /Victorian Age (1832—1901) Robert Browning (1821—1889)Alfred Tennyson ( 1809—1892)Jane Austen (1775—1817)The Bronte SistersCharles Dickens (1812—1870)William Makepeace Thackeray (1811—1863)Thomas Hardy (1840—1928)Joseph Conrad ( 1857—1924)Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950)7. Modernism (1918-1945) (现代主义文学)T.S. Eliot (1888—1965)William Butler Yeats (1865—1939)James Joyce (1882—1941)Virginia Woolf (1882—1941)D.H. Lawrence (1885—1930)1. Medieval Literature (5 A.D. -1485) (中世纪文学)Beowulf《贝奥武夫》: the national epic of the English people.romance (浪漫传奇):the most prevailing kind of literature in feudal England Theme: loyalty to king and lordKing Arthur and his knights of the Round Table《亚瑟王和他的圆桌骑士》Sir Gawain and the Green Knight 《高文爵士和绿衣骑士》★Geoffrey Chaucer (1340-- 1400)Literary Position: The father of English poetryMasterpiece: The Canterbury Tales 《坎特伯雷故事集》(Old English)Literary Achievements: Heroic couplet (英雄双韵体)2. The English Renaissance (1500-1625) (文艺复兴时期文学)The word “Renaissance” means revival(复活). The term originally indicates a revival of classical(Greek and Roman) arts and sciences after the dark ages of medieval obscurantism(蒙昧主义). Humanism: the essence of RenaissanceEdmund Spenser (1552-- 1599): "the poets' poet"Masterpiece :The Faerie Oueene《仙后》Thomas More (1478-1535)Masterpiece: Utopia(乌托邦)Christopher Marlowe (1564--1593): most gifted of the "University Wits"(大学才子派). Masterpiece: The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus. 《浮士德博士的悲剧》★Francis Bacon (1561-1626 )Literary Position:—the founder of modern science in England;—one of the earliest essayist(散文家)in English languageMasterpiece : Essays《论说文集》Of Studies (论读书)★William Shakespeare(1564—1616)Literary Position:·“not of an age, but for all time”,·the greatest giant of English language and poetic form,·one of the founders of realism in world literature,·o ne of the greatest writers in the world’s literature.Literary Achievements:38 plays (comedies(喜剧), histories(历史剧), tragedies(悲剧), tragicomedies/romances(悲喜剧)2 narrative poems154 sonnets (Sonnets 1-126 addressed to a young man, Sonnets 127-152 addressed to “Dark Lady”, Sonnets 153-154 addressed to Cupid, the God of love in Greekmythology )Plays(4 periods)1. First period (1592-1594): His apprenticeship in plays.Historical plays: King Henry VI《亨利六世》, Richard Ⅲ《查理三世》Comedies: Love’s Labour’s Lost 《爱的徒劳》2. Second period (1595-1600): Mature period, a marked increase in the knowledge of humanismRomeo and Juliet《罗密欧和朱丽叶》(4大喜剧):A Midsummer Night’s Dream《仲夏夜之梦》The Merchant of Venice《威尼斯商人》As You Like It《皆大欢喜》Twelfth Night《第十二夜》3. Third period (1601-1608): Flourishing period, a period of gloomy and depression(4大悲剧):Hamlet《汉姆雷特》Othello《奥赛罗》King Lear《李尔王》Macbeth《麦克白》4. Fourth period (1608-1612): The period of romantic drama in the form of tragicomediesReconciliation plays: The Winter’s Tale《冬天的童话》, The Tempest《暴风雨》3. The Seventeenth century (17th century)( 17 世纪文学) Historical background1. The English revolution(英国革命)and the Restoration(王朝复辟).·Causes: the conflict between the monarch and Parliament; the persecution of the Puritans2. The bourgeois Dictatorship and the Restoration·Glorious Revolution—a bloodless revolution·The constitutional monarchy.★John Milton (1608—1674)Literary Position·A master of the Blank verse·The greatest English revolutionary poet of the 17th century·One of the greatest poets of the English languageLiterary AchievementsPoems·Paradise Lost《失乐园》(1667): his masterpiece——The greatest epic in English literature.·Paradise Regained (1671) 《复乐园》·Samson Agonistes (1671) 《力士参孙》Paradise Lost《失乐园》—John Milton 1. Introduction·Long epic in 12 books·Written in blank verse·Based on Genesis《创世纪》in the Old Testament·Dramatizes the Biblical account of humanity’s banishment.2. Theme—Milton’s aimed purpose: “justify the ways of God to man”(昭示天道对人的公正)—Real purpose: Challenge the restored monarch·God — tyrannical, represents the king·Satan — rebelling against monarch·Love between Adam and Eve — human pursuit for happiness, the spirit of Renaissance3. Writing features—Milton style: Sonority洪亮, Eloquence雄辩, Majesty尊严, Grandeur壮美·The blank verse·Long and involved sentences★John Donne (1572-1631)Literary Position—founder of Metaphysical School(玄学派)—the greatest of the metaphysical poets.Literary AchievementsSongs and Sonnets 《歌和十四行诗》The Flea《跳蚤》Holy Sonnets《圣十四行诗》: Holy Sonnet 10Features of metaphysical poetry:—conceits(奇喻)—strange paradoxes(悖论)—far-fetched (牵强的)imageryJohn Bunyan (1628-1688):Masterpiece: The Pilgrim’s Progress《天路历程》4. English Enlightenment and neo-Classicism (17th century -18th century )(英国启蒙运动和新古典主义文学) (1688-1798)Historical Background1. Comparatively peaceful development under the constitutional monarchy·A compromise between Tory and Whig·The leading navel power in Europe2. The Industrial Revolution 工业革命·Unprecedented technical innovations·Rapid growth of industry and commerceThe EnlightenmentAn intellectual movement in Europe began in the late 17th and 18th centuries and ended with the French revolution of 178918th century : Age of Reason/ Age of Enlightenment1. Importance—a lasting heritage for the 19th and 20th century—it marked a key stage in the decline of the church and the growth of modern secularism(世俗主义)—it served as the model for political and economic liberalism.2. The development of Poetry: neo-Classicism 新古典主义3. Characteristic of neo-Classicism1). Emphasizing reason rather than emotion, form rather than content.2). Didactic and satirical3). Heroic Couplet (英雄双韵体)4). Town poetry writing for the rising bourgeoisieAlexander Pope (1688-1744)Literary Position—an outstanding enlightener—The greatest and the most important representative of the English classical poetry.★The Rise of FictionDaniel DefoeJonathan SwiftHenry Fielding ※ FictionThe mainstream of 18th century literature, & The rise and growth of realistic novel —the most prominent achievement of 18th century English literature★Daniel Defoe (1660-1731)Literary Position—Father of English novelLiterary Achievements:—— Robinson Crusoe (1719)《鲁宾逊漂游记》·Defoe’s masterpiece·The first English novel in a real sense·The first English realistic novelRobinson Crusoe—Daniel Defoe 1. Theme:—to sing the praises of human labor—to celebrate the strength of human rational will to conquer the natural environment—to beautify colonialism & Negro slavery2. Plot:run away from home → become a sailor → a planter in Brazil → to an uninhabited island because of shipwreck → made a living there all by himself → save a negro named Friday who beca me his servant → back to England → visit the remote island again and Friday was killed3. Robinson Crusoe’s characterization:typical of the rising English bourgeois class, practical, diligent, a restless curiosity to know more about the world and a desire to prove individual power in the face of social and natural challenges; shrewd, care about money and good at managing; courageous and intelligent to overcome all kinds of obstacles★Jonathan Swift (1667-1745)Literary Position—one of the greatest masters of English Prose—a master satirist(讽刺作家)Style of Swift’s prose:simple, clear and vigorous. His famous saying“Proper words in proper places, makes the true definition of a style” influenced a lot later writers.Literary AchievementsBooks·The Battle of Books《书籍之战》·A Tale of Tub 《一个桶子的故事》·Guliver’s Travels《格列佛游记》——his masterpiece: a satire on the whole English society of the 18th century. Pamphlets·The Draper’s Letters《一个布商的书信》·A Modest Proposal《一个温和的建议》——(A Modest Proposal for Preventing the Children of Poor People in Ireland from Beinga Burden to Their Parents)Guliver’s Travels《格列佛游记》—Jonathan Swift Plot:Part I: A Voyage to LilliputPart II: A Voyage to BrobdingnagPart III: A V oyage to Laputa, Balnibarbi, Glubbdubdrib, Luggnagg and JapanPart IV: A V oyage to the Country of the HouyhnhnmsHenry Fielding (1707-1754)Literary Achievements·The History of Tom Jones, A Founding 《弃儿汤姆·琼斯》Literary Position·—The founder of English realistic novel-setting up the theory of realism in literary position.5. Romanticism in England (1798-1832) (浪漫主义时期文学)Pre-Romanticism: Latter half of the 18th centuryRobert BurnsWilliam Blake 1. Romantic revival·A strong protest against the bondage of Classicism (=Formalism)·A recognition of the claims of passion and emotion.2. Representatives·Robert Burns (1759-1796) 罗伯特·彭斯·William Blake (1757-1827) 威廉·布莱克★Robert Burns (1759-1796)Literary position—the national poet of Scotland—A poet of the peasants, a poet of the peopleLiterary AchievementsPoems chiefly in the Scottish Dialect《苏格兰方言诗集》A Red, Red Rose《一朵红红的玫瑰》,Auld Long Syne《昔日时光》A Man's A Man for A‘ That".《无论何时都要保持尊严》My Heart ’s in the Highlands《我的心在高原》.Theme·Love and friendship·The natural beauty of his native Scotland·The life and label of the common people·The patriotism of his compatriots and their struggle for libertyFeatures of his poetryScottish dialect★William BlakeLiterary Position—a Pre-Romantic or a forerunner(先驱)of the Romantic poetry of the 19th century Literary Achievements:Songs of Innocence《天真之歌》Songs of Experience《经验之歌》Songs of Innocence《天真之歌》·Written for children, express the poet’s delight in life.·a lovely volume of poems, presenting a happy and innocent world without evils and sufferingsTo depict the happy condition of a child before it knows anything about the pains of experience. ·Simple without being naïve, childlike without being childish, innocent, everything seems to be in harmony.e.g. The Lamb《羔羊》Songs of Experience《经验之歌》·Much mature work·The atmosphere is no longer sunny but sad and gloomy.·Presenting a world of misery, poverty, disease, war and repression with a melancholy tone.e.g. The Tiger《老虎》The Age of Romanticism (1798-1832)Political and social factors1. The American and French revolution: an upsurge of national liberation and democraticmovementsAmerican revolution (1775-1783)—The formation of the independent United States.French revolution of 1789—“Liberty, equality and fraternity”2. The Industrial RevolutionIntellectual Background--Shift from emphasis on reason to instinct and emotionGeneral characteristic features (style)1.Subjectivism2.Spontaneity3.Singularity4.Simplicity: everyday language spoken by the rustic people5. A dominating note of melancholy6. A freer verse form★ Romantic Poetry1. Lake poets (湖畔派诗人)—the passive or escapist romanticists: Wordsworth, Coleridge,Southey—detesting the real world, escaping from the reality.2. Revolutionary poets(革命派诗人)—(Active or radical) romanticists:Byron, Shelley, Keats—striving to strengthen man’s will to live and raise him up against the darkness in the world.Lake Poets (湖畔派诗人)William WordsworthSamuel Taylor ColeridgeRobert Southey ★William Wordsworth (1770-1850)Literary Position—Poet Laureate 桂冠诗人(1843)—the best and the most famous romantic poet—A great poet of natureLiterary AchievementsLyrical Ballads (1798) 《抒情歌谣集》:The Prelude (1850) 《序曲》:—Wordsworth’s autobiographical poem.Major works:I wondered lonely as a cloud 《我好似一朵流云独自漫游》Lucy Poems 《露西》The Solitary Reaper 《孤独的收割女》Major concern1. Nature2. The life of ordinary peoplePoetic features—Simplicity and purity of his language.Lyrical Ballads (1798)《抒情歌谣集》—William Wordsworth1. Written by Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge2. Marked the break with the conventional poetic tradition of 18th century classicism, and thebeginning of romanticism in English poetry3. The preface serves as the manifesto of the English romantic movements in poetry.4. The principle of poetry: “All good poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feeling.”——“所有好诗都是强烈感情的自然流露.”—William Wordsworth ★Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834)Literary position—Poet, critic, and philosopher of Romanticism.Literary Achievement·The Rime of the Ancient Mariner(1798)《古舟子吟》·Kubla Khan (1816)《忽必烈汗》Robert Southey (1774-1843)Revolutionary Poets (革命派诗人)George Gordon ByronPercy Bysshe ShelleyJohn Keats ★George Gordon Byron (1788—1824)Life➢born in a noble family➢inherited the baronial title➢graduated from Cambridge University➢entered House of Lords➢strongly criticized by those conservatives and at last left England➢stayed in Italy and then Greece➢died in Greece at 36Literary Position—one of the most excellent representatives of English Romanticism.—His literary career was closely linked with the struggle and progressive movements of his age. Major Works·Child Harold’s Pilgrimage《恰尔德·哈罗德游记》—One of his most readable books·Don Juan《唐璜》—His masterpieceByronic Heroes—The men with fiery and unbending will express the poet’s own ideal of freedom.— The men who rise against tyranny and injusticeDon Juan 《唐璜》—George Gordon Byron 1. Hero of the long poem:Don Juan, a Spanish young man born in a noble family; strange adventures he has experienced (Greece, Turkey, Russia and England);2. A panorama of the whole Europe and a strong satire★Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792—1822)Literary Position—The great poet of revolutionary romanticism in England.—The most wonderful lyric poet England has ever producedMajor Works·Prometheus Unbound《解放了的普罗米修斯》—lyrical drama·Ode to the West Wind《西风颂》Artistic Features— Lyrics intensity·Lyrics on politics·Lyrics on nature·Lyrics on love— Revolutionary ardency— Optimistic idealism—Image(意象)& symbol(象征)Ode to the West Wind《西风颂》—It made Shelley the greatest English lyrical poet, and is the lyric of lyrics.1. Main ideaThe old world must go, a new word must come with the Spring, laden with fresh sweet promises for suffering humanity.2.1). Stanza ⅠWest wind is·Blowing over the land·Driving dead leaves away·Carrying the seeds to wintry bed so that they would grow up next year.·Both a destroyer and preserver—A destroyer of old, useless, decaying things, such as dead leaves.—A preserver of new, life-going things, such as seeds.2). Stanza ⅡWest wind is·Sweeping in the sky·Gathering the loose clouds·Preparing a storm with black rain, lightening and hail·Calling the dirge of the dying year3). Stanza ⅢWest wind is·Moving across the sea·From the Mediterranean to the Atlantic Ocean·Becoming stronger and stronger·Even frightening the sea vegetation4). Stanza ⅣThe poet compares “I” to and with the west wind·“if”s·Poetic inspiration·The poet’s personality5). Stanza ⅤThe poet’s wishes·To share the spirit of the west wind·To use his poem to quicken a new birth and awaken the earthThe poet’s prophecy·If winter comes, can spring be far behind?3. West wind: A symbol·Strength, power·Change of season·Approaching revolution·The poet’s personality·The poetic inspiration·A revolutionary spirit·The destroyer of the old world·the preserver of the new world·Hope for the new life★John Keats (1795—1821)Literary AchievementShort Poems—of the numerous short poems by Keats, the most important are his sonnets and odes.·Ode on Melancholy《忧郁颂》·Ode to Nightingale《夜莺颂》·Ode to Autumn《秋颂》·Ode on a Grecian Urn《希腊古瓮颂》Features1. A clean split with 18th century classicism.Byron & Shelley: attempted to remold the contemporary society with both poetry andpolitical action.Keats: restricted his application of the principle of liberty to the sphere of Art.2. Beauty in truth, truth in beauty. (美即现实,现实即美)Keats found beauty in nature, in literature, esp. poetry, and in human struggle for liberty.6. English Realism (1830s-1918) (现实主义时期文学) /The Victorian Age(1832—1901)Charles DickensWilliam Makepeace ThackerayThe Brontë Sisters Historical background1. The Victorian Age—First Period (1832-1848): a time of social unrest—The mid-Victorian Period (1848-1870): The heyday of the Victorian Age—The last period: (1870-1901): The decay of Victorian values2. The end of poetry poem3. The rise of novels—Novel: dominant literary genreCritical Realism1. Appeared in 19th century and flourished in 1840s and early 50s2. RepresentativesCharles DickensThackerayThe Brontë Sisters3. Basic characteristics❖To expose and criticize the evil and injustice of capitalist society❖To satirize the ruling classes and show sympathy for the common people❖Essentially democratic and humanistic attitude❖Aiming at social reform rather than revolution.★Charles Dickens (1812—1870)Literary Position— The greatest and outstanding representative of English critical realismLiterary Achievements: Three periods—The 1st period (1836-1841): Naïve optimism, “Virtue will triumph in long run.”·Sketches By Boz 《博兹特写集》·The Pickwick Papers 《匹克威克外传》·Oliver Twist 《雾都孤儿》·Nicholas Nickleby《尼古拉斯·尼克尔贝》·The Old Curiosity Shop 《老古玩店》—The 2nd period (1842-1850): period of excitement and irritation, his naïve optimism about capitalism was profoundly shaken.·American Note《美国札记》·Martin Chuzzlewit《马丁·朱述儿维特》·Dombey and the Son《董贝父子》·David Copperfield 《大卫·科波菲尔》—The 3rd period (1851-1870): a Period of steadily intensifying pessimism, his loss of hope for English bourgeois·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 Expectation 《远大前程》/《孤星血泪》·Our Mutual Friend《我们共同的朋友》Features of Dickens's Novels·Character Sketches & Exaggeration( grotesque characters)·Broad Humor & Penetrating Satire·Complicated & Fascinating Plot·The Power of ExposureWilliam Makepeace Thackeray (1811-1863)Literary Position·One of the outstanding representatives of English critical realism.·A great satiristLiterary Achievements·Vanity Fair《名利场》——his masterpiece·★The Brontë Sisters·Charlotte Brontë—Jane Eyre《简·爱》·Emily Brontë—Wuthering Heights《呼啸山庄》·Anne Brontë—Agnes Grey《艾格尼斯·格雷》Themes of Jane Eyre—The criticism of the bourgeois system of education—Jane Eyre, the heroine of the novel, maintains that women should have equal rights with men.★Jane Austen (1775-1817)Literary Position—The first important English woman novelist—One of the greatest novelists of the 19th and 20th centuriesLiterary AchievementsSix Novels·Northanger Abbey《诺桑觉寺》·Sense and Sensibility 《理智和情感》·Pride and Prejudice 《傲慢和偏见》·Mansfield Park 《曼斯菲苑林》·Emma 《艾玛》·Persuasion 《劝导》Writing Characteristics— Chief interestsThe relationship between men & women in love— Artistic features·Subtlety of observation 细致入微的观察·Depth of psychological penetration 深刻的心理分析·Delicacy of touch 细腻的笔触Pride and Prejudice《傲慢和偏见》——Jane Austen’s best-known novel 1. Theme—Love and marriage—Darcy’s pride against Elizabeth’s prejudice2. Feature—Irony·Verbal irony in dialogue and situation·Dramatic irony—Witty and delightful dialoguesThe Victorian Poets(维多利亚诗人)Lord Alfred TennysonRobert BrowningMatthew Arnold"The Big Three"★Lord Alfred Tennyson (1809-1892)Literary Position—Poet Laureate(桂冠诗人)—The representative or spokesperson of the ageLiterary AchievementsIn Memoriam A. H. H 《悼念》—131 short poems—as a lament (哀悼)for the death of his friend Hallam—a discussion of the relations between religion and science❖eg. Break Break Break 《溅吧,溅吧,溅吧》★Robert Browning (1812-1889)Literary Position—The most innovative poet of the AgeLiterary Achievements—dramatic monologue (戏剧独白)(his contribution to English poetry)e.g. My Last Duchess 《我的公爵夫人》★Matthew Arnold (1822-1888)Literary Position—a poet and a literary criticMajor Works :Dover Beach 《多佛海滩》—Challenges to the validity of long-standing theological and moral precepts have shaken the faith of people in God and religion★Thomas Hardy (1840—1928)Literary Position—the last important novelist and poet of the 19th century—a naturalistic(自然主义的)and a critical realist writer※ Wessex Novel—The novels describing the characters and environment·Romances and Fantasies罗曼史和幻想·Novels of ingenuity爱情和阴谋故事·Novels of character and environment性格和环境小说(大多为悲剧)Literary Achievements—6 “Wessex novels”·Under the Greenwood Tree《绿荫下》·Far From the Madding Crowd 《远离尘嚣》·The Return of the Native 《还乡》·The Mayor of Casterbridge 《卡斯特桥市长》·Tess of the D’Urbervill es 《德伯家的苔丝》·Jude the Obscure 《无名的裘德》Characteristics of Hardy’s Novels▪1)determinism/fatalism(宿命论)▪2) naturalism(自然主义)▪3)symbolism(象征主义).Modernist dramatistsOscar WildeGeorge Bernard ShawAestheticismOscar Wilde Aestheticism (唯美主义)➢ A literary and artistic tendency of the late 19th century➢Pre-Raphaelites — the predecessor➢Slogan:Art for Art’s Sake为艺术而艺术➢Art is self-sufficient and need no moral or practical purpose. The pursuit and enjoyment of beauty is the chief purpose of life.➢ A kind of escapism (逃避主义) in essence.★Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)Literary Position—A spokesman for Aestheticism(唯美主义)Literary AchievementsThe Picture of Dorian Gray《道林·格雷画像》The Importance of Being Earnest《认真的重要性》– his masterpieceWriting Feature—Witty paradoxes and epigrams in the dialogue—Cleverly constructed plotsThe Importance of Being Earnest《认真的重要性》—Oscar Wilde1. three-act play2. Major characters:—John (Jack) Worthing: a double identity·Jack: a very serious and upright young man in the country·Ernest: a dandy pursues a life of pleasure in the city of London.3. Name “Ernest”—A wordplay (pun) upon Earnest-seriousness —Beneath the frivolity there lies seriousness.★George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950)Life·Born in Dublin, Ireland·Mother: a talented musician·Fabian Society (费边社)·Negative about the theory of “Art for Art’s Sake”Literary Position—An outstanding realistic dramatist and satirist— It was Shaw who gave English drama a new lease of life.— In 1925 he received the Nobel Prize for literature.Literary Achievements·Widowers' Houses《鳏夫的房产》·Mrs. Warren’s Profession《华伦夫人的职业》·Arms and the Man 《武器和武士》·Candida 《康蒂妲》·Major Barbara 《巴巴拉少校》·Pygmalion《卖花女》·Heartbreak House 《伤心之家》·The Apple Cart 《苹果车》·Too True to be Good 《真像毕露》Subjects concern·Slum landlordism—(Widowers' Houses) ·Prostitutes and prostitution—(Mrs. Warren’s Profession) ·Attack on Victorian conventions, such as home, romantic love, military glory, and idealism—(Arms and the Man) ·Inequality between social classes and censure of middle class morality—(Pygmalion) ·Pre-war spiritual poverty in Europe and the shallow Victorian work ethic—(Heartbreak House) Features of writing·Witty remarks, surprise, and paradox·Caricature(讽刺画,漫画) types·The rich suggestive classic myths as underpinning metaphors·Poignant satirePygmalion《卖花女》——George Bernard Shaw —This play…·Based on classical myth·plays on the complex business of human relationships in a social world·A satire on middle-class morality★Joseph Conrad (1857-1924)Literary Position—one of the greatest novelists in the English language—a forerunner of modernismLiterary AchievementsThe Nigger of the "Narcissus"《水仙号上的黑家伙》Lord Jim《吉姆老爷》Heart of Darkness《黑暗之心》Heart of Darkness《黑暗之心》1. The double meaning of Heart of DarknessAfrican hinter land and colonizers’ dark side2.Features : narrative structure(叙事结构)a lot of symbolism (大量象征手法)3. Themes: Conrad bitterly satirizes the inhumanity of imperialism and colonialism.7.Modernism (1918-1945) (现代主义文学)Poets:T. S. Eliot (1888-1865)William Butler Yeats (1865-1939)★T. S. Eliot (1888-1865)Literary Position—a leader of the modernist movement in English poetry—a great innovator of verse technique—He profoundly influenced 20th century English poetry between World War I and II.—In 1948 he was awarded the Nobel Prize.Literary AchievementsThe Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock《阿尔弗雷德·普罗弗洛克的情歌》—The first masterpiece of modernism in English·The Hollow Men《空心人》—An impressive picture of the spiritual and emotional aridity of modern men·The Waste Land《荒原》—A landmark in English poetry, ending the Romantic period signifying the emergence of Modernism. It gave a picture of the spiritual ruins of Europe shortly after the end of World War I, and expressed the disillusionment of a generation of intellectuals. Poetry techniques:ImagesSymbolsliterary allusions(典故)/references(文献)★William Butler Yeats (1865-1939)Literary Position·one of the twentieth century's key English-language poetsThe leader of the “ Irish Renaissance ”(爱尔兰文艺复兴运动)·Awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1923·“The greatest poet of our time—certainly the greatest in this language.”——T.S. EliotMajor Works·The Wild Swans as Coole《库勒的野天鹅》·The Winding Stair《旋梯》·The Tower《塔》Poetry Concern—His early poetry·Romanticism, sometimes with elements of mysticism·Often dealt with Irish themes。
【Chapter 1】The Anglo-Saxon Period (450 - 1066)1.Norman Conquest ,10662.Beowulf has 3183 lines, 两个国家:the Danes, the Geats形式:alliterative verse / head rhyme 头韵【Chapter 3】The Age of Chaucer (1350-1400)1.Historical backgroundChaucer and William Langland and the writer of Sir Gawain were contemporaries.But he deserves a period of his own.Two historical events which their influence can be detected in the writings of Chaucer andLangland: The Hundred Years’ War from the reign of Edward III (1327-1377) to the reign of Henry VI (1421-1471), or from 1337-1453; the peasant uprising of 1381, the reign of King Richard II.The French language was gradually replaced by the native tongue.William Langland and another writer John Wycliff expressed people’s hatred for the church and the government.2.John Wycliff 约翰·威克里夫One of the first figures who demanded to reform the church.Translated the Bible into standard English. Fixed a national standard for English prose to replace various dialects. Father of English prose.3.William Langland威廉·兰格伦作品:Piers Plowman《农夫皮尔斯》, or The Vision of Piers Plowman, another alliterative poem besides Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Giving a realistic picture of the 14th century England.The form of allegory, a story or description in which the characters and events symbolize some deeper underlying meaning, and serve to spread moral teaching. An allegory has a double meaning. A primary or surface meaning, and a secondary meaning, or underlying meaning. In an allegory, abstract qualities or ideas, such as patience, purity or truth, are personified as characters in the story.4.Geoffrey Chaucer 乔叟Died on Oct 25, 1400, buried in the Poet’s Corner in Westminster Abbey.Works divided into 3 periods, corresponding to the 3 periods of his life.(1) 1360-1372, wrote under the influence of the French literature, even translated French poems himself. Poem The Book of the Duchess, much of conventional romance elements in it.(2) 1372-1386, under the influence of the Italian literature. Troilus and Cryseyde, adapted from a long poem by Boccaccio(薄伽丘), the writer of The Decameron《十日谈》. The Parliament of Fowls and The House of Fame.(3) the last 15 years of his life. The Canterbury Tales between 1387 and 1400. A general prologue and 24 tales that are connected by “links”.(本该有120个故事,只完成了24个)The Canterbury Tales is written in London dialectThere are 31 people in total (算上乔叟和店主)The prologue and most of the tales are written in heroic couplet(英雄双韵体), i.e. ,a pair of rhyming iambic pentameter(五音步抑扬格)lines.The significance of The Canterbury Tales:(1)A comprehensive picture of Chaucer’s time. They represent the whole range of 14th century society except the very top and the very bottom. All persons connected with the church are drown with touches of gentle irony and mild satire, with the exception of the poor parson. It should be noted that each character is not only a typical representative of the class to which he or she belongs, but also has an individual character of his or her own.(2)The dramatic structure of the poem has been highly commended by critics. This kind of a collection of tales put together was not rare in history. For example, Boccacio’s The Decameron. But in The Decameron stories are loosely connected and there is no relation between the story and the story teller. In The Canterbury Tales, stories are cleverly woven together by links between the stories. Most of the stories are related to the personalities of the tellers.(3)Chaucer’s humour: Humour is a characteristic feature of the English literature. Although he was associated with proud and important personages at court he must always have been conscious of the fact that he did not belong to that society. This explains his gentle satire and mild irony. But his satire can be the bitterest in the portrayal of the pardoner and the summoner.(4)Chaucer’s contribution to the English language: Ever since the Norman conquest, the French language was the language of the court and the upper classes, and Latin was the language of the learned and the church. Chaucer wrote in the London dialect of his day, which he handled dexterously. He proved that the English language is a beautiful language and can be easily handled to express different moods. In so doing, Chaucer greatly increased the prestige of the English language.【Chapter 4】The Fifteenth Century (1400-1550)Historical events:1.The Hundred Year’s War2.The War of the Roses (1455-1485)The War of the Roses, or the Thirty Years’ War, was a series of civil wars fought between the two great families, both of which claimed the right to the English throne.The House of Lancaster →red rose The House of York →white rose3.The discovery of America and the new sea routes4.Reformation of the ChurchPopular BalladsIn the field of literature, folk literature, especially ballads, became an important feature in the 15th century. A ballad is a narration poem that tells a story.★Basic characteristics:1.The beginning is often abrupt.2.There are strong dramatic elements.3.The story is often told through dialogue and action.4.The theme is often tragic, though there are a number of comic ballads.5.※It contains four-line stanzas. The odd numbered lines have four feet each and the even numbered lines have three feet each. Rhymes fall on the even numbered lines. And there is often a refrain at the end of each stanza.Of special significance are the Robin Hood Ballads.Sir Thomas MalorySir Thomas Malory, the author of The Death of Arthur(亚瑟王之死),was important in the fact that it was he who finally compiled together the stories of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table which were scattered in a number of French romances and made great contribution to the development of English prose.It is interesting to note that Robin Hood and King Arthur were both revived at a time when the medieval spirit of chivalry was dying fast and the feudal order was rapidly becoming a thing of the past.Early English PlaysIn ancient Greece and Rome, drama was one of the most popular forms of entertainment. But the Roman Catholic Church prohibited dramatic performances. It was not until the 9th and the 10th centuries that the Catholic Church allowed some of dramatic performance to be used as part of religious services. For example, on Christmas the clergymen would put on a liturgy(礼拜仪式)of the birth of Christ. By the 14th century, the liturgy had developed into mystery plays and miracle plays.mystery plays →based on stories from the Biblemiracle plays →based on the lives of Christian saints【Chapter 5】The English Renaissance (1550-1642)HumanismRenaissance began in the 14th century in Italy and later spread to France, Spain, the Netherlands, and England. It’s ideal was humanism. Renaissance is a French word which means “rebirth” in English.★★★1.With the spreading of the Greek and Roman culture, there appeared a number of humanist scholars who took great interest in the welfare of human beings.2.According to them, it was against human nature to sacrifice the happiness of his life for an after life.3.They argued that man should be given full freedom to enrich their intellectual and emotional life.4.In religion, they demanded the reformation of the church.5.In art and literature, instead of singing praise to God, they sang in praise of man and of the pursuit of happiness in this life.6.Humanism shattered the shackles of spiritual bondage of man’s mind by the Roman Catholic Church and opened his eyes to “a brave new world” in front of him.Edmund SpenserSpenser’s first important work is The Shephearde’s Calender(牧羊人日记), a pastoral poem in 12 parts, one foreach month of the year.His major achievement, The Faerie Queen, is an unfinished allegorical romance. According to Spenser’s original plan there should be 12 books, each telling the adventures of one of the 12 knights despatched by the Faerie Queen, Gloria, who represents Glory and Queen Elizabeth in particular. However, Spenser only completed 6 of the books, in which the six virtues of Truth, Temperance, Friendship, Justice, Chastity, and Coutesy are presented.Spenserian stanza:九行一节,前八行均为五音步抑扬格,第九行为六个音节The seven deadly sins: Pride(傲慢),Wrath(暴怒),Sloth(懒惰),Greed(贪婪),Envy(嫉妒),Gluttony(暴食), Lust(淫欲)Christopher MarloweChristopher Marlowe was the most prominent of the University Wits.His first play Tamburlaine the Great (1587)(帖木儿大帝)is about the story of Timur the Tartar(1336-1405). The central figure Tamburlaine represents the Renaissance desire for infinite power and authority. He is not only ruthlessly cruel and brutal in punishing his enemies, but also violently passionate in love.The Tragic History of Doctor Faustus (1592)(浮士德博士的悲剧),adapted from a popular old German legend, is sort of companion to Tamburlaine in reflecting the Renaissance desire for infinite knowledge. Tired with the scholastic study of the four subjects of Medieval knowledge, that is , Theology, Philosophy, Medicine, and Law, Dr.Faustus turns to magic book and signs a contract with the devil Mephistopheles. He sells his soul to the devil on the condition that the latter will satisfy every demand of his for a period of 24 years.As a dramatist, Marlowe has limitations. His plot construction is loose and his characters are merely embodiments (具体化)of ideas. But Marlowe is the only dramatist of the time who is ever compared with Shakespeare.Ben Jonson coined the phrase “Marlowe’s magic lines”. The blank verse(无韵诗), i.e. , unrhymed iambic pentameter, used in his dramas, was the chief verse form used by Shakespeare.William ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare wrote 37 plays in all during his life.Shakespeare’s writing career may be roughly divided into four stages.1.The early years were years of his apprenticeship, dating from 1592 to 1594.2.The second period is a period of rapid growth and development, dating from 1595 to 1600.3.The third period is a period of gloom and depression, dating from 1601 to 1608.4.The fourth period is a period of restored serenity, from 1608 to 1612.★★★Shakespeare’s achievements:1.Shakespeare represented the trend of history in giving voice to the desires and aspirations of the people.2.Shakespeare’s humanism: More important than his historical sense of his time, Shakespeare in his plays reflects the spirit of his age.3.Shakespeare’s characterization: Shakespeare was most successful in his characterization. In his plays, he described a great number of characters, ranging from kings to crowns, rascals, and grave-diggers; from lunatics to ghosts; from lovers to man-haters.4.Shakespeare’s originality: Shakespeare drew most of his materials from sources that were known to his audience. But his plays are original because he instilled into the old materials a new spirit that gives new life to his plays.5.Shakespeare as a great poet: Shakespeare was not only a great dramatist, but also a great poet. Apart from his sonnets and long poems, his dramas are poetry.6.Shakespeare as a master of the English language: It is estimated that he had a command of about 15,000 words. He was especially successful in handling the different meanings of the same word, or words having the same sound but different meanings.A sonnet (十四行诗)is a poem of 14 lines, usually in iambic pentameter with various rhyming schemes. Shakespeare wrote 154 sonnets altogether in number. The 154 sonnets fall into two groups, divided at sonnet 126. The first group was addressed to a Mr. W. H.. The second group was addressed to a dark lady.The metrical form(韵律形式)of Shakespeare’s sonnets is different from that of Petrarach’s(彼特拉克). Italian Sonnet British SonnetOctave前八行abba abba (提出问题) 3 quatrains(四行诗)abab cdcd efefSestet 后六行cde cde (作出回答) a couplet(双行诗)gg【Chapter 6】The Seventeenth Century (1603-1688)Francis BaconThough Bacon was Shakespeare’s contemporary, he is generally regarded as the chief figure in English prose in the first half of the 17th century and his essays began the long tradition of the English essay in the history of English literature.As a philosopher, Bacon is praised by Marx as “the progenitor of English materialism”(英国唯物主义的始祖). because he stressed the importance of experience, or experiment, which is in direct opposition to the superstitution and scholasticism of the Middle Ages.Bacon’s 58 essays were publisher in 1625. They are the author’s reflections an comments, mostly on rather abstract subjects, such as “Of Truth”, “Of Friendship”, and “Of Riches”. They are known for their conciseness, brevity, simplicity, and forcefulness.Metaphysical Poets and Cavalier PoetsDuring the reign of Charles I, there were two schools of poets, metaphysical poets(玄学派诗人)and cavalier poets (骑士派诗人).The main themes of the metaphysical poets are love, death, and religion. The chief representative of this school was John Donne.The cavaliers were royalists, whose poetry was marked by courtliness, urbanity, and polish. The chief representative of the cavaliers was Ben Jonson, who besides being a poet, was also a playwright.John Donne作品:Songs and Sonnets, a collection of his 55 love lyrics, was published after his death in 1633.Donne’s love lyrics may be classified into two groups. The poems of one group takes a negative attitude towards love, and those of the other group take a positive attitude towards love.John MiltonThe revolutionary enthusiasm of the bourgeois revolution(资产阶级革命)and the bitter hatred for the despotic ruler is best known in the works of John Milton.In 1665, after seven years’arduous labour in darkness, he finished Paradise Lost, which gave vent to his indignation against Charles II. The story of the epic is based on Genesis. The central theme of the poem deals with the Christian story of “ the fall of man ”. Evidently, the poet intended to write it as a epic and imitated the style of Homer’s epic.Milton’s purpose for writing Paradise Lost, as he puts it very clearly at the beginning of the poem, is to “assert eternal Providence and justify the ways of God to man.”There can hardly be any doubt that Milton’s own sentiments in the days of the Restoration are expressed in the powerful first speech made by Satan excerpted here. But it should be made clear that Milton as a Puritan did not have the least intention of making God a real tyrant to be hated and revenged upon. The rebellions speech by Satan was an outpouring of the poet’s personal hatred for the restored monarch at the time. On the whole, the characters o Satan and his followers are condemned in the epic.In the love between Adam and Eve, Milton voices his enthusiasm for humanistic elements.Characteristics of Milton’s style:1.The blank verse, i.e. , the unrhymed lines of iambic pentameter, is used throughout the epic and is characterized by its employment of long and involved sentences, which run on many lines with a variety of pauses, and achieving sometimes an oratorical and sometimes an elaborately logical effect. This richness of poetical style has frequently been called “Miltonic Style”.ton’s style is also commonly said to be Latinate. Milton uses more elaborate patterns drawn from Latin. He is very fond of using inversion.3.Another characteristic of his style is the use of allusions to other works, especially the classic works.John BunyanAs Milton was the chief Puritan poet, so Bunyan was the chief puritan writer of prose.The Pilgrim’s Progress is written in the old fashioned medieval form of allegory and drama. The book opens with the author’s dream in which he sees a man “ with a book in his hand, and a great burden upon his back”. The man is Christian the Pilgrim, the book is the Bible, and the burden on his back is the weight of worldly cares and concerns. It tells how Christian starts his pilgrimage from his home to the Kingdom of Heaven, and of his experiences and adventures on his journey.The book’s most significant aspect is its satire, which without doubt is directed at the ruling classes. Especially well known is the description of the Vanity Fair. The punishment of Christian and Faithful for disdaining things in the Vanity Fair may have its significance in alluding to Bunyan’s repeated arrests and imprisonment for preaching. After all, like Milton, Bunyan in his book is preaching his religious views. He satirizes his society which is full of vices that violate the teaching of the Christian religion. However, his Puritanism weakens the effect of his social satire by exhorting his readers to endure poverty with patience in order to seek the “ Celestial City ”. Besides, the use of allegory in most of his works makes his satirical pictures less direct and more difficult to see. His books are more often read as religions books than as piercing exposures of social evils.Bunyan is known for his simple and lively prose style. Everyday idiomatic expressions and biblical language enables him to narrate his story and reveal his ideas directly and in a straightforward way.【Chapter 7】The Eighteenth Century (1688-1798)Neo-classicism★★★The characteristics of neo-classicism:1.People emphasized reason rather than emotion, form rather than content.2.As reason was stressed, most of the writings of the age were didactic and satirical.3.As elegance, correctness, appropriateness and restraint were preferred, the poet found closed couplet the only possible verse form for serious work.4.It is almost exclusively a “ town ” poetry, catering to the interests of the “ society ” in great cities.5.It is entirely wanting in all those elements that are related with the “ romantic ”.Daniel DefoeDaniel Defoe is known as a pioneer novelist of England, and also a prolific writer of books and pamphlets on a great variety of subjects.He never stopped his creative activities until at the age of 60, with the publication of Robinson Crusoe, a long imaginative literary masterpiece, he was finally recognized as a major English novelist. Robinson Crusoe is based on a real accident.In Moll Flanders, Defoe introduces, for the first time, a lowly woman as the subject of literature.Jonathan SwiftThe Battle of Books is a satire on the controversy among literary people concerning the values of the ancients and moderns.A Tale of the Tab is a satire on the various churches of his time.A Modest Proposal is a more bitter satire on the policy of the English government towards the Irish people.Swift’s masterpiece is Gulliver’s Travels. The book contains four parts that deal with the four voyages of its hero to strange places. The form of travel literature was popular in his time as there were many books of voyage and travel. Among them were Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe.Alexander Pope。
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。
English Literature 英国文学史笔记The Development of English LiteratureFrom the academic angle, English literature can be divided into seven periods:1. Early and Medieval English literature;2. The English Renaissance;3. The 17th C. – The Period of Revolution and Restoration;4. The 18th Century –The Age of Enlightenment5. Romanticism in England in the 1st half of the 19th century;6. The Victorian Age;7. The 20th Century Literature –Modernism and Post-ModernismChapter1 Literature of Old and Medieval Period(449—1485)1) Anglo-Saxon Period /Old English Period (449-1066)The main literary contribution of this period is the Epic, and its masterpiece is the national epic The Song of Beowulf, which is a long poem of 3182 lines about the deeds of the Teutonic (条顿)hero Beowulf in the 6th century. It is the oldest poem in the English language and the oldest surviving epic in Anglo-Saxon literature.2)The Anglo-Norman Period /Middle English Period (1066-1485)The literature of this period is greatly influenced by the Norman Conquest (1066). After the conquest, the customs and ideals known as chivalry was introduced by the Normans into England and can be reflected in literature, such as the knightly code, the romantic interest in women , tenderness and reverence paid to Virgin Mary etc.. The prevailing form of literature in the Feudal England was Romance (传奇,骑士文学).The most famous Romance was Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.㈠Definitions of Literary Terms1. Couplet(对句): a couplet is two consecutive lines of poetry that rhyme.2. Iambic pentameter: each line has five feet of iambs; in each foot, there is an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable.3.Heroic Couplet(英雄偶句/双韵体): two consecutive lines of rhymed poetry in iambic pentameter. (an iambic pentameter couplet). The form was introduced into English by Geoffrey Chaucer and was widely used subsequently, reaching a height of popularity in the works of Alexander Pope.4. Blank Verse(无韵体,素体诗): unrhymed iambic pentameter.5. Epic(史诗): A long narrative poem on the adventures and great deeds of heroes.6. Frame story: a narrative that provides the framework within which a number of different stories, which may or may not be connected, can be told. (The Canterbury Tales isa collection of stories in a frame story)7. Romance: A tale in verse, embodying the life and adventures of knights. The content of Romance was usually about love, chivalry and religion.㈡Geoffrey Chaucer (about1340—1400) 杰弗里•乔叟“The Founder (Father) of English poetry‖A Londoner of bourgeois origin, the most important and influential poet in medieval England, established English as a courtly language. Geoffrey’s Chaucer’s works are often categorized in three chronological periods (the French period, the Italian period and the English period).Ⅰ.Chaucer’s Contributions①. He introduced from French the ―heroic couplet‖ to English poetry.②. He is the first important poet to write in the current English language.③. Chaucer did much in making the dialect of London the foundation for modern English language.Ⅱ.Geoffrey Chaucer’s famous work :The Canterbury Tales (1387—1400)《坎特伯雷集》an unfinished series of stories told by a group of pilgrims(about 29), who came from all layers of society(a knight, a prioress, a plowman, a merchant, a clerk, the wife from Bath, etc.), journeying from London to the shrine of St. Thomas Becket at Canterbury. ―The General Prologue‖ told us Chaucer intended that each pilgrim should tell two tales on the way to Canterbury and two tales on the way back. But Chaucer had actually completed only 23 stories.Scholars are uncertain about the order of the tales, and The Canterbury Tales has been passed down in several handwritten manuscripts.Ⅲ. Other works:1)The French period (to 1372): Book of Duchess (1369) 《公爵夫人之书》2)The Italian period (1372—1385): House of Fame (1379—1384) 《声誉之宫》The Parliament of Fowls (1377—1382) 《百鸟会议》The Legend of Good Women 《贤妇传说》Troilus and Criseyde (1382—1385) 《特洛伊罗斯与克丽西达》3)The English period (1387—1400): The Canterbury Tales (1387—1400) Chapter 2 Literature of English Renaissance(1485—1616)The Renaissance as a cultural movement embraced all Western Europe roughly from the 14th century to the 17th century. It first sprang in Florence of Italy and then spread to the rest of Europe (to Germany and Spain and England). ―Renaissance‖, French for ―rebirth‖, refers to the revival of interest in ancient Roman and Greek culture.During this period, the classical arts and learning were discovered again and widely studied , so the term Renaissance originally indicated a revival of classical (Roman and Greek) arts and learning after the dark ages of medieval obscurantism , it also marked the beginning of bourgeois revolution .In the Renaissance period, scholars and educators called themselves humanists and began to emphasize the capacities of the human mind and the achievements of human culture, in contrast to the medieval emphasis on God and contempt for the things of this world. So humanism became the keynote of the English Renaissance. And the greatest humanist is Thomas More, the author of Utopia. The representatives in literature are Shakespeare and Bacon. The former has the greatest contribution in drama an d sonnets while the latter’s essays are condensed and witty.代表人物:1) Thomas More(1478—1535)托马斯•莫尔Utopia 乌托邦2) Thomas Wyatt 托马斯•怀亚特He introduced sonnet into English literature引入十四行诗的第一人sonnet(十四行诗):form of poetry intricately rhymed(间隔押韵) in 14 lines iambic pentameter3) Edmund Spenser(1522—1599)埃德蒙•斯宾塞“the poet’s poet”(诗人中的诗人) English poet whose long allegorical poem(寓言性浪漫史诗) The Faerie Queene 《仙后》is one of the greatest in the English language. It was written in what cameto be called the Spenserian stanza.Spenserian stanza:A nine-line stanza with the following rhyme scheme: ababbcbcc. The first eight lines are written in iambic pentameter. The last line is written in iambic hexameter4) Christopher Marlowe (1564—1593)克里斯托弗•马洛“the most gifted writer of the University Wits”“the forerunner of English drama”“The Father of English Tragedy” (one-man tragedy) The greatest pioneer of English drama who made blank verse the principal vehicle of expression in drama.blank verse(无韵体:不押韵的五步抑扬格) 是十六世纪英国戏剧的主要表现形式。
Chapter 1伊丽莎白统治之前的时代分为三个阶段:古英语(安格鲁撒克逊)时期,中世纪英语(安格鲁诺曼)时期,伊丽莎白统治前时期。
大不列颠岛相继被卡尔特人、罗马人和安格鲁撒克逊人占据。
【 The Old English (Anglo-Saxon) Period 】✧sign: the Stonehenge(巨石阵)prehistoric monumental pile of stones Celts(凯尔特人)were probably the first inhabitants of the British Isles in recorded history.One of their tribes, the Britons(不列颠人), came over in the 5th century BC. 亚瑟王传奇 Arthurian legends 500 yearsRoman Conquest, Julius Caesar(尤里乌斯凯撒) 55BC500 yearsAnglo-Saxon Conquest, 5th centuryIn 597 AD the Anglo-Saxons began to be converted to Christianity.pagan elements/regular elementsreligion elementsIn the second half of the 7th century, the first English poet, Caedmon byname, began to sing.Another century passed, Beowulf.In the 9th century, King Alfred decided that literature should be writtenin the vernacular(方言) of Old English.✧With the arrival of St. Augustine in 597 AD and the subsequent spread of Christianinfluence and classical learning, heathen poetry was maneuvered out of the scene.a time of intermingling(过渡时期) of the pagan with the Christian components in poetry.1. Thenational epic of English people, a pagan poem2. An epic of well over 3000 lines.3. The greatest epic ever left by the ancient Germanic tribes.4. The most ancient ever since the demise of the Greek andRoman literatures.5. The only organic whole poem to come out of the Anglo-Saxonperiod.6. The story takes place in Scandinavia, no mention ofEngland.7. Anglo Saxon’s early life in Englandth century hero, Beowulf. It is basicallya two-part narrative——Beowulf’s fight with the sea-monstersGrendel and his mother in the first part, and his killing a fierydragon and his death in the second.1.human desire for some super power to conquer nature.2.great tradition of realism(现实主义传统)Versification:1.Pagan story has an Christian overlay(覆盖物,表面).(作诗法)The mixture of pagan and Christian elements2. using of kenning(一种描写手法)e.g.: sea is often ‚swan’s way‛ or ‚whale-path.3. conspicious occurrence of alliteration(头韵).4. narrator of the poem, the ‚I‛ is aminstrel/scop/gleeman(吟游诗人)5. story’s digressive manner of narration.6. elevated tone(提高的音调).7. the use of metaphors and understatements✧Then the pagan was superseded(超过) by the religious spirit, and minstrels(吟游诗人) gave way to learned men.✧Caedmon(凯德蒙): the first known poet in English literary history.✧The Ecclesiastical History of England(英格兰教会史)by the venerable Bede(比得).欧洲最早的编年史:Anglo-Saxon Chronicle(编年史)founded by King Alfred the Great (阿尔弗雷德大帝).【 Medieval(中世纪)Literature: a brief introduction 】✧☑In 1066, ____, with his Norman army, succeeded in invading and defeating England.A. William the ConquerorB. Julius CaesarC. Alfred the GreatD. Claudius☑After the Norman Conquest, three languages existed in England at that time. The Normans spoke _____.A. FrenchB. EnglishC. LatinD. SwedishThe changes and replacement of dynasty and government:The Norman line of kings90 years1154 Angevin kingsKing Henry Ⅱ and his descendants 245 years1399 The House of Lancaster✧William the Conqueror grabbed Anglo-Saxon land by force and gave it tohis nobles and followers.A historical record of Anglo-Saxon institutions, customs, and way oflife(十字军东征)A serious of wars between Christians and the Muslims (1096-1270)The first communication between east and west(大宪章)King John was forced to recognize the rights of the powerful barons.(男爵)(Duke公 Marquis侯 Count伯 Viscount子 Baron爵)Norman and Anglo-Saxon elements began to coalesce into one nation, andthe English language started to revive.The emergence of nation(民族兴起)✧传奇:The Growth of the Arthurian Legends(亚瑟王传奇)Not put down on paper until 1147 Geoffrey of Monmouth came out with hisLatin Historia Reugm Britanniae.Be enriched by a good number of later writers.1205 Layamon wrote his cast verse work of 32,000 lines Brut in English.The beginning of the revival of English as a literary medium骑士文学:Sir Gawain and the Green Knight:(《高文爵士和绿骑士》)or prose.☑The prevailing form of Medieval English literature is ____.A. novelB. dramaC. romanceD. essay☑The story of ___ is the culmination of the Arthurian romances.A. Sir Gawain and the Green KnightB. BeowulfC. Piers the PlowmanD. The Canterbury Tales☑The theme of ____ to king and lord was repeatedly emphasized in romances.A. loyaltyB. revoltC. obedienceD. mockeryA famous roman about King Arthur’s storyA 4-part work of 2,530 lines in 101 sections.knightly virtues: loyalty, valor(勇猛),rectitude(正直),and integrity.One Christmas(故事发生的时间)1.某年圣诞节,亚瑟王在自己的宫廷里举行宴会。
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。
英国文学笔记整理英国文学史考试要点听课笔记(2006)1、it is ―Beowulf‖,the national epic of the English people.《贝奥武夫》(Beowulf),又译贝奥武甫,完成于西元八世纪,约750年左右的英雄叙事长诗,长达3000行。
故事的舞台位于北欧的斯堪的纳维亚半岛。
是以古英语记载的传说中最古老的一篇,在语言学方面也是相当珍贵的文献。
贝奥武夫(Beowulf)乃现存古英文文学中最伟大之作,也是欧洲最早的方言史诗。
该诗中并未提及英国,但学者相信该诗约於西元七二五年左右在英国完成。
全诗凡三千一百八十二行,以斯堪地那维亚的英雄贝奥武夫的英勇事迹构成主要内容。
虽然历史上并未证实确有贝奥武夫其人,但诗中所提及的许多其他人物与事迹却得到印证。
Features of ―Beowulf‖:The most striking feature i n its poetical form is the use of alliteration. Other features of ―Beowulf‖ are the use of metaphors and of understatements.本诗原以西撒克逊方言写成,押头韵而不押尾韵,用双字隐喻而不用明喻。
全诗内容分为两部分:第一部分描叙丹麦霍格国王(King Hrothgurs)宏伟的宫殿,在前后十二年中,半人半魔的妖怪格兰戴(Grendel)每晚出没捉食霍格的战士。
此时恰巧瑞典南部济兹(Geats)王子贝奥武夫率家臣来访,协助除害。
国王当晚设宴款待,熟料妖怪格兰戴又复出现,捉食一名济兹战士,贝奥武夫与之格斗,贝氏扭断其臂,妖怪落荒而逃,因受重伤致死。
第二天晚上,格兰戴的母亲前来为其子复仇,其后贝氏把她在一湖泊的洞穴中杀死。
第二部分描叙贝奥武夫返国,被拥为王,前后五十年,举国大治。
最后贝奥武夫以垂老之年,杀一喷火巨龙,但其个人亦因而身受重创,终於身死。
1. Literature of the absurd: (荒诞派文学) The term is applied to a number of works in drama and prose fiction which have in common the sense that the human condition is essentially absurd, and that this condition can be adequately represented only in works of literature that are themselves absurd. The current movement emerged in France after the Second World War, as a rebellion against essential beliefs and values of traditional culture and traditional literature. They hold the belief that a human being is an isolated existent who is cast into an alien universe and the human life in its fruitless search for purpose and meaning is both anguish and absurd.2. Theater of the absurd: (荒诞派戏剧) belongs to literature of the absurd. Two representatives of this school are Eugene Ionesco, French author of The Bald Soprano (1949) (此作品中文译名<秃头歌女>), and Samuel Beckett, Irish author of Waiting for Godot (1954) (此作品是荒诞派戏剧代表作<等待戈多>). They project the irrationalism, helplessness and absurdity of life in dramatic forms that reject realistic settings, logical reasoning, ora coherently evolving plot.3. Black comedy or black humor: (黑色幽默) it mostly employed to describe baleful, naïve, or inept characters in a fantastic or nightmarish modern world playing out their roles in what Ionesco called a “tragic farce”, in which the events are often simultaneously comic, horrifying, and absurd. Joseph Heller’s Catch-22 (美国著名作家约瑟夫海勒<二十二条军规>) can be taken as an example of the employment of this technique.4. Aestheticism or the Aesthetic Movement(唯美主义): it began to prevail in Europe at the middle of the 19th century. The theory of “art for art’s sake” was first put forward by some French artists. They declared that a rt should serve no religious, moral or social purpose. The two most important representatives of aestheticists in English literature are Walt Pater and Oscar Wilde.5. Allegory(寓言): a tale in verse or prose in which characters, actions, or settings represent abstract ideas or moral qualities, such as John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress. An allegory is a story with two meanings, a literal meaning and a symbolic meaning.6. Fable(寓言): is a short narrative, in prose or verse, that exemplifies an abstract moral thesis or principle of human behavior. Most common is the beast fable, in which animals talk and act like the human types they represent. The fables in Western cultures derive mainly from the stories attributed to Aesop, a Greek slave of the sixth century B. C.7. Parable(寓言): is a very short narrative about human beings presented so as to stress analogy with a general lesson that the narrator is trying to bring home to his audience. For example, the Bible contains lots of parables employed by Jesus Christ to make his flock understand his preach.(注意以上三个词在汉语中都翻译成语言,但是内涵并不相同,不要搞混)8. Alliteration(头韵): the repetition of the initial consonant sounds. In Old English alliterative meter, alliteration is the principal organizing device of the verse line, such as in Beowulf.9. Consonance is the repetition of a sequence of two or more consonants but with a change in the intervening vowel, such as “live and love”.10. Assonance is the repetition of identical or similar vowel, especially in stressed syllables, in a sequence of nea rby words, such as “child of silence”.11. Allusion (典故)is a reference without explicit identification, to a literary or historical person, place, or event, or to another literary work or passage. Most literary allusions are intended to be recognized by the generally educated readers of the author’s time, b ut some are aimed at a special group.12. Ambiguity(复义性): Since William Empson(燕卜荪)published Seven Types of Ambiguity(《复义七型》), the term has been widely used in criticism to identify a deliberate poetic device: the use of a single word or expression to signify two or more distinct references, or to express two or more diverse attitudes or feeling.13. Antihero(反英雄):the chief character in a modern novel or play whose character is totally different from the traditional heroes. Instead of manifesting largeness, dignity, power, or heroism, the antihero is petty, passive, ineffectual or dishonest. For example, the heroine of Defoe’s Moll Flanders is a thief and a prostitute.14. Antithesis(对照):(a figure of speech) An antithesis is often expressed in a balanced sentence, that is, a sentence in which identical or similar syntactic structure is used to express contrasting ideas. For example, “Marriage has many pains, but celibacy(独身生活)has no pleasures.” by Samuel Johnson obviously employs antithesis.15. Archaism(拟古):the literary use of words and expressions that have become obsolete in the common speech of an era. For example, the translators of the King James Version of Bible gave weight and dignity to their prose by employing archaism.16. Atmosphere(氛围): the prevailing mood or feeling of a literary work. Atmosphere is often developed, at least in part, through descriptions of setting. Such descriptions help to create an emotional climate to establish the reader’s expectations and attitudes.17. Ballad(民谣):it is a song, transmitted orally, which tells a story. It originated and was communicated orally among illiterate or only partly literate people. It exists in many variant forms. The most common stanza form, called ballad stanza is a quatrain in alternate four- and three-stress lines; usually only the second and fourth lines rhyme. Although many traditional ballads probably originated in the late Middle Age, they were not collected and printed until the eighteenth century.18. Climax:as a rhetorical device it means an ascending sequence of importance. As a literary term, it can also refer to the point of greatest intensity, interest, or suspense in a story’s turning point. The action leading to the climax and the simultaneous increase of tension in the plot are known as the rising action. All action after the climax is referred to as the falling action, or resolution. The term crisis is sometimes used interchangeably with climax.19. Anticlimax(突降):it denotes a writer’s deliberate drop from the serious and elevated to the trivial and lowly, in order to achieve a comic or satiric effect. It is a rhetorical device in English.20. Beat Generation(垮掉一代):it refers to a loose-knit group of poets and novelists, writing in the second half of the 1950s and early 1960s, who shared a set of social attitudes –antiestablishment, antipolitical, anti-intellectual, opposed to the prevailing cultural, literary, and moral values, and in favor of unfettered self-realization and self-expression. Representatives of the group include Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac and William Burroughs. And most famous literary creations produced by this group should be Allen Ginsberg’s long poem Howl and Jack Kerouac’s On the Road.21. Biography(传记):a detailed account of a person’s life written by another person, such as Samuel Johnson’s Lives of the English Poets and James Boswell’s Life of Samuel Johnson.22. Autobiography(自传):a person’s account of his or her own life, such as Benjamin Franklin’s autobiography.23. Blank Verse(无韵体):24. A parody(模仿)imitates the serious manner and characteristic features of a particular literary work, or the distinctive style of a particular author, or the typical stylistic and other features of a serious literary genre, and deflates the original by applying the imitation to a lowly or comically inappropriate subject.25. Celtic Revival also known as the Irish Literary Renaissance(爱尔兰文艺复兴)identifies the remarkably creative period in Irish literature from about 1880 to the death of William Butler Yeats in 1939. The aim of Yeats and other early leaders of the movement was to create a distinctively national literature by going back to Irish history, legend, and folklore, as well as to native literary models. The major writers of this movement include William Butler Yeats, Lady Gregory, John Millington Synge and Sean O’Casey and so on.26. Characters(人物)are the persons represented in a dramatic or narrative work, who are interpreted by the reader as being endowed with particular moral, intellectual, and emotional qualities by inferences from the dialogues, actions and motivations. E. M. Forster divides characters into two types: flat character, which is presented without much individualizing detail; and round character, which is complex in temperament and motivation and is represented with subtle particularity.27. Chivalric Romance (or medieval romance)(骑士传奇或中世纪传奇)is a type of narrative that developedin twelfth-century France, spread to the literatures of other countries. Its standard plot is that of a quest undertaken by a single knight in order to gain a lady’s favor; frequently its central interest i s courtly love, together with tournaments fought and dragons and monsters slain. It stresses the chivalric ideals of courage, loyalty, honor, mercifulness to an opponent, and elaborate manners.28. Comedy:(喜剧)in general, a literary work that ends happily with a healthy, amicable armistice between the protagonist and society.29. Farce (闹剧)is a type of comedy designed to provoke the audience to simple and hearty laughter. To do so it commonly employs highly exaggerated types of characters and puts them into improbable and ludicrous situations.30. Confessional poetry(自白派诗歌)designates a type of narrative and lyric verse, given impetus by Robert Lowell’s Life Studies, which deals with the facts and intimate mental and physical experiences of the poet’s own life. Confessional poetry was written in rebellion against the demand for impersonality by T. S. Elliot and the New Criticism. The representative writers of confessional school include Robert Lowell, Anne Sexton and Sylvia Plath and so on.31. Critical Realism:(批判现实主义)The critical realism of the 19th century flourished in the fouties and in the beginning of fifties. The realists first and foremost set themselves the task of criticizing capitalist society from a democratic viewpoint and delineated the crying contradictions of bourgeois reality. But they did not find a way to eradicate social evils. Representative writers of this trend include Charles Dickens and William Makepeace Thackeray and so on.32. Drama:(戏剧)The form of composition designed for performance in the theater, in which actors take the roles of the characters, perform the indicated action, and utter the written dialogue. (The common alternative name for a dramatic composition is a play.)33. Dramatic Monologue:(戏剧独白)a monologue is a lengthy speech by a single person. Dramatic monologue does not designate a component in a play, but a type of lyric poem that was perfected by Robert Browning. By using dramatic monologue, a single person, who is patently not the poet, utters the speech that makes up the whole of the poem, in a specific situation at a critical moment. For example, Robert Browning’s famous poem “My Last Duchess” was written in dramatic monologue.34. Elegy(哀歌或挽歌):a poem of mourning, usually over the death of an individual. An elegy is a type of lyric poem, usually formal in language and structure, and solemn or even melancholy in tone.35. Enlightenment(启蒙运动):The name applied to an intellectual movement which developed in Western Europe during the seventeenth century and reached its height in the eighteenth. The common element was a trust in human reason as adequate to solve the crucial problems and to establish the essential norms in life, together with the belief that the application of reason was rapidly dissipating the remaining feudal traditions. It influenced lots of famous English writers especially those neoclassic writers, such as Alexander Pope.36. Epic(史诗):it is a long verse narrative on a serious subject, told in a formal and elevated style, and centered on a heroic or quasi-divine figure on whose actions depends the fate of a tribe, a nation, or the human race.37. Epiphany:(顿悟)In the early draft of A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, James Joyce employed this term to signify a sudden sense of radiance and revelation that one may feel while perceiving a commonplace object. “Epiphany” now has become the standard term for the description, fr equent in modern poetry and prose fiction, of the sudden flare into revelation of an ordinary object or scene.38. Epithet: as a term in criticism, epithet denotes an adjective or adjectival phrase used to define a distinctive quality of a person or thing. This method was widely employed in ancient epics. For example, in Homer’s epic, the epithet like “the wine-dark sea” can be found everywhere.39. Essay:(散文)any short composition in prose that undertakes to discuss a matter, express a point of view, persuade us to accept a thesis on any subject, or simply entertain. The essay can be divided as the formal essay and the informal essay (familiar essay).40. Euphemism(委婉语): An inoffensive expression used in place of a blunt one that is felt to be disagreeable or embarrassing, such as “pass away” instead of “die”41. Expressionism(表现主义):a German movement in literature and the other arts which was at its height between 1910 and 1925 – that is, in the period just before, during, and after WWⅠ. The expressionist artist or writer undertakes to express a personal vision – usually a troubled or tensely emotional vision – of human life and human society. This is done by exaggerating and distorting. We recognize its effects, direct or indirect, on the writing and staging of such plays as Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman as well as on the theater of the absurd. 42. Free verse(自由体诗):Like traditional verse, it is printed in short lines instead of with the continuity of prose, but it differs from such verse by the fact that its rhythmic pattern is not organized into a regular metrical form – that is, into feet, or recurrent units of weak and strong stressed syllables. Most free verse also has irregular line lengths, and either lacks rhyme or else uses it only occasionally. Walt Whitman is a representative who employed this poem form successfully.The locale was often a gloomy castle. The typical story focused on the sufferings imposed on an innocent heroine by a cruel villain. This type of fictions made bountiful use of ghosts, mysterious disappearances, and other supernatural occurrences. The principle aim of such novels was to evoke chilling terror and the best of this type opened up to the fiction the realm of the irrational and of the perverse impulses and nightmarish terrors that lie beneath the orderly surface of the civilized mind. Some famous novelists liked to employ some Gothic elements in their novels, such as Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights.43. Gothic novel:(哥特式小说)It is a type of prose fiction. The writers of this type of fictions mostly set their stories in the medieval period and in a Catholic country, especially Italy or Spain.44. Graveyard poets(墓园派诗歌): A term applied to eighteenth-century poets who wrote meditative poems, usually set in a graveyard, on the theme of human mortality, in moods which range from pensiveness to profound gloom. The vogue resulted in one of the most widely known English poems, Thomas Gray’s “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard”.45. Harlem Renaissance(哈莱姆文艺复兴):a period of remarkable creativity in literature, music, dance, painting, and sculpture by African-Americans, from the end of the First World War in 1917 through the 1920s. As a result of the mass migrations to the urban North in order to escape the legal segregation of the American South, and also in order to take advantage of the jobs opened to African Americans at the beginning of the War, the population of the region of Manhattan known as Harlem became almost exclusively Black, and the vital center of African American culture in America. Distinguished writers who were part of the movement included Langston Hughes and Jean Toomer. The Great Depression of 1929 and the early 1930s brought the period of buoyant Harlem culture – which had been fostered by prosperity in the publishing industry and the art world – effectively to an end.46. Heroic Couplet(英雄双韵体)refers to lines of iambic pentameter which rhyme in pairs: aa, bb, cc, and so on. The adjective “heroic” was applied in the later seventeenth century because of the frequent use of such couplets in heroic poems and dramas. This verse form was introduced into English poetry by Geoffrey Chaucer. From the age of John Dryden through that of Samuel Johnson, the heroic couplet was the predominant English measure for all the poetic kinds; some poets, including Alexander Pope, used it almost to the exclusion of other meters.47. Hyperbole(夸张):this figure of speech called hyperbole is bold overstatement, or the extravagant exaggeration of fact or of possibility. It may be used either for serious or ironic or comic effect.48. Understatement(轻描淡写):this figure of speech deliberately represents something as very much less in magnitude or importance than it really is, or is ordinarily considered to be. The effect is usually ironic.49. Imagism(意象派):it was a poetic vogue that flourished in England, and even more vigorously in America, between the years 1912 and 1917. It was planned and exemplified by a group of English and American writers in London, partly under the influence of the poetic theory of T. E. Hulme, as a revolt against the sentimental and mannerish poetry at the turn of the century. The typical Imagist poetry is written in free verse and undertakes to beas precisely and tersely as possible. Meanwhile, the Imagist poetry likes to express the writers’ momentary impression of a visual object or scene and often the impression is rendered by means of metaphor without indicating a relation. Most famous Imagist poem, “In a Station of the Metro”, was written by Ezra Pound. Imagism was too restrictive to endure long as a concerted movement, but it influenced almost all modern poets of Britain and America.50. Irony(反讽):This term derives from a character in a Greek comedy. In most of the modern critical uses of the term “irony”, there remains the root sense of dissembling or hiding what is actually the case; not, however, in order to deceive, but to achieve rhetorical or artistic effects.51. Local Colorism(地方色彩)was a literary trend belonging to Realism. It refers to the detailed representation in prose fiction of the setting, dialect, customs, dress and ways of thinking and feeling which are distinctive of a particular region. After the Civil War a number of American writers exploited the literary possibilities of local color in various parts of America. The most famous representative of local colorism should be Mark Twain who took his hometown near the Mississippi as the typical setting of nearly all his novels.52. Lyric(抒情诗):in the most common use of the term, a lyric is any fairly short poems consisting of the utterance by a single speaker, who expresses a state of mind or a process of perception, thought and feeling.the 18th century: the Age of Reason Historical BackgroundEnlightenment of the 18th centuryThe Literary Achievements of the 18th CenturyDaniel DefoeJonathan SwiftJoseph AddisonHenry FieldingSentimentalism: Thomas GrayDrama: Richard Brinsley SheridanPre-Romanticism: William Blake and Robert BurnsHistorical BackgroundPolitically: the appearance of two hostile parties—Whigs and Tories, and its influence on literature. P.164 Socially (Age of Bourgeoisie) : Rapid development of social life and its influences on literature. P. 165 辉格党和托利党这两个政党名称皆起源于1688年的光荣革命,一般认为他们是最早出现的资产阶级政党。
• A Brief Outline of British Literature History1、Medieval Literature (5 A、D、-1485) (中世纪文学)Geoffrey Chaucer (1340—1400 )2、The English Renaissance (1500-1625) (文艺复兴时期文学)Thomas More (1478—1535)Edmund Spenser(1552—1599)Christopher Marlowe(1564—1593)Francis Bacon (1561—1626)William Shakespeare (1564—1616)3、The Seventeenth century (17th century)( 17 世纪文学)John Milton (1608—1674)John Donne (1572—1631)John Bunyan (1628—1688)4、English Enlightenment and neo-Classicism (17th century -18th century ) (英国启蒙运动与新古典主义文学)Alexander Pope (1688—1744)Jonathan Swift (1667—1745)Daniel Defoe (1660—1731)Henry Fielding (1707—1754)5、Romanticism in England (1798-1832) (浪漫主义时期文学)Robert Burns (1759—1796)William Blake (1757—1827)William Wordsworth (1770—1850)Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772—1834)George Gordon Byron(1788—1824)Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792—1822)John Keats (1795-1821)6、English Realism (1830s-1918) (现实主义时期文学) /Victorian Age (1832—1901) Robert Browning (1821—1889)Alfred Tennyson ( 1809—1892)Jane Austen (1775—1817)The Bronte SistersCharles Dickens (1812—1870)William Makepeace Thackeray (1811—1863)Thomas Hardy (1840—1928)Joseph Conrad ( 1857—1924)Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950)7、Modernism (1918-1945) (现代主义文学)T、S、Eliot (1888—1965)William Butler Yeats (1865—1939)James Joyce (1882—1941)Virginia Woolf (1882—1941)D、H、Lawrence (1885—1930)1、Medieval Literature (5 A、D、-1485) (中世纪文学)Beowulf《贝奥武夫》: the national epic of the English people、romance (浪漫传奇):the most prevailing kind of literature in feudal EnglandTheme: loyalty to king and lordKing Arthur and his knights of the Round Table《亚瑟王与她的圆桌骑士》Sir Gawain and the Green Knight 《高文爵士与绿衣骑士》★Geoffrey Chaucer (1340-- 1400)Literary Position: The father of English poetryMasterpiece: The Canterbury Tales 《坎特伯雷故事集》(Old English)Literary Achievements: Heroic couplet (英雄双韵体)2、The English Renaissance (1500-1625) (文艺复兴时期文学)The word “Renaissance” means revival(复活)、The term originally indicates a revival of classical(Greek and Roman) arts and sciences after the dark ages of medieval obscurantism(蒙昧主义)、Humanism: the essence of RenaissanceEdmund Spenser (1552-- 1599): "the poets' poet"Masterpiece :The Faerie Oueene《仙后》Thomas More (1478-1535)Masterpiece: Utopia(乌托邦)Christopher Marlowe (1564--1593): most gifted of the "University Wits"(大学才子派)、Masterpiece: The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus、《浮士德博士的悲剧》★Francis Bacon (1561-1626 )Literary Position:—the founder of modern science in England;—one of the earliest essayist(散文家) in English languageMasterpiece : Essays《论说文集》Of Studies (论读书)★William Shakespeare(1564—1616)Literary Position:·“not of an age, but for all time”,·the greatest giant of English language and poetic form,·one of the founders of realism in world literature,·o ne of the greatest writers in the world’s literature、Literary Achievements:38 plays (comedies(喜剧), histories(历史剧), tragedies(悲剧), tragicomedies/romances(悲喜剧)2 narrative poems154 sonnets (Sonnets 1-126 addressed to a young man, Sonnets 127-152 addressed to “Dark Lady”, Sonnets 153-154 addressed to Cupid, the God of love in Greekmythology )Plays(4 periods)1、First period (1592-1594): His apprenticeship in plays、Historical plays: King Henry VI《亨利六世》, Richard Ⅲ《查理三世》Comedies: Love’s Labour’s Lost 《爱的徒劳》2、Second period (1595-1600): Mature period, a marked increase in the knowledge of humanismRomeo and Juliet《罗密欧与朱丽叶》(4大喜剧):A Midsummer Night’s Dream《仲夏夜之梦》The Merchant of Venice《威尼斯商人》As You Like It《皆大欢喜》Twelfth Night《第十二夜》3、Third period (1601-1608): Flourishing period, a period of gloomy and depression(4大悲剧):Hamlet《汉姆雷特》Othello《奥赛罗》King Lear《李尔王》Macbeth《麦克白》4、Fourth period (1608-1612): The period of romantic drama in the form of tragicomediesReconciliation plays: The Winter’s Tale《冬天的童话》, The Tempest《暴风雨》3、The Seventeenth century (17th century)( 17 世纪文学) Historical background1、The English revolution(英国革命) and the Restoration(王朝复辟)、·Causes: the conflict between the monarch and Parliament; the persecution of the Puritans2、The bourgeois Dictatorship and the Restoration·Glorious Revolution—a bloodless revolution·The constitutional monarchy、★John Milton (1608—1674)Literary Position·A master of the Blank verse·The greatest English revolutionary poet of the 17th century·One of the greatest poets of the English languageLiterary AchievementsPoems·Paradise Lost《失乐园》(1667): his masterpiece——The greatest epic in English literature、·Paradise Regained (1671) 《复乐园》·Samson Agonistes (1671) 《力士参孙》Paradise Lost《失乐园》—John Milton 1、Introduction·Long epic in 12 books·Written in blank verse·Based on Genesis《创世纪》in the Old Testament·Dramatizes the Biblical account of humanity’s banishment、2、Theme—Milton’s aimed purpose: “justify the ways of God to man”(昭示天道对人的公正)—Real purpose: Challenge the restored monarch·God — tyrannical, represents the king·Satan — rebelling against monarch·Love between Adam and Eve — human pursuit for happiness, the spirit of Renaissance3、Writing features—Milton style: Sonority洪亮, Eloquence雄辩, Majesty尊严, Grandeur壮美·The blank verse·Long and involved sentences★John Donne (1572-1631)Literary Position—founder of Metaphysical School(玄学派)—the greatest of the metaphysical poets、Literary AchievementsSongs and Sonnets 《歌与十四行诗》The Flea《跳蚤》Holy Sonnets《圣十四行诗》: Holy Sonnet 10Features of metaphysical poetry:—conceits(奇喻)—strange paradoxes(悖论)—far-fetched (牵强的)imageryJohn Bunyan (1628-1688):Masterpiece: The Pilgrim’s Progress《天路历程》4、English Enlightenment and neo-Classicism (17th century -18th century )(英国启蒙运动与新古典主义文学) (1688-1798)Historical Background1、Comparatively peaceful development under the constitutional monarchy·A compromise between Tory and Whig·The leading navel power in Europe2、The Industrial Revolution 工业革命·Unprecedented technical innovations·Rapid growth of industry and commerceThe EnlightenmentAn intellectual movement in Europe began in the late 17th and 18th centuries and ended with the French revolution of 178918th century : Age of Reason/ Age of Enlightenment1、Importance—a lasting heritage for the 19th and 20th century—it marked a key stage in the decline of the church and the growth of modern secularism(世俗主义)—it served as the model for political and economic liberalism、2、The development of Poetry: neo-Classicism 新古典主义3、Characteristic of neo-Classicism1)、Emphasizing reason rather than emotion, form rather than content、2)、Didactic and satirical3)、Heroic Couplet (英雄双韵体)4)、Town poetry writing for the rising bourgeoisieAlexander Pope (1688-1744)Literary Position—an outstanding enlightener—The greatest and the most important representative of the English classical poetry、★The Rise of FictionDaniel DefoeJonathan SwiftHenry Fielding ※ FictionThe mainstream of 18th century literature, & The rise and growth of realistic novel —the most prominent achievement of 18th century English literature★Daniel Defoe (1660-1731)Literary Position—Father of English novelLiterary Achievements:—— Robinson Crusoe (1719)《鲁宾逊漂游记》·Defoe’s masterpiece·The first English novel in a real sense·The first English realistic novelRobinson Crusoe—Daniel Defoe 1、Theme:—to sing the praises of human labor—to celebrate the strength of human rational will to conquer the natural environment—to beautify colonialism & Negro slavery2、Plot:run away from home → become a sailor → a planter in Brazil → to an uninhabited island because of shipwreck → made a living there all by himself → save a negro named Friday who beca me his servant → back to England → visit the remote island again and Friday was killed3、Robinson Crusoe’s characterization:typical of the rising English bourgeois class, practical, diligent, a restless curiosity to know more about the world and a desire to prove individual power in the face of social and natural challenges; shrewd, care about money and good at managing; courageous and intelligent to overcome all kinds of obstacles★Jonathan Swift (1667-1745)Literary Position—one of the greatest masters of English Prose—a master satirist(讽刺作家)Style of Swift’s prose:simple, clear and vigorous、His famous saying“Proper words in proper places, makes the true definition of a style” influenced a lot later writers、Literary AchievementsBooks·The Battle of Books《书籍之战》·A Tale of Tub 《一个桶子的故事》·Guliver’s Travels《格列佛游记》——his masterpiece: a satire on the whole English society of the 18th century、Pamphlets·The Draper’s Letters《一个布商的书信》·A Modest Proposal《一个温与的建议》——(A Modest Proposal for Preventing the Children of Poor People in Ireland from Beinga Burden to Their Parents)Guliver’s Travels《格列佛游记》—Jonathan Swift Plot:Part I: A Voyage to LilliputPart II: A Voyage to BrobdingnagPart III: A V oyage to Laputa, Balnibarbi, Glubbdubdrib, Luggnagg and JapanPart IV: A V oyage to the Country of the HouyhnhnmsHenry Fielding (1707-1754)Literary Achievements·The History of Tom Jones, A Founding 《弃儿汤姆·琼斯》Literary Position·—The founder of English realistic novel-setting up the theory of realism in literary position、5、Romanticism in England (1798-1832) (浪漫主义时期文学)Pre-Romanticism: Latter half of the 18th centuryRobert BurnsWilliam Blake 1、Romantic revival·A strong protest against the bondage of Classicism (=Formalism)·A recognition of the claims of passion and emotion、2、Representatives·Robert Burns (1759-1796) 罗伯特·彭斯·William Blake (1757-1827) 威廉·布莱克★Robert Burns (1759-1796)Literary position—the national poet of Scotland—A poet of the peasants, a poet of the peopleLiterary AchievementsPoems chiefly in the Scottish Dialect《苏格兰方言诗集》A Red, Red Rose《一朵红红的玫瑰》,Auld Long Syne《昔日时光》A Man's A Man for A‘ That"、《无论何时都要保持尊严》My Heart ’s in the Highlands《我的心在高原》、Theme·Love and friendship·The natural beauty of his native Scotland·The life and label of the common people·The patriotism of his compatriots and their struggle for libertyFeatures of his poetryScottish dialect★William BlakeLiterary Position—a Pre-Romantic or a forerunner(先驱) of the Romantic poetry of the 19th centuryLiterary Achievements:Songs of Innocence《天真之歌》Songs of Experience《经验之歌》Songs of Innocence《天真之歌》·Written for children, express the poet’s delight in life、·a lovely volume of poems, presenting a happy and innocent world without evils and sufferingsTo depict the happy condition of a child before it knows anything about the pains of experience、·Simple without being naïve, childlike without being childish, innocent, everything seems to be in harmony、e、g、The Lamb《羔羊》Songs of Experience《经验之歌》·Much mature work·The atmosphere is no longer sunny but sad and gloomy、·Presenting a world of misery, poverty, disease, war and repression with a melancholy tone、e、g、The Tiger《老虎》The Age of Romanticism (1798-1832)Political and social factors1、The American and French revolution: an upsurge of national liberation and democraticmovementsAmerican revolution (1775-1783)—The formation of the independent United States、French revolution of 1789—“Liberty, equality and fraternity”2、The Industrial RevolutionIntellectual Background--Shift from emphasis on reason to instinct and emotionGeneral characteristic features (style)1.Subjectivism2.Spontaneity3.Singularity4.Simplicity: everyday language spoken by the rustic people5. A dominating note of melancholy6. A freer verse form★ Romantic Poetry1、Lake poets (湖畔派诗人)—the passive or escapist romanticists: Wordsworth, Coleridge,Southey—detesting the real world, escaping from the reality、2、Revolutionary poets(革命派诗人)—(Active or radical) romanticists:Byron, Shelley, Keats—striving to strengthen man’s will to live and raise him up against the darkness in the world、Lake Poets (湖畔派诗人)William WordsworthSamuel Taylor ColeridgeRobert Southey ★William Wordsworth (1770-1850)Literary Position—Poet Laureate 桂冠诗人(1843)—the best and the most famous romantic poet—A great poet of natureLiterary AchievementsLyrical Ballads (1798) 《抒情歌谣集》:The Prelude (1850) 《序曲》:—Wordsworth’s autobiographical poem、Major works:I wondered lonely as a cloud 《我好似一朵流云独自漫游》Lucy Poems 《露西》The Solitary Reaper 《孤独的收割女》Major concern1、Nature2、The life of ordinary peoplePoetic features—Simplicity and purity of his language、Lyrical Ballads (1798)《抒情歌谣集》—William Wordsworth1、Written by Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge2、Marked the break with the conventional poetic tradition of 18th century classicism, and thebeginning of romanticism in English poetry3、The preface serves as the manifesto of the English romantic movements in poetry、4、The principle of poetry: “All good poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feeling、”——“所有好诗都就是强烈感情的自然流露、”—William Wordsworth ★Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834)Literary position—Poet, critic, and philosopher of Romanticism、Literary Achievement·The Rime of the Ancient Mariner(1798)《古舟子吟》·Kubla Khan (1816)《忽必烈汗》Robert Southey (1774-1843)Revolutionary Poets (革命派诗人)George Gordon ByronPercy Bysshe ShelleyJohn Keats ★George Gordon Byron (1788—1824)Life➢born in a noble family➢inherited the baronial title➢graduated from Cambridge University➢entered House of Lords➢strongly criticized by those conservatives and at last left England➢stayed in Italy and then Greece➢died in Greece at 36Literary Position—one of the most excellent representatives of English Romanticism、—His literary career was closely linked with the struggle and progressive movements of his age、Major Works·Child Harold’s Pilgrimage《恰尔德·哈罗德游记》—One of his most readable books·Don Juan《唐璜》—His masterpieceByronic Heroes—The men with fiery and unbending will express the poet’s own ideal of freedom、— The men who rise against tyranny and injusticeDon Juan 《唐璜》—George Gordon Byron 1、Hero of the long poem:Don Juan, a Spanish young man born in a noble family; strange adventures he has experienced (Greece, Turkey, Russia and England);2、A panorama of the whole Europe and a strong satire★Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792—1822)Literary Position—The great poet of revolutionary romanticism in England、—The most wonderful lyric poet England has ever producedMajor Works·Prometheus Unbound《解放了的普罗米修斯》—lyrical drama·Ode to the West Wind《西风颂》Artistic Features— Lyrics intensity·Lyrics on politics·Lyrics on nature·Lyrics on love— Revolutionary ardency— Optimistic idealism—Image(意象)& symbol(象征)Ode to the West Wind《西风颂》—It made Shelley the greatest English lyrical poet, and is the lyric of lyrics、1、Main ideaThe old world must go, a new word must come with the Spring, laden with fresh sweet promises for suffering humanity、2、1)、Stanza ⅠWest wind is·Blowing over the land·Driving dead leaves away·Carrying the seeds to wintry bed so that they would grow up next year、·Both a destroyer and preserver—A destroyer of old, useless, decaying things, such as dead leaves、—A preserver of new, life-going things, such as seeds、2)、Stanza ⅡWest wind is·Sweeping in the sky·Gathering the loose clouds·Preparing a storm with black rain, lightening and hail·Calling the dirge of the dying year3)、Stanza ⅢWest wind is·Moving across the sea·From the Mediterranean to the Atlantic Ocean·Becoming stronger and stronger·Even frightening the sea vegetation4)、Stanza ⅣThe poet compares “I” to and with the west wind·“if”s·Poetic inspiration·The poet’s personality5)、Stanza ⅤThe poet’s wishes·To share the spirit of the west wind·To use his poem to quicken a new birth and awaken the earthThe poet’s prophecy·If winter comes, can spring be far behind?3、West wind: A symbol·Strength, power·Change of season·Approaching revolution·The poet’s personality·The poetic inspiration·A revolutionary spirit·The destroyer of the old world·the preserver of the new world·Hope for the new life★John Keats (1795—1821)Literary AchievementShort Poems—of the numerous short poems by Keats, the most important are his sonnets and odes、·Ode on Melancholy《忧郁颂》·Ode to Nightingale《夜莺颂》·Ode to Autumn《秋颂》·Ode on a Grecian Urn《希腊古瓮颂》Features1、A clean split with 18th century classicism、Byron & Shelley: attempted to remold the contemporary society with both poetry andpolitical action、Keats: restricted his application of the principle of liberty to the sphere of Art、2、Beauty in truth, truth in beauty、(美即现实,现实即美)Keats found beauty in nature, in literature, esp、poetry, and in human struggle for liberty、6、English Realism (1830s-1918) (现实主义时期文学) /The Victorian Age(1832—1901)Charles DickensWilliam Makepeace ThackerayThe Brontë Sisters Historical background1、The Victorian Age—First Period (1832-1848): a time of social unrest—The mid-Victorian Period (1848-1870): The heyday of the Victorian Age—The last period: (1870-1901): The decay of Victorian values2、The end of poetry poem3、The rise of novels—Novel: dominant literary genreCritical Realism1、Appeared in 19th century and flourished in 1840s and early 50s2、RepresentativesCharles DickensThackerayThe Brontë Sisters3、Basic characteristics❖To expose and criticize the evil and injustice of capitalist society❖To satirize the ruling classes and show sympathy for the common people❖Essentially democratic and humanistic attitude❖Aiming at social reform rather than revolution、★Charles Dickens (1812—1870)Literary Position— The greatest and outstanding representative of English critical realismLiterary Achievements: Three periods—The 1st period (1836-1841): Naïve optimism, “Virtue will triumph in long run、”·Sketches By Boz 《博兹特写集》·The Pickwick Papers 《匹克威克外传》·Oliver Twist 《雾都孤儿》·Nicholas Nickleby《尼古拉斯·尼克尔贝》·The Old Curiosity Shop 《老古玩店》—The 2nd period (1842-1850): period of excitement and irritation, his naïve optimism about capitalism was profoundly shaken、·American Note《美国札记》·Martin Chuzzlewit《马丁·朱述儿维特》·Dombey and the Son《董贝父子》·David Copperfield 《大卫·科波菲尔》—The 3rd period (1851-1870): a Period of steadily intensifying pessimism, his loss of hope for English bourgeois·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 Expectation 《远大前程》/《孤星血泪》·Our Mutual Friend《我们共同的朋友》Features of Dickens's Novels·Character Sketches & Exaggeration( grotesque characters)·Broad Humor & Penetrating Satire·Complicated & Fascinating Plot·The Power of ExposureWilliam Makepeace Thackeray (1811-1863)Literary Position·One of the outstanding representatives of English critical realism、·A great satiristLiterary Achievements·Vanity Fair《名利场》——his masterpiece·★The Brontë Sisters·Charlotte Brontë—Jane Eyre《简·爱》·Emily Brontë—Wuthering Heights《呼啸山庄》·Anne Brontë—Agnes Grey《艾格尼斯·格雷》Themes of Jane Eyre—The criticism of the bourgeois system of education—Jane Eyre, the heroine of the novel, maintains that women should have equal rights withmen、★Jane Austen (1775-1817)Literary Position—The first important English woman novelist—One of the greatest novelists of the 19th and 20th centuriesLiterary AchievementsSix Novels·Northanger Abbey《诺桑觉寺》·Sense and Sensibility 《理智与情感》·Pride and Prejudice 《傲慢与偏见》·Mansfield Park 《曼斯菲苑林》·Emma 《艾玛》·Persuasion 《劝导》Writing Characteristics— Chief interestsThe relationship between men & women in love— Artistic features·Subtlety of observation 细致入微的观察·Depth of psychological penetration 深刻的心理分析·Delicacy of touch 细腻的笔触Pride and Prejudice《傲慢与偏见》——Jane Austen’s best-known novel 1、Theme—Love and marriage—Darcy’s pride against Elizabeth’s prejudice2、Feature—Irony·Verbal irony in dialogue and situation·Dramatic irony—Witty and delightful dialoguesThe Victorian Poets(维多利亚诗人)Lord Alfred TennysonRobert BrowningMatthew Arnold"The Big Three"★Lord Alfred Tennyson (1809-1892)Literary Position—Poet Laureate(桂冠诗人)—The representative or spokesperson of the ageLiterary AchievementsIn Memoriam A、H、H 《悼念》—131 short poems—as a lament (哀悼)for the death of his friend Hallam—a discussion of the relations between religion and science❖eg、Break Break Break 《溅吧, 溅吧,溅吧》★Robert Browning (1812-1889)Literary Position—The most innovative poet of the AgeLiterary Achievements—dramatic monologue (戏剧独白)(his contribution to English poetry)e、g、My Last Duchess 《我的公爵夫人》★Matthew Arnold (1822-1888)Literary Position—a poet and a literary criticMajor Works :Dover Beach 《多佛海滩》—Challenges to the validity of long-standing theological and moral precepts have shaken the faith of people in God and religion★Thomas Hardy (1840—1928)Literary Position—the last important novelist and poet of the 19th century—a naturalistic(自然主义的) and a critical realist writer※ Wessex Novel—The novels describing the characters and environment·Romances and Fantasies罗曼史与幻想·Novels of ingenuity爱情与阴谋故事·Novels of character and environment性格与环境小说(大多为悲剧)Literary Achievements—6 “Wessex novels”·Under the Greenwood Tree《绿荫下》·Far From the Madding Crowd 《远离尘嚣》·The Return of the Native 《还乡》·The Mayor of Casterbridge 《卡斯特桥市长》·Tess of the D’Urbervil les 《德伯家的苔丝》·Jude the Obscure 《无名的裘德》Characteristics of Hardy’s Novels▪1)determinism/fatalism(宿命论)▪2) naturalism(自然主义)▪3)symbolism(象征主义)、Modernist dramatistsOscar WildeGeorge Bernard ShawAestheticismOscar Wilde Aestheticism (唯美主义)➢ A literary and artistic tendency of the late 19th century➢Pre-Raphaelites — the predecessor➢Slogan:Art for Art’s Sake为艺术而艺术➢Art is self-sufficient and need no moral or practical purpose、The pursuit and enjoyment of beauty is the chief purpose of life、➢ A kind of escapism (逃避主义) in essence、★Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)Literary Position—A spokesman for Aestheticism(唯美主义)Literary AchievementsThe Picture of Dorian Gray《道林·格雷画像》The Importance of Being Earnest《认真的重要性》– his masterpieceWriting Feature—Witty paradoxes and epigrams in the dialogue—Cleverly constructed plotsThe Importance of Being Earnest《认真的重要性》—Oscar Wilde1、three-act play2、Major characters:—John (Jack) Worthing: a double identity·Jack: a very serious and upright young man in the country·Ernest: a dandy pursues a life of pleasure in the city of London、3、Name “Ernest”—A wordplay (pun) upon Earnest-seriousness —Beneath the frivolity there lies seriousness、★George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950)Life·Born in Dublin, Ireland·Mother: a talented musician·Fabian Society (费边社)·Negative about the theory of “Art for Art’s Sake”Literary Position—An outstanding realistic dramatist and satirist— It was Shaw who gave English drama a new lease of life、— In 1925 he received the Nobel Prize for literature、Literary Achievements·Widowers' Houses《鳏夫的房产》·Mrs、Warren’s Profession《华伦夫人的职业》·Arms and the Man 《武器与武士》·Candida 《康蒂妲》·Major Barbara 《巴巴拉少校》·Pygmalion《卖花女》·Heartbreak House 《伤心之家》·The Apple Cart 《苹果车》·Too True to be Good 《真像毕露》Subjects concern·Slum landlordism—(Widowers' Houses)·Prostitutes and prostitution—(Mrs、Warren’s Profession) ·Attack on Victorian conventions, such as home, romantic love, military glory, and idealism—(Arms and the Man) ·Inequality between social classes and censure of middle class morality—(Pygmalion) ·Pre-war spiritual poverty in Europe and the shallow Victorian work ethic—(Heartbreak House) Features of writing·Witty remarks, surprise, and paradox·Caricature(讽刺画,漫画) types·The rich suggestive classic myths as underpinning metaphors·Poignant satirePygmalion《卖花女》——George Bernard Shaw —This play…·Based on classical myth·plays on the complex business of human relationships in a social world·A satire on middle-class morality★Joseph Conrad (1857-1924)Literary Position—one of the greatest novelists in the English language—a forerunner of modernismLiterary AchievementsThe Nigger of the "Narcissus"《水仙号上的黑家伙》Lord Jim《吉姆老爷》Heart of Darkness《黑暗之心》Heart of Darkness《黑暗之心》1、The double meaning of Heart of DarknessAfrican hinter land and colonizers’ dark side2、Features : narrative structure(叙事结构)a lot of symbolism (大量象征手法)3、Themes: Conrad bitterly satirizes the inhumanity of imperialism and colonialism、7.Modernism (1918-1945) (现代主义文学)Poets:T、S、Eliot (1888-1865)William Butler Yeats (1865-1939)★T、S、Eliot (1888-1865)Literary Position—a leader of the modernist movement in English poetry—a great innovator of verse technique—He profoundly influenced 20th century English poetry between World War I and II、—In 1948 he was awarded the Nobel Prize、Literary AchievementsThe Love Song of J、Alfred Prufrock《阿尔弗雷德·普罗弗洛克的情歌》—The first masterpiece of modernism in English·The Hollow Men《空心人》—An impressive picture of the spiritual and emotional aridity of modern men·The Waste Land《荒原》—A landmark in English poetry, ending the Romantic period signifying the emergence ofModernism、It gave a picture of the spiritual ruins of Europe shortly after the end ofWorld War I, and expressed the disillusionment of a generation of intellectuals、Poetry techniques:ImagesSymbolsliterary allusions(典故) /references(文献)★William Butler Yeats (1865-1939)Literary Position·one of the twentieth century's key English-language poetsThe leader of the “ Irish Renaissance ”(爱尔兰文艺复兴运动)·Awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1923·“The greatest poet of our time—certainly the greatest in this language、”——T、S、Eliot Major Works·The Wild Swans as Coole《库勒的野天鹅》·The Winding Stair《旋梯》·The Tower《塔》Poetry Concern—His early poetry·Romanticism, sometimes with elements of mysticism·Often dealt with Irish themes—Later poetry·Powerful and mature·Realistic, symbolic and visionary(幻想的)Modern NovelistsJames JoyceVirginia WoolfD、H、Lawrence ★James Joyce (1882-1941)Literary Position—The most prominent stream-of-consciousness novelistLiterary AchievementsDubliners 《都柏林人》A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man 《一个青年艺术家的画像》。