英美文学史复习笔记

Chapter 1 Old and Medieval EnglishLiterature(450—1066-1340)1.Beowulf: a typical example of Old English poetry is regarded as the national epic of the Anglo-Saxons. It is an example of the mingling of nature myths and heroic legends.2.Romance:①It uses narrative verse or prose to sing knightly adventures or other heroic deeds is a popular literary form in the medieval period.②It has developed the characteristic medieval motifs of the quest, the test, the meeting with the evil giant and the encounter with the beautiful beloved.③The hero is usually the knight, who sets out on a journey to accomplish some missions. There are often mysteries and fantasies in romance.④Romantic love is an important part of the plot in romance.Characterization is standardized, While the structure is loose and episodic, the language is simple and straightforward.⑤The importance of the romance itself can be seen as a means of showing medieval aristocratic men and women in relation to their idealized view of the world.2. Heroic couplet:Heroic couplet is a rhymed couplet of iambic pentameter. It is Chaucer who used it for the first time in English in his work The Legend of Good Woman.3. The theme of Beowulf:The poem presents a vivid picture of how the primitive people wage heroic struggles against the hostile forces of the natural world under a wise and mighty leader. The poem is an example of the mingling of the nature myths and heroic legends.5. Chaucer’s achievement:①He presented a comprehensive realistic picture of his age and created a whole gallery of vivid characters in his works, especially in The Canterbury Tales.②He anticipated a new ear, the Renaissance, to come under the influence of the Italian writers.③He developed his characterization to a higher level by presenting characters with both typical qualities and individual dispositions.④He greatly contributed to the maturing of English poetry. Today, Chaucer’s reputation has been securely established as one of the best English poets for his wisdom, humor and humanity.6. “The F ather of English poetry”:Originally, Old English poems are mainly alliterative verses with few variations.①Chaucer introduced from France the rhymed stanzas of various types to English poetry to replace it.②In The Romaunt of the Rose (玫瑰传奇), he first introduced to the English the octosyllabic couplet (八音节对偶句).③In The Legend of Good Women, he used for the first time in English heroic couplet.④And in his masterpiece, The Canterbury Tales, he employed heroic couplet with true ease and charm for the first time in the history of English literature.⑤His art made him one of the greatest poets in English; John Dryden called him “the father of English poetry”.【例题】The work that presented, for the first time in English literature, a comprehensive realistic picture of the medieval English society and created a whole gallery of vivid characters from all walks of life is most likely ______________. (0704)A. William Langland’s Piers PlowmanB. Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury TalesC. John Gower’s Confession AmantisD. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight【答案】BChapter 2: The Renaissance Period(14th—mid-17th Century)1.The Renaissance:The Renaissance marks a transition from the medieval to the modern world. Generally, it refers to the period between the 14th & 17th centuries. It first started in Italy, with the flowering of painting, sculpture & literature. From Italy the movement went to embrace the rest of Europe. 2. Humanism:Humanism is the essence of the Renaissance. It sprang from the endeavor to restore a medieval reverence for the ancient authors and is frequently taken as the beginning of the Renaissance on its conscious, intellectual side. Through the new learning, humanists not only saw the arts of splendor and enlightenment, but the human values represented in the works. Thomas More, Christopher Marlowe and William Shakespeare are the best representatives of the English humanists.Ⅰ. William Shakespeare1. The bibliographyWilliam Shakespeare is one of the most remarkable playwrights and poets the world has ever known.3. The major contributions38 plays (historical plays, tragedies and comedies)2 narrative poems: Venus, The Rape of Lucrece154 sonnets4. His play-creationfive historical plays: Henry IV, part I, II, and III; Richard III; and Titus Andronicus（泰特斯, 提图斯）.four Comedies, including: The Comedy of Errors; The Two Gentlemen of Verona（维罗纳）; The Taming of the Shrew（泼妇的驯服）, and Love’s Labor’s LostFive historical: Richard II, King John, Henry IV, part I, II, Henry V Six comedies: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Merchant of Venice, Much Ado About Nothing, As You like(皆大欢喜), Twelfth Night, and the Merry Wives of Windsor（温莎公爵的快乐情妇）Two tragedies: Romeo and Juliet, Julius CaesarSeven tragedies: Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth, Antony and Cleopatra（克利奥帕特拉）, Troilus and Cressida（特洛伊罗斯和克雷西达）, Coriolanus（科里奥兰纳斯）Two comedies: All’s Well That Ends Well, Measure for Measureromantic tragicomedies: Pericles, Cymbeline, The Winter’s Tale, and The TempestTwo final plays: Henry III, and The Two Noble Kinsmen7. Shakespeare’s writing characteristicsThe progressive significance of the theme--humanismThe successful character portrayal—women’s charactersThe masterhand in constructing the plotThe ingenuity of his poetryThe mastery of his languageⅡ. John MiltonLycidashis 3 major poetical works:Paradise Lost (1667), Paradise Regained (1671), & Samson Agonistes (1671).①Epics: Paradise Lost失乐园Paradisen Regained复乐园②Dramatic poem: <Samson Agonistes力士参孙③The Defence of the English People为英国人民声辩④On His Blindness我的失明Chapter 3: The Neoclassical Period(17th—18th Century, 1660~1798) 1. Duration:Neoclassical period is the one in English literature between the return of Stuarts to the English throne in 1660 and the full assertion of Romanticism which came with the publication of Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge in 1978.It’s in fact a turbulent period.8. Gothic novels:Gothic novels are mostly stories of mystery and horror which take place in some haunted or dilapidated Middle Class castles. They appeared from the middle part of the 18th century. Richard Brinsley Sheridan was the leading figure among a host of playwrights. And of the witty and satiric prose, those written by Jonathan Swift are worth studying.【例题】The British bourgeois or middle class believed in the following notions EXCEPT ______. (0904)A. self - esteemB. self - relianceC. self - restraintD. hard work【答案】AⅠ. Daniel Defoe1. Daniel Defoe’s major works:The Shortest Way with the Dissenters.The True-born EnglishmanThe ReviewRobinson Crusoe (most famous of his work, his masterpiece)Captain Singleton《辛格尔顿船长》Moll Flanders《摩根.佛兰德斯》Colonel Jack《杰克上校》Roxana《罗克珊娜》A Journal of the Plague Year. 《大疫年日记》Ⅱ. Jonathan Swift2. MasterpiecesA Tale of a Tub (satirist) 《木桶的故事》The Battle of the Books 《书籍之战》The Examiner 《主考》Gulliver’s Travels (his greatest satiric work) 《格列佛游记》A Modest Proposal (more powerful) 《一个温和的建议》The Drapier’s Letters《专培儿之信》Ⅲ. Henry Fielding2. Contributions:①Father of the English Novel—because of his contribution and establishment of the form of the modern novel②Of all the eighteenth-century novelists he was the first to set out, both in theory and practice:First: give the modern novel both its structure and its styleSecond: adopted the “third-person narration” in which the author became the all-knowing God3. Main works:The earlier essays:The True Patriot and the Liberty of Our Own TimesThe Jacobite’s JournalThe Convent-garden JournalPlays:The Coffee-House PoliticianThe Tragedy of TragediesPasquinThe Historical Register for the YearNovels:The History of the Adventures of Joseph Andrews and of his friend Mr. Abraham AdamsThe History of Jonathan Wild the GreatThe History of Tom Jones, a Foundling –masterpiece on subject of human natureThe history of Amelia- a story of the unfortunate life of an idealized woman, a maudlin picture of the social lifeChapter 4: The Romantic Period1798—1832, the early 30 years in19th Century )1. Historical background:Internationally,①The French Revolutions:②RousseauThese paved the way for the development of Romanticism in theliterature internationallyNationally,①Industrial revolution (Industrialization, Further capitalization andUrbanization)②The survival of fittest (the sharper contradiction between capitalistsand the labors)These are the national basis of the production of Romanticism3. The definition, duration and characteristics of the Romanticism:①The definition:The Romantic Movement, which associated with vitality, powerful emotion and dreamlike ideas, is simply the expression of life as seen by the imagination rather than by prosaic common sense.【例题】Which of the following poems is a landmark in English poetry? (0704)A. Lyrical Ballads by William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor ColeridgeB. “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud”by William WordsworthC. “Remorse”by Samuel Taylor ColeridgeD. Leaves of Grass Walt Whitman【答案】A6. Main representatives:①Main representatives—poets:Pre-Romanticism: (Blake and Burns)The first generation: (Wordsworth, Coleridge and Southey)The younger generation: (Byron, Shelley and Keats)②Main representatives—novelistsJane Austen --- love and marriageWalter Scott --- main works (book) human nature③Gothic novelistsAnn Radcliffe and Mary ShelleyGothic novel:It is a type of romantic fiction that predominated in the late 18th century & was one phase of the Romantic MovementWorks like The Mysteries of Udolpho (1794) by Ann Radcliffe & Frankenstein (1818) by Mary Shelley are typical Gothic romanceⅠ.William Blake1．Introduction:English poet, artist, & philosopher, made distinguished contributions to both Literature & art. He ranks with great poets in the English language & may be considered the earliest of the major English Romantic poets.4. Main works:Early works: Poetical Sketches《诗学札记》Songs of Innocence《天真之歌》Songs of Experience《经验之歌》The Marriage of Heaven and Hell《天堂与地狱的婚姻》The similarities and differences between two volumes: Generally:Hold the similar subject-matterThe childhood is the central to his concernThe tone, emphasis and conclusion differSpecifically:Infant Joy against Infant SorrowLamb against TygerChimney SweeperⅠagainst Chimney SweeperⅡThe Book of UrizenThe Book of LosThe Four ZoasMilton【例题】William Blake’s central concern in the Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experiences_______, which gives the two books a strong social and historical reference. (0804)A. youth hoodB. childhoodC. happinessD. SorrowⅡ. William Wordsworth1. Introduction:William Wordsworth, known as “the Lake Poets” together with Coleridge and Southey,is the leading figure of the English Romantic poetry, the focal poetic voice of the period2. Types of his poem according to his poetic outlook:According to t he subjects, Wordsworth’s short poems can be classified into two groups: poems about nature and poems about human life.①Poems about nature:I Wandered Lonely as a CloudAn Evening WalkMy Heart Leaps upThe Sailor’s MotherThe Affliction of MargaretThe Old Cumberland BeggarThe Idiot BoyThe Solitary ReaperTo a Highland GirlⅢ. Percy Bysshe Shelley1. Introduction:Shelley is one of the leading Romantic poets, an intense & original lyrical poet in the English language.3. His major works:Early works:Queen Mab:Alastor or The Spirit of SolitudeHymn to Intellectual BeautyMont BlancJulian and MaddaloThe Revolt of IslamThe CenciHellasThe CloudTo a Skylark:: AdonaisOde to the west Wind (Best of all the well-known lyric pieces )Ode to LibertyOde to NaplesSonnet: England in 1819Men of EnglandMajor prose essay: Defense of PoetryⅣ.Jane Austen1. Introduction:It was Jane Austen who brought the English novels, as an art of form, to its maturity and she had been regarded as one of the greatest of all novelists.Austen is universally regarded as the founder of the novel which deal with unimportant middle-class people.2.Major works:In her lifelong career, Jane Austen wrote altogether six complete novels, which can be divided into two distinct periods.Sense and Sensibility理智与情感Her first novelPride and Prejudice傲慢与偏见The most popular of her novels dealing with the five Bennet sisters & their search for suitable husbands Northanger Abbey 诺桑觉寺satirizes those popular Gothic romances of the late 18th centuryMansfield Park曼斯菲尔德庄园presents the antithesis of worldliness & unworldlinessEmma 爱玛gives the thought over self-deceptive vanityPersuasion 劝导contrasts the true love with the prudential calculations【例题】“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” The quoted part is taken from ______. （0804）A. Jane EyreB. Wuthering HeightsC. Pride and PrejudiceD. Sense and Sensibility【答案】CChapter 5: The Victorian PeriodⅠ. Charles Dickens2. His Major Works:Period of youthful optimistSketches by Boz (1836); The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club (1836-1837); Oliver Twist (1837-1838);Nicholas Nickleby (1838-1839); The Old Curiosity Shop (1840-1841); Barnaby Rudge(1841)American Notes (1842); Martin Chuzzlewit (1843-1845); A Christmas Carol (1843); Dombey & Son (1846-1848); David Copperfield (1849-1850)Bleak House (1852-1853); Hard Times (1854); Little Dorrit (1855-1857);A Tale of Two Cities (1859); Great Expectations (1860-1861); Our Mutual Friend (1864-1865); Edwin Drood (unfinished)(1870)【例题】Among the works by Charles Dickens _______ presents his criticism of the Utilitarian principle that rules over the English education system and destroys young hearts and minds. （0804）A. Bleak HouseB. Pickwick PaperC. Great ExpectationsD. Hard Times【答案】DⅡ. Charlotte Bronte1. Charlotte's Literary Creation and her Writing Characteristics:Charlotte Bronte's works are all about the struggle of an individual towards self-realization,about some lonely & neglected young women with a fierce longing for love, & understanding & a full, happy life. Besides, she is a writer of realism combined with romanticism. Her works are famous for the depiction of the life of the middle-class workingwomen, particularly governesses.Jane Eyre:Ⅲ. Thomas Hardy2. His Major Works:Poetry: The DynastsHardy himself divided his novels into three groups:A Pair of Blue Eyes (1873); The Trumpet Major (1880)Desperate Remedies-；The Hand of EthelbertaUnder the Greenwood TreeThe Return of the NativeThe Mayor of CasterbridgeTess of the D'UrbervillesJude the Obscure【例题】Thomas Hardy's pessimistic view of life predominated most of his later works and earns him a reputation as a ______ writer. （0904）A. realisticB. naturalisticC. romanticD. stylistic【答案】BChapter 7: The Modern Period1. Modern period: from the second half of the 19th century and the early decades of the 20th century.6. The development Dramas in the 20th century:①Modernism:Oscar Wilde —the pioneer of modern dramaGeorge Bernard Shaw –best known since ShakespeareW.B. Yeats, Lady Georgory, J.M. Synge and Sean O’CaseyⅠ. George Bernard Shaw3. His major works:Five novels -- best one Cashel Byron's Profession (1886)Criticism -- Our Theaters in the Nineties (1931).Man and Superman (1904) and Back to Methuselah(1921).Caesar and Cleopatra (1898) and St. Joan (1923). Too True to Be Good (1932)Ⅱ. T. S. EliotHe won various awards, including the Nobel Prize and the Order of Merit in 1948.3. T. S. Eliot's major achievement in drama writing:He was one of the important verse dramatists in the first half of the 20th century. Besides some fragmentary pieces, Eliot had written in his lifetime five full-length plays:Murder in the Cathedral (1935)大教堂谋杀案The Family Reunion (1939)团员The Cocktail Party (1950)鸡尾酒会The Confidential Clerk (1954)机要秘书The Elder Statesman (1959) 资深政客Part Two: American LiteratureChapter 1: The Romantic Period。