美国文学

美国文学的多元与独特性美国文学是世界文学的重要组成部分，它以其多元与独特的特点而广受瞩目。

在这篇文章中，我们将探讨美国文学的多元性和独特性，从不同的角度和维度进行分析。

一、文学传统的多元性美国是一个移民国家，不同的移民群体带来了各自独特的文化传统和文学表达方式。

从英国殖民地时期开始，美国就融合了来自不同国家和地区的文化元素。

早期的美国文学以清教徒文学和乡村文学为主，展现了殖民时期的艰辛和信仰。

随着时间的推移，来自欧洲、非洲、亚洲和其他地区的移民们陆续来到美国，丰富了美国文学的多元性。

例如，非裔美国人文学通过揭示奴隶制和种族主义的不公来展示自己的独特视角。

哈莱姆文艺复兴时期的黑人作家们，如朗斯顿·休斯和托妮·莫里森，以其对种族和文化身份的探索而独树一帜。

此外，美国的拉丁裔、亚裔和原住民等少数族裔群体也有着丰富多样的文学传统。

他们通过自己的作品，诉说着与主流社会不同的故事和经历，使美国文学更加丰富多元。

二、主题的多元性美国文学涵盖了广泛的主题，反映了美国社会与人民的多样性。

它不仅展现了美国社会的繁荣和进步，还揭示了社会问题和不平等的存在。

在美国文学中，我们可以看到关于种族、性别、阶级、战争、家庭和社会变革等各种主题的作品。

《汤姆·索亚历险记》和《杀死一只知更鸟》等作品揭示了美国南方种族隔离和不公的真相，引起了社会的广泛关注。

与此同时，如弗朗西斯·斯科特·菲茨杰拉德的《了不起的盖茨比》和阿瑟·米勒的《推销员之死》等作品，则通过人物的内心独白和对梦想的追求，探讨了美国社会中的阶级困境和社会价值观的裂变。

三、文学风格的多元性美国文学以其多样的文学风格而闻名于世。

从传统的现实主义和自然主义到现代主义和后现代主义，美国文学展现出了多个文学流派和风格。

早期的美国文学以现实主义为主，强调对现实生活的真实描写和社会问题的关注。

马克·吐温和杰克·伦敦等作家以其的幽默和魅力，成为这一时期的代表性作家。

一、The literature of colonial AmericanEarly New England literature:早期新英格兰文学主要关于theological, moral, historical and political.John smith was considered to be the first American writer. 美国第一位作家：1608年Captain John Smith写了封信《自殖民地第一次在弗吉尼亚垦荒以来发生的各种事件的真实介绍》“A True Relation of Such Occurrences and Accidents of Note as Hath Happened in Virginia Since the First Planting of That Colony”. 他的第二本书1612年《弗吉尼亚地图，附：一个乡村的描述》“A Map of Virginia: with a Description of the Country”. 他一共出版了八本书，其中有关于新英格兰的历史及描述。

其破产后作为向导sought a post as guide to the Pilgrims.他1624年《弗吉尼亚通史》“General History of Virginia”,讲述了传奇故事how the Indian princess Pocahontas( 波卡洪塔斯)saved him.I.Background: Puritanism1.features of Puritanism(1)Predestination: God decided everything before things occurred.(2)Original sin: Human beings were born to be evil, and this original sincan be passed down from generation to generation.(3)Total depravity(4)Limited atonement: Only the “elect” can be saved.2.Influence(1) A group of good qualities – hard work, thrift, piety, sobriety (seriousand thoughtful) influenced American literature.(2)It led to the everlasting myth. All literature is based on a myth – gardenof Eden.(3)Symbolism: the American puritan’s metaphorical mode of perceptionwas chiefly instrumental in calling into being a literary symbolism whichis distinctly American.(4)With regard to their writing, the style is fresh, simple and direct; therhetoric is plain and honest, not without a touch of nobility oftentraceable to the direct influence of the Bible.II.Overview of the literature1.types of writingDiaries, histories, journals, letters, travel books,autobiographies/biographies, sermons2.writers of colonial period1、William Bradford and John Winthrop2、John cotton and roger Williams3、Anne Bradstreet and Edward Taylor一、William Bradford and John Winthrop威廉·布拉德福德和约翰·温思罗普The first governor of Plymouth：William Bradford;The first governor of Boston：John Winthrop.1．William Bradford:《普利茅斯开发历史》“The History of PlymouthPlantation”文章从1630年开始写起an account of the small group of Puritans who migrated from England to Amsterdam and then to the New Wold.文字简洁，认真负责，直接叙述，可读性强simplicity and earnestness of the book, with its direct reporting, make it readable and moving.1637年他用简单的律诗对自己一生写了个总结，后来科登·马瑟写道：他是众人之福，也是众人之父“a common blessing and father to them all”2．John Winthrop:《新英格兰历史》“The History of New England”.1630年登上“阿贝亚”（Arbella）to Massachusetts并开始写日记keep a journal and to the rest of his life.1826年正式出版is notable for its candid simplicity and honesty.3．他们并不出于创作需要而是记录历史，但却运用了直接生动的散文格式使文章成为了好的文学作品the need to record important events in permanent form. Yet, through a direct and vigorous prose style, each account literary excellence.4．清教徒（Puritan）:就是要净化他们的宗教信仰和行为方式，要纯洁自己信仰的人Puritans wanted to make pure their religious beliefs and practices, The Puritan was “Would-be purifier”. 总认为自己是上帝选民looked upon themselves as a chosen people.对他们的生活方式提出异议就是反对上帝旨意anyone who challenged their way of life was opposing God’s Will and was not to be accepted.对自己的信仰视之如命，对别人信仰不能容忍they were zealous in defense of their own beliefs but often intolerant of the beliefs of others. 制定法律限制个人生活行为made laws about private morality as well as public behaviour霍桑称他们为“黑眉毛的古板的清教徒”“stern and black-browed Puritans”.二、John Cotton and Roger Williams约翰·科登和罗杰·威廉姆斯1．John Cotton第一批知识分子代言人，称为“新英格兰教父”the Patriarch of New England. 1633年到Boston开始一直是这社区精神导师，他所宣讲的由宗教来统治国家的神权思想直接影响了当时人们的行为he was the “teacher”(spiritual leader) of the community and its guiding influence toward the ideal of theocracy(a state ruled by the church)他的影响主要通过教堂讲坛来完成his primary influence was through the pulpit.?听众对他深信不疑。

美国文学的历史、文化与精神美国文学具有着丰富的历史、文化与精神，为世界文学宝库中的一颗珍珠。

自十七世纪初的普利茅斯和弗吉尼亚殖民地诞生以来，美国文学历经了长达四个世纪的发展，经过了许多经典时期，涌现出众多著名作家及他们富有创意、精彩绝伦的文学作品。

首先，美国文学的历史可以追溯到16世纪殖民时期。

在这个时期，英国移民们在还没有完全开垦的大陆上建立了一些小镇和村庄。

这些移民们对于新大陆的狂热好奇心促使他们创作出了许多重要的文字记录，其中大多数是关于他们探索和开发新大陆的经验。

17世纪初，美国文学进入了宗教文学时期。

写作方向主要是宗教和道德问题。

像詹姆斯·芬尼和艾德华·泰勒这样的新英格兰作家，代表了圣经式的文字风格，以及对上帝的狂热信仰。

18世纪美国文学的主体从宗教题材逐渐演变成了自然题材，形成了自然主义文学时期。

在自然主义文学时期，美国作家开始展现出自己的个性、技巧和主题。

短篇小说最受欢迎，其中最著名的作家是华盛顿·欧文。

他的作品《寓言》在英语文学中占据了特殊位置。

19世纪中期，浪漫主义文学开始受到重视。

美国文学中的浪漫主义主题包括对自然的赞扬、精神和心灵的探索，以及男女主角之间的爱情。

浪漫主义时期的最重要的作品是爱德加·爱伦·坡的诗歌和故事，他的作品通常有黑暗的气氛和神秘的情节。

还有纳撒尼尔·霍桑的作品《红字》，表达了对社会压制和罪恶扭曲的指责。

20世纪初，现代主义文学迅速崛起。

现代主义作家强调作品的形式、艺术和语言应该追求先前未曾达到的境界。

欧内斯特·海明威、福克纳、厄内斯特·海明威和苏珊·格拉斯班娜都是现代主义文学的代表。

他们作品中的思想和意象十分鲜明，强调主人公和故事情节中无聊和幸福混在一起，在之后的文学发展中产生了较大的影响力。

20世纪中期，新现实主义文学逐渐涌现出来。

这个时期的作者们用一种更为真实的、更具体的语言来留下自己的印记。

作家作品Naturalism1、Stephen Crane斯蒂芬·克莱恩1871-1900 战争小说之父Maggie: A Girl of the Streets《街头女郎麦琪》（美国文学史上首次站在同情立场上描写受辱妇女的悲惨命运）, a pioneering work of sociological naturalism；关于南北战争的The Red Badge of Courage《红色英勇勋章》，奠定了他在美国文坛上不可动摇的地位；优秀短篇小说集The Open Boat《海上扁舟》和blue hotel 《蓝色旅馆》; wounds in the rain 《雨中的伤痕》The Bride Comes to Yellow Sky《新娘来到黄天镇》2、Theodore Dreiser西奥多·德莱塞1871-1945美国文学史上最杰出的现实主义小说家，一位以探索充满磨难的现实生活着称的美国自然主义作家.Sister Carrie《嘉莉妹妹》，真实再现了当时美国社会;Jennie Gerhardt《珍妮姑娘》，被称为《嘉莉妹妹》的姐妹篇;Trilogy of Desire欲望三部曲（Financer金融家,The Titan巨人,The Stoic斯多噶）;An American Tragedy《美国悲剧》是德莱赛成就最高的作品，是人们清晰地看到了美国社会的真实情况，“至今依然具有巨大的现实意义”在《美国悲剧》中，Dreiser intended to tell us that it is the social pressure that makes Clyde's downfall inevitable. Clyde's tragedy is a tragedy that depends upon the American social system which encouraged people to pursue the "dream of success" at all costs.1、Naturalism emphasized heredity and environment as important deterministic forces shaping individualized characters who were presented in special and detailed circumstances.2. The effect of Darwinist idea of "survival of the fittest" was shattering. It is not surprising to find in Dreiser's fiction a world of jungle, where “kill or to be killed” was the law.Dreiser's Writing Features:✓As a naturalist writer, Dreiser stressed determinism in his novels which deals with everyday life, often with its sordid side.✓As a naturalist, he developed the capacity for photographic and relentless (无情的) observation, thereby truthfully reflecting the society and people of his time.✓His narrative method is natural and free from artifice.Modern Poetry3、Robert Frost罗伯特·弗罗斯特1874-196320世纪最受欢迎的美国诗人, 美国文学中的桂冠诗人田园诗；自然诗☐He used symbols from everyday country life to express his deep ideas. His graceful and traditional poetic style is highly appreciated in the country.A Boy's Will少年心愿and North of Boston波士顿之北were published and highly acclaimed in England. Mending Wall修墙,After Apple-picking摘苹果之后;Mountain Interval山间The Road Not taken没有选择的道路;New Hampshire 《新罕布什尔West-running Brook西流的溪涧;A Further Range 又一片牧场;A Witness Tree一株作证的树a masque of reason《理智的假面具》a masque of mercy慈悲的假面具complete poems诗歌全集a steeple bush尖塔丛林The Analysis of “The Road Not Taken”1.when confronted with important decisions which one must make in life, one must accept theconsequences, for he will not have a chance to go back.2.He encourages people to try things new and choose the road less traveled by. At the same time,he expresses the regrets that one can not choose two at the same time.3.The poem is written in iambic pentameter with the rhyme scheme ABAAB4.Symbolism is used as a very effective writing technique.4、Ezra Pound艾兹拉·庞德1885-1972Imagism1) With a spirit of revolt against conventions, imagism was anti-romantic and anti-Victorian.2) Imagism produced free verse without imposing a rhythmical pattern.3) Imagism tried to record objective observations of an object or a situation without interpretation or comment by the poet (creating an image). It calls for brief language, and pinpoints the precise picture in as few words as possible.美国著名诗人，意象派的代表人物。

第一章早期美国与殖民时代美国文学的基础始于印第安文化的口传神话、传奇、故事与歌词(多为歌曲)。

美洲原住民的口述传统相当多样化，印地安故事对大自然的敬畏精神，以及身体与母亲。

大自然拥有生命并赋予精神力量；主角可能是动物或植物，通常是与部落、族群或与个人有关的图腾。

印第安人对美国的贡献往往大于常人所认为的。

美国英语中有数百个印地安字，包括"独木舟"、"烟"、"马铃薯"、"鹿皮鞋"、"鹿"、"柿子"、"貉"、"战斧"以及"图腾"。

当代印第安写作还包含非常优美的作品，将于第8章讨论。

欧洲第一个关于美洲探险的纪录是斯堪的纳维亚语。

古挪威冒险故事“Vinland Saga”叙述爱冒险的莱弗埃里克松(Leif Eriksson)与一伙四处流浪的古挪威人在11世纪的头十年于美洲东北岸某处短暂定居的故事—可能是在加拿大的新斯科细亚省(Nova Scotia)。

然而，第一位为人熟知并持续在美洲与全世界接触者，始于意大利探险家克里斯托弗哥伦布(Christopher Columbus)的著名航行旅程，由西班牙皇后依莎贝拉(Isabella)所赞助。

哥伦布在其“书信集”(Epistola)中的日志于1493年出版，内容叙述旅程的见闻。

初次的英国殖民是场灾难，第一个殖民地于1585年成立于南北卡罗莱纳沿岸的罗阿诺克(Roanoke)；所有殖民地居民消失。

第2个殖民地更加永久：詹姆士城(Jamestown)成立于1607年，其间忍受了饥饿、暴力与暴政。

然而，此时期的文学将美国描绘成具有财富与机会之地的色彩，殖民叙述便举世闻名。

在17世纪，海盗、探险与探险家开辟了第2波永久殖民者的道路，将老婆、孩子、农具与工匠的工具带来至此。

早期探险文学由日记、书信、旅行日志、船只记录所组成，而探索者向资助者报告内容。

美国文学在中国读者中的意义及影响研究一、引言美国文学作为西方文化的代表之一，已经在中国被翻译、研究和阅读了很长时间。

它不仅仅是一个跨越国界的文化传播工具，还是人们了解美国文化、历史、社会和价值观的桥梁。

本文将从几个方面探讨美国文学在中国读者中的意义及其影响。

二、美国文学在中国的重要性1.世界文化的多元性在全球化的时代，文化交流已经成为一种主流趋势，世界文化逐渐呈现出多元性的特点。

美国文学，作为一个重要的文化符号，已经被广泛传播到世界各个角落，并在当今的文化交流中占据了重要的地位。

中国作为世界上人口最多的国家之一，其对接收和传播美国文化有着特殊的意义和影响。

2.深入了解美国文化美国文学作为美国文化最具代表性的部分之一，是了解美国文化、历史、社会和价值观的重要渠道。

通过研读美国文学，中国读者可以了解美国文化的基本特征、文化传统和价值观，进而增进对美国的了解和感性认识。

这对于增进两国人民之间的相互了解和互信，并加强两国间的文化交流和合作具有重要意义。

3.提高读者的英语水平美国文学，由于历史和文化特点的原因，其语言比较古老和复杂，因此对于中国读者来说阅读美国经典文学不仅可开拓视野，拓展眼界，同时还可以充分锻炼阅读英语的技巧和水平。

通过阅读英语经典文学，许多中国读者在英语语法、词汇和表达方面都有了极大的提高，对于日后的学习和工作也有了很大的帮助作用。

三、美国文学在中国读者中的影响1. 教育教学方面的影响美国文学作为世界上最重要的文学之一，被广泛地应用于中国的教育教学中，尤其是在高等教育中。

美国文学作为语言和文化课程之一，在中国的大学里受到越来越多的重视和关注。

2.文化凝聚和传承方面的影响美国文学以其丰富的文化内涵、鲜明的文学风格、独特的创意和独特的文化氛围，成为不同文化之间相互了解和交流的桥梁。

同时，美国文学作品被翻译成不同的语言并广泛流传，不仅对于美国文学的本国读者和全球读者来说具有重要意义，对于中国读者也同样具有重要的意义。

1.Early Colonial Literature. 1607-17002.The literature of Reason And Revolution(18th century) The 18th-century American Enlightenment was a movement marked by an emphasis on rationality rather than tradition, scientific inquiry instead of unquestioning religious dogma, and representative government in place of monarchy. Enlightenment thinkers and writers were devoted to the ideals of justice, liberty, and equality as the natural rights of man.3. American RomanticismFeatures:1)From the end of the 18th century to the outbreak of he Civil War. It started with the publication of Washington Irving’s The Sketch Book and ended with Whitman’s Leaves of Grass. It is also called “the American Renaissance”.2)The desire for an escape from society and a return to nature became a permanent convention of American literature.3) The American Puritanism as a cultural heritage exerted great influences over American moral values.4) Besides, a preoccupation with the Calvinistic view of original sin and the mystery of evil marked the works of Hawthorne, Melville and a host of lesser writers5)The most clearly defined Romantic literary movement in this period is New England Transcendentalism6)It ranges from the comic fables of Washington Irving to the Gothic tales of Edgar Allen Poe, from the frontier adventures of James Fenimore Cooper to the narrative quests of Herman Melville, from the psychological romances of Nathaniel Hawthorne to the social realism of Rebecca Harding.4. The literature of Realism (1865-1918)1. This new attitude was characterized by a great interest in the realities of life.2.Interpreting sympathetically the “common feelings of commonplace people” was best suited as a technique to express the spirit of America.3.They introduced industrial workers and farmers , ambitious businessmen and vagrants流浪者, prostitutes妓女and unheroic胆怯的soldiers as major characters in fiction .4.They approached the harsh realities and pressures in the post Civil War society either by a comprehensive picture of modern life , or by a psychological exploration of man's subconsciousness .5.Artistically ,naturalistic writings are usually unpolished in language , lacking in academic skills and unwieldy in structure . Philosophically , the naturalists believe that the real and true is always partially hiddenfrom the eyes of the individual , or beyond this control . In a word , naturalism is evolved from realism when the author's tone in writing becomes less serious and less sympathetic but more ironic and more pessimistic .5. The Modern Period of literature1.The idea of “seize the day” or “enjoy the present” was pervasive, as opposed to placing all hope in the future.2.the writer’s task was to develop techniques that could represent a break with the past. Thus, the defining formal characteristics of the modernistic works are discontinuity and fragmentation.3.A typical modern work will seem to begin arbitrarily, to advance without explanation, and to end without resolution.4.They usually “screen himself” and speak ind irectly through an impersonal and objective story, which is usually a myth or a piece of the earlier literature, or a “mask”, that is, a persona.On the Characteristics and Speciality of Literature in Each Stage美国文学各个时期特点文理学院11级英语二班陈佳雯02。

美国文学习题与练习I. Sinners in the Hands of an Angry GodQuestions for Reading Comprehension1. Who are the sinners in the hands of an angry God?2. What does the expression that the speaker has chosen imply?3. Why can t the wicked Israelites foresee the destruction to which they are exposed?4. Why do wicked men deserve to be cast into hell?5. Why are the wicked Israelites not fallen already?6. Is there anything a natural man can do to secure himself from hell?7. What can keep wicked men out of hell?8. Why is God so angry with the wicked men who are now on earth?9. What would happen if God should withdraw his restraining power?10. Under what circumstances is God under an obligation to keep a natural man from eternal destruction?Discussion Questions for Appreciation1. What imagery does the speaker use to describe the invincibility of God？2. Give one example of the speaker s metaphorical mode of perception.3. Find two epigrams in the texts.4. What is the speaker s purpose of depicting such a horrifying image of the wicked men dangled over the pit of hell?5. What effect do you think this sermon will have on the listeners?A Question for WritingWhat religious doctrines of the Puritans are portrayed in Jonathan Edwards sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”?II. From The AutobiographyQuestions for Reading Comprehension1. Why did Franklin set up a Public Subscription Library in Phila-delphia?2. What did the Library afford him?3. What did he consider as a means of obtaining wealth and distinction?4. What did Franklin regard as the essentials of every religion?5. Make a shorthand list of the memorable anecdotes Franklin tells about himself.6. According to the selection, why did Franklin cr eate his “Method” for “moral perfection”?7. Can you summarize Franklin s “Method”for “moral perfection”?8. What surprised Franklin when he began to follow his plan for self-examination?9. What satisfaction did he have? What gave him the most trouble?10. At first Franklin s list contained twelve virtues. Why did he later add Humility to his list?Discussion Questions for Appreciation1. How would you describe Franklin s writing style?2. What is Franklin s purpose of writing The Autobiography? And how does that purpose change throughout the work?3. Franklin often struggles to strike a balance between promoting humility and promoting his accomplishments. How successful is he in maintaining this balance?4. Discuss Franklin s optimism as a young man versus the diminished optimism he has as an adult looking back on his life. How do the two work together?5. How does Franklin employ humor in The Autobiography? Find three examples of humor or worldly wisdom that help illustrate why Franklin was regarded as one of the wittiest Americans of the eighteenth century.6. How can writing an autobiography contribute to self-knowledge? By way of example, explain what Benjamin Franklin The Autobiographer comes to see about Benjamin Franklin the young man.A Question for WritingMany critics regard The Autobiography as a statement about American national identity. What ideals does the book convey? And why are these ideas worth pursuing?III. From NatureQuestions for Reading Comprehension1. According to paragraph 1 in the “Introduction”, what does Emerson say would happen if the stars appeared one night in a thousand years?2. According to paragraph 2, why does Emerson believe that the stars awaken a reverence in people?3. When do natural objects make a similar impression of reverence?4. How does Emerson describe the lover of nature?5. What does Emerson mean when he says, “In the woods too, a man casts off his years”?6. Why does Emerson say, “I am part particle of God”?Discussion Questions for Appreciation1. What is Emerson s idea about the relationship between man and nature?2. According to Emerson, what is the distinction between adult and children?3. Where does Emerson believe the power for a true relationship between man and God comes from?4. What Transcendental ideas does Emerson express in this essay?A Question for WritingWhat does Emerson mean when he describes himself as “a transparent eyeball” when he is in the woods? How does this state of mind affect his relationship with God?From Self-RelianceQuestions for Reading Comprehension1. What does the Epilogue to Beaumont and Fletcher s Honest Man s Fortune imply?2. What, according to Emerson, is the highest merit that we ascribe to great men?3. According to Emerson, under what conditions will man be “happy and strong”?4. What, according to Emerson, does society require of its members?5. According to Emerson, what will happen if we live truly?6. What does Emerson want the American people to declare?7. What does Emerson urge people to do?8. What lessons do the great figures of the past teach us about the concept of self-reliance?9. What is the central doctrine in Emerson s ethical thought?10. Is Emerson optimistic or pessimistic about human nature and human potential?Discussion Questions for Appreciation1. In this essay, Emerson points out what conformity leads to, and advocates self-reliance. What is the foundation of self-reliance?2. Emerson maintains that a true individual must be willing to face the consequences of thinking individually and critically and he must not be trapped into mediocrity by his own fear of being inconsistent or not in step with his peers. Find some examples from this essay to show his individualism.3. Today most people like traveling. But why does Emerson say that the soul is no traveler and traveling is a fool s paradise?4. According to Emerson, society never advances. It recedes as fast on one side as it gains on the other. For everything that is given, something is taken. For instance, the civilized man has built a coach, but has lost the use of his feet. Do you agree with him? Why or why not?5. What is Emerson s most striking stylistic quality?6. Emerson uses many epigrams in this essay. List some examples to show the stylistic features of his writing.A Question for WritingTo what extent can the concept of self-reliance be considered a fundamental American idea?IV. The RavenQuestions for Reading Comprehension1. What was the narrator doing when he first heard the tapping?2. What did he see when he opened the door?3. What did he see when he flung the shutter?4. Where was the raven? And what did it look like?5. Why did the narrator associate the raven with an agent of the supernatural?6. What was the only word that the raven spoke?7. Why did the narrator think that the raven spoke only one word?8. What did he guess the word “Nevermore” meant?9. What did he ask the bird to do toward the end of the poem?10. Did the bird leave the narrator alone at the end of the poem?Discussion Questions for Appreciation1. What do you think the raven symbolizes? Why?2. Evaluate the narrator s emotional state at the beginning of the poem, in the last but one stanza, and in the last stanza.3. In this poem the raven steadily repeats the word “Nevermore”. What do you think is the poet s intention of letting the raven repeat this word?4. What is the theme of this poem? Is it Poe s favorite theme?5. Poe often uses sound devices to produce a musical effect. Find out and discuss the sound devices that he uses to produce a musical effect in the poem.A Question for WritingPoe believes that the function of poetry is not to describe and interpret earthly experience, but to create a mood in which the soul is elevated to supernal beauty. Describe the mood of this poem, and discuss its relations with Poe s idea of the function of poetry.V. The Minister’s Black VeilQuestions for Reading Comprehension1. How does the black veil, when the minister first wears it, affect his parishioners?2. How does the black veil affect the minister s sermons that Sunday morning?3. What is the villagers response to the minister s black veil?4. What happens in the afternoon when the minister bends over the coffin of a young lady?5. What happens during the wedding of a handsome couple that night?6. Why do the deputies fail in their attempt to remove the minister s black veil?7. Elizabeth thinks that the veil might well be a “symptom of mental di-sease”. What is the specific nature of the disease? What evidence is there to suggest that she might be right?8. “Among all its bad influ ences, the black veil had the one desirable effect of making its wearer a very efficient clergyman.” Explain what this desirable effect is?9. Why does the Reverend Mr. Clark persuade Father Hooper to remove his black veil before he dies?10. When the minister is dying, he says: “I look around me, and, lo! On every visage a Black Veil!!” What does he imply?Discussion Questions for Appreciation1. “All through life that piece of crape had hung between him and the world; it had separated from cheerful brotherhood and woman s love, and kept him in that saddest of all prisons, his own heart.”What effect does the veil have on Mr. Hooper s life?2. Mr. Hooper dislikes the black veil himself. His antipathy to the veil is known to be so great that he never willingly passes before a mirror, nor stoops to drink at a still fountain. Why does he persist in wearing it?3. The black veil is the major symbol in the story. What do you think is its function in the story?4. Does Hawthorne believe that ever yone seems to cover up his innermost “evil” in theway the minister tries to convince his people with his black veil? If he does, do you agree with him?5. Hawthorne and Emerson are contemporaries and they are both members of the Transcendental Club, but they have different views of man and the world. Discuss the differences between these two writers.A Question for WritingIntellectually intrigued by the prospect of evil, Hawthorne s fiction is noted for its pessimistic reflection of a world dominated by Puritanism. Does he recognize a decadence inherent in Puritanism and the oppressing guilt and secrecy to which it inevitably leads?VI. When I Heard the Learn’d AstronomerQuestions for Reading Comprehension1. What aids does the astronomer use during his lecture?2. What does the speaker feel about the lecture as he listens?3. Where does the speaker go when he wanders off?4. What does the speaker do after he leaves the lecture room?5. What is the difference between the astronomer and the speaker?Discussion Questions for Appreciation1. What wisdom does the speaker find that the astronomer and his audience do not have?2. What is the rhythmic pattern of the poem? What does this pattern imply?3. What poetic devices are employed in this poem? And what is the effect?4. What does this poem have in common with Romantic or Transcendentalist poetry that you have read? In what way is it different?Cavalry Crossing a FordQuestions for Reading Comprehension1. What is the central image in the poem?2. What are the four parts of the image?3. What adjectives does the poet use to paint this verse picture?4. What do lines 3 and 4 imply?5. Do the soldiers really care about the war?Discussion Questions for Appreciation1. What functions does the central image perform in the poem?2. What atmosphere does the poem create?3. What is the poet s attitude toward the war?4. Comment on the poet s attitude toward the war.Come Up from the Fields, FatherQuestions for Reading Comprehension1. Who receives the letter and calls the father and mother to the front door?2. What is the mother s reaction to receiving the letter?3. What has happened to the son?4. Why does the poet describe the prosperous farm in Ohio?5. What is the effect of the news on the mother?Discussion Questions for Appreciation1. What contrast does the poem build?2. What is its effect of this contrast on the reader?3. What idea does the poem present?4. Why does the poet use the word “better” three times in the poem?Out of the Cradle Endlessly RockingQuestions for Reading Comprehension1. What is the effect of the use of the repeated preposition such as out, over, down, up, from?2. Describe the plot line of this poem.3. What happens to the two birds in the poem?4. What does the sea symbolize?5. What does the sea show the boy?Discussion Questions for Appreciation1. How does this poem link Whitman to the Romantics?2. Describe Whitman’s account of his development as a poet.3. What is Whitman’s attitude toward “death”?4. Why does the speaker say “My own songs awaked from that hour”?A Question for WritingWhat is uniquely American about Whitman’s poetry? Consider both his theme and style.VII. A Bird Came down the Walk—Questions for Reading Comprehension1. What does the bird eat in the natural world?2. Why does the bird hop sidewise to let a beetle pass? Does the bird fear the beetle?3. What does the speaker do in stanza 4?4. Is the bird frightened by the speaker? Why?5. What does the speaker compare the bird s movement to in stanza 5?Discussion Questions for Appreciation1. What kind of atmosphere do the first two stanzas create?2. Interpret the implied meaning of line 2: “He did not know I saw—”.3. What effect does the comparison in stanza 5 impose on the poem?4. What is Dickinson s attitude toward nature?I Died for Beauty—But Was ScarceQuestions for Reading Comprehension1. Why does the first speaker “I” say that he was scarcely adjusted?2. Why does the second speaker “he” ask, “Why I failed”?3. The second speaker says, “We Brethren are”. What does he mean?4. What happens to the two speakers toward the end of the poem? And what does it imply?Discussion Questions for Appreciation1. What is the theme of the poem?2. Does this poem have anything to do with Dickinson s principle of poetic composition?Because I Could Not Stop for Death—Questions for Reading Comprehension1. What does Death s carriage hold?2. What are the three things that the speaker and Death pass in stanza 3?3. What is the “House”in the ground in stanza 5? Is this the speaker s final destination?4. Is the speaker in this poem alive or dead? What day is she describing?5. Why does the day seem so long to the speaker?Discussion Questions for Appreciation1. What do lines 1 to 2 suggest about human behavior?2. What might the three things the speaker pass in stanza 3 represent?3. What is Dickinson’s idea about death and immortality?A Question for WritingWhat are the features of Dickinson’s poetry that impress you most?VIII. The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras CountyQuestions for Reading Comprehension1. Why does the first narrator call on Simon Wheeler?2. Whom does Simon Wheeler talk about? Why does he talk about him?3. Where is the narrator from? Is he educated?4. Where do you think old Simon Wheeler lives?5. Did Simon Wheeler have a good education? Why or why not?6. Why does the writer name the pup and the frog after two American politicians?7. Why is Jim Smiley s frog defeated by the stranger s?8. Do you think Simon Wheeler is a good story-teller?9. How does the first narrator respond to the story of Jim Smiley?10. How does Simon Wheeler counteract the ridiculousness of the story about Jim Smiley?Discussion Questions for Appreciation1. What are the differences in character and cultural background between the firstnarrator and the second narrator Simon Wheeler?2. How do these differences contribute to the humor of the story?3. How does the first narrator s language differ from that of the second? How do the differences contribute to the reliability of their narration?4. Conflicts arise when the East meets the West. How does Mark Twain present the two sides involved in the conflict?5. As a typical western hoax, the story tells about how the weak succeed in “hoaxing” the strong. In what way does the story reflect the re-ality in the California Mining camps?A Question for WritingMark Twain once said, “I see no great difference between a man and a watch, except that a man is conscious and a watch is not.” How does Mark Twain view human nature? How does the story reflect the writer’s view of hum nature?IX. The Law of LifeQuestions for Reading Comprehension1. Who is the narrator of the story?2. In which season does the story take place? And who are those people in the story?3. Why is Old Koskoosh deserted by his people?4. Why does Old Koskoosh give up fighting for his life?5. How does Old Koskoosh justify the fact of being deserted?6. What do you think would happen to Old Koskoosh in the end?7. How does Old Koskoosh s death echo his hunting trip during his energetic youth?8. What, according to the story, is the law of life?Discussion Questions for Appreciation1. While sitting there, Old Koskoosh recollects many things, including the famine days, the plenty days, and his hunting trip. How do his recollections contribute to the theme of the story?2. What does the title “The Law of Life” suggest?3. What do you think of the Indian tradition of “deserting the old”, taking into consideration the harsh circumstances at the time of the story?4. How does the author view the relationship between man and nature?5. What are the naturalistic views revealed in this story?A Question for WritingLondon once told Charmian, his second wife, “To me the idea o f death is sweet. Think of it—to lie down and go into the dark out of all the struggle and pain of living—to go to sleep and rest, always to be resting...When I come to die, I will be smiling at death, I promise you.” How does London’s attitude toward death find its way into this story?X. In a Station of the MetroQuestions for Reading Comprehension1. Where does the narrator see the “faces”?2. What are the “faces” compared to?3. What adjectives does the narrator use to describe the “bough”? Ho w does the description foreground the “petals”?4. What are the two images juxtaposed in the poem?Discussion Questions for Appreciation1. Does the poet supply you with any information about how you should think or feel about the poem?2. Why do es the poet use the word “apparition” rather than the word “appearance”?3. Pound himself mentions the following Japanese haiku (a two-line couplet with rhymes) in an essay. Compare “In the Station of the Metro” with this haiku and discuss their simila rities and differences.The footsteps of the cat upon the snoware like the plum blossoms.4. What are the advantages and disadvantages of Imagist poetry, using this poem as an illustration?A Question for WritingIn what way does this poem reflect Imagist poetry?XI. The Road Not TakenQuestions for Reading Comprehension1. Why does the speaker feel sorry in the first stanza?2. Why does the speaker think that the second road may have the better claim?3. Which road does he take? Why?4. Why does the speaker say that he will be telling this story with a sign “ages and ages hence”?5. Does the speaker think he has made the wrong choice? Why or why not?Discussion Questions for Appreciation1. What do the two roads represent?2. What does the speaker s choice tell about him?3. Are the two roads the same or different? What do their similarities or differences suggest?4. Why is the poem entitled “The Road Not Taken”?5. What rhythmical devices does the poet use in the poem?A Question for WritingWhat philosophy of life is implied in the poem? Have you met with any dilemmas in your life comparable to the speaker’s?Mending WallQuestions for Reading Comprehension1. How many characters are there in the poem? Who are they?2. What is the thing that “doesn t love a wall”(line 1)?3. What happens as a result of the fact that “Something there is that doesn t love a wall”? What other kind of destruction to the wall is described in Lines 5 to 9?4. How do the speaker and his neighbor go about fixing the wall at spring mending-time (Lines 12 to 22)?5. What is the central issue or subject matter in the poem?Discussion Questions for Appreciation1. What kind of darkness surrounds his neighbor? And why is the neighbor compared toa savage?2. Why does the speaker say that the wall stays always where we do not need it (Line 23)?3. What does the wall symbolize? What do people wall in and wall out?4. How is the speaker s attitude towards the wall different from his neighbor s?5. What do the speaker and his neighbor represent respectively?A Question for WritingHow do you understand “Good fences make good neighbors” (Line 27)?Stopping by Woods on a Snowy EveningQuestions for Reading Comprehension1. Why is the owner of the woods unable to see the speaker stopping by his woods?2. What causes the speaker to stop?3. What is the horse s response when the speaker stops?4. When and where does the event in the poem take place?5. Why does the speaker find the woods lovely?6. What must the speaker do before he goes to sleep?Discussion Questions for Appreciation1. What is the function of the horse in the second and third stanzas?2. What internal conflict does the speaker experience when he decides to leave the woods?3. What might the incident by the woods represent?4. Why does the poet repeat the line “And miles to go before I sleep”? Does the meaning of the word “sleep” alter in a ny way?5. What is the rhyme scheme of the poem? What effect does this rhyme scheme create? Or how is the poem “knit” to a close?XII. A Clean, Well-lighted PlaceQuestions for Reading Comprehension1. Why does the old man come to the café and get drunk every night?2. What is the reason for the old man s attempted suicide?3. Neither of the two waiters in the story is named, and their dialogue is not identified.However, the reader is still able to distinguish them, mainly through their different attitudes towards the old man drinking at the café. In what ways do the two waiters differ?4. What different views do the two waiters hold towards life?5. How does the old man carry himself when he leaves the café?6. Why is the middle-aged waiter reluctant to close up for the night?7. What does he do on the way home?8. “Nothing” is the key word in the story. What deeper meaning does the author give it as the story unfolds?Discussion Questions for Appreciation1. Notice the contrast between “darkness” and “light” in the story. What sy mbolic meanings does the title of the story “A Clean, Well-lighted Place” bear?2. What information can you gather about the social background and the setting of the story?3. Lord s Prayer appears at the end of the story with some key words replaced by the Spanish word “nada”, which means “nothing”. Why?4. What effect does Hemingway create by not naming any of his characters in the story? How do you understand the last sentence, “Many must have it”?5. What are the principal features of Hemingway s style?A Question for WritingHemingway’s major theme is “grace under pressure,”that is, keeping one s dignity in the face of extreme situations. How is this theme presented in the story?XIII. A Rose for EmilyQuestions for Reading Comprehension1. Where is the story set?2. Explain the basic plot in its chronological order. Is it in accordance with the narrative order?3. Does Miss Emily love Homer Barron? And does he really love her?4. What is Miss Emily s attitude towards her father? Why doesn t she cry when her father dies?5. Why does Miss Emily kill Homer Barron? What motivates her to do that?6. Why does Miss Emily keep Homer Barron s body in her room?7. The character of Miss Emily is revealed in several episodes in the story. What kind of person is she? And what does she represent?8. What is the attitude of the people of the town toward Miss Emily and her family?Discussion Questions for Appreciation1. What do Miss Emily s house and its surrounding suggest to you? What does the story say about the male-female relationships in American society of that time?3. Except for the title, a rose is never mentioned in the story. Why do you think Faulkner chooses this title?4. Who is the narrator of the story? What do you know about him? Can you list his“values”? Are his values shared by the town?5. Is this narrator reliable? Does the sex identity of the narrator affect the narration in any way?A Question for WritingMany critics have interpreted Miss Emily as a symbol of the post-Civil-War American South. Do you agree with this interpretation?XIV. Desire Under the ElmsDiscussion Questions for Appreciation1. Abbie says that Eben’s mother would be pleased that he does what she asks him to do. Does Eben believe in it or not? Why or why not?2. It is in Eben’s mother’s parlor that Abbie finally succeeds seducing him. What is the significance of this arrangement?3. In 1929, O’Neill says, “What has influenced my plays the most is my knowledge of drama of all time,—particularly Greek drama.” Some critics also point out that Hippolytus, Phaedra and Medea serve as the prototypes of some of the characters in the play. With whom are Hippolytus and Phaedra identified in the play? And Medea? Please justify your viewpoint.4. One critic points out, “The meaning and unity of his ［O’Neill’s］work lies not in any controlling intellectual idea and certainly not in a “message”, but merely in the fact that each play is an experience of extraordinary intensity.” Do you think that this play is an experience of extraordinary intensity?A Question for WritingO’Neill is said to be interested in the theory of the psychologist Sigmund Freud: the power of irrational drive, the existence of subconscious, the roles of repression, suppression, and inhibition in the formation of personality and in adult suffering; the importance of sex; and above all, the lifelong influence of parents. Can you justify at least two aspects of Freud’s influence on O’Neill by quoting evidence from the excerpt?XV. The Catcher in the RyeQuestions for Reading Comprehension1. To what does Holden compare Phoebe s behavior when she finds out that he was expelled from Pencey?2. Where does Holden say that his father will send him when he learns that Holden has been expelled?3. Even though Holden likes Mr. Spencer, he considers him a phony, why?4. What was the Pencey alumnus looking for when he came to Holden and Stradlater s dorm?5. When Holden thinks about the nuns, what does he picture them doing?6. One of Holden s classmates, James Castle, commits suicide by jumping from a dormitory window while wearing Holden s sweater. What do you make of this?7. What does Holden think of his dead younger brother, Allie?8. Discuss Holden s relationship with Phoebe citing specifics from their conversations.Discussion Questions for Appreciation1. In The Catcher in the Rye, Holden seems to be talking to another person. Who do you think that person is?2. Why do you think this novel is frequently subject to censorship efforts in public schools and libraries? How might you defend the book against efforts to remove it from school libraries?3. Though Holden never describes his psychological breakdown directly, it becomes clear as the novel progresses that he is growing increasingly unstable. How does Salinger indicate this instability to the reader while protecting his narrator s reticence?4. Humor plays an important role in this story. Can you find some examples in this chapter? What does this imply about Salinger s view of the human condition?5. Holden often behaves like a prophet or a saint, pointing out the phoniness and wickedness in the world around him. Are there instances where Holden is phony, too? What do these moments reveal about his character and his psychological problems?6. What do you think Holden s future will be?A Question for WritingExamine carefully the description of the “catcher in the rye.” Analyze the symbols in this description. What are the kids falling into? What does “the rye” symbolize? Why does Holden want to be the catcher in the rye? What are the positive and negative aspects of his fantasy?XVI. Everyday UseQuestions for Reading Comprehension1. When offered the quilts before she left for college, Dee refused them, ashamed to own such “old fashioned” items. Upon her return, Dee covets the folk-art objects that comprise everyday reality for her mother and sister. What accounts for Dee s change of heart?2. Has she learned to appreciate her mother and her heritage?3. By what process do the quilts get made? What is remarkable about the social occasions which bring them into being?4. Which of the various facts about the quilts do Maggie and Dee “single out” as what is “essential” about the quilts for them?5. What are the differences in character between Dee and Maggie, and how do these show up in the differences between what the quilts mean to them?6. In “Everyday Use,” Walker presents two very different perceptions of heritage and values as narrated through the viewpoint of a mother observing her two daughters. How does she describe each child? What use does the mother anticipate that Dee and Maggie would put the quilts to?7. What does the mother think of Dee s new name and the gentleman who accompanies Dee?8. The narrator indicates that she has not had much of an education, and that she is a strong, mannish, earthy woman. Is the narrator really as ignorant as she claims?Discussion Questions for Appreciation1. How do the two daughters act as foils to each other? What values does each represent, and。

美国⽂学-复习资料+答案1.The American Transcendentalists formed a club called _________ .the Transcendental Club2.______ was regarded as the first great prose stylist of American romanticism. WashingtonIrving3.At nineteen___________ published in his brother’s newspaper, his "Jonathan Oldstyle"satires of New York life.4.In Washington Irving’s work___________ appeared the first modern short stories and thefirst great American juvenile literature. The Sketch Book5.The first important American novelist was____________. James Fenimore Cooper6.James Fenimore Cooper’s novel ___________ was a rousing tale about espionage againstthe British during the Revolutionary War.The Spy7.The best of James Fenimore Cooper's sea romances was_____________.The Pilot8."To a Waterfowl" is perhaps the peak of_______________’s work; it has been called by aneminent English critic “the most perfect brief poem in the language.”William Cullen Bryant9.__________ was the first American to gain the stature of a major poet in the worldliterature.10.Edgar Allan Poe’s poem____________ is perhaps the best example of onomatopoeia in theEnglish language.The Bells11.Edgar Allan Poe's poem____________ was published in 1845 as the title poem of acollection. The Raven12.From Henry David Thoreau’s Concord jail experience, came his famous essay ______.Civil DisobedienceBy the 1830s Washington Irving was judged the nation' s greatest writer, a lofty position he later shared with James Fenimore Cooper and William Cullen Bryant.In the early nineteenth century, the attitude of American writers was shaped by their New World environment and an array of ideas inherited from the romantic tradition of Europe.As a moral philosophy, transcendentalism was neither logical nor systematical.The foundation of American national literature was laid by the early American romanticists.At mid-19th century, a cultural reawakening brought a "flowering of New England". Romantic writers in the 19th century placed increasing value on the free expression of emotion and displayed increasing attention to the psychic states of their characters.With a vast group of supporting characters, virtuous or villainous, James Fenimore Cooper made the America conscious of his past, and made the European conscious of America.No other American poet ever surpassed Edgar Allan Poe’s ability in the use of English as a medium of pure musical and rhythmic beauty.The Fall of the House of Usher is one of Edgar Allan Poe's short stories.Ralph Waldo Emerson was recognized as the leader of transcendentalist movement, but he never applied the term "Transcendentalist" to himself or to his beliefs and ideas.In 1836, Ralph Waldo Emerson published his first book, Nature, which met with a mild reception.Ralph Waldo Emerson's prose style was sometimes as highly individual as his poetry.The harsh rhythms and striking images of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s poetry appeal to many modern readers as artful techniques.Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s writings belong to the milder aspects of the Romantic Movement.American romanticism was in a way derivative: American romantic writing was some of them modeled on English and European works.Ralph Waldo Emerson’s aesthetics brought about a revolution in American literature in general and in American poetry in particular.Henry David Thoreau was an active Transcendentalist. He was by no means an "escapist" or a recluse, but was intensely involved in the life of his day.The Scarlet Letter is set in the seventeenth century. It is an elaboration of a fact which the author took out of the life of the Puritan past.2. Transcendentalism took their ideas from___________ .A. the romantic literature in EuropeB. neo-PlatonismC. German idealistic philosophyD. the revelations of oriental mysticismABCD8. Transcendentalists recognized__________ as the "highest power of the soul.”A. intuition10. Transcendentalism appealed to those who disdained the harsh God of the Puritan ancestors, and it appealed to those who scorned the pale deity of New EnglandA. TranscendentalismB. HumanismC. NaturalismD. UnitarianismD13. The desire for an escape from society and a return to nature became a permanent convention of American literature, evident in _________ .A. James Fenimore Cooper's Leatherstocking TalesB. Henry David Thoreau’s WaldenC. Mark Twain’s Huckleberry FinnD. Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet LetterABC14. A preoccupation with the demonic and the mystery of evil marked the works of_________ , and a host of lesser writers.A. Nathaniel HawthorneB. Edgar Allan PoeC. Herman MelvilleD. Mark TwainABC16. In the nineteenth century America, Romantics often shared certain general characteristics. Choose such characteristics from the following.A. moral enthusiasmB. faith in the value of individualism and intuitive perceptionC. adoration for the natural worldD. presumption about the corrosive effect of human societyABCD17. Choose Washington Irving' s works from the following.A. The Sketch BookB. Bracebridge HallC. Tales of a TravellerD. A History of New YorkABCD18. In James Fenimore Cooper's novels, close after Natty Bumppo in romantic appeal , come the two noble red men. Choose them from the following.A. the Mohican Chief ChingachgookB. UncasC. Tom JonesD. Kubla KhanABIn 1817, the stately poem called Thanatopsis introduced the best poet___________ to appear in America up to that time.A. Edward TaylorB. Philip FreneauC. William Cullen BryantD. Edgar Allan PoeC To a Waterfowl Thanatopsis21. From the following, choose the poems written by Edgar Allan Poe.A. To HelenB. The RavenC. Annabel LeeD. The BellsABCD23. Edgar Allan Poe's first collection of short stories is___________ .D. Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque24. From the following, choose the characteristics of Ralph Waldo Emerson's poetry.A. being highly individualB. harsh rhythmsC. lack of form and polishD. striking imagesABCD25. Which book is not written by Ralph Waldo Emerson?A. Representative MenB. English TraitsC. NatureD. The RhodoraD26. Which essay is not written by Ralph Waldo Emerson?A. Of StudiesB. Self-RelianceC. The American ScholarD. The Divinity School AddressA30. Nathaniel Hawthorne's ability to create vivid and symbolic images that embody great moral questions also appears strongly in his short stories. Choose his short stories from the following.A. Young Goodman BrownB. The Great Stone FaceC. The Ambitious Guest ABCDD. Ethan BrandE. The Pearl32. Herman Melville called his friend Nathaniel Hawthorne_____________ in American literature.A. the largest brain with the largest heart34. __________ was a romanticized account of Herman Melville's stay among the Polynesians. The success of the book soon made Melville well known as the " man who lived among cannibals". Typee37. In the early nineteenth century American moral values were essentially Puritan. Nothing has left a deeper imprint on the character of the people as a whole than did__________ .A. Puritanism"The universe is composed of Nature and the soul... Spirit is present everywhere". This is the voice of the book Nature written by Emerson, which pushed American Romanticism into a new phase, the phase of New England______ Transcendentalism43. Which is generally regarded as the Bible of New England Transcendentalism?A. Nature45. _________ is an appalling fictional version of Nathaniel Hawthorne' s belief that "the wrong doing of one generation lives into the successive ones" and that evil will come out of evil though it may take many generations to happen.A. The Marble FaunB. The House of Seven GablesC. The Blithedale RomanceD. Young Goodman BrownBOnce upon a midnight dreary, while i pondered, weak and weary,Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door."Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door—Only this, and nothing more. "Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December,And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.Eagerly I wished the morrow; —vainly I had tried to borrowFrom my books surcease of sorrow-sorrow for the lost.Edgar Allan PoeThe RavenDescribe the mood of this poem: A sense of melancholy over the death of a beloved beautiful young woman pervades the whole poem, the portrayal of a young man grieving for his lost Leno-re, his grief turned to madness under the steady one-word repetition of the talking bird. Work 3: Nuture1.As the leading New England Transcendentalist, Emerson effected a most articulatesynthesis of the Transcendentalist views. One major element of his philosophy if hisfirm belief in the transcendence of the "Oversoul". His emphasis on the spirit runsthrough virtually all his writings. " Philosophically considered," he states in Nature,which is generally regarded as the Bible of New England Transcendentalism, "theuniverse is composed of Nature and the Soul. " He sees the world as phenomenal, and emphasizes the need for idealism, for idealism sees the world in God. "It beholds thewhole circle of persons and things, of actions and events, of country and religion, as one vast picture which God paints on the eternity for the contemplation of the soul. " Heregards nature as the purest, and the most sanctifying moral influence on man, andadvocated a direct intuition of a spiritual and immanent God in nature. In thisconnection, Emerson' s emotional experiences are exemplary in more ways than one.Alone in the woods one day, for instance, he experienced a moment of "ecstasy" which he records thus in his Nature:2.Standing on the bare ground, my head bathed by the blithe air and uplifted into infinitespace, all mean egotism vanishes. I become a transparent eyeball; I am nothing; I see all; the currents of the Universal Being circulate through me; I am part or particle of God.3.Now this is a moment of "conversion" when one feels completely merged with theoutside world, when one has completely sunk into nature and become one with it, and when the soul has gone beyond the physical limits of the body to share the omniscienceof the Oversoul. In a word, the soul has completely transcended the limits ofindividuality and beome part of the Oversoul. Emerson sees spirit pervadingeverywhere, not only in the soul of man, but behind nature, throughout nature. Theworld proceeds, as he observes, from the same source as the body of man. "TheUniversal Being" is in point of fact the Oversoul that he never stopped talking about for the rest of his life. Emerson' s doctrine of the Oversoul is graphically illustrated in such famous statements; "Each mind lives in the Grand mind," "There in one mind common to all individual men," and "Man is conscious of a universal soul within or behind his individual life. " In his opinion, man is made in the image of God and is just a little less than Him. This is as much as to say that the spiritual and immanent God is operative in the soul of man, and that man is divine. The divinity of man became, incidentally, a favorite subject in his lectures and essays.4.This naturally led to another, equally significant, Transcendentalist thesis, that theindividual, not the crowd, is the most important of all. If man depends upon himself, cultivates himself, and brings out the divine in himself, he can hop to become better and even perfect. This is what Emerson means by the "infinitude of the privates man. " He tried to convince people that the possibilities for man to develop and improve himself are infinite. Men should and could be self-reliant. Each man should feel the world as his, and the world exists for him alone. He should determine his own existence. Everyone should understand that he makes himself by making his world, and that he makes the world by making himself. " Know then that the world exists for you " he says. "Build therefore your own world. " "Trust thy self!" and "Make thyself!" Trust your owndiscretion and the world is yours. Thus, as Henry Nash Smith ventures to suggest,"Emerson' s message was eventually (to use a telegraphic abbreviation) self-reliance. "Emerson' s eye was on man as he could be or could become; he was in the mainoptimistic about human perfectibility. The regeneration of the individual leads to the regeneration of society. Hence his famous remark, "I ask for the individuals, not the nation. " Emerson ' s self-reliance was an expression, on a very high level, of thebuoyant spirit of his time, the hope that man can become the best person he could hope to be. Emerson ' s Transcendentalism, with its emphasis on the democraticindividualism, may have provided an ideal explanation for the conduct and activities of an expanding capitalist society. His essays such as "Power", "Wealth", and "Napoleon"(in his The Representative Men) reveal his ambivalence toward aggressiveness andself-seeking.5.To Emerson's Transcendentalist eyes, the physical world was vitalistic and evolutionary.Nature was, to him as to his Puritan forebears, emblematic of God. It mediates between man and God, and its voice leads to higher truth. " Nature is the vehicle of thought,"and " particular natural facts are symbols of particular spiritual facts. " Thus Emerson' s world was one of multiple significance; everything bears a second sense and an ulterior sense. In a word, " Nature is the symbol of spirit." That is probably why he called his first philosophical work Nature rather ihan anything else. The sensual man, Emerson feels, conforms thoughts to things, and man' s power to connect his thought with its proper symbol depends upon the simplicity and purity of his character; "The lover of nature is he who has retained the spirit of infancy even into the era of manhood. " To him nature is a wholesome moral influence on man and his character. A natural implication of Emerson' s view on nature isthat the world around is symbolic. A lowing river indicates the ceaseless motion of the universe. The seasons correspond to the life span of man. The ant, the little drudge, with a small body and a mighty heart, is the sublime image of man himself.爱⼈者，⼈恒爱之；敬⼈者，⼈恒敬之；宽以济猛，猛以济宽，政是以和。