英国文学史名词解释

Alexandrine：averseof12syllablesin6iambicswithacaesuraafterthe3rdiambic.Allegory:afigurativenarrativeordescription,conveyingaveiledmoralmeaning,anextendedmetaphor.Alliteration:therepetitionofinitialconsonantsoundsineachverseline,usuallytwoalliteratingwordsinthefirsthalf-lineandoneinthesecondhalf-lineorviseversa.Anapaest(anapest):ametricalfootconsistingof2shortsyllablesfollowedby1longsyllable,or2unstressedsyllablesfollowedbyonestressedsyllable.Ballad:ashortnarrativepoeminrhythmicverse,oftensungbyminstrelstotheaccompanimentofmusicoftheexploitsofwarriors,theadventuresoflovers,mysteriesoffairyland,andvarioushumorousincidents.Blankverse:unrhymedverselinesofiambicpentameter.Canto:amajordivisioninalongpoem,similartoachapterinanovel.Chivalry:thesystem,spirit,orcustomsofmedievalknighthoodandthequalitiesoftheidealknightsuchasbravery,honour,protectionoftheweakandgeneroustreatmentoffoes.Chronicler:amedievalpersonwhowasgiventhetasktorecordhistoricalincidentspfhistime.Comedyofhumours:aComedycreatedbyBenJonsoninwhichtheprevailingeccentricitiesandrulingpassionsofcharacterareexposedtoridiculeandsatire.Conceit:Aunusuallyfar-fetchedorelaboratemetaphororsimilepresentingasurprisinglyaptparallelbetweentwoapparentlydissimilarthingsorfeelings.Dramaticmonologue:apoemdeliveredinadramaticmannerbyasinglepersonaspeakerwhoisnotidentifiedwiththepoetusuallytoachieveanironicaleffect.Elegy:asongorpoemofmourning,pervadedbyatoneofdeepmelancholy.Epic:alongnarrativepoemaboutmenofthearistocraticclassinvolvedinaseriesofactionsthataresignificantinthedevelopmentofanation,usuallywithacentralherotounifytheseactions.Empathy:isthecapacitytorecognizeorunderstandanother'sstate,whichisoftencharacterizedastheabilitytoputoneselfintoanother'sshoes,ortoinsomewayexperiencetheoutlookoremotionsofanotherbeingwithinoneself.Fabliau:ashorttaleinverselinesofoctosyllabiccouplets,dealingmostoftenwithcomicincidentsinordinarylife.Foot:ametricalunitof2syllables.Gleeman:atravelingmusicianandsinger.Gothicnovel:talesofmacabre,fantasticandsupernaturalhappenings,setinhauntedcastles,graveyards,ruinsandwildlandscapesandoftenwithaweakorinnocentheroinegoingthroughsomehorribleexperiences.Heroiccouplet:apairofrhyminglinesofiambicpentameter.Heroicplay:arhymedplaycreatedbyJohnDryden,inwhichincrediblenobleheroesandheroinesconfrontingincredibledifficultchoicesbetweenloveandhonour.Hymn:asongorlyricpoemsettomusicinpraiseofadivineorveneratedbeing.Iambicpentameter:averselinesoffeetoftheiambicrhythmImagism:a20th-centurymovementinpoetryadvocatingfreeverseandtheexpressionofideasandemotionsthroughclearimages.Irony:theuseofwordstoexpresssthotherthanoroppositeoftheliterarymeaning,andalsoahumourousorsardonicliterarystyleorformcharacterisedbyirony.Kenning:ametaphoricalcircumlocutionsignifyingapersonorthingbyacharacteristicorqualityanddeliveredinaparaphrasingmanner.Legend:astorycomingdownfromthepast,especiallyonepopularlyregardedashistoricalthroughnotveritable.Lyricpoem:apoeticcompositionsuitableforexpressingdirect,usuallyintensepersonalfeelings.Minstrel:amedievalmusicentertainer.Asingerofversetotheaccompanimentofaharp.Miracles(miracleplays):adramaticrepresentationintheMiddleAgesofthelifeofChristandthesaints.Mockepic(mockheroic):aparodyintheepicstyleforridiculingorburlesquingpurposes.Moralityplay:amedievalallegoricalplaywithcharacterspersonifyinghumanqualities.Mystery(mysteryplay):adramaticrepresentationintheMiddleAgesofthemiraclesdescribedintheBible,previouslyalsocalledmiracleplay.Octosyllabics:verselinesconsistingof8syllablesofiambicrhythm.Ode:apoemintendedoradaptedtobesungintheancienttime,butarhymedlyricpoemoftenofanaddressinthemoderntimes,withdignifiedandexaltedorsimpleandfamiliarsubjects.Pastoralpoem:apoemofescapeintothecountrypleasuresblendingtheidealizationwithamoreauthenticpictureofcountrylife,sometimeswithshepherdsandshepherdessesascharacters.Poeticjustice:fittingpunishment,usuallyinliterature,totheonewho'sdoneevil.Picaresquenovel:anovelwithepisodesorincidentslooselystrungtogetherbyalowly-borntricksterorapicaro.Problemplay:aplayinwhichsocialproblemsconstitutingmostofthedramaticactionwithin-depthanalysesandoftenwithdebates.personalmythology:AsystemofmythsevolvedbyanindividualwriterQuatrain:astanzaconsistingof4linesrhymedinavarietyofways.Romance:amedievaltalebasedonlegend,chivalricloveandadventures,oraprosenarrativetreatingimaginarycharactersinvolvedinheroic,adventurous,ormysteriouseventsremoteintimeandplace.Saga:anancientIcelandicorScandinaviantale,relatingeitherhistoricaleventorthefeatsoflegendaryheroes,oramodernnarrativeoftheexperiencesofseveralgenerationsofadistinguishedfamily.Sequencenovel:anovelcontinuingthecourseofanarrativebeguninthepreceedingone.Sonnet:apoemconsistingof14linesof10syllableseachinEnglish.TheEnglishsonnet:asonnetof14iambicpentameterlinesdividedintoanoctaveandasestetrhymingabbaabbacdecde.TheShakespeariansonnet:asonnetof14iambicpentameterlinesdividedintoa12-linesunitfollowedbya2-lineconclusionrhymingababcdcdefefgg.Stanza:adivisionofapoemconsistingofaseriesoflinesarrangedto