美国文学名词解释

美国文学名词解释1、AmericanPuritanism:PuritanismisthepracticesandbeliefsofthePuritans.ThePuritanswereoriginallymembersofadivisionoftheProtestantChurch.ThefirstsettlerswhobecamethefoundingfathersoftheAmericannationwerequiteafewofthem.Theywereagroupofserious,religiouspeople,advocatinghighlyreligiousandmoralprinciples.Astheworditselfhints,Puritanswantedtopuritytheirreligiousbeliefsandpractices.Theyacceptedthedoctrineofpredestination,originalsinandtotaldepravity,andlimitedatonementthroughaspecialinfusionofgraceformGod.Asacultureheritage,PuritanismdidhaveaprofoundinfluenceontheearlyAmericanmind.AmericanPuritanismalsohadaenduringinfluenceonAmericanliterature.2、AmericanRealism:InAmericanliterature,theCivilWarbroughttheRomanticPeriodtoanend.TheAgeofRealismcameintoexistence.Itcameasareactionagainstthelieofromanticismandsentimentalism.Realismturnedfromanemphasisonthestrangetowardafaithfulrenderingoftheordinary,asliceoflifeasitisreallylived.Itexpressestheconcernforcommonplaceandthelow,anditoffersanobjectiveratherthananidealisticviewofhumannatureandhumanexperience.3、Transcendentalism:InNewEngland,anintellectualmovementknownastranscendentalismdevelopedasanAmericanversionofRomanticism.ThemovementbeganamonganinfluentialsetofauthorsbasedinConcord,MassachusettsandwasledbyRalphWaldoEmerson.LikeRomanticism,transcendentalismrejectedboth18thcenturyrationalismandestablishedreligion,whichforthetranscendentalistsmeantthePuritantraditioninparticular.Thetranscendentalistscelebratedthepowerofthehumanimaginationtocommunewiththeuniverseandtranscendthelimitationsofthematerialworld.Theyfoundtheirchiefsourceofinspirationinnature.Emerson’sessayNaturewasthemajordocumentofthetranscendentalschoolandstatedtheideasthatweretoremaincentraltoit.4、Freeverse:freeverseistherhymedorunrhymedpoetrycomposedwithoutattentiontoconventionalrulesofmeter.FreeversewasfirstwrittenandlabeledbyagroupofFrenchpoetsofthelate19thcentury.Theirpurposewastodeliverpoetryfromtherestrictionsofformalmetricalpatternsandtorecreatethefreerhythmsofnaturalspeech.WaltWhitmanwastheprecursorwhowrotelinesofvaryinglengthandcadence,usuallynotrhymed.Theemotionalcontentormeaningoftheworkwasexpressedthroughitsrhythm.FreeversehasbeencharacteristicoftheworkofmanymodernAmericanpoets,includingEzraPoundandCarlSandburg.5、Naturalism:Amoredeliberatekindofrealisminnovels,storiesandplays,usuallyinvolvingaviewofhumanbeingsaspassivevictimsofnaturalforcesandsocialenvironment.Naturalismwasanewandharsherrealism.Itdevelopedonthebasisofrealismbutwentastepfurtherthanitinportrayingsocialreality.6、LostGeneration:AlsotermedtheSadYoungMen,whichwascreatedbyF.S.FitzgeraldinhisbookAlltheSadYoungMen.Thetermingeneralreferstothepost-WorldWarIgeneration,butspecificallyagroupofUSwriterswhocameofageduringthewarandestablishedtheirreputationinthe1920s.ItstemsfromaremarkmadebyGertrudeSteintoErnestHemingway,“Youareallalostgeneration.”HemingwayuseditasanepigraphtoTheSunAlsoRises,anovelthatcapturestheattitudesofahard-drinking,fastlivingsetofdisillusionedyoungexpatriatesinpostwarParis.Thegenerationwas“lost”inthesensethatitsinheritedvalueswerenolongerrelevantinthepostwarworldandbecauseofitsspiritualalienationfromUS,theyseemedhopelesslyprovincial,materialistic,andemotionallybarren.ThetermembracesHemingway,Fitzgerald,DosPassos,E.E.Cummingsandsoon.7、Internationaltheme：ThemeetingofAmericaandEurope,AmericaninnocenceincontrastwithEuropeandecadenceandthemoralandpsychologicalcomplicationsarisingtherefore.ThetypicalpatternoftheconflictbetweenthetwoculturescouldbethatofayoungAmericanmanorgirlwhogoestoEuropeandaffrontshisorherdestiny.MarriageandloveareusedbyJamesasthefocalpointoftheconfrontationbetweenthetwovalueSystems,andtheprotagonistusuallygoesthroughapainfulprocessofspiritualgrowth,gainingknowledgeofgoodandevilfromtheconflict.8、Symbolism:ItisamovementinliteratureandthevisualartsthatoriginatedinFranceinthepoetryofCharlesBaudelaireinthelate19thcentury.Inliterature,symbolismwasanaestheticmovementthatencouragedwriterstoexpresstheirideas,feelings,andvaluesbymeansofsymbolsorsuggestionsratherthanbydirectstatements.HawthorneandMelvillearemastersofsymbolisminAmericainthe19thcentury.美国文学名词解释1.Puritans:isEnglishprotestant,onedivisionofProtestant(onedivisionofChristianity,appearedinthe16thc,againsttherulingRomanCatholic.InEngland,thereweremanydivisionsinprotestant,forinstance,Quakers,Baptism,震颤派，喧嚣派).TheyregardedthereformationoftheChurchunderElizabethasincomplete,andcalledforitsfurther“purification”fromwhattheyconsideredtobeunscripturalandcorruptformsandceremoniesretainedfromtheunreformedchurch.Theyobjected,forinstance,tothewearingofthesurpliceandtogovernmentbytheprelates,andtheydemandedtherighttopartakeofthecommunioninasittingposture.TheirMillenaryPetition(1603)requestedareformofthechurchcourts,adoingawaywith“superstitious”customs,adiscardingoftheuseofapocryphalbooksoftheBible,aseriousobservanceoftheSabbath,andvariousecclesiasticalreforms.The17thcenturyAmericanPuritansincludedtwoparts:onepartofthemwerethecreatorsofthePlymouthcolony,called“Separatists”.