John Milton

1、ReadingcomprehensionOneshortsleeppast,wewakeeternallyAnddeathshallbenomore;thoushaltdieQuestions:A.Identifythepoetandthepoem.B.Whatdoesthephrase“oneshortsleep”mean?C.Whatideadoesthesetwolinesexpress?Answers:A.ItistakenfromJohnDonne’sDeath,BeNotProud.B.Itmeansdeath.C.Itmeansthatshortlyafterwediewewillwakeup(asfromsleep)andliveeternally.Itrevealsthepoet’sbeliefinlifeafterdeath:deathisbutmomentarywhilehappinessafterdeathiseternal.Whatisallegory?Allegoryisaworkofartinwhichadeepermeaningunderliesthe。

2、superficialorliteralmeaningorthepresentationofanabstractideathroughconcretemeans.Itisoftenreferredtoaworkoffictioninwhichtheauthorintendscharactersandtheiractionstobeunderstoodintermsotherthantheirsurfaceappearancesandmeanings,andtheimpliedorextendedmeaningsinvolvedmoralorspiritualconceptsmoresignificantthantheactualnarrativeitself.WhatisthethemeofJohnBunyan’sThePilgrim’sProgress?1.ThePilgrim’sProgressisthemostsuccessfulreligiousintheEnglishlanguage.2.ItspurposeistourgepeopletocomplywithChristia。

3、ndoctrinesandseeksalvationthroughconstantstruggleswiththeirownweaknessandallkindsofsocialevils.3.Itisnotonlyaboutsomethingspiritualbutalsobearsmuchrelevancetothetime.Itspredominantmetaphor-----lifeasajourney----issimpleandfamiliar.ReadingcomprehensionNow,asIsaid,thewaytotheCelestialCityliesjustthroughthistownwherehislustyfairiskept;andhethatwillgotothecity,andyetnotgothroughthistown,mustneeds“gooutoftheworld”.ThePrinceofPrinceshimself,whenhere,wentthroughhistowntohisowncountry,andthatuponfairday。

4、,too.A.JohnBunyan:ThePilgrim’sProgress.B.JesusChrist.C.JohnBunyanistalkingaboutvanity,oneoftheevilsofhumanlife.Theideathateverybodyispotentiallyvainandvanityissomethingthatthe“world”encourages,andthatistakescourageandefforttogetridofoneofvanity.EvenJesusChrist(thePrinceofPrinces)wastroubledbyvanity,buthestoodthetestandconqueredit.ThusChristiansshoulddolikeChristiftheywishtoreachthekingdomofGod.JohnMilton(1608-1674)Keypointsanddifficulties(重点和难点)◆AnalyzetheimageofSataninParadiseLost(撒旦在失乐园中的人物分析)。

5、◆ThethemesofParadiseLost(失乐园的主题)◆InterpretingMilton’ssonnetOnHisBlindness(解读弥尔顿的十四行诗“咏失明”)JohnMiltonJohnMiltonisgenerallyregarded,nexttoWilliamShakespeare,asthegreatestEnglishpoet,ParadiseLostisconsideredoneofthefinestepicpoemsintheEnglishlanguage.I.BiographicalIntroduction◆bornintoaprosperousfamily◆receivedgoodeducationfromhisfather,privateteacher,studiedinSt.Paul’sandCambridgeUniversity◆livinginthecountryhouseandwritingpoetryforsomeyears◆tookpartinpoliticalactivitiesbywritingpublicworks◆in1652。

6、,becametotallyblindforhisheavyreadingandwriting◆threemarriageswithMaryPowell,KatherineWoodcock,ElizabethMinshullMilton’slifeandcareerMiltonshowshimselfarealrevolutionary,amasterpoetandagreatprosewriter.HefoughtforfreedominallaspectsasaChristianhumanist,whilehisachievementinliteraturemakehimtoweroveralltheotherEnglishwritersofhistimeandexertagreatinfluenceoverlaterones.JohnMilton’sliteraryAchievementtheearlypoeticworksThemiddlepamphletsThelastgreatpoemsInhisearlyworks,Miltonappearsastheinheritoro。

7、fallthatwasbestinElizabethanliterature.Innoblenessoflanguageandsentiment,ithasnosuperiorintheEnglishlanguage.Thepoembeginswithgriefandafeelingofimmaturity;thenthegriefisdeepenedbythesenseofirrecoverablelossinthesilencingofayoungpoet.Withthisbittersenseofloss,Miltonaskswhythejustandgoodshouldsuffer.Miltontooktheoccaiontoattack“thecorruptclergy”ofthetimeandprophesytheirruin.AtHorton,hewroteshorterpoems:L’Allegrodescribinghappiness;IlPenseroso,describingmeditation;andComus,,presentingamasqueorplay,。

8、inpraiseofmaidenlychastity.Lycidas(1637)isatypicalexample,composedforacollectionofelegiesdedicatedtoEdwardKing.Back•Miltondevotedalmosttwentyyearsofhisbestlifetothefightforpolitical,religiousandpersonallibertyasawriter.Hispowerfulpamphletswrittenduringthisperiodmakehimthegreatestprosewriterofhisage.Areopagitica(1644)isprobablyhismostmemorableprosework.Itisapleaforfreedomofthepress.In1644,thePresbyteriansinParliamenthadre-establishedthecensorshipofbooksbeforepublication.ThisfilledMiltonwithanoble。

9、rage.Hewroteandpublishedhisbest-knownprosework.Areopagiticaasadeclarationofpeople’sfreedomofthepress,hasbeenaweaponinthelaterdemocraticrevolutionarystruggles.BackAftertheRestorationin1660,whenhewasblindandsuffering,andwhenhewaspoorandlonely,Miltonwrotehisthreemajorpoeticalworks:BriefIntroduction√Milton’smasterpiece,andgreatEnglishepic.Heworkedfor7yearsuponit.√Alongepicin12books,doneinblankverse.√ThestoriesweretakenfromtheOldTestament,Basedonthebiblicallegend.ParadiseLostisalongepicdividedinto12b。

10、ooks,writteninblankverse.TheoriginalstoryistakenfromGenesis3:1-24oftheBible.InHeaven,Satanledarebellionagainstgod.Defeated,hehadhisrebelangelswerecastintoHell.However,Satanrefusedtoaccepthisfailure,vowingthat“allwasnotlost”andthathewouldseekrevengeforhisdownfall.ThepoemgoesontotellhowSatantookrevengebytemptingAdamandEve,thefirsthumanbeingscreatedbyGod,toeatfruitfromthetreeofknowledgeagainstGod’sinstructions.Fortheirdisobedience,AdamandEveweredrivenoutofParadise.Theyweresorryforwhattheyhad。