英国文学史 18th Century

Chapters6,7and8I.The18thCentury:theAgeofEnlightenment1.Englandenteredaperiodofacomparativelypeacefuldevelopment.2.Thetwomainhostileparties:theliberalWhigs—safeguardpopularliberty;theconservativeTories—leaveasmuchauthorityaspossibleintheroyalhands3.Thepressbecameamightypower,andanywriterwithatalentforargumentorsatirewasalmostcertaintobehiredbypartyleaders.4.Thesociallifedevelopedrapidly.inearlierages:individualisminthe1sthalfofthiscentury:sociability5.Withtheadventofthe18thcentury,theresprangintolifeapublicmovementknownastheenlightenment.Enlightenmentanexpressionofstruggleoftheprogressiveclassofbourgeoisieagainstfeudalismfoughtagainstclassinequality,stagnation,prejudicesandothersurvivalsoffeudalismplaceallbranchesofscienceattheserviceofmankindbyconnectingthemwiththeactualdeedsandrequirementsofthepeopletheproblemofmansupersedingallotherproblemsinliteraturerepudiatethefalsereligiousdoctrinesabouttheviciousnessofhumannature;provethatmanisbornkindandhonest;ifdepraved,onlyduetotheinfluenceofcorruptedsocialenvironment.pronetoacceptbourgeoisrelationshipsasrightfulandreasonablerelationshipsamongpeople.II.Literaryfeaturesanageofproseratherthanpoetryabalancebetweenrespectfortheoldandtheemergenceofnewforms,andbetweenreasonandemotionaliteratureofreason,commonsense,andrepudiationofenthusiasmandsentimentreasonnotstrongenoughtototallystampoutthesparksofemotionwriters’closerlookatthesocialproblemsandputtingthingstorightsbycriticizingthesocietytheincreaseofthedemandforliteratureIII.Poetry1.neoclassicismA.Thebasicfeaturesofneoclassicisma.frequentallusionsandreferencestoGreekandRomanmythologyandtoancientwritersandhistoriansb.predilectionforabstractionsandexcessiveuseofpersonificationsc.respectforandpromotionoforderandreasonwithemphasisonclarityofthoughtandorderlystructured.focusonformalperfectionlikemetricregularity,aversiontoverbosity,andloveofgracefullanguagee.aconspicuouswantoffeelingandsentimentB.Thedominantneoclassicformwastheheroiccouplet.C.Neoclassicpoetrytendstoproducetheeffectofanartificiallytrimmedbeauty,beautifulbutoftenlifeless.D.AlexanderPope(1688-1744)a.aleadingfigureofneoclassicismb.themostimportantEnglishpoetofthe18thcenturyc.hiswell-knownworks:EssayonCriticism(1711),《论批评》TheRapeoftheLock(1712),《秀发劫》thetranslationofIliad(1715-1720),TheDunciad(1743),《群愚史诗》EssayonMan(1733),《论人》AnEpistletoDr.Arbuthnot(1735),《致阿巴思诺特医生书》d.hisadvocacyAllliteraryworksshouldbejudgedbyclassicrulesoforder,reason,logic,goodtaste(choiceofwords),restrainedemotionandcharmofexpression.e.hislanguagestyleconcise,smooth,graceful,well-balancedf.hiscontributionstothetheoryandpracticeofprosodyHeelaboratedcertainregulationsforthestyleofpoeticalworksandmadepopulartheso-calledheroiccouplet.2.Pre-romanticism(inthelate18thcentury)A.changingmodesinpoetryreject:reason→accept:feelingssociety→natureimitation→innovationcity→countrysideTouchingonmattersoftheheartlikelove,death,andloyalty,andfreshandemotionalintoneandmood,thepoemscontributedagooddealtowardrevivinginterestinandrestoringfeelingtopoetry.B.WilliamBlake(1757-1827)a.themostindependentandthemostoriginaloftheromanticpoetsofthe18thcenturyb.hissimplepoeticform:inquatrain(4lines)andordinarylanguagec.richandprofoundcontentinhispoemsd.rhetoricalfiguresinhispoems:metaphors,symbolismC.RobertBurns(1759-1796)a.thegreatestofScottishpoetsb.Love,humor,pathos,theresponsetonature—allthepoeticqualitiesthattouchthehumanheartareinhispoems.c.ThegreatpoetdrewhisinspirationfromthetreasuryofScotchfolklore.d.InhispoemsBurnsglorifiedanaturalman—ahealthy,joyousandcleverScotchpeasant.IV.Novel1.Thenovelasagenreprosperednotonlyinthepractice,butalsointhetheoryofthecraft.2.Thewritersdevelopedtherealisticmethodofpresentationandbroughtstory-tellinginfinitelyclosertothereallife.3.Incharacterization,thenovelistsoftheperiodtriedtoapproximatethebehaviorofthepeopleoffleshandblood.4.Inlanguage,thenoveliststriedtoborrowfromthecommonspeechofthepeople.5.Thenovelistsdrewdiligentlyfromtheirexperienceofwritingandtriedtooffertheirviewsabouthowthenovelshouldbewellwritten.6.TheimageofanenterprisingEnglishmanofthe18thcenturywascreatedbyDanielDefoeinhisfamousnovelRobinsonCrusoewhichwasoneoftheforerunnersoftheEnglish18thcenturyrealisticnovel.7.ItwasHenryFieldingandTobiasGeorgeSmolletwhobecametherealfoundersofthegenreofthebourgeoisrealisticnovelinEnglandandEurope.8.Alongwiththedepictionofmoralsandmannersandsocialmodeoflife,thewriteroftheEnlightenmentbegantodisplayaninterestintheinnermostlifeofanindividual.9.Themiddleofthe18thcenturyinEnglandseestheinceptionofanewliterarycurrent—thatofsentimentalism.A.SentimentalismcameintobeingasaresultofabitterdiscontentonthepartofcertainEnlightenersinsocialreality.B.ThelaterEnlightenersofEnglandfoundthepowerofreasontobeinsufficient,andthereforeappealedtosentimentasameansofachievinghappinessandsocialjustice.C.ThemostoutstandingfigureofEnglishsentimentalismwasLaurenceSterne(1713-1768).Hisworksrevealapurelyemotionalapproachtolifeonthepartofthenarrator.10.AnotherconspicuousintheEnglishliter