英国文学选读-简答题

1.WhatareShakespeare’sachievements?a.Shakespearerepresentedthetrendofhistoryingivingvoicetodedesiresandaspirationsofthepeople.b.Shakespeare’shumanism:moreimportantthanhishistoricalsenseofhistime,Shakespeareinhisplaysreflectsthespiritofhisage.c.Shakespeare’scharacterization:Shakespearewasmostsuccessfulinhischaracterization.Inhisplayshedescribedagreatnumberofcharacters.d.Shakespeare’soriginality:Shakespearedrewmostofhismaterialsfromsourcesthatwereknowntohisaudience.Buthisplaysareoriginalbecauseheinstilledintotheoldmaterialsanewspiritthatgivesnewlifetohisplays.e.Shakespeareasagreatpoet:Shakespearewasnotonlyagreatdramatist,butalsoagreatpoet.Apartfromhissonnetsandlongpoems,hisdramasarepoetry.f.ShakespeareasmasteroftheEnglishlanguage.2.Whatarethebasiccharacteristicsofballads?a.Thebeginningisoftenabrupt.b.Therearestrongdramaticelements.c.Thestoryisoftentoldthroughdialogueandaction.d.Thethemeisoftentragic,thoughthereareanumberofcomicballads.e.Theballadmeterisused.3.HowdoyouinterpretHumanism?WiththespreadingoftheGreekandRomanculturethereappearedanumberofhumanistscholarswhotookgreatinterestinthewelfareofhumanbeings.Accordingtothemitwasagainsthumannaturetosacrificethehappinessofthislifeforanafterlife.Theyarguedthatmanshouldbegivenfullfreedomtoenrichtheirintellectualandemotionallife.Inreligiontheydemandedthereformationofthechurch,inartandliterature,insteadofsingingpraisetoGod,theysanginpraiseofmanandofthepursuitofhappinessinthislife.Humanismshatteredtheshacklesofspiritualbondageofman’smindbytheRomanCatholicChurchandopenedhiseyesto“abravenewworld”infrontofhim.4.HowdoyousumupthecharacteristicsofNeo-Classicism?a.Peopleemphasizedreasonratherthanemotion,formratherthancontent.b.Asreasonwasstressed,mostofthewritingsoftheageweredidacticandsatirical.c.Aselegance,correctness,appropriatenessandrestraintwerepreferred,thepoetfoundclosedcouplettheonlypossibleverseformforseriouswork.d.Itisalmostexclusivelya“town”poetry,cateringtotheinterestsofthe“society”ongreatcities.Thehumbleraspectsoflifeareneglectedanditshowsnoloveofnature,landscape,orcountrythingsandpeople.e.Itisentirelywantinginallthoseelementsthatarerelatedwiththe“romantic”.5.WhatisthesignificanceofTheCanterburyTales?a.ItgivesacomprehensivepictureofChaucer’stime.b.Thedramaticstructureofthepoemhasbeenhighlycommendedbycritics.IntheCanterburyTales,storiesarerelatedtothepersonalitiesofthetellers.c.Chaucer’shumor:humorisacharacteristicfeatureoftheEnglishliterature.Hisgentlesatireandmildirony.d.Chaucer’scontributiontotheEnglishlanguage.ChaucergreatlyincreasedtheprestigeoftheEnglishlanguage.6.PleasesummarizethecharacteristicfeaturesoftheRomanticMovement.a.Subjectivism:romanticpoetsdescribepoetryas“thespontaneousoverflowofpowerfulfeelings”whichexpressesthepoet’smind.b.Spontaneity:Wordsworthdefinespoetryas“thespontaneousoverflowoffeelings”.Theroleofinstinct,intuition,andthefeelingsof“theheart”isstressed.c.Singularity:romanticpoetshaveastronglovefortheremote,theunusual,thestrange,thesupernatural,themysterious,thesplendid,thepicturesque,andtheillogical.d.Worshipofnature:theromanticpoetsareworshippersofnature,especiallythesublimeaspectofanaturalscene.e.Simplicity:romanticpoetstaketousingeverydaylanguagespokenbytherusticpeopleasopposedtothepoeticdictionusedbyneo-classicwriters.Thereisadominatingnoteofmelancholyinthepoemsoftheromanticpoets.f.Itwasanageofpoetrybywhichthepoetsoutpouredtheirfeelingsandemotions.7.WhatisWilliamWordsworth’sdefinitionoftheword“poet”?Hedefinespoetryas“thespontaneousoverflowofpowerfulfeelings”.8.WhatarethemainfactorsthatexplaintheriseofnovelsasadominantliterarygenreduringtheVictorianage?First,thegrowthofurbanpopulationresultedintheappearanceofanewreadingpublic.Second,withthedevelopmentofthemethodofprintingandpapermaking,thepriceofbooksdropped,andbesidesregularbooks,therewereserialpublications.Inaddition,manylibrariesweresetupbyphilanthropistssothatbookswerenowavailabletoreaderswhocouldnotaffordtobuybooks.Third,writinghadbecomeaprofession,whichmadeitpossibleforthewriterstomakealivingbywriting.Fourth,withtheascendancyoftheindustrialcapitalists,themajorityofwhomlivedanidlelifeoninterests,therewasalargeidleclasswhoneededrecreationandentertainment.Novelsmetwiththeirdesires.Fifth,theconditionsofthetimeandthedirepovertyontheonehandandtheenormouswealthontheotherhandneededasecularformtoexplorehumanrelationsratherthansermonsgiveninthechurch.Finally,thefeministmovementhadmuchtodowiththegrowthofthenovel.9.PleasesummarizeDickens’artistictechniques.a.Dickenshasatendencytodepictthegrotesque(veryoddorunusual,fantasticallyuglyorabsurd)charactersorevents.b.Dickenslovestoinstilllifeintoinanimatethingsandtocompareanimatebeingstoinanimatethings.c.Dickensisnotedforhisdescriptionsofpatheticscenesthataimtoarousepeople’ssympathy.10.PleasedefineRobertBrowning’sdramaticmonologue.Apoeminwhichthereisoneimaginaryspeakeraddressinganimaginaryaudience.Inhisdramaticmonologues,hepenetratestodepththepsychologyofhischaractersandthroughtheirownspeeches,heanalyzesanddissectshischaractersandrevealstheinne