英国文学史及选读第一册

英国文学史选读第一册PartITheAnglo-SaxonPeriod(449-1066)Theliterature:Theliteratureofthisperiodfallsnaturallyintotwodivisions:pagan(异教徒文学)andChristian(基督徒文学)Form:AlliterativeverseThecomingofChristianitymeantnotsimplyanewlifeandleaderforEngland;itmeantalsothewealthofanewlanguage.Caedmon(开德蒙)wroteapoeticParaphraseoftheBible.Thegreatepic—TheSongofBeowulf:TheSongofBeowulfcanbejustlytermedEngland’snationalepicanditsheroBeowulf—oneofthenationalheroesoftheEnglishpeople.PartIITHEANGLO-NORMANPERIOD(1066-1350)Background:theNormansheadedbyWilliam,defeatedtheAnglo-Saxon.Theliterature:Theliteratureisremarkableforitsbright,romantictalesofloveandadventure.EnglishliteratureisalsoacombinationofFrenchandSaxonlanguage.Literarywork:SirGawainandtheGreenKnightTermexplanation:Romance(传奇):RomancewasatypeofliteraturethatwasverypopularintheMiddleAges.Itisaboutthelifeandadventuresundertakenbyaknight.Itreflectedthespiritofchivalry.Thecontentofromance:love,religion,chivalry.Itinvolvesfightingandadventures.PartIIIGEOFFREYCHAUCER(1340?-1400)GeoffreyChaucer,the“fatherofEnglishpoetry”andoneofthegreatestnarrativepoetsofEngland.Chaucer’screativeworkvividlyreflectedthechangeswhichhadtakenrootinEnglishcultureofthesecondhalfofthe14century.thChaucerchosethemetricalform(格律诗)whichlaidthefoundationoftheEnglishtonico-syllabicverse.AndalsofoundtheLondondialectastheEnglishliterarylanguage.Works:TheCanterburyTalesTermexplanation:PopularBallads：ThemostimportantdepartmentofEnglishfolkliteratureistheballad.Balladsareanonymousnarrativesongsthathavebeenpreservedbyoraltransmission,usuallyin4-linestanzas,withthesecondandfourthlinerhymed.Thesubjectsofballadsarevarious,asthestruggleofyoungloversagainsttheirfeudal-mindedfamilies.BishopThomaswasamongthefirsttotakealiteraryinterestinballads.Therearevariouskindsofballads:historical,legendary,fantastical,lyricalandhumorous.TheparamountballadisRobinHoodandAllin-a-Dale.CommentsonRobinHood:RobinHoodisapartlyhistoricalandpartlylegendarycharacter.ThefirstmentionofRobinHoodinliteratureisinWilliamLangland’sTheVisionofPiers,thePlowman.ThecharacterofRobinHoodismany-sided.Strong,braveandclever,heisatthesametimetender-heartedandaffectionate.Hishatredforthecrueloppressorsistheresultofhisloveforthepooranddowntrodden.Works:RobinHoodandAllin-a-DaleGetupandBartheDoorSirPatrickSpensPARTIVTHERENAISSANCE(1485-1603)anageofdramaandlyricalpoetryThe16centuryinEnglandwasaperiodofthebreakingupoffeudalthrelationsandtheestablishingofthefoundationsofcapitalism.Termexplanation:Renaissance:1)renaissancewasaculturalmovementthatspannedroughlythe14centurytothe17century.WiththedevelopmentofththbourgeoisrelationshipsandformationoftheEnglishnationalstatethisperiodismarkedbyaflourishingofnationcultureknownastheRenaissance.Thetermrenaissanceoriginallyindicatedarevivalofclassical(GreekandRoman)artsandsciencesafterthedarkagesofmedievalobscurantism(蒙昧主义).ThegreatestoftheEnglishhumanistswereThomasMoreandWilliamShakespeare.2)Theme:theexpressionofsecularvalueswithmaninsteadofGodasthecenteroftheuniverse.Itemphasizesthedignityofman,valuesofman.3)Twomajortypes:dramaandlyricalpoetry.Itaffirmstheearthlyachievement,man’sdesireforhappinessandpleasure.Works:1.ThomasMore:humanist,utopia(giveaprofoundandtruthfulpictureofthepeople’ssufferingsandputforwardhisidealofafuturehappysociety.2.FrancisBacon:scientistandphilosopher;hisworksmaybedividedontothreeclasses:thephilosophical,theliterary,andtheprofessionalessays3.ThomasWyatt:thefirsttointroducethesonnetintoEnglishliterature.4.EdmundSpenser:TheFairyQueen5.JohnLyly:Eupheus;gaverisetotheterm“euphuism”,designatinganaffectedstyleofcourtspeech.6.ChristopherMarlowe:thegreatestpioneersofEnglishdrama;madeblandversetheprincipalvehicleexpressionindrama.7.RobertGreene:GeorgeGreen,thePinnerofWakefield8.WilliamShakespeare:oneofthefirstfoundersofrealism,amasterhandatrealisticportrayalofhumancharactersandrelations.Hamlet(HamletisconsideredtobethesummitofShakespeare’sart.ThewholetragedyispermeatedwiththespiritofShakespeare’sowntime.HamletistheprofoundestexpressionofShakespeare’shumanismandhiscriticismofcontemporarylife.)PARTVTHE17THCENTURYTHEPERIODOFREVOLUTIONANDRESTORATIONLiterarycharacteristicsinthisperiod:The17centurywasoneofthemosttempestuousperiodsinEnglishthhistory.Thecontradictionsbetweenthefeudalsystemandthebourgeoisiehadreacheditspeakandresultedinarevolutionaryoutburst.(1)ThePuritaninfluence:medievalstandardofchivalry,theimpossibleloveandromancesperished.ThePuritansbelievedinsimplicityoflife.Theydisapprovedofthesonnetsandlovepoetry.TheBiblebecamenowtheonebookofthepeople.(2)theexaggerationofthe“metaphysical”poetsPoetrytooknewandstartlingforms.Prosebecamesomber.Thespiritualgloomsoonerorlaterfastensuponallthewritersofthisage.Thisso-calledgloomyageproducedsomeminorpoemsofexquisiteworkmanship,andonegreatmasterofversewhoseworkwouldglorifyanyageorpeople---JohnMilton.(3)TheFrenchinfluenceismostmarkedinthedrama.Rimedcoupletsinsteadofblankverse;Theunities,amoreregularconstruction,andthepresentationratherthanindividual;Thecomediesarecoarseinlanguagea