一万英国文学及作品选读复习笔记整理

Part

one

Pre-Classicism The Middle Ages ( 449 -- 1485 )

General Colors of English Literature

：

1. Elegant and standard in language;

2. Melancholy

and ironical in style or in tone; 3. Conventional and conservative in thematic concern and in

literary thoughts.

Main Literary Achievements

Anglo-Saxon Period

Beowulf

--

England’s national epic

It well reveals the features of Anglo

—

Saxon English, such as

1)

wide use of alliteration,

2) metaphors and understatements, 3)mixture of pagan and Christian elements.

Alliteration

：

Two or more words in a phrase or line have the same initial sound.

2. The Anglo-Norman Period

1

）

The Romances

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

2

）

English Ballads (Popular Ballads)

“

The character of Robin Hood is many

—

sided. Strong, brave and clever, he is at the

same time tender-hearted and affectionate

?

But the dominant key in his character is

his hatred for the cruel oppressors and his love for the poor and downtrodden.

”

(Liu

Bingshan, 20)

3) The Medieval Drama

3. Geoffrey Chaucer (1340

—

1400)

Chaucer

’

s main contributions to English literature (language) can be found from language

aspect.

1) It is Chaucer who formally finished the blend of three languages, Anglo-Saxon

English, Norman

’

s French and Latin to shape the early form of modern English. It is he

who first

used London Dialect

English

in

formal

writing,

and

it

is

due

to

his

writing

that

modern English became the only national language accepted by

all English people.2) Based

on

his

application

of

London

Dialect

English

in

his

writings,

English

became

a

bridge

between literature and

the great public. 3) First use of

“

heroic couplet

”

( the rhymed

couplet of 5 accents in iambic meter/the rhymed couplet of iambic pentameter)4) He devoted

a

masterpiece

The

Canterbury

Tales

to

English

literature,

which

remains

a

classic

with

sufficient heritage in both language and artistic achievements.

4.

The Canterbury Tales

(General Prologue)

1) Its social significance:

The

Canterbury

Tales

is

more

than

a

mere

collection

of

true-to-life

pictures.

Taking

the

stand

of

the rising

bourgeoisie,

Chaucer

affirms

men

and women

’

s

right

to pursue

their

happiness on earth and opposes the dogma of asceticism preached by the church.

As a forerunner of humanism, he praised man

’

s energy, intellect, quick wit and love of life.

His tales expose and satirize the evils of the time and attack the corruption of the church.

( Liu Bingshan,28)

2

）

sample reading

?

They suggest a state of strength, vigor, vitality, life and imply the return of life.

?

Study on Images:

?

In category, we can classify the images in this part into four groups

1

．

Showers,

liquid

are

concerned

with

water

or

rain

that

becomes

the

source

of

life

and

vitality;

, bud, flowers, wood and field are the signs of living things which suggest the return of

life;

s, sun, birds are the living things which either brings about or engenders life or the

real life form;

s, pilgrims and people are the waken people who are hopeful and pious, longing for

better future and dedicating to the martyred saint.

3

）

Features of Chaucer’s Writing:

a : Simple and expressive language b :Optimistic tone; c:

Thematic concern

–

the rising and advancing society.

Part

two The English Renaissance (1485-1660)

Renaissance: rebirth of learning

I: Background Information

1. Historically, we have to pay attention to the following events in this period: 1) Henry

Ⅶ

came to power in 1485

；

2) Henry

Ⅷ

’s break with the Rome Catholics

in 1533 (Protestant

Reformation); 3) Victory over Spain by defeating Spanish Armada in 1588.

2.

Economically,

we

have

to

remember

these

facts:

1)The

Enclosure

Movement

(

“

Sheep Devoured Men

”

); 2)The expansion of the territory.

3.

Culturally,

we

have

to

be

aware

of

the

following

facts:

1)James

Ⅰ

authorized

the

publication

of

the

Bible

2)

The

Puritan

Revolution

3)

The

Renaissance:

a)

Historical

significance b)

―

Three worships

‖

c) Main traits

a) Historical Significance: It signified the beginning of the disruption of feudal system and

became

a

movement

against

feudalism

and

hierarchy

as

time went

on.

It was the

greatest

progressive revolution that mankind has so far experienced, a time which called for giants

and

produced

giants

–

giants

in

power

of

thought,

passion,

character,

in

universality

and

learning.

---Engels

b)

“

Three Worships

‖

: Classical works; Humanism; Science and knowledge

?

The love of classics was but an expression of the general dissatisfaction at Catholic

and

feudal

ideas. ...

Another

feature

of

the

Renaissance

is

the

keen

interest

in

the

activities of humanity. People ceased to look upon themselves as living only for God

and

a

future

world.

Thinkers,

artists

and

poets

arose,

who

gave

expression,

sometimes

in

an

old

guise,

though,

to

the

new

feeling

of

admiration

for

human

beauty

and

human

achievement,

a

feeling

in

a

sharp

contrast

with

theology.

Humanism is the key-note of the Renaissance which reflected the new outlook of the

rising bourgeois class.

(Liu Bingshan: 34)

?

What

a

piece

of

work

is

a

man!

How

noble

in

reason!

How

infinite

in

faculty!

In

form

and

moving

how

express

and

admirable!

In

action

how

like

an

angel!

In

apprehension how like a god! The beauty of the world! The paragan of animals!

?

人是一件多么卓越的精品

:

多么高贵的理性

!

多么伟大的力量

!

多么优越的仪表

!

多么文雅的举动

!

在行为上多么象一 个天使

!

在智慧上多么象一个天神

!< /p>

宇宙的精华

!

万物的灵长

!

(

《哈姆雷特》

）

II : Main Literary Achievements of the Time

1.

Main

Figures:

Thomas

More

(1478-1535)

Edmund

Spenser

(1552-1599)

Christopher

Marlowe

(1564-1593)

Ben

Jonson

(1562-1637)

William

Shakespeare

(1564-1616

)

Francis

Bacon

(1561-1626)

John

Donne

(1573-1631)

John

Milton

(1608-1674)

John Bunyan

…

2. Some Literary Terms

1) University Wits: It is applied to a group of writers who flourished in London in the

last

twenty

years

or

so

of

the

16th

century.

The

most

notable

were

Marlowe,

Nashe,

Greene and Lyly who all graduated from either Oxford or Cambridge, and who favored

using euphuism and extravagance in writing.

2) Comedies of Humors: It is applied to a form of drama fashionable in the late of the

16th

and

the

early

of

the

17th

century.

It

is

so

called

because

it

presented

characters

whose actions were ruled by a particular passion, trait or humor. The leading figure of

this form is Ben Jonson and his play

Every Man in His Humor

is one of the typical.

3) Metaphysical Poets: This is a term applied to a group of seventeenth century poets,

such as John Donne, George Herbert and Andrew Marvell. They shared some features

in

writing,

for

example,

they

favored

using

conceits

and

hyperboles,

they

liked

to

develop some peculiar themes but didn

’

t like to be restrained by strict rhythm.

3. Edmund Spenser (1552-1599) : --poets

’

poet

?

Spenser is the first master to make Modern English the natural music of his poetic

effusions.

?

Spenser

has

held

his

position

as

a

model

of

poetical

art

among

the

Renaissance

English poets, and his influence can be traced in the works of Milton, Shelley and

Keats.

?

―Faerie Queen‖

: The dominating thoughts of the poem are nationalism, humanism,

and Puritanism, all typical of the poet

’

s age (Wang: 40).

?

His

―Faerie Queen‖

is meant to edify through allegory which gets more and more

complex as the books go on

?

. He is a master musician and a great painter. (Liu: 48)

peare

1)

Four

periods

of

Shakespeare’s

dramatic

composition

:

a)

The

experimental

period

b) The period of comedies and histories

c) The period of tragedies

d) The period of

dramatic romance

2

) Chief Achievements and Features of Shakespeare’s Drama

Shakespeare’s successes as a great playwright chiefly rest on the following five

aspects:

a)

The

progressive

significance

of

his

themes.

Living

in

the

transitional

period

from

feudal-ism to capitalism, Shakespeare paints in his drama a faithful panorama of the decline

of old feudal nobility and the rise of the Tudor monarchy, which represented the interests of

the

English

bourgeoisie. Moreover,

he distilled

into

his

drama

the

humanistic

spirit

of

the

Renaissance, and his drama becomes an expression, a monument of the English Renaissance.

b) Lifelike characters--his successful character portrayal c) His masterhand in constructing

plays d) The ingenuity of his poetry e) His mastery of English language

3

) Sample Reading of Shakespeare’s ―Sonnet 18‖

a) Historical Approach:

―The 16th century in England was a period of the

breaking up of

feudal relations and the establishing of the foundations of capitalism.

”

(Wu Weiren)

b) Character study--- Analysis of Hamlet

(Analysis of Hamlet

’

s melancholy and delay)

?

―Hamlet

is

one

of

the

several

idealists

(or

Renaissance

humanists

as

some

critics

would have it ) created by Shakespeare as an embodiment of the poet

’

s own ideals.

”

(Chen Jia)

?

―Hamlet

is

a

humanist,

a

man

who

is

free

from

medieval

prejudices

and

superstitions.

‖

c) Analysis of the soliloquy:

ⅰ

Hamlet is in a serious conflict or contradiction, (to be or not to

be; that is the question);

ⅱ

Hamlet is in a great melancholy and he is sensitive and alert;

ⅲ

Hamlet

believes

more

in

the

life

than

the

afterlife;

ⅳ

Hamlet

is

very

cautious

and

thoughtful;

ⅴ

Hamlet has a very perceptive mind at the cruelty and hardships of the life or

the society.

5.

Francis

Bacon:

1)

Francis

Bacon

and

his

essays

The

founder

of

English

materialist

philosophy. The founder of modern science in England .

“

Essays

”

have won popularity for

their

precision,

clearness,

brevity

and

force.

2)

Sample

reading

:

Of

Studies

(

partial

analysis)

6. John Donne (1573-1631) and his Metaphysical Poetry

1) Metaphysical Poets: This is a term applied to a group of seventeenth century poets, such

as John Donne, George Herbert and Andrew Marvell. They shared some features in writing,

for example, they favored using conceits and hyperboles, they liked to develop some peculiar

themes but didn’t like to be restrained by strict rhythm.

2) Reading and analysis (

A V

alediction: Forbidding Mourning)

?

Valediction - a farewell, but a stronger meaning than that: Valedictions for people

are read at funerals, etc, and ties in with the first stanza.

3) Features of the metaphysical poetry

?

a) The original images and conceits.

?

Conceit: Usually refers to a startling, ingenious, perhaps even far-fetched, metaphor

establishing an analogy or comparison between two apparently incongruous things.

?

b) Skillful use of colloquial speech or language;

?

c) Flexible meter and rhythm;

?

d) Extravagant hyperboles;

?

e) Complex and even peculiar themes.

7. John Milton (1608-1674)

1)Literary achievements:

―…

a revolutionary and writer,

…‖

Poetic

works:

Paradise

Lost

(1665

)

Paradise

Regained

(1667

)

Samson Agonistes

(1671 )

Prose

(mainly

concerned

with

revolutionary

propaganda

and

defence):

Areopagitica

(1644 )

8. John Bunyan(1628-1688)

?

The Pilgrim

’

s Progress

(1678 ) is

an allegorical story in the form of dream and in

the style of the Bible.

?

---

―

Life is a journey.

‖

?

Allegory:

（

style

of

a

)

story,

painting

or

description

in

which

the

characters

and

events are meant as symbols of purity , truth, patience, etc.

?

Three great allegories

?

Spenser

’

s

The

Faerie Queen

?

Dante

’

s

La Divina Commdia

(

the Divine Comedy

)

?

Bunyan

’

s

The Pilgrim

’

s Progress

?

As

I

walked

through

the

wilderness

of

this

world,

I

lighted

on

a

certain

place

where was a den, and laid me down in that place to sleep; and as I slept, I dreamed a

dream. I dreamed, and behold, I saw a man clothed with rags, standing in a certain

place, with his face from his own house, a book in his hand, and a great burden upon

his back. I looked and saw him open the book, and read therein; and as he read, he

wept

and

trembled;

and

not

being

able

longer

to

contain,

he

brake

out

with

a

lamentable cry, saying,

Part

Three

The Restoration And The Enlightenment (1660-1798)

?

in contrast with Classicism during the Renaissance, the writers in this period had a

great

respect

for

the

classical

authors,

especially

the

ancient

Romans,

among

whom

Horace ( 65

—

8 BC ) was the favorite

?

they thought that Reason and Judge were the

most admirable faculties of the human beings; in the third place, they cared about the

painstaking craftsmanship in practice than about the theme or spirit of their writings. It

is also called, therefore, the Age of Reason.

Ⅰ

Political, Social and Cultural Background Information

1.

Politically,

1)

The

Glorious

Revolution

(1688)

2)

Two-Party

Politics

3)

The

American War of Independence (1775-1781) and The French Revolution(1789-1794)

2.

Economically,

1)

Industrialization:

Industrial

Revolution:

the

mechanization

of

industry and the consequent changes in social and economic organization in Britain in

the late 18th and early 19th century. 2) Territory Expansion

3. Culturally, 1) REASON

2) Politics and Literature

3) Enlightenment

1)

The

Humanist

Views

and

the

Rational

Rules:

The

enlighteners

celebrated

reason

or

rationality,

equality

and

science.

They

held

that

rationality

or

reason

should

be

the

only

cause of any human thought and activities. They called for a reference to order, reason and

rules.

2) Politics and Literature

The pen seemed mightier than the sword.

3) Enlightenment:

…an progressive intellectual movement , an

expression of the struggle of

the

bourgeoisie

against

feudalism.

The

enlighteners

fought

against

class

inequality,

stagnation, prejudice, dogma and other feudal survivals. (Wang,155)

…Its

central

idea

was

the

need

for

(and

capacity

of)

human

reason

to

clear

away

ancient

superstition,

prejudice,

dogma,

and

injustice.

Enlightenment

thinking

encouraged

rational

scientific

inquiry,

humanitarian

tolerance,

and

the

idea

of

universal

human

rights

…

---

Oxford Concise Dictionary of Literary Terms

In the field of literature, the Enlightenment Movement brought about a revival of interest in

the old classical works. This tendency is known as neoclassicism.

1.

Neoclassicism

1)

Neoclassicist

ideas

or

concepts

became

the

dominant

belief,

that

is,

literature

must

follow

the

example

made

by

ancient

Greek

and

Roman

writers

such

as

Homer, Virgil, Horace, Ovid and so on to take order, logic and accuracy as the most and first

concern, simply, it must be judged by Reason and its service to human society.

…This belief led writers to seek

proportion, unity, harmony and grace in literary expressions

in order to delight, instruct and correct human beings. With this motivation, condense and

witty language in graceful and polite manner became a popular vogue. In this group we can

take Dryden, Pope, Johnson, Richardson as representatives. ---

Oxford Concise Dictionary of

Literary Terms

2. Some Main Writers