英国文学问答练习题

英国文学问答练习题：PartOneOldandMiddleEnglishLiteratureSummarizeChaucer’sliterarycareerandtherepresentativeworksofeachperiod.Hisliterarycareerisusuallydividedintothreeperiods:theFrenchperiod,theItalianperiodandtheEnglishperiod.TheFrenchperiodreferstotheperiodofFrenchinfluence(1359-1372).DuringtheperiodChaucerwrotehisearliestworks:TheRomauntoftheRose,afreetranslationofaFrenchpoemandhisfirstimportantoriginalwork:TheBookoftheDuchess.TheItalianperiodreferstotheperiodofItalianInfluence(1372-1386),especiallyofDanteandBocaacio.Duringthisperiod,hemainlywrotethreelongerpoemsusingtheheroicstanzaofsevenlines:TheHouseofFame,TroilusandCrisyede,TheLegendofGoodWomen.TheEnglishperiodishismatureperiod,duringwhichtimehismasterpieceTheCanterburywasproducedinwhichtheheroiccoupletwasused.Answerthequestionaccordingtothefollowingpassage

WhenAprilwithitssweet-smellingshowers

HaspiercedthedroughtofMarchtotheroot,

Andbathedeveryvein(oftheplants)insuchliquid

Bywhichpowerthefloweriscreated;

WhentheWestWindalsowithitssweetbreath,

Ineverywoodandfieldhasbreathedlifeinto

Thetendernewleaves,andtheyoungsun

HasrunhalfitscourseinAries,

Andsmallfowlsmakemelody,

Thosethatsleepallthenightwithopeneyes

(SoNatureincitesthemintheirhearts),

Thenfolklongtogoonpilgrimages,

Andprofessionalpilgrimstoseekforeignshores,

Todistantshrines,knowninvariouslands;

Andspeciallyfromeveryshire'send

OfEnglandtoCanterburytheytravel,

Toseektheholyblessedmartyr,

Whohelpedthemwhentheyweresick.Questions:WhatisexpressedintheseopeninglinesofTheCanterburyTales?Howdoestheauthoremphasizethetransitionfromnaturetodivinity?CommentonChaucer’scontributionofrhymedstanzas.Answers:1.ThispartisasuperbexpressionofadoubleviewoftheCanterburypilgrimage.Thefirst11linesareachantofwelcometothespringwithitsharmoniousmarriagebetweenheavenandearthwhichproducesvegetations,pricksfoulsandstirstheheartofmanwitherenewingpowerofnature.Thus,thepilgrimageisaneventinthecalendarofnature,anaspectofspringtimesurgeofhumanenergywhichwakensman’sloveofnature.ButspringisalsotheseasonofEasterandisallegoricallyregardedasthetimeoftheRedemptionthroughthesacrificeofJesusChristwithitsconnotationsofreligiousrebirthwhichwakensman’sloveofGod.Therefore,thepilgrimageisalsoaneventinthecalendarofdivinity,anaspectofreligiouspietywhichdrawspilgrimstoholyplaces.2.Thetransitionfromnaturetodivinityisemphasizedbycontrastbetweenthephysicalvitalitywhichconditionsthepilgrimageandthespiritualsicknesswhichoccasionsthepilgrimage.Aswellasbyparallelismbetweentherenewalpowerofnatureandtherestorativepowerofsupernature.3.HeintroducedvariousrhymedstanzastoEnglishpoetrytoreplacetheOldEnglishalliterativeverse.HefirstintroducedintoEnglishoctasyllabiccoupletandthentheheroiccouplet..WhatisthefunctionoftheGeneralProloguetoTheCanterburyTales?TheGeneralPrologueisusuallyregardedasthegreatestportraitgalleryinEnglishliterature.Itislargelycomposedofaseriesofsketchesdifferingwidelyinlengthandmethod,andblendingtheindividualandthetypicalinvaryingdegrees.ThepurposeoftheGeneralPrologueisnotonlytopresentavividcollectionofcharactersketches,butalsotorevealtheauthor’sintentioninbringingtogetheragreatvarietyofpeopleandnarrativematerialsengagedinacommonendeavor,tosetthetoneforthestorytellingoneofjollitywhichaccordswiththetoneofthewholework:thatofgratefulacceptanceoflife,tomakecleartheplanforthetales,tomotivatethetellingoftalesandtointroducethepilgrimsandthetimeandoccasionofthepilgrimage.ThepilgrimsarepeoplefromvariouspartsofEngland.Theyserveastherepresentativesofvarioussidesoflifeandsocialgroups.Eachofthepilgrimsornarratorsispresentedvividlyintheprologue.Ranginginstatusfromaknighttoahumbleplowman,thepilgrimsareamicrocosmof14thcenturyEnglishsociety.Ontheotherhand,thereisalsoanintimateconnectionbetweenthetalesandthePrologue,bothcompletingeachother.ThePrologueprovidesaframeworkforthetales.PartTwoEnglishLiteratureintheRenaissancePeriodHowmanyperiodsdoesShakespeare’sdramaticcareerfallinto?Roughlyfourperiods:(1)theearlyhistoriesofthe1590s;(2)theromanticcomediesaroundtheturnofthecentury,roughlyfrom1594-1600;(3)thegreattragediesoftheearly1600s,from1600to1608;(4)theromancesofthe1610s.WhataretheuniquefeaturesofShakespeare’ssonnets?Twofeatures:(1)theprinciplepersonaddressedbythepoetisnotawomanbutayoungmanandamysteriousdarklady.(2)thestructureofthreequatrainsandaconcludingcoupletistypicallyShakespearean.InHamlet’ssoliloquy“tobe,ornottobe”,therearethesewords:“andthenativehueofresolution/Issickliedo’erwiththepalecastofthought.”Whatdoesthe“nativehueofresolution”mean?Whatdoesthe“palecastofthought”standfor?Whatideadothetwolinesexpress?The“nativehueofresolution”meansthenaturalcolorofresolution;The“palecastofthought”standsforHamlet’sanxietyandmelancholy;Intheselines,theruddycolorisassociatedwiththesadtemperamentandthepalelookofmelancholy.Theyexpresshamlet’sanxietyandhesitationbeforehetakesthefirmresolutiontorevengeatthecriticalmoment.PartThreeEnglishLiteratureinthe17thCenturyGivesupportingreasonsforthestatement:SamsoninSamsonAgonistesisJohnMiltontheauthorhimself.SamsonAgonistesisapoeticaldramamodeledontheGreektragedies.ItdealswiththestoryofSamsonfromthe“BookofJudges”intheOldTestament.SamsonisanathleteoftheIsraelites.Hestandsasthechampionfightingforthefreedomofhiscountry.ButheisbetrayedbyhiswifeDalilahandblindedbyhisenemiesthePhilistines.Ledintothetempletomakethemsport,hewreakshisvengeanceuponhisenemiesbypullingdownthetempleuponthemanduponhimselfinacommonruin.ThereismuchincommonbetweenSamsonandJohnMilton.LikeSamson,Miltonhadalsobeenembitteredbyanunwisemarriage,persecutedbyhisenemies,andsufferedfromblindness.Andyethewasunconquerable.Samson’smiserableblindservitudeamonghisenemies,hisagonizinglongingforsightandfreedom,andthelastterribletriumphallstronglysuggestMilton’spassionatelongingthathetoocouldbringdestructiondownupontheenemyatthecostofhisownlife.ThereforeSamsoninthedramaisMiltonhimselfinlife.AnalyzethecharacterofSataninJohnMilton’sParadiseLost.Satan,aconqueredandbanishedgiant,remainsobeyedandadmiredbythosewhofollowhimdowntohell.Heisfirmerthantherestoftheangels.Itishe,passingtheguardedgates,makesmanrevoltagainstGod.SatanisthespiritofquestioningtheauthorityofGod.WhenhegetstotheGardenofEden,hebelievesinnoreasonwhyAdamandEveshouldnottastethefruitoftheTreeofKnowledge.Thoughdefeated,Satanprevails,sincehehaswonfromGodathirdpartofhisangels.Thoughwounded,hetriumphs,forthethunderwhichhitsuponhisheadleaveshisheartinvincible.Thoughfeeblerinforce,heremainssuperiorinnobility,sinceheprefersindependencetohappyservility.Hewelcomeshisdefeatandhistormentsasaglory,alibertyandajoy.PartFour18thCenturyLiteratureCommentonWilliamBlake’sSongsofInnocenceandSongsofExperience.SongsofInnocenceisalovelyvolumeofpoems,presentingahappyandinnocentworld,thoughnotwithoutitsevilsandsufferings.Usingalanguagewhichevenbabiescanlearnbyheart,Blakeexpresseshisdelightinthesun,thehills,thestreams,theinsectsandtheflowers,intheinnocenceofthechildandofthelamb.Hereeverythingseemstobeinharmony.SongsofExperiencepainsadifferentworld,aworldofmisery,poverty,disease,war,andrepressionwithamelancholytone.Thepoet’seyesareopenedtotheevilsandvicesoftheworld.Anumberofpoemsarepervadedwiththeatmosphereofintensesorrowandsadness,especiallyforchildren.AnumberofpoemsinSongsofInnocenceareeitherrewrittenorrevisedinSongsofExperience,withtheresultthatthejoyfulatmosphereortheharmoniousendingisineachcasechangedintoabittermoodorasadstory.Forexample,thetwo“TheChimneySweepers”.WhatdoesRobertBurns’poetrymainlydealwith?Thethemesofloveandfriendship.Scottishlife,especiallytherurallifeoftheScottishpeasants.(“MyHeart’sintheHighlands”)Attitudestowardspoliticallibertyandsocialequality,especiallythoseundertheinfluenceoftheFrenchRevolution.(“ForA’ThatandA’That”).Satiricalverse,exposingthehypocrisyoftherich,thebigotryofthechurchandotherevils.WhyisDefoe’sRobinsonCrusoeregardedasoneoftheforerunnersoftheEnglishrealisticnovel?Crusoe’sstoriesareallrealconcernsofitsauthor’stime:peopleintheirstruggletoovercomethenaturalorsocialenvironment.Thenovelhasaverystrongverisimilitude.Toconvincethereaderofthetruthofhisstory,Defoeadoptstheautobiographicalformandmakesfulluseofhislongtrainedjournalisticskillbydescribingthingsingreatdetailandbyusingspecifictimeandspace.AnalyzeGulliver’sTravelstoillustratetheuseofsatireinit.ItisasatireonthewholeEnglishsocietyoftheearly18thcentury,touchinguponthepolitical,religious,legal,military,scientific,philosophicalaswellasliteraryinstitutions,aboutalmosteveryaspectofthesociety.ItbringstolightthewickednessofthethenEnglishsociety,withitstyranny,itspoliticalintriguesandcorruption,itsaggressivewarsandcolonialismetc.Forexample,inChapterfour,Gulliverisinacountrywherehorsesarepossessedofreason,andarethegoverningclass,whileYahoos,thoughintheshapeofmen,arebrutebeastwithsuchvicesasstealingandlying.ThispartinvolvestheruthlessmoralexposureofhumanityandthebittersatireoftheEnglishsociety.PartFiveRomanticLiteratureStatebrieflytheartisticfeaturesofJaneAusten.Hermainconcernisabouthumanbeingsintheirpersonalrelations,especiallytherelationshipbetweenmenandwomen.Shewriteswithinanarrowsphere.Thesubjectmatter,thecharacterrange,thesettingsandplotsareallrestrictedtotheprovincialorvillagelifeofthe19thcenturyEngland.Hernovelsaresurprisinglyrealistic,withkeenobservationandpenetratinganalysis.Sheusesdialoguestorevealthepersonalitiesofhercharacters.Herlanguage,whichisoftypicalneoclassicism,issimple,easy,lucidandeconomical.TellaboutthethemeofKeats’“OdeonaGrecianUrn”.ThepoethasabsorbedhimselfintothetimelessbeautifulsceneryontheantiqueGrecianurn:theloves,musiciansandworshipperscarvedontheurnexistsimultaneouslyandforeverintheirintensityofjoy.Theyareunaffectedbytime,stilledinexpectation.Thisisatoncethegloryandthelimitationoftheworldconjuredupbyanobjectofart.Theurncelebratesintuitionsofecstasybydenyingourpainfulknowledgeoftransienceandsuffering.Keatsshowsthecontrastbetweenthepermanenceofartandthetransienceofhumanpassion.NamefiveofKeats’immortalodes.“Odetoanightingale”,ToAutumn”,“OdeonMelancholy”,“OdeonaGrecianUrn”,“OdeonIndolence”.Tellthethemeof“OdetotheWestWind”.ItexpressesShelley’soptimisticbeliefthatoldworldmustgo,anewworldmustcomewiththespring.Thepoetasksthewindtoworkinhim,restoringhimtospiritualhealthandcreativevigor.Whatisthesymbolicmeaningof“thewestwind”?Itsymbolizesregenerationwhichfollowsthedestructionanddeathofwinter.Personally,Shelleyseesitasaforcethatwillreinvigoratehim.Sociallyandpolitically,thewindrepresentsthedestructiveandrevolutionaryenergies.Itisthespiritwithinnature,adrivingforcebehindtheturningwheeloftheseasonsandthecyclesoflifeanddeath.TellaboutColeridge’sartisticideas.Hispoeticthemesrangefromthesupernaturaltothedomestic.Coleridgeisoneofthefirstcriticstogiveclosecriticalattentiontolanguage,maintainingthatthetrueendofpoetryistogivepleasure“throughthemediumofbeauty”.Hethinksthatartisthemediumbetweenmanandnature.Imaginationisthemeanstounitethethoughtsandpassions.Artistheonlypermanentrevelationofthenatureofreality.TellaboutWordsworth’scontributiontopoetry.Hehasstartedthemodernpoetry,thepoetryofthegrowinginnerself.hehaschangedthecourseofEnglishpoetrybyusingordinaryspeechofthelanguageandbyadvocatingareturnofnature.PartSix19thcenturyLiteratureTellaboutRobertBrowning’sprincipleachievementinEnglishpoetry.HisprincipleachievementliesinhisintroducingtoEnglishpoetrythedramaticmonologue.WhyisJaneEyreasuccessfulnovel?Thestoryopenswiththetitularheroine,JaneEyre,aplainlittleorphan.itsharplycriticizestheexistingsociety,e.g,thereligioushypocrisyofcharityinstitutionssuchasLowoodSchoolwherepoorgirlsaretrained.ItintroducedthefirstgovernesstoEnglishnovel.TellaboutthethemeofHardy’sWessexnovels.TheagriculturalregionofthesoutherncountiesofEnglandasthesettingforhisnovels.Depictionoftheimpoverishmentanddecayofsmallfarmers.Growingpessimistictoshowthatmankindissubjectedtotheruleofsomehostileandmysteriousfate,whichbringsmisfortunetohumanlife.Talkbriefl