英美文学导论课程辅导.doc

英美文学导论课程辅导 EDMUNDSPENSEER(1552?-1509) Spenserwasborninaratherpoorfamily,hisfatherbeingajourneymanclothmaker,butlaterheclaimedtoberelatedtothearistocraticSpenserfamilyofAlthorpl.However,theMerchantTaylorsschoolheattendedwasoneofthegreatestHumanisticschoolsoftheEnglishRenaissance,wherehereceivedasolideducationandlearnedclassiclanguagesandliterarymasterpieces.ItwasatthisschoolthatSpensercametoknowEdmundFrindal,anexaminerattheschoolandlaterArchbishopofCanterbury,towhomSpenserpaidtributeinTheShepherdsCalendarin1579.HecarriedonhiseducationinPembrokeCollege,Cambridgeasasizar,astudentwhoofferedservicesinexchangeforascholarship.Inthiscollege,hewasinstructedbyDr.JosephYoung,wholaterbecameBishopofRochester,andSpenserworkedforashorttimeforhimasasecretary.ThesechurchauthoritiesrepresentedthereligiousviewswithwhichSpenseridentifiedhimself.SpensertookaB.AatCambridgein1573andanM.Ain1576.AfterabriefserviceinthehouseholdofRobertDudley,EarlofLeicester,whomSpenserdeeplyrespectedandPortrayedinthepersonofArthurinTheFaerieQueene,hebecamesecretaryin1580toLordGreyofWilton,whowasatthetimeLordDeputyofIrelandandwholaterappearedinthepersonofArtegallinTheFaerieQueene.Exceptforaninterruptionoftwoyears(1590-1591)andshortvisitstoEngland,SpenserspenttherestofhislifeinIrelandforaslongas18years,duringwhichperiodheheldasuccessionpfposts,suchasClerkoftheChanceryforFacultiesandClerkoftheCouncilofMunster.AfterhebecameprebendaryofLimerickCathedral,hewasassignedin1586bythegovernmentKilcolmanCastlenearCorkwith3028acresofland,whichwaspartoftheforfeitedestatepropertyformtheEarlofDesmondafterthefailureofhisinsurrection.ItwasatthistimethatSirWalterRaleighvisitedIrelandandlistenedtoSpenserrecitethecompletedsectionsofTheFaerieQueene.Intheautumnof1589,SpensersailedbacktoEnglandwithSirWalterRaleighandvisitedthecourtofQueenElizabeth.Hewasgrantedapensionforlifein1591of50poundsinrecognitionofthepresentationofthefirst3booksofTheFaeriequeenetoQueenElizabeth.HehadalsoayearlysalaryandaconsiderabledowrybroughttohimbymarryingElizabethBoylein1594.InIrelandSpensercontinuedtoleadthelifeofalandedgentlemanandwasmadetheSheriffofCork.Butthehistorical,socialandeconomicsituationinErelandwasdeplorable.ThemilitarysuppressionoftheDesmondinsurrectionwasverycruel.However,SpensersupportedLordGreyintakingseveremethods.InAViewofthePresentStateofIreland,heapprovedofusingswordandfamineasinstrumentstochangeIrelandinthewayEnglandwanted.YettheIrishpeopleneverceasedtheirfight.In1598thelongdangerousrebellionofTyroneONeillbrokeout.KilcomanCastlewasburneddownandSpenserwasdrivenfromhishome.HearrivedinLondononChristmasEveof1598,andinlessthanamonth,hediedinpoverty. 字串5 SpensersfirstimportantworkisTheShepherdsCalendar,apastoralpoemin12parts,oneforeachmonthoftheyear.ItiswritteninthetraditionofVirgilsversedialoguesinaruralsettingwithshepherdsandshepherdesseswhoadoptclassical,French,orEnglishpeasantnames.ThepoetsintentionistogivedifferentdescriptionoftheEnglishcountrysideateachparticulartimeoftheyear,butthemainthemesembodiedinthepoemarelove,poetry,andreligion.TheShepherdsCalendarsetthepastoralfashioninEnglishliterature,andinauguratedthegreatlyricalpoetryofthelasttwodecadesofthe16thcentury. Hismajorachievement,TheFaerieQueene,isanunfinishedallegoricalromance.AccordingtoSpensersoriginalplanthereshouldbe12books,eachtellingtheadventuresofoneofthe12knightsdispatchedbytheFaerieWueene,Gloria,whorepresentsGloryandQueenElizabethinparticular.IntheintroductorylettertoSirWalterRaleigh,Spenserexplicitlystateshisintentions.Hesaysthatthebookistobe“acontinuedallegory”andthethemeisto“fashionagentlemanornoblepersoninvirtuousandgentlediscipline.”Spensershistoricalperiod,thatoftheRenaissance,wasgreatlyconcernedwiththeideaof“gentleman”,whichisakindofhumanisticparalleltothemedievalideaofthe“saint”.Accordingtothethoughtoftheday,thevirtuousmanisonewhoknowshowtogovernhim,andthusisqualifiedtogovernothers.InTheFaerieQueene,Spensermakesadistinctionbetween“ethical”virutesand“political”virtues.AlthoughAristotleoncesaidthat“thegoodcitizenmaynotbeagoodman”thegoodcitizenisonewhodoesgoodservicetohisstate,andthestatemaybehadinprinciple”(politics),hestillidentifiesthegoodrulerwiththegoodman.SpenserfollowstheideaofAristotlesandtriestodemonstrateitinTheFaerieQueeneintheeducationoftheyoungfuturerulers.Thecentralcharacter,Arthurbeforehewasking,ispresented