英国文学笔记

A Brief Outline of British Literature History1. Medieval Literature (5 A.D. -1485) (中世纪文学)Geoffrey Chaucer (13401400 )2. The English Renaissance (1500-1625) (文艺复兴时期文学)Thomas More （14781535）Edmund Spenser（15521599）Christopher Marlowe（15641593）Francis Bacon （15611626）William Shakespeare （15641616）3. The Seventeenth century (17th century)( 17 世纪文学)John Milton （16081674）John Donne （15721631）John Bunyan （16281688）4. English Enlightenment and neo-Classicism (17th century -18th century ) (英国启蒙运动和新古典主义文学)Alexander Pope （16881744）Jonathan Swift （16671745）Daniel Defoe （16601731）Henry Fielding （17071754）5. Romanticism in England (1798-1832) (浪漫主义时期文学)Robert Burns （17591796）William Blake （17571827）William Wordsworth (17701850)Samuel Taylor Coleridge (17721834)George Gordon Byron(17881824)Percy Bysshe Shelley (17921822)John Keats (1795-1821)6. English Realism (1830s-1918) (现实主义时期文学) /Victorian Age (18321901)Robert Browning (18211889)Alfred Tennyson ( 18091892)Jane Austen (17751817) The Bronte SistersCharles Dickens (18121870)William Makepeace Thackeray (18111863) Thomas Hardy (18401928)Joseph Conrad ( 18571924)Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950)7. Modernism (1918-1945) (现代主义文学)T.S. Eliot (18881965)William Butler Yeats (18651939)James Joyce (18821941)Virginia Woolf (18821941)D.H. Lawrence (18851930)1. Medieval Literature (5 A.D. -1485) (中世纪文学)Beowulf贝奥武夫: the national epic of the English people.romance (浪漫传奇)：the most prevailing kind of literature in feudal EnglandTheme: loyalty to king and lordKing Arthur and his knights of the Round Table亚瑟王和他的圆桌骑士 Sir Gawain and the Green Knight 高文爵士和绿衣骑士 Geoffrey Chaucer (1340- 1400)Literary Position: The father of English poetryMasterpiece: The Canterbury Tales 坎特伯雷故事集（Old English）Literary Achievements: Heroic couplet (英雄双韵体)2. The English Renaissance (1500-1625) (文艺复兴时期文学)The word “Renaissance” means revival（复活）. The term originally indicates a revival of classical (Greek and Roman) arts and sciences after the dark ages of medieval obscurantism（蒙昧主义）. Humanism: the essence of RenaissanceEdmund Spenser (1552- 1599): the poets poet Masterpiece :The Faerie Oueene仙后Thomas More （1478-1535）Masterpiece: Utopia（乌托邦）Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593): most gifted of the University Wits（大学才子派）. Masterpiece: The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus. 浮士德博士的悲剧 Francis Bacon (1561-1626 ) Literary Position:the founder of modern science in England;one of the earliest essayist(散文家） in English languageMasterpiece : Essays论说文集 Of Studies (论读书)William Shakespeare(15641616) Literary Position:“not of an age, but for all time”, the greatest giant of English language and poetic form, one of the founders of realism in world literature, one of the greatest writers in the worlds literature. Literary Achievements:38 plays (comedies(喜剧）, histories（历史剧）, tragedies（悲剧）, tragicomedies/romances（悲喜剧）2 narrative poems 154 sonnets (Sonnets 1-126 addressed to a young man, Sonnets 127-152 addressed to “Dark Lady”, Sonnets 153-154 addressed to Cupid, the God of love in Greek mythology )Plays (4 periods)1. First period (1592-1594): His apprenticeship in plays.Historical plays: King Henry VI 亨利六世, Richard 查理三世Comedies: Loves Labours Lost 爱的徒劳2. Second period (1595-1600): Mature period, a marked increase in the knowledge of humanismRomeo and Juliet罗密欧与朱丽叶(4大喜剧): A Midsummer Nights Dream仲夏夜之梦The Merchant of Venice威尼斯商人As You Like It皆大欢喜Twelfth Night第十二夜3. Third period (1601-1608): Flourishing period, a period of gloomy and depression(4大悲剧): Hamlet汉姆雷特Othello奥赛罗King Lear李尔王Macbeth麦克白4. Fourth period (1608-1612): The period of romantic drama in the form of tragicomediesReconciliation plays: The Winters Tale冬天的童话, The Tempest暴风雨3. The Seventeenth century (17th century)( 17 世纪文学) Historical background1. The English revolution（英国革命） and the Restoration（王朝复辟）. Causes: the conflict between the monarch and Parliament; the persecution of the Puritans2. The bourgeois Dictatorship and the Restoration Glorious Revolutiona bloodless revolution The constitutional monarchy.John Milton (16081674) Literary Position A master of the Blank verse The greatest English revolutionary poet of the 17th century One of the greatest poets of the English language Literary AchievementsPoems Paradise Lost 失乐园(1667): his masterpieceThe greatest epic in English literature.Paradise Regained (1671) 复乐园Samson Agonistes (1671) 力士参孙Paradise Lost失乐园John Milton1. Introduction Long epic in 12 books Written in blank verse Based on Genesis创世纪in the Old Testament Dramatizes the Biblical account of humanitys banishment.2. ThemeMiltons aimed purpose: “justify the ways of God to man”（昭示天道对人的公正）Real purpose: Challenge the restored monarch God tyrannical, represents the kingSatan rebelling against monarchLove between Adam and Eve human pursuit for happiness, the spirit of Renaissance3. Writing featuresMilton style: Sonority洪亮, Eloquence雄辩, Majesty尊严, Grandeur壮美The blank verseLong and involved sentencesJohn Donne (1572-1631) Literary Positionfounder of Metaphysical School（玄学派）the greatest of the metaphysical poets. Literary AchievementsSongs and Sonnets 歌与十四行诗The Flea跳蚤Holy Sonnets圣十四行诗 : Holy Sonnet 10Features of metaphysical poetry: conceits（奇喻）strange paradoxes（悖论）far-fetched （牵强的）imageryJohn Bunyan (1628-1688):Masterpiece: The Pilgrims Progress天路历程4. English Enlightenment and neo-Classicism (17th century -18th century ) (英国启蒙运动和新古典主义文学) (1688-1798)Historical Background1. Comparatively peaceful development under the constitutional monarchy A compromise between Tory and Whig The leading navel power in Europe2. The Industrial Revolution 工业革命 Unprecedented technical innovations Rapid growth of industry and commerceThe Enlightenment An intellectual movement in Europe began in the late 17th and 18th centuries and ended with the French revolution of 178918th century : Age of Reason/ Age of Enlightenment1. Importancea lasting heritage for the 19th and 20th centuryit marked a key stage in the decline of the church and the growth of modern secularism(世俗主义)it served as the model for political and economic liberalism.2. The development of Poetry: neo-Classicism 新古典主义3. Characteristic of neo-Classicism1). Emphasizing reason rather than emotion, form rather than content.2). Didactic and satirical3). Heroic Couplet (英雄双韵体)4). Town poetry writing for the rising bourgeoisieAlexander Pope (1688-1744)Literary Position an outstanding enlightener The greatest and the most important representative of the English classical poetry.The Rise of FictionDaniel Defoe Jonathan Swift Henry Fielding FictionThe mainstream of 18th century literature, & The rise and growth of realistic novel the most prominent achievement of 18th century English literatureDaniel Defoe (1660-1731)Literary PositionFather of English novel Literary Achievements: Robinson Crusoe (1719)鲁宾逊漂游记 Defoes masterpiece The first English novel in a real sense The first English realistic novelRobinson CrusoeDaniel Defoe1. Theme: to sing the praises of human laborto celebrate the strength of human rational will to conquer the natural environmentto beautify colonialism & Negro slavery2. Plot: run away from home become a sailor a planter in Brazil to an uninhabited island because of shipwreck made a living there all by himself save a negro named Friday who became his servant back to England visit the remote island again and Friday was killed3. Robinson Crusoes characterization: typical of the rising English bourgeois class, practical, diligent, a restless curiosity to know more about the world and a desire to prove individual power in the face of social and natural challenges; shrewd, care about money and good at managing; courageous and intelligent to overcome all kinds of obstaclesJonathan Swift (1667-1745)Literary Positionone of the greatest masters of English Prosea master satirist（讽刺作家）Style of Swifts prose:simple, clear and vigorous. His famous saying “Proper words in proper places, makes the true definition of a style” influenced a lot later writers.Literary AchievementsBooks The Battle of Books 书籍之战 A Tale of Tub 一个桶子的故事 Gulivers Travels 格列佛游记his masterpiece: a satire on the whole English society of the 18th century.Pamphlets The Drapers Letters一个布商的书信 A Modest Proposal 一个温和的建议(A Modest Proposal for Preventing the Children of Poor People in Ireland from Being a Burden to Their Parents)Gulivers Travels格列佛游记Jonathan Swift Plot: Part I: A Voyage to Lilliput Part II: A Voyage to Brobdingnag Part III: A Voyage to Laputa, Balnibarbi, Glubbdubdrib, Luggnagg and Japan Part IV: A Voyage to the Country of the Houyhnhnms Henry Fielding (1707-1754)Literary Achievements The History of Tom Jones, A Founding 弃儿汤姆琼斯 Literary Position The founder of English realistic novel-setting up the theory of realism in literary position.5. Romanticism in England (1798-1832) (浪漫主义时期文学)Pre-Romanticism: Latter half of the 18th centuryRobert BurnsWilliam Blake1. Romantic revival A strong protest against the bondage of Classicism (=Formalism) A recognition of the claims of passion and emotion.2. Representatives Robert Burns (1759-1796) 罗伯特彭斯 William Blake (1757-1827) 威廉布莱克 Robert Burns (1759-1796) Literary position the national poet of Scotland A poet of the peasants, a poet of the people Literary Achievements Poems chiefly in the Scottish Dialect苏格兰方言诗集A Red, Red Rose一朵红红的玫瑰, Auld Long Syne昔日时光A Mans A Man for A That.无论何时都要保持尊严 My Heart s in the Highlands我的心在高原.Theme Love and friendship The natural beauty of his native Scotland The life and label of the common people The patriotism of his compatriots and their struggle for libertyFeatures of his poetryScottish dialect William Blake Literary Position a Pre-Romantic or a forerunner（先驱） of the Romantic poetry of the 19th century Literary Achievements: Songs of Innocence天真之歌Songs of Experience经验之歌Songs of Innocence天真之歌 Written for children, express the poets delight in life. a lovely volume of poems, presenting a happy and innocent world without evils and sufferings To depict the happy condition of a child before it knows anything about the pains of experience. Simple without being nave, childlike without being childish, innocent, everything seems to be in harmony. e.g. The Lamb羔羊Songs of Experience经验之歌 Much mature work The atmosphere is no longer sunny but sad and gloomy. Presenting a world of misery, poverty, disease, war and repression with a melancholy tone.e.g. The Tiger 老虎The Age of Romanticism (1798-1832)Political and social factors1. The American and French revolution: an upsurge of national liberation and democratic movements American revolution (1775-1783)The formation of the independent United States. French revolution of 1789“Liberty, equality and fraternity”2. The Industrial Revolution Intellectual Background-Shift from emphasis on reason to instinct and emotion General characteristic features (style)1. Subjectivism2. Spontaneity3. Singularity4. Simplicity: everyday language spoken by the rustic people5. A dominating note of melancholy6. A freer verse form Romantic Poetry1. Lake poets (湖畔派诗人)the passive or escapist romanticists: Wordsworth, Coleridge, Southey detesting the real world, escaping from the reality.2. Revolutionary poets(革命派诗人) (Active or radical) romanticists: Byron, Shelley, Keats striving to strengthen mans will to live and raise him up against the darkness in the world.Lake Poets (湖畔派诗人)William WordsworthSamuel Taylor ColeridgeRobert SoutheyWilliam Wordsworth (1770-1850) Literary PositionPoet Laureate 桂冠诗人 （1843）the best and the most famous romantic poetA great poet of nature Literary Achievements Lyrical Ballads (1798) 抒情歌谣集 : The Prelude (1850) 序曲： Wordsworths autobiographical poem. Major works:I wondered lonely as a cloud 我好似一朵流云独自漫游Lucy Poems 露西The Solitary Reaper 孤独的收割女 Major concern1. Nature 2. The life of ordinary people Poetic features Simplicity and purity of his language.Lyrical Ballads (1798) 抒情歌谣集William Wordsworth1. Written by Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge2. Marked the break with the conventional poetic tradition of 18th century classicism, and the beginning of romanticism in English poetry3. The preface serves as the manifesto of the English romantic movements in poetry.4. The principle of poetry: “All good poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feeling.” “所有好诗都是强烈感情的自然流露.”William WordsworthSamuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834) Literary position Poet, critic, and philosopher of Romanticism. Literary Achievement The Rime of the Ancient Mariner(1798)古舟子吟 Kubla Khan (1816)忽必烈汗Robert Southey (1774-1843)Revolutionary Poets （革命派诗人）George Gordon ByronPercy Bysshe ShelleyJohn KeatsGeorge Gordon Byron (17881824) Life born in a noble family inherited the baronial title graduated from Cambridge University entered House of Lords strongly criticized by those conservatives and at last left England stayed in Italy and then Greece died in Greece at 36 Literary Position one of the most excellent representatives of English Romanticism.His literary career was closely linked with the struggle and progressive movements of his age. Major Works Child Harolds Pilgrimage恰尔德哈罗德游记 One of his most readable books Don Juan唐璜 His masterpieceByronic Heroes The men with fiery and unbending will express the poets own ideal of freedom. The men who rise against tyranny and injusticeDon Juan 唐璜George Gordon Byron1. Hero of the long poem: Don Juan, a Spanish young man born in a noble family; strange adventures he has experienced (Greece, Turkey, Russia and England); 2. A panorama of the whole Europe and a strong satirePercy Bysshe Shelley (17921822) Literary Position The great poet of revolutionary romanticism in England.The most wonderful lyric poet England has ever produced Major Works Prometheus Unbound 解放了的普罗米修斯lyrical drama Ode to the West Wind 西风颂 Artistic Features Lyrics intensity Lyrics on politics Lyrics on nature Lyrics on love Revolutionary ardency Optimistic idealism Image（意象）& symbol（象征）Ode to the West Wind西风颂It made Shelley the greatest English lyrical poet, and is the lyric of lyrics.1. Main idea The old world must go, a new word must come with the Spring, laden with fresh sweet promises for suffering humanity.2. 1). Stanza West wind is Blowing over the land Driving dead leaves away Carrying the seeds to wintry bed so that they would grow up next year. Both a destroyer and preserver A destroyer of old, useless, decaying things, such as dead leaves. A preserver of new, life-going things, such as seeds.2). Stanza West wind is Sweeping in the sky Gathering the loose clouds Preparing a storm with black rain, lightening and hail Calling the dirge of the dying year3). Stanza West wind is Moving across the sea From the Mediterranean to the Atlantic Ocean Becoming stronger and stronger Even frightening the sea vegetation4). Stanza The poet compares “I” to and with the west wind “if”s Poetic inspiration The poets personality5). Stanza The poets wishes To share the spirit of the west wind To use his poem to quicken a new birth and awaken the earthThe poets prophecy If winter comes, can spring be far behind?3. West wind: A symbol Strength, power Change of season Approaching revolution The poets personality The poetic inspiration A revolutionary spirit The destroyer of the old world the preserver of the new world Hope for the new lifeJohn Keats (17951821) Literary AchievementShort Poems of the numerous short poems by Keats, the most important are his sonnets and odes. Ode on Melancholy 忧郁颂 Ode to Nightingale 夜莺颂 Ode to Autumn 秋颂 Ode on a Grecian Urn 希腊古瓮颂 Features1. A clean split with 18th century classicism. Byron & Shelley: attempted to remold the contemporary society with both poetry and political action. Keats: restricted his application of the principle of liberty to the sphere of Art.2. Beauty in truth, truth in beauty. （美即现实，现实即美） Keats found beauty in nature, in literature, esp. poetry, and in human struggle for liberty.6. English Realism (1830s-1918) (现实主义时期文学) /The Victorian Age (18321901)Charles DickensWilliam Makepeace ThackerayThe Bront Sisters Historical background 1. The Victorian AgeFirst Period (1832-1848): a time of social unrestThe mid-Victorian Period (1848-1870): The heyday of the Victorian AgeThe last period: (1870-1901): The decay of Victorian values2. The end of poetry poem3. The rise of novelsNovel: dominant literary genreCritical Realism1. Appeared in 19th century and flourished in 1840s and early 50s2. Representatives Charles Dicke