英国文学简史Chapter-5：-The-17th-Century–Milton-Donne课件

1、 Presented by WEI JianhuaA Survey of British & American LiteratureChapter 5I. The 17th CenturyII. John Donne III. John MiltonPoints:The 17th Century: A Brief IntroductionKing James I began to impose his will upon religious matters.A group of people with high morality and principles, an extreme prote

2、stant sect, would like to see the church more free of the control of the state and restored to the purity of the first-century church.The tension between parliament and the monarch kept skyrocketing.Oliver Cromwell, commonwealth; William of Orange, “the Glorious Revolution”(1688)The period was one o

3、f transition, chaos, and great perplexity.The prevalent mood that enveloped literary works was one of gloom, pessimism, decadence, and frivolity (忧郁，悲观，颓废，轻浮).English Revolution & RestorationIn January, 1649, Charles I was tried and beheaded. His son was in exile in France.In 1653, Cromwell became L

4、ord Protector (护国公,摄政王) of England.In 1658, Cromwell died and his son Richard succeeded him as the new Lord Protector.Since Richard was too weak-minded, in 1660, Charles II was welcomed back and became the new king. That was known as the RestorationEnglish Revolution & RestorationCharles II carried

5、on reprisals (报复) on the revolutionaries and persecuted the puritans.In 1685, James II succeeded to the throne and proclaimed Catholicism the national religion.The two-party system (the Tories, the Conservative Party; and the Whigs, the former name of the Liberal Party) came into being. The Tories s

6、upported the king while the Whigs opposed to the king.Glorious Revolution In 1688, James II fled to France. His Protestant daughter Mary, and Marys husband William, Duke of Orange (奥林奇派公爵), were welcomed to England as the joint rulers of the country. That is known as the Glorious Revolution. It mark

7、ed the end of feudalism and the triumph of the bourgeois revolution.17th-Century Literature: A Survey The 17th-century literature is closely related to politics. John Milton and John Bunyan stood firmly with the English Revolution. The Cavalier (骑士派) poets sided with the king. The Metaphysical (玄学派)

8、 poets wrote in their unique way, paying more attention to religion than politics. John Bunyan is the first novelist in English literary history. Metaphysical poets, headed by John Donne, wrote their eccentric poems that are quite beyond common readers. (the most important British epic written in th

9、e era of Anglo-Saxon).The greatest poet is John Milton. His Paradise Lost is regarded as the only English epic after Beowulf1.What three terms can be used as indication of the background of the 17th-century Britain? -Transition, chaos, great perplexity (pa.3 on p.73)QuestionsJohn Milton was born in

10、London on December 9, 1608. His family was rich. Milton was educated at St Pauls School and then at Christs College, Cambridge . During his Cambridge period he began to write poetry in Latin, Italian, and English. After graduation, he traveled in France and Italy and returned to London in 1639. Afte

11、r the Revolution succeeded, and the Commonwealth was established, Milton became Latin Secretary to the council of Foreign Affairs. He wrote a number of pamphlets defending the English revolution.John MiltonIn 1652, he became totally blind due to overwork. With the Restoration in 1660, Milton was imp

12、risoned . His friends intervened and he escaped with a fine and the loss of most of his property.After his release, he returned to the writing of poetry and worked for seven years upon his great poem Paradise Lost. John Milton died of gout (痛风) on November 8, 1674 and was buried next to his father i

13、n London. John Miltons Major WorksHis poetic works:Paradise Lost (失乐园)Paradise Regained （复乐园）Samson Agonistes （力士参孙）Lycidas （利西达斯） (an elegy in memory of his classmate)His prose workAreopagitica (论出版自由,1644年出版)Paradise Lost is Miltons masterpiece, and the greatest English epic. It is a long epic in

14、12 books, written in blank verse (无韵诗,素体诗;不押韵的五音步诗行). The stories were taken from the Old Testament (基督教旧约全书): the creation, the rebellion in Heaven of Satan and his fellow-angels, their defeat and expulsion from Heaven, the creation of the earth and of Adam and Eve, the fallen angels in hell plotti

15、ng against God, Satans temptation of Eve and the departure of Adam and Eve from Eden. Led by freedom-loving Satan, the rebellious angels rise against God, but in the battle with the hosts of angels that remain loyal to God they are finally defeated. Satan and his followers are banished from Heaven a

16、nd driven into hell. But Satan and his adherents are not discouraged. The epic opens with the description of a meeting of the fallen angels in hell. Satans proud spirit is unyielding. He fearlessly withstands all agonies and passionately strives for revenge and victory. Satan chooses for his battlef

17、ield the most perfect of spots ever created by God, the Garden of Eden, where live the first man and woman, Adam and Eve, who are allowed by God to enjoy the supreme beauties and bounties of paradises provided that they do not eat the fruit on the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Satan desire

18、s to tear them away from the influence of God and make them tools in his struggle against Gods authority.God learns of his intention, however, and sends the Archangle Raphael (大天使拉斐尔) to warn Adam and Eve of Satans plan. The Archangel reminds them of their vow of obedience and gives a detailed accou

19、nt of Satans rebellion. Raphael goes on to relate Gods creation of heaven and earth, and all living creatures. But on Adams request for an explanation of the rotation of the celestial bodies (an echo of Galileo s sermons), Raphael advises him not to inquire into matters which are irrelevant to him a

20、nd then leaves the Garden.No sooner is Raphael gone than Satan assumes the shape of a serpent (呈蛇的形状) and appears before Eve. He persuades her to break Gods command, Eve eats an apple from the forbidden tree and plucks another one for Adam. God sees all this, and Adam and Eve, husband and wife, are

21、both deprived of immortality, exiled from Paradise and doomed to an earthly life full of hardships and sufferings, to eat bread by “the sweat of the brow”.Comments 1Milton is a great stylist. His poetry is of grand style. He has made a life-long study of classical and Biblical literature. His poetry

22、 is noted for sublimity of thought and majesty of expression. But he was the most successful in the use of blank verse, and he is the forerunner to introduce blank verse into non-dramatic poetry. Comments 2Milton is a prominent figure in politics in the 17th century England. He makes great contribut

23、ion to the English Revolution.Milton is a great poet and important prose writer. His Paradise Lost is the only generally acknowledged English epic since Beowulf. His Areopagitica (论出版自由) serves as one of the most powerful declarations on freedom of press. 2. What is John Milton regarded as? -The 3rd

24、 greatest English poet after Chaucer and Shakespeare -The greatest to come out of the 17th century? (pa.1 on p.81)Questions3. How many phases can J. Miltons life divided into? -Three: 1) The early phase of reading and lyric writing; 2) The middle phase of service in the Puritan Revolution (also Civi

25、l War)3) The last phase of epic writing (pa.1 on p.81)Questions4. What important person did J. Milton meet with and helped him able to visualize heaven, earth, and hell as well as he does in Paradise Lost? -Galileo (pa.2 on p.81)5. At what age was he revered as one of the greatest scholar across the

26、 English channel? -20 (pa.2 on p.81)QuestionsMetaphysical Poetry Highly intellectualized poetry written chiefly in 17th-century England. Less concerned with expressing feeling than with analyzing it. Metaphysical poetry is marked by bold and ingenious conceits (e.g., metaphors sometimes forced paral

27、lels between apparently dissimilar ideas or things). John Donne was the leading Metaphysical poet; others include George Herbert, Henry Vaughan, Andrew Marvell, and Abraham Cowley. The Metaphysical Poetry (玄学派诗歌)The diction is simple, and echoes the words and cadences of common speech. The imagery i

28、s drawn from the actual life. The form is frequently that of an argument with the poets beloved, with god, or with himself.Main Features：Rise & Fall of Metaphysical PoetryMetaphysical poetry was rarely read in the 17th, 18th and early 19th century.In the late 19th century and early 20th century, the

29、re was a renewed interest in metaphysical poetry.The modernist poets T.S. Eliot, John Ransom and Allen Tate claimed their influence by John Donne. So John Donne became a cult figure in the early 20th century English-speaking countries.Metaphysical Poets METAPHYSICAL POETS : A school of poets at the

30、beginning of the 17th century in England, who wrote under the influence of John Donne. The works of the Metaphysical poets are characterized, generally speaking, by mysticism in content and fantasticality in form. Metaphysical Poets The most eminent poets:John DonneGeorge HerbertAndrew MarwellJohn D

31、onneDonne was born in a prosperous merchants family. He got his education at Cambridge and Oxford.Donne became the private secretary to Egerton, the Lord Keeper of the Great Seal. He ruined his own prospect by secretly marrying the Lord Keepers niece.In 1615, he entered the Anglican Church (英国国教教堂)

32、and took orders.In 1621, he was appointed the Dean of St. Pauls Cathedral （圣保罗大教堂）and kept the post to his death. Donnes work suggests a healthy appetite for life and its pleasures, while also expressing deep emotion. He did this through the use of conceits, wit and intellectas seen in the poems The

33、 Sun Rising and Batter My Heart. One of the most famous of Donnes conceits is found in A Valediction Forbidding Mourning 告别辞：请勿悲伤Donnes Poetry - Style Donnes works are also witty. But most are often ironic and cynical, especially regarding love and human motives. Common subjects of Donnes poems are

34、love (especially in his early life), death (especially after his wifes death), and religion.Donnes PoetrySongs and Sonnets (歌与十四行诗)The Elegies (挽歌)The Flea （跳蚤）Holy Sonnets (圣十四行诗)Devotions upon Emergent Occasions ( 突发事件的祷告)The Flea Fleas were a popular subject for humorous and amatory poetry in all

35、 countries at the Renaissance. Their popularity stems from an event that happened in a literary salon. On an occasion a flea happened to land upon one ladys breast. The poets were amazed at the creatures audacity, and were inspired to write poetry about the beast. It soon became fashionable among po

36、ets to write poems about fleas.Mark but this flea, and mark in this, How little that which thou deniest me is; Me it sucked first, and now sucks thee, And in this flea our two bloods mingled be; 光看看这只跳蚤，看看它的体内，你所拒绝我的有多么微不足道；我，它先叮咬了，现在又叮咬你，在这跳蚤肚里，我俩的血混为一体； Stanza 1The FleaStanza 1Thou knowst that thi

37、s cannot be saidA sin, or shame, or loss of maidenhead,Yet this enjoys before it woo, And pampered swells with one blood made of two, And this, alas, is more than we would do. 坦白承认此事，这并不能够说是一桩罪过，或耻辱，或丧失贞洁，它并没有向我们请求就已经得到了享受，饱餐由两人血滴合成的那滴血之后大腹便便，而这，咳，比我们要做的还深重。 1st stanza: Contemplative and whimsicalIn

38、 this poem, the I of the poem is lying in bed with his lover, and trying to get her to give her virginity to him. While lying there, he notices a flea, which has obviously bitten them both. Since the 17-century idea was of sex as a mingling of the blood, he realizes that by mixing their bloods toget

39、her in its body, the flea has done what she didnt dare to do.Then, he argues, since the flea has done it, why shouldnt they? To back up his argument, he refers to the marriage ceremony, which states that Man shall be joined unto his wife and they two shall be one flesh. He argues that since they hav

40、e mingled their bloods and are therefore one blood, they are practically one flesh and are therefore married!Stanza 2Oh stay, three lives in one flea spare, When we almost, nay more than married are. This flea is you and I, and this Our marriage bed, and marriage temple is; 呆着吧，饶了这一只跳蚤身上的三条性命，在其中我们几

41、乎，不，更甚于婚配。这跳蚤就是你和我，它的腹腔就是我们的婚床，和婚庆礼堂； 2nd stanza: more absurd with pace fasterNot only does that reinforce his seduction argument, but it also provides ammunition for him to defend himself when the female does the next logical thing and moves to kill the flea. Donne argues that by spilling his blood

42、 and hers as killing the flea, she is practically committing murder. Not only that, but by breaking the holy bond of marriage she is committing sacrilege!The flea becomes ultimately a symbol of the world in which the lovers desires are realized, this our marriage bed and marriage temple is. Marriage

43、 and consummation is a past issue, since within the flea their blood is already mingled and the child of their union grows. The flea is now the realm（领域） of marriage, all-encompassing the lovers and excluding any parents or patriarchal（家长的，族人的） sanction. The walls of this realm are jet black, indica

44、ting that something sinister（险恶的） or evil is to occur here. This could be a reference to the illicit （违法的）marriage, or the forbidden mixing of royal and common blood, or perhaps only the impiety（不虔诚）of the poets comparison that loss of innocence should be so trivial as the life of a flea. The ladys

45、significance is reduced to that of a black widow spider at this point, where the poet says she is apt to kill him after this consummation of a non-existent marriage.With this metaphor（暗喻） of the spider, who is also jet in color, the object of the mans love is reduced to the position of the flea. If

46、the flea is pregnant with their blood-child, then she (the lady) may as well be pregnant too. Now that this tie has been established between the blood of the woman and the flea, if the woman were to kill the flea, it would be a form of suicide. So to kill this flea, the woman would have to commit mu

47、rder (of the symbolic marriage realm and the child within), suicide (killing of her own blood), and sacrilege (which suicide is). Apparently the woman kills the flea anyway, since the death of the flea and her own corruption（堕落） is addressed next. Stanza 3Cruel and sudden, hast thou since Purpled th

48、y nail in blood of innocence? Wherein could this flea guilty be, Except in that drop which it sucked from thee? 残忍而突然，你是否从此时此刻以无辜的鲜血染红了你的指甲？这跳蚤有什么可以责难罪咎，除了它从你身上吸取的那一小口？ Stanza 3Yet thou triumphst, and sayst that thou Findst not thy self, nor me the weaker now; Tis true, then learn how false fears be

49、; Just so much honor, when thou yieldst to me, Will waste, as this fleas death took life from thee. 然而，你得意洋洋，声称说你并没有发现你我（因失血而变得）有些虚弱；的确，那么该知道恐惧是多么虚幻不真；接受我的求爱不会让你的名誉有丝毫损耗，一如这跳蚤之死没有让你的生命有所损失一样。3rd Stanza: Slowing and Reversal of ArgumentHowever, the flea finally is killed, and the poet is forced to ch

50、ange tactics（策略）. There, he argues, killing the flea was easy, and as you say it hasnt harmed us - well, yielding to me will be just as easy and painless.By killing the flea whom the poet has given such strange attributes, the woman squashes the symbolic world the man has constructed and brought the

51、m both back to reality.By murdering the innocent flea, the lady has purpled her nail, a color assigned to the clothing of royalty. She has committed the sins that destroy the union of their blood, so she triumphs.The Flea - analysisNote the role of the female in this poem - her objections are never

52、noted, just reacted to, and she makes the most powerful statement in the poem, yet it is a non-verbal statement (her crushing of the flea) There is a lot of hyperbole（夸张法） in this poem, a technique that Donne often uses to make a point. One blood made of two. - in Donnes time, the sex act was thought to be a “mingling of the bloods” - so the line is both lewd (下流的) and playful, especially as it is followed by the teasing And this, alas, is more than we would do. Purpled thy nail. - purple was a very expensive colour, as