英美文学简史

ABriefHistoryofEnglishLiterature

&AmericanLiteratureInstructor:GuoXin（郭昕）Spring2010SyllabusCourseDescription:acoursedesignedtohelpyoulearnbasicinformationaboutdifferentperiodsinEnglishandAmericanliteraryhistoryunderstandimportantwritersofdifferentschoolsofEnglishandAmericanliteratureContentofLecturesEachlecturewillinclude:anoverallintroductionaboutacertainperiodineitherEnglishorAmericanliteratures:historical,social&culturalbackgroundof;featuresandliteraryachievementsofthisliteraryperiodadetailedstudyoncertainimportantwritersinacertainperiod:biography,representativeliteraryworks,literarycareer&literaryachievementsabriefintroductionaboutcertainliterarytermsCourseRequirementToattendclassregularlyTodoaconsiderableamountofreading(tofinishthereadingassignmentinourtextbooksbeforeeachreading)Todoacarefulnote-takingTokeepajournallog:towritedownanythingyouthinkimportantorinterestingwhiledoingyourreadingassignmentsorattendingclass&towriteyourcommentsonorresponsetowhatyoureadReadingMaterials(I)CompulsoryReading:LiuBingshan.AShortHistoryofEnglishLiterature.Zhengzhou:HenanPeoplePress,2007.Tongming.AHistoryofAmericanLiterature.Nanjing:YilinPress,2002.ReadingMaterials(II)SuggestedReading:ZhangBoxiang.SelectedReadingsInEnglishAndAmericanReadings.Beijing:ForeignLanguageTeachingandResearchPress,1999.WuWeiren.HistoryandAnthologyofEnglishLiterature.BeijingForeignLanguageTeachingandResearchPress,1988.WuWeiren.HistoryandAnthologyofAmericanLiterature.BeijingForeignLanguageTeachingandResearchPress,1990.ReadingMaterials(III)FurtherReading:ChangYaoxin.ASurveyofEnglishLiterature.Tianjin:NankaiUniversityPress,2006.HuYintong,LiuShusen.CourseinAmericanLiterature.Tianjin:NankaiUniversityPress,1995.ChangYaoxin.ASurveyofAmericanLiterature,the2ndEdition.Tianjin:NankaiUniversityPress,2003.GradingPolicyFinalExam(60%)Attendance(10%)ClassPerformance(10%)Note-taking(20%)WarmingQuestionsWhyshouldwelearnliterature?Whatistheuseoflearningliterature?Howshallwestudyliterature?为何学习文学?熟读唐诗三百首，不会作诗也会吟。——学习语言需要多读，借以培养语感，缩短学习者与语言间的距离细雨潇潇赏宋词，人生佳境莫如此。——文学可以陶冶情操，提高修养世事洞明皆学问，人情练达即文章。——文学让人体味百态人生，领悟生活真谛ImportanceofLearningLiteratureHistoriesmakemenwise;poets,witty;themathematics,subtle;naturalphilosophy,deep;moral,grave;logicand

rhetoric,abletocontend.——FrancisBacon历史使人明智，诗歌使人灵秀，数学使人缜密，物理使人深刻，伦理学使人庄重，逻辑使人善辩

Eachgoodfictionisahistoryofitscharactersoritstimes.Eachgoodpoemisanexpressionofthegenius’wit.Eachgoodessayisfulloflogicandrhetoric.Eachgooddramahasitsthoroughinfluenceonpeople’smorality.Everyexcellentliteraryworksiswise,witty,subtle,deep,grave,logicalatthesametime.读书可以改变人的气质。——培根文学的丰富多彩ThereisnoFrigatelikeaBookThereisnofrigatelikeabookTotakeuslandsawayNoranycourserslikeapageOfprancingpoetryThistraversemaythepooresttakeWithoutoppressoftoll:HowfrugalisthechariotThatbearsthehumansoul!

——EmilyDickinson文学的激励作用圣火的实例往往比千言万语的说教更有力量，它能够激发或者缓和人类的激情。所以在我当面给了你一些安慰之后，我就决定把自己的苦难经历写给你，来安慰你，希望你拿我的苦难同你的比较一下，你就会觉得你的苦难毕竟是微乎其微，你也就有勇气来面对人生的一切磨难。——阿贝拉尔（12世纪法国神学家）如何学习文学——“三不分”文史不分——theconnectionbetweenthehistoryandthegeneralliteraryfeatures作家与其所处时代不分——theconnectionbetweentheauthoranditstimes作品与其作者不分——theconnectionbetweentheworkanditsauthor文学与悟性文学包罗万象theinseparabilityofliterature,history&philosophyCloseconnectionbetweenliterature,music,painting&photographyTolearnliteraturewell,youmustbeapersonwhoareinterestedinmanythingsandwhocanusetheknowledgeinotherspherestointerpretliterarycodes.如何学好文学学而无思则罔，思而不学则殆。

文学与生活密切相关。从生活中汲取灵感来理解文学；从文学中吸取智慧来感悟人生。在“悟”中把握人生的真谛。非学无以置疑，非问无以广识。

勤读书，多思考，善提问，多讨论HowtoReadLiteraryWorks?

“Booksarethebestofthings,wellused;abused,amongtheworst.Whatistherightuse?Whatistheoneendwhichallmeansgotoeffect?Theyarefornothingbuttoinspire.Ihadbetterneverseenabookthantobewarpedbyitsattractioncleanoutofmyownorbit,andmadeasatelliteinsteadofasystem.Theonethingintheworld,ofvalue,istheactivesoul.”—RalphWaldoEmerson“尽信书不如无书。”

Beanactiveandcriticalreader.Divisionsin

EnglishLiteratureTHANKYOUSUCCESS2026/3/221可编辑DivisioninOurTextbookAnOverview:SixPeriodsInEnglishLiteratureImportantDatesInEnglishLiteraryHistory1066:theNormanConquest1660:theRestorationofKingCharlesII1798:thepublicationofLyricalBallads1832:SirWalterScott’sdeath1836—1901：thereignofQueenVictoriaImportantWritersinDifferentPeriods(I)OldandMedievalPeriod:BeowulfChaucer&hisTheCanterburyTalesTheRenaissancePeriod:Drama&Poetry-WritingMarloweShakespeareTheNeoclassicalPeriod

Milton(Epic)Bunyan,Swift,Defoe&Fielding:theRiseofEnglishNovelMetaphysicalPoetry:JohnDonnePope:SummitofHeroicCoupletImportantWritersinDifferentPeriods(II)TheRomanticPeriod:Sentimentalism&Pre-Romanticism:ThomasGray,Blake&BurnsPassive-Romanticism:theLake-SidePoets(Wordsworth,Coleridge&Southey)Active-Romanticism:Byron,Shelley&KeatsImportantWritersinDifferentPeriods(III)TheVictorianPeriod:RiseofCriticalRealism:Dickens,Thackeray&WomenNovelists(JaneAusten,TheBronteSisters&GeorgeEliot)PoeticRevolution:Tennyson&TheBrowningsTheModernPeriod:Hardy,Galsworthy&D.H.LawrenceOverviewofsomerepresentativewritersinlaterperiod:E.M.Forster,AldousHuxley,GeorgeOrwell,WilliamGolding&DorisLessingDivisioninAmericanLiteratureDivisioninOurTextbookEarlyAmericanLiterature:ColonialPeriodto1815AmericanRomanticism:1815-1865AmericanRealism:1865-1914AmericanModernism:1914-1945AmericanLiteratureDiversified:From1945tothe21stCentury2ndVersionColonialPeriod(1607-1765)AgeofReasonandRevolution(1765-endof18thcentury)RomanticPeriod(1800-1865)RealisticPeriod(1865-1918)ModernPeriod(1918-1945)ContemporaryPeriod(1945-)AgeofReason&RevolutionColonialPeriodContemporaryPeriodCommonFeaturesinDifferentDivisionsTheWarofIndependenceYearsasBritishColonyFiveHistoricalEventstoRemembertheseDifferentDivisionsImportantWritersin

DifferentPeriods(I)ColonialPeriod:nowriterAgeofReasonandRevolution:BenjaminFranklinRomanticPeriod:EdgarAllanPoeRalphWaldoEmerson&HenryDavidThoreau(transcendentalism)NathanielHawthorne&HermanMelville19th-CenturyAmericanPoetsImportantWritersin

DifferentPeriods(II)4.RealisticPeriod:MarkTwain:localcolorwritingHenryJames:psychologicalrealismStephenCrane:naturalismImportantWritersin

DifferentPeriods(III)5.ModernPeriod:RealisticLiterature:WillaCather&SherwoodAndersonSouthernLiterature:KatherineAnnPorter&WilliamFaulknerModernistLiterature:F.ScottFitzgerald&ErnestHemingway[ThelostGeneration]20thcenturyAmericanpoetsEugeneO’NeilImportantWritersin

DifferentPeriods(IV