《英国文学选读》复习资料

1、British LiteratureReviewGeoffrey Chaucer*Geoffrey Chaucer (/tsr/; c. 1343 25 October 1400), known as the Father of English literature, is widely considered the greatest English poet of the Middle Ages and was the first poet to be buried in Poets Corner of Westminster Abbey. While he achieved fame du

2、ring his lifetime as an author, philosopher, alchemist and astronomer, composing a scientific treatise on the astrolabe for his ten year-old son Lewis, Chaucer also maintained an active career in the civil service as a bureaucrat, courtier and diplomat. Among his many works, which include The Book o

3、f the Duchess, the House of Fame, the Legend of Good Women and Troilus and Criseyde, he is best known today for The Canterbury Tales. Chaucer is a crucial figure in developing the legitimacy of the vernacular, Middle English, at a time when the dominant literary languages in England were French and

4、Latin. *Narrative, Lyric, and Drama are the three general literary forms into which writing, especially poetry, has traditionally been grouped. A narrative tells a story or a tale; drama is presented on a stage, where actors embody characters; lyric has been loosely defined as any short poem other t

5、han narrative and drama, where poets express their state of mind.*Heroic couplet: A heroic couplet is a traditional form for English poetry, commonly used in epic and narrative poetry; it refers to poems constructed from a sequence of rhyming pairs of lines in iambic pentameter. Use of the heroic co

6、uplet was pioneered by Geoffrey Chaucer in the Legend of Good Women and the Canterbury Tales., and was perfected by John Dryden in the Restoration Age.Modernity: a rebel to the medievalJohn Bunyan*John Bunyan (/bnjn/; baptised 28 November 1628 31 August 1688) was an English writer and preacher best

7、remembered as the author of the religious allegory The Pilgrims Progress. In addition to The Pilgrims Progress, Bunyan wrote nearly sixty titles, many of them expanded sermons.*The Pilgrims ProgressThe Pilgrims Progress from This World to That Which Is to Come; Delivered under the Similitude of a Dr

8、eam is a Christian allegory written by John Bunyan and published in February, 1678. It is regarded as one of the most significant works of religious English literature, has been translated into more than 200 languages, and has never been out of print. Bunyan began his work while in the Bedfordshire

9、county gaol for violations of the Conventicle Act, which prohibited the holding of religious services outside the auspices of the established Church of England.Edmund Spenser*Edmund Spenser (/spnsr/; 1552/1553 13 January 1599) was an English poet best known for The Faerie Queene, an epic poem and fa

10、ntastical allegory celebrating the Tudor dynasty and Elizabeth I. He is recognised as one of the premier craftsmen of Modern English verse in its infancy, and is often considered one of the greatest poets in the English language. William ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare (/ekspr/; 26 April 1564 (baptis

11、ed) 23 April 1616)nb 1 was an English poet, playwright, and actor, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the worlds pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called Englands national poet and the Bard of Avon.nb 2 His extant works, including some collaborations, consist of abou

12、t 38 plays,nb 3 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, and a few other verses, the authorship of some of which is uncertain. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright.*Iambic pentameterIambic pentameter is a common

13、ly used type of metrical line in traditional English poetry and verse drama. The term describes the rhythm that the words establish in that line, which is measured in small groups of syllables called feet. The word iambic refers to the type of foot that is used, known as the iamb, which in English i

14、s an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable. The word pentameter indicates that a line has five of these feet.*Sonnet 18Shall I compare thee to a summers day?Thou art more lovely and more temperate:Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,And summers lease hath all too short a date:

15、Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,And often is his gold complexion dimmd;And every fair from fair sometime declines,By chance, or natures changing course, untrimmd;But thy eternal summer shall not fadeNor lose possession of that fair thou owst;Nor shall Death brag thou wanderst in his shade,

16、When in eternal lines to time thou growst;So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.Iambic pentameter Stressx/x/x/x/x/SyllableThouartmorelove-lyandmoretem-pe-rate*Rhyme schemeA rhyme scheme is the pattern of rhymes at the end of each line of a poem or

17、 song. It is usually referred to by using letters to indicate which lines rhyme; lines designated with the same letter all rhyme with each other.A B A BBid me to weep, and I will weepWhile I have eyes to see;And having none, yet I will keepA heart to weep for thee.Petrarchan rhyme scheme: ABBA ABBA

18、CDCD EEShakespeares rhyme scheme: ABAB CDCD EFEF GGSpenserian sonnet: ABAB BCBC CDCD EE (chain)Francis BaconFrancis Bacon, 1st Viscount St. Alban,a QC (/bekn/; 22 January 1561 9 April 1626), was an English philosopher, statesman, scientist, jurist, orator, essayist, and author. He served both as Att

19、orney General and Lord Chancellor of England. After his death, he remained extremely influential through his works, especially as philosophical advocate and practitioner of the scientific method during the scientific revolution. 17th-century British Poets:John DonneJohn Donne (/dn/ dun) (22 January

20、1572 31 March 1631) was an English poet and a cleric in the Church of England. He is considered the pre-eminent representative of the metaphysical poets. His works are noted for their strong, sensual style and include sonnets, love poems, religious poems, Latin translations, epigrams, elegies, songs

21、, satires and sermons. His poetry is noted for its vibrancy of language and inventiveness of metaphor, especially compared to that of his contemporaries. Donnes style is characterised by abrupt openings and various paradoxes, ironies and dislocations. *The FleaBY JOHN DONNEMark but this flea, and ma

22、rk in this, How little that which thou deniest me is; It sucked me first, and now sucks thee,And in this flea our two bloods mingled be; Thou knowst that this cannot be saidA sin, nor shame, nor loss of maidenhead, Yet this enjoys before it woo, And pampered swells with one blood made of two,And thi

23、s, alas, is more than we would do*Holy Sonnet 10Death, be not proud, though some have called theeMighty and dreadful, for thou are not so;For those whom thou thinkst thou dost overthrowDie not, poor Death, nor yet canst thou kill me.From rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be,Much pleasure; then

24、from thee much more must flow,And soonest our best men with thee do go,Rest of their bones, and souls delivery.Thouart slave to fate, chance, kings, and desperate men,And dost with poison, war, and sickness dwell,And poppyor charms can make us sleep as wellAnd better than thy stroke; why swellst tho

25、u then?One short sleep past, we wake eternally,And death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die.John MiltonJohn Milton (9 December 1608 8 November 1674) was an English poet, polemicist, man of letters, and a civil servant for the Commonwealth of England under Oliver Cromwell. He wrote at a time of

26、religious flux and political upheaval, and is best known for his epic poem Paradise Lost (1667), written in blank verse. Miltons poetry and prose reflect deep personal convictions, a passion for freedom and self-determination, and the urgent issues and political turbulence of his day. Writing in Eng

27、lish, Latin, Greek, and Italian, he achieved international renown within his lifetime, and his celebrated Areopagitica (1644)written in condemnation of pre-publication censorshipis among historys most influential and impassioned defences of free speech and freedom of the press.*Paradise LostNine tim

28、es the Space that measures Day and NightTo mortal men, he with his horrid crewLay vanquisht, rowling in the fiery GulfeConfounded though immortal: But his doomReservd him to more wrath; for now the thoughtBoth of lost happiness and lasting painTorments him; round he throws his baleful eyesThat witne

29、ssd huge affliction and dismayMixt with obdurate pride and stedfast hate:At once as far as Angels kenn he viewsThe dismal Situation waste and wilde,A Dungeon horrible, on all sides roundAs one great Furnace flamd, yet from those flamesNo light, but rather darkness visibleServd onely to discover sigh

30、ts of woe,Regions of sorrow, doleful shades, where peaceAnd rest can never dwell, hope never comesThat comes to all; but torture without endStill urges, and a fiery Deluge, fedWith ever-burning Sulphur unconsumd:Such place Eternal Justice had prepard*oxymoronAn oxymoron (plural oxymora or oxymorons)

31、 is a figure of speech that juxtaposes elements that appear to be contradictory. Oxymora appear in a variety of contexts, including inadvertent errors (such as ground pilot) and literary oxymorons crafted to reveal a paradox.And faith unfaithful kept him falsely true.Adventure Fiction WritersDaniel

32、DefoeDaniel Defoe (/dnjl dfo/; c. 1660 24 April 1731), born Daniel Foe, was an English trader, writer, journalist, pamphleteer and spy, now most famous for his novel Robinson Crusoe. Defoe is notable for being one of the earliest proponents of the novel, as he helped to popularise the form in Britai

33、n and with others such as Samuel Richardson, is among the founders of the English novel. A prolific and versatile writer, he wrote more than five hundred books, pamphlets and journals on various topics (including politics, crime, religion, marriage, psychology and the supernatural). He was also a pi

34、oneer of economic journalism. Jonathan SwiftJonathan Swift (30 November 1667 19 October 1745) was an Anglo-Irish satirist, essayist, political pamphleteer (first for the Whigs, then for the Tories), poet and cleric who became Dean of St Patricks Cathedral, Dublin.He is remembered for works such as G

35、ullivers Travels, A Modest Proposal, A Journal to Stella, Drapiers Letters, The Battle of the Books, An Argument Against Abolishing Christianity, and A Tale of a Tub. Swift is regarded by the Encyclopdia Britannica as the foremost prose satirist in the English language, and is less well known for hi

36、s poetry. Swift originally published all of his works under pseudonyms such as Lemuel Gulliver, Isaac Bickerstaff, MB Drapier or anonymously. He is also known for being a master of two styles of satire: the Horatian and Juvenalian styles. Henry FieldingHenry Fielding (22 April 1707 8 October 1754) w

37、as an English novelist and dramatist known for his rich earthy humour and satirical prowess, and as the author of the novel Tom Jones.Aside from his literary achievements, he has a significant place in the history of law-enforcement, having founded (with his half-brother John) what some have called

38、Londons first police force, the Bow Street Runners, using his authority as a magistrate.His younger sister, Sarah, also became a successful writer. Samuel RichardsonSamuel Richardson (19 August 1689 4 July 1761) was an 18th-century English writer and printer. He is best known for his three epistolar

39、y novels: Pamela: Or, Virtue Rewarded (1740), Clarissa: Or the History of a Young Lady (1748) and The History of Sir Charles Grandison (1753). Richardson was an established printer and publisher for most of his life and printed almost 500 different works, including journals and magazines.At a very e

40、arly age, Richardson was apprenticed to a printer, whose daughter he eventually married. He lost his first wife along with their five sons, and eventually remarried. Although with his second wife he had four daughters who lived to become adults, they had no male heir to continue running the printing

41、 business. While his print shop slowly ran down, at the age of 51 he wrote his first novel and immediately became one of the most popular and admired writers of his time.Romantic PoetsWilliam BlackWilliam Blake (28 November 1757 12 August 1827) was an English painter, poet and printmaker. Largely un

42、recognised during his lifetime, Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of the poetry and visual arts of the Romantic Age. His prophetic poetry has been said to form what is in proportion to its merits the least read body of poetry in the English language. His visual artistry led one

43、 contemporary art critic to proclaim him far and away the greatest artist Britain has ever produced. In 2002, Blake was placed at number 38 in the BBCs poll of the 100 Greatest Britons. Although he lived in London his entire life (except for three years spent in Felpham), he produced a diverse and s

44、ymbolically rich oeuvre, which embraced the imagination as the body of God or human existence itself. *The LambLittle Lamb who made thee Dost thou know who made thee Gave thee life & bid thee feed. By the stream & oer the mead;Gave thee clothing of delight,Softest clothing wooly bright;Gave thee suc

45、h a tender voice,Making all the vales rejoice! Little Lamb who made thee Dost thou know who made thee Little Lamb Ill tell thee, Little Lamb Ill tell thee!He is called by thy name,For he calls himself a Lamb: He is meek & he is mild, He became a little child: I a child & thou a lamb, We are called b

46、y his name. Little Lamb God bless thee. Little Lamb God bless thee.*Romanticism1. bring away neo-classical dogmas2. Subjectivity. Focus on feeling sentimental instead of rational3. individuality, freedom of the spiritual life4. originality against conventionality5. imagination6. the independent stat

47、us of art not servant to morality7. nature, the artificial life is despised8. sentiments, melancholy, life moves towards death9. interest in darkness and sepulchers 10. love of greek and roman culture and myths11. the beautiful and sublime*The tygerTyger Tyger, burning bright, In the forests of the

48、night; What immortal hand or eye, Could frame thy fearful symmetry?In what distant deeps or skies. Burnt the fire of thine eyes?On what wings dare he aspire?What the hand, dare seize the fire?*the sick roseO Rose thou art sick. The invisible worm, That flies in the night In the howling storm: Has fo

49、und out thy bedOf crimson joy:And his dark secret loveDoes thy life destroy.Robert BurnsRobert Burns (25 January 1759 21 July 1796) (also known as Robbie Burns, Rabbie Burns, Scotlands favourite son, the Ploughman Poet, Robden of Solway Firth, the Bard of Ayrshire and in Scotland as The Bard) was a

50、Scottish poet and lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland and is celebrated worldwide. He is the best known of the poets who have written in the Scots language, although much of his writing is also in English and a light Scots dialect, accessible to an audience beyond Scotla

51、nd. He also wrote in standard English, and in these writings his political or civil commentary is often at its bluntest. * A Red, Red RoseBY ROBERT BURNSO my Luve is like a red, red rose Thats newly sprung in June;O my Luve is like the melody Thats sweetly played in tune.So fair art thou, my bonnie

52、lass, So deep in luve am I;And I will luve thee still, my dear, Till a the seas gang dry.Till a the seas gang dry, my dear, And the rocks melt wi the sun;I will love thee still, my dear, While the sands o life shall run.And fare thee weel, my only luve! And fare thee weel awhile!And I will come agai

53、n, my luve, Though it were ten thousand mile.William WordsworthWilliam Wordsworth (7 April 1770 23 April 1850) was a major English Romantic poet who, with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, helped to launch the Romantic Age in English literature with their joint publication Lyrical Ballads (1798).Wordsworths

54、magnum opus is generally considered to be The Prelude, a semiautobiographical poem of his early years that he revised and expanded a number of times. It was posthumously titled and published, before which it was generally known as the poem to Coleridge. Wordsworth was Britains Poet Laureate from 184

55、3 until his death in 1850. *I wandered Lonely as a CloudI wandered lonely as a cloudThat floats on high oer vales and hills,When all at once I saw a crowd,A host of golden daffodils;Beside the lake, beneath the trees,Fluttering and dancing in the breezeSamuel Taylor Coleridge Samuel Taylor Coleridge

56、 (/kolrd/; 21 October 1772 25 July 1834) was an English poet, literary critic and philosopher who, with his friend William Wordsworth, was a founder of the Romantic Movement in England and a member of the Lake Poets. He wrote the poems The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and Kubla Khan, as well as the m

57、ajor prose work Biographia Literaria. His critical work, especially on Shakespeare, was highly influential, and he helped introduce German idealist philosophy to English-speaking culture. He coined many familiar words and phrases, including the celebrated suspension of disbelief. He was a major influence on Emerson, and American transcendentalism. *Kubla KhanIn Xanadu did Kubla KhanA stately pleasure-dome decree:Where Alph, the sacred river, ranThrough caverns meas