Pre-Romanticism(Washington Irving).ppt

1、American Romanticism(1800-1865),(Irving),Romanticism: a universal movement,Great Britain Germany Russia France Spain Latin America USA -not always at the same time, but from the early 19th Century through the present era.,Romantics of Great Britain,Begin in 1797 Wordsworth and Coleridge: Preface to

2、Lyrical Ballads Emphasis on “natural” rather than “cosmopolitan” experience Rethinking the language of poetry: more accessible What is a poet: a genius, someone extraordinary Ballad: genre of lyric that combines all three generic forms: Lyric (operates on mood, atmosphere) Epic (narrator tells a sto

3、ry) Dramatic (conversation),Great Britain,Samuel Taylor Coleridge,William Wordsworth,William Blake,Sir Walter Scott,Great Britain (contd),Mary Wollstonecraft Shelly,Lord Byron,Percy Bysshe Shelley,John Keats,Romanticism in the USA,I. Factors that Caused the American Romanticism,1) A nation bursting

4、into new life cried for literary expression Stability, Prosperity, Freedom Geographically, America expanded its frontier. Economically, it began the industrialization and urbanization. Politically, people enjoyed more freedom. Culturally, cultural business prospered. Magazines Literary Ideas: Romant

5、icism and Transcendentalism the buoyant mood of the nation and the spirit of the times,2) Foreign influences added incentive to the growth of romanticism in America. The Romantic movement in England and Europe was a decisive influence. Sir Walter Scott,3) American Puritanism as a cultural heritage T

6、he Puritan atmosphere of the nation predominantly conditioned social life and cultural taste. 4) The “newness” of the Americans as a nation Americans ideals and dream,II. The Characteristics of American Romanticism,American Romanticism was both imitative and independent. 1) Writers like Irving and e

7、sp. the group of New England poets tried to model their works upon English and European masters. 2) Writers like Emerson and Whitman thought and wrote differently. Breaking away from British standards,Some shared characteristics of American romantic writings:,(1) An emphasis upon emotion in literatu

8、reemotion ranging from sentimentality to deep feeling. (2) A great interest in the picturesque elements of the past. (3) An enthusiasm about portraying national life and charactersuch an enthusiasm is evident, for example, in Scotts narrative poems and in his historical novels.,American Romanticism

9、American Romanticism is an offshoot of the European Movement New attitude toward nature, humanity, and society Like its British counterpart American Romantics Celebrated Individualism A respect for nature A concern with the impact of new technology An admiration of women A fascination with death and

10、 the supernatural,Influence of Rousseau nature! Community: transcendentalists of New England Brook Farm Fascination with the land, and those who live off the land Nationalism Emancipation of women, slaves,III. The major writers of American Romanticism,Washington Irving (1783-1859),Ralph Waldo Emerso

11、n (1803-1882),James Fenimore Cooper (1789-1851),Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849),The major writers of American Romanticism,Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862),H. W. Longfellow (1807-1882),Nathanael Hawthorne (1804-1864),Herman Melville (1819-1891),IV. Washington Irving (1783-1859),1. Introduction,Irving was

12、the first American writer to achieve an international literary reputation.,A man with many associative occupations A man shows extreme interests in: The theater Association with literary-minded young men in NYC Traveling (including several trips up the Hudson and a 2-year excursion to Europe in 1804

13、 1842 - 1846 remained abroad 1829 -1832 - served as secretary to the American Legation in London. In 1842 -1846 - he was appointed U.S. Minister to Spain,Washington Irving,Father of American Short Stories First American author to make a living by his pen, first great prose stylist of American romant

14、icism. author of the first American short stories and familiar essays. the first American author of imaginative literature to achieve international distinction a Romantic with a great sense of tradition, looking to the old world (Europe) for models.,2. Washington Irvings Main Works:,A History of New

15、 York (1809) (纽约史) The Sketch Book (1819-1820) (札记集) Bracebridge Hall (1822) (布雷斯布里奇田庄) Tales of a Traveler (1824) Life of George Washington (1855-1859),A History of New York (1809),This book was a parody of another popular history of the day. The book was launched by a charming publicity campaign.

16、First, a newspaper noted the disappearance of a “small, elderly gentleman, dressed in an old black coat and cocked hat, by the name of “Knickerbocker,” adding that there were “some reasons for believing he is not entirely in his right mind.,The Sketch Book (1819-1820),While working on this book, Irv

17、ing met the famous English writer Sir Walter Scott, who directed Irvings attention to the wealth of unused literary material in German folktales. There Irving found the source for “Rip Van Winkle.” For this book, Irving adopted the new pseudonym Geoffrey Crayon. The book included “Rip Van Winkle” an

18、d “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.”,Rip Van Winkle,Plot (PP47-48),Rip Van Winkle,“The story reveals, to some extent ,the conservative attitude of its authorThe change that has occurred in the twenty years he slept is to him not always for the better.” (常耀信：48) “The story might be taken as an illustrati

19、on of Irvings argument that change and revolution upset the natural order things, and of the fact that Irving never seemed to accept a modern democratic America.” (常耀信：49),The Legend of Sleepy Hollow: tells a miraculous story about the unsuccessful love affair of Ichabod Crane, a country teacher, wh

20、ich is combined with the legend of a headless horseman. The two stories share legendary elements, which the critics either interpret as an expression of the authors conservative attitude toward the American Revolution and his nostalgia for the life before the Revolution, or doubt for their credibili

21、ty.,3. Style:,simplicity, lucidity, poise and ease flow, discursive and leisurely, slow, graceful presentation, careful phrases and cadences.,“Irvings style can only be described as beautiful. It is imitative, it is true, but he was a highly skillful writer The gentility, urbanity, and pleasantness

22、of the man all seem to have found adequate expression in his style.” (常耀信：47),Quite a few striking features which characterize Irvings writings: 1) Irving avoids moralizing as much as possible; he wrote to amuse and entertain. 2) He is good at enveloping his stories in an atmosphere. 3) His characters are vivid and true. 4) The humor 5) The finished and musical language and the patent workmanship (常耀信：47),4. Washington Irvings Significance: his literary innovations,1)author of first modern American short stories and