英国文学史1.ppt

1、Part I The Anglo-Saxon Period (449-1066),1.The Making of England The Britons The Roman Conquest The English Conquest,2. The literature of this period Two divisions: pagan and Christian The song of Beowulf 1) brief introduction of Beowulf 2) four parts of the story fight with Grendel fight with Grend

2、els mother fight with firedrake death and funeral,3. Characteristics of “Beowulf” a. the mixture of pagan elements with Christian coloring. The most outstanding example is the frequent reference in the epic to “Wyrd” (fate) as the decisive factor in human affaires, while on other occasions “God” or

3、“Lord” is also mentioned as the omniscient and omnipotent being that rules over the whole universe. b. the frequent use of metaphors “Ring giver” is used for king, “Swan road”, “whale-path” or “seal bath” for the sea, “wave-traveler” or “sea-wood” for ship,c. Beowulf is written in alliterative verse

4、. Alliteration, also known as “head rhyme” or “initial rhyme”, is the repetition of the same sounds-usually initial consonants of words or stressed syllables-in any sequence of neighboring words. E.g. Pride and Prejudice Speech is silver, silence is gold. d. Beowulf is written in true epic style. Ep

5、ic (heroic poetry): It is, originally, an oral narrative poem, majestic both in theme and style. Epics deal with legendary or historical events of national or universal significance, involving action of broad sweep and grandeur.,4. The significance of Beowulf： a. This glorious epic presents us a viv

6、id picture of the life of Anglo-Saxon people and highly praises the brave and courageous spirit of the fighting against the elemental forces. b. The epic reflects the situation of the epoch of pagan tribalism and of the era of the Christianized feudal society.,Exercise Define the literary terms list

7、ed below alliteration epic Answer the following questions 1. What do you know about the Teutons? 2. Please give a brief description of The Song of Beowulf,Part II The Anglo-Norman Period(1066-1350) 1) The Norman Conquest In the year 1066,the Normans headed by William, Duke of Normandy, defeated the

8、Anglo-Saxons, therefore the Anglo-Norman period started. 2) The Influence of the Norman Conquest Politically Religiously Language and Literature 3) The Literature Romance,Romance was a long composition, sometimes in verse, sometimes in prose, describing the life and adventures of a noble hero. The c

9、entral character of romances was the knight, a man of noble birth skilled in the use of weapons. The theme of loyalty to king and lord was repeatedly emphasized in romances, as loyalty was the corner-stone of feudal morality, without which the whole structure of feudalism would collapse.,Exercise Fi

10、ll in the following blanks 1. In the year_, at the battle of _, the_ headed by William, Duck of Normandy, defeated the Anglo-Saxons. 2. The literature which Normans brought to England is remarkable for its bright, _ tales and _, in marked contrast with the _ and _of Anglo-Saxon poetry. Answer the fo

11、llowing question What is the consequence of the Norman Conquest? Define the literary term romance,Part III Geoffrey Chaucer,1. Chaucers Life Geoffrey Chaucer, the “father of English poetry” and one of the greatest narrative poets of England, was born in London in or about the year 1340. his father w

12、as a prosperous wine merchant. The future poet is said to have studied at Oxford and Cambridge. He served as page to Elizabeth, Countess of Ulster. Thus he came to rub elbows with the court and nobility. In 1359 he accompanied the English army to France. In 1367 he entered the service of King Edward

13、 III, who sent him on several embassies to Flanders, France and Italy. In 1373 Chaucer received the post of a Comptroller （审计官）of Customs in the port of London.,He had to work in the Customs House all day long, and only night-time was left to him to write poems. In 1386 he was elected member of parl

14、iament. But in December of the same year he was dismissed from his office as comptroller due to the intrigues of his enemies. He seems to have known poverty at that time. However, in 1389 he was appointed Clerk of the Kings works at Westminster and Windsor, and the new King Henry IV granted him a pe

15、nsion. The poet died on the 25th of October 1400, and was buried in Westminster Abbey.,2. Chaucers Literary Career,Main works: The Legend of Good women(良妇传说）； The House of Fame(名誉堂）； The Parliament of Fowls( 百鸟会）； Troilus and Cressie（特罗勒斯与克莱西） The Canterbury Tales (坎特伯雷故事集） Comment: In contradistinc

16、tion to the alliterative verse of the Anglo-Saxon poetry, Chaucer chose the metrical form which laid the foundation of the English tonico-syllabic verse. (中音调音节式诗句）Chaucer greatly contributed to the founding of the English literary language, the basis of which was formed by the London dialect, so pr

17、ofusely used by the poet.,3. The Canterbury Tales,Outline of the Story Analysis of The Prologue Social Significance of The Canterbury Tales Chaucers Contributions in literature in language,1. 音步(Foot)：英诗中重读与非重读音节的特殊性组合叫作音步。 一个音步的音节数量可能为两个或三个音节，但不能少于两个或多于三个音节，而且其中只有一个必须重读。分析英文诗歌的格律就是将它的句子划分成音步，并分清是何种

18、音步及音步的数量。这个过程称为scansion。 如：诗句 “From fairest creatures we desire increase” 要是分成音步的话，就变成了这个样子: Fro-m fai*re-st crea*ture-s we* de-sire* i-ncrea*se 上面“-”表示它前面是轻读音节，而“*”则表示它前面是重读音节。我们于是看出：上面的句子共有五个音步，每个音步都是由前轻读后重读的两个音节组成，这样的音节被称为“抑扬格”。颇有点唐诗的“平仄”的味道，但又有本质上的不同。我们还看出：一个音步不必等于一个单词。,“单音步”（monometer)每行一个音步 “双

19、音步”（diameter) “三音步”（trimeter) “四音步”( tetrameter) “五音步”（pentameter) “六音步”（hexameter） heptameter octometer 韵律(Metre)： 韵律是指音步在朗读时的轻重长短的节奏或规律，这要依据音步所含音节的数量及重读音节的位置来区分。传统英诗的音步有六种。即： 抑扬格(Iambus) 扬抑格(Trochee) 抑抑扬格(Anapaest) 扬抑抑格(Dactyl) 抑扬抑格(Amphibrach) 扬抑扬格(Dactyl) “抑”为轻读音节，“扬”为重读音节。“扬抑格”即一个音步有两个音节，前面的音节重

20、读，后面的轻读。同理，“扬抑扬格”即一个音步有三个音节，最前的音节重读，中轻读，后重读。,3. 押韵 头韵(Alliteration)：是指单词开始的辅音重复，如 now and never； 谐元韵(Assonance)：是指单词中重读元音重复，如 great和fail； 尾韵(Rhyme)：则指单词结尾的音素重复，如 great和bait。,Heroic Couplet（英雄双韵体）refers to lines of iambic pentameter which rhyme in pairs: aa, bb, cc, and so on. The adjective “heroic”

21、was applied in the later seventeenth century because of the frequent use of such couplets in heroic poems and dramas. This verse form was introduced into English poetry by Geoffrey Chaucer. From the age of John Dryden through that of Samuel Johnson, the heroic couplet was the predominant English mea

22、sure for all the poetic kinds; some poets, including Alexander Pope, used it almost to the exclusion of other meters.,General Prologue When in April the sweet showers fall And pierce the drought of March to the root, and all The veins are bathed in liquor of such power As brings about the engenderin

23、g of the flower, When also Zephyrus with his sweet breath Exhales an air in every grove and heath Upon the tender shoots, and the young sun His half-course in the sign of the Ram has run, And the small fowl are making melody That sleep away the night with open eye (So nature pricks them and their he

24、art engages) Then people long to go on pilgrimages And palmers long to seek the stranger strands Of far-off saints, hallowed in sundry lands,And specially, from every shires end Of England, down to Canterbury they wend To seek the holy blissful martyr, quick To give his help to them when they sere s

25、ick, It happened in that season that one day In Southwark, at The Tabard, as I lay Ready to go on pilgrimages and start For Canterbury, most devout at heart, At night there came into that hostelry Some nine and twenty in a company Of sundry folk happening then to fall In fellowship, and they were pi

26、lgrims all That towards Canterbury meant to ride, The rooms and stables of the inn were wide;,They made us easy, all was of the best, And, briefly, when the sun had gone to rest, Id spoken to them all upon the trip And was soon one with them in fellowship, Pledged to rise early and to take the way T

27、o Canterbury, as you heard me say. But none the less, while I have time and space, Before my story takes a further pace, It seems a reasonable thing to say What their condition was, the full array Of each of them, as it appeared to me, According to rofession and degree, And what apparel they were ri

28、ding in; And at a Knight I therefore will begin.,Comment：The prologue is a splendid masterpiece of realistic portrayal, the first of its kind in the history of English literature. We see the whole cavalcade, as it rides out on a fine spring morning. The pilgrim are people from various parts of Engla

29、nd, representatives of various walks of life and social groups, with various interests, tastes and predilections. 在选篇中，故事的头几行描写了5月里春天到来、万物复苏的景象，象征着人性的复苏，为后面的充满人文主义色彩的故事定下了基调。接着乔叟娓娓道来，叙述了故事的缘起，为众香客的出场作了铺垫，文笔洗练，环环紧扣，引人入胜。乔叟的诗行以五步抑扬格为基本节奏，每两行压韵，铿锵有力，被称为 “英雄双韵体”(the heroic couplet)；从乔叟后，它取代了古英语中的头韵，为后来的

30、诗人所沿用。,The Picture of Pilgrims,The Wife of Bath (巴斯妇）,The wife of Bath She is the owner of a cloth factory, light-hearted, merry, somewhat vulgar, and exceedingly talkative. Somebody in the party starts her to talking about her husband, and she then relates the whole story of her married life. She h

31、as married five husbands and she expects one or two more. In one way or another, she says, she had always been able to master her husband and to rule the house. Sometimes she managed it because the husband was old and she young and pretty. There was but one husband whom she could not easily master.

32、But she got better of him by provoking him to beat her and then pretending to be dead. By this trick she succeeded in getting all the property into her hand.,The Nuns Priest,Ballad: It is a folk song or orally transmitted poem telling in direct and dramatic manner some popular stories usually derived from a tragic incident in local history or legend.