Modern Period
15-Modern
•
Lost Generation refers to , in general, the post-World War I generation, but specifically a group of expatriates who left America and formed a community of writers and artists in Paris, involved with other European novelists and poets in their experimentation on new modes of thoughtAfter WWII • 1. The Dropping of an Atomic Bomb over Hiroshima: destruction of the Western Civilization • 2. The Cold War • 3. Korean War • 4. Vietnam War • 5. The assassination of Kennedy and Martin Luther King • 6. The Water-Gate Scandal
• • • • • • • • •
Poetry: Imagist Movement Pound Robinson Frost Sandburg William Carlos Williams E.E. Cummings Wallace Stevens T.S. Eliot
• HARRIET MONROE AND THE "IMAGISTS" • In 1910-11, the established Chicago poet Harriet Monroe made a trip to China to visit her sister, the wife of the American ambassador, and there undertook an intensive study of Chinese art. Upon her return to the U.S., Monroe founded Poetry: A Magazine of Verse, through which vehicle she introduced the Imagists and other "new poetry" to American readers.
The Modern Period summarize
VI. The features of stream of consciousness
1. The unspoken thoughts and feelings of their characters are described without resorting to objective description or conventional dialogue.
3. The strong sense of comedy in his play are achieved through his witty dialogues, sharp satires, and vivid portrayal The theme of Shaw’s Mrs. Warren’s profession
III. Yeats’ Poems:
1. “The lake isle of Innisfree”
The poem consists of three quatrains of iambic pentameter, with each stanza rhymed abab. Tired of the life of his day, Yeats sought to escape into an ideal “fairyland” where he could live calmly and enjoy the beauty of nature. The best remedy for the emptiness of his age seemed to lie in a return to simple life in the past.
美国文学人物级背景
【美国】Chapter 3 The Modern Period现代时期1.The idea of “seize the day” or “enjoy the present ” was pervasive, as opposed to placing all hope in the future.“及时行乐”的思想十分横行，他们不把希望寄托在将来。
2.The most recognizable literary movement that gave rise to the twentieth century American literature, or we may say, the second American Renaissance, is the expatriate movement.美国20世纪的文学运动，也可说是美国第二次文艺复兴，就是移居国外的运动。
3.These writers were later named by an American writer, Gertrude Stein, also an expatriate, “The Lost Generation”. (why)---Disillusioned and disgusted by the frivolous greedy, and heedless way of life in America, they began to write and they wrote from their own experiences in the war.这些作家后来被美国作家斯坦恩称为“迷惘的一代”（原因）--由于他们已厌倦美国那种轻浮，贪婪的生活，于是开始动手写下他们的战争经历。
4.Ezra Pound’s role as a leading spokesman of famous Imagist Movement in the history of American literature.庞德在美国文学史上意象派运动中是个重要的人物。
Renaissance英国文学文艺复兴时期
• 2). Religious reformation • Henry VIII declared the break with Rome • Catholicism（天主教）was got rid of and Protestantism （新教）became the official national religion.
The Bourgeoisie
• The word "bourgeoisie" originally meant "town dwellers", especially those who lived by trading. By nature, the feudal order was agrarian. At the time of the Renaissance, the bourgeoisie appeared as a new class of society, and the conflicts between the newly arising bourgeoisie and feudalism and the Church became the main social contradiction of the time. Humanism was the very weapon for the bourgeoisie to use in its fight against feudalism restrictions and the dominating influence of the church, which had ruled men’s minds for centuries.
General introduction
• The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned the period roughly from the 14th to the 17th century. It began in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spread to the rest of Europe by the 16th century. Its influence was felt in literature, philosophy, art, music, politics, science, religion, and other aspects of intellectual inquiry.
英语专八人文知识考试总结
英语专八人文知识考试总结1 专八考试人文知识考试内容总结其中英美文学包括英国文学和美国文学。
英国文学主要分为六个时期：1. Old and Medieval English Literature（中古英国文学）。
2. The Renaissance Period（文艺复兴时期）。
3. The Neoclassical Period（新古典主义时期）。
4. The Romantic Period（维多利亚时期）。
5. The Victorian Period（维多利亚时期）。
6. The Modern Period（现代时期）。
美国文学主要分为四个时期：1. The Literature Around the Revolution of Independence（独立革命前后的文学）。
2. American Romanticism（美国浪漫主义文学）。
3. American Realism（美国现实主义文学）。
4. American Modernism（美国现代主义文学）。
语言学，考生不光要知道语言的本质还要掌握语音学，音位学，形态学，句法学，语义学和语言学的知识。
关于英语国家概况，英语专业的学生都会开设英美概况这门课程，但是专八考试的中需要考生了解的是英语国家概况，不光包括英国和美国，还有其他一些说英语的地区，包括爱尔兰概况，加拿大概况，澳大利亚概况和新西兰概况。
3专八人文知识:英国地理概况the english channel: the channel is a narrow sea passage which separates england and france and connects the atlantic ocean and north sea.英吉利海峡：英吉利海峡是一道狭长的海峡，分割英法两国，连接大西洋和北海。
the dee estuary: a small sea ( in irish sea) where the dee river enters.迪河河口：是迪河流入的一个小海。
英国文学 5.Modern Period
Chapter ５The Modern PeriodⅠ学习目的和要求通过本章的学习，了解20世纪批判现实主义文学和现代主义文学产生的历史、文化背景。
认识该时期文学创作的基本特征、基本主张，及其对现当代英国文学乃至文化的影响；了解该时期重要作家的文学创作思想、艺术特色及其代表作品的主题结构、人物刻画、语言风格、思想意义等；同时结合注释，读懂所选作品，了解其思想内容和写作特色，培养理解和欣赏文学作品的能力。
Ⅱ本章重点及难点1．英国现代文学的特征2．主要作家的创作思想、艺术特色及其代表作品的主题结构、人物刻画和语言风格3．名词解释：现代主义4．应用：选读作品的主题结构、艺术特色、人物刻画和语言风格，如（1）叶芝和艾略特诗歌（所选作品）的主题、意象分析（2）小说《儿子与情人》的主题和主要人物的性格分析（3）意识流小说的主要特色分析（4）萧伯纳戏剧的特点与社会意义分析Ⅲ.考核知识点和考核要求（一）现代时期概述1．识记：A. 20世纪英国社会的政治、经济、文化背景B．英国20世纪批判现实主义文学C．现代主义文学的兴起与衰落2．领会：A. 现代主义文学创作的基本主张B．英国现代主义文学思潮（1）诗歌（2）小说（3）戏剧3．应用：A．名词解释：现代主义B．英国现代主义文学的特点C．现代主义文学对当代文学的影响（二）现代时期的主要作家A.萧伯纳1．一般：萧伯纳的生平与文学生涯。
2．识记：A．萧伯纳的政治改革思想和文学创作主张B．萧伯纳的戏剧创作（1）早期主要作品：《鳏夫的房产》、《华伦夫人的职业》、《康蒂坦》、《凯撒和克莉奥佩特拉》（2）中期作品：《人与超人》、《巴巴拉少校》、《皮格马利翁》（3）晚期作品：《伤心之家》、《回到麦修色拉》、《圣女贞德》、《苹果车》3．领会：A．萧伯纳戏剧的特点与社会意义B．萧伯纳的戏剧对20世纪英国文学的影响4．应用：A．《华伦夫人的职业》的故事梗概、情节结构、人物塑造、语言风格、思想意义B．选读：所选作品的主要内容、人物塑造、语言特点、艺术手法等B．约翰·高尔斯华绥1．一般识记：高尔斯华绥的生平与文学生涯2．识记：高尔斯华绥的文学创作（1）戏剧：《银盒》、《正义》、《斗争》（2）小说：《福赛特世家》（《有产业的人》、《骑虎》、《出租》）、《现代喜剧》3．领会：A．高尔斯华绥的创作思想B．高尔斯华绥批判现实主义小说的主要特点及社会意义4．应用：选读：所选作品的主要内容、人物性格。
英语泛读教程3---UNIT1(刘乃银)
/data/ce/er/3/KECHENX/BOOK3/UNIT1/UNIT1.HTMExercisesA. Determining the main idea. Choose the best answer. Do not refer to the text.The main idea of the text is _______ . ( D )(a) that English ancestors invented the main part of the English language in four different ways(b) that invented words are generally made up in three different ways(c) that borrowed words and other kinds of words make up about one fifth of the English language(d) how various kinds of English words are inventedB. Comprehending the text.Choose the best answer.1.English has __________ words. ( C )(a) 6 000(b) 60 000(c) 600 000(d) 6 000 0002. Ampere, volt and watt are examples of __________ . ( D )(a) invented words(b) imitative words(c) borrowed words(d) words from the names of persons3. Prefixes and suffixes are _____________. ( B )(a) whole words that don't have their own meanings(b) parts of words that have their special meanings(c) from either Greek or Latin .(d) parts of words that are meaningless4. According to the text, "graph" can be used as ___________. ( D )(a) a root word(b) a prefix(c) a suffix(d) all of the above5. Every day, ______ lead to the invention of many new words to describe them. ( A)(a) new discoveries in science and technology(b) Anglo-Saxon words(c) root words(d) nonsense words6. An invented word may become a permanent part of the English language, if ______ . ( C )(a) people know where it came from(b) it was invented by a famous writer(c) it has been used by many people over a long period of time(d) linguists are interested in it7. In the text, the author repeatedly mentions Lewis Carroll as he was________________. ( D )(a) an English actor good at making people laugh(b) a dishonest politician(c) a character in Alice in Wonderland(d) a great inventor of meaningless words8. "Gobbledygook" is an example of ________.( D )(a) imitative words that sound like the thing or action they stand for(b) words invented by combining different meanings together(c) words made up of prefixes and suffixes(d) long big words that mean nothing9. In the author's opinion, the best words are _________. ( D )(a) short ones(b) gobbledygook(c) long, fancy ones(d) short, old ones10. The author's primary purpose in writing this article is to __________. ( B )(a) please the reader with the interesting story of different kinds of words(b) give a general account of the formation of three kinds of words(c) encourage the reader to learn words according to the word formation(d) introduce the history of the English languageC. Understanding vocabulary.Choose the correct definition according to the context.1. The other one fifth is made up partly of borrowed words and partly of three other kinds of words: words from the names of peoples and places; imitative words; and invented words. ( A )(a) reproducing closely(b) similar(c) original(d) root2. Pasteurized gets its name from Louis Pasteur, a French doctor who invented the process for purifying milk. ( B )(a) Distilled(b) Purified(c) Processed(d) Invented3. Some words, like astronaut, are made up entirely of Greek or Latin prefixes and suffixes. ( C )(a) one engaged in the study of the stars(b) one engaged in the study of the universe(c) one engaged in space flight(d) a scientific observer of the celestial bodies4. If the prefix anti- means "against," what does antibiotic really mean? ( A )(a) antibacterial(b) health-protecting(c) bacteria-producing(d) non-organic5. Linguists guess that these are nonsense words because they have not been able to trace them back to any of the ancestor languages. ( A )(a) Those studying the science of language(b) Those studying the meaning of words(c) Those studying the origins of words(d) Those studying the mystery of words6. Most of Carroll's nonsense words are not used in English, except for "chortle." ( C )(a) chuckle(b) snort(c) gleeful chuckle(d) noisy snorting7. "But ‘glory' doesn't mean ‘a nice knockdown argument'," Alice objected. ( B )(a) falling(b) overwhelming(c) convincing(d) unpleasantD. Discussing the following topics.1. Why do many people use gobbledygook?答案It seems that the purpose of usinggobbledygook is to cheat people. Many people usegobbledygook because they want to appear moreimportant than they really are or because theydon't really want people to understand what theymean or what they are doing.2. Do you agree with Humpty Dumpty regarding the meaning of a word? Why or why not?答案 Well, I don't quite agree with him.This issue involves philosophical thinkingregarding the relationship between language andidea. If a word means whatever people choose itto mean, the meaning will vary from one person toanother, and people will not be able tocommunicate. On the other hand, people may use thesame word in different ways which lead todifferent meanings. No matter how different thesame word may mean, the meaning should bemeaningful so that others can understand it.3. What makes a master of language? Can you name some masters of language?答案"A master knows what words really mean, andwhere they come from; know when to use big,important ones and when to use the shorter,equally important ones". Brevity is the soul oflanguage. Shakespeare and Samuel Johnson areamong masters of language.PracticeAdd the missing words to the following headlines.1. Council leader raps school decision( The Council leader raps the school decision. )2. Bush, leaders meet in D.C.( Bush and the leaders meet in D.C. )3. Fed policy may start to focus on risk of slowing economy( The Federal policy may start to focus on the risk of the slowing economy. )4. Last call on the horizon( The last call on the horizon. )5. Regulators approve $72B drug merger( The regulators approve $72 billion drug merger. )6. Bad weather knocks retailer for loopP assage OneHave you ever heard "hit the nail on the head"? Have you ever watched a clumsy man hammering a nail into a box? He hits it first to one side, then to another, perhaps knocking it over completely, so that in the end he only gets half of it into the wood. A skillful carpenter, on the other hand, will drive home the nail with a few firm, deft blows, hitting it each time squarely on the head. So it is with language; the good craftsman will choose words that drive home his point firmly and exactly. A word that is more or less right, a loose phrase, an ambiguous expression, a vague adjective, will not satisfy a writer who aims at clean English. He will try always to get the word that is completely right for his purpose.The French have an apt phrase for this. They speak of "le mot juste", the word that is just right. Stories are told of scrupulous writers, like Flaubert, who spent days trying to get one or two sentences exactly right. Words are many and various; they are subtle and delicate in their different shades of meaning, and it is not easy to find the ones that express precisely what we want to say. It is not only a matter of having a good command of language and a fairly wide vocabulary; it is also necessary to think hard and to observe accurately. Choosing words is part of the process of realization, of defining our thoughts and feelings for ourselves, as well as for those who hear or read our words. Someone once remarked: "How can I know what I think till I see what I say?" This sounds stupid, but there is a great deal of truth in it.It is hard work choosing the right words, but we shall be rewarded by the satisfaction that finding them brings. The exact use of language gives us mastery over the material we are dealing with. Perhaps you have been asked "What sort of a man is so-and-so?" You begin: "Oh, I think he's quite a nice chap but he's rather..." and then you hesitate trying to find a word or phrase to express what it is about him that you don't like, thatconstitutes his limitation. When you find the right phrase you feel that your conception of the man is clearer and sharper.In certain primitive tribes it was thought dangerous to reveal your name to a stranger. It might give him power over you. Even in modern civilized society you find yourself at a slight social disadvantage if someone knows your name but you don't know his. Command of words is ultimately command over life and experience.(447 words)1. The author uses the idiom "hit the nail on the head" to demonstrate ______ .( D )(a) the skill of a carpenter(b) the importance of being skillful(c) how one's point can be driven home(d) the importance for a writer to choose the right word2. The word "scrupulous" in paragraph two means ________ . ( A )(a) minutely careful(b) highly skillful(c) very accomplished(d) carpenter-like3. To find an appropriate word for the specified purpose ________. ( D )(a) is a matter of command of the specific language only(b) is a matter of vocabulary(c) is to pick out a word with subtle meaning(d) involves telling people your thoughts and feelings4. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage? ( C )(a) Choosing a right word for the right situation is challenging and rewarding.(b) Choosing a right word means weighing among its many synonyms.(c) You need to have a clear idea of the thing you are describing to choose the right word.(d) The different shades of meaning are helpful to our expression of ideas.5. It can be inferred that the paragraph that follows the passage may possibly discuss ______ . ( B )(a) a carpenter's work(b) choice of words(c) modern civilized society(d) primitive tribes TOPP assage TwoEnglish has a wide vocabulary and it is a very flexible language. There are many different ways of making a statement. But words that are very similar in meaning have fine shades of difference and a student needs to be alive to these differences. By using his dictionary, and above all by reading, a student can increase his sensitivity to these shades of difference and improve his ability to express his own meanings exactly.Professor Raleigh once stated: "There are no synonyms, and the same statement can never be repeated in a changed form of words." This is perhaps too absolute, but it is not easy to disapprove. Even a slight alteration in the wording of a statement can subtly shift the meaning. The change in words is a change in style, and the effect on the reader is quite different. It is perhaps easier to be a good craftsman with wood and nails than a good craftsman with words, but all of us can increase our skill and sensitivity with a little effort and patience. In this way we shall not only improve our writing, but also our reading.Above all we should try to cultivate an interest in words. The study of words, of their origins and shifting meanings, can tell us a great deal about human life and thought. English offers a fascinating variety of words for many activities and interests.The foreign student of English may be discouraged and dismayed when he learns that there are over 400 000 words in the English language, without counting slang. But let him take courage. More than half of these words are dead. Even Shakespeare used a vocabulary of only some 20 000 words. The average Englishman today probably has a vocabulary range of from 12 000 to 13 000 words. It is good to make your vocabulary as complete as you can, but a great deal can be said and written with a vocabulary of no more than 10 000 words. The important thing is to have a good control and command over the words you do know. Better know two words exactly than three vaguely. A good carpenter is not distinguished by the number of his tools, but by the craftsmanship with which he uses them. So a good writer is not measured by the extent of his vocabulary, but by his skill in finding the word that will hit the nail cleanly on the head.(405 words)6. In this passage, the author tells us that reading can ______ . ( B )(a) increase the vocabulary enormously(b) make one become more aware of the subtle differences of synonyms(c) enable one to learn as many synonyms as possible(d) enable one to be flexible in expressions7. Professor Raleigh's statement "There are no synonyms..." ______ . ( A )(a) stresses the different shades of meanings(b) is too absolute and easy to disapprove(c) is what the author tries to disapprove(d) means that there is no such word "synonym"8. According to the author, an interest in words should be cultivated because _____. ( C )(a) it is more difficult to be expert at words than at nails(b) words are the most fascinating things to observe(c) words offer us a lot of information about human activities(d) words are the most important part of a language9. The author thinks that ______ . ( B )(a) Shakespeare had a very small vocabulary(b) Shakespeare used only a small portion of the English vocabulary(c) it's not necessary to enlarge your vocabulary(d) it's reasonable to feel discouraged at the large amount of vocabulary in English10. In the author's opinion, the most important thing is to ______ . ( D )(a) have a large vocabulary to write and speak with(b) have at least a vocabulary of 10 000(c) use the words you already know(d) know how to find the right word TOPP assage ThreeLanguage is often irrational even in the way it combines words into sentences － in its synthesis. If language were perfectly rational in this respect, we should be able to handle words like the nine digits in arithmetic, and combine them into sentences at pleasure by applying a few simple grammatical rules. In practice, however, we find that a great part of all languages consists of a limited number of natural sentences, only some of which admit of being formed a priori and freely modified by the substitution of the other words, as when from "have", "ink", "pen", we make up such sentences as "I have the ink"; "Who has the pen?" "Who has the ink?" "He has the ink," and so on.But just as we cannot go on speaking long without using irregular inflections, so also we cannot go on speaking naturally for any length of time without using irregular combinations of words － combinationswhich cannot be constructed a priori. The sentences which make up natural speech are of two kinds － general sentences, such as those which have just been given, and special sentences or idioms, such as "how do you do?" "never mind", which are really on a level with simple words, such as salutation, indifference, and like them, have to be learnt one by one, in the same way as the irregularities of the grammar. Many of them, indeed, have meanings inconsistent with those of the words of which they are made up. Thus "do by itself" never has the meaning it has in "how do you do?" and "help" in the idiomatic expression "I could not help being late" has the meaning "prevent" "avoid", which is the exact contrary of its ordinary meaning.Again, even in those cases in which the grammar and dictionary allow us to express an idea by various combinations of words, there is often only one of these combinations in actual use. Those who have had to do Latin prose composition know that the main difficulty of the art consists in having an instinctive knowledge of what combinations to avoid. French has a similar character. English and Greek are much freer in this respect, a fact which many foreigners find it difficult to realize. When they ask me such questions as "Can one speak of an 'elegant supper'?" "Can you say, 'He was bad last night'?" I always answer that English is a free language, and that there is nothing to prevent any one calling a supper "elegant" although I do not remember ever doing so myself. Nevertheless, English has its limitations as well as other languages. Foreigners' English often presents the curious spectacle of a language constructed on strict grammatical principles, but with hardly a single genuinely English sentence in it.(464 words)11. Language is irrational in that _______________ .( D )(a) we can combine words by using simple grammatical rules(b) words in a language are like the nine digits in arithmetic(c) the meaning of a sentence can be inferred from the meanings of the words in it(d) the meaning of a sentence does not always conform to the meaning of the words in it12. According to the author, ________. ( B )(a) all languages have a limited number of natural sentences(b) not all the sentences in a language can be modified by substituting different words(c) regular combinations of words should be avoided in our speech(d) we should construct a priori before we combine words into sentences13. Which of the following is true? ( B )(a) Grammatically correct sentences are definitely correct.(b) Grammatically correct sentences are not necessarily used in practice.(c) A sentence based on grammar should be idiomatic.(d) A sentence in practical use must be rational.14. The author thinks it ______ to call a supper "elegant". ( A )(a) not idiomatic(b) impossible(c) wise(d) good English15. The main idea of the passage is that ____________. ( A )(a) we cannot speak by strict grammatical rules(b) no rule but has exceptions(c) there are two kinds of sentences in a language(d) language has strict grammatical rules to follow TOPText2ExercisesA History of EnglishThe English language we speak today went through three stages called Old English, Middle English and Modern English. But ages before even Old English came into being, many other languages had to arise and develop. The oldest of these, as far as we know, was the Indo-European family of languages, which were beginning to be spoken clear back during the Stone Age. During the Stone Age, some Indo-European people lived on the islands of Britain.The earliest known of these British Indo-Europeans split into two groups called the Scots and the Celts. There was another group, who were not Indo-European, called Picts. Together these three peoples are known as Britons. The Britons were a fierce, Stone Age people constantly making war on each other. They dressed in animal skins, lived in caves or rude wooden huts. These people had their own languages.At the same time that the Stone Age Britons were living their warlike life, the Greeks, far to the east of them, were building a great civilization in Europe. Many of our ideas of art, literature, science, philosophy and government today come from the genius of these ancient people. As the Greek civilization reached a high point, another great civilization was being built in Italy by the Romans, whose language was Latin. When the Romans conquered Greece and made it part of their empire, they found a culture much older and far superior to their own. So they borrowed it.After conquering all of Europe, Rome invaded Britain and made it part of the empire, in AD 43. Romans brought their advanced culture to the Britons. Not only did they bring their art, literature, law and the Latin language, they established schools, built buildings and roads and provided an army to protect themselves against invaders.Meanwhile, the Germanic peoples of northern Europe, known as "Norsemen" or "Northmen," were developing another, separate European culture. Some groups of Norsemen came to be known as Angles, Saxons, Jutes and Goths. They were warriors, but also sailors and traders. In very early times the Angles and Saxons began to trade with the Celts in England. This was probably the first time the Britons came into contact with other peoples.During the four hundred years Britain was part of the Roman Empire, Rome was getting weaker and weaker, and the Norsemen were getting stronger and stronger. Finally they thundered through the Roman defenses along the northern boundaries of the empire. In addition to the attack from the north, Rome was invaded from the east by Mongols, from the south by the Moslems.Being attacked on all sides, Rome had to call back her armies to protect what was left of the empire. By AD 409, Rome had lost all control of Britain.As soon as the Roman armies pulled out of Britain, the Picts and Scots began to destroy the Celts. The Celts turned for help to the Angles and Saxons across the sea in Sweden and Denmark. The latter were quick to respond, because they loved war. They saved the Celts; they also destroyed practically all the culture which had been brought by the Romans: literature, sculpture, schools and roads. The Germanic languages of the Angles and Saxons combined to become Anglo-Saxon. Since the Angles and Saxons had become the power in England, the Anglo-Saxon language became the very early beginning of English.While the Anglo-Saxons were establishing their power in England and making their language the main language of that country, the Roman Empire was sinking deeper and deeper into trouble. By AD 476 the western empire had ceased to exist. And since the Germanic peoples had no interest in preserving Roman culture, it just died. The Church was all that was left of Roman civilization. But Latin survived as the language of churchmen and the wealthy, educated classes, and was to have a profound effect on the development of the languages of southern Europe and England.Gradually, between the sixth and eleventh centuries, the feudal estates of Europe grew into powerful kingdoms. Of these, the French kingdom of Normandy became very important to the development of English.The various peoples in England were coming together as a nation also, under the rule of more powerful kings such as Alfred the Great, who ruled between 871 and 899. Alfred was not only an efficient ruler and a great defender of his people, he was also an eager scholar. He was able to preserve some of the learning which had been left behind when the Romans left England. In Anglo-Saxon he began a detailed diary of events in his own time known as The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. Although Alfred encouraged reading and writing in Anglo-Saxon as well as in Latin, most works continued to be written in Latin.Alfred's efforts to unify England and establish a national language apart from Latin were interrupted by an invasion of yet another group of Norsemen, the Vikings. The Vikings who invaded England were called Danes, and those who invaded France were known as the Normans.Gradually, as all invaders do eventually, the Danes settled down and became peaceful farmers. Their language mixed with Anglo-Saxon and became what we know as Old English. Old English was established as the language of the land by the tenth century. For the next hundred years or so after the Danish invasions, the English people lived in peace. If they had continued that way the English language today might be quite different from what it is; it would be something similar to Dutch, Danish and German. But about nine hundred years ago, England was invaded again, and another,very different language was brought to the country. When this language arrived, English moved away from Danish and Anglo-Saxon and passed from Old English into Middle English.The new foreign language which was to have such an important influence on the development of Middle English was French. In 1066, the Norman French people invaded England. The invasion is known as the Norman Conquest, and it is very important for two reasons. First, it was the last time England was ever to be invaded. Second, Old French became as important an influence as Danish and Anglo-Saxon to the development of English as it is today.The Normans brought their law, customs and literature to England. Since there was still so much Latin in their own language, Latin again began to have an influence on English. But this time, the English people did not allow their language to be swallowed up by a foreign language in the way their Celtic and early Anglo-Saxon ancestors had. Although the invading Norman French became the rulers of the land, and French became the language of government and law in England, the English people stubbornly refused to give up their own language. English remained the spoken language of the people. And when they did accept French words, they mispronounced them so badly that no one could recognize them as French.So, for a time, England was a land where there were two languages － the French of the ruling class, and the Anglo-Saxon, or Old English, of the servant class, the English people. Smart people of both classes learned both languages, and eventually the two languages came together to form what we know today as Middle English. Middle English was neither French nor Anglo-Saxon; it was a completely different language combined of both. The change from Old English to Middle English took place gradually over a period of about three hundred years.Middle English was a very disorganized language. But in Europe and in the Middle East, many changes were taking place which would have an important effect on the future of the English language. Let's look back for a moment to see what these changes were.As western Europe split into feudal estates the Moslems of the Middle East were pushing farther west and threatening the Christian rulers of the eastern empire. In 638 the Moslems had captured Jerusalem. European kings wanted it back, because they felt it belonged to Christians. They broke through the Moslem defenses and began a long series of wars called the Crusades.For two hundred years, from 1095 to 1291, European Christians joined forces with Middle Eastern Christians against the Moslems.Europe lost the wars of the Crusades. But the Crusades had brought the Europeans back into contact with the superior ancient Greek and Roman cultures, and those cultures had been enriched by the Moslem's advance knowledge of mathematics, astronomy, geography and medicine.This renewed contact with all the knowledge marks the beginning of a period in Europe known as the Renaissance, which means "re-birth of learning." The lost works of ancient Greek and Roman writers were rediscovered in Europe, inspiring countless new works of literature, art and science. The Renaissance began in Italy, but eventually the new learning spread north, to France, Germany and England.Geoffrey Chaucer was born some hundred years after the last war of the Crusades, in the early part of the Renaissance. About one hundred fifty years after Chaucer's death William Shakespeare was born in the last part of the Renaissance. During the lifetimes of these two great writers and over all the years between, the English language was sorting itself out from the chaos of Middle English.By the time of Shakespeare's death in 1616, the English history and language had entered the modern period.The English of Shakespeare's time is considered modern English because, except for some different spellings and a few words we no longer use, the language is quite similar to the English we speak today. Many of the old sayings we use every day come right out of Shakespeare's writings. When we think something is unimportant we "laugh it off." Describing something which is strong and in good condition, we say it is "sound as a bell." When we are disgusted with something, we say it is "lousy." If you know or use these expressions you are quoting Shakespeare.After Shakespeare's time English was to change a great deal more, but the changes were gradual. The changes came as a result of the growth of the English Empire, advancements intransportation and communication and a continuing contact betweenEnglish-speaking peoplesand peoples from all parts of the world.Between the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries England built an empire which included north America, some Caribbean islands, Australia, New Zealand, parts of Asia and parts of Africa. About nine or ten years before Shakespeare's death, England had established her first American colony, Virginia. Three hundred years later, England no longer had an empire, but the lands which she had conquered still spoke the English language. Today, English is the native or official language of not only the United States but also Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, Kenya, South Africa, Trinidad, Jamaica and more － lands on every continent of this planet.(1 816 words)。
Modern Period[1]
![Modern Period[1]](https://img.taocdn.com/s3/m/0d93becd2cc58bd63086bd06.png)
Modernism in Literature
• Modernism takes the irrational philosophy and the idea of psychological as its theoretical base. • The major themes of the modernist literature are the distorted, alienated and ill relationship between man and nature, man and
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Modern
• • • •
Period
Historical background a. The Two World Wars Economic prosperity by the 1920, the United States ndustrialized nation in the world. • the Great Depression
• c. the Spread of Marxist theory and Freudianism • Marxism • Freud names three divisions in the mind as the conscious, the preconscious and unconscious. • The conscious perceives, senses, and directly interacts with the external world. • The preconscious includes memories of experiences that can easily be brought to consciousness. • The unconscious consists of repressed instincts and ideas.
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• c. the Spread of Marxist theory and Freudianism • Marxism • Freud names three divisions in the mind as the conscious, the preconscious and unconscious. • The conscious perceives, senses, and directly interacts with the external world. • The preconscious includes memories of experiences that can easily be brought to consciousness. • The unconscious consists of repressed instincts and ideas.
• superego, ego, and id. • The superego represents the kinds of restrictions parents and society place upon the bodily drive. • The ego represses sexual and other desires, trying to make the body forget them. • Id:libido
• Modernism is, in many respects, a reaction against realism. It rejects rationalism, which is the theoretical base of realism • it casts away almost all the traditional elements in literature like the story, plot, character, chronological narration, etc., which are essential to realism. • 4). Modernism upholds a new view of time by emphasizing the psychic time over the chronological one. It maintains that the past, the present and the future are one and exist at the same time in the consciousness of individual as a continuous flown rather than a series of separate moments.
Modernism in Literature
• Modernism takes the irrational philosophy and the idea of psychological as its theoretical base. • The major themes of the modernist literature are the distorted, alienated and ill relationship between man and nature, man and society, man and man, and man and himself. • 1. Modernism marks a strong and conscious break with the past by rejecting the moral, religious and cultural values of the past • anti-romantic, anti-traditional, anti-heroes, and anticlimax • no typical good persons or bad persons.
• b. American expatriates in Europe (the Lost Generation) • The lost generation is a term used to refer to a group of young American expatriates, basically speaking, who were writing chiefly in the 1920s. • disillusioned and disgusted by the frivolous, greedy way of life in America. • So they left America and went to Europe • With the help of Gertrude Stein, they formed a community of writers and artists in Paris
Modern
• • • •
Period
Historical background a. The Two World Wars Economic prosperity by the 1920, the United States had become the most powerful industrialized nation in the world. • the Great Depression
• Spiritual barrenness • The ideas of “seize the day” or “enjoy the present” was pervasive. • they just indulged themselves in pleasure seeking. • “Roaring Twenties” • Decline in moral code
• 2). Modernism emphasizes on the need to move away from the public to the private, from the objective to the subjective • focus their attention on people’s inner world description, mental activity, their psychology and thoughts. • The characters in modern writers works are usually distorted in spirit, and twisted in heart. • Loneliness, fragmented, disillusioned, a strong sense of loss, incapable, twisted, distorted, depressed, despaired, hopeless
• Spiritually, they felt “lost” because of their traumatic war experiences, their illusionment and their inability to cope with the new era when the whole world had turned to a spiritual wasteland. • there is a strong sense of loss, confusion and despair they felt about the war and their personal experiences. • In their writings, they also broke away from the tradition and made all kinds of bold experiments with their writing techniques.