英美文学史

A Brief Introduction of British LiteratureOld & Middle English Literature-the Renaissance(文艺复兴)-The 17th Century-The 18th Century-English Romanticism-English Realism-English Modernism- Contemporary LiteratureOld English literatureIts roots lie deep in the tales of the Denmark and other Scandinavian countries. Until late in the 9th century, their close relations were broken because a great England monarch King Alfred broke the power of the Danes.The first work is ”Beowulf”It is a story about a hero Beowulf who did a lot of good things to his people around the 6th century. It pictured us a Denmark but not England scene.Beowulf , written in Old English sometime before the tenth century A.D., describes the adventures of a great Scandinavian warrior of the sixth century. A rich fabric of fact and fancy, Beowulf is the oldest surviving epic（史诗）in British literatureThe English history: its foundation stone is the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle (编年史). It began by Alfred from the Roman invasion of Britain in 54 B.C. to the middle of the 12th century . Under the King’s direction, plenty of books from Europe in Latin on religion ,philosophy, and history were translated to the old England, still a wild and barbarous kingdomMiddle EnglishIt is the true beginning of the magnificent heritage of English literature. Generally defined as 1100 to 1500It developed slowly just like a small stream It is strange and needs special study for full understanding. However, it already had many elements of the modern English.By the time of Queen Elizabeth Ⅰ’s reign(1558-1603),English was basically as it is today. In the later era which Shakespeare lived in, English reached its peak.Geoffrey Chaucer(1340?---1400) the greatest name in the Middle English literature . He is named in that trio of English poetry giants: Chaucer, Shakespeare, and Milton He was an experienced man. Even once served in the French wars and was taken in prisoner. Then for some reason he went to Italia ,which was a source for many of his later tales. Masterpiece: The Canterbury Tales坎特伯雷故事集The Canterbury TalesIt is a group of stories which were told by some pilgrims(圣地朝拜者). There are 24 tales in all . In this series of stories, Chaucer brought fresh vision. It’s in lusty humor and many other moods and styles. The kinds of people the book involved in are so many that it gives a cross-section (代表性) of medieval life.16th CenturyThe 16th century was an exciting time for literature. Even in its early years there was a development of new and often complex literary forms and styles.Symbols of this era: This era was always divided to two parts: the pre-Elizabeth and the Elizabeth‟s times. Their outstanding writers are separately Thomas More ,Thomas Wyatt and the great moral play writer William Shakespeare.The pre-Elizabeth TimesThomas More (托马斯.莫尔）This man is famous in the pre-Elizabeth Times. His remarkable book is ‘Utopia’(乌托邦). It tells a journey to an imaginary island Utopia where an ideal form of society exists. This gentleman not only predicted a perfect society for us but also placed a word in our vocabularies and gave the name to all literature of this kind, which has since been called Utopian.Sir Thomas Wyatt(1503—1542) :English diplomat and poet noted for introducing the sonnet form , a 14-line poem, into English literature.托马斯．怀亚特：英国外交官和诗人，因把十四行诗形式引入英国文学而著名the Earl(伯爵）of SurreyElizabeth’s EnglandIn this era, due partly to Elizabeth‟s intelligence ,England became the leading sea power. It experienced a burst of ideas and literary brilliance of the first order.Francis BaconFrancis Bacon was the son of Nicolas Bacon, the Lord Keeper of the Seal of Elisabeth I. He entered Trinity College Cambridge at age 12. At 23 he was already in the House of Commons.Of studies --论读书Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested: that is, some books are to be read only in parts; others to be read, but not curiously; and some few to be read wholly, and with diligence and attention.书有可浅尝者，有可吞食者，少数则须咀嚼消化。

换言之，有只须读其部分者，有只须大体涉猎者，少数则须全读，读时须全神贯注，孜孜不倦。

Literary representatives of this eraIn this age, drama flourished more than any other form of literature.It‟s no doubt that the most representative literate person in this times is the great pl ay writer William Shakespeare.William Shakespeare (1564-1616)One of the most famous and brilliant writer in the England history, even in the whole world‟s literature history.There three kinds of his works:The chronicle playsThe comediesThe tragediesBorn: Stratford-upon-Avon , April 3 , 1564. Stratford-upon-Avon is situated in the heart of the English midlands, a market town dating back to medieval times .The Four Tragedies:1 Macbeth（麦克白）2 Hamlet（哈姆雷特）3 Othello（奥赛罗）4 King Lear（李耳王）The Works of William ShakespeareComedy As you like it 《皆大欢喜》The merchant of Venice 《威尼斯商人》Much ado about nothing 《无事生非》Twelfth Night 《第十二夜》History Henry IV, Henry VI , Henry VIIITragedy Romeo and Juliet , HamletPoetry A Lover's Complaint ,The SonnetsThe Taming of the Shrew 驯悍记Measure for Measure 一报还一报All’s well that ends well 终成眷属The winter’s tale 冬天的童话A midsummer Night’s Dream 仲夏夜之梦Timon of Athens雅典的泰门Love's Labour's Lost 爱的徒劳理查三世罗密欧与朱丽叶亨利八世特洛伊罗斯与克瑞西达科利奥兰纳斯暴风雨泰特斯·安德洛尼克斯驯悍记一报还一报威尼斯商人错误的喜剧爱的徒劳仲夏夜之梦温莎的风流娘儿们无事生非维洛那二绅士冬天的故事终成眷属约翰王皆大欢喜亨利六世上亨利六世中亨利六世下亨利五世理查二世裘力斯·凯撒李尔王麦克白奥瑟罗雅典的泰门安东尼与克莉奥佩特拉泰尔亲王配力克里斯辛白林Hamlet is without question the most famous play in the English language. Probably written in 1601 or 1602, the tragedy is a milestone in Shakespeare's dramatic development; the playwright achieved artistic maturity in this work through his brilliant depiction of the hero's struggle with two opposing forces: moral integrity and the need to avenge his father's murder. It emphasized the hero's dilemma rather than the depiction of bloody deeds.The 17th CenturyThe King James BibleJohn MiltonJohn BunyanThe King James BibleJames Ⅰas a king is sure not a good one but was commemorated by English literary for the King James Bible.language: simple (using no more than 6,000 words, thus more accessible to common people), direct, beautiful and melodious.John Milton 弥尔顿‘‘Of Man‟s first disobedience, and the fruit of that forbidden tree whose mortal taste brought death into the world, and all our woe. ‟‟ Paradise Lost. Book i. Line 1.‘Awake, arise, or be forever fallen!”Many religious and political pamphlets ,the most famous “Areopagitica”《论出版自由》His masterpieces: The epic Paradise Lost 《失乐园》and its sequel Paradise Regained 《复乐园》The poetic tragedy Samson Agonistes《斗士参孙》John Bunyan (班扬)“The Tinker of Elstow”General life: a preacher, spent 12 years in prison for his religious beliefs where began writing The Pilgrim‟s Progress (1678): religious allegory-Every Christian has to take in his inner heart a journey in order to be saved.-rich metaphors-journey --- life-Vanity Fair --- Everyone has a vanity fair in his heart and has ever sold something there.The Pilgrim’s Progress(天路历程)It describes a dream and has two parts. a powerful tale with deep meaning. Plays a special role on American frontier literature . Has been translated at least 108 languages or dialects.Other works: The Life and Death of Mr. Badman The Holy Warthe 18th century English LiteratureBackground: industrialization and expansionsocial spirit: the bourgeois or Puritan spiritual / moral principles self-discipline, thrift, hard work important scientific discoveriesthe Enlightenment movement 启蒙运动a progressive intellectual movement throughout Western Europe at the time. France was at its vanguard. The Enlightenment celebrated reason or ration, equality, science and human beings’ability to perfect themselves and their society.the importance of educationto enlighten: to educatean age of reason, an age of wit, an age of skepticismliterature1660 –1700 emergence of Neo-classicism(新古典主义）1700 –1744 the age of reason1744 –1798 the decline of Neo-classicism & the rise of sentimentalism and pre-romanticismliterary satire（讽刺文学）: verse satire, prose satire, satire in novels, satirical comediesthe rise of English novelsthe taste of the rising middle classthe rapid growing of printing systemthe Copyright Act 1709modern periodicals: Sir Richard Steele & Joseph AddisonFeatures of Neo-classicismIt found artistic models in the classical literature of ancient Greek and Roman writers and in thecontemporary French writers. It stressed the artistic ideals of order, logic, restrained emotion, accuracy, good taste,etc. It usually aims to enlighten, educate and correct people.Alexander Pope (蒲伯1688-1744)representative of Neo-classicism, a great poet, a critic, first professional writeressays in verseAn Essay on Criticism (1711)An Essay on Man (1733-34)shows his religious and philosophic ideas on universe and human Part I: man‟ s understanding of universePart II: man‟s relationship with himselfPart III: man’s relationship with societyverse satire: mock-heroic 模仿英雄诗(mocking the poems that deal with heroes’brave deeds) The Rape of the Lock (夺发记)(1712-14) The Dunciad (1723-42) 群愚史诗translations from Homer(荷马）: highly regarded poetry but different from Homer’s work features of his works: full of wits“Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.”“To err is human, to forgive, divine.”“A little learning is a dangerous thing.”satire: a great satiristusually long and polished, but dull, not vividJonathan Swift]Irish-born, once was priest and dean of a Cathedral church, lived often in England. Wrote many pamphlets on English and Ireland politics. Both his pamphlets, letters and poems assured his place in the English literature.Swift’s “Gulliver’s Travels”《格利佛游记》is the most bitter and hard-thrusting satire in the English language.Gulliver’s Travels (1726): a masterpiece of satire not only on all parts of Britain but also on the vice, folly and weakness of the whole mankindPart I: voyage to Lilliput (小人国), the land of miniaturePart II: voyage to Brobdingnag (大人国), the land of giantPart Ⅲ: voyage to Laputa(飞岛)Part IV: voyage to the land of Houyhnhnms慧恩,具有人类理性的马匹, a noble breed of thinking, talking, high-minded horsesfilthy inferior creature called Yahoos: the human raceJonathan’s point of view:Houyhnhnms : noble and rational yet cold and dullYahoos(格列弗游记中的一种人形兽): low yet naturalDaniel Defoe笛福(1660-1731)a successful businessman,a typical hardworking Englishman at his agea journalist and political pamphleteer , a novelistHe favors the capitalist‟ adventure in an new world.His first and greatest novel is known by everyone in China once as Robinson Crusoe, the most famous tale of shipwreck and solitary survival in all literature.Robinson Crusoe (1719)Robinson Crusoe ways of approaching the novel: adventure story, moral tale, commercial account, the personal history of Robinson & the history of the expansion of Britain, a reflection of the 18th century western civilizationRobinson: a typical 18th century middle class tradesman, the empire builder, a pioneer colonist Samuel Johnson & James Boswell塞缪尔·约翰逊& 博斯韦尔Samuel Johnson (1709-84)the last important Neo-classicist1777 set up a literary clubliterary critic: authority in the late 18th centurya poet: major poems and other works (pp.125)dictionary maker / lexicographerThe Dictionary of the English Language (1755): the first important English dictionary James Boswell (1740-95)The Life of Samuel Johnson (1791)the rise of sentimentalismreactions against Neo-classicism and rationalist philosophyconnected with the social contradictions & social injustices brought about by the bourgeois revolutions and the Industrial Revolutionthe rise of sentimentalismHeart /feeling is more important than mind / reason.The Life and Opinion of Tristram Shandy: 《项狄传》first sentimental novel 伤感小说Development of sentimentalism and pre-romanticism in poetrypoetry of sensibility (the middle decades)3 schools:nature poetsOliver Goldsmith (奥利弗·哥尔德斯密斯) :“The Deserted Village”《荒村》(1770)the school of the graveyard poetryMedievalism changes from Neo-classicismtheme: from life to death, human nature to wild naturepoet: from moral instructor to retrospective confessorattitude: from the healthy, hopeful idea of life to an uncertain, pessimistic view of lifeRomantic Period (1798-1832)浪漫主义时期BackgroundIndustrial Revolution (late 18th century & early 19th century)1789-94 French Revolution“liberty, equality, fraternity(友爱)”1803-15 Napoleonic WarThomas Paine: The Rights of Man (1791-92)1832 Reform BillRomanticismWhat is Romanticism?politically: a reaction against industrial revolution and the social systemliterarily: a reaction against Neo-classicism; concerned with imagination and personal feeling instead of the power of ration / reasonphilosophically: It stresses individualism instead of social order.artistic featureverse form: lyrics（抒情诗）, odes（颂，赋）, sonnets（十四行诗）, ballads（叙事歌）Diction（措辞）: fresh, simple, commonly used colloquial languagethemes: the beauty and mysticism of nature; simple, common rural life; facts and ideas of revolutionWordsworth华兹华斯His verses are about country scenes and country people. Often written in plain language but some poems‟ style is complex.RepresentativesLines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey, the long autobiographical poem The Prelude, shorter poems as My Heart Leaps Up when I Behold and I Wondered Lonely as a Cloud and so on. William Wordsworth华兹华斯(1770-1850)MY heart leaps up when I beholdA rainbow in the sky:So was it when my life began;So is it now I am a man:So be it when I shall grow old,Or let me die!The child is father of the man;And I could wish my days to beBound each to each by natural piety. - -British poet whose most important collection, Lyrical Ballads (抒情歌谣), published jointly with Samuel Taylor Coleridge（塞缪尔·泰勒·柯勒律治）, helped establish romanticism（浪漫主义风格）i n England. He was appointed poet laureate（桂冠诗人）in 1843.Wordsworth and Coleridge华兹华斯& 柯勒律治Two poets William Wordsworth and Taylor Coleridge used the poem Lyrical Ballads 《抒情歌谣集》which was written by both of them to begin the new literary era.Keats ＆Shelly ＆Byron 济慈、雪莱和拜伦25,30,36They are the three men who brought the romantic movement to its height.ShellyPercy Bysshe Shelly 雪莱(1792-1822) born of a noble family lower than that of Byronpoints of view:the duty of poet: to ennoble humanitylyrics (lovely musical quality): “Ode to the West Wind”(西风颂）(If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind? ) “To a Skylark”(致云雀）longer ones: “The Revolt of Islam”: preaches revolutionAdonais 阿多尼斯(=my lord)[希伯来] 上帝, 天主(1812): lament on the death of Keats drama: Prometheus Unbound (1820)(解放的普罗米修斯)A Defense of Poetry (1812) his view of poetryemphasizes imagination and love in artsJohn Keats济慈1795-1821Few poets ascend to the level of John Keats, and even fewer ascend to that level at such an early age. John Keats was only 26 years old when he died, however, he was considered, along with Wordsworth, to be the Romantic poet of the 19th centuryHis works, melodic and rich in classical imagery（音调优美，古典意象丰富）, include The Eve of St. Agnes（圣爱格妮斯之前夜）, Ode on a Grecian Urn（希腊古瓮）, and To Autumn（秋颂）. John Keats (1795-1821)unfortunate life: born in a poor family; died of a family disease --- tuberculosis（肺结核）at 25 points of viewthe duty of poets: to benefit peoplepictorial poetry: painting a picture with wordsEndymion“A thing of beauty is a joy for ever.”“Ode on a Grecian Urn”: Beauty is truth and truth is beauty.“Ode to a Nightingale”“希腊古瓮”: his understanding of death“Ode to Autumn”: “秋颂”his understanding of life“Ode to Melancholy”: his state of lifeBoth Byron and Keats owned a troubled marital life. Just a month before his 30th birthday he drowned while sailing in the Medeiterrannean and his ashes lie in the same Roman cemetery where Keats is buried.His second wife Mary Shelley is the famous novel Frankenstein’s(弗朗肯斯坦，又名现代的普罗米修斯) author, which is regarded as the first science fiction.\Lord ByronChilde Harold’s Pilgrimage查尔德·哈洛尔德游记Don Juan唐璜，讽刺长诗The Prisoner of Chillon 希永的囚徒She Walks in Beauty. (short poem)“Byronic hero”“拜伦式英雄”: of noble birth; very proud; strong passions; unconquerable wills; inexhaustible energy; a rebel against societyThe Realism LiteraturebackgroundQueen Victoria her age 1837-1901three periods1832-48 hard time economically & politicallyReform Bill 1832 The Chartist Movement 1836-481848-70 stability and prosperityhighest international position & real establishment of the British EmpireQueen Victoria‟s influence on social lifeherself: the symbol of social value --- moderation & respectabilityher time: “the polite society1870-1901 declinethe decline of international positionthe rise-up of Germany and American Civil Warthe instability of Irelandthe decline of Victorian social valueincreased interest in scientific knowledgeDarwin: The Origin of Species 1859a new code of life: utilitarianism --- stick to things of practical useother important British values: free competition and individualismenlarged vision and the flourish of philosophyHerbert Spencer: positivism 实证主义Sir Walter Scott司各特(1771 - 1832 )Writer and poet, a born storyteller and master of dialogue, one of the greatest historical novelists．Scott…s work shows the influence of the 18th century enlightenment. Tolerance is a major theme in his historical works. He was the first novelist to portray peasant characters sympathetically and realistically, and was equally just to merchants, soldiers, and even kings.Jane Austen (1775-1817)novel of manners: pictures in detail the manners and customs of a social classSense and Sensibility 1811Pride and Prejudice 1813Emma 1815Northanger Abbey 1818Persuasion 1818Characteristicsthe last of the 18th century novelistsan enlightener: educate people by exposing the follies and illusions of mankind through satire and ironycontrolled studies of manners: well-controlled imagination and emotionspositive to the landed gentry class & negative to the trading classideal woman imagesubject matterhuman nature & human relationshipeveryday trivial things (in the landed gentry class)love & marriagethree types of marriage (Pride and Prejudice): marriage for fortune, marriage for passion, beauty, attraction (first-sight love) , marriage for love with consideration of partner‟s economic status and personal meritsThe brontёs sistersCharlotte Brontё1816 –1855Jane Eyre 简．爱Emily BrontёWuthering Height呼啸山庄Anne Brontё1820 - 1849 Agnes GreyWilliam Makepeace Thackeray （萨克雷1811-63)To endure is greater than to dare; to tire out hostile fortune; to be daunted by no difficulty; to keep heart when all have lost it; to go through intrigue spotless; to forgo even ambition when the end is gained--who can say this is not greatness?(The Virginians ch. 92)George Eliot 1819-80real name: Mary Ann Evansunconventional lifemain features : a scholar and philosophergreat narrative power and depth of thoughtbeginner of psychological novelsubject matterto study human nature & life with emphasis on both inner mind & outside circumstances morality (duty, self-discipline): The need of individual for development and growth should be brought into harmony with the society.women‟s tragic fate: (failures in life) due to limited education & social constraints Henry James said of Eliot, "She is magnificently ugly--deliciously hideous...in this vast ugliness resides a most powerful beauty which, in a very few minutes steals forth and charms the mind, so that you end as I ended, in falling in love with her."If art does not enlarge men's sympathies, it does nothing morallyThe idea of God, so far as it has been a high spiritual influence, is the ideal of a goodness entirely human.-----George EilotCharles DickensOliver TwistDavid CopperfieldGreat ExpectationsBleak HouseA Tale of Two CitiesThomas Hardy 1840-1928 哈代a transitional writer: the last important 19th century novelist; a 20th century poetnovels of critical realism: Under the Green wood 1871Far from the Madding Crowd 1874novels of character and environment: naturalistic & pessimisticThe Return of the Native 1878The Mayor of the Casterbridge 1886Tess of the D‟Urbervilles 1891Jude the Obscure 1896Joseph ConradHeart of DarknessDrama: Oscar Wild (1856-1900)Birth name: Oscar Fingal O‟Flahertie Wills WildeAlso known as: Oscar WildeBirth date: October 16, 1854Death date: November 30, 1900Parents: Sir William Wilde and Jane Francesca ElgeeRobert Louis Stevenson Nov 13, 1850-Dec 3, 1894Nationality: ScottishBirth Date: November 13, 1850Death Date: December 3, 1894Genre: NOVELS; POETRYMany of Stevenson's stories are set in colorful locations, they have also horror and supernatural elements. Arguing against realism, Stevenson underlined the "nameless longings of the reader", the desire for experienceMODERNISMSchool of literary technique and thought in which writers believed new forms of expression were necessary to relay the realities of a modern and fractured world. Virginia Woolf, one of the most eminent Modernist writers, utilized stream-of-consciousness writing, for example, to convey a character's interior thoughts. Contemporaries included James Joyce and D.H. Lawrence.Novel s: wrence﹡Lady Chatterley’s LoverSons and LoversThe RainbowWomen in LoveVirginia WoolfMrs. DallowayTo the Lighthouse James JoyceUlyssesPOETRYT.S.Eliot: The Waste Land William Butler Yeats。