美国文学史及选读考试整理
Washington IrvingBracebridge Hall 布雷斯布里奇田庄(1822)The Legend of Sleepy HollowTales of a Traveller 旅客谈(1824)Christopher Columbus (1828)c. writing characteristics(1) humorous: the function of hiswriting is to amuse, to entertaininstead of teaching orinstruction(2) vivid and true characterportrayal(3) finished (refined) and musicallanguage, thus regarded as “theAmn. Goldsmith ”d. analysis on The Legend of SleepyHollow(选自the sketch book 见闻札记)1. the story:setting,character,plot2. theme:conflicts and praiseconflict betw. Ichabod and Brom conflict betw. the village and theoutside worldJames Fenimore CooperThe Spy (1821): a historicalnovelThe Pilot (1824): a sea novelLeatherstocking Tales 皮裹腿故事集(1823-1841): frontier novelsThe Last Mohicans (1826) (ColonialWar betw. Britain and France)e. writing features:strong points: we can see a varietyofincidentsandtensions,complicated plot and structure anda beautiful description ofnature.Weak points: characterization isweak. There is unsatisfactorydescription of characters (esp.female). He is not free fromsyntacticalawkwardness,heavy-handed attempt at humor.“Where Irving excels Cooper isweak.” Dialect is not authentic.Edgar Allan PoeThe Fall of the House UsherFeature:i. brevity (15 pages)ii. Single effectiii. originality in themeTo HelenIt was inspired by the beauty ofthe mother of a schoolmate of Poein Richmond, Virginia.The poem is famous for a number ofthings:1. its rhyme scheme: ababb2. its varied line lengths3. its metaphor of a travel on thesea4. its oft-quoted lines:"To the glory that was Greece,/Andthe grandeur that was Rome."theme: praise the ideal love andbeauty and ancient Greek and RomancivilizationsThe Raven乌鸦theme: the lament over the death ofa beautiful womantone: melancholyTranscendentalism (essayists, poets,novelists)Their journal is “The Dial”.Definition: Transcendentalism isidealism. (Emerson)b. features(1) stress on Oversoul, that isspirit.(2) stress the importance ofindividual.(3) fresh conception of nature.c. significance(1) inspired a whole generation ofwriters such as Whitman, Melvilleand Dickinson.(2) dresses man’s subjectiveinitiative as opposed tomaterialism.(3) liberated people fromCalvin’s original sind. limitation(1) shallow: cut off from real lifeor reality; initiated by the rich,they were limited in a certaincircle. So, in some degree, theyhave been cut off from social lifeand can’t understand thesufferings of the common people.(2) inward contradiction: gainknowledge by intuition, shows itsidealistic aspect.R.W. Emerson (Ralph Waldo)Nature (1836): the Bible of NewEngland transcendentalismThe American Scholar (1837):"America's Declaration ofIntellectualThe Divinity School Address神学院致辞(1838)Essays (1841/1847)Representative Men (1850)English Traits (1856)Poems (1847)d. significance(1) He embodied a new nation’sdesire and struggle to assert itsown identity in its formativeperiod.(2) his stress on individualismLimitation:self-centered,individualHis ideas influence a lot ofwriters such as Dikinson,Hawthorne and Whitman.Henry David ThoreauA Week on the Concord and MerrimackRivers康考德和梅里马克河上地一周(1849)Walden, or Life in the Woods(1854)Civil Disobedience 不服从论(1849,an address)c. Waldenmain ideas:(1)on self-cultivation and humanperfectibility, elevated fromPuritan original sin, believe ininner virtue and inwardly grace(2) criticism on civilization andcapitalism(3) only truth and knowledgecan’t be taken away, trust infuture and in manStyle: pithy (colloquial sayings),vivid description, symbols and imagesNathaniel HawthorneTwice-ToldTales(1837):acollection of short stories Mosses from an Old Manse 古屋青苔(1846): another collection ofshort storiesThe House of the Seven Gables 七个尖角地阁楼(1851): on the effect of a curse TheScarletLetter(1850):masterpieceIt ’s not a love story, trying to show the moral, emotional and psychological effects of sin onhis characters.“A ”: Adultery-Able-Angel “A ” on chest: sinner, confessed,died, shows an honest man Moral: man should be true and honest and ready to show one ’s worst to the world （批评与自我批评）Herman MelvilleTypee (《泰比》1846) Omoo (《奥穆》1847) Mardi (《马尔迪》1847)这三部作品描写塔希提群岛和马吉萨斯群岛以及他在岛上地奇遇. Redburn (《莱德勃恩》1849)：描写了他地第一次航海经验以及在利物浦港贫民窟地见闻.White Jacket (《白外套》1850)：根据他在美国海军军舰上服役时期地生活体验写成.Pierre (《皮埃尔》1852)Israel Potter (《伊斯莱尔·波特》1855): historical novelPiazza Tales (《广场故事》1856): acollection of short story Moby Dick (《白鲸》1851):masterpiece (1)awhalingbook:an encyclopedia ofwhaling/description ofawhaler ’s life(2) a tragedy about man fighting against universe (hostile) Man inthis universe lives a meaningless and futile life, meaninglessbecause futile.Man can observe and evenmanipulate in a prudent way, but hecannot influence and overcomenature at its source.(3) alienation异化:between man and manbetween man and society (ship)between man and natureAhab is the best representative.To him the world exists for hissake. His selfhood must beasserted at the expense of all else:lives may be sacrificed, andnature may have to be vanquished inorder that he may do what hewills.Richard Chase says: the ideaMelville conveys in it is"death---spiritual, emotional,physical".(5) theme: quest(6) symbolismthe voyage: a metaphor for "searchand discovery, the search for theultimate truth of experience".the Pequod皮阔德: the ship of theAmerican soulthe endeavor of the crews: "themaniacal fanaticism of our whitemental consciousness"Moby Dick: (many interpretations)the symbol of natureW. C. Bryantthe analysis on To a Waterfowl致水鸟It is the "most perfect brief poemin the language". (MatthewArnold)It is a poem of nature in quatrainsrhyming in abab.theme: from a bird and its flightto an ordinary person and hiscourse of life, this poem conveysthat everything in nature is underthe beneficence and protection ofthe Power.Henry Wadsworth LongfellowTheme: idealized love, children, family and friendshipA Psalm of LifeThe poem is divided into 9 stanzas, each composed of two iambic tetrameter lines and two trochaictrimeter lines rhyming abab. The first two stanzas refute the pessimism that life is but a dream, affirming the contrary that lifeis real.The following stanzas urge the reader to act in the present and to leave "footprints" as great people did in order to inspire thefollowers.The last stanza ends with a resounding note while admonishing people to learn to wait as well as to labor.Realism （the 19th-century literary movement that reacted to romanticism by insisting on a faithful, objective presentation of the details of everydaylife.） features:☐ i.objective description (concern for the commonplace/the low) ☐ ii. criticism of society and reality, exposing and criticizing thesociety;the writers ’dissatisfaction;nolongereulogize human glority☐ iii. verisimilitude 逼真性(true to details)☐ iv. influenced by bourgeois ’ 中产阶级democratic ideas (not overthrow but reform, changes) ☐ v. reformative: to reform the society, not to change completely ☐ features:Naturalism（Apost-Darwinian movement of the late 19th century that tried to apply the "laws" of scientific determinism to fiction.）is a theory which applied scientific concepts and methods to such problems as plot development andcharacterisation.☐Comparison between Realism and Naturalism:☐ Realism.☐i. objective☐ii. creation of types☐iii. influenced by British Rom.works with hope ☐ Naturalism☐i. scientific accuracy☐ii. collect material from their lives☐iii.against this, hopeless/gloomy picture of the societyWalt WhitmanLeaves of Grass《草叶集》,(1) themes☐i. unity of all man and of man within universe☐ii. equality of all man☐iii. cycle of life and death☐iv. enthusiastic idea toward Westward Expansion☐v. brotherhoodd. Song of Myself自我之歌☐(1) influence of Transcendentalism: praise ofindividualism☐(2) cycle of life and death☐(3) ideal of democracy: equality between different races andbrotherhoodEmily DickinsonA Bird came down the walkI died for Beauty---but was ScarceI Heard a Fly buzz---when I died--- Because I could not stop for Death- H.B. StoweUncle Tom's Cabin (1851): masterpiece significance:☐1.intensified and strengthened abolitionist sentiment;☐2. gave a better balanced, more specific picture of plantationlife;☐3. praised the merits of slaves and showed great sympathy for them Henry James☐The American (1877): begins with international theme☐Daisy Miller (1878): brings the author first international fame ☐The Wings of the Dove (1902)☐The Ambassadors (1903)☐The Golden Bowl (1904)☐The Portrait of A Lady贵妇画像:masterpiece☐It tells about the fate of one of those splendid Jamesian American girls, Isabel Archer, arriving in Europe, full of hope, and with a will to live a free and noble life, only to fail prey to the sinister designs of two vulgar and unscrupulous expatriates, Madam Merle and Gilbert Osmond International theme国际主题:☐the meeting of America and Europe;American innocence in contact and contrast with European decadence and the moral and psychological complications arising therefrom;for the American it was a processof progression from inexperienceto experience, from innocence toknowledge and maturity. ThoseAmerican heroes or heroins whoconfronting Europeansophistication, either triumphedover it or were overwhelmed. Mark Twain☐The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras Count卡拉维拉斯县有名地跳蛙(1865):a short story ☐The Innocents Abroad国外地无辜者(1869): letters on his travellingin Europe and Near East☐Roughing It苦行记(1872): on his experience in the western America ☐The Gilded Age (1873): his first novel, collaborated with CharlesDudley Warner☐The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876)☐The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn 哈克贝利·费恩历险记(1884):masterpiece☐Life on the Mississippi (1883)☐A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court误闯亚瑟王宫(1889) ☐The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg 败坏了哈德莱堡地人(1900)☐The Mysterious Stranger (1916)e. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer☐1. It is "a boy's book" which sets20 years before Civil War.☐2. themes:☐1)picaresque以流浪汉和无赖为题材地(adventure story)☐2) moral growth of Tom☐3. techniques: verisimilitude, humor, colloquial styleDeadpan（铁面幽默）: oral humor/the teller has a strict face but the listeners are laughing.Language: dialects as forms of art Jack London☐The People of the Abyss深渊居民(1903): about London's slum ☐The Iron Heel 铁蹄(1908): thefirst proletarian criterion novel which envisages the development of fascism☐The Call of the Wild 野性地呼唤(1903): the most widely read book ☐The Sea Wolf 海狼(1904)☐These two novels reflect the ideas of the law of survival and the will to power☐Martin Eden马丁伊登(1909): a reflection of the contradiction between these competeing beliefs c. Martin Eden--theme:the failure of American Dream. After he realized his dream of getting into the upper class, he also realized the emptiness of it and committed suicide.☐"This is a book that missed fire with a majority of the critics.Written as an indictment of individualism, it was accepted as an indictment of socialism;written to show that man cannot live for himself alone, it wasaccepted as a demonstration thatsuccess made for death. Had MartinEden been a socialist he would nothave died."☐Consciously London meant the novel to show that only a belief in thepeople, only the devotion of one'slife to a cause greater than onself,could give life any real meaning. T. Dreisser西奥多·德莱塞☐Sister Carrie 嘉莉妹妹(1900): the first novel, masterwork☐Jannie Gerhardt (1911)☐The Fanancier (1912)☐The Titan (1914)☐The Stoic (1947)☐The Genius (1915)☐An American Tragedy美国悲剧(1925)☐Dreiser Looks at Russia (1928)c. Sister Carrie☐theme:the emptiness of Ameircan Dream☐i. jungle law☐Famous actress bank manager(the unfit is bound to die) <——☐Country girl (able to follow her instinct) commit suicide☐ii. chance and luck☐iii. criticism of American values: money and sex —the standards tosee if a person is successful ☐iv. concern for the poorJazz Age: the Jazz Age lasted from 1919-1929, the decade enjoyed economic prosperity. The war and economic boom encouraged a breaking with the tradition (Puritanism). People upheld the value of money-making and pleasure-seeking.Ezra Pound埃兹拉·庞德Imagism意象派⏹Pound became the most importantfigure. Imagist poetry reached thepeak of literature for threethings appeared:⏹i. a manifesto⏹ii. three principles⏹iii. a lot of writings⏹Pound said, an image is "that whichpresents an intellectual andemotional complex in an instant oftime."In a Station of the Metro在地铁车站⏹1. This is the much-quotedmasterpiece of Pound and arepresentative of the Imagistpoetry.⏹2. In form, the poem is similar tothe Japanese haiku, a two-linecouplet with rhymes. Pound's poemreminds the Chinese of two lines bya Tang poet, Bai Juyi. Whendescribing the sad yet beautifulface of Yang Huifei, a Tangemperess, the poet wrote,⏹The beautiful face, lonesome withtears;⏹A pear branch, radiant with rain.⏹3. The poem is a representative ofImagist poems in that the image ofpetals on a wet, black bough bestrepresents the picture of thoselovely faces in the crowd and thatthe image is dominant in thepoem---the image itself is thepoem.T.S. Eliotpoetry:⏹Prufrock and Other Observations(1917)⏹Poems (1920)⏹The Waste Land (1922)⏹The Hollow Men (1925)⏹Ash Wednesday (1930)⏹Four Quartets (1943)plays:⏹Sweeney Agonistes (1932)⏹Murder in the Cathedral (1935)⏹The Cocktail Party (1950)⏹The Confidential Clerk (1954)critical essays:⏹The Sacred Wood (1920)⏹For Lancelot Andrews (1928)⏹The Use of Poetry and the Use ofCriticism (1933)⏹After Strange Gods (1934)⏹On Poetry and Poets (1957)c. The Waste Land荒原⏹5 parts: The Burial of Dead, TheGame of Chess, The Fire Sermon, Death by Water, What the Thunder Said⏹chief characteristics⏹1. quotations and allusions暗示⏹2. objective correlative⏹3. juxtaposition并列: minglebrand image with common image⏹4. use of antiquity古风The Love Song⏹"Prufrock" is not the image of oneunlucky modern man; instead, he represents many other modern westerners who are "divided between passion and timidity, between desire and impotence".4. theme⏹This poem reflects the decadentmodern civilization and thenightmarish inferno in whichmodern Westerners are living in.5. techiniques⏹1) irony⏹2) striking images⏹3) the form of dramatic monologue⏹The poem is written in irregularlines, with but a few rhymes. Robert Frostb. Characteristics⏹1. not in the main stream of modernpoetry, but with conventional formand plain language. That’s whyhe’s the most popular poet in the20th century.⏹2. a kind of a regionalist----NewEngland, but not local colorism.He used New England as a metaphorfor the whole world and universe.⏹3. a plain poet using symbols fromeveryday country life. Simplesymbols but express deep meanings.The Road Not Taken⏹1. The poem was written in veryregular lines with iambic pentametre and rhyme scheme of abaab.⏹2. The symbolic meaning of the twodivergent roads is rather clear.They represent any important decisions in one's life.⏹3. details:Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening ⏹1. It is a lyric poem with iambictetrametre and interlocking enclosed rhyme.⏹2. It represents a moment ofrelaxation from the onerous journey of life, an almost aesthetic enjoyment and appreciation of natural beauty which is wholesome and retorative against the chaotic existence of modern man.The Lost Generation⏹1. term: It is a term in frequentuse after WWI in reference to the young men who survived physicallybut were afterwards spirituallyand morally adrift. So the lostgeneration refers todisillusioned writers who wroteafter WWI. Many of them went to thebattle. After the war, theyrebelled against former ideals andvalues and can’t find new ones toreplace.⏹2. It first coined by GertrudeStein. In Paris, she opens the doorto American expatriates. She oncesaid to Hemingway, “You’re all alost generation.”⏹3. It was used as preface to The SunAlso Rises. Then it became popular.Fitzgerald once said they are “ageneration grown up to find allgods died, all wars fought, allfaith in men shaken”.Ernest Hemingway⏹1.Hemingway theme/hero/situation.Theme: “grace under pressure”2.nihilism: negative attitudetowards the world. There is only one thing man is certain---death⏹3. devotion to truth. He believesthe writer's job is to tell truth.c. style⏹1.iceberg principle. The meaninghere is that the writer should sayonly one eighth, in such a way thatthe remaining seven eighths bediscerned and provided by thereader.⏹nguage: short, common,fundamental words, simplesentence, structure.The effect ofthe language: clearness,cleanness and great care.⏹3.dialogue: plays a very importantpart in his writings. Hemingway’sdialogue can show setting,development of plot, characters,even theme.⏹4.cinematic way: he uses showinginstead of telling. He likes todescribes actions (kiss, withdrawhand) vividly instead of mentaldescription.⏹5.symbolism⏹e of stream of consciousnessd. A Farewell to Arms⏹1. If we say The Sun Also Risestells why they lost, this noveldescribes how they lost. Thus itcan be read as a footnote to theformer.⏹2. the double meanings of the title⏹3. the hero Henry: Hemingway'shero⏹4. theme: war and love. It shows aworld of complete unreason andreflects the mood of the post-wargeneration.F. Scott Fitzgeraldb. The Great Gatsby⏹Theme:⏹1. about reality and atmosphere of1920s⏹2. failure of American Dreamc. attitude towards the rich:paradoxical⏹He is charmed by the rich.⏹He is critical of the rich who arecorrupted themselves andmeanwhile corrupting others.d. attitude towards the Jazz Age:insider and outsiderJohn Steinbeckb. The Grapes of Wrath愤怒地葡萄1. significance⏹1) it’s a great social document in1930s.⏹2) A protest novel. In the novel,the author attacks the decadence,wickedness and cruelty of banksand land owners and the currentsocial system as a whole.⏹3) themes: unity and faithunity: Steinbeck believes that strength lies in the unity of people and he also stresses on individualism.faith: The Great Depression was the most miserable period in the 20thcentury. Even though people suffereda lot, they still held on their hopeand will live on.2. characters:⏹Ma Joad (the mother): embodimentof the theme. She asked Rose tosave the stranger.⏹1) she realized unity would bringpeople strength.⏹2) the faith in future⏹Tom: shows the change from I(individualism) to we (unity)⏹Jim Casy: a preacher he developedhimself from a labor to anorganizer and set up the guidingprinciple and after his death, Tomtook over his role. The initial ofhis name: J.C.---Jesus Christ William FaulknerSound and Fury: divided into 4 parts⏹1. themes:⏹a) downfall of the South. The southwas in deterioration. It’s goingfrom bad to worse. The present andthe past form a contrast from Benjy’s eyes. He’s an idiot so his reactions were distinctive feeling. He felt strongly the loss of love. The downfall of Mr.Campson was not only a personal one but also a universal one---the society was in disorder.b) conflict between the old/younggenerationsA Rose For Emily。
美国文学史及选读复习笔记册
H i s t o r y A n d A n t h o l o g y o f A m e r i c a n L i t e r a t u r e(V o l u m eⅠⅡ)美国文学史及选读1、2PartⅠThe Literature of Colonial America殖民主义时期的文学1.17世纪早期English and European explorers开始登陆美洲。
在他们之前100多年Caribbean Islands, Mexico and other Parts of South America已被the Spanish占领。
2.17th早期English settlements in Virginia and Massachusetts(弗吉尼亚和马萨诸塞)开始了美国历史3.美国最早殖民者(earliest settlers)includedDutch ,Swedes ,Germans ,French ,Spaniards ,Italians and Portuguese (荷兰人，瑞典人，德国人，法国人，西班牙人，意大利人及葡萄牙人等)。
4.美国早期文学主要为the narratives and journals of these settlements采用in diaries and in journals(日记和日志)，他们写关于the land with dense forests and deep-blue lakes and rich soil.5.第一批美国永久居民：the first permanent English settlement in NorthAmerica was established at Jamestown,Virginia in 1607(北美弗吉尼亚詹姆斯顿)。
6.船长约翰·史密斯Captain John Smith他的作品(reports of exploration)17th早期出版，被认为是美国第一部真正意义上的文学作品in the early1600s,have been described as the first distinctly American literature written in English.他讲述了filled with themes, myths, images, scenes, character and events,吸引了朝圣者和清教徒前往lure the Pilgrims and the Puritans.7.美国第一位作家：1608年Captain John Smith写了封信《自殖民地第一次在弗吉尼亚垦荒以来发生的各种事件的真实介绍》“A True Relation of Such Occurrences and Accidents of Note as Hath Happened in Virginia Since the First Planting of That Colony”.8.他的第二本书1612年《弗吉尼亚地图，附：一个乡村的描述》“A Map of Virginia:with a Description of the Country”.9.他一共出版了八本书，其中有关于新英格兰的历史及描述。
美国文学史及选读自考考点
The literature of colonial AmericaJohn Smith1）The 1st American writer2）作品“reports of exploration”have been de scribed as the 1st distinctly American literatur e written in English, attracted Pilgrims(朝圣者) &the Puritans.3）1608，写了封信“A true Relation of Such O ccurance&Accidents of Note as Hath Happen ed in Virginia Since the 1st planting of That c olony”4）1612，第二本书“A map of Virginia :with a Description of the Country”5）他一共出版了八本书，公司破产以后做了向导，he sought a post as guide to the pilgrims. 1624，“General History of Virginia”讲述How the Indian princess Pocahonats Saved him. 6）他早期记录和反映的思想慢慢演变成了美国历史的基本思想，这种思想推动了美国边疆的西移。
7）早期英格兰文学主要关于theological(神学), moral(道德), historical and political.The Puritans in New England embraced hards hips, together with the discipline of a harsh church.They had toughness, purpose and cha racter, they grappled strongly with challenges they set themselves.他们的基本价值观：hard w ork, thrift, piety and sobriety.（也是美国作品的主导思想）William Bradford & John Withrop1）William Bradford：“The History of Plymouth Plantation”（从1630年写起，关于一群清教徒从英国出发到Amsterdam最后到新大陆的过程）Cotton Mather评价：“a common blessing and father to them all.”2）John Withrop：“The History of New England”（1630，登上Arbella号去Massachusetts并keep a journal and to the rest of his life.1826年出版）3）Puritans-Puritans wanted to make pure their religious beliefs and practices.The Puritan was Would-be purifier.-Looked upon themselves as a choosen peolple.-Anyone who challenged their way of life wa s opposing God’s will and was not to be ac cepted.-They were zealous in defense of their own beliefs but often intolerant of the beliefs of others-Made laws about private morality as well as public behavior Nathaniel Hawthorne called them“stern and black browed Puritans”John Cotton & Roger Williams1）John Cotton：The patriarch(教父) of New England2）Roger Williams：“A key into the language of Ameriaca”&“A help to the language of the Natives in That Part of America Called New England”(美洲新英格兰部分土著居民语言指南)Anne Bradstreet & Edward Taylor1）Anne Bradstreet：One of the most interest ing of the early poet.(1630乘Arbella到Massa chusetts)“The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung Up in Ameri ca”（在美洲诞生的第十个缪斯）2）Edward Taylor：The best of the Puritan Po ets(作品大部分关于宗教)The Literature of Reason And Revolution1.American Independence WarNoah Webster评价：American must be as ind ependent in literature as she is inpolitics, as famous for arts as for arms.（文化上的独立，艺术上的著名）②Thomas Jefferson：”Declaration of Independ ence(独立宣言)”2.Enlightenment 启蒙运动3文学上独立的代表作1785, Jefferson：“Notes on the State of Virginia.“1791, Bartram：“Travels”Benjamin Franklin 1706-17901）In the colonial period, the only good Ame rican author before the Revolutionary War. -Born in Boston曾创办“Pennsylvania Gazatte”, 1732-1758出版”Poor Richard’s Almanac coll ocation of proverbs”2）founded the Junto&Established America’s first circulating library& founded the Universit y of PennsylvaniaAided Jefferson in writting the Declaration of Independence.3）The 1st major writers.4）“Autobiography”,编辑了美国第一份殖民杂志“General magazine”朋友评价：His shadow lies heavier than any ot her man’s on this young nation.Thomas Paine 1739-18091）“Great Commoner of Mankind”(人类最平凡的人）&Pamphleteer(小册作家)2）1772, he wrote his 1st pamphlet“The case of the Officers of the Excise”1774, Franklin给他写推荐信“an ingenious wort hy young man”He is a political satirist of genius(政治讽刺的天才)3）1776.1.10 His famous pamphlet“Common Sense”appeared, 署名by an Englishman(书中大胆拥护独立宣言各主张，因此成了美国独立革命思想的代言人)4）1776-1783，“American Crisis”signed“Com mon Sense”在部队被广泛传阅鼓舞士气5）1791-1792，“Rights of Man”6）在法国因反对路易十六和恐怖统治入狱，1793-1 795，“The Age of Reason”a deistic treatise a dvocating a rationalistic view of religion.（注重宗教观念的理性）7）最后一部作品“Agrarian Justice”Thomas Jefferson 1743-1826美国历史上最为广泛影响的人物，同Franklin一样具人道主义精神1）1776，with John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman and Robert R Livingston, hedrafted the Declaration of Independence. 2）1800起担任两届美国总统，建立the Library of Congress，1819创建the university of Virginia 并担任第一任校长Philip Freneau1）The most outstanding writter of the Post-Revolutionary period. Double role as poet an d political journalist.2）1770，“The Power of Fancy”因出版有关讽刺英国人作品而被认可3）1776，“The House of Night”（the Gothic mood）F·L·帕蒂称它为“the 1st distinctly romant ic note heard in America”and“The Beauties of Santa Cruz”4）1781，“The British Prison Ship”5）1786，他的早期作品被收录在“The Poems of Philip Freneau Written Chiefly During the Lat e War”6）1788，“Miscellaneous Works”.1791，with Jefferson’s support“National Gaz ette”campaigned against the opinions of the“Gazette of the United States”7）教材作品“The Wild Honey Suckle”“The In dian Burying Ground”“To a Caty-Did”The Literature of Romanticism1）1828年Andrew Jackson as the 7th Presiden t of the United States标志Virginia王朝的结束1 861年开始Civil War.’[[[‘2）美国早期的主要文学形式，被长篇、短篇故事和诗歌所取代novels, short stories, and poems re placed sermons and manifestos as America’s principal literary forms.Washington Irving 1783-18591）He was the 1st great prose stylist of Amer ican romanticism familiar style.第一位浪漫主义散文文体作家，大众化风格2）He was the 1st great belletrist, writing alw ays for pleasure, and to produce pleasure.第一个不折不扣的纯文学作家，他写作只是为了快乐和创造快乐3）1819-1820，His“Sketch Book”appeared t he 1st modern short stories and the 1st great American juvenile literature to write good hi story and biography as literary entertainment.第一部《见闻札记》是现代文学史上的第一部短篇小说，也是美国第一部伟大的青少年文学读物，他把历史与传说当作娱乐形式来写。
吴伟仁《美国文学史及选读》(重排版)笔记和考研真题详解
20.1复习笔记 20.2考研真题与典型题详解
21.1复习笔记 21.2考研真题与典型题详解
22.1复习笔记 22.2考研真题与典型题详解
23.1复习笔记 23.2考研真题与典型题详解
24.1复习笔记 24.2考研真题与典型题详解
25.1复习笔记 25.2考研真题与典型题详解
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第26章埃 兹拉·庞德
目录分析
第1章约翰·史密斯
第2章威廉·布拉德 福德和约翰·温思罗
普
第3章约翰·科顿和 罗杰·威廉姆斯
第4章安妮·布雷兹 特里特和爱德华·泰 勒
1.1复习笔记 1.2考研真题与典型题详解
2.1复习笔记 2.2考研真题与典型题详解
3.1复习笔记 3.2考研真题与典型题详解
4.1复习笔记 4.2考研真题与典型题详解
11.1复习笔记 11.2考研真题与典型题详解
12.1复习笔记 12.2考研真题与典型题详解
13.1复习笔记 13.2考研真题与典型题详解
14.1复习笔记 14.2考研真题与典型题详解
15.1复习笔记 15.2考研真题与典型题详解
16.1复习笔记 16.2考研真题与典型题详解
17.1复习笔记 17.2考研真题与典型题详解
第5章本杰明·富兰 克林
第6章托马斯·佩恩
第7章托马斯·杰斐 逊
第8章菲利普·弗瑞 诺
5.1复习笔记 5.2考研真题与典型题详解
6.1复习笔记 6.2考研真题与典型题详解
7.1复习笔记 7.2考研真题与典型题详解
8.1复习笔记 8.2考研真题与典型题详解
第9章华盛
1
顿·欧文
第10章詹姆
2
27.1复习笔记 27.2考研真题与典型题详解
美国文学选读考试
美国文学选读考试————————————————————————————————作者：————————————————————————————————日期：美国文学史及作品选读模拟试题一I.Multiple Choice (1’×15=15’)1.C______was the first colony in American history.A. MassachusettsB. New JerseyC. VirginiaD.Georgia2. _B_____ was the only good American author before the Revolutionary War. Oneof his fellow Americans said, “His shadow lies heavier than any other man’s on this young nation.”A. John SmithB. Benjamin FranklinC. Thomas JeffersonD.Thomas Paine3. Romantics put emphasis on the following EXCEPT __A____.A. common senseB. imaginationC. intuitionD. individualism4. The Raven was written in 1844 by __B______A. Philip FreneauB. Edgar Allan PoeC. Henry Wadsworth LongfellowD. Emily Dickinson5. The ship __C____ carried about one hundred Pilgrims and took 66 days to beatits way across the Atlantic. In December of 1620, it put the Pilgrims ashore at Plymouth, Massachusetts.A. SunflowerB. ArmadaC. MayflowerD. Titanic6. Melville’s novel __D____ is a tremendous chronicle of a whaling voyage inpursuit of a seemingly supernatural white whale.A. TypeeB. OmooC. White JacketD. Moby Dick7. As a philosophical and literary movement, __D____ flourished in New Englandfrom the 1830s to the Civil War.A.ModernismB.RationalismC.SentimentalismD.Transcendentalism8. The theme of original sin is fully reflected in ___A______.A. The Scarlet LetterB. Sister CarrieC. The Great GatsbyD. The Old Man and Sea9. In all his novels Theodore Dreiser sets himself to project the ___B___ American values. For example, in Sister Carrie, there is not one character whose status is not determined economically.A. PuritanB. materialisticC. psychologicalD. religious10. Realism was a reaction against____B__ or a move away from the bias towards romance and self-creating fictions, and paved the way to Modernism.A. RationalismB. RomanticismC. NeoclassicismD. Enlightenment11. __C______ was a poet in American modern period who was deeply influence by eastern culture.A. T. S EliotB. Robert FrostC. Ezra PoundD. Walt Whitman12. Which of the following statements about Emily Dickinson is NOT true?DA. After 1862 she became a total recluse, not leaving her house nor seeing close friends.B. She once felt a deep affection for Charles Wadsworth, a married aged minister, but it proved to be a frustrated love affair for Dickinson.C. She wrote about death, immortality, nature, success and failure.D. During her lifetime, all her poems are published.13. The realistic period is referred to as “the Gilded Age” by __A_____.A. Mark TwainB. Henry JamesC. Emily DickinsonD. Theodore Dreiser14. Which of the following works is NOT by Ernest Hemingway?CA. The Old Man and SeaB. A Farewell to ArmsC. Sound and FuryD. For Whom the Bell Tolls15. Which one is NOT the characteristic of modernism?DA. Modernism in literature is characterized by experimentation, anti-realism, individualism and a stress on the cerebral rather than emotive aspects.B. Modernism is greatly influenced by the two world wars.C. The work of Marx, and Freud, had mounted an assault against orthodox religious faith that lasted into the twentieth century.D. Modernists believe that human nature is kind.II.Match the Column A with Column B (1’×10=10’)Column A Column B( c ) 1. Dimmesdale a. Robert Frost( e ) 2. Ahab b. Mark Twain( i ) 3. Drouet c. The Scarlet Letter( a ) 4. Pulitzer Prizer d. Thomas Jefferson( h ) 5. Reclusive poet e. Moby Dick( b ) 6. humorist and satirist f. Ernest Heminway( d ) 7. The Decalration of Indepenence g. Henry David Thoreau( g ) 8. transcendentalist h. Emily Dickinson( j ) 9. The Great Gatsby i. Sister Carrie( f ) 10. The Lost Generation j. F. Scott FitzgeraldIII.Define the following words within one phrase(2’×5=10’)1. free verse2. Ralph Waldo Emerson3. Mark Twain4. Benjamin Franklin5. Ezra PoundIV.Simple questions (5’×4=20’)1.What are Puritan thoughts?2.What is Transcedentalism and list some representative figures?3. Explain the symbolic meanings of “A” in The Scarlet Letter.4. Illustrate the three principles of Imagist Poetry.V.Interpreting the following texts (45’)Text 1When a girl leaves her home at eighteen, she does one of two things.Either she falls into saving hands and becomes better, or she rapidlyassumes the cosmopolitan standard of virtue and becomes worse. Of anintermediate balance, under the circumstances, there is no possibility. Thecity has its cunning wiles, no less than the infinitely smaller and morehuman tempter. There are large forces which allure with all thesoulfulness of expression possible in the most cultured human. The gleamof a thousand lights is often as effective as the persuasive light in awooing and fascinating eye. Half the undoing of the unsophisticated andnatural mind is accomplished by forces wholly superhuman. A blare ofsound, a roar of life, a vast array of human hives, appeal to the astonishedsenses in equivocal terms. Without a counsellor at hand to whisper cautious interpretations, what falsehoods may not these things breathe into the unguarded ear! Unrecognised for what they are, their beauty, like music, too often relaxes, then weakens, then perverts the simpler human perceptions.Questions1.Please use one phrase to summarize the above paragraph (2’)2.What are the two possibilities for a girl of eighteen leaving her home?(2’)3.Please find out the figures of speech (2’)4.What are the attractive forces mentioned in a big city? (4’)5.How are naturalist views are reflected in this paragraph? Illustrate yourpoints with examples (5’)Text 2Because I could not stop for Death –He kindly stopped for me --The Carriage held but just Ourselves --And Immortality.We slowly drove -- He knew no hasteAnd I had put awayMy labor and my leisure too,For His Civility –We passed the School, where Children stroveAt Recess -- in the Ring --We passed the Fields of Gazing Grain --We passed the Setting Sun –…Since then -- 'tis Centuries -- and yetFeels shorter than the DayI first surmised the Horses' HeadsWere toward Eternity –Questions:1.Identify the poet and the title of this poem? (2’)2.Explain the underlined words (4’)3.What are the implications of “the School”, “the fields of Gazing Grain”, “the SettingSun”? (3’)4.How do you understand “Since then -- 'tis Centuries -- and yet / Feelsshorter than the Day” ? (3’)5.What are the speaker’s opinions about death? (3’)Text 3Two roads diverged in ayellow wood,And sorry I could not travelbothAnd be one traveler, long IstoodAnd looked down one as faras I couldTo where it bent in theundergrowth.Then took the other, as justas fair,And having perhaps thebetter claim,Because it was grassy andwanted wear;Though as for that thepassing thereHad worn them really aboutthe same.And both that morningequally layIn leaves no step had troddenblack.Oh, I kept the first foranother day!Yet knowing how way leadson to way,I doubted if I should evercome back.I shall be telling this with asighSomewhere ages and ageshence:Two roads diverged in awood, and I--I took the one less traveledby,And that has made all thedifference.Questions:1.Please examine the poetic form (rhyme and meter) (2’)2.Describe the similarities and differences of these two roads. Which one does thespeaker take? (3’)3.How do you understand the word “sigh”? (4’)4.What might the two roads stand for in the speaker’s mind? (4’)5.What is the theme of this poem? (2’)参考答案I.Multiple Choice (1’×15=15’)1. _C___2._B__3.__A__4.__B__5.__C___6.__D_7.__D__8._A__9.__B__ 10.__B___11._C__ 12.__D__ 13._A_ 14._C __ 15._D__II.Match the Column A with Column B (1’×10=10’)1.( c )2.( e )3.( i )4.( a )5.( h )6.( b )7.( d )8.( g )9.(j ) 10.( f )III.Define the following words within one phrase (2’×5=10’)(Any related information can be given marks)1. poetry without a fived beat or regular rhyme scheme, produced by Walt Whitman2. is the representative of transcedentalists, who believes in individualism andself-reliance and brings transcendentalism to New England3．is a humorist and satirist, who uses broad humor and biting social satire4．is one of Thoreau’s masterpieces, which is the result of the author’s two years of living near Walden lake.5. is regarded as the classical poem of imagist poetry by Ezra Pound, conveyingthe theme of the speaker’s sudden pleasure of finding some beautiful faces inthe subwayIV.Simple Questions (5’×4=20’) (Answers should be to the points. 1 score for time, 2 scores for features and 1 score for representative figures when defining theliterary terms)a)Puritan thoughts: to make pure their religious beliefs and practices, to restoresimplicity, to live a hard and disciplined life and oppose pleasure and arts.b)Transcendentalism is the climax of American Romanticism.First, the Transcendentalist placed emphasis on spirit, or the oversoul, as the mostimportant thing in the universe.Secondly, Transcendentalists stressed the importance of the individual.Thirdly, the Transcendentalists offered a fresh perception of nature as symbolicofthe spirit.3. a. The letter’s meaning shifts as time passes. Originally intended to mark Hester asan adulterer, the “A”eventually comes to stand for “Able”or“Angel”.b. Besides Hester, Dimmesdale also ironed the letter A on his body, which provokedhis self-consciousness and showed his repent for what he did.c. Pearl, their baby, wore a green letter a in a piece of seaweed while playing on thebeach. This green letter A symbolizes vitality or new life, and also suggests herinheritance from her mother.4. a. direct treatment of the “thing”（no fuss, frill, or ornament）,b. exclusion of superfluous words（precision and economy of expression）,c. the rhythm of the musical phrase rather than the sequence of a metronome（free verse form and music）.V.Interpreting the following texts (45’)Text 11. The attraction of big city (2’)2. One is to fall into the saving hands and becomes better; secondly, she may admitthemoral value of big city and becomes worse. (2’)3. Simile, metaphor and synecdoche (2’)4. The gleam of lights, a blare of sound, a roar of life, and a vast array of humanhives (4’)5. Naturalist attempted to achieve extreme objectivity and frankness, presentingcharacters of low social and economic classes who were dominated by theirenvironment and heredity. In this novel, the major female character CarrieMeeber is deeply influenced by the present environment and heredity, whichleads to the result of her dynamic character.(5’) (the features of naturalism 3scores, examples 2 scores)Text 21. Emily Dickinson and “Because I Could not Stop for Death”(2’)2. He: death; civility: politeness; Recess: break Surmised: guessed (4’)3. They represent three stages of life. The school is the childhood and young age;the fields of gazing grain refers to the mature period and the setting sun the old age, that is the end of one’s life. (3’)4. Because this day is towards death, immortal and eternal (3’)5. Death is immortality (3’)Text 31. It is written in iambic tetrameter and rhymed abaab.(2’)2. Similarities: both of the roads are beautiful (fair)Differences: one is quiet and grassy, less-traveled; the other is trodden by manypeople and flatHe took the less-travelled road (3’)3. The word “sigh”is a tricky word. Because sigh can be interpreted into nostalgicrelief or regret. If it is the relief sigh, then the difference means the speaker feels glad with the road he took. If it is the regret sigh, then the difference would not be good, and the speaker would be sighing in regret. Hence, sigh is ambigous here for the speaker is not showing whether his choice is right or wrong. (4’)4. The real road; the life road and the road in career (4’)5.Choice is inevitable but you never know what your choice will mean until you havelived it. This is also the theme of the poem. (2’)第 8页。
西南大学网络教育0171美国文学史及选读期末考试复习题及参考答案
0171美国文学史及选读1、艾伦坡（Edgar Allan Poe）的小说表现出怎样的艺术特征？答：作品主题爱伦·坡的恐怖小说带有浪漫主义的特色。
纵观爱伦·坡的恐怖小说创作，其故事主题大都“揭示了人类意识及潜意识中的阴暗面”，这一点显然迥异于同时代的其他浪漫主义作家。
爱伦·坡以恐怖小说这样一种特殊的文学形式深入刻画与呈现了非现实状态下人的精神状态和心理特征，试图“以非现实、非理性的表达方式来揭示现代人的精神因顿”。
他借助想象奇特、恐怖怪异的故事情节，通过夸张、隐喻和象征等修辞手段表现人性的危机，激起读者浓厚阅读兴趣的同时，震撼心灵，发人深省。
爱伦·坡的创作原则是其“效果说”理论，他选择“死亡”作为其文学创作的主题是由他的这个创作原则决定的。
坡认为，无论是创作诗歌还是小说，作家必须讲究效果的统一，必须时刻想到预定的结局，要使每一个情节变得必不可少。
他在《评霍桑的“故事重述”》中曾经这样阐述自己的创作原则：“聪明的艺术家不是将自己的思想纳入他的情节，而是事先精心策划，想出某种独特的、与众不同的效果，然后再杜撰出这样一些情节——他把这些情节联结起来，而他所做的一切都将最大限度地有利于实现在预先构思的效果”。
使“每一事件，每一描写细节，甚至一字一句都收到一定的统一效果，一个预想的效果，印象主义的效果”。
他强调作品对读者所能唤起的情绪和产生的效果。
在“创作的哲学”中，他认为，故事的首要目的是要在情感上扣住读者的心弦，产生最激动人心的效果。
死亡主题是通过谨严紧凑的结构和作品的简洁而表现的。
爱伦坡的作品形式精美，技巧圆熟。
爱伦坡在《评霍桑的“故事重述”》里，强调了作品的简洁和统一效果。
在写作中，他还平萍理留情节和结构的高度简洁，小说中通常只有两个，最多三个人物，也没有离题的枝节和无关的装饰品。
在他看来，一位技巧高明的文学家在写作之前，必须成竹在胸，深思熟虑，为实现预期效果而选择和组织情节，并且不应该有一个词的意向直接或间接与预先的构思无关。
美国文学选读复习
History And Anthology of American Literature (VolumeⅠⅡ)美国文学史及选读1、2PartⅠThe Literature of Colonial America殖民主义时期的文学(at the beginning of 17th century)Part Ⅱ The Literature of Reason And Revolution理性和革命时期文学(by the mid-18th century)1．Thomas Jefferson: Declaration of Independence 独立宣言(1776年18世纪中后期)（仔细阅读知道意思）Benjamin Franklin: The AutobiographyThomas Paine: The American Crisis*一、Benjamin Franklin 本杰明·富兰克林1706-1790Symbol of America in the Age of Enlightenment殖民地时期作家。
独立战争前惟一的杰出的美国作家in the colonial period, the only good American author before the Revolutionary War.1．其还是美国第一位主要作家the first major writer非凡表达能力，简洁明了，有点幽默，还是一位讽刺天才as an author he had power of expression, simplicity, a subtle humor. He was also sarcastic.2．他最好作品收录在《自传》“Autobiography”。
“对这个年青的国家来说，他的损失比其它任何人的都要大“his shadow lies heavier than any other man’s on this young nation.二、Thomas Jefferson托马斯·杰弗逊（1743-1826）1．美国历史上最为广泛影响人物his thought and personality have influenced his countryman more deeply and remained more effectively alive.同富兰克林一样具人道主义精神vigorous humanitarian sympathies.启蒙运动的产物a product of the Enlightenment.2．1776年同约翰·亚当斯、本杰明·富兰克林、罗杰·谢尔曼、罗伯特·R·利文斯顿一起起草《独立宣言》with John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman and Robert R Livingston, he drafted the Declaration of Independence.3．1790-1793任华盛顿内阁中第一任国务卿，as the first American secretary of state. 1800起担任两届美国总统。
美国文学史及选读期末复习题
1.Captain John Smith became the first American writer。
2.The puritans looked upon themselves asa chosen people.is an annual collection of proverbs written by Benjamin Franklin.4.Thomas Paine’s famousboldly advo cated a “Declaration for Independence”。
5.Thomas Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence with John Adams，Benjamin Franklin，Roger Sherman，and Robert Livingston.has been called the “Father of American Poetry”.7.In Washington Ir ving’sappeared the first modern short stories and the first great American juvenile literature.8.Cooper’s enduring fame rests on his frontier stories, especially the five novelsWilliam Cullen Bryant’s wok.is considered “father of American detective stories and American gothic stories"。
10.Emerson believed above all inand self—reliance.11.deepest12.Moby Dick is a tremendous chronicle of a whaling voyage in pursuit of a seemingly supernatural white whale. 13.After his death，Longfellow became the only American to be honored with a bust in the Poet's Corner of Westminster Abbey。
美国文学史概述及选读复习资料
美国文学史American Literature in the colonical and Revolutionary:Franklin(本杰明.富兰克林)Freneau 菲利普·费瑞诺Benjamin Franklin(本杰明.富兰克林)1)"Poor Richard's Almanac" 穷人查理德的年鉴(以笔名Richard Sunders)2)“annual collection of proverbs “流行谚语集 (It soon became the mostpopular book of its kind, largely because of Franklin's shrewd humor, and first spread his reputation)3)The Way to Wealth (Father Abraham’s Sermon)致富之道(as the “perface to PoorRichard Improved)4)The Autobiography自传 (18世纪美国唯一流传至今的自传)5)Founded the Junto, a club for informal discussion of scientific, economic andpolitical ideas. 建立了一个秘密俱乐部，讨论的主题是政治、经济和科学等时事方面的问题.6)established America's first circulating library, founded thecollege--University of Pennsylvania. 建立了美国第一个可租借的图书馆，还创办了一所大学——就是现在的宾夕法尼亚大学.7)first applied the terms "positive" and "negative" to electrical charges.8)Writer,printer,publisher,scientist,philanthropist,and diplomat,he was themost famous and respected private figure of his time.The Rising Glory of America蒸蒸日上的美洲；The British Prison Ship英国囚船；To the Memory of the Brave Americans纪念美国勇士-----同类诗中最佳；The Wild Honeysuckle野生的金银花；The Indian Burying Ground印第安人殡葬地(1)poet and political journalist 诗人和政治方面的新闻记者(2)perhaps the most outstanding writer of the post-revolutionary period.(3)has been called the "Father of American Poetry" 美国诗歌之父(4)Imaginative and melancholy treatment of nature and human life,and sharp satire against the British tyranny19th Century American LiteratureWashington Irving(华盛顿.欧文)1．James Fenimore Cooper(詹姆斯.芬尼莫.库珀)2．Nathaniel Hawthorne(纳萨尼尔.霍桑)3．Edgar Allan Poe （埃德加.阿伦.坡）4．Henry Daived Thoreau(亨利.戴维.梭罗)5．Herman Melville(赫尔曼.麦尔维尔)6．Walt Whiteman(沃尔特.惠特曼)The Rise of American RomanticismOne of the most important periods in the history of American literature, stretches from the end of the 18th century to the outbreak of the Civil War(1861-65).It started with the publication of Washington Irving's e The h Sketch Book(1820) and ended with Whitman's s Leaves f of Grass(1855)..Romanticism的特点：frequently shared certain general characteristics, moralenthusiam, faith in the value of individualism andintuitive perception, and a presumption that he naturalworld was a source of corruption.浪漫主义之间大多是相通的，都注重道德，强调个人主义价值观和直觉感受，并且认为自然是美的源头，人类社会是腐败之源。
《美国文学史及选读》考研吴伟仁版考研复习笔记和真题
《美国文学史及选读》考研吴伟仁版考研复习笔记和真题第一部分殖民地时期的美国文学第1章约翰·史密斯1.1 复习笔记I. Historical Introduction (历史背景)(1) At the beginning of the seventeenth century, the vast continental area that was to become the United States had been probed only slightly by English and European explorers. At last early in the seventeenth century, the English settlements in Virginia and Massachusetts began the main stream of what we recognize as the American national history.(2) The colonies that became the first United States were for the most part sustained by English traditions, ruled by English laws, supported by English commerce, and named after English monarchs and English lands.(3) The first writings that we call American were the narratives and journals of the settlements. They wrote about their voyage to the new land, about adapting to new life and dealing with Indians; they wrote letters, contracts, government charters, religious and political statements.(4) The first permanent English settlement in North America was established at Jamestown, Virginia in 1607. Among the members of the small band of Jamestown settlers was Captain John Smith, an English soldier of fortune.His reports of exploration, published in the early 1600s, have been described as the first distinctly American literature written in English. (1) 直到17世纪初，美国所在的广袤大陆才被英国及少数几个欧洲国家的探险家涉足。
美国文学史及选读期末考试
Ⅰ. Write the author of each item. 10’1．Anne Bradstreet（The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung Up in America）①Contemplation②To My Dear and Loving Husband2. Benjamin Franklin①The Autobiography (early American Dream)3. Philip Freneau (Poet of American Revolution; The Father of American Poetry)①The Wild Honey Suckle②The Indian Burying Ground③To a Caty-Did4. Washington Irving (The Father of American Short Story; first American writer of imaginative literature to gain international fame; regarded as Father of American literature.)①The legend of Sleep Hollow②Rip Van Winkle③The Sketch Book(the beginning of American Romanticism)5. James Fennimore Cooper①The Last Mohicans②Leather Stocking Tales6. William Cullen Bryant①Thanatopsis②To a Water Fowl7. Edgar Allen Poe (Father of Modern Short Story; Father of Psychoanalysis criticism)①To Helen②The Raven③The Fall of the House of Usher④The Black Cat8. Ralph Waldo Emerson (leading New England transcendentalist)①Nature②Self-Reliance③The American Scholar9. Henry David Thoreau (an active transcendentalist)①Walden10. Nathaniel Hawthorne (a master of symbolism; first great American writer of fiction to work in moralistic tradition. combined the American romanticism with puritan moralism; created a new genre psychological romance)①The Scarlet Letter②Twice Told Tales③The Marble Faun④Blithedale Romance⑤The Minister’s Black Veil11. Herman Melville①Moby Dick12. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (the fireside poet; love of nature, love for the past)①A Psalm of Life②The Slave’s Dream③My Lost Youth④The Song of Hiawatha13. Walt Whitman①Leaves of Grass(first genuine epic poem)②Song of Myself③I Sit and Look Out④Beat！Beat！Drums！14. Emily Dickinson (the theme of her poetry concern religion, life, death, marriage, immorality, nature etc.)①I Taste a Liquor Never Brewed②I Felt a Funeral, in My Brain③A Bird Came Down the Walk④I Died for Beauty ___but Was Scarce⑤I Hear a Fly Buzz ___When I Died⑥Because I Could not Stop for DeathⅡ. True or False choice. 20’Ⅲ. Choose the best answer 10’Ⅳ. Appreciation 30’The Scarlet LetterAuthor: Nathaniel HawthorneSymbolism：The Scarlet Letter, A symbol of shame, but instead it becomes a powerful symbol of identity to Hester. The letter’s meaning shifts as time passes. Originally intended to mark Hester as an adulteress, the “A” eventually comes to stand for “Able.”The Meteor , to Dimmesdale, the meteor implies that he should wear a mark of shame just as Hester does. The meteor is interpreted differently by the rest of the community, which thinks that it stands for “Angel” and marks Governor Winthrop’s entry into heavenThe Rosebush, Next to the Prison Door .The narrator chooses to begin his story with the image of the rosebush beside the prison door. The rosebush symbolizes the ability of nature to endure and outlast man’s activities.Pearl is a sort of living version of her mother’s scarlet letter. She is the physical consequence of sexual sin and the indicator of a transgression (evildoing). Upward American spiritCharacter analysis:Hester: disloyalty, betrayal, deception, sexual desire, adultery. Face, correct, redeem, purify. Praise, content, conformability.Dimmesdale: adultery, cowardice, hypocrisy, dishonesty, selfishness, too coward to confess, tortured by his conscience. Sympathetic, disfavor his hesitation, indecisiveness and cowardice.Chillingworth: revenge. Tortured by the desire of revenge, twisted and reduced to nothing. disgusted, think he committed greater crime.Puritanism in The Scarlet LetterPuritan background: setting, events, characters, thoughts, behaviors.Puritan doctrines: original sin, total depravity, predestination, limited atonement.Ralph Waldo Emerson1.NatureThe declaration of TranscendentalismAnalysis of “Nature”A long essay which has eight parts: the opening, commodity, beauty, language, discipline, Idealism, spirit and prospects. Our selection is taken from the opening. Taken as a whole, “Nature” expresses Emerson’s philosophy in a more systematic fashion than any other work of his.Meanings of natureI BeautyNature is beautiful. : the complete, mysterious, useful and moral beauty of nature. First, nature’s beauty lies in its completeness. Second, nature’s beauty lies in its mystery. cannot be manipulated. Only when he holds a sincere r espect for nature, can man feel the mysterious beauty of nature. Third, nature’s beauty lies in its usefulness. Nature provides man without any benefitII Nature Is Divine●Nature is divine and has the eternal order which should not be violated. Influenced in a way byChinese ancient philosophy, Emerson believes that all the things in the world come from the same root---the Oversoul.●Emerson believes that man can find God in his own heart by direct contact with nature●Nature has permeated (penetrate) all aspects of human life. Spirit embodied in nature hasinfluence upon us. Nature inspires man and gives him\her power. Man should find the truth, goodness and beauty in his own soul and bring into play his potentiality as human being. Then, he will become hims elf “All that Adam had, all that Caesar could, you have and can do".●For Emerson, the individual is potentially the most divine and any organization or existing ideacan not limit the development of individual.III Nature Is ChangingEverything in nature is in a process---growing, withdrawing and falling into the ground. The flowing of nature comes from a force which impels it to develop. For instance, a river is always in constantly flowing. It originates from mountains, flows along great plains and ultimately converges into the sea. Transcendental philosophyNature symbolizes freedom, independence and change. These are Individualism elements which attend to significance of common life. Therefore Emerson's nature is the theoretical base of American Individualism---one of the characteristics of American culture. As the symbol of Spirit, nature helps to prove that man's soul is beautiful, divine and fluid. Man should pursue spiritual fulfillmentExcerpt from Nature: in Nature Emerson puts forward every phenomenon of the nature there was the spirit of the spirit of the nature.Here from this paragraph we could see that emerson found the beauty in the wildness nature rather than the village or something. “in the wildness, I find something more dear and connate than in streets or villages.” In the wildness of the nature, emerson can transcend physical body to the spirit of the God and he can become one part of the spirit.He emerges into the nature, and then he goes into the Oversoul. “I am part or particle of God.” “I am nothing; I see all”. This sentence clearly shows that emerson merges into the sporit. And in the nature we could get the eternal beauty.2.Self-Reliance①“The Confidence”. a man must show his opinion confidently and bravely in spite of different ideas.②“The Independence”. A man should keep himself firmly ; not be easily influenced by environment.③Keep personality, which is closely related to the confidence and the independence. a man must keep his personality and conform to his own principles.④“Showing no Sympathy to the Poor” shows that why the poor are poor is mainly due to their backward thinking. Showing help to this kind of people means doing harm to them.Comment: In Self-reliance, Emerson expressed the romantic idea of individualism, with an emphasis on being self-sufficient. He promoted relying on oneself rather than on established society. Emerson was known for his repeated use of phrase “trust thyself”. “Self-reliance” is his explanation---both systematic and passionate of what he meant by this, and why he was moved to make it his catchphrase. Every individual possesses a unique genius, Emerson argues, that can only be revealed when that individual has the courage to trust his or her own thoughts, attitudes, and inclinations against all public disapproval.Henry Wadsworth Longfellow1. A Psalm of Life①Love of nature, love for the past ②Trochaic tetrameter③constant theme for poets: The relationship of life and death. ④He expresses his pertinent interpretation to that by warning us that though life is hard and everybody must die, time flies and life is short, yet, human beings ought to be hold “to act,” to face the reality straightly so as to make otherwise meaningless life significant.2. My Lost YouthⅤ. Terms 10’New England PoetsThe new England poets were the representatives of imitation, authors like Irving, William Cullen Bryant, Henry wadsworth Longfellow etc. tried to imitate the forms and themes of their English brothers, such as Alexander Pope, Robert Burns, Thomas Gray, wordsworth and so on.Rip van winkleThis is one story in Washington Irving’s Sketch Book. It tells a story of a kind but hen-pecked man rip van winkle. The protagonist does not take care of his own family very well and just wants to live idly. But his wife does not want him to live the life like that and keeps talking to him. Unhappy at home, he enters in the mountain with his gun and dog. One afternoon, he meets some strangers looking people playing at nine pins. Out of curiosity, he drinks the wine and falls into sleep. When he wakes up, he finds his dog missing and his gun rusted. He has to go back to the village again. But can not recognize the village and the folks. Later his surprise, he has been slept for 20 years. And his wife has been dead and his children grow up. At the end of story, his daughter takes him home and he still lives the life as he was used to.Ⅵ.Comment 20’1. Comment on Moby Dick:a. Although the narrator sees insanity in Ahab, Melville’s emotional sympathy is with the deficient Ahab. He begins with a noble intention to crush evil, but in taking this to the extreme, he becomes evil himself. He is destroyed by his consuming desire to root out evil.b. Moby Dick is a symbol to represent cruel, brutal, malicious powers of nature. Nature is capable of destroying the human world. Nature threatens humanity & thus calls out the heroic powers of the human beings. So the power of the universe is both of blessing and curse. In this way, the author constructs a complicated statement about American view of nature.2. Compare: Emily Dickinson with Walt Whitman in their writing style.Similarities①Along with Emily Dickinson, Walt Whitman stands as one of the two giants of American poetry in the nineteenth century.②Pioneers of imagism③Part of American Renaissance④Influenced by transcendentalism⑤Thematically, they both extolled in their different ways and emergent America, its expansion, its individualism and its Americanness, their poetry being part of “American Renaissance”⑥Technically, they both added to the literary independence of the new nation by breaking free of the convention of the iambic pentameter and exhibiting a freedom in form unknown before: they are pioneers in American poetry.Differences①Whitman seems to keep his eyes on society at large; Dickinson explores the inner life of the individual.②Whereas Whitman is “national” in his outlook. Dickinson is “regional”③Whitman has the “catalogue techniques”, all-inclusive catalogue. Whereas Dickinson’s concise, direct, simple diction and syntax。