自考 英美文学选读 知识点 NICOLAS整理
William Shakespeare
1. 《维纳斯与阿多尼斯》《路克丽丝的被奸》：两首叙事长诗题献给南安普敦伯爵。
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2. 喜剧生涯第一阶段：五部历史剧：《亨利六世》上中下、《理查三世》《泰特斯。安装尼克 2. 斯》；四部喜剧：《错中错》《维罗纳二绅士》《驯悍记》《空爱一场》
5. 最后一个阶段：包括他主要的浪漫悲喜剧《波里克利斯》《新柏林》《冬天的故事》《暴风 5. 雨》；他最后的两个剧本《亨利八世》《二位高贵的亲戚》
6. 《亨利四世》上下两部莎士比亚历史剧中最受广泛阅读的剧本。揭示了 15 世纪混乱的统治。 6. 一边为英国失去领土而悲痛，一边表现爱国主义精神。用戏剧性表现了 1450 年杰克。凯德 起义期间压迫者与被压迫者之间的阶级斗争。谴责由封建贵族发起的玫瑰战争，在战争中 无辜人民惨遭杀害。
3. 1660 年王政复辟之后，当他失明并忍受痛苦、贫困及孤独之时，弥尔顿写了他的三部重要 诗歌作品：《失乐园》《复乐园》《力士参孙》
ห้องสมุดไป่ตู้
John Milton 1. Lycidas is composed for a collection of elegies dedicated to Edward
King, a fellow undergraduate of Milton’s at Cambridge, who was drowned in the Irish sea. With the bitter sense of loss, Miton asks why the just and good should suffer.The climax of the poem is the blistering attack on the clergy, i.e. the “shepherds”, who are corrupted by self-interest. 2. Areopagitica is probably his most memorable prose work. It is a great plea for freedom of the press. Compared with the tough style of the other prose work, it is rather smooth and calm. 3. After the Restoration in 1660, when he was blind and suffering, and when he was poor and lonely, Milton wrote his three major poetical works:
7. 《威尼斯商人》是喜剧作品中最重要的剧本。莎士比亚在该剧本中创造了紧张、模棱两可 7. 和同时既在心智上令人激动又在情感上引人入胜的自我意识的、自我愉悦的技巧。该剧暴 露出犹太人永不满足的贪欲。
8. 《罗密欧与朱丽叶》是成功的浪漫悲剧，它歌颂对爱情的忠诚和追求幸福的精神。虽是一 8.
Venus and Adonis The Rape of Lucrece: both of which were dedicated to the Earl of Southampton. The 1st period of Shakespeare’s dramatic career: 5 history plays: Henry VI, Parts I, II and III， Richard III and Titus Andronicus; and 4 comedies: The Comedy of Errors, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, The Taming of the Shrew, and Love’s Labour’s Lost 2nd period, 5 histories: Richard II, King John, Henry IV, Parts I and II, and Henry V; six comedies: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Merchant of Venice, Much Ado About Nothing, As You Like It, Twelfth Night, and The Merry Wives of Windsor; and two tragedies: Romeo and Juliet and Julius Caesar 3rd period: Tragedies: Hamlet Othello King Lear Macbeth Antony and Cleopatra Troilus and Cressida Coriolanus; two comedies: All’s Well That Ends Well and Measure for Measure Last period: includes his principal romantic tragicomedies: Pericles, Cymbeline, The Winter’s Tale and The Tempest; and his two final plays: Henry VIII and The Two Noble Kinsmen Henry IV Parts I and II are undoutedly the most widely read among his history plays. It reveals a troubled reign in the 15th century. Shakespeare presents the patriotic spirit when mourning over the loss of English territories in France. He also dramatizes the class struggle between the oppressors and the oppressed during Jake Cade’s rising of 1450. He condemns the War of the Roses waged by the feudal barons in which innocent people were killed. The Merchant of Venice is the most important play among the comedies, in which Shakespeare has created tension, armbiguity, a self-conscious and self-delighting artifice that is at once intellectually exciting and emotionally engaging. The Traditional theme of the play is to praise the friendship between Antonio and Bassanio, to idealize Portia as a herioine of great beauty, wit and loyalty, and to expose the insatiable greed and brutality of the Jew. Romeo and Juliet, the successful romantic tragedy, eulogizes the
2. John Milton
1. 《列西达斯》献给淹死在爱尔兰海剑桥时的同学爱德华。金的挽歌集。弥尔顿发问：为什 么正直善良的人要忍受痛苦。诗的高潮是对因自私自利而腐败的教士阶层，即“牧羊人” 的狠狠抨击。
2. 《论出版自由》可能是他最令人难忘的散文作品，它是一个为出版自己有所作的伟大的抗 辩。与其他散文作品的猛烈风格比较，它则显得很流畅且平静。
10. 《暴风雨》是一个精心计划的幻想故事，被认为是他最后的浪漫传奇中最优秀的作品。是 他晚年对人生和社会的悲观主义观点的典型例证。
faithfulness of love and the spirit of pursuing hapiness. Though a tragedy, it is permeated with optimistic spirit. 9. His greatest tragedies are: Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth. They have some characteristics in common. Each portrays some noble hero, who faces the injustice of human life and is caught in a difficult situation and whose fate is closely connected with the fate of the whole nation. Each hero has his weakness of nature: Hamlet faces the dilemma between action and mind; Othello’s inner weekess is made use of by the outside evil force; the old king Lear who is unwilling to totally give up his power makes himself suffer from treachery and infidelity; Macbeth’s lust for power stirs up his ambition and leads him to incessant crimes. 10. The Tempest, an elaborate and fantastic story, is known as the best of his final romances. It is a typical example of his pessimistic view towards human life and society in his late years.
英美文学选读知识点整理
会意义、语言风格和艺术手法 6. 西奥多·德莱塞的《嘉莉妹妹》创作思想、艺术特色及其代表作的主题结构、艺术手法和人
1. 美国现代时期文学特征 2. 庞德的主要作品及其内容 3. 罗伯特·弗洛斯特的代表作及其主题结构和艺术特色 4. 菲兹杰拉德《了不起的盖茨比》的主题意义及其象征手法 5. 海明威的主要作品及其内容：《老人与海》、《永别了武
第二章 现代主义时期
The Modern Period
1. 美国浪漫主义时期的文学特点 2. 华盛顿·欧文的文学作品 3. 霍桑代表作《小伙子布朗》中的寓言与象征 4. 惠特曼的创作思想及其代表作的主题结构、人物刻画和社会意义——《白鲸》
1. 现实主义和自然主义的概念 2. 文学特点及现实主义者的倾向 3. 马克·吐温的《哈克贝利费恩历险记》创作思想、艺术特色及其代表作的社会意义、语言风
3. 华兹华斯的主要作品及内容 4. 拜伦《致希腊》的主题并用英语
解释其中句子
1. 华兹华斯的诗歌特点 2. 英文解释华兹华斯《我如行云独自游》中的句子
5. 雪莱《西风颂》的主题并用英语 解释其中句子
6.
1. 维多利亚时期的文学特点 2. 狄更斯的主要作品及内容——critical realist
3. 哈代的代表作及写作特点 4. 夏洛特·布朗特的《简·爱》中简·爱的人物分析
器》、《丧钟为谁而鸣》等 6. 福克纳的主要作品及其内容
第一章:古代与中世纪英国文学
1．<<贝尔武夫>>简介及在英国文学史上的意义。 Beowulf《贝奥武夫》：第一部最古老、最长的较完整的文学作品 2．乔叟及其代表作《坎特伯雷故事集》对英国文学做出的贡献。 The Canterbury Tales《坎特伯雷故事集》小说集，描写了各行各业中的人物形象
自考英美文学选读_重点总结【英国】Chapter 5 The Modern Period现代时期
【英国】Chapter 5 The Modern Period现代时期1. The once sun-never-set Empire finally collapsed.日不落帝国终于日薄西山了。
2. Arthur Schopenhauer, a pessimistic philosopher, started a rebellion against rationalism, stressing the importance of will and intuition.德国哲学家亚瑟.叔本华的悲观主义与反理性哲学强调了人的意愿与直觉的重要性。
3. Friedrich Nietzsche advocated the doctrines of power and superman and by completely rejecting the Christian morality.尼采继承了叔本华的理论后，更进一步的反叛理性主义与基督教精神，推崇强权与霸权。
4. Henry Bergson established his irrational philosophy, which put the emphasis on creation, intuition, irrationality and unconsciousness.亨利.伯格森在前人基础上创立了非理性哲学，强调创造力，直觉，非理性与无意识。
5. The appalling shock of the First World War severely destroyed people’s faith in the Victorian values.一战的毁灭性灾难摧垮了人们对维多利亚道德标准的信奉。
6. The French symbolism, appearing in the late 19th century, heralded modernism.19世纪晚期法国的象征主义预示了现代主义的诞生。
自考英美文学选读要点总结精心整理
英美文学选读要点总结精心整理[英国』Chapter1 The Renaissance period（14世纪至十七世纪中叶）文艺复兴1. Humanism is the essence of the Renaissance.人文主义是文艺复兴的核心。
2. the Greek and Roman civilization was based on such a conception that man is the measure of all things.人文主义作为文艺复兴的起源是因为古希腊罗马文明的基础是以“人”为中心，人是万物之灵。
3. Renaissance humanists found in then classics a justification to exalt human nature and came to see that human beings were glorious creatures capable of individual development in the direction of perfection, and that the world they inhabited was theirs not to despise but to question, explore, and enjoy.人文主义者们却从古代文化遗产中找到充足的论据，来赞美人性，并开始注意到人类是崇高的生命，人可以不断发展完善自己，而且世界是属于他们的，供他们怀疑，探索以及享受。
4. Thomas More, Christopher Marlowe and William Shakespeare are the best representatives of the English humanists.托马斯.摩尔，克利斯朵夫.马洛和威廉.莎士比亚是英国人文主义的代表。
5. Wyatt introduced the Petrarchan sonnet into England.怀亚特将彼特拉克的十四行诗引进英国。
《英美文学选读》自学资料 (全)
强人总结《英美文学选读》自学资料 (全)American LiteratureChapter one : The romantic periodI. Emerson’s transcendentalism and his attitude toward nature:1.Transcendentalism—it is a philosophic and literary movement that flourish in New England, as a reaction against rationalism and Calvinism. It stressed intuitive understanding of god without the help of the church, and advocated independence of the mind.2. Emerson’s transcendentalism:The over-soul—it is an all-pervading power goodness, from which all things come and of which all are a part. It is a supreme reality of mind, a spiritual unity of all beings and a religion. It is a communication between an individual soul and the universal over-soul. And he strongly believe in the divinity and infinity of man as an individual, so man can totally rely on himself.3.His toward nature:Emerson loves nature. His nature is the garment of the over-soul, symbolic and moral bound. Nature is not something purely of the matter, but alive with God’s presence. It exercise a healthy and restorative influence on human beings. Children can see nature better than adult.II. Hawthorne’s Puritanism and his black vision of man:1. Puritanism—it is the religious belief of the Puristans, who had intended to purify and simplify the religious ritual of the church of England.2. his black vision of man—by the Calvinistic concept of original sin, he believed that human being are evil natured and sinful, and this sin is ever present in human heart and will pass one generation to another.3. Young Goodman Brown—it shows that everyone has some evil secrets. The innocent and naïve Brown is confronted with the vision of human evil in one terrible night, and then he becomes distrustful and doubtful. Brown stands for everyone ,who is born pure and has no contact with the real world ,and the prominent people of the village and church. They cover their secrets during daily lives, and under some circumstances such as the witch’s Sabbath, they become what they are. Even his closed wife, Faith, is no except ion. So Brown is aged in that night.III. The symbolism of Melville’s Mobby-Dick1.The voyage to catch the white whale is the one of the mind in quest of the truth and knowledge of universe.2. To Ahab, the whale is an evil creature or the agent of an evil force that control the universe. As to readers, the whale is a symbol of physical limits, or a symbol of nature. It also can stand for the ultimate mystery of the universe and the wall behind which unknown malicious things are hiding.IV. Whitman and his Leaves of Grass :1. Theme: sing of the “en-mass” and the self / pursuit of love, happiness, and ***ual love / sometimes about politics (Drum taps)2. Whitman’s originality first in his use of the poetic form free verse (i.e. poetry without a fixed beat or regular rhyme scheme),by means of which he becomes conversational and casual.3.He uses the first person pronoun “I” to stress individualism, and oral language to acquire sympathy from the common reader.Chapter two : The realistic periodI. The character analysis and s ocial meaning of Huck Finn in Adventure of Huckleberry Finn by Mark TwainHuck is a typical American boy with “a sound heart and a deformed conscience”. He appears to be vulgar in language and in manner, but he is honest and decent in es sence. His remarkable raft’s journey down on the Mississippi river can be regarded as his process of education and his way to grow up. At first, he stands by slavery, for he clings to the idea that if he lets go the slave, he will be damned to go to hell. And when the “King” sells Jim for money, Huck decides to inform Jim’s master. After he thinks of the past good time when Jim and he are on the raft where Jim shows great care and deep affection for him, he decide to rescue Jim. And Huck still thinks he is wrong while he is doing the right thing.Huck is the son of nature and a symbol for freedom and earthly pragmatism. Through the eye of Huck, the innocent and reluctant rebel, we see the pre-Civil War American society fully exposed. Twain contrasts the life on the river and the life on the banks, the innocence and the experience, the nature and the culture, the wilderness and the civilization.II. Daisy Miller by Henry James1. Theme: The novel is a story about American innocence defeated by the stiff, traditional values of Europe. James condemns the American failure to adopt expressive manners intelligently and point out the false believing that a good heart is readily visible to all. The death of Daisy results from the misunderstanding between people with different cultural backgrounds.2. The character analysis of Daisy: She represents typical American girl, who is uninformed and without the mature guidance. Ignorance and parental indulgence combine to foster he assertive self-confidence and fierce willfulness. She behaves in the same daring naive way in Europe asshe does at home. When someone is against her, she becomes more contrary. She knows that she means no harm and is amazed that anyone should think she does. She does not compromise to the European manners.3. The character analysis of Winterbourne: He is a Europeanized American, who has live too long in foreign parts. He is very experience and has a problem understanding Daisy. He endeavors to put her in sort of formula, i.e. to classify her.III. Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser:1. Theme: The author invented the success of Carrie and the downfall of Hurstwood out of an inevitable and natural judgment, because the fittest can survive in a competitive, amoral society according to the social Darwinism.2. The character analysis of Carrie: S he follows the right direction to a pursuit of the American dream, and the circumstances and her desire fora better life direct to the successful goal. But she is not contented, because with wealth and fame, she still finds herself lonely. She is a product of the society, a realization of the theory of the survival of the fittest.3. The character analysis of Hurstwood: He is a negative evidence of the theory of the survival of the fittest. Because he is still conventional and can not throw away the social morals, he is not fitted to live in New York.Chapter three : The Modern PeriodI. Ezra Pound and his theory of Imagism1. The principles: a. direct treatment of the thing; b. to use absolutely no word that does not contribute to the presentation; c. to compose in the sequence of the musical; d. to use the language of common speech and the exact word; e. to create new rhythms; f. absolutely freedom in the choice of subject.2. Imagism is to present an intellectual and emotional complex in an instant of time. An imagistic poem must present the object exactly the way the thing is seen. And the reader can form the image of the object through the process of reading the abstract and concrete words.II. Frost and his poetry on nature:Frost is deeply interested in nature and in men’s relationship to nature. Nature appears as an explicator and a mediator for man and serve as the center of reference of his behavior. Peace and order can be found in Frost’s poetical natur al world. With surface simplicity of his poems, the thematic concerns are always presented in rich symbols. Therefore his work resists easy interpretation.III. F. Scott Fitzgerald and his The Great Gatsby1. Theme: Gatsby is American Everyman. His extraordinary energy and wealth make him pursue the dream. His death in the end points at the truth about the withering of the American Dream. The spiritual and moral sterility that has resulted from the withered American Dream is fully revealed in the article. However, although he is defeated, the dream has gave Gatsby a dignity and a set of qualities. His hope and belief in the promise of future makes him the embodiment of the values of the incorruptible American Dream .2. The character analysis of Gatsby: Gatsby is great, because he is dignified and ennobled by his dream and his mythic vision of life. He has the desire to repeat the past, the desire for money, and the desire for incarnation of unutterable vision on this material earth. For Gatsby, Daisy is the soul of his dreams.He believe he can regain Daisy and romantically rebels of time. Although he has the wealth that can match with the leisured class, he does not have their manners. His tragedy lies in his possession of a naive sense and chivalry.IV. Ernest Hemingway’s artistic features:1. The Hemingway code heroes and grace under pressure:T hey have seen the cold world ,and for one cause, they boldly and courageously face the reality. They has an indestructible spirit for his optimistic view of life. Whatever is the result is, the are ready to live with grace under pressure. No matter how tragic the ending is, they will never be defeated. Finally, they will be prevail because of their indestructible spirit and courage.2.The iceberg technique:Hemingway believe that a good writer does not need to reveal every detail of a character or action. The one-eighth the is presented will suggest all other meaningful dimensions of the story. Thus, Hemingway’s language is symbolic and suggestive.V. The character analysis of Emily in A Rose for Emily:Emily is a symbol of old values, standing for tradition, duty and past glory. But she is also a victim to all those she cares and embrace. The source of Emily’s strangeness is from her born pride and self-esteem,the domineering behavior of her father and the betrayal of her lover. Barricaded in her house, s he has frozen the past to protect her dreams. Her life is tragic because the defiance of the community, her refusal to accept the change and her extreme pride have pushed her to abnormality and insanity.English LiteratureChapter One The Renaissance PeriodI. Shakespeare’s sonnets1. With a few exceptions, Shakespeare writes his sonnets in the popular English form of three quatrains and a couplet. The couplet usually ties the sonnet to one of the general themes, leaving the quatrains free to develop the poetic intensity.2. The sonnet’s most common themes concern the destructive effects of time, the quickness of physical decay, and the loss of beauty, vigor, and love. Although the poems celebrate life, they are always with a keen awareness of death.3. His sonnet 18 expresses that beautiful things can rely on the force of literature to reach eternity. Literature is created by man, thus it declares man’s eternity. The poem shows the mighty self-confidence of the newly class. The vivid, variable and rich images reflect the lively and adventurous spirits of those who were opening new world.II. Shakespeare’s A Merchant of Venice1. Theme(1) Justice vs. mercy: Shakespeare suggests that all men should be merciful. There is a further aspect of justice—the injustice revealed in the Christians’ treatment of the Jews.(2) Appearance vs. reality: e.g. superficial or external beauty vs. moral or spiritual beauty or truth (in the case of three caskets); the letters of law vs. the spirit of the law.(3) Commercial or material values vs. love: True love is much more worthwhile than money and material values. Antonio epitomizes true love in his friendship for Bassanio.2. The character analysis of ShylockShylock is a Jewish usurer, and he is a tragic-comic character.He is comic because he finally becomes the one punished by his own evil deed. He is avaricious. He accumulates as much wealth as he can and he even equates his lost daughter with his lost money. He is also cruel. In order to revenge, he would rather claim a pound of flesh from his enemy Antonio than get back his loan.He is tragic, because he is the victim of the society. As a Jew, he is not treated equally by the society. The law is harsh to him. He has to make as much money as he can in order to protect him. He is abused by Antonio, so he wants to get revenge.III. The character analysis of HamletHamlet is a scholar and a warrior. His father has been killed by his uncle, Claudius, who then take the throne and marries his mother. Hamlet is informed by the ghost of his father to take revenge, but the weakness of indecisiveness or indetermination in his character always delay his action, and finally leads to his tragic fall of death. Hamlet is not a man of action, but a man of thinking at first. He hesitates at some crucial moments. At last when he is forced to take some actions, he does kill Claudius gloriously, but he also sacrifices his own life.IV. Donne and his “The Sun Rising”1. Metaphysical poet: He wrote poems by using unconventional and surprising conceits and full of wit and humor, but sometimes the logic argument and conceits become pervasive. The language is colloquial but powerful, creati ng unorthodox images on the reader’s mind.2. His “The Sun Rising”: In this poem, the love’s wedding room has been intruded by sun and the man takes offence at the intrusion. He attack the sun as an unruly servant, and finally he allow the sun to enter the ir chamber and warm them. The poem’s true subject is the lady—his true emotional love. Every insult to the sun is a compliment to the lady.V. Milton’s Paradise Lost :1.Structure: The story is taken from the Old Testament. It extends chronologically from the exaltation of Christ before the creature of universe to the second coming of Christ. Geographically, it ranges over the entire world.2. The character analysis of Satan:He has the strength, the courage and the capacity for leadership, but he devoted all those qualities to evil. His defiance of God shows his egoistic pride, his false conception of freedom, and his alienation from all good. His own evil and damnation give him potentially tragic dimensions. Therefore, Satan is enveloped in dramatic irony because he fight in ignorance of the unshakable power of God and goodness.3.Features: Parallel and contrastThe central conflict and contrast between good and evil are intensified by the contrast between heaven and hell, light and darkness, love and hate, reason and passion, etc.Chapter Two The Neo-classical PeriodI. The allegorical meaning of “The Vanity Fair” in John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s ProgressThe Vanity Fair refers to the real world where people have become so degenerated that all they are concerned is to buy and sell everything they can. It allegorically represents vanity both in the society and in people’s heart, so people are spiritually lost. However, the pilgr ims refuse to buy any of the things in the Vanity Fair. Its purpose is to urge people to abide by Christian doctrines and seek salvation through constant struggle with their own weakness and social evils. Christians’ refusal shows that they are one step nearer the Celestial City.II. Pope’s point of view on poetry criticism and th e characteristics of his own poetry1. Pope’s point of view on poetry criticism is best shown in his An Essays on Criticism. He emphasizing that literary works s hould be judged by classical rules of order, reason, logic, restrained emotion and good taste. He calls on people to turn to the old Greek and Roman writers for guidance. He advises the critics not to stress too much the artificial use of conceit or the external beauty of language, but to pay special attention to true wit which is best set in a plain style.2. Pope’s poem strictly follows his idea of neoclassicism. He developed a satiric, concise, smooth, graceful and well-balanced style, and finally brought to its last perfection of the heroic couplet.II. The social satire of Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s TravelsThe account of Lilliputian life, especially the games for people at court, alludes to the similar ridiculous practices or tricks in the English government. The description of the competition in the games before the royal members leads to the fact that the success of those government officials such as the Prime Minister lies not in their being any wiser or better but in their being more dexterous in the game. This alludes to the practices in England. And the pompous words singing of the Lilliputian emperor ridicule the aristocratic arrogance and vanity.V. Henry Fielding and his Tom JonesIt is a good example of “comic epic in prose”. Fielding describes the fight between Molly and the villagers and her fistfight with Goody Brown in the grand style of the Homeric epic. He first of all calls on the Muses to assist him in recounting the fight as if it were of great historical importance. Like Homer who would list names of gods involved in the battle, he lists the names of the villagers. He treats Molly as a great hero at battle, an “Amazonian heroine”. Besides, he uses a mock-epic tone and seems very solemn about what he is describing. He uses formal words and refined language. Finally, he makes use of different figures of speech, particularly, irony and hyperbole.V. Thomas Gray and his “Elegy Written in a County Church”In the poem, Gray presents a picture of the quiet and solitary county at dusk through the sounding of the curfew, the home-coming plowman, the tinkling of bells under the necks of the cattle, the moping owl, the narrow cell (grave), etc.. He bemoans the fate of those common laborers who are now buried in the graves, tries to imagine how they had lived as loving parents and hardworking people, and praise their homely joys. He then express his contempt for those noblemen who once lived a pompous life, and despised the poor, but have ended up in a way no better than the ordinary folk. We can see Gray’s sympathy for the poor and contempt for the rich.Chapter Three The Romantic PeriodI. Wordsworth and his “I wandered lonely as a cloud”The poem is crystal clear and lucid. Below the immediate surface, we find that all the realistic details of the flowers, the trees, the waves, the wind, and all the realistic details of the active joy, are absorbed into an over-all concrete metaphor, the recurrent image of the dance. The flowers, the stars, the waves are units in this dancing pattern of order in diversity, of linked eternal harmony and vitality. Through the revelation and recognition of his kinship with nature, the poet himself becomes as it were a part of the whole cosmic dance.II. Shelley and his “Ode to the West Wind”In the poem, Shelley eulogizes the west wind as a powerful phenomenon of nature that is both destroyer and preserver. The wind enjoys boundless freedom and has the power to spread messages far and wide. The keynote in the poem is Shelley’s ever-present wish for himself and his fellow men to share the freedom of the west wind, remembering meanwhile his own and common human miseries. And the dominant mood is that of hope rather than despair, as the poet is hoping for the realization of the freedom and joy. The optimism expressed in the last two lines show the poet’s critical attitude toward the ugly social reality and his faith in a bright future for humanity.III. John Keats and his “Ode on a Grecian Urn”In the poem Keats shows the contrast between the permanence of art and the transience of human passion. The poet has absorbed himself into the timeless beautiful scenery on the Grecian urn: the lovers, musicians and worshippers carved on the urn, and their everlasting joys. They are unaffected by time, stilled in expectation. This is the glory and the limitation of the world conjured up by and object of art. The urn celebrates but simplifies intuitions of joy by defying our pain and suffering. But at last, the urn presents his ambivalence about time and the nature of beauty.IV. The character analysis of Elizabeth in Jane Austen’s Pride and PrejudiceElizabeth is a beautiful young lady in the Bennets. She is intelligent, contrasting her empty-minded, snobbish and vulgar mother. She is a women of distinct character. She is not passive, but pursue her true love bravely. She turns down Mr. Collin’s marriage proposa l and seeking her happiness with Darcy, the one she possesses true affection for her. She is also courageous. When Darcy’s aunt lady comes to force her into a promise of never consenting to marry Darcy, she boldly challenges her authority, contempt and arrogance. On the whole, Elizabeth is a typical image of the good, attractive lady in the 19th century.Chapter Two The Neo-classical PeriodI. The allegorical meaning of “The Vanity Fair” in John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s ProgressThe Vanity Fair refers to the real world where people have become so degenerated that all they are concerned is to buy and sell everything they can. It allegorically represents vanity both in the society and in people’s heart, so people are spiritually lost. However, the pilgr ims refuse to buy any of the things in the Vanity Fair. Its purpose is to urge people to abide by Christian doctrines and seek salvation through constant struggle with their own weakness and social evils. Christians’ refusal shows that they are one step neare r the Celestial City.II. Pope’s point of view on poetry criticism and the characteristics of his own poetry1. Pope’s point of view on poetry criticism is best shown in his An Essays on Criticism. He emphasizing that literary works s hould be judged by classical rules of order, reason, logic, restrained emotion and good taste. He calls on people to turn to the old Greek and Roman writers for guidance. He advises the critics not to stress too much the artificial use of conceit or the external beauty of language, but to pay special attention to true wit which is best set in a plain style.2. Pope’s poem strictly follows his idea of neoclassicism. He developed a satiric, concise, smooth, graceful and well-balanced style, and finally brought to its last perfection of the heroic couplet.III. The social satire of Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s TravelsThe account of Lilliputian life, especially the games for people at court, alludes to the similar ridiculous practices or tricks in the English government. The description of the competition in the games before the royal members leads to the fact that the success of those government officials such as the Prime Minister lies not in their being any wiser or better but in their being more dexterous in the game. This alludes to the practices in England. And the pompous words singing of the Lilliputian emperor ridicule the aristocratic arrogance and vanity.IV. Henry Fielding and his Tom JonesIt is a good example of “comic epic in prose”. Fielding describes the fight between Molly and the villagers and her fistfight with Goody Brown in the grand style of the Homeric epic. He first of all calls on the Muses to assist him in recounting the fight as if it were of great historical importance. Like Homer who would list names of gods involved in the battle, he lists the names of the villagers. He treats Molly as a great hero at battle, an “Amazonian heroine”. Besides, he uses a mock-epic tone and seems very solemn about what he is describing. He uses formal words and refined language. Finally, he makes use of different figures of speech, particularly, irony and hyperbole.V. Thomas Gray and his “Elegy Written in a County Church”In the poem, Gray presents a picture of the quiet and solitary county at dusk through the sounding of the curfew, the home-coming plowman, the tinkling of bells under the necks of the cattle, the moping owl, the narrow cell (grave), etc.. He bemoans the fate of those common laborers who arenow buried in the graves, tries to imagine how they had lived as loving parents and hardworking people, and praise their homely joys. He then express his contempt for those noblemen who once lived a pompous life, and despised the poor, but have ended up in a way no better than the ordinary folk. We can see Gray’s sympathy for the poor and contempt for the rich.Chapter Three The Romantic PeriodI. Wordsworth and his “I wandered lonely as a cloud”The poem is crystal clear and lucid. Below the immediate surface, we find that all the realistic details of the flowers, the trees, the waves, the wind, and all the realistic details of the active joy, are absorbed into an over-all concrete metaphor, the recurrent image of the dance. The flowers, the stars, the waves are units in this dancing pattern of order in diversity, of linked eternal harmony and vitality. Through the revelation and recognition of his kinship with nature, the poet himself becomes as it were a part of the whole cosmic dance.II. Shelley and his “Ode to the West Wind”In the poem, Shelley eulogizes the west wind as a powerful phenomenon of nature that is both destroyer and preserver. The wind enjoys boundless freedom and has the power to spread messages far and wide. The keynote in the poem is Shelley’s ever-present wish for himself and his fellow men to share the freedom of the west wind, remembering meanwhile his own and common human miseries. And the dominant mood is that of hope rather than despair, as the poet is hoping for the realization of the freedom and joy. The optimism expressed in th e last two lines show the poet’s critical attitude toward the ugly social reality and his faith in a bright future for humanity.III. John Keats and his “Ode on a Grecian Urn”In the poem Keats shows the contrast between the permanence of art and the transience of human passion. The poet has absorbed himself into the timeless beautiful scenery on the Grecian urn: the lovers, musicians and worshippers carved on the urn, and their everlasting joys. They are unaffected by time, stilled in expectation. This is the glory and the limitation of the world conjured up by and object of art. The urn celebrates but simplifies intuitions of joy by defying our pain and suffering. But at last, the urn presents his ambivalence about time and the nature of beauty.IV. T he character analysis of Elizabeth in Jane Austen’s Pride and PrejudiceElizabeth is a beautiful young lady in the Bennets. She is intelligent, contrasting her empty-minded, snobbish and vulgar mother. She is a women of distinct character. She is not pass ive, but pursue her true love bravely. She turns down Mr. Collin’s marriage proposal and seeking her happiness with Darcy, the one she possesses true affection for her. She is also courageous. When Darcy’s aunt lady comes to force her into a promise of never consenting to marry Darcy, she boldly challenges her authority, contempt and arrogance. On the whole, Elizabeth is a typical image of the good, attractive lady in the 19th century.Chapter Four The Victorian PeriodI. The features of Charles Dickens1. His critical realism: While sticking to the principle of faithful representation of the 18th-century realist novel, he carried the duty to the criticism of the society and the defense of the mass.2. He is a master storyteller. With his first senten ce, he engages the reader’s attention and holds it to the end.3. What he writes is mainly the middle and lower-middle class life in London.4. He is a master of language with a large vocabulary and an adeptness with the vernacular.5. He is a great humorist as well as a great painter of pathos. He always mingles the two to make his fictional world realistic.6. His characters are not only true to life but also large than life. There are both individual characters and type characters.II. Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre1. Theme: The novel sharply criticizes the religious hypocrisy of charity institutions like Lowood School, where girls are trained to be humble slaves. It rebukes the social discrimination and false convention about love and marriage. Besides, the novel is a moral fable. It tells us that people have to go through all kinds of physical or moral tests to obtain their final happiness.2. The character analysis of Jane Eyre: Jane Eyre is an orphan child with a fiery spirit and a longing to love and be loved. She is poor and plain, but she dares to love her master, a man superior to her in many ways, as a little governess. She is brave enough to declare to the man her love for him. She cuts a completely new women image. She represents those middle-class working women who are struggling for recognition of their basic rights and equality as a human being.III. Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Height1. The novel is an extraordinary moving love story: the passion between Heathcliff and Catherine is the most intense, beautiful, and the most horrible passions ever found among human beings.2. It is also a work of critical realism. Heathcliff is abused, rejected and distorted by the society only because he is a poor orphan of obscure parents. He suffers all kinds of inhuman treatment after the death of his benefactor. He loves Catherine dearly but forced to be separated from her. So, Heathcliff’s cruel revenge upon his enemies is justified in a way.3. The author makes clear that it is wrong to discriminate on the basis of social status, and it is cruel and destructive to break genuine, natural human passions. Although Catherine and Edgar’s marriage is ideal in the eyes of the whole neighborhood, her love for Heathcliff is hard and everlasting.IV. Robe rt Brouning’s “My Last Duchess”Dramatic Monologue can best bring out the Duke’s character in a dramatic way. The Duke is extremely cruel to kill his newly-married wife just because his jealousy. He is addressing to a character who exists but remains silent in the poem. He is showing off to this silent character about his wife’s beauty and his own power to destroy it. He justifies his own deed as a trifle matter. However, as audience, we may fee l strongly the contrary. His arrogance, cruelty and hypocrisy are fully exposed. What he says and what we feel form a sharp contrast and achieve an dramatic effect.V. George Eliot’s MiddlemarchGorge Eliot pays great attention to the mutual effect between the inner world of the character and the outer world of the environment. Dorothea had wanted to escape the common meaningless life of the gentle ladies and enter some noble cause by marrying Casaubon. But her voluntary help, companionship and tenderness are ignored by her husband, she is forced into the idle life.When Dorothea got up, Mr. Casaubon was in library. Looking through the windows at the white landscape and cloudy sky, she felt a dullness and lifelessness. The furniture, the book, and everything in the house too looked lifeless and shrunk to her. The gloomy environment found ready response from her inner heart. Her great disappointment with her marriage is here joined together with the outer dreary and lifeless environment to make up a pathetic picture.Chapter Five The Modern PeriodI. The feat ures of Shaw’s plays:1. Problem plays: He took the modern social issues as his subject with the aim of directing social reforms. Most of his plays are concerned with political, economic, or religious problems.2. In his characterization, he makes the tricks of showing up one character vividly at the expense of another. His characters are the representatives of ideas, which shift and alter during the play.。
自考英美文学选读要点总结第一章
Chapter I The Renaissance PeriodDefinitions of the Literary Terms: 文艺复兴时期的界定1. The Renaissance: The Renaissance marks a transition from the medie val to the modern world. Generally, it refers to the period between the 14 th & 17th centuries. 历史文化背景It first started in Italy, with the flowering of painting, sculpture & literature. From Italy the movement went to emb race the rest of Europe. The Renaissance, which means "rebirth" or "reviva l," is actually a movement stimulated by a series of historical events, such as the re-discovery of ancient Roman & Greek culture, the new discoverie s in geography & astrology, the religious reformation & the economic expa nsion. The Renaissance, therefore, in essence is a historical period in whic h the European humanist thinkers & scholars made attempts to get rid of those old feudalist ideas in medieval Europe, to introduce new ideas that e xpressed the interests of the rising bourgeoisie, & to recover the purity of the early church from the corruption of the Roman Catholic Church.2. 文艺复兴到英国比较晚的原因The Renaissance was slow in reaching England not only because of England‟s separation from the Continent but also be cause of its domestic unrest. It was not until the reign of Henry VIII that the Renaissance really began to show its effect in England. With Henry VII I‟s encouragement the Oxford reformers, scholars and humanists introduc ed classical literature to England. 15th century, began the English Renaissa nce, which was perhaps England‟s Golden Age, especially in literature.人文主义H umanism: Humanism is the essence of the Renaissance. It sprang from the endeavor to restore a medieval reverence for the ancient author s and is frequently taken as the beginning of the Renaissance on its consci ous, intellectual side, for the Greek and Roman civilization was based on s uch a conception that man is the measure of all things. Through the new l earning, humanists not only saw the arts of splendor and enlightenment, b ut the human values represented in the works. Renaissance humanists fou nd in the classics a justification to exalt human nature and came to see th at human beings were glorious creatures capable of individual development in the direction of perfections, and that the world they inhabited was thei rs not to despise but to question, explore, and enjoy. Thus, by emphasizin g the dignity of human beings and the importance of the present life, they voiced their beliefs that man did not only have the right to enjoy the bea uty of this life, but had the ability to perfect himself and to perform wond ers. Thomas More, Christopher Marlowe and William Shakespeare are the b est representatives of the English humanists.The first period of the English Renaissance was one of imitation and assimi lation.Petrarch was regarded as the fountainhead of literature by the English writ ers. For it was Petrarch and his successors who established the language o f love and sharply distinguished the love poetry of the Renaissance from it s counterparts in the ancient world . Wyatt and Surrey began engraving th e forms and graces of Italian poetry upon the native stock. While the form er introduced the Petrarchan sonnet into England , the latter bought in bla nk verse. And Marlowe gave new vigor to the blank verse with his …mighty lines‟. In the early stage of the Renaissance, poetry and poetic drama we re the most outstanding literary forms and they were carried on especially by Shakespeare and Ben Jonson. The Elizabethan drama is the real main stream of the English Renaissance. The most famous dramatists in the Ren aissance England are Christopher Marlowe, William Shakespeare, and Ben J onson.Please state Shakespeare‟s views on the Renaissance literature. Shakespeare has accepted the Renaissance view on literature. He holds th at literature should be a combination of beauty, kindness and truth, and s hould reflect nature and reality. Based on this consideration, he has claimed trough the mouth of Hamlet that the …end‟of dramatic creation is to give faithful reflection of the social realities of the time. Shakespeare also sta tes that literary works which have truly reflected nature and reality can re ach immortality. From his sonnets, we can find quite a few examples in w hich Shakespeare sings the immortality of poetry.Ⅲ. William ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare was the greatest writer of plays who ever lived. His f riend & fellow playwright Ben Jonson said that Shakespeare was "not of a n age but for all time." The 18th-century English essayist Samuel Johnson described his work as "the mirror of life." The 19th-century English poet S amuel Taylor Coleridge spoke of "myriad-minded Shakespeare." The 20th-c entury English dramatist George Bernard Shaw stressed his "enormous po wer over language."He has 38 plays, 154 sonnets and 2 long poems.领会His Influence1) Contributions to languageMany words and commonly used phrases have been added to everyday En glish vocabulary through their appearance in Shakespeare's works.2) Effects on literatureShakespeare's plays & poetry have had a pervasive influence on world liter ature. Most of the great literary figures of the world have been inspired &stimulated by his achievement.On the whole, however, Shakespeare's contribution has been to the langua ge & spirit of later writing rather than to its form. References & parallels t o Shakespeare's phraseology have occurred in literature since the 16th cen tury.Perhaps the greatest inspiration to subsequent authors has been Shakespe are's capacity to depict life in all its complexity & to illuminate man's char acter & destiny.What did Shakespeare criticize in his plays?The conscientious playwright criticized various kinds of human vices and si ns , like greed, betrayal, pride, prejudice and deception, including acts of social inequality, sexual and racial discriminations in plays such as The Mer chant of Venice and The Tempest. In his tragedies, he condemned the hyp ocrisy, treachery and general corruption at the royal court. He does not he sitate to describe the cruelty and anti-natural character of the wars , agai nst religious persecution and the corrupting influence of money and gold. In King Lear , he criticized the bourgeois egoism while he feared anarchy, hated rebellion and despised democracy.Why is Hamlet so impressive in Shakespeare‟s Hamlet?The hero Hamlet in Shakespeare‟s plays noted for his hesitation to take hi s revenge, his melancholy nature of action only to deny possibilities to do anything. He came to know that his father was murdered by his uncle wh o became king. He hated his so deeply that he wanted to kill him. But he loved his widowed mother who later married his uncle. This made him de ep in trouble. When he planned to kill his uncle, and he was afraid to hurt his mother. And also, when everything was ready for him to kill his uncle, he forgave him for his uncle was praying to God for his crime. Thus he l ost the good chance. Hamlet represented humanism of his time.What are the main themes of Shakespeare’s plays?参考答案：Shakespeare’s plays are divided into 3 types: comedies, trage dies and historical plays.1) His historical plays are with the theme-----national unity under a might and just sovereign/ruler is necessary.2) In his romantic comedies, he takes an optimistic attitude toward love fr iendship and youth.3) In his tragedies, Shakespeare always portrays some noble heroes, who faces the injustice of life and is caught in a difficult situation and whose fa te is closely connected with the fate of his nation. Each hero has his weak ness of nature. We also see the conflict between the individual and the evi l force in the society. And his major characters are always individuals repr esenting certain types.Four periods of his dramatic career:1. The first period was one of apprenticeship. He wrote five history plays: Henry VI, Parts I, II and III, Richard III, and Titus Andronicus泰托斯*安东尼; four comedies: The Comedy of Errors, The Two Gentleman of Verona, 维罗纳二绅士The Taming of the Shrew, and Love‟s Labour‟s Lost.2. In the second period, his style and approach became highly individualiz ed. He made subtle comments on a variety of human foibles. He wrote fiv e histories: Richard II, King John, Henry IV, Part I and II, and Henry V; si x comedies: A Midsummer Night‟s Dream, The Merchant of Venice, Much A do About Nothing,无事生非As You Like It皆大欢喜, Twelfth Night, and The Merry Wives of Windsor; two tragedies: Romeo and Juliet and Julius Caesa r.3. His third period includes his greatest tragedies and his so-called dark c omedies: tragedies: Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth, Antony and Cleo patra,安东尼与克里奥佩特拉Troilus and Cressida特洛伊勒斯与克里希达, and Cori olanus科里奥拉那斯. two comedies: All‟s Well That Ends Well终成眷属and M easure for Measure.一报还一报4. The last period includes his principal romantic tragicomedies: Pericles, 伯利克利Cymbeline,辛白林The Winter‟s Tale and The Tempest; and his two final plays: Henry VIII and The Two Noble Kinsmen.两位贵族亲戚His authen tic non-dramatic poetry consists of two long narrative poems: Venus and A donis and The Rape of Lucrece, and his sequence of 154 sonnets.Try to analyze the character Hamlet?Hamlet is neither a frail and weak minded youth nor a thoughtsick dreame r. He has none of the single minded blood lust of the earlier revengers. It is not because he is incapable of action, but because the cast of his mind is so speculative, so questioning and so contemplative that action, when i t finally comes, seems almost like defeat. Trapped in a nightmare world of spying, testing and plotting , and apparently bearing the intolerable burde n of the duty to revenge his father‟s death, Hamlet is obliged to inhabit ashadow world ,to live suspended between fact and fiction, language and ac tion. His life is one of constant role playing, examining the nature of actio n only to deny its possibility, for he is too sophisticated to degrade his n ature to conventional role of a stage revenger. By characterizing Hamlet, S hakespear successfully makes a philosophical exploration of life and death. Hamlet is also a humanist, a man who is free from medieval prejudices a nd superstitions. He has an unbounded love for the world rather than hea ven. He cherishes a profound reverence for man and a firm belief in man‟s power over destiny.Discuss his art of creations.(1)His major characters are neither merely individual ones nor type ones; they are individuals representing certain types. Each character has his or her own personalities; meanwhile, they may share features with others.(2) By applying a psycho-analytical approach, Shakespeare succeeds in ex ploring the character‟s inner mind.(3) Shakespeare seldom invents his own plots; instead, he borrows them f rom some old plays or storybooks.(4) In his writings, disguise is also an important device to create dramatic irony, usually with woman disguised as man.(5) He often wrote skillfully in different poetic forms , like the sonnet, the blank verse, and the rhymed couplet.4. 领会His Major Works1) DramaA. The Merchant of VeniceTheme: to praise the friendship between Antonio & Bassanio, to idealize P ortia as a heroine of great beauty, wit & loyalty, & to expose the insatiabl e greed & brutality of the Jew.Plot: The play has a double plot (P39)B. HamletHamlet is generally regarded as Shakespeare's most popular play on the st age, for it has the qualities of a "blood-and-thunder" thriller & a philosophi cal exploration of life & death. And the timeless appeal of this mighty dra ma lies in its combination of intrigue, emotional conflict & searching philos ophic melancholy.C. The TempestThe Tempest, an elaborate & fantastic story, is known as the best of his fi nal romances. The characters are rather allegorical & the subject full of suggestion. The humanly impossible events can be seen occurring everywher e, in the play. The playwright resorts to the supernatural atmosphere & to the dreams to solve the conflict. To Shakespeare, the whole life is no mo re than a dream. Thus, The Tempest is a typical example of his pessimistic view towards human life & society in his late years.2) PoemsA. SonnetsThe first 126 sonnets are apparently addressed to a handsome young nobleman, presumably the author's patron. The poems express the writer's selfless but not entirely uncritical devotion to the young man.Twenty of the sonnets are about a young woman characterized as a " dark lady," whom the poet distrust but cannot resist. The poems addressed directly to her are perhaps the most remarkable in the sequence because their unsentimental tone is unlike that of traditional love sonnets.A philosophical theme that appears in many of the sonnets is that of ti me as the destroyer of all mortal things. Also expressed in the poems is t he author's disillusionment with the false ness of earthly life.The form of the poems is the English Variation of the traditional Italian, or Petrarchan, sonnet, Shakespeare's sonnets have three quatrains, or gr oups of four lines, & a final couplet. Their rhyme scheme is abab, cdcd, ef ef, gg. A theme is developed & elaborated in the quatrains, & a concluding thought is presented in the couplet.7. 应用Selected Readings1) Sonnet 18Theme: a profound meditation on the destructive power of time & the eternal beauty brought forth by poetry to the one he loves.Imagery: a summer's day-youththe eye of heaven-the sun2) The Merchant of VeniceTheme: To praise the friendship between Antonio & Bassanio, to idealiz e Portia as a heroine of great beauty, wit & loyalty, & to expose the insati able greed and brutality of the Jew.3) HamletThis is one part of Hamlet's most famous monologue. Hamlet, facing t he dilemma of action & mind, is hesitating whether he should revenge for his father, which may bring him death, or he should suffer & hide his hatr ed for his uncle in his deep heart, which may secure his life.Ⅵ. John MiltonAccording to the setting of the poem Paradise Lost , discuss the theme, th e author‟s intention to create it and the implication that the poem express es.(1)The theme of the poem Paradise Lost is the …Fall of Man‟, i.e. man‟s dis obedience and the loss of Paradise, with its prime cause-----Satan.(2)The author‟s intention to write this poem is to expose the ways of Sata n and to …justify th ways of God to men‟.(3)In this poem, the author implicitly expresses his fundamental concern w ith freedom and choice and his belief that the unquestionable truth of Bibli cal revelation means that an all knowing God was just in allowing Adam a nd Eve to be tempted and of their free will choose sin and its inevitable p unishment.1.一般识记Brief IntroductionJohn Milton, English poet & prose writer, born in London, England, Dec. 9, 1608, and died in London, Nov 8, 1674.Milton was one of the greatest poets in the English language & one of the towering figures in all literature. His masterpiece, Paradise Lost, is con sidered the unsurpassed English epic poem. It is a powerfully imaginative & dramatic work, based in part on the Biblical story of the temptation & fa ll of Adam & Eve in the Garden of Eden. Milton, a deeply religious man, w rote the epic " to justify the ways of God to men." He is also famous for his graceful lyric poems, such as Lycidas, L'Allegro, & for his intensely mo ving sonnets.Milton was a great master of language, & his poetry, both epic & lyric, is admired for its sublime eloquence & rich musical quality.2. 识记His literary achievementsMilton's literary achievements can be divided into three groups: the ea rly poetic works, the middle prose pamphlets & the last great poems.In his early works, Milton appears as the inheritor of all that was best in Elizabethan literature. Lycidas (1637) is a typical example, dedicated to Edward King, a fellow undergradu ate of Milton‟s at Cambridge. The poem moves from a sad apprehension of death, through regret, to passionate qu estioning, rage, sorrow & acceptance. The feelings begin in a low key but move on to the large questions of divine justice & human accountability. T he climax of the poem is the blistering attack on the clergy, i.e. the "Shep herds," who are corrupted by self-interest.All of Milton's early works reflect his interest in Greek & Latin poetry, whi ch greatly influenced his style. His poems contain a wealth of classical refe rences, figures of speech, & other poetic devices, all masterfully blended in to his rich verse.Areopagitica is probably his most memorable prose work. It is a great plea for freedom of the press.After the Restoration in 1660, Milton was imprisoned. His release was brought about mainly through the efforts of his friends, notably the poet Andrew Marwell, After that time he devoted himself to his 3 major poetical works: Paradise Lost (1667), Paradise Regained (1671), & Samson Agonis tes (1671).(1)Paradise LostIt is the greatest , indeed the only generally acknowledged epic in Eng lish literature since Beowulf, and the last one is the most perfect example of the verse drama after the Greek style in English. It is a lone epic divid ed in 12 books.“man shall find grace.”But he must lay hold of it by an act of free wil l. The freedom of the will is the keystone of Milton‟s creed.(2)Paradise Regained(3)Samson AgonistesMilton again borrows his story from the Bible. But this time he turns t o a more vital and personal theme.。
自考《英美文学选读》（英）浪漫主义时期（1）
Chapter III The Romantic Period ⼀、本章的学习⽬的和要求 通过本章的学习，了解浪漫主义⽂学的产⽣的历史，⽂化背景，认识该时期⽂学创作的基本特征，基本主张，及其对时代及后世英国⽂学⽤⾄⽂化的影响；了解该时期重要作家的⽂学⽣涯，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。
⼆、本章考核知识点及考核要求 （⼀）考核知识点 1.浪漫主义时期概述 1）浪漫主义时期英国社会的政治，经济，⽂化背景 2）浪漫主义⽂学创作的基本主张 3）英国浪漫主义⽂学的特⾊ 4）浪漫主义⽂学对同时代及后世英国⽂学的影响 2.浪漫主义时期主要作家的⽂学创作思想及其代表作品的主题结构，⼈物塑造，语⾔风格，艺术⼿法及社会意义等。
威廉.布莱克；威廉.华兹华斯；塞.特.科勒律治；乔治.⼽登.拜伦；珀.⽐.雪莱；约翰.济兹；简.奥斯汀 （⼆）考核要求 1.浪漫主义时期概述 1）识记：a.浪漫主义时期的界定 b.历史⽂化背景 2）领会：a.浪漫主义思潮的意义与影响。
b.浪漫主义⽂学创作的基本主张及对后世⽂学的影响。
、 3）应⽤：a.名词解释：浪漫主义 b.浪漫主义时期⽂学特点的分析 2.该时期的重要作家 1）识记：浪漫主义时期的重要作家，代表作品及其主要内容。
2）领会：重要作家的创作思想，艺术特⾊及其代表作品的主题结构，⼈物塑造，语⾔风格，社会意义等。
3）应⽤：a.浪漫派诗歌（所选作品）的主题，意象分析 b.⼩说《傲慢与偏见》的主题和主要⼈物的性格分析。
⼀、概述 1. ⼀般识记 English Romanticism English Romanticism, as a historical phase of literature, is generally said to have began in 1798 with the publication of Wordsworth & Coleridge''''s Lyrical Ballads & to have ended in 1832 with Sir Walter Scott''''s death & the passage of the first Reform Bill in the Parliament. 2. 识记 Historical & Cultural background During this period, England had experienced profound economic & social change. The biggest social change in English history was the transfer of large masses of the population from the countryside to the towns. As a result of the Enclosures & the agricultural mechanization, the peasants were driven of their land； some emigrated to the colonies； some sank to thelevel of farm laborers & many others drifted to the industrial towns where there was a growing demand for labor. But the new industrial towns were no better than jungles, where the law was "the survival of the fittest." The cruel economic exploitation caused large-scale workers'''' disturbances in England. 3. 领会 （1） Influences of the Romantic Movement Romanticism constitutes a change of direction from attention to the outer world of social civilization to the inner world of the human spirit. In essence it designates a literary & philosophical theory which tends to see the individual as the very center of all life & all experience. It also places the individual at the center of art, making literature most valuable as an expression of this or her unique feelings & particular attitudes & valuing its accuracy in portraying the individual''''s experiences. （2） The Romantic views about literature a. The Romantic period is an age of poetry. Blake, Wordsworth, Coleridge, Byron, Shelley & Keats are the major Romantic poets. They started a rebellion against the neoclassical literature, which was later regarded as the poetic revolution. b. The Romantic period is also a great age of prose. The two major novelists of the Romantic period are Jane Austen & Walter Scott.c. Besides poetry & prose, there are quite a number of writers who have fried their hand at poetic dramas in this period. 4.应⽤ （1） Literary Terms a. The Romantic Movement It expressed a more or less negative attitude towards the existing social & political conditions that came with industrialization & the growing importance of the bourgeoisie. The Romantics felt that the existing society denied people their essential human needs, so they demonstrated a strong reaction against the dominant modes of thinking of the 18th-century writers & philosophers. Where their predecessors saw man as a social animal, the Romantics saw him essentially as an individual in the solitary state & emphasized the special qualities of each individual''''s mind. Romanticism actually constitutes a change of direction from attention to the outer. b. The Gothic novel It is a type of romantic fiction that predominated in the late 18th century & was one phase of the Romantic movement, its principal elements are violence, horror & the supernatural, which strongly appeal to the reader''''s emotion. With its descriptions of the dark, irrational side of human nature, the Gothic form has exerted a great influence over the writer of the Romantic period. Works like The Mysteries of Udolpho （1794） by Ann Radcliffe & Frankenstein （1818） by Mary Shelley are typical Gothic romance. （2） Characteristics of Romantic literature in English history. The Romantic period is an age of poetry Blake, Wordsworth, Coleridge, Byron, Shelley & Keats are the major Romantic poets. They started a rebellion against the neoclassical literature, which was later regarded as the poetic revolution. Wordsworth & Coleridge were the major representatives of this movement. They explored new theories & innovated new techniques in poetry writing. They saw poetry as a healing energy： they believed that poetry could purify both individual souls & the society. The Romantics not only extol the faculty of imagination, but also stress the concept of spontaneity & inspiration, regarding them as something crucial for true poetry. The natural world comes to the forefront of the poetic imagination. Nature is not only the major source of poetic imagery, but also provides the dominant subject matter. Wordsworth is the closest to nature. To escape from a world that had became excessively rational, as well as excessively materialistic & ugly, the Romantics would turn to other times & places, where the qualities they valued could be convincingly depicted. Romantics also tend to be nationalistic, defending the great poets & dramatists of their own national heritage against the advocates of classical rules who tended to glorify Rome & rational Italian & French neoclassical art as superior to the native traditions. To the Romantics, poetry should be free from all rules. They would turn to the humble people & their everyday life for subjects, Romantic writers are always seeking for the Absolute, the Ideal through the transcendence of the actual. They have also made bold experiments in poetic language, versification & design, & constructed a variety of forms on original principles of structure & style.。
(完整word版)新大纲自考《英美文学选读》笔记总结背完必过
《英美文学选读》笔记背完必过Part One: English LiteratureAn Introduction to Old and Medieval English LiteratureI Understanding and application: (理解应用)1. England’s inhabitants are Celts. And it is conquered by Romans, Anglo Saxons and Normans. The Anglo-Saxons brought the Germanic language and culture to England, while Normans brought the Mediterranean civilization, including Greek culture, Rome law and the Christian religion. It is the cultural influence of these two conquests that provided the source for the rise and growth of English literature.2. The old English literature extends from about 450 to 1066, the year of the Norman conquest of England.3. The old English poetry that has survived can be divided into two groups: The religious group and the secular one4. Beowulf: a typical example of Old English poetry is regarded as the national epic of the Anglo-Saxons. It is an example of the mingling of nature myths and heroic legends.5. After the Norman’s conquest, three languages co-existed in England. French is the official language that is used by king and the Norman lords. Latin is the principal tongue of church affairs and in universities. Old English was spoken only by the common English people.6. In the second half of 14th century, English literature started to flourish with the appearance of writers like Geoffrey Chaucer, William Langland, John Gower, and others II Recite: (识记再现)1. Romance:①It uses narrative verse or prose to sing knightly adventures or other heroic deeds is a popular literary form in the medieval period.②It has developed the characteristic medieval motifs of the quest, the test, the meeting with the evil giant and the encounter with the beautiful beloved.③The hero is usually the knight, who sets out on a journey to accomplish some missions. There are often mysteries and fantasies in romance.④Romantic love is an important part of the plot in romance.Characterization is standardized, While the structure is loose and episodic, the language is simple and straightforward.⑤The importance of the romance itself can be seen as a means of showing medieval aristocratic men and women in relation to their idealized view of the world.2. Heroic couplet:Heroic couplet is a rhymed couplet of iambic pentameter. It is Chaucer who used it for the first time in English in his work The Legend of Good Woman.3. The theme of Beowulf:The poem presents a vivid picture of how the primitive people wage heroic struggles against the hostile forces of the natural world under a wise and mighty leader. The poem is an example of the mingling of the nature myths and heroic legends.4. The Wife of Bath in The Canterbury Tales:The Wife of Bath is depicted as the new bourgeois wife asserting her independence. Chaucer develops his characterization to a higher artistic level by presenting characters with both typical qualities and individual dispositions.5. Chaucer’s achievement:①He presented a comprehensive realistic picture of his age and created a whole gallery of vivid characters in his works, especially in The Canterbury Tales.②He anticipated a new ear, the Renaissance, to come under the influence of the Italian writers.③He developed his characterization to a higher level by presenting characters with both typical qualities and individual dispositions.④He greatly contributed to the maturing of English poetry. Today, Chaucer’s reputation has been securely established as one of the best English poets for his wisdom, humor and humanity.6. “The F ather of English poetry”:Originally, Old English poems are mainly alliterative verses with few variations.①Chaucer introduced from France the rhymed stanzas of various types to English poetry to replace it.②In The Romaunt of the Rose (玫瑰传奇), he first introduced to the English the octosyllabic couplet (八音节对偶句).③In The Legend of Good Women, he used for the first time in English heroic couplet.④And in his masterpiece, The Canterbury Tales, he employed heroic couplet with true ease and charm for the first time in the history of English literature.⑤His art made him one of the greatest poets in English; John Dryden called him “the father of English poetry”.【例题】The work that presented, for the first time in English literature, a comprehensive realistic picture of the medieval English society and created awhole gallery of vivid characters from all walks of life is most likely ______________.(0704)A. William Langland’s Piers PlowmanB. Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury TalesC. John Gower’s Confession AmantisD. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight【答案】B【解析】(P4.para.2)本题考查的是中世纪时期几位诗人作品的创作主题和创作范围。
自考英语本科《英美文学选读》英国浪漫主义一天全掌握
英国浪漫主义与古典主义的区别（重点）：(1)The Romantic Movement expressed negative attitude toward the existing social and political condition, the Romantics saw the corruption and injustice of the inhumanity of capitalism;(2)The Neo saw man as a social; while Rom saw him as an individual in the solitary state;(3)Neo stressed the common features of men; but the Rom stressed the special qualities of each individual’s mind;(4)Neo celebrated rationality, equality and science of the outside world; while Rom changed to the inner world of the human spirit, whose theory saw the individual as the center of all experience;(5)The literature of Neo was heavily didactic and moralizing. There were fixed laws for each type of literature; Rom expressed his feeling, valued accuracy in portraying, they thought literature should be free from all rules.(6)The most important form in Neo was prose; while Rom was an age of poetry. (书上160-161)thoughts and event influenced the period of Romanticism影响浪漫主义时期的思想和事件(1) Rousseau (a French philosopher) explored new ideas about nature, society and education, which provided guiding priding principles for the French Revolution and Romanticism;法国哲学家卢梭探索出自然、社会与教育的新思想。
自考英语：英美文学选读要点总结精心整理下载版[3]
自考英语：英美文学选读要点总结精心整理下载版[3] 英国】Chapter3 The Romantic Period (1798-1832)浪漫主义1.This urgency was provoked by two important revolutions: the French Revolution of 1789-1794 and the English Industrial Revolution which happened more slowly, but with Astonishing consequences.英国面临着新的发展动力:是1789-1794年的法国资产阶级大革命,是同时期英国内部的工业革命.2.In 1832, the Reform Bill was enacted, which brought the Industrial capitalists into power.1832年“改革法案”在议会通过并实施。
3.The Romantic Movement, whether in England, Germany or France, expressed a more or less negative forward the existing social.浪漫主义运动,无论是在英国,德国还是法国,都表现相互对工业革命时期现存的社会经济制度及城市资产阶级的上升的否定态度。
4. The Romantics demonstrated a strong reaction against the dominant modes of thinking of the 18th-century writers and philosophers. Where their predecessors saw man as a social animal, the Romantics saw him essentially as an individual in the solitary state.文学家摒弃了18 世纪盛行的文学及哲学基调---理性,古典主义文学家认为人是社会性的动物,浪漫主义文学家认为人应该是独立自由的个体.5. Thus, we can say that Romanticism actually constitutes a changeof direction from attention to the outer world of social civilization to the inner world of the human spirit.因此,们还可以说浪漫主义其实是将人们的注意力从外部世界—社会文明转移到内部世界---人类自己的精神实质。
自考 英美文学选读 知识点-Nicolas整理
emotionally engaging. The Traditional theme of the play is to praise the
5. 最后一个阶段：包括他主要的浪漫悲喜剧《波里克利斯》《新柏林》《冬天的故事》《暴风
friendship between Antonio and Bassanio, to idealize Portia as a herioine of great beauty, wit and loyalty, and to expose the insatiable greed and
7. The Merchant of Venice is the most important play among the comedies, in which Shakespeare has created tension, armbiguity, a self-conscious
and self-delighting artifice that is at once intellectually exciting and
两部悲剧：《罗密欧与朱丽叶》《裘利斯。凯撒》
Henry VIII and The Two Noble Kinsmen 6. Henry IV Parts I and II are undoutedly the most widely read among his
history plays. It reveals a troubled reign in the 15th century. Shakespeare
2. 《论出版自由》可能是他最令人难忘的散文作品，它是一个为出版自己有所作的伟大的抗
Paradise Lost, Paradise Regained Samson Agonistes. Among the three, the first is the greatest, indeed the only one generally acknowledged epic