广外笔记WORD版--英国Neoclassical

Chapter 2 The Neoclassical Period(1660—1798)Neoclassicism: a revival in literature in the late 17th and 18th centuries, characterized by a regard for the classical ideals of reason, form, and restraint.The Age of Enlightenment or the Age of Reason:It was an intellectual and philosophical movement of the 18th century that emphasized the use of reason to scrutinize previously accepted doctrines and traditions and that brought about many humanitarian reforms.The enlighteners celebrated reason or rationality, equality and science. They held that rationality or reason should be the only, the final cause of any human thought and activities.The enlighteners advocated universal education.Literature in the neoclassical period1. The Enlightenment Movement brought a revival of interest in the old classical works. This tendency is known as neoclassicism. According to the neoclassicists, all forms of literature were to be modeled after the classical works of the ancient Greek and Roman writers. They believed that the artistic ideals should be order, logic, restrained emotion and accuracy.2. Neoclassicists had fixed laws for literature. Prose should be precise, direct, smooth and flexible. Poetry should be lyrical, epical, didactic, satiric or dramatic. Drama should be written in the Heroic Couplets (iambic pentameter rhymed in two lines); the three unities of time, space and action should be strictly observed; regularity in construction should be adhered to, and type characters rather than individuals should be represented3. In the last few decades of the 18th century, however, the neoclassical emphasis upon reason, intellect, wit and form was rebelled against or challenged by the sentimentalists, and was, in due time, gradually replaced by Romanticism. But the poetic techniques and certain classical graces such as order, good form, unified structure, clarity and conciseness of language developed in this period have become a permanent heritage.3 phases of literature1st phase:The mid-century was predominated by a newly rising literary form --–the modern English novel, which, contrary to the traditional romance of aristocrats, gives a realistic presentation of life of the common English people. This ---- the most significant phenomenon in the history of the development of English literature in the 18th century ---- is a natural product of the Industrial Revolution and a symbol of the growing importance and strength of the English middle class. Among the pioneers were Daniel Defoe, Samuel Richardson, Henry Fielding, etc.2nd phaseFrom the middle part to the end of the century there was also an apparent shift of interest from the classic literary tradition to originality and imagination, from society to individual, and from the didactic to the confessional, inspirational and prophetic. Gothic novels (of or relating to a style of fiction that emphasizes the grotesque, mysterious, and desolate.) –mostly stories of mystery and horror which take place in some haunted Middle Age castles –were produced by both male and female writers.3rd phaseIn drama, Richard Brinsley Sheridan was the leading figure. Jonathan Swift was the leading figure of the witty and satiric prose, his A Modest Proposal being regarded as the best model of satire in the whole English literary history.John Bunyan (1628-1688)A. Politically, Bunyan had a deep hatred for the corrupted, hypocritical rich who accumulated their wealth “by hook and by crook”. He condemned oppression, falsehood, indulgence in pleasure seeking and many other vices of the money-corrupted upper class, but eulogized the truth-seeking Christian, who was a symbol of the virtuous common people in his masterpiece The Pilgrim’s Progress. It is necessary, however, to point out that though his literary works, particularly his The Pilgrim’s Progress, have enjoyed great popularity, they were the product of his religious fervency rather than an outcome of artistic pursuit.B. Religiously, Bunyan was a devout Christian, and a firm non-conformist of the Anglican Church. He held that adherence to the Biblical doctrines was the best way of life and that, instead of following the interpretation of the Bible by the priests in church, everyone was entitled to understand the Bible in his own way.Special features:1. Like most working men at the time, Bunyan had a deep hatred for the corrupted, hypocritical rich who accumulated their wealth “by hook and by crook”. As a stout Puritan, he had made a conscientious study of the Bible and firmly believed in salvation through spiritual struggle.2. His style was modeled after that of the English Bible. With his concrete and living language and carefully observed and vividly presented details, he make it possible for the reader of the least education to share the pleasure of reading his novel.3. Bunyan’s books include: Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners (1666), The Life and Death of Mr. Badman (1680), The Holy War (1682) and The Pilgrim’s Progress, Part II (1684).Major works: implication of his religious belief in The Pilgrim’s ProgressThe Pilgrim’s Progress (1675) is the most successful religious allegory in the English language. Its purpose is to urge people to abide by Christian doctrines and seek salvation through constant struggles with their won weaknesses and all kinds of social evils. Its predominant metaphor –life as a journey –is simple and familiar. The objects are homely and the scenes are typical English ones but through the allegory a spiritual significance is added to the commonplace details. A rich imagination and a natural talent for storytelling also contribute to the success of the book.Comment:“Here is the British Row, the French Row, the Italian Row, the Spanish Row, the German Row, where several sorts of vanities are to be sold. But, as in other fairs, some one commodity is as the chief of all the fair, so the ware of Rome and her merchandise is greatly promoted in this fair: only our English nation, with some others, have taken a dislike thereat.”1.The sentences are taken from The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan. They are typical of his allegorical writing. Here the merchandise of Britain and many other nations stand for the vices and vanities peculiar to each of the nations mentioned. The ware of Rome and her merchandise stand for the doctrines and religious practices of the Roman Catholic Church.2. In the second sentence, Bunyan is hinting at the dominant position Roman Catholic Church held in the world and the quarrels and disagreements between it and other sects of religion3. The last part of the sentence refers to the English breaking away from the Roman Catholic Church, or the establishment of the Anglican Church. But the word “dislike”reminds us that the Anglican Church is not much better than the Roman Catholic Church.1.Neoclassicismdefinition/ revival , rebirth of old Roman and Greek classics.TimeThe enlightenment1. Definition/ a progressive intellectual movement. A furtherance of Renaissance2. Purpose/ to enlighten the world with modern ideas3. Reason, rationality.The principles of literature of neoclassicismOrder, logic , restrained emotion, accuracy.The pilgram s progress1. StoryIt is an allegorical tale of Christian’s journey from the City of Destruction to the Celestial City.2. Why the book is a religious allegory1. The purpose2. Metaphor3. The objects and the scenes are typical English ones.His features1. Style / based on the Bible2. language./ concrete and living .. Details3. Rich Imagination and storytelling abilityThe story is an allegorical tale of Christian’s journey from the City of Destruction to the Celestial City Questions for discussion1. What are Bunyan’s style and features of language?2. What is the allegorical meaning of the “Vanity Fair”/3. Can you see any implication of Bunyan’s religious belief in the Pilgrim’s Progress?A. his religious ideasB. religious allegoryC. the storyAlexander Pope (1688-1744)His life:Pope had wide associations with literary men of his time. In 1714, Pope and his friends formed a club which was to cooperate in a scheme to satirize all sorts of false learning and pedantry in literature, philosophy, science and other branches of knowledge.His literary career and writing techniques1. As a representative of the Enlightenment, Pope was one of the first to introduce rationalism to England. He upheld the existing social system as an ideal one(Rationalism: the theory that the exercise of reason provides the only valid basis for action or belief and that reason is the prime source of knowledge and of spiritual truth. )2. Pope always worked painstakingly on his poems and developed a satiric, concise, smooth, graceful and well-balanced style. He was the one who finally brought the heroic couplet to its last perfection.3. His works are marked by careful diction, a remarkable variety of patterns, precision of meaning, harmony of language and structure, firm control of the form and flexibility of styles. But at the same time, they tend to be too formal and too polished that they seem to the modern readers to lack vitality and imagination.Comment on An Essay on CriticismThe excerpt is taken from An Essay on Criticism by Alexander Pope, discusses the idea of “true wit”. According to him, true wit is a kind of talent that can use the right words to express the thoughts that often come to our minds in a natural and effective way. The selection also reflects Pope’s deft use of the heroic couplet. The couplets are concise in meaning and balanced in structure. In each couplet the first line starts a statement and the second one completes the idea.questions1. What are Pope’s writing techniques?2. What is the theme of An Essay on Criticism ?3. Comment on“True wit is Nature to advantage dressed,What oft was thought, but ne’er so well expressed;Something whose truth convinced at sight we find,That gives us back the image of our mind.”Revision of john BuyanHis work: The pilgrim s progress1.religious allegory2.why1. The purpose is to urge people to abide by the Christian doctrines2. Metaphor life as a journey3. The objects and the scenes typical English ones.Features1. Style based on the Bible2. Concrete and living language, details3. Rich imagination and strong storytelling ability.“True wit is Nature to advantage(aptly; appropriately 恰如其分) dressed,What oft was thought, but ne’er so well expressed(they can’t express what they’re thinking about)Something whose truth convinced at sight we find,That gives us back the image of our mind”1. Identity the author and the title of the poem2. What idea does the author want to express in these lines.True wit or true taste can only be expressed in plain style instead of pompous language.His worksA.The Rape of the LockB.The DunciadC.An essay on Criticisma didactic and satiric poem, 744 lines1. ContentA. points out problems, lack of true tasteB. offers his own ideasC. traces the history of literary criticism2. Theme: a comprehensive study of the theories of literary criticism3. His FeaturesA. didactic , satiricalB. heroic coupletC. plain styleDaniel Defoe (1660-1731)I. His life：He was born in London in a butcher’s family. Like Pope, he never went to university, but he received a good education in one of the best Dissenting academies. His father had wished him to be a clergyman, but he found himself interested in business. He had a zest for politics. He wrote quite a number of pamphlets of the current issues.Points of view: 1The story of his novels is traced from their unfortunate childhood, through their many vicissitudes in life, to their final prosperity or repentance and death. The all-powerful influence of material circumstances or social environment upon the thoughts and actions of the hero or the heroine is highlighted. The struggle of the poor unfortunate for mere existence, mixed with their desire for great wealth, comes into conflict with the social environment which prevents them from obtaining the goal under normal circumstances and thus forces them into criminal actions or bold adventures.Points of view: 2As a member of the middle class, Defoe spoke for and to the members of his class and his novels enjoyed great popularity among the less cultivated readers. In most of his works, he gave his praise to the hard-working, sturdymiddle class and showed his sympathy for the downtrodden, unfortunate poor.Special features: 1Defoe was an anti-feudal, anti-romantic realistic writer. His writing reveals his real concern for his time: man’s struggle against his natural and social environment, for survival. The Puritan virtues of self-reliance, diligence, patience, fortitude and thrift play a decisive role in his famous Robinson Crusoe.Special features: 2Most of his works are in picaresque (of or relating to a genre of prose fiction that originated in Spain and depicts in realistic detail the adventures of a roguish hero, often with satiric or humorous effects.) tradition, tracing the wandering life of the hero or heroine.Special features: 3His fictional works have a strong verisimilitude (the quality of appearing to be true or real.) To convince the reader of the truth of his stories, he made full use of his long trained journalistic skill. He often adopted the autobiographical form and took great pains to describe things in great detail and use specific time and place. Special features: 4Defoe was a very good storyteller. He had a gift for organizing minute details in such a vivid way that his stories could be both credible and fascinating. His sentences are sometimes short, crisp and plain, and sometimes long and rambling which give his style an urgent, immediate, breathless quality. This leaves on the reader an impression of casual narration. His language is smooth, easy, colloquial and mostly vernacular. There is nothing artificial in his language: it is common English at its best.Robinson Crusoe (1720)In Robinson Crusoe(1720), Defoe traces the growth of Robinson from a native and artless youth into a shrewd and hardened man, tempered by numerous trials in his eventful life. The realistic account of the successful struggle of Robinson single-handedly against the hostile nature forms the best part of the novel. Robinson is here a real hero: a typical eighteenth-century English middle-class man, patience and persistence in overcoming obstacles, in struggling against the hostile natural environment. He is the very prototype of the empire builder, the pioneer colonist. In describing Robinson’s life on the island, Defoe glorifies human labor and the Puritan fortitude, which save Robinson from despair and are a source of pride and happiness. He toils for the sake of subsistence, and the fruits of his labor are his won.Comment?“The first day I made among these creatures, I killed a she-goat which had a little kid by her which she gave suck to, which grieved me heartily; but when the old one fell, the kid stood stock still by her till I came and took her up, and not only so, but when I carry’d the old one with me upon my shoulders, the kid followed me quite to my enclosure, upon which I laid down the dam, and took the kid in my arms, and carry’d it over my pale, in hopes to have it bred up tame, but it would not eat, so I was forced to kill it and eat it myself; these two supply’d me with flesh a great while, for I ear sparingly, and saved my provisions (my bread especially) as much as possibly I could.”CommentThis is a very important sentence with great details that reveals the character of Robinson Crusoe. Crusoe feels grieved when he finds that he has killed a she-goat, thus leaving the kid motherless. And then he eats the little goat only when he finds that it is impossible to be raised. This shows that although he kills, he is not a cold-blooded killer. He is practical but merciful; he cares about his own interest with regard to the principle of humanity and a respect for life. His sparing consumption of the meat reflects the bourgeois value of economy. These help to portray Crusoe as a typical representative of the enlightened men of the rising bourgeoisie who are economical-minded, pioneering and humanistic. Though the sentence is long, the meaning is very clear, making easy understanding. Questions1. What are the literal features of Daniel Defoe ?2. What is the story and what is the theme of Robinson Crusoe ?3. Comment on the long sentence beginning with “The first shot I made among these creatures, I killed a she-goatwhich had a little kid by her which she gave suck to, which grieved me heartily; …”on Page 104.His works An essay on Criticism1. ContentA. points out problems, lack of true tasteB. offers his own ideasC. traces the history of literary criticism2. Theme: a comprehensive study of the theories of literary criticismHis Featuresa. didactic , satiricalb. heroic coupletsc. plain style .church1. Established churchesa. the church of Englandb. the church of Scotland2. Nonestablished churchesa. Anglican churchesb. free churchesc. Roman Catholic Church3. Non Christian churchesa. Jewsb. Moslemsc. Buddhism1. His works:Robinson Crusoe,a. story:b. theme:1) the growth of a young man to his maturity2) struggle single-handedly against the hostile nature2. His featuresa. structure: story-telling ability, detailsb.characterization: empire builder, pioneer colonistc. language: vernaculard. style: casual narration, sentences sometimes are short, crisp, plain; sometimes long and ramblingJonathan Swift (1667-1745)His life:Jonathan Swift, a posthumous child, was born in Dublin, Ireland, of an English family, which had important connections but little wealth. He read widely and found his talent as a prose satirist. There he also received a first-rate education in politics through contact with well-known politicians, learning much about vice, hypocrisy, intrigues, deception and corruption in the political world.Humanistic point viewHe had a deep hatred for all the rich oppressors and a deep sympathy for all the poor and oppressed. His understanding of human nature is profound. In his opinion, human nature is seriously and permanently flawed. To better human life, enlightenment is needed, but to redress it is very hard. So, in his writings, although he intends not to condemn but to reform and improve human nature and human institutions, there is often an under- or over- tone of helplessness and indignation.Satiric prose：1. He is a great satirist. He is making the most devastating protest against the inhuman exploitation and oppression of the Irish people by the English ruling class. The apparent eagerness, sincerity and detachment of the author add force to the bitter irony and biting sarcasm.2. Swift is one of the greatest masters of English prose. He is almost unsurpassed in the writing of simple, direct, precise prose. He defined a good style as “proper words in proper places”. Clear, simple, concrete diction, uncomplicated sentence structure, economy, and conciseness of language mark all his writings –essays, poems and novels.Swift’s chief works:A Tale of Tub,The Battle of the Books,The Drapier’s Letters,Gulliver’s Travels (1726)A Modest Proposal (1729)Gulliver’s Travels:a. Jonathan’s best fictional work, was published in 1726, (under the title of Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World, by Samuel Gulliver. The book is composed of four parts, each dealing with one particular voyage during which Gulliver meets with extraordinary adventures on some remote island after his shipwreck or some other misfortune.b. As a whole, the book is one of the most effective and devastating criticisms and satires of all aspects in the then English and European life –socially, politically, philosophically, scientifically, and morally. Its social significance is great and its exploration into human nature profound.c. Gulliver’s Travels is also an artistic masterpiece. The author is a master of prose. In structure, the four parts make an organic whole, with each contrived upon an independent structure, and yet complementing the others and contributing to the central concern of study of human nature and life. The first two parts are generally considered the best paired-up work. Here man is observed from both ends of a telescope. The exaggerated smallness in Part 1 works just as effectively as the exaggerated largeness in Part 2.A Modest Proposal (1729)is one of Swift’s most important pamphlets on Irish problems. Here Swift ironically suggests that the poverty of Irish people should be relieved by selling their children of one year old to the rich English as food. He even lists many political, economic and social ‘advantages’for doing so. With apparently logical and sincere tone, he is really saying: ‘The English are devouring the Irish.’The bitter irony of the pamphlet expresses Swift’s great sympathy for the oppressed, ignorant, and hungry peasants of Ireland, and his anger at the English lords, who were bleeding the country to death. It is an example of the fierceness of his humanitarianism.QuestionsWhat is Swift’s contribution to the English literature?Answer:1. Prose satirist Satiric prose/gravity, eagerness, detachment add force to his bitter irony and biting satire2. Swift’s chief worksGulliver’s Travels a. story b. theme3. Writing techniquesprecise, direct, smooth, flexibleproper words in proper places.DefoeHe is a merchant,He began to write his first novel at the age of sixty years old.1. Story telling ability ,and details2. Casual narration some sentences are short crisp plain, some sentences are long and rambling. \3. Language. VernacularComprehensive schoolsGrammar schoolsIndependent schools public schools1. Oxford. Cambridge. 12th century,2. Universities, 19., 20th centuriesOpen university,Pope, club , martin the Scribler,, biting satire,Defore. The Review,A hero . Of Belwulf epic,Seriousness,Renders makes,Precise, direct, smooth, flexible.Non fiction\,Fiction rich imaginationDexterous skillfulNimble agile, acute, esp in movementConceive thinkBy degrees, step by step , gradually,Apprehensive of . Afraid ofDivert, to make people happy, entertainAsk for the permission from the reader .Tell the story in detail.Petition , askColossus, man mountain,Asunder apart,What’s Swift’s contribution to the English literature?1. Prose satiristgravity, and earnestness add force to his writings.2. His worksA Tale of a Tub, The Battle of the Books, satire in religion and learning, established his name as a satirist.The Drapier’s Letters,A Modest Proposal. Economical exploitation of the English ruling class on the Irish peopleGulliver’s Travelsa. story: adventure story where the hero experiences the four countries.b. the theme: A devastating satire on all aspects of the 18th century England3. His writing techniquesprecise, direct, smooth, flexible“proper words in proper places”Henry Fielding (1707-1754)His life:Born of an old aristocratic family, Henry Fielding was at the prestigious Eton where he cultivated a taste for classics. He edited four journals and later he became a magistrate.Points of view：1. Fielding fiercely attacked social injustice, inequality, hypocrisy, vice, and corruptness in the government and defended the rights and dignity of the poor and unfortunate.2. Fielding firmly believed in the educational function of literature. The object of his novel was to present a faithful picture of life, with sound teaching woven into their texture, so as to teach men to know themselves, to behave themselves and to cultivate themselves.Other worksThe novel was followed by The history of Tom Jones, a Foundling (1749) and The History of Amelia (1751). The former is a masterpiece on the subject of human nature and the latter the story of the unfortunate life of an idealized woman, a maudlin picture of the social life at the time.Tom Jones brings him the name of the “Prose Homer”. The panoramic view it provides of the 18th-century English country and city life with scores of different places and a whole gallery of about 40 characters is superb. The language is one of clarity and suppleness. And last of all, the plot construction is excellent.His language and contribution to British literature:Fielding employed the grand style and high-flown language of the classic epic in the depiction of the common, silly and sometimes ridiculous people, thus dramatizing the real life and adding much to the amusement of the novel.Comment 1(1) “Ye Muses, they, whoever ye are, who love to sing battles, and principally thou who whilom didst recount the slaughter in those fields where Hudibras and Trulla fought, if thou wert not starved with thy friend Butler, assist me on this occasion. All things are not in the power of all.”Commen t: (Here Fielding imitates Homer usually called on the Muses (Goddesses of poetry) to give inspiration to the poet so that he could have imaginative power to describe the details of fighting and to sing the glory of those winners in the battlefield. He presents the trivial event of a village fight as if it were a grand heroic war, making the event much funnier and the satire much keener.)Comment 2(2) “But now Fortune, fearing she had acted out of character, and had inclined too long to the same side, hastily turned about:...”Comment: The Goddess of fortune fears that she has done too much for one side and now hastens to change over to help the other side. In Iliad, the gods and goddesses also take sides, supporting the side that they choose to favor. But usually they interfere just to restore the balance of the battle, so that neither side should win an overwhelming victory. The human war, for the gods, was only an event of sporting. Therefore, they try to maintain a kind of “fairness”in the battle. Here Fielding is again assuming the epic style to narrate the trivial strife between the villagers so that the whole event is rendered more insignificant and comic.(3) Comment on“comic epic in prose”:Tom Jones is the book that brings its author the name of the “Prose Homer”. He depicts the great battles of the Trojan War (Greek Mythology. The ten-year war waged against Troy by the Greeks, caused by the abduction of Helen by Paris and resulting in the burning and destruction of Troy.) in the grand style of the Homeric epic. Tom Jones consists of 18 books of epic form which are divided into tree section, 6 books each, clearly marked out by the change of scenes.a. For the selected reading, the author narrates the fight between Molly, the beautiful daughter of the gamekeeper, and approximate 100 villagers including the fight between Molly and Goody Brown, the general of the villagers. He narrates the fight in the same way as Homer writes about the great fights among the gods and goddesses.b. Fielding uses figures of speech, particularly, irony and hyperbole. For example, he describes the falling of the tailor as “took presently measure of his length on the ground”.c. In a word, by describing the trivial village fight and making it funny and ridiculous in a solemn tone, the refined language and figures of speech, Fielding achieves his goal of writing a “comic epic in prose”.Questions1. What is Henry Fielding’s language characteristics and contribution to British literature?2. comment on “Ye Muses, they, whoever ye are, who love to sing battles, and principally thou who whilom didst recount the slaughter in those fields where Hudibras and Trulla fought, if thou wert not starved with thy friend。