Chapters 5-6 英国文学简史ppt(English Literature)

with a sensitive imagination ➢ Stayed in prison for over 12 years ➢ Fired with an irresistible earnestness to teach
people to be good and virtuous ➢ Known as “Bishop Bunyan” among the people.
➢ The tension between parliament and the monarch kept skyrocketing.
➢ Oliver Cromwell, commonwealth; William of Orange, “the Glorious Revolution”
➢ The period was one of transition, chaos, and great perplexity.
➢ There are also writers taking a close look at the social problems.
➢ The novel appeared.
The Classic Age
An Introduction
Features of Neoclassicism ➢ Frequent allusions and references to Greek and Roman
➢ It was a literature of reason, common sense, and repudiation of enthusiasm and sentiment.
➢ Reason was not strong enough to totally stamp out the sparks of emotion.
effort to prune the Elizabethan language of its formless exuberance and turn it into a cool, lucid, plain and natural medium for English writing; the other is his contribution to English literary criticism, seen as “the father of English criticism.”
right. ➢ The country became increasingly affluent. A
mercantile system came into being to meet the needs of trade and production. ➢ The standards of living rose ➢ All made for a superficial kind of optimism. ➢ On the political scene, a fragile kind of balance between monarch and parliament existed.
➢ Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners
➢ The Life and death of Mr. Badman
Key Points in Chapter 6
The Classic Age: An Introduction
• Time Range
• International Situation
English Literature Chapters 5—6
Key Points in Chapter 5
The 17th Century: A Brief Introduction
John Donne
• Introduction • Works
John Milton
• Introduction • Works
the poet’s attitude toward God, the Devil, and man.
➢ Paradise Regained ➢ Samson Agonistes ➢ Lycidas
John Dryden (1631-1700)
Introduction ➢ Regarded as the most learned person in his time ➢ Remembered for two things: one is his successful
the sea, and had plundered and brought in a tremendous amount of wealth from its colonies.
The Classic Age An Introduction
Economic and Political Situation ➢ Inside the British Isles, things appeared basically all
mythology and to ancient writers and historians; ➢ Predilection for abstractions and excessive use of
personifications; ➢ Respect for and promotion of order and reason with
The Classic Age
An Introduction
Literary Situation
➢ In the field of literature there existed also a balance between respect for the old and the emergence of the new forms, and between reason and emotion.
The Classic Age An Introduction
Cultural and Religious Situation ➢ Incidentally, the 18th century valued balance,
middle things, the middle class, moderation, reason, common sense, traditional forms and deism. ➢ Formal religion died down. ➢ Deism came into being. ➢ Religion was considered private and personal, and it was a bad taste to bring it out in public and let it interfere with public affairs. ➢ John Locke and Adam Smith
John Dryden
• Introduction • Works
John Bunyan
• Introduction • Works
The 17th Century: A Brief
Introduction
➢ King James I began to impose his will upon religious matters.
John Dryden (1631-1700)
Works ➢ Essay of Dramatic Poesy ➢ Fables Ancient and Modern ➢ Absalom and Achitophel
John Bunyan (1628-1688)
Introduction ➢ Born into a poor tinker’s family ➢ Little education, honest, sincere, and endowed
John Bunyan (1628-1688)
Works
➢ The Pilgrim’s Progress
✓ It is an allegory ✓ It abounds in acute social criticism
Bunyan in prison
✓ It is noted for its prose style. It is a nice amalgam of the basic features of the language of the Bible and popular speech. Simple, lucid and forceful
• Economic and Political situation
• Cultural and Religious situation
• Literary Situation
• Features of Neoclassicism
Alexander Pope
• Introduction • Critical Works • Poetic Works
➢ The prevalent mood that enveloped literary works was one of gloom, pessimism, decadence, and frivolity.
John Milton (1608-1674)
Introduction ➢ He is regarded as the third greatest English
the forces coming together.
The Classic Age
An Introduction
International Situation ➢ The British Empire had become one on which the sun never
set. ➢ It ruled over about ¼ of the world’s population, dominated