上古及中世纪英国文学简介
英国文学知识简介
英国文学知识简介(English Literature)一、中古时期英语文学（Old and Medieval English Literature）1．考核知识点和考核要求：1) 英国中古时期主要的文学作品（《贝奥武甫》，《高文爵士与绿色骑士》）2) 主要的作家、作家概况及其代表作品2．英国中古时期的主要作家杰弗里?乔叟Geoffrey Chaucer（首创“双韵体”，英国文学史上首先用伦敦方言写作。
约翰?德莱顿（John Dryden）称其为“英国诗歌之父”。
代表作《坎特伯雷故事集》。
）二、英国文艺复兴时期文学（The Renaissance Period）1．考核知识点和考核要求：1) 主要作家的创作思想、艺术特色、代表作品及其语言风格2) 名词解释：十四行诗，文艺复兴，无韵诗2. 英国文艺复兴时期主要作家：埃德蒙?斯宾塞Edmund Spenser （后人称之为“诗人的诗人”。
）托马斯?莫尔Thomas More (欧洲早期空想社会主义的创始人，以其名著《乌托邦》而著名)克里斯托夫?马洛C hristopher Marlowe （代表作《浮士德博士的悲剧》根据德国民间故事书写成;完善了无韵体诗。
）威廉?莎士比亚William Shakespeare （英国著名剧作家、诗人，著有“四大悲剧”）弗朗西斯?培根Francis Bacon （哲学家、散文家；在论述探究知识的著作中提出了知识就是力量这一著名论断；近代唯物主义哲学的奠基人和近代实验科学的先驱。
）约翰?邓恩John Donne （“玄学派”诗人）约翰?弥尔顿John Milton（诗人、政论家;失明后写《失乐园》、《复乐园》、《力士参孙》）三、英国新古典主义时期文学（The Neoclassical Period）1．考核知识点和考核要求：1) 主要作家及其主要作品、作品的艺术特色及其文学流派。
2) 启蒙运动产生的背景。
2．英国新古典主义时期文学主要作家：约翰?德莱顿John Dryden（批评家和戏剧家；在英国被封为第一位“桂冠诗人”；最先提出“玄学诗人”一词；他创造的"英语偶句诗体",成为英国诗歌的主要形式之一。
英国文学史各个时期中的文学流派
英国文学史各个时期中的文学流派古英语和中古英语时期古英语时期是指英国国家和英语语言的形成时期.最早的文学形式是诗歌, 以口头形式流传,主要的诗人是吟游诗人.到基督教传入英国之后,一些诗歌才被记录下来.这一时期最重要的文学作品是英国的民族史诗《贝奥武夫》,用头韵体写成.古英语时期(1066?1500)从1066年诺曼人征服英国,到1500年前后伦敦方言发展成为公认的现代英语.文学作品主要的形式有骑士传奇,民谣和诗歌.在几组骑士传奇中,有关英国题材的是亚瑟王和他的圆桌骑士的冒险故事,其中《高文爵士和绿衣骑士》代表了骑士传奇的最高成就.中世纪文学中涌现了大量的优秀民谣,最具代表性的是收录在一起的唱咏绿林英雄罗宾汉的民谣.3,最重要的诗人是被称为"英国诗歌之父"的乔叟,代表作是《坎特伯雷故事集》,取得了很高的艺术成就.他首创了诗歌的双韵体?每两行压韵的五步抑扬格,后被许多英国诗人采用.乔叟用伦敦方言写作,奠定了用英语语言进行文学创作的基础,促进了英语语言文学的发展.文艺复兴时期的英国文学得到了空前的发展,在诗歌,散文和戏剧方面尤其兴盛.诗歌方面,新的诗体形式如十四行诗,无韵体诗被介绍到英国.重要的诗人有Philip Sidney,他不仅写了许多优美的十四行诗,还创作了最早的诗歌理论作品之一《诗辩》.Edmund Spenser用斯宾塞诗节创作了著名长诗《仙后》.莎士比亚除了戏剧创作之外也是一位伟大诗人,著有两部叙事诗,两部长诗和154首十四行诗.英文的《圣经钦定本》作成于1611年,不仅具有重大的宗教意义,也是一部伟大的文学作品,并且对英国的语言文化产生了深远的影响.它的纯朴,平易,明晰的散文风格奠定了英国散文的传统.一个著名的哲学家兼散文家是Francis Bacon,他的文学著作主要有《随笔》,收录了他在各个时期发表的58篇随笔,思想深刻,文笔简洁,富有警句格言.戏剧代表文艺复兴时期英国文学的最高成就.主要戏剧家有马洛(Christopher Marlowe), 莎士比亚(W. Shakespeare).17世纪的英国文学17世纪是英国社会剧烈动荡的时期之一,由于君主专制和资产阶级之间的矛盾,爆发了1642年的内战并导致了1688年的"光荣革命".与政治斗争和资产阶级革命思想紧密相连的是宗教斗争和清教徒思想.因此这一时期的文学和艺术多展示革命思想的发展与成长,并带有浓厚的清教主义倾向.两个代表作家是弥尔顿和班扬.弥尔顿的代表作〈失乐园〉和班扬的代表作〈天路历程〉都取材于〈圣经〉.〈天路历程〉是一部寓言作品,用"基督徒"到达天国的历程象征人类追求美好未来的进程.18世纪的英国文学18世纪产生了一种进步思潮?启蒙运动,这一时期的思想家和作家们崇尚理性,认为启蒙教化是改造社会的基本手段,因此18世纪又被称为"理性的时代".在文学领域体现为18世纪上半期的新古典主义,代表作家有诗人蒲伯(A. Pope)和期刊随笔的创始人斯梯尔(R.Steele)和艾迪生(J.Addison).18中期兴起了英国现代小说,出现了大批有影响的小说家.理查逊(Samuel Richardson)的小说〈帕美拉〉(Pamela)采用书信体形式对人物的心理活动进行细致的描写,大大丰富了小说的创作方法.哥尔德史密斯(Oliver Goldsmith)的〈威克菲牧师传〉(The Vicar of Wakefield)是英国文学史上著名的感伤小说之一.劳伦斯斯特恩(Laurence Sterne)打破传统的叙事方法,创作了〈项迪传〉,而被认为是英国现代派文学的先驱.迪福(Daniel Defoe)是英国文学史上第一个现实主义小说家,代表作是〈鲁滨逊漂流记〉.讲述故事情节并分析鲁滨逊这一人物形象.斯威夫特是英国文学史上著名的讽刺小说家,以犀利的文笔对教会和社会的虚伪腐败进行了辛辣的讽刺.代表作是〈格列佛游记〉菲尔丁是英国最杰出的小说家之一,在理论与实践上都为英国小说的发展作出了贡献.在他的代表作〈汤姆?琼斯〉中,他塑造了众多栩栩如生的人物,展示了错综复杂的社会矛盾.讲述故事情节,分析主题和主要人物形象19世纪的英国文学19世纪英国文学主要包括上半期的浪漫主义时期和中后期的批判现实主义小说.布来克和罗伯特?彭斯属于前浪漫主义诗人.布来克的代表作品有〈天真之歌〉和〈经验之歌〉.彭斯是著名的苏格兰民族诗人,写了很多脍炙人口的歌颂友谊,爱情,自由,平等的诗歌,其中〈一朵红红的玫瑰〉广为流传.浪漫主义全盛时期以华滋华斯与柯律维治联合发表〈抒情歌谣集〉为开始,到瓦尔特斯各特的逝世为止,主要文学成就为诗歌,涌现了华滋华斯为代表的"湖畔派"诗人和拜伦,雪莱,济慈等富有革命理想,颂扬自由与解放的诗人.19世纪中后期的批判现实主义作家真实地描写了英国资产阶级的社会生活,暴露和批判了资产阶级社会的罪恶,对人民群众寄予了深刻的同情.狄更斯是英国最杰出的批判现实主义小说家,善于描写社会底层人们的生活和思想,作品题材广泛,思想深刻;萨克雷则善于描写上层社会形形色色的人物.批判现实主义女性小说家及她们的代表作品:Charlotte Bronte, Emily Bronte, Mrs. Gaskell, George Eliot.分析简?爱这一人物形象并分析小说的主题思想.托马斯?哈代是19世纪末20世纪初英国最伟大的现实主义小说家,他称自己的作品是"性格与环境的小说".代表作品是〈德伯家的苔丝〉.20世纪的现代派作家人们对西方文明的危机感和第二次世界大战的恶果促成了西方现代派文学的形成.主要表现为意识流小说,代表作家有詹姆斯乔伊斯和弗洁尼亚沃尔夫.乔伊斯的小说〈尤利西斯〉描写的是现代都市居民庸俗,猥琐的精神生活.弗洁尼亚的〈到灯塔去〉则运用了娴熟的象征手法和意识流技巧.英国文学发展史及每个阶段的特点毋庸置疑，英国小说是世界艺术之林中的一大景观。
英国文学简史分类
英国文学简史分类一、古英国文学古英国文学是指公元5世纪至公元11世纪之间的英国文学作品。
这一时期的文学作品主要以英国盎格鲁人和撒克逊人的口头传承方式流传下来。
最早的古英国文学作品是口头传承的史诗，如《贝奥武夫》和《西德里克史诗》。
这些作品描绘了英雄壮举和神话传说，展现了古英国人的价值观和文化背景。
二、中世纪文学中世纪文学是指公元11世纪至15世纪之间的英国文学作品。
这一时期的文学作品受到基督教和法国文学的影响，主题涉及爱情、骑士精神和宗教信仰等。
最著名的中世纪文学作品是《亚瑟王传奇》，它描绘了亚瑟王和圆桌骑士的故事，体现了骑士精神和中世纪的价值观。
此外，还有一些宗教戏剧，如《诗篇》和《谢弗尔诗篇》等，用于教育和传播基督教信仰。
三、文艺复兴文学文艺复兴文学是指16世纪至17世纪初期的英国文学作品。
这一时期的文学作品受到古希腊罗马文化的影响，主题多样化，包括诗歌、戏剧、散文等。
著名的文艺复兴文学作品包括莎士比亚的戏剧作品，如《哈姆雷特》和《罗密欧与朱丽叶》，以及约翰·米尔顿的史诗《失乐园》等。
这些作品在文学史上具有重要地位，对后世的文学创作产生了深远影响。
四、启蒙时代文学启蒙时代文学是指18世纪的英国文学作品。
这一时期的文学作品反映了对理性、科学和人权的追求。
著名的启蒙时代作家包括约翰·洛克、伊莱扎·海伍德和亚当·斯密等。
他们的作品涉及政治、哲学和经济等领域，对当时社会产生了重要影响。
其中，洛克的《人类理解论》被认为是启蒙运动的经典之作。
五、浪漫主义文学浪漫主义文学是指19世纪初期的英国文学作品。
这一时期的文学作品强调个人情感、自然景观和想象力。
著名的浪漫主义作家包括威廉·华兹华斯、塞缪尔·泰勒·柯勒律治和乔治·戈登·拜伦等。
他们的作品描绘了自然的壮丽和人类的内心世界，对后世文学产生了深远影响。
其中，华兹华斯的《抒情诗集》被誉为浪漫主义诗歌的代表作品。
英国文学简史
英国文学简史古英语时期(Old English Period)时间：450-1600背景：盎格鲁撒克逊人（Anglo-Saxon）入侵英国作品种类：史诗(epic)代表作家：不详代表作品：贝奥武夫（Beowulf）中世纪英语时期(Middle English Period)时间：1066-1500背景：诺曼人(Normans)征服英国作品种类：传奇(Romans)代表作家:不详代表作品：高文爵士和绿骑士（Sir Gawain and the Green Knight）文艺复兴时期(The Renaissance)时间：1500-1660背景：新航路开辟，伊丽莎白一世登基，自然科学技术的发展。
作品种类：戏剧（drama），诗歌（poetry）代表作家：莎士比亚（William Shakespeare）代表作品：哈姆雷特（Hamlet）17世纪时期(The 17th Century)时间：1603-1688背景：资产阶级革命与复辟时期作品种类：散文（essay），史诗（epic），寓言故事（allegory），诗歌（poetry）代表作家：弥尔顿（John Milton）代表作品：失乐园(paradise lost)新古典主义时期(The Neoclassical Period)时间：1660-1785背景：启蒙运动作品种类：散文（essay），小说（novel），诗歌（poetry）代表作家：亚历山大.蒲泊(Alexander Pope)代表作品：An Essay on Man浪漫主义时期(The Romantic Period)时间：1798-1832背景：法国大革命，工业革命作品种类：诗歌（poetry）代表作家：雪莱(Percy Bysshe Shelley)代表作品：西风颂（Ode to the West Wind）维多利亚时期(The Victorian Period)时间：1832-1900背景：维多利亚女王统治时期，资本主义经济发展，自然科学的发展作品种类：小说（novel）代表作家：狄更斯（Charles Dickens）代表作品：远大前程（Great Expectations）现代主义时期(The Modern Period)时间：1914-1965背景：第二次世界大战，人们对西方文明的危机感作品种类：诗歌（poetry），小说（poetry）代表作家：艾略特（T.S Eliot）代表作品：荒原（The Waste Land）The Middle English PeriodGeoffrey ChaucerSpecial featuresThe first most significant poet in English literary history to write in Middle English.Help perfect English language as as a literary medium.A first rate story-teller. Reading him can be an immensely enlightening and educational experience.Points of viewEnormous sense of humor.Loyalty to reality. A master of realism.Infinite sense of humanity.Major WorksCanterbury TalesA collection of 20-odd stories.Similar with Boccacio’s Decameron.Including 20 complete stories and 4 fragments---already an amazing number.People come from virtually all walks of life. A picture of 14-century English life.Place women on an equal footing with men.(“The Wife of Bath’s Tale” What is that women desire most?)Prominence: The holy orders and the middle classThomas MoreSpecial featuresThe wisest and noblest person that lived then.Privy councilor to the king.Beheaded by the king because of he did not go along with the king’s divorce.Points of viewMore was first and foremost a humanist at heart.Major WorksUtopiaLook forward to the future of man.Offer an ideal which has inspired generations of serious social thinkers. An imaginary country where democracy replaces tyranny, commonwealth replaces private property.Its strict adherence to conformity, simplicity and monotony is totally incompatible with human nature, and curbs individual rights and freedom.Its slavery system goes against individual dignity and self-worth.The utopian society is clearly male-dominated.RenaissanceSpenserSpecial featuresOne of the most important English poets.Milton calls him his “poetic father”Points of viewDetermined to revive Chaucer’s poetic legacy and reinvent English poetry.Conformed to morality and Christian dogmas.Major WorksThe Faerie QueenA grand epic poem“The only long poem that a lover of poetry can sincerely wish longer”Picturesque, rhyme, theme, plot.William ShakespeareSpecial featuresMost popular and most widely respected writer in all English literature. Careful rumination over human condition andsupreme understanding of human nature.His poets drew great attention for their grace in form, depth in thought, and vivacity in tone.His dramatic works:Early period:histories and comediesMiddle period:tragicLate period:Romances&serenityPoints of viewHis universe is a veritable microcosm of the human world, where all types of people exist.He has the common life of the common run of mankind in mind in his literary creations.His cosmos is highly moral with a sense of certitude and justice.He sees reflection of life as legitimate job of a playwright.Major WorksBlack comedyIndividual worthA faithful record of the mood and tenor of the timesFrancis BaconSpecial featuresHis inductive method of reasoning and learning; he valued experience and observation.His prose is fresh, vigorous, powerful, and aphoristic so that he was able to dominate English prose for decades.Bacon’s essays was the first of its kind to appear in English literature. Major WorksHuman nature, political concerns and socio-economic ideas.John MiltonSpecial featuresThe third greatest English poet after Chaucer and Shakespeare.The greatest to come out of the 17th century.His experience with the telescope helped him visualize haven, earth and hell.Major WorksParadise Lost made its author the greatest modern epic poet in English literary history.About biblical story of creation.Samson Agonistes was patterned on Greek tragedies.The character of Samson offers an obvious outlet of self-expression for the poet who resembled the biblical hero in more than one way. Lycidas has certainly proved to be a frame of reference for the writing of the genre of pastoral elegies.John BunyanSpecial features“No one can please God more than I do.”He was known as “Bishop Bunyan”.His prose has a striking modern ring. It has paved the way for the rise of the modern English novel.He became a great force in the history of English prose without ever desiring it.Major WorksThe Pilgrim’s Progress is an allegory.A medieval miracle play with vivid and lively personifications of virtues and vices and all the human qualities in between.The Classic AgeThomas GraySpecial featuresA poet of transition form the neoclassic to the Romantic period.A forerunner of the Romantic movement both in subjects and simple language.Gray is famous for his letter writing.Oliver GoldsmithSpecial featuresGoldsmith is prone to a kind of idealizing and sentimentality that is always easy for modern people to comprehend.Points of viewGoldsmith’s poem was written in the fashionable heroic couplet of the time.The author’s sentiments of grief and nostalgia are genuine and convincing.Major WorksShe stoops to conquerAs a satire on the artificial and pretentious behavior of the day, the play exalts the quality of t ruth and honest feeling.The salutary influence the play exercised on the 18th century is considerable.Goldsmith’s dialogues are vivacious and immensely humorous, and the whole performance impressed the audience with its vitality and joyful mood.The Vicar of WakefieldHis wit, humor, his craft of planning ballads and tales within tales, and his philosophical depth, which all make for the fascination it holds for its readers, modern as well as ancient.William BlakeSpecial featuresAn important landmark in between two literary periods, pointing directly to that of Romanticism.His poets: his social events and his mysticism.He is noted or his originality both in theme and form.Points of view“Without contrast and contraries, there is no progression.”Blake was basically a visionary. His fight was a “mental” fight, one that he hoped would restore England to spiritual and social health.Major WorksBy far his most powerful and the most permanent are Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience.Jonathan SwiftSpecial featuresThe literary king of his day. He wrote a lot of powerful satirical essays and books.His lucid and terse prose has contributed not a little toward the development of the best English prose tradition.Points of viewHis satires on human institutions and social ills were all meant tohelp improve the lot of man.Major WorksGulliver’s TravelsGulliver is a man observant to all the 18th century values, while Swift was, on the other hand, a man intensely critical of his time.The author is different from the narrator, and the author would like people to think twice about what Gulliver disapprove of. Gulliver is part of the author’s satire.Daniel DefoeSpecial featuresA firm supporter of the Glorious Revolution.Points of viewHis views on the novel focus on its realism and aesthetic.“Any story failing to deal with the human experience is pure fiction and a lie.”His protagonists are common people with real common names and speak as “I”, telling their own stories in the first-person narrative.As a moralist, he wrote with the conviction that his works wouldbe educational and help people behave.Major WorksRobinson CrusoeA middle class book, offering justifications for the class’forthcoming rise to pre-dominance in national life.A typical show of Puritan individualism.(self-reliance andhard-working)The creation of the world and and self-identity.An ordinary humankind’s self-made success.。
英国文学 各个时期介绍
and writing an exact man.
? 读书使人充实，讨论使人机智，笔记使人 准确。
? Histories make men wise; poets witty; the mathematics subtle; natural philosophy deep; moral grave; logic and rhetoric able to contend. Abeunt studia in mores.
? 读史使人明智，读诗使人灵秀，数学使人 周密，科学使人深刻，伦理学使人庄重， 逻辑修辞之学使人善辩：凡有所学，皆成 性格。
威廉?莎士比亚
? William Shakespeare ? 1564～1616 ? 英国戏剧之父 ? 两首长诗，154首十四行诗和38部（或39
部）戏剧
莎士比亚 历史剧
? 概括了英国历史上百余年间的动乱，塑造 了一系列正、反面君主形象，反映了莎士 比亚反对封建割据，拥护中央集权，谴责 暴君暴政，要求开明君主进行自上而下改 革，建立和谐社会关系的人文主义政治与 道德理想。
莎士比亚 喜剧
? 大多以爱情、友谊、婚姻为主题，主人公 多为具有人文主义智慧与美德的青年男女 ，通过他们争取自由、幸福的斗争，歌颂 进步、美好的新人新风，同时也温和地揭 露和嘲讽旧事物的衰腐和丑恶。这一时期 的戏剧创作的基本情调是乐观、明朗的， 充满着以人文主义理想解决社会矛盾的信 心
Excalibur
杰弗利·乔叟Geoffrey Chaucer
? 约1343～1400 ? “英国诗歌之父” ? 乔叟的诗歌创作分为三个时期 ? ①法国影响时期 ? ②意大利影响时期 ? ③成熟时期 ? 《坎特伯雷故事》The Canterbury Tales ? 英国文学史上现实主义的第一部典范。
英国文学史简介
英国文学史简介英国文学源远流长，经历了长期、复杂的发展演变过程。
在这个过程中，文学本体以外的各种现实的、历史的、政治的、文化的力量对文学发生着影响，文学内部遵循自身规律，历经盎格鲁-撒克逊、文艺复兴、新古典主义、浪漫主义、现实主义、现代主义等不同历史阶段。
下面对英国文学的发展过程作一概述。
一、中世纪文学（约5世纪-1485）英国最初的文学同其他国家最初的文学一样，不是书面的，而是口头的。
故事与传说口头流传，并在讲述中不断得到加工、扩展，最后才有写本。
公元5世纪中叶，盎格鲁、撒克逊、朱特三个日耳曼部落开始从丹麦以及现在的荷兰一带地区迁入不列颠。
盎格鲁-撒克逊时代给我们留下的古英语文学作品中，最重要的一部是《贝奥武甫》（Beowulf），它被认为是英国的民族史诗。
《贝奥武甫》讲述主人公贝尔武甫斩妖除魔、与火龙搏斗的故事，具有神话传奇色彩。
这部作品取材于日耳曼民间传说，随盎格鲁-撒克逊人入侵传入今天的英国，现在我们所看到的诗是8世纪初由英格兰诗人写定的，当时，不列颠正处于从中世纪异教社会向以基督教文化为主导的新型社会过渡的时期。
因此，《贝奥武甫》也反映了7、8世纪不列颠的生活风貌，呈现出新旧生活方式的混合，兼有氏族时期的英雄主义和封建时期的理想，体现了非基督教日耳曼文化和基督教文化两种不同的传统。
公元1066年，居住在法国北部的诺曼底人在威廉公爵率领下越过英吉利海峡，征服英格兰。
诺曼底人占领英格兰后，封建等级制度得以加强和完备，法国文化占据主导地位，法语成为宫廷和上层贵族社会的语言。
这一时期风行一时的文学形式是浪漫传奇，流传最广的是关于亚瑟王和圆桌骑士的故事。
《高文爵士和绿衣骑士》（Sir Gawain and the Green Knight，1375-1400）以亚瑟王和他的骑士为题材，歌颂勇敢、忠贞、美德，是中古英语传奇最精美的作品之一。
传奇文学专门描写高贵的骑士所经历的冒险生活和浪漫爱情，是英国封建社会发展到成熟阶段一种社会理想的体现。
英国文学简史
英国文学简史笔记一.早中世纪文学：Early and Medieval English Literature (约5 世纪-1485)The an cestor: Celts凯尔特人).Life style: Primitive life(原始生活).Language: Celtic (凯尔特语)(Britons大不列颠语).最早的英国史：1. Roman Co nquest. (55BC--410AD)---Julius Caesar.2. An glo-Saxon Con quest. (450--1066)---A nglos, Saxo ns. Jutes 朱特人).3. Norman Conquest. (1066--1350).中期英国史：1.Romanee罗曼史)：love, chivalry(骑士精神),religion;2.3 major themes: (1).Matter of Fran ee;(2) .Matter of Greece and Rome;(3) .Matter of Brita in. nguage: 3 Ian guage.文学作品：I.Geoffrey Chaucer杰弗里。
乔叟):Chaucer's works:(1) . The Canterbury Tales(坎特伯雷故事集);(2) . The Wife of Bath (巴斯夫人)；(3) . Roma nee of the Rose 玫瑰传奇);⑷.The House of the Fame 声誉殿堂);(5) .The Parliament of Fowls (百鸟会议);(6) .Troilus and Cressie特洛伊斯和克莱西德).Chaucer's contribution to the English language:(1) . The " father of En glish poetry";(2) . He introdueer from France and Italy the rhymed (押韵的)stanzas of various types, especially the rhymed couplet of 5 acce nts in iambic meter ( heroic couplet抑扬格、五音步诗),instead of the Old English alliterative(头韵的)verse;(3) . For the first time in English literature, he presented to us a comprehensive realistic picture( 现实主义)of the English society of life in his masterpiece" The Canterbury Tales(坎特伯雷故事集)";(4) . He was the first En glish poet who wrote in En glish, thus establishi ng En glish as the literature Ian guage;(5) , He did much in making the London dialect(方言)the foun dati on for moder n En glish Ian guage.Chaucer's social significance:(1) . Influeneed by the early Italian Renaissanee, Chaucer affirmed man's right to pursue earthly happ in ess and opposed asceticism, praised man's en ergy, in tellect, and love of life;(2) . Mean while, he also exposed and satirized the social evils, esp.,the religious abuses.2. The Song of Beowulf 贝奥武甫，a here)3. The English Ballads (大众民谣):a story told in song.; in various Englishand Scottish dialects.---- Robin Hood （罗宾汉）,who is strong, brave, clever, ten der-hearted and affect ion ate深情的）.二、文艺复兴时期文学：The English Renaissanee （15世纪后期-17世纪初）文艺复兴时期形成的思想体系被称为人文主义.几个过渡时期：1. The Hun dred Year's War: 1337--1453;2. The wars of the Rose（玫瑰战争/蔷薇战争）:源于两个皇族所选的家微。
英国 上古及中世纪英国文学简介
PART ONE: ENGLISHG LITERTUREAn Introduction to Old and Medieval EnglishLiteratureSince historical times, England, where the early inhabitants were Celts, has been conquered three times. It was conquered by the Romans, the Anglo-Saxons, and the Normans. England was not much affected by the Roman Conquest, but she felt the full weight of the other two conquests. The Anglo-Saxons brought to England the Germanic language and culture, while the Normans brought a fresh wave of Mediterranean civilization, which includes Greek culture, Roman law, and the Christian religion. It is the cultural influences of these two conquests that provided the source for the rise and growth of English literature.The period of Old English literature extends from about 450 to 1066, the year of the Norman conquest of England. The Germanic tribes from the Northern Europe brought with them not only the Anglo-Saxons language, the basis of Modern English, but also a specific poetic tradition, which is both bold and strong, mournful and elegiac in spirit. Generally speaking, the Old English poetry that has survived can be divided into two groups: the religious group and the secular one. The poetry of the religious group is mainly on biblical themes.Genesis A, Genesis B and Exodus are poems based on the Old Testament; whereas The Dream of the Rood comes from the New Testament. In this poem, Christ is portrayed as the young warrior striding to embrace death and victory, while the rood (cross) itself takes on the burden of his suffering. In addition to these religious compositions, Old English poets produced the national epic poem, Beowulf, and a number of more or less lyrical poems of shorter length, which do not contain specific Christian doctrines but evoke the Anglo-Saxons sense of the harshness of circumstance and the sadness of the human lot. The wanderer, Deor, The Seafarer, and The wife's Complaint are among the most beautiful in this secular group. The harsh climate of North Sea strongly affected the tone or mood of the poets. The life is sorrowful, and the speakers are fatalistic, though at the same time courageous and determined.Beowulf, a typical example of the Old English poetry, is regarded today as the national epic of the Anglo-Saxons. However, the hero and setting of Beowulf have nothing to do with England, for the story took place in Scandinavia. The poem was originally in an oral form, sung by the bards (minstrels) at the end of the 6th century. The present script was written down in the 10th century. Beginning and ending with the funeral of a great king, and composed against a background of impending disaster, Beowulf describes the exploits of the Scandinavian hero, Beowulf, in fighting against the monster Grendel, hisrevengeful mother, and a fire-breathing dragon. In these sequences Beowulf is shown not only as a glorious hero but also as a protector of the people. Thematically 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 nature myths and heroic legends. For instance, the battle between Beowulf and the Dragon symbolically represents that phase of Winter and Summer myth in which the Summer God, here embodied by Beowulf, fights his last battle against the Winter Dragon in order to rescue the treasures of earth, that is, the golden corn and ruddy fruits. Having given them back to men, Beowulf himself dies of the Winter's breath.The Norman Conquest brought England more than a change of rulers. Politically, a feudalist system was established in England; religiously, the Roman-backed Catholic Church had a much stronger control over the country; and great changes also took place in languages. After the conquest, three languages co-existed in England. French became the official language used by the king and the Norman lords; Latin became the principal tongue of church affairs and in universities; and Old English was spoken only by the common English people. Thus, Britain was opened up to the whole European continent.With the Norman Conquest starts the medieval period in English literature which covers about four centuries. In the early part of the period, i.e. from 1066 up to the mid-14th century, there was not much to say about literature in English. It was almost a barren period in literary creation. But in the second half of the 14th century, English literature started to flourish with the appearance of writers like Geoffrey Chaucer, William Langland, John Gower, and others. In comparison with Old English literature, Middle English literature deals with wider range of subjects, tones and genres. Popular folk literature also occupies an important place in this period. Its presentation of life is not only accurate but also lively and colorful, though the originality of thought is often absent in the literary works of this period. Besides, Middle English literature strongly reflects the principles of the medieval Christian doctrine, which were primarily concerned with the issue of personal salvation.Romance which uses narrative verse or prose to sing knightly adventures or other heroic deeds is a popular literary form in the medieval period. It has developed the characteristic medieval motifs of the quest, the test, the meeting with the evil giant and the encounter with the beautiful beloved. The hero is usually the knight, who sets out on a journey to accomplish some missions - to protect the church, to attack infidelity, to rescue a maiden, to meet a challenge, or to obey a knightly command. There is often a liberal use of the improbable, sometimes even supernatural, things in romance such as mysteries and fantasies. Romantic love is an important part of the plot in romance. Characterization is standardized, so that heroes, heroines and wicked stewards can be easily moved from one romance to another. While the structure is loose and episodic, thelanguage is simple and straightforward. The 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. If the epic reflects a heroic age, the romance reflects a chivalric one.Among the three great Middle English poets, the author of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is the one who produced the best romance of the period; while William Langland is a more realistic writer who dealt with the religious and social issues of his day in Piers Plowman. However, it is Chaucer alone who, for the first time in English literature, presented to us a comprehensive realistic picture of the English society of his time and created a whole gallery of vivid characters from all walks of life in his masterpiece The Canterbury Tales. Geoffrey Chaucer is the greatest writer of this period. Although he was born a commoner, he did not live as a commoner; and although he was accepted by the aristocracy, he must always have been conscious of the fact that he did not really belong to that society of which birth alone could make one a true member. Chaucer characteristically regarded life in terms of aristocratic ideals, but he never lost the ability of regarding life as a purely practical matter. The art of being at once involved in and detached from a given situation is peculiarly Chaucer's.The influence of Renaissance was already felt in the field of English literature when Chaucer was learning from the great Italian writers like Petrarch and Boccaccio in the last part of the 14th century. Chaucer affirmed man's right to pursue earthly happiness and opposed asceticism; he praised man's energy, intellect, quick wit and love of life; he expose and satirized the social vices, including religious abuse. It thus can be said that though essentially still a medieval writer, Chaucer bore marks of humanism and anticipated a new ear to come.From his birth do death, Chaucer dealt continually with all sorts of people, the highest and lowest, and his observant mind made the most of this ever-present opportunity. His wide range of reading gave him plots and ideas, but his experience gave him models of characters. In his works, Chaucer explores the themes of the individual's relation to the society in which he lives; he portrays clashes of characters' temperaments and their conflicts over material interests; he also shows the comic and ironic effects obtainable from the class distinctions felt by the newly emerged bourgeoisie as in the case of the Wife of Bath who is depicted as the new bourgeois wife asserting her independence. In short, Chaucer develops his characterization to a higher artistic level by presenting characters with both typical qualities and individual dispositions.Chaucer introduced from France the rhymed stanzas of various types to English poetry to replace the Old English alliterative verse. In The Romaunt of the Rose, he first introduced into English the octosyllabic couplet. In The Legend of Good Women, he used for the first time in English the rhymed couplet of iambic pentameter which is to be called later the heroic couplet. And in The CanterburyTales, Chaucer employed the heroic couplet with true ease and charm for the first time in the history of English literature. In addition to his contribution to English prosody, Chaucer also developed the art of the literature itself beyond anything to be found in any other medieval literature. In Troilus and Criseyde, he gave the world what is virtually the first modern novel. In The Canterbury Tales, he developed his art of poetry still further towards drama and the art of the novel. Though Chaucer was entirely rooted in the soil of the Middle Ages, his art is so fully realized as to carry him beyond his time and make him one of the greatest poets in English. John Dryden, who modernized several of the Canterbury tales, called Chaucer the father of English poetry.Chaucer dominated the works of his 15th-century English followers and theso-called Scottish Chaucerians. For the Renaissance, he was the English Homer. Edmund Spenser paid tribute to him as his master; many of Shakespeare's plays show thorough assimilation of Chaucer's comic spirit. Today, Chaucer's reputation has been securely established as one of the best English poets for his wisdom, humor, and humanity.。
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上古及中世纪英国文学简介自从有人类历史记载以来,英伦三岛遭遇过三次外族入侵。
岛上最早的居民是凯尔特人,此后古罗马人、盎格鲁一萨克森人及法国诺曼底公爵纷至沓来,在英伦三岛各领风骚若干年。
古罗马人的入侵没有在这片土地上留下深远的影响,而后两者则不同了。
盎格鲁一萨克森人将日尔曼族语言及文化根植在岛上,而诺曼底人则带来了地中海文明的清新浪潮,所谓地中海文明包括希腊文化,罗马的法律,以及基督教。
正是这两次外族入侵所附带的文化影响为日后英国文学的兴起与发展提供了富足的源泉。
英国文学史的上古时期起于大约公元450年,止于1066年,即诺曼征服的那一年。
这一时期定盎格鲁一萨克森文明兴盛的时期。
这些日尔曼族部落来自北欧,带来了盎格鲁一萨克森语言,也就是现代英语的原形基础,除此之外,还带来了特别的诗歌传统。
他们的诗歌神韵中集合了粗狂豪勇的气度及悲情哀挽的风格。
总体来讲,流传至今的英国上古诗歌可分为两大类:宗教诗和世俗诗。
宗教诗的主题大多以《圣经》为基础。
比如《创世纪甲本》与《创世纪乙本》以及《出埃及记》都源于《圣经》的《旧约全书》;而《十字架之梦》则以《新约全书》为典故。
在《十字架之梦》这首诗中,耶稣基督被刻画成一位青年战士,勇往直前,拥抱死亡与胜利,而那善良的十字架自身则承受起基督所有的苦难与重负。
除了这些宗教诗歌,上古的英格兰诗人还创作了伟大的民族史诗《贝尔武夫》以及其它众多的短篇抒情诗。
这些世俗诗歌中虽然没有基督教教义,但它们唤起了盎格鲁一萨克森人对环境的严酷及人类命运的不幸的感知。
其中《流浪者,狄奥尔》、《航海者》和《妻子的抱怨》是当时世俗诗中的佼佼者。
诗文中的语气和基调深受北海恶劣气候的影响,生活惨淡无望,诗人的口气中带出大量宿命论的成份,尽管同时也显得勇敢而坚定。
《贝尔武夫》,英国上古诗歌的典型,在今天被誉为盎格鲁一萨克森的民族史诗。
尽管如此,诗中主人公及背景都与英国无关,这首叙事诗讲述的故事发生在北欧斯堪狄那维亚半岛。
最初在公元六世纪末,这首诗是以口述的形式在吟游诗人中传涌。
而当今流传的诗文是在十世纪时才以书面形式抄录下来。
这部史诗以那位伟大的英雄国王贝尔武夫的葬礼为始末,以迫在眉睫的灾难为背景,述了斯堪狄那维亚的英雄贝尔武夫的卓著功勋一战胜巨妖格伦德尔和他那复仇心切的母亲以及一条喷火巨龙。
贝尔武夫不仅是一位光荣的英雄,而且是人民的保护神。
这部史诗的主题是为读者展现一幅原始部族的人民在英明而强大(智勇双全)的领袖指挥下战天斗地不向艰苦的自然环境低头的画卷。
这部史诗还是将自然界神话与英雄传奇相结合的典型例子。
比如,贝尔武夫与火龙的战斗就象征性地表现了有关冬神与夏神的神话,即夏神(在诗中化身为贝尔武夫〉与冬神展开了最后的较量,为了保住大地的财富一金黄的玉米和艳红的果实一不被严寒战害。
当贝尔武夫将丰收的粮果归还给人民时,他自己却永远倒在冬神喷出的气息中。
历史上的诺曼征服不仅仅使英伦三岛更换了一位统治者,政治上,它开启了英国的封建主义时期,确立了强大的封建制度;宗教上,罗马天主教廷加强了在英国的势力,此外英国的语言也发生了极大的变化。
诺曼征服过后,英国出现了三种语言鼎立并存的局面。
法语成为官方语言为国王与贵族们所使用;拉丁语成为教会与学校的主要语言;而原来的古英语只成为平民百姓的语言。
至此,不列颠群岛向整个欧洲大陆敞开了大门。
在诺曼征服(1066年)之后,英国文学进入了中世纪时期,这个时期持续了大约四个世纪。
中世纪早期的文学,即从1066年到14世纪中叶,没有什么卓越的成就,这段时间可谓是文学荒漠。
然而到了14世纪下半叶,英国文学开始兴盛起来,涌现出一批像吉奥弗雷·乔叟,威廉·兰格伦及约翰·高厄这样的诗人。
与英国上古文学相比,其中世纪文学取材更为广泛,叙述、风格、基调、流派更加丰富多彩。
民间通俗文学在这个时期占据了重要的位置,它为读者准确而生动地展示了当时人们的各种生活,尽管其创作思想上有失新颖创见。
此外,中世纪文学还大量反映了中世纪基督教的教义原则,这些教义都与人类自救有关。
骑士抒情诗也是中世纪盛行的文学形式,这种诗歌以叙述性的韵文或散文歌颂了骑士的冒险以及其它的英雄事迹。
这种文学形式发展了富有中世纪特点的主题一一寻找并遭遇巨妖魔怪,并救出心爱的美人。
诗中的主人公往往是个骑士,他出发踏上旅程去完成一系列的任务一一保卫教堂、讨伐叛逆、英雄救美人、迎接挑战、或服从骑士首领的命令等等。
诗中时常随意地出现一些不真实,甚至超自然的事物,比如神秘与离奇的幻想。
流浪精神式爱情是骑士抒情诗中一个重要情节。
但由于人物塑造的\"千人一面\",不同诗中的男、女主人公及其身边邪恶的仆从都能从一首诗搬到另一首诗。
骑士诗的结构比较松散,并分章节,其语言简单而直白。
骑士抒情诗的重要意义在于它展示了中世纪贵族男女的生活及他们理想化的世界观。
如果说史诗反映了英雄时代，那么骑士诗反映了骑士时代。
在前面提到的三位中世纪英国著名诗人中,《高文爵士与他的绿衣骑士》的作者约翰·高厄创作了当时最精美的骑士文学作品;而《农夫皮尔斯》的作者威廉·兰格伦相比之下更现实一些,他在其作品中描述了他那个时期的宗教与社会问题。
然而只有乔叟，在英国文学史上第一次向我们展示了表现当时英国社会的一幅综合性、现实主义的画卷,在他的代表作《坎特伯雷故事集》中塑造了一系列来自社会各阶层的生动形象的人物。
乔叟是当时最伟大的诗人。
他出身平民家庭,但一生都不是平民;然而尽管他被贵族所接受,可他又不得不经常提醒自己他并不真正属于那个出身即可定身份的阶层。
乔叟一方面用贵族式的理想眼光看待生活,一方面又不失以现实的态度来思考。
他独到的特点便是能根据特定情境随时由人世转为出世,或由出世转为入世。
在14世纪下半叶,当乔叟正向意大利著名诗人彼特拉克与作家卡伽丘(二人是欧洲人文主义运动的代表)学习的时候,一切迹象表明欧洲大陆的文艺复兴在英国文学中也开始了萌芽。
乔叟强调人权,尤其是追求今生今世幸福快乐的权力,反对神权与禁欲主义。
他盛赞人类的能力、智慧、机敏及对生命的热爱。
他揭露罪恶、针砭各种时弊,其中也包括对宗教教义的滥用。
因此尽管乔叟是一个中世纪诗人,他却带有人文主义的特点,并预示着一个新时期的到来。
乔叟一生不断地与各种人物打交道,有上流社会的,也有平民百姓,这多半是由于他有着敏锐的观察力。
他博览群书,这使他丰富了头脑中的故事情节,而他的经历则为他提供了人物形象的素材。
在他的作品中,乔叟发掘了个人与社会的关系这个主题,刻画了人物性格的冲突及其在物质利益上的矛盾,并且以幽默讽刺的笔触描写了新兴城市资产阶级所反感的阶级出身问题,比如其中一个角色\"巴斯夫人\"就被描写成一位新兴资产阶级的主人,维护着自己的独立与女权。
简言之,乔吏将人物形象的塑造提上了一个更高的艺术水平,他描写的人物是立体的,有着独特的气质、性格。
乔叟还从法国文学中引进(翻译介绍)了各种各样的押尾韵诗章,取代了古英诗中的押头韵。
在翻译法国著名骑士诗《玫瑰传奇》中,他首次将八音节对偶句引人英语,在《好女人的故事》中,他又首次使用了五音步抑扬格的押韵对偶句,也就是后来的英雄偶句诗体。
在《坎特伯雷故事集》中他也轻松自如地使用了英雄偶句诗体,这在整个英国文学史上都是首创。
除了乔叟对英语诗体学的贡献以外,他还发展并改进了文学艺术自身,而这些在其它任何中世纪文学作品中都是见不到的。
在《特洛伊勒斯与克利西达》中,他向世界展示了最早的现代小说。
在《坎特伯雷故事集》中,他将诗歌艺术进一步向戏剧与小说艺术靠拢。
虽然乔叟是一位扎根在中世纪的诗人,可他的艺术成就早已使他超越了时代,使他成为公认的英国历史上最伟大的诗人之一。
约翰·德莱顿(英国十七世纪著名桂冠诗人、评论家)曾将《坎特伯雷故事集》译成现代英语,他称乔叟为英诗之父。
乔叟的风格影响了整个十五世纪英国诗歌作品,以及他的追随效仿者们及那些所谓的苏格兰\"乔叟专家\"们一。
对文艺复兴而言,乔叟是英国的荷马。
埃德蒙·斯宾塞尊为自己的导师;莎士比亚的许多戏剧都与乔叟的喜剧精神有异曲同工之处。
今天,乔叟凭着他的智慧、幽默与人文精神依旧盛名不衰,流芳百世。
第一章文艺复兴时期文艺复兴标志着一个过渡时期,即中世纪的结束和现代社会的开始。
一般来说,文艺复兴时期是从十四世纪到十七世纪中叶。
它从意大利兴起,伴随着绘画、雕塑和文学领域的百花齐放,而后文艺复兴浪潮席卷了整个欧洲。
文艺复兴,顾名思义即重生、复苏,是由一系列历史事件激发推动的,其中包括对古希腊罗马文化的重新发现。
地理天文领域的新发现,宗教改革及经济发展。
因此,文艺复兴从本质上是欧洲人文主义者竭力摒弃中世纪欧洲的封建主义,推行代表新兴城市资产阶级利益的新思想,并恢复早期宗教的纯洁性,远离腐败的罗马天主教廷的一场运动。
文艺复兴浪潮影响到英国的速度比较慢,不仅因为英国远离欧洲大陆,而且还因为其国内的动荡不安。
乔叟去世后的一个半世纪是英国历史上最动荡不安的时期。
好战的贵族篡取了王位,使英国走上自我毁灭之路。
著名的玫瑰之战就是极好的例子。
后来理查三世的恐怖统治标志着内战的结束,在都铎王朝的统治下英国的民族情感又成长起来。
然而直到亨利八世统治期间(1509-1547),文艺复兴的春风才吹入英国。
在亨利八世的鼓励下,牛津的改革派学者和人文主义者们将古典文学引入英国。
基于古典文学作品及《圣经》的教育重获生机,而十五世纪就被广泛传阅的文学作品则更加流行了。
自此,英国的文艺复兴开始了。
英国,尤其是英国文学进入了黄金时代。
这个时期涌现出莎士比亚、斯宾塞、约翰逊、锡德尼、马洛、培根及邓恩等一大批文学巨匠。
但英国的文艺复兴并未使新文学与旧时代彻底决裂,带有十四、十五世纪特点的创作态度与情感依然贯穿在人文主义与改革时代。
人文主义是文艺复兴的核心。
它源于努力恢复中世纪产生的对古希腊罗马文化的尊崇。
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。
通过这些对古代文化崭新的研究,人文主义者不仅看到了光彩夺目的艺术启明星,还在那古典作品中寻求到了人的价值。
在中世纪的社会中,个人完全隶属于封建统治,没有独立和自由可言;在中世纪的神学理论中,人与周围世界的关系仅仅是人消极适应或消极遁世,不允许追求快乐,以备死后灵魂得以超脱。
然而人文主义者们却从古代文化遗产中找到了充足的论据,来赞美人性,并开始注意到人类是光荣的生命,人自己可以不断发展,至善至美,而且人们生存的世界是属于他们的,供他们怀疑、探索以及享受。
由此,人文主义者通过强调人类的尊严、强调今生今世的重要性,喊出了他们的信仰,即人类不仅有权利在今生今世美好生活,而且还有能力完善自我,创造奇迹。