英国文学史2整理大纲

英国文学史及选读

History & Anthology of English Literature

18世纪最主要的是enlightenment and Neo-classicism ，新古典主义主要是prose and essay，文艺复兴时期主要是戏剧。18世纪初期，新古典主义，中期sentimentilism 感伤主义，后期，浪漫主义。感伤主义在形式上是新古典主义，但内容上是浪漫主义，所以是新古典主义向浪漫主义过渡时期。

⏹The Eighteenth Century 。

1688-1798（1798年浪漫主义开始）

⏹Age of Reason

⏹Age of Enlightenment

⏹Age of Neo-classicism

⏹Age of Prose

⏹ 1. Historical background:

⏹ A comparatively peaceful period in which English capitalism gained rapid development;

⏹Politically----The two parties;

----newspapers and Journals

⏹Economically----The Industrial Revolution, the completion of the Enclosure

Movement;

⏹Intellectually----The Enlightenment;

(1) Newton’s scientific discovery and the philosophy of John Locke affected people’s thinking of the world.

(2)Reason rather than superstition dominated.

⏹English literature was influenced by French enlighteners and ancient Roman writers.

⏹Neo-classicism was the leading literary trend in early 18th century.

⏹Enlightenment

⏹ a progressive intellectual movement (mainly philosophical and artistic movement)

⏹Originated in France:

⏹It grows out of the Renaissance and continues until the 19th century. Its purpose was

to enlighten the whole world with the light of modern philosophical and artistic ideas (So literature during this period is heavily didactic and moralizing).

⏹The enlighteners celebrated reason, equality and science. They called for a reference to

order, reason & rules and advocated universal education, believing that the best way to improve human society is to educate the people, to use critical reason to free them of false beliefs, prejudice, superstitions, misunderstandings (They optimistically believed that humanity could improve itself by applying logic and reason to all things).

①Nature: On the whole an expression of the bourgeoisie against feudalism. The enlighteners fought against class inequality, stagnation, prejudices and other survivals of feudalism.

②They thought science was to answer the actual needs and requirements of the people and they intended to reform social life according to a more reasonable principle.

③Representatives: Famous among the great

enlighteners in England were those great writers like Joseph Addison and Richard Steele, the essayists; Alexander Pope, the poet.

⏹These writers in their works criticized different aspects of contemporary England,

discussed social problems, and even touched upon morality and private conduct.

⏹In religion: secular; Deism: the universe is set in motion by a God as a self-regulating

mechanism; everything was operated according to natural laws, which could be understood by the human mind.

⏹In art and literature: neo-classicism great respect for the classical artists. Harmony,

proportion, balance and restraint

⏹In economic thought: state inference did violate to the law of nature; favored

laissez-faire policies.

⏹2．An Overview of the 18th Century English Literature:

⏹(1) Neo-classicism in poetry of Alexander Pope, a new prose literature in the

essays of Addison and Steele

⏹(2) The rise and growth of modern English novel

---- the first realistic fiction of Defoe and Swift;

---- the realistic novels of Richardson, Fielding and Smollett, of whom the last two made rather fierce attacks on the existing social conditions but still maintained sufficient faith in the eventual triumph of virtue over vice and in the final attainment somehow of social justice.

⏹(3) The 18thC English Drama----R.B. Sheridan(1751-1816) and O. Goldsmith

(1730-1774)

⏹(4)The last decades, decline of the Enlightenment, the appearance of new literary

tendencies of sentimentalism (representatives wrote for the poor though still in a classical style) and pre-romanticism.

⏹ 3. Neo-classicism in Early 18th century

⏹In the field of literature, the Enlightenment Movement brought about 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 & Roman writers (Homer, Virgil, & so on)& those of the contemporary French ones.

⏹They believed that the artistic ideals should be order, logic, restrained emotion &

accuracy, and that literature should be judged in terms of its service to humanity. This belief led them to seek proportion, unity, harmony & grace in literary expressions, in an effort to delight, instruct & correct human beings. Thus, a polite, urbane, witty, & intellectual art developed.

⏹

⏹Features of Neoclassical Literature

⏹①witty, intellectual and restrained: order, logic, restrained emotion and accuracy

⏹②polished form---- almost every genre of literature should have some fixed laws &

rules.

⏹(Rhymed couplets instead of blank verse, the 3 unities of time, place, and action,

regularity in construction, the presentation of types rather than individuals—these were some of standards the classicists required of drama. Poetry should be lyrical, epic, didactic, satiric or dramatic. Prose should be precise, direct, smooth, and flexible. )

⏹③didactic and satirical; writer had the duty to educate as well as entertain people

(middle class), satire being an effective means of correcting people’s folly and