英国文学史及作品选读教案(Introduction, Lecture 1) 09级
英国文学史及选读课件 1 History and Anthology
主要作家及作品选读
D.H.劳伦斯（D.H. Lawrence）：劳伦斯是现 代英国文学的重要作家之一，他的作品以探 讨人性、爱情和性为主题，代表作有《儿子 与情人》（Sons and Lovers）和《查泰莱 夫人的情人》（Lady Chatterley's Lover） 等。
文学特点与影响
文学特点
强调个性、情感、想象力和自然；反对古典主义的规则和约束；寻求新的创作 灵感和表达方式。
对后世影响
浪漫主义文学对后世产生了深远的影响，包括对现代主义、后现代主义等文学 流派的启示；对自然和情感的关注也影响了后来的生态批评和女性主义批评等 文学理论。
06
现代时期英国文学
背景介绍
作品和作家。
提高文学鉴赏能力
02
通过阅读和分析经典文学作品，培养学生的审美意识、文学感
受力和批判思维。
拓展文化视野
03
通过了解英国文学的历史背景、文化内涵和社会意义，增进学
生对英国文化的认识和理解。
英国文学史概述
古代和中世纪文学
包括古希腊罗马文学影响、中世纪宗教文学 和骑士文学等。
文艺复兴时期文学
04
18世纪英国文学
背景介绍
18世纪英国社会变革
文学市场的形成
18世纪的英国经历了工业革命、政治 变革和社会转型，这些变化对文学产 生了深远影响。
随着印刷技术的进步和出版业的发展 ，文学作品得以更广泛地传播，形成 了文学市场。
启蒙运动的影响
启蒙运动的思想家们强调理性、科学 和进步，这些观念在18世纪英国文学 中得到了体现。
英国文学简史及作品选读大纲目录
《英国文学史及作品选读》教学大纲一、课程说明1. 课程代码：1070138212. 课程中文名称：英国文学史及作品选读3. 课程英文名称：History and Selected Readings of English Literature4. 课程总学时数：325. 课程学分数：26. 授课对象：英语专业学生三年级7. 本课程的性质、地位和作用本课程为面向英语专业高年级学生开设的一门专业选修课，在学科体系中居重要地位。
要求学生以先修英语阅读、综合英语、英美文化和英美概况等课程为基础。
通过教学，使学生对英国文学有一个概观了解，同时初步培养学生对英国文学作品的鉴赏能力，增强学生对西方文学及文化的了解。
该课程有助于增强学生的语言基本功，丰富学生的人文知识、充实学生的文化修养，提高学生的精神素质。
二、教学基本要求1. 本课程的目的、任务英国文学史及文学作品包含着历史的记忆和哲学的睿智，是英语语言艺术的结晶。
本课程旨在介绍英国文学各个时期的主要文化思潮，文学流派，主要作家及其代表作，使学生对英国文学的发展脉络有一个大概的了解和认识，提高他们对文学作品的阅读鉴赏能力，并能掌握文学批评的基本知识和方法。
要求学生在阅读和分析英国文学作品的基础上了解英国的历史、社会、政治等方面的情况及传统，促进学生对西方文学及文化的了解，提高学生对文化差异的敏感性、宽容性，培养学生对作品的洞察批判能力，从而丰富提升学生人文素养。
2. 本课程的教学要求了解英国文学的发展概况，熟悉发展过程中出现的历史事件，文学思潮，文学流派；熟悉具体作家的文学生涯，创作思想，艺术特色和所属流派；能读懂代表作家的经典作品，并能分析评介作品的主题思想，人物形象，篇章结构、语言特点、修辞手法、文体风格；能掌握文学批评的基本知识和方法，对重要的文学术语有相当的了解并能在文学批评中加以运用。
本课程以代表作家的经典作品的主题思想、人物形象、文体风格、语言特点及其在文学史上的地位与影响为教学重点。
《英国文学史》课件
结语和总结
通过这个课件，我们深入了解了英国文学的起源和发展，重要的时期和作家， 代表性的作品，以及英国文学与社会的关系和国际影响。希望这份课件能够 激发您对英国文学的兴趣，并进一步探索这个丰富而多元的领域。
通过教堂的宗教著作和史诗诗歌，英国文学开始繁荣发将英国文学推向高峰。
重要的文学时期和作家
伊丽莎白时代
莎士比亚、培根等伟大作家在 这一时期创作了许多经典作品。
浪漫主义时期
浪漫主义思想和对自然的热爱 改变了英国文学的面貌，拜伦、 雪莱等作家为这一时期的代表。
现代主义时期
《英国文学史》PPT课件
欢迎来到《英国文学史》PPT课件！在这个课件中，我们将探索英国文学的 起源和发展，了解重要的文学时期和作家，了解代表性的英国文学作品，以 及英国文学与社会的关系和国际影响。
英国文学的起源及发展
1
古代英国文学
从史前时期的口头传承到古代英格兰诗歌，英国文学有着悠久的历史。
2
中世纪文学
现代主义带来了对传统的颠覆 和对都市生活的审视，伍尔夫、 乔伊斯等为这一时期的重要作 家。
后现代主义时期
后现代主义反映了对权威、历 史和身份的怀疑，艾利森、拉 什迪等作家是这一时期的代表。
代表性的英国文学作品
莎士比亚戏剧
《哈姆雷特》、《罗密欧与朱丽叶》等经典 作品，至今深受世界各地读者的喜爱。
乔治·奥威尔的《1 984》
这部反乌托邦小说透露出对权力和言论自由 的忧虑，深刻触动人们的思考。
简·奥斯汀小说
《傲慢与偏见》、《爱玛》等作品，细腻描 绘人物关系，具有深远影响。
J.K.罗琳的《哈利·波特》系列
魔法世界的奇幻故事引发了全球范围内的阅 读热潮，影响了几代读者。
英国文学史及作品选读新教学大纲
《英国文学史及作品选读》教学大纲一、课程基本信息[课程编码] 03120121-2[课程中文名称] 英国文学史及作品选读[课程英文名称] History of British Literature & Selected Readings [课程性质] 专业必修课[适用专业] 英语本科[总学时] 80 （其中理论68学时，实践12学时）[周学时] 2[总学分] 4[建议开课学期] 三、四学期[建议教材] 英国文学史及选读吴伟仁主编，英国文学史及作品选读，北京：外语教学与研究出版社，1988[参考书][1]罗经国主编.《新编英国文学选读》.北京大学出版社，1996[2] 刘炳善主编.《英国文学简史》.河南人民出版社，1997[3] 王左良主编.《英国文学史》.商务印书馆，1996二、课程性质、目的及教学要求[课程性质] 专业必修课[课程目的] 该课程的目的在于培养学生阅读、欣赏、理解英语文学原著的能力，掌握文学批评的基本知识和方法。
通过阅读和分析英国文学作品，使学生了解英国的历史、地理、社会、政治等方面的情况及文化传统，促进学生对西方文学及文化的了解，提高学生对文化差异的敏感性、宽容性和处理文化差异的灵活性，培养学生的跨文化交际能力。
[教学要求] 以教师主讲为主，学生参与讨论为辅[成绩考核方式] 平时成绩10%, 考勤10%,期中考试20%,期末考试50%三、教学安排四、章节基本教学内容和要求(含学时分配和各章重点、难点、内容、课堂讨论选题、课外作业选题）Chapter 1 Introduction and the Anglo-Saxon period教学主要内容：1、The scope of literature; 2、Some important distinctions in Beowulf;3、Epic教学要求：本章节要求2课时完成，课堂讨论则针对以上提及的重点进行。
1、英国文学的特点；2、史诗的定义及其特征；3、《贝奥武夫》作为安格鲁撒克逊时期最重要的史诗作品是如何解读；4、《贝奥武夫》在英国文学中的地位。
Introduction of英国文学史及选读
A General IntroductionMain content：A Brief Introduction to the History of British LiteratureTime：the 1st and 2nd hoursTextbook：History and Anthology of English Literature by Wu WeirenObjective：Make students have a basic frame of the development of British literature so that they may not feel difficult in understanding the main characteristics of the British literature at different time of British history.I. Early and Medieval English Literature (449—1500)1. the Anglo-Saxon PeriodIn 55 B.C., Britain was invaded by Julius Ceaser, the Roman conqueror. The roman occupation lasted about 400 years. In 410 A.D., all the Roman troops went back to the continent and never returned. Thus ended the Roman occupation in Britain. At this time, Britain was invaded by swarms of pirates. They were three tribes from Northern Europe: the Angles, Saxons and Jutes. They landed on the British coast, drove the Britons west and north, and settled down themselves. They established different kingdoms. By the 7th century, these small kingdoms were combined into a united kingdom called England, or the land of Angles. The three tribes had mixed into a whole people called English, the Angles being the most numerous of the three. And the three dialects spoken by them naturally grew into a single language called Anglo-Saxon, or old English.English literature began with the Anglo-Saxon settlement in England. Of old English literature, five relics are still preserved. All of them are poems, or songs by the Anglo-Saxon minstrels who sang of the heroic deeds of old time to the chiefs and warriors in the feasting-hall. Four are short fragments of long poems. But there is one long poem of over 3,000 lines. It is Beowulf, the national epic of the English people.2. Feudal EnglandThe French-speaking Normans under Duke William came to Britain in 1066. After defeating the English at Hastings, William was crowned as King of England. Revolts were cruelly suppressed and the conquest was completed with violence. It was called the Norman Conquest. William the Conqueror ruled England with a high hand. He pushed England well on its way to feudalism, and the Norman Conquest marks the establishment of feudalism in England.In feudal England, the society was divided into two distinct classes—landlords and peasants. The class conflict was fierce. In 1381, a rising took place.The most prevailing kind of literature in feudal England was the romance. It was a long composition, sometimes in verse, sometimes in prose. It described the life and adventures of a noble hero.William Langland is an important poet. His Piers the Plowman is a poem of over 7,000 lines. Most of the written literature in feudal England was intended only for the upper class. The English people had a literature of their own, not written but oral. English folk songs had existed long before the Norman Conquest. The song tradition continued after it. The most important department of English folk literature is the ballad.As to the poetry, Geoffrey Chaucer is the founder of English poetry. His The Canterbury Tales is his masterpiece and one of the monumental works in English literature.II. The Renaissance Period (1500—1660)The rise of the bourgeoisie soon showed its influence in the sphere of cultural life. The result is an intellectual movement known as the Renaissance, or the rebirth of letters. Originally, “Renaissance” means the “revival of learning”.It sprang first in Italy in the 14th century and gradually spread all over Europe.Two features are striking of this movement. The one is a thirsting curiosity for the classical literature. Another feature of the Renaissance is the keen interest in the activities of humanity. Humanism is the key-note of the Renaissance.In the days of Henry VIII (1509—1547), there were a group of scholars called Oxford Reformers, who introduced the classical literature to England and strove to reform education on a humanistic line. The greatest of the English humanists was Thomas More, the author of Utopia, Christopher Marlowe, and William Shakespeare.The highest glory of the English Renaissance was its drama. Famous dramatists are Marlowe, Shakespeare and Ben Johnson.As for poetry, sonnets become very popular. Famous poets were Philip Sydney, Edmund Spenser, etc. Metaphysical poems appeared at this time, headed by John Donn.Prose became popular as well. Francis Bacon is famous for prose writing.III. Neoclassicism period (1660—1798)The beginning of this period is the Restoration Period (1660—1688)(restoration of Stuart Monarchy). It was a period of reaction and degeneration. As soon as Charles II came back to Britain in 1660, the theatres were reopened and drama, esp. Comedy, flourished. But under the patronage of the king, it became only an entertainment of the corrupt court. At the same time, English literature of the Restoration period was modelled on the literature of France where classicism was then prevailing. The classicists upheld reason, law and order in literature instead of the free expression of man’s in dividuality in the Renaissance. According to classicism, drama, poetry and prose should all be controlled by some fixed rules. The English poets and writers of the Restoration wrote under this influence. John Drydon was the forerunner of the English classical school of literature.The “Glorious Revolution” of 1688 ended in a compromise between the aristocracy and bourgeoisie. England became a constitutional monarchy and power passed from the king to the Parliament and the Cabinet ministers. In the 18th century, the Industrial Revolution took place. Great changes also took place in rural England. The Enclosure Movement and expropriation of peasants begun in the 15th century was completed in the 18th century. The landless peasants went to the cities and became workers who owned nothing but labour and had to work long hours for low wages. The people in towns and villages protested against the unbearable conditions of life. Throughout the 18th century numerous uprisings broke out in the country.The 18th century marked the beginning of an intellectual movement in Europe, known as the Enlightenment. On the whole, it is an expression of struggle of the bourgeoisie against feudalism. England had gone through its bourgeois revolution in the 17th century. English enlighteners of the 18th century stove to bring it to an end by clearing away the feudal ideas with the bourgeois ideology. The representatives of the Enlightenment in English literature were Joseph Addison and Richard Steele, the essayists, and Alexander Pope, the poet. In their works, these writerscriticized different aspects of contemporary England, discussed social problems, and even touched upon morality and private life. They intended to reform social life according to a more reasonable principle, though this principle could never go beyond the limit of bourgeois interests. The literature of the Enlightenment in England mainly appealed to the middle class readers.The classicists modelled themselves on Greek and Latin authors, and tried to control literary creation by some fixed laws and rules drawn from Greek and Latin works. Drama, poetry and prose all followed some standards of classicism.The basic difference between Drydon and the 18th century enlighteners lie in the fact that the former wrote to please the declining aristocracy during the restoration period while the latter wrote for the rising bourgeoisie to tidy up the capitalist social order. Thus, owing to the need of the English middle class, classicism achieved a rapid growth and prevailed for the better part of the 18th century. After Pope, English classicism found still another exponent in Samuel Johnson.The novel is the most important gift of bourgeois civilization to the world’s imaginative culture. The modern European novel began after the Renaissance, with Cervantes’s “don Quixote”(1605—1615). The modern English novel began two centuries later. The rise and growth of the realistic novel is the most prominent achievement of 18th century English literature, which has given the world such novelists as Defoe, Swift, Richardson, Fielding, Smollett and Sterne.Swift’s world-famous novel “Gulliver’s Travels” typifies the bourgeois world in the repellent images of man-like creatures—Yahoos. He also drew ruthless pictures of the depraved aristocracy and satirically portrayed the whole of the English state system.Defoe’s “Robinson Crusoe” was one of the forerunners of the English realistic novel.It creates the image of an enterprising Englishman, typical of the English bourgeois of the 18th century.The development of the English novel was continued by Richardson. He wrote his first novel “Pamela” by accident.Fielding’s novels unfold a panorama of life in all sections of English society.He exposed the depraved aristocracy, the avaricious bourgeoisie and contrasted the luxurious life of the ruling classes with the misery of the people. He was the real founder of the realistic novel in England. He showed in his masterpiece “Tom Jones” the whole of the life of 18th century England as he saw it. His first novel was “Joseph Andrews”.Another 18th century novelist of the realistic school was Smollett, the author of Rodrick Random and Humphry Clinker.The new element of sentiment or sensibility was added to the novel by Sterne. His “Tristram Shandy” is a very strange novel in English literature.The 18th century was the golden age of English novel. The novel of this period spoke the truth about life with an uncompromising courage. The novelists of this period understood that “the job of a novelist” was to tell the truth about life as he saw it.In drama, Richard Brinsley Sheridan’s comedy was important.His masterpiece is The School for Scandal.In the first half of the 18th century, Pope was the leader of English poetry and the heroic couplet the fashion of poetry. By the middle of 18th century, sentimentalism turned to the countryside for its material (classicism and confined its material to the clubs and drawing-rooms, the social and political life of London), though its form was still in a classical style. The poetry of the sentimentalists is marked by a sincere sympathy for the poverty-stricken expropriatedpeasants. The appearance and development of sentimentalist poetry marks the midway in the transition from classicism to its opposite — romanticism in English poetry. The representative was Thomas Gray.In the latter half of the 18th century, a new literary movement arose in Europe, called the Romantic Revival. It was marked by a strong protest against the bondage of classicism, by a recognition of the claims of passion and emotion, and by a renewed interest in medieval literature. In England, this movement showed itself in the trend of Pre-romanticism in poetry. This trend was ushered by Percy, Blake and Burns.IV. Romanticism in English Literature (1798—1832)At the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries romanticism appeared in England as a new trend in literature. It rose and grew under the impetus of the Industrial Revolution and French Revolution. It was the product of the social conflicts.Generally speaking, the romanticists expressed the ideology and sentiment of those classes and social strata who were discontent with, and opposed to, the development of capitalism. But owing to difference in political attitudes, they split into two schools. Some romantic writers reflected the thinking of classes ruined by the bourgeoisie, and by way of protest against capitalist development turned to the feudal past, i.e. the “merry old England” as their ideal.These were the older and sometimes called passive, or escapist romanticists. The representatives are Wordsworth, Coleridge and Southey. Others expressed the aspirations of the classes created by capitalism and held out an ideal of a future society free from oppression and exploitation. These were the younger and sometimes called active romanticists represented by Byron, Shelley and Keats.The general feature of the works of the romanticists is the dissatisfaction with the bourgeois society, which finds expression in a re volt against prosaic, sordid daily life, against the “prison of the actual” under capitalism.The romanticists paid great attention to the spiritual and emotional life of man. Nature also plays an important role in their works. The passions of man and the beauties of nature appealed strongly to the imagination of the romantic writer, and the glory of lakes and mountains, the little joys or sorrows of children, the weal and woe of ordinary uncultured peasants, the wonder of the fairy world, and the splendour of the Greek art all became the fountain-heads of the writer’s inspiration.Poetry is the best medium to express all these sentiments. The romantic period was one of poetic revival.The great novelists in this period were Walter Scott and Jane Austen. Their works combines a romantic atmosphere with a realistic depiction of historical background and common people’s life. They marked the transition from romanticism to the period of realism which followed it. Romantic prose of the time was represented by Lamb, Hazlitt, De Quincey and Hunt.V. Victorian Age (1836—1901)—The Age of Critical RealismThe Chartist Movement took place in this period. It played an important role in the development of English progressive literature in connection with the working class movement. In this period of tense class struggle appeared a new literary trend—critical realism. The English critical realism of the 19th century flourished in the 40s and early 50s. The critical realists described with much vividness and great artistic skill the chief traits of the English society and criticized the capitalist system from a democratic viewpoint. The greatest English realist of the time was Charles Dickens. With striking force and truthfulness, he creates pictures of bourgeoiscivilization, describing the misery and sufferings of the common people. Other critical realists were William Makepeace Thackeray and Thomas Hardy.In prose writing, thomas Carlyle, John Ruskin, Mathew Arnold, Thomas Babington Macaulay were important.The poetry in this period experienced some new ways of expression. Important poets were Robert Browning and his wife Elizabeth Barrett (Mrs. Browning), and two Rossettis (Dante Gabriel Rossetti and Christina Georgina Rossetti).At the end of the 19th century, some literary trends appeared in the English literature. In fiction, naturalism was important. According to the theory of naturalism, literature must be “true to life” and exactly reproduce real life, including all its details without any selection. Naturalist writers usually write about the lives of the poor and oppressed, or the “slum life”, but by giving all the details of life without discrimination, they can only represent the external appearance instead of the inner essence of real life. However, some of the best naturalistic novels may approach or even become forceful realistic literature because naturalism in reality was a development of realism. George Gissing wrote under the influence of naturalism in Britain.Another literary trend prevailing at the end of the 19th century was neo-romanticism. Dissatisfied with the drab and ugly social reality, and yet trying to avoid the positive solution of the acute social contradictions, some writers adopted this new trend. Neo-romanticism lays emphasis upon the invention of exciting adventures and fascinating stories to entertain the reading public. It led the novel back toward story-telling and to romance. Robert Louis Stevenson was a representative of neo-romanticism in English literature. Treasure Island made him famous. Another famous book was Kidnapped.Another trend was aestheticism. Its theory was “art for art’s sake”.Walter Pater was a representative in prose, and Oscar Wilde in drama. Oscar Wilde and Shaw were forerunners of modernist drama.VI. The 20th CenturyIn the early 20th century, realist novels continued to prevail. Famous realists were John Galsworthy, H. G. Wells, Arnold Bennet.The first 30 years of the 20th century marked the golden age of modernism. The representatives in fiction included James Joyce, Virginia Woolf, D. H. Laurence, Katherine Mansfield. In poetry, W.B. Yeats and T. S. Eliot were important. They two also played important roles in modernist drama. Lady Gregory and O’Casey tried in modern drama as well.Bernard Shaw has been regarded as the most famous dramatist in English literature after Shakespeare.。
《英国文学选读》教案
《英国文学选读》教学大纲Goals and PurposesTo let the students see the significance of literature;To let the students have the general impression of British literatureMain ContentsMain plot /General clue of English literatureKeys and ObstaclesTo get to know the general clue of the British history and British literary historyTo get to know some key terms and well-known works and the writersTeaching Methods and StrategiesOpen questions and answers in classClass discussion and analysisMain BodyI. General Introduction1.Warming-up questions:1)How much do you know about English literature?2)Why do we learn literature?—A good way to improve the language-learning itself; agood way to broaden the sphere of knowledge; to provoke deep-thinking and to providedifferent w ays to look at life and the world; to enhance one’s understanding of history,politics, culture and the miniature of the society; to enrich one’s life and improve one’squality; to improve one’s insight into human character…Words used to describe literature: artistic, beautiful,emotional, expressive, imitating, imaginative, informative, instructive,pleasing, passionate,reflective, valuable2.Main plot /General clue of English literature:English literature began with the Anglo-Saxon settlement in England. The study of English literature usually begins with the Anglo-Saxon epic poem Beowulf. The Anglo-Saxons first brought to England the Germanic language and culture. After the Norman Conquest in 1066, the Normans bought to England 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 provide the source for the rise and growth of English literature. The English at that time was called Old English, which is quite hard to recognize today.Geoffrey Chaucer, father of English literature, is a great representative of the Mediaeval Age. He’s the first person to use English to write stories.By the time of Queen Elizabeth I’s re ign (1558-1603), English was basically as it is today.In the works of Shakespeare and later in the King James version of the Bible, English reached its peak of purity and beauty. In all the centuries since, the English language has undergone gradual changes. Shakespeare lives in this age but he belongs to all ages. He is the greatest playwright and poet. His masterful plays have dominated English-speaking stages ever since they were written. They have been translated into every major language. Among all his 38 plays, thewell-known four greatest tragedies are: Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth.The 17th century witnesses the Great Revolution in England. In this period, John Milton finished writing his masterpieces Paradise Lost, Paradise regained, and Samson Agonistes after he became blind.The 18th century English literature is marked by a rather large shift from the mood and tone of the 17th century. In this period, Jonathan Swift was one of the greatest figures. His Gulliver’s Travels not only satirized the political circle but also entertained many children with his fantastic stories. Daniel Defoe, father of English novels, was also worth mentioning. Robinson Crusoe is the most famous tale of shipwreck and solitary survival in all literature.Roughly the first third of the 19th century makes up English literature’s romantic period. Writers of romantic literature are more concerned with imagination and emotion than with the power of reason, which marked the 18th century. Wordsworth and Coleridge published their Lyrical Ballads in 1798, which was called romantic poetry’s Declaration of Independence. Together with Robert Southey, they were called “Lake Poets” since all of them lived in the Lake District and admired nature very much. Byron, Keats and Shelly are all well-known figures in this period. Jane Austen was the only famous woman novelist, with her graceful novels, like Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, and Emma.The romantic period shades gradually into the Victorian age, which takes its name from Queen Victoria. She came to the throne in 1837 and reigned until 1901. Historical and philosophical writing continued to flourish along with poetry and fiction. At the same time, satire and protest against evils in society became strong elements. Among the famous novelists of the time were the critical realists like Charles Dickens, William Makepeace Thackeray, and Bronte sisters. In Charles Dickens’ novels, he combines a rare comic gift and a power to reduce the readers to tears. Thomas Hardy lived well into the 20th century, but did his major work as a novelist in the 19th century, as a poet he belongs to the 20th.20th century is the most difficult to summarize. It has witnessed wars and revolutions. And the postwar economic dislocation and spiritual disillusion produced a profound impact upon the British people, who came to see the prevalent wretchedness in capitalism. Britain suffered heavy losses in the war: thousands of people were killed; the economy was ruined; and almost all its former colonies were lost. The sun-never-set Empire finally collapsed. 20th century has marked the end of the British Empire. With the development of science and technology, various ideas and theories have been printed or passed on, through newspapers, radio and TV. Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels put forward the theory of scientific socialism; Darwin’s theory of evolution caused many people to lose their religious faith; the social Darwinism, under the cover of “survival of the fittest”, strongly advocated colonialism and jingoism; Freud’s analytical psychology drastically altered people’s conception of human nature; Friedrich Nietzsche went further against rationalism by advocating the doctrines of power and superman and by completely rejecting the Christian morality. All in all, modernism rose out of skepticism and disillusion of capitalism. New ideas in writing were mixed with the old, to follow the changing times. The major themes of the modernist literature are the distorted, alienated and ill relationships between man and nature, man and society, man and man, and man and himself. All kinds of literary trends of modernism appeared: symbolism, expressionism, surrealism, futurism, Dadaism, imagism, and stream of consciousness, Theater of the Absurd, black humor. Many outstanding men of letters emerged, James Joyce, D·H·Lawrence, Virginia Woolf,E.M.Forster, T.S.Eliot, to name a few.II.Requirement1.Following every unit, there are some questions. These questions may stimulate your thinkingand thus help you write. I belie ve and I ask you to believe that there are in fact no “right answers”, only more or less persuasive ones, to most questions about literature—as about life.2.Everybody is expected to write a book review on some famous works, like Jane Austen’sPride and Prejudice, Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities, Thomas Hardy’s Tess of D’Urbevilles, Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre, Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights, William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, Kingsley Amis’ Lucky Jim, John Fowles’ The French Lieutenant’s woman, E.M.Forster’s A Passage to India.3.Everybody has a chance to give an oral duty report. In the first turn, you can talk aboutanything that is related to literature: Your general view on literature; literature’s influence on you; your view on the literary circle or even Chinese literature; any knowledgeable persons you’ve ever met. In the second turn, you can introduce a British novel to the class and give brief comment on the book.4.Read Shakespeare’s masterpiece The Merchant of Venice. Then we will discuss this playfrom different angles. (Portia—a feminist; Shylock—a wronged Jew; Antonio—selfish or unselfish; usurers—cruel capitalists)5.Don’t play truant. Your class performance is a key element to decide whether you can passthis course or not.Unit 1 Geoffrey ChaucerGoals and PurposesTo let the students get to know Geoffrey ChaucerTo let the students understand the main idea of The Canterbury TalesMain ContentsThe background of the author’s timeThe main idea and the significance of The Canterbury TalesKeys and ObstaclesTo get to know the general idea of The Canterbury TalesTo get to know some literary termsTeaching Methods and StrategiesOpen questions and answers in classClass discussion and analysisMain Body1. about the authorGeoffrey Chaucer, the “father of English poetry” and one of the greatest narrative poets of England, was born in London in or about the year 1340. He is said to have studied at Oxford and Cambridge. The poet died on the 25th of October in 1400, and was buried in Westminster Abbey.Chaucer’s language, now called Middle English, is vivid and exact. Though drawing influence from French, Italian and Latin models, he is the first great poet who wrote in the English language. His production of so much excellent poetry was an important factor in establishing English as the literary language of the country. The spoken English of the time consisted of several dialects, and Chaucer did much in making the dialect of London the standard for the modern English speech..乔叟出生于伦敦一家富裕的中产阶级家庭，父亲是酒商兼皮革商。
英国文学史1课件
小姐啊，不要去看水晶明镜里 你那美丽的自我，永远别去看： 在我的身上，我是说在我的心底， 来把你的栩栩如生的映像细瞻。 在我的内心，虽然它很难展现 世俗的眼睛看不见的神圣事物， 你那天国形体的美好理念， 每一部分都永存而不会腐朽。 倘若我心不是因你的残酷 悲伤得暗淡无光，变成了畸形， 那么你美好的映像，你秀丽的面目， 就在我心中清晰得胜过水晶。 你在我心中的自我，你若能看见， 那就请消除使你光辉变暗的根源
丹尼尔-笛福的《鲁滨逊漂流记》采用写实的手法，描写主人公在孤岛上的生活， 塑造了一个资产阶级开拓者和殖民主义者形象，具有时代精神。这部小说被认为是 现实主义小说的创始之作，为笛福赢得“英国小说之父”的称号。
乔纳森-斯威夫特是英国文学史上最伟大的讽刺散文作家，他的文风纯朴平易而有力。 斯威夫特的杰作《格列佛游记》是极具魅力的儿童故事，同时包含着深刻的思想内容。 作者通过对小人国、大人国、飞岛国、慧马国等虚构国度的描写，以理性为尺度， 极其尖锐讽刺和抨击了英国社会各领域的黑暗和罪恶。 塞缪尔-理查逊采用书信体创作了《帕米拉》、《克拉丽莎》。 亨利-菲尔丁的《汤姆-琼斯》故事在乡村、路途及伦敦三个不同背景下展开，向读者 展现了当时英国社会风貌的全景图。 劳伦斯-斯特恩的《项狄传》打破传统期（1700—-1764） 1688年的“光荣革命”推翻复辟王朝，确定了君主立宪制，建立起资产阶级和新 贵族领导的政权，英国从此进入一个相对安定的发展时期。18世纪初，新古典 主义成为时尚。新古典主义推崇理性，强调明晰、对称、节制、优雅，追求艺术 形式的完美与和谐。 亚历山大-蒲柏是新古典主义诗歌的代表，他模仿罗马诗人，诗风精巧隽俏，内容以说 教与讽刺为主，形式多用英雄双韵体，但缺乏深厚感情。 18 世纪英国散文出现繁荣，散文风格基本建立在新古典主义美学原则之上。 塞缪尔-约翰逊是18世纪英国人文主义文学批评的巨擘，《莎士比亚戏剧集》和 《诗人传》是他对文学批评作出的突出贡献。 他的散文风格自成一家，集拉丁散文的典雅、气势与英语的散文的雄健、朴素与一体。 《英语词典》历时七年完成，英语史上第一部标准辞书。
英国文学史及作品选读 Chapter 1
(2) Alfred the Great Known as “the Great.” (849-899) King of the West Saxons (871-899), scholar, and lawmaker who repelled the Danes and helped consolidate England into a unified kingdom. King Alfred’s contribution to English literature: 3 aspects.
of the Anglo-Saxon period. It is the best monument of the Old English pr7. Anglo-Saxon Poetry
The two poetic features of old English poetry: 1. Alliteration: The repetition of the same consonant sounds or of different vowel sounds at the beginning of words or in stressed syllables. 2. Kenning: A figurative, usually compound expression used in place of a name or noun, especially in Old English and Old Norse poetry; for example, “storm of swords” is a kenning for battle and “he whale-road” or “the swan road” for the sea.
英国文学史与选读课件1
British literatureLecture 1About the authors•Social background•Life experience•Point of view (political/ literary)•Poet / novelist / dramatist (playwright) / essayist (prose writer) •Achievement/ contribution•Social status (position)•Representative worksAbout the works•Synopsis (the plots/ stories)•Theme•Characters (heroes/ protagonist/ antagonist)•Social significance/ importance•Artistic features: techniques•figures of speech (修辞)•Simile, metaphor, personification, symbol, irony, paradox, metonymy, synecdoche, overstatement/ understatement , alliteration and so on•Find the definition of the above termsThe period of English Literature•I. Early and Medieval English Literature•II. The English Renaissance (14th-16th century)•III. The Period of Bourgeois Revolution andRestoration (17th C.)•IV. Neoclassical Period--- The Age of Reason andEnlightenment (18th C.)•V. Romantic period( early 19th--- wwII)•VI. Critical Realism ( Victoria Period/ the second halfof the 19th C. )•VII. Modern Period (20 th C.)2. Early and Medieval LiteratureQuestions:1.The literature forms of Anglo-Saxon period?2.what’s the “England national epic”?3. The story of “Beowulf”4. What are the three battles of Beowulf ?5. The definition of “epic”6. The literature forms of Anglo-Norman period?7. What is “romance”?8.The class feature of the RomanceEpic (Heroic Poetry): This term is applied to great and lengthy narrative poems describing some important national enterprise or the adventures of distinguished heroes. (史诗)eg：Homer Odyssey《奥德赛》Dante’s Divine Comedy《十日谈》Milton Paradise Lost《失乐园》Romance: it was a long composition, sometimes in verse, sometimes in prose, describing the life and adventures of a noble hero.Class Feature of the Romance: the theme of loyalty to king and lord was repeatedly emphasized in romances, as loyalty was the corner-stone of feudal morality, without which the whole structure of feudalism would collapse.Sir Gawain and Green Knight 《高文爵士和緑衣骑士》3. ChaucerLife:⏹Born in a middle-classfamily in London⏹Is said to have studied atOxford and Cambridge⏹Became a man of affaires, undertaking various diplomatic missions to the Continent as courtier, diplomat and civil servant⏹Died in 1400,buried in Westminster Abbey, there established the poets’ corner Westminster Abbey (西敏寺)⏹An Abbey of monk on the bank of the Thames. The state church in England.⏹It was destroyed and rebuilt several times.⏹Chaucer w as first buried in the Abbey, then established “Poets’ corner”.⏹It is an honor for a poet or his monument to be buried there.Literary Career:⏹His experience gave him chance to obtain a good knowledge of Latin, French and Italian.⏹Three periods:The first period consists of works translated from French, as “The Romaunt of the Rose”The second consists of works adapted from the Italian, as “Troilus and Criseyde.”(based on Boccacio’s poem Filostrato)The third includes “The Canterbury Tales”, which is purely English.⏹Translator⏹“The father (founder) of English poetry” -- John Dryden⏹“Founder of English realism” -- GorkyThe first short-story teller and first morden poet in E.L.Forerunner of humanismThe City Canterbury⏹Canterbury is a city and metropolitan district in Kent England, and an important Romantown.⏹The capital of the Saxon Kingdom of Kent.The Canterbury Tales 《坎特伯雷故事集》⏹A collection of stories⏹Pilgrim, pilgrimage⏹The Tabard Inn, a tavern in Southwark, near London.⏹A gigantic plan of 124 stories, but only 24 were written.⏹The verse models Boccaccio’s Decameron in formThe Prologue （楔子）⏹A prologue is an introduction or preface, often in verse, to a literary work, esp. a play ⏹The prologue provides a framework for the tales. There is an intimate connection between the tale and the prologue, both complementing each other.The Gneral Prologue (the original version)Whan that Aprill, with his shoures sooteThe droghte of March hath perced to the roote,And bathed every veyne in swich licourOf which vertu engendred is the flour;Whan zephirus eek with his sweete breethInspired hath in every holt and heethThe tendre croppes, and the yonge sonneHath in the Ram his halve cours yronne,And smale foweles maken melodye.Heroic Couplet (Iambic pentameter英雄双韵体⏹A pair of rhymed lines of verse of equal length, in the form of ten syllables and five stresses in each line. It was first used by Chaucer. Its master is Alexander Pope.⏹Alliteration（头韵）An alliterative verse, certain accented words in a line begin the same consonants sound. Alliteration is the opposite of rhyme by which the similar sounds occur at the end of the syllables.Contribution⏹He presents a panoramic picture of English life in the Middle Ages.⏹He brought a realistic tone to English literary creation. All his characters are true to life ⏹He introduced Rhymed stanzas, instead of the old Anglo-Saxon (alliterative verse)⏹He first wrote in the current English form of the time. His poetry is acknowledged as the literary language of the country, which is usually called middle English.The language of Chaucer⏹Middle English --- is closer to Old English, the language of the Anglo-Saxons, and Norman French, the language of William the ConquerorFeatures in Chaucer’s writing⏹Rhymed stanzas of various type⏹Simplicity in characterization⏹Satirical and humorous tone⏹narrativeAbout the prioress⏹Higher orders of the religious group⏹Speaks French-- the aristocratic language⏹Tenderness, pity, gentility⏹Overly concern about her personal appearance ⏹Satiric tone。
《英国文学史》课程教学大纲
《英国文学史》课程教学大纲一.课程教学目标学生通过本课程的学习,在知识方面应对英国文学发展脉络有一个清晰系统地把握,内容主要涉及文学背景,文学思潮,文学流派,文学术语,主要作家作品等；在能力方面经过一个学年的系统学习基本掌握文学欣赏的基本方法,为以后进一步深造或进行学术科学研究打下良好的基础．二课程性质，目的与任务：《英国文学史》是全日制大学本科教育英语专业本科学生的必修课程,是为培养和检验学生英美文学的基本知识和理解、鉴赏英美文学原著的能力而设置的一门专业理论课程.本课程的教学任务和目的是:培养学生阅读、欣赏、理解英语文学原著的能力,掌握文学批评的基本知识和方法,通过阅读和分析英美文学作品,促进学生语言基本功和人文素质的提高,增强学生对西方文学及文化的了解.使学生了解和认知英国文学史上一些较有影响的作家的创作倾向、思想方法、在文学史上的地位和成就以及对本国文学乃至世界所产生的影响等等.在此基础上,使学生了解一些名家的代表作品的思想意义、文学价值、写作手法、语言技巧等,为学生的教学、研究打下基础.三基本要求:本课程要求学生对英国文学形成与发展的全貌有个大概的了解: 了解各个发展时期的文学特色及作家、作品，并通过阅读具有代表性的英国文学作品，理解作品的内容，学会分析作品的艺术特色并努力掌握正确评价文学作品的标准和方法，努力提高语言水平，增强对英美文学原著的理解，特别是对作品中表现的社会生活和人物情感的理解，提高他们对各种形式的文学作品如小说、诗歌、戏剧等阅读能力和鉴赏水平。
大纲内容Part oneⅠ、Aims: The study of this part aims at offering a general knowledge to the students about the important literary forms ﹠the most important writer, Geoffrey Chaucer in this period.Ⅱ、DemandsStudents are required to get acquainted with the general knowledge mainly by the way of self-study.Ⅲ、ContentsA .The Introduction to LiteratureB. Beowulf, the national epic of English PeopleC. Romance, an important literary form which is popular from 11th –14th CenturyD. Ballad, an important literary form which is popular in 15th century.E. Geoffrey Chaucer, the most important writer in this period. IV. Points emphasizedGeoffrey Chaucer and his masterpiece, Canterbury Tales.V. Direction for studyA. Getting acquainted with literature.B. Consulting reference books for the convince of self-study.VI. ExercisesQuestions to be answered.1. What is the theme of Beowulf?2. What are the differences between Romance & Ballad?3. Why is Geoffrey Chaucer considered as the greatest writer in early& medieval English literary period.VII. SummaryThe dearly and medieval English literary period is comparably a less important literary period. The most important issue of this period is something about Geoffrey Chaucer.Part Two. The English RenaissanceI. AimsThe study of this part aims at getting to know something about Renaissance Movement, humanism, Elizabethan drama and William Shakespeare.II. DemandsStudents are required to get acquainted the basic characters of Renaissance literature & master the corresponding part of Elizabethan drama and William Shakespeare.III. ContentsA.Introduction to Renaissance Movement & HumanismB.Elizabethan Prose1.Utopian prose2.Francis Bacon’s essaysC.Elizabethan Poetry1. General introduction to Elizabethan poetry2. Edmund Spenser, the poets’ poetD. Elizabethan Drama1.Introduction to Elizabethan drama2.Introduction to William Shakespeare’s literary career3.The themes in William Shakespeare’s works4.The comedy of William Shakespeare5. The tragedy of William Shakespeare6.The historical plays of William Shakespeare7.The sonnet of William Shakespeare8.Other Elizabethan DramatistsIV. Points emphasizedA. Elizabethan dramaB. William ShakespeareV. Direction for studyA.Read as many works of William Shakespeare as possibleB.Consult the reference books to have a general knowledge on Renaissance literatureVI. Exercises1. What is your understanding of English Renaissance Movement?2. What is your comment on William Shakespeare3.What is your comment on Hamlet?4.What is your comment on The Merchant of Venice?VII. SummaryRenaissance period is one of the most important literary periods in English literary history, which witnesses the prosperity of prose, poetry and drama. Yet Elizabethan drama is the most important literary form in this period, William Shakespeare is the great writers in the world as well as in Great Britain. It is rather necessary for us to have a thorough going study on him.Part Three. The Period of English Bourgeois RevolutionI. AimsThe study of this part aims at providing students with a general knowledge of English revolutionary period & detail information of John Milton & John Bunyan.II. DemandsStudents are required to grasp the main idea of the literary achievement of this century and master the corresponding part to introduce John Milton & John Bunyan.III. ContentsA.Introduction to the two dominant literary thoughts in this period1.Revolutionary spirit2.Anti revolutionary tendencyB.John Milton1.John Milton, the great pamphleteer2.John Milton, the greatest poet3.Paradise Lost, the masterpiece of John MiltonC.John Banyan1.John Banyan, the great prose writer2.Pilgrims Progress, the masterpiece of John MiltonD.Metaphysical poets & Cavalier PoetsIV. Points EmphasizedJohn Milton the great pamphleteer and greatest poetV. Direction for studyA.Getting to know something about English revolutionB.Reading Paradise LostVI. ExercisesQuestions to be answered.1.What is your common on Milton Paradise LostVII. SummaryThe period is comparably less important than other period, and the most significant issue is to master the great achievement of John Milton & masterpiece of him: Paradise Lost.Part Four. The Eighteenth CenturyI. AimsThe study of this part aims at providing students with the knowledge of Enlightenment movement. Neo-classicism and realistic literature.II. DemandsStudents are required to study eighteenth century as an enlightenment century & Enlightenment movement as an intellectual movement but only a literary movement. Realistic literature is the most important literary tread they should master.III. ContentsA.Introduction to Enlightenment movementB.Introduction to Neo-classicism and Alexander PopeC.Brief introduction to Joseph Addison & Richard Steele1.The basic characteristics of 18th century English realistic novel.2.Daniel Defoe & Jonathan Swift3.Detail study of Henry FieldingD.Sentimentalist writers and pre-romanticism writersIV. Points EmphasizedA.Enlightenment MovementB.Realistic novelV. Direction for studyA.Having a comprehensive study of Enlightenment movementB.Reading as many realistic novels in period as possibleVI. ExercisesQuestions to be answered1.What is the influence of 18th century Enlightenment thought on literature2.What are the basic characteristics of 18th century English realistic novel?3.What do we say Henry Fielding is the greatest realistic novelist in 18th century?VII. SummaryEighteenth century is a very important period in English literary history. Enlightenment thought is the dominant literary thought prevailing in the whole century, upon the influence of the Enlightenment thought, there emergesNeo-classicism in poetry and prose, realism in the field of novel. To have a comprehensive study of Enlightenment thought and study realistic literature of this century is of vital importance for students to have a good understanding of this part of literary history in this period.Part Five. Romanticism in EnglandI. AimsThe study of this chapter aims at having a comprehensive understanding of the characters of romanticism and getting acquainted with a group of world famous romantic poets esp. William Wordsworth, Percy Bysshe Shelley, George Gordon Byron & John Keats.II. Demands1. Having a comprehensive study on Romanticism2. Having a detail study of romantic poetsIII. ContentsA. Detail introduction to romanticismB. Detail analysis of Lake poets1. William Wordsworth2. S. T. ColeridgeC. Detail analysis of active romanticists1. Percy Bysshe Shelly2. Gorge Gordon Byron3. John KeatsD. Brief introduction to romantic prose writersE. Brief introduction to Walter ScottIV. Point EmphasizedA. RomanticismB. Romantic poetsV. Direction for studyA. Getting acquainted with romantic literature through the comparison between romantic literature and classical literatureB. Reading as many romantic poems created in this period as possibleVI. Exercises1. Why does romantic poetry become popular in early 19th century?2. How can we appreciate a piece of poem?3. What’s your comment on bake poets4. What’s your comment on William Wordsworth?VII. SummaryThe part is one of another most important literary period in English period. The great achievement in this period lives in the poetic field. To study romantic poetry is the most important task of the students.Part Six. English Critical RealismI. AimsThe study of this part aims at cultivating the ability of students to appreciates, analysis the mot complex literary form, novel.II. RemandsStudents are asked to have a clear knowledge of realistic tradition in 18th century and have the solid foundation of English language.II. ContentsA. Introduction to critical realismB. Charles Dickens, the greatest critical realism writer1. A panoramic description of the English society in 19th century.2. Bitter criticism on all social evils3. Basic characteristics of his novel4. Detail analysis his representative worksC. William Makepeace ThackerayD. Women novelist1. Bronte sisters2. Mrs. Gaskell3. George EliotIV. Points EmphasizedA. The comprehensive understanding of critical RealismB. A comprehensive study of Charles DickensV. Direction for studyA. Making comparison between 18th century English realism and critical realismB. Reading as many critical realism novels as possibleVI. ExercisesA. Questions to be answered1. What is critical realism2.What’s your comment on Charles Dickens children images3. What are the similarities and difference of 18th century realistic novel and 19thcentury critical realism novel4. How do you understand the image of Jane Eyre in Charlotte Bronte’ Jane Ey re?B. Essay writing: writing an essay on Charles DickensVII. SummaryCritical realism represents the greatest achievement of English writers in English literary history. The novels of Charles Dickens give a panoramic description of the social condition at that time in the second half of 19th century. All critical realism writer have made painstaking efforts to enable English literature achieve her maturity. To have a thorough-gong study of critical realism literature is of great significant to the students.Part Seven. Prose writers and Poet of the mid and late 19th centuryI. AimsThe study of this part aims at providing students with general knowledge of prose writers and detail information of Victorian Poets.II. DemandsStudents are requirement to make full use of the textbook and all kinds of information channels to get acquainted with Victorian literature.II. ContentsA. Introduction to Victorian periodB. General survey on prose writerC. Detail Analysis of Victorian poets1. Tennysona. Tennyso n’s life and careerb. “In Memoriam”c. “The Idylls of the king”2. The Browning’sa. Browning’s early life careerb. Elizabeth Barrett (Mrs. Browning)c. Browning’s Main Achievement in poetryd. Browning’s short lyricsD. General survey on literary trends at the end of the century1. Naturalism2. Neo-romanticism3. AestheticismIV. Points EmphasizedVictorian PoetsV. Direction for studyA. Consult as many reference books as possibleB. Read short lyrics of Victorian writersVI. Exercises1. What is Browning’s main achievement in poetry2. What is naturalism?3. What is your comment on aestheticism?VII. SummaryThe period is notable main because of the literary and social criticism represent by Carlyle Ruskin. The development of English poetry, of course, did not stop. New poets appeared who wrote poems under the influence of their romantic predecessors and did much to perfect the form of English poetry. Another significant literary phenomenon appeared in the end of this period is the arising of new literary trends especially the appearance of naturalism and aestheticism.Part Eight Twentieth Century English LiteratureI. AimsThe study of this part aims at providing students with clear idea about Modernism literature and the new characters of realistic literature in 20th century.II. DemandsStudents are required to have a comprehensive study of modernism literature and master the new techniques wired by modernist writers.III. ContentsA. General introduction to English novels in 20th century.B. Thomas Hardy1. Life and work2. “Tess of the D’UrbervillesC. The Irish Dramatic movement:Bernard ShawD. Modernism in poetry1. Imagism Movement2. W.B. Yeats3.T.S. EliotE. The Psychological Fiction1. Introduction psychological fiction2. D.H. Lawrence3. The stream of Consciousness school of novela. James Joyceb. Virginia WoolfIV. Points emphasizedModern literatureV. Direction for studyA. Read as many works of modernist writer as possibleB. Get acquainted with new techniques of modernist writersVI. Exercises1. What is modernism2. What is your comment on imagist movement3. What is your comment on stream of conscious novels?4. How do you understand D.H Lawrence’s new relation ship between man and woman?VII. SummaryThis period is one of the most important literary periods in English literary history. We can find from the works of realistic writers in this period the inheritance of the literary tradition of the last century and also the arising of new literary trend of modernism. Modernism literature is the most important literary achievement of 20th century and we can find the best refection of modernism from the works of D.H Lawrence, James Joyce and Virginia Woolf.六、课程的有关说明本大纲是依据1999年国家教育部批准实施的高等教育英语专业英语教学大纲并且依据本系办学特点及学生实际情况而编写的.本课程大纲的教学对象是师范本科英语专业三年级学生。
- 1、下载文档前请自行甄别文档内容的完整性，平台不提供额外的编辑、内容补充、找答案等附加服务。
- 2、"仅部分预览"的文档,不可在线预览部分如存在完整性等问题,可反馈申请退款(可完整预览的文档不适用该条件!)。
- 3、如文档侵犯您的权益，请联系客服反馈,我们会尽快为您处理(人工客服工作时间：9:00-18:30)。
Introduction Literature in the widest sense is just about anything written. But in the more specialized sense, it is the art that uses language as a medium. Literature contains fiction and non-fiction. Under fiction there are four genres: novels, short stories, plays, and poems. Fiction is referred to as creative or figurative expression of life. Non-fiction is called a literal expression of life or discursive writing. Non-fiction is essay, which has traditionally been classified into 4 categories: description, narration, exposition and argumentation. Literature helps us to better understand the nature of the real. And it also makes us readers take delight in the way that the work has been constructed, take delight in the performance in words. Literature offers both pleasure and illumination. It enriches our lives and increases our capacities for understanding and comprehension. For the first-level readers, literature is read for emotional satisfaction, for excitement as well as for entertainment. For the second-level readers, literature is read for its didactic function. Advanced readers of literature have a distinctive concern over matters beyond didacticism. They look for “how it is said”. In other words, sophisticated readers do not allow themselves to be passively manipulated by either moving plots or fascinating characters. Instead, they have an awareness of how authors manipulate readers, of what the mode of narration is, of whom the speaker is and what the benefit of the choice is. For them, Literature can be read as rhetoric and philology. Readers at this level are also aware of artistic weakness. They even read texts closely as texts and do not move into the general context of human experience or history. The aim in teaching literature is to encourage a confrontation with actual works of art and to demonstrate how literature is a particular organization of language. Literature is always inward pointing. There is no way of knowing a work of literature unless we go to other parts of the work. Literature has its own specific laws, structures, and devices. To understand works of literature is like appreciating a bridge. It is important to know its elements, to know how the component parts are put together to make the whole. Being familiarity with technical vocabulary does not guarantee that one will understand and enjoy fiction. There is no substitute for careful reading, thinking about one’s response, and rereading the text, looking for evidence that supports the initial responses or that will lead to richer or different ones. To sum up, one must be inside and outside of the work. This course aims at introducing the background of English literature, and the famous writers and works in English literature, focusing on the style of the writers and the characteristics of their works. A Survey of English Literature by Chang Yaoxin and Selected Readings in American Literature by Wang Shouren are course books. When studying this course, students are required to prepare a notebook and take notes of the important information given by the teacher. Besides, students are required to read some selected readings and discuss some questions given by the teacher. Furthermore, students are required to read two novels given by the teacher and hand in a book report, and a paper with no less than 1000 words. And students are required to do some homework including some exercises on the internet and preview. Grade of this course includes the grade of daily performance (50%) and the grade of final examination (50%). The grade of daily performance will be given according to the following items: in-class behavior (20%), including previewing, taking notes, question-answering and presentation; homework (20%); book report and paper (20%); mid-term examination (20%); attendance (20%). Lecture 1 The Old English Period and the Middle English Period Ⅰ Teaching Content The history of England in the Old English Period and Middle English period; literature in the Old English Period and Middle English period
Ⅱ Time Allotment 2 periods Ⅲ Teaching Objectives and Requirements 1 Help the students know about the history and characteristics of literature in the Old English Period and Middle English Period. 2 Help the students know about Beowulf and its significance. 3 Help the students know clearly about Geoffrey Chaucer and his work The Canterbury Tales.