英国文学 17世纪.docx

英国文学 17世纪.docx

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英国文学17世纪

PartThree

TheSeventeenthCentury

（1640-1688）

Chapter1:

RevolutionandRestoration

一、SocialBackground

The17thcenturywasoneofthemosttempestuousperiodsinEnglishhistory.ConflictsandclashesappearedbetweentheKingandtheParliament,whichrepresentedthebourgeoisclass.

In1642,acivilwar（Englishrevolution）brokeoutbetweenCharlesIandtheparliament.Atlast,theroyalistsweredefeatedbytheparliamentarmyledbyOliverCromwell（1599-1658）.In1649Charles

（1600–1625–1649）wasbeheaded,andEnglandwasdeclaredtobeacommonwealth.

AfterthedeathofCromwell,theparliamentrecalledCharlesII（1630–1660–1685）toEnglandin1660andmonarchywasrestored,andthenfollowedtheRestorationPeriod.

In1688,thebourgeoisieinviteWilliam,princeofOrange（1650–1689–1702）fromHollandtobekingofEngland.Thisiscalledthe“GloriousRevolution”.ThisbloodlesseventcompletedthebourgeoisierevolutionandmodernEnglandwasfirmlyestablished.

二、TheEnglishRevolutionandPuritanism

TheEnglishrevolutionwascarriedoutunderareligiouscloak.So,EnglishrevolutionalsocalledthePuritanrevolution.ThePuritanMovementaimedtomakemanhonestandtomakemanfree.

Puritanismwasthereligiousdoctrineoftherevolutionarybourgeoisieduringthisperiod.Itpreachedthrift,sobriety,hardwork,butwithverylittleextravagantenjoymentofthefruitsoflabor.Worldlypleasureswerecondemnedasharmful.Thiswaspreciselytheoutlookneededbythebourgeoisiefortheaccumulationofcapital.SointhetriumphofPuritanismunderCromwell,severelawswerepassed,manysimplepleasureswereforbiddenandanausterestandardoflivingwasforceduponanunwillingpeople.TheLondontheaterswereclosedin1642.

ThecriticismismadethatthewildoutbreakofimmortalitywhichfollowedtheRestorationwaspartlyduetotheunnaturalrestrictionofthePuritanera.Thecriticismwasjustbutwemustnotforgetthewholespiritofthemovement.Puritansfoughtforlibertyandjusticeoverthrewdespotismandmademen’slifeandpropertysafefromthetyrannyofrulers.

三、Literatureofthe17thcentury

Englishliteratureoftherevolutionandrestorationwasverymuchconcernedwiththetremendoussocialupheavalsofthetime.

1.LiteratureoftheRevolutionPeriod

Generalcharacteristics

①TheRevolutionPeriodwasoneofconfusioninliteratureduetothebreakingupoftheoldideals.ThePuritansbelievedinsimplicityoflife.Theydisapprovedofthesonnetsandthelovepoetrywritteninthepreviousperiod.Literaturewasasdividedinspiritaswerethestrugglingparties.

②LiteratureinthePuritanAgeexpressedageandsadness.Evenitsbrightesthourswerefollowedbygloomandpessimism.

③RomanticardorcannotbefoundinliteratureofthePuritanperiod.

④JohnMilton（1608-1674）,whoseworkwouldglorifyanyageandpeople,andinhisworktheindomitablerevolutionaryspiritfounditsnoblestexpression.Forthisreason,thisperiodisalsocalledAgeofMilton．

⑤Themainliteraryformoftheperiodwaspoetry．BesidesMilton,thereweretwoothergroupsofpoets,theMetaphysicalPoetsandtheCavalierPoets.

1）MetaphysicalPoets

TheMetaphysicalPoetsappearedinEnglandataboutthebeginningofthe17thcentury.Theysoughttoshattermythsandreplacethemwithnewphilosophies,newsciences,newworldandnewpoetry.Witharebelliousspirit,theyfavoredinpoetryamorecolloquiallanguage,asinglemindedworkingofonetheme.Besides,theytendedtologicallyreasonthethings,esp.emotions,psychologicallyanalyzetheemotionsofloveandreligion,lovethenoveltyandtheshocking,usethemetaphysicalconceits,andignoretheconventionaldevices.Theworksofthesepoetsarecharacterizedbymysticismincontentandfantasticalityinform.

2）CavalierPoets

AnotherschoolofpoetryprevailingintheperiodwastheCavalierPoets.Mostofthesepoetswerecourtiersandsoldiers.Theysidedwiththekingtofightagainsttherevolution.TherepresentativesofthisschoolareSirJohnSuckling（1609-1642）,RichardLovelace（1618-1657）,ThomasCarew（1595-1639）,andRobertHerrick（1591-1674）.

2.LiteratureoftheRestoration

RestorationliteratureisdeeplyinfluencedbyFrenchclassicaltaste.ItisaperiodofFrenchinfluence.

Generalcharacteristics

①Thetendencytovulgarrealisminthedrama.Restorationwriterssoughttopaintrealisticpicturesofacorruptsociety.

②Ageneralformalism.Theyproducedcoarse,lowplayswithoutinterestormoralsignificance.

③Thedevelopmentofasimplerandmoredirectprosestyle.

④Theprevalenceoftheheroiccouplet（twoiambicpentameterlineswhichrimetogether）inpoetry.

Chapter2:

Writersinthisperiod

一、JohnMilton（1608-1674）

1.Lifeandliterarycareer

MiltonwasborninLondonin1608.HiseducationbeganatSt.Paul'sschool,thenhewentontodistinguishhimselfatCambridgeUniversity,wherehegraduatedB.A.in1629,andM.A.in1632.HisfirstworkisanodeOntheMorningofChrist’sNativity（1629）.

AfterleavingCambridge,heretiredfornearlysixyearstohisfather'scountryhouseinHorton,wherehedevotedhistimechieflytofurthermasteryofthewholerangeoflanguages,literature,science,theology,andmusic.Duringthisperiod,MiltonwroteL’Allegro（1632）,IlPenseroso（1632）,Lycidas（1638）,Comus（1634）.

In1638heleftEnglandtocompletehiseducationwithtwoyearsoftravelinEurope,France,SwitzerlandandItaly.Whenhereturnedhomein1639,Englandwasonthevergeofacivilwar.Hesoonplungedhimselfintothestruggleandgaveallhisenergiestothewritingofpamphletsdedicatedtothepeople’sliberty.

MiltonwasmarriedtoMaryPowellinJune1642,butthemarriageprovedtoanunhappyone.SoforseveralyearsMiltonissuedpamphletsinwhichhearguedthatallEnglishmenshouldhavetherighttogetadivorce.In1644,hepublishedAreopagitica,asadeclarationofpeople’sfreedomfrompress.

AftertheRevolutionsucceeded,MiltonbecameLatinSecretarytothecouncilofForeignAffairsin1649.HewroteanumberofpamphletsdefendingtheEnglishrevolution,suchasDefenceoftheEnglishPeople（1651）,andSecondDefenceoftheEnglishPeople（1654）.UntiltheendoftheCommonwealth,thereweretwoleadersinEngland,Cromwellthemanofaction,andMiltonthemanofthought.

Miltonwentblindin1652,doubtlesslyduetothesevereeyestrainbroughtonbyceaselessreadingandLatincomposition.WiththeRestorationofthemonarchyin1660,Miltonnotonlywasconfronted,butalsowasimprisonedandthreatenedwithexecution.Throughtheinterventionofsomefriendswhocarriedsomeinfluencewiththenewroyalgovernment,Miltonwasletoffwithafineandsomelossofproperty.Shortlyafterward,livinginblindnessandvirtualseclusionfromallbutthemembersofhisimmediatefamily,MiltonbeganhismasterpieceParadiseLost.BeforehisdeathMiltonpublishedtwootherworksonagrandscale,ParadiseRegainedandSamsonAgonistes.Bothappearedin1671;neitherisassuccessfulasParadiseLost.Miltondiedin1674.

2.MajorWorks

OntheMorningofChrist’sNativity《基督诞生晨颂》（1629）

L’Allegro《快乐的人》（1632）

IlPenseroso《沉思的人》（1632）

Comus《科玛斯》（1634）

Lycidas《利西达斯》（1638）

Areopagitica《论出版自由》（1644）

DefenceoftheEnglishPeople《为英国人民辩护》（1651）

SecondDefenceoftheEnglishPeople《为英国人民再辩护》（1654）

ParadiseLost《失乐园》（1665）

ParadiseRegained《复乐园》（1671）

SamsonAgonistes《力士参孙》（1671）

3.AboutParadiseLost

1）BriefSurvey

ParadiseLostisMilton'smasterpiece,andthegreatestEnglishepic.Itisalongepicin12books,writteninblankverse.ThestoriesweretakenfromtheOldTestament:

thecreation;therebellioninHeavenofSatanandhisfellow-angels;theirdefeatandexpulsionfromHeaven;thecreationoftheearthandofAdamandEve;thefallenangelsinhellplottingagainstGod;Satan'stemptationofEve;thedepartureofAdamandEvefromEden;andthepossiblesalvation.

2）ThemeandCharacterization

Thepoem,onthesurface,was"tojustifythewaysofGodtoman",i.e.topreachsubmissiontotheAlmighty.Butunderthesurface,themainideaofthepoemistheheroicrevoltagainstGod'sauthority.

InthepoemGodisnobetterthanaselfishdespot.IthasbeennotedbymanycriticsthatthepictureofGodsurroundedbyhisangelsresemblesthecourtofanabsolutemonarch.WhiletherebelSatanwhorisesagainstGodand,thoughdefeated,stillseeksforrevenge.SatanandhisfollowerswhofreelydiscussallissuesincouncilbearcloseresemblancetoarepublicanParliament.Thisepicexpressesthereactionaryforcesofhistimeandshowspassionateappealforfreedom.

ThethemeisalsoaboutthefallofMen:

man’sdisobedienceandthelossofParadise.Buthavingdoneit,AdamandEvegetfreedom.TheyembodyMilton'sbeliefinthepowersofman.TheircravingforknowledgedeniedthembyGod,asMiltonstresses,addsaparticularsignificancetotheircharacter.Itisthislongingforknowledgethatopensbeforemankindawideroadtoanintelligentandactivelife.

WhatmakesParadiseLostapowerfulpoemispreciselythewayinwhichtheBiblicalpastispulledintothepresentinanintriguingway.Runningthroughthepoemarethekeypoliticalquestionsoffreedomandchoice.FromtheperspectiveofSatanandhisfollowers,rebellionagainstGodwasinevitable.Therevoltmayhavefailed,butithasleftthemtheirfreedom.Thefinalimageofthepoemisprofoundlyforward-looking,animageofgainthroughloss.AsAdamandEvegohandinhandoutofEden,thelossofParadiseisseenasthegainofafutureforhumanityonearth.

3）TheImageofSatan

ThefinestthinginParadiseLostisthedescriptionofhell,andSatanisthereal