英美文学教程笔记.docx
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英美文学教程笔记
EnglishLiterature
ChapterOne
EnglishLiteratureintheMiddleAge(5th-15th)
Mainpoints:
I.BackgroundinformationoftheAnglo-Saxonperiod.
II.LiterarycharacteristicsoftheAnglo-Saxonperiod.
III.BackgroundinformationoftheAnglo-Normanperiod.
IV.LiterarycharacteristicsoftheAnglo-Normanperiod.
V.ImportantliteraryworksandmenoflettersoftheAnglo-Normanperiod.
VI.GeoffreyChaucer
I.BackgroundinformationoftheAnglo-Saxonperiod
Theperiodcanberoughlydividedintotwostages:
theAnglo-SaxonperiodandtheAnglo-Normanperiod.
1.Themakingofthenation.
1.1Theinhabitantsofthenation
ThenativeCelts凯尔特人(theyinhabitinwhatisnowIreland,WalesandScotland)-------theRomanConquest(thisconquestwasledbyJuliusCaesarin55B.C.,whichlasted4centuries,butitmadelittleinfluenceonthenation’sliterature)-------theAnglo-SaxonConquestinabout449bythreeTeutonictribes条顿部落---theAnglos,theSaxons,theJutes.
TheAnglo-SaxonswereChristianizedinthe7thcentury,whichinfluencedtheliteratureintwoaspects:
oneisthegreatnumberofChristianpoetrywhichformsanimportantpartofEnglishliteratureofthisperiod;theotherisChristiancolorinpaganworks,forthemonksrecordedtheoralliteraturewiththeirChristianideas.(Theideasusuallydonotgowiththecontentofthewholebeing.)
1.2Thelanguage
Inthe7th,thethreetribesmixedintoawholepeoplecalledEnglishandthelanguagespokenbythemisgenerallycalledAnglo-Saxon,thatistheOldEnglish.
II.LiterarycharacteristicsoftheAnglo-Saxonperiod.
Themainliteraryformoftheperiodispoetryandtherearetwogroups:
paganpoetryandreligiouspoetry,andoftenChristianone.
ThemostimportantworksleftisBeowulf《贝奥武甫》or《贝尔武夫》
TheintroductiontoBeowulf
ItistheearliestcompleteepicinEnglishliteratureanditisregardedasthenationalepicoftheEnglishpeople.
-----Definitionofepicornationalepic史诗:
itisapoeticaccountofthedeedsofoneormoregreatheroes,orofanation’spasthistory.
-----3182lines,twopartswithaninterpolationbetweenthetwo.
-----Thethemeofthepoem:
Beowulfisoneofthenation’sheroesoftheEnglishpeople.Withthedescriptionsofhisheroicdeeds,thesongreflectseventstakingplaceontheScandinavianpeninsulaatthebeginningofthe7thcentury.
-----Thesignificanceofthepoem:
Thestoryrepresents1)thefightoftheancientpeopleagainstbeastsandnaturalforces(e.g.flood,volcano);2)itreflectsthefeaturesoftribalsocietyofancienttime;3)Beowulf’sdeedspresentstheidealvirtuesofancientAnglo-Saxons.(courage,prowess,devotiontohispeople)
-----Characteristicsofthepoem:
analliterativeverse头韵体诗歌;paganinspiritandmatter,yetwithvisibleChristianmarks.
III.BackgroundinformationoftheAnglo-Normanperiod.
3.1TheNormanConquest
ThebeginningoftheAnglo-NormanperiodismarkedbytheNormanConquestin1066.TheinfluencesoftheconquestontheEnglishsocietyare:
1)thenationturnedfromthetribalsocietytothefeudalsociety;2)theconquestbroughtforthenationFrenchcivilizationandtheFrenchlanguage.
3.2Thelanguage
Atfirst,FrenchwasthelanguageoftheupperclassortheoppressorandOldEnglishwasthelanguageoftheoppressed.ThenOldEnglishwascombinedwithFrenchtoformanewlanguage----MiddleEnglish
IV.LiterarycharacteristicsoftheAnglo-Normanperiod
Themainliteraryformsoftheperiodarepoetryandprose.(romanceintheformofprose)
Literarycharacteristics
------中古英诗呈现法国诗风与英格兰本土传统交融的情景。
诗歌韵体上,一方面受法国诗歌的影响,出现以音韵为特征的诗歌e.g.Chaucer’sCanterburytales,一方面保留古英语的头韵体诗歌e.g.SirGawainandtheGreenKnight
------poeticforms:
A.romance传奇whichwasbroughtfromFrancetoEngland,wasaboutthebright,romantictalesofloveandadventuresoftheknights.(P18)
B.Ballad民谣:
(definition)BalladisakindofEnglishfolkliterature.Itisastorytoldinsongs,usuallyin4-linestanzas,withthe2ndandthe4thlinesrhymed.ItportraysthecharactersfromthelowerclassandgivesanoutlookofthelifeofthecommonpeopleinfeudalEngland.(P51)
e.g.the“RobinHood”group
V.ImportantliteraryworksandmenoflettersoftheAnglo-Normanperiod.
------SirGawainandtheGreenKnight,themostimportantamongtheKingArthur’scircle.(P18)
Itisabouttheadventuresandromanticloveofaknight,SirGawain.Andtheknightrepresentstheidealvirtuesadvocatedinthefeudalsociety---courage,devotiontohiskingandalsohisbelovedlady;thisromancealsogivesavividaccountofthecourtlifeatthattime;
------Piers,thePlowmanbyWilliamLangland朗格兰
Itisareligiousallegory.
------GeoffreyChaucer乔叟
VI.GeoffreyChaucer
Heisregardedas“fatherofEnglishpoetry”,andoneofthegreatestnarrativepoetsinEngland.(P41)AsawriterlivinginthetransitionalperiodwhenEnglandturnedfromfeudalsocietytocapitalism,hisworksrevealsfaithfullythelifeandthethoughtsofhistime.(heeulogizestheidealsofchivalrousEnglandontheonehand,andontheotherhand,hesanghighlyoftheRenaissancespirits)
6.1Abouttheauthor
A.Chaucerwasborninabout1340inafamilyofarichmerchantandservedaspagetoacountess,whichprovidedwithhimachanceofgettinginclosetieswiththecourtandnobility.
B.In1359heaccompaniedtheEnglisharmytoFranceandin1367hewassentonseveralembassiestoFrance.ThisexperiencehelpedhimgetinacquaintanceswithFrenchrenaissance.(imitatemewformsofpoetrywriting,translateFrenchworks)
C.In1367hewassentonseveralembassiestoFlanders,FranceandItaly,hethengotinacquaintanceswithItalianrenaissance.(Dante但丁,Boccaccio卜伽丘,Petrarch彼得拉克)
D.Thepoetdiedin1400andwasburiedinWestminsterAbbey,thusfoundingthe“Poets’Corner”.
6.2Chaucer’smainworks(P42)
masterpiece:
TheCanterburyTales
6.3TheCanterburyTales
------Itisoneofthemostfamousworksinallliteratures.Inarrangingthepoem,heimitatestheframeworkofBoccaccio’sDecamenon《十日谈》:
ageneralprologue+24taleswithinterlogues.(P43)
------SignificanceofTheCanterburyTales
A.Chaucercreatedabrilliantandpicturesquepanoramaofhistimeandhiscountry.Inthisbook,heportrayedcharactersfromallwalksoflifeandmadethemtellstoriesthatrevealedthelife,mannersandthoughtsofpeoplefromdifferentsocialclasses.
B.Asahumanist,heeulogizedhumanistideas.Hebelievedintherightsofmantoearthlyhappiness.Hewaskeentopraiseman’senergy,intellect,quickwitandtheloveforlife.
C.ChaucerintroducedfromFrancetherhymedstanzaofvarioustypestoreplacetheOldEnglishalliterativeverse.HewasthefirsttoemployskillfullyheroiccoupletsinEnglishpoeticwriting.
D.Hecoveredallthemajortypesofmedievalliteratureinhismasterpiece,suchasromances,folktales,animalstories.
E.ChauceralsocontributedgreatlytothefoundingofEnglishliterarylanguage,thebasisofwhichwasformedbytheLondondialect,soprofoundlyusedbythepoet.
------Appreciationpfthe“generalPrologue”(P43)
ChapterTwo
EnglishLiteratureintheRenaissance
Mainpoints:
I.Historicalbackgroundoftheperiod
II.FeaturesofEnglishRenaissance
III.Importantliterarymenandliteraryworks
IV.ChristopherMarloweandWilliamShakespeare
I.Historicalbackgroundoftheperiod
The16thcenturyinEnglandwasaperiodofthebreakingupoffeudalrelationsandtheestablishingofthefoundationsofcapitalism.
A.Economically,theperiodwitnessedtheprogressofbourgeoiseconomywhichwasstimulatedbytheEnclosuremovement.(圈地运动)
B.Scientifically,itwasatimeofnewdiscoveriesingeographyandastrology.(哥伦布发现新大陆,哥白尼的“太阳中心说”)Thediscoveryofnewlandledtothedevelopmentofoverseastrade.Thenewideasaboutthecentreoftheworldarousedsuspiciononmedievalreligion.
CThereligiousandpoliticalreforminEnglandortheconsolidationofsecularandecclesiasticalpowerunderoneKinggreatlyfurtheredthestrengtheningofEnglishmonarchy.
D.Inliteratureandarts,therewasakeeninterestintherediscoveredancientGreekandRomanculturewithareassertionofman’spositionasthecentreoftheuniverse.Alsotheintroductionofprintingintheturningofthecenturymadereadingpopular,whichhelpedthespreadofnewideasamongthepopulace.
II.FeaturesofEnglishRenaissance
------Thedefinitionortheterm
Renaissance:
ThetermRenaissanceoriginallyindicatesarevivalorrebirthofancientGreekandRomanartsandsciencesafterthedarkagesofmedievalobscurantism.Indeed,agreatnumberoftheworksofclassicalauthorsweretranslatedintoEnglishduringthe16thcentury.Thestudyandpropagationofclassicallearningandartwascarriedonbytheprogressivethinkersofthehumanists.Theyheldtheirchiefinterestnotinecclesiasticalknowledge,butinman,hisenvironmentanddoingsandbravelyfoughtfortheemancipationofmanfromthetyrannyofthechurchandreligiousdogmas.
------TwokeyfeaturesofRenaissance
A.Thehumanistsshowedathirstingcuriosityforclassicalliterature.TherearousedageneralofthestudyofGreekandLatinauthors.(e.g.translatingtheirworks,modelingtheirliteraryforms,borrowingtheirsubjects)
B.Theyhadakeeninterestinlifeandhumanactivities.Forthefirsttime,manisconsideredasthecentreoftheuniverse.TheinterestinGodandinthelifeafterdeathistransformedintotheexaltationofmanandanabsorptioninearthlylife.
III.Importantliterarymenandliteraryworks
3.1Literaryformsoftheperiod
A.poetry,lyricalpoetryandnarrative/epicpoetry
B.prose,literarycriticworksandessays
C