Part IEarly English LiteratureWord文件下载.docx

1、A general view 1. The old English Literature is almost a verse literature in oral form. 2. There are two groups of poetry: pagan and Christian. 3. Prose appeared in the 8th century. Religious/Christian poetry Caedmon:凯德蒙- The first Anglo-Saxon poet, the first known religious poet of England, known a

2、s the father of English song lived in the 7th century - works: Paraphrase 演释曲 Cynewulf:琴湼武甫 -Another representative figure in the Anglo-Saxon literature lived in the 9th Century - works: The Christ 基督2. Pagan poetry Beowulf: 贝奥武甫The representative of the Anglo-Saxon literature, the national epic of

3、the English people, a folk legend brought to England from Northern Europe, written down in the10th C, the most important work of the Old English literatureEpic: A long verse narrative on a serious subject, told in a formal and elevated style, and centered on a heroic or quasi-divine figure on whose

4、actions depends the fate of a tribe, a nation, or the human race. Eg. “Iliad”, “Odyssey”, “Paradise Lost”. The Song of BeowulfCharacters: Beowulf: nephew of Hygelac Hygelac: king of Geats in Jutland Hrothgar: king of the Danes Grendel: a monster Plot:Beowulfs fight with the monster Grendel in Hrothg

5、ars hallBeowulfs slaying of Grendels mother in her lairBeowulfs return in glory to his uncle, and his succession to the throneBeowulfs victory in death, fifty years later, over the fire dragonArtistic features 1.The use of alliteration 2The use of metaphors and understatements3. The mixture of pagan

6、 and Christian elementsAlliteration: a rhetorical device, meaning some words in a sentence begin with the same consonant sound.Metaphor: a way of describing sth. by saying that it is like sth. Understatements: 轻描淡写/有节制的描述expressing something in a controlled way. It is a typical way for Englishmen to

7、 express their ideas. Giving an impression of reserve and a tinge of ironic humorPart II The Anglo-Norman Period（1066-1350）（The Middle English Period/ Medieval Age）1. General Background 2.The Middle English Literature 3. Some Knowledge of English PoetryGeneral Background 1. The Norman Conquest 1066,

8、 the Battle of Hasting, William the ConquerorMarks the establishment of feudalism in England Normansmasters Saxonsservants2. Its Influence on English language。By the end of 14th century, English and French intermingled, English was once more the dominant speech, but greatly changed.The structure rem

9、ained, common words retained, French words entered3.Influence on English literatureThere were different literary forms: romance, popular literature. The literature was a combination of French and AngloSaxon elementsII The Middle English LiteratureRomance Geoffrey Chaucer Popular literatureRomance: t

10、he most prevalent kind of literature in feudal England. The literature for the upper class. A long composition, sometimes in verse, sometimes in prose, describing the life and adventures of a noble heroknight.Knight: a special group of people existed in the Middle Age in Europe. Nearly all nobles we

11、re knights. However, nobody was born a knight. One nobleman who wants to be a knight must experience hard training and then king will give him knighthood.The Romance Cycles Matter of France: Emperor Charlemagne and his peers Matter of Rome: Alexander the Great, the Fall of Troy and so forth Matter o

12、f Britain: King Arthur and his knights of the round tableKing Arthur A legendary British leader who, according to medieval histories and romances, led the defense of Britain against the Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthurs story are mainly composed of folklore and literary

13、 invention, and his historical existence is debated and disputed by modern historians. He gathered a company of knights in his castle at Camelot. Conflicts between his knights led to his creating of the famous “round table” at which all would have equal precedence. English wished to see their monarc

14、h as something other than a remote dictator and it has gradually bind the monarch into a more democratic system.Sir Gawain and the Green Knight The best Arthurian romance, anonymous, in alliterative verse Its characters : King Arthur, Sir Gawain, the Green KnightSome Knowledge of English Poetry1. Ty

15、pes of poetry:Narrative poetry: 叙事诗（ Epic 史诗Dramatic poem 戏剧诗 Metrical tale 故事诗Ballad 民谣）Lyric:抒情诗（Ode 颂诗 Elegy 挽歌 Idyll 田园诗 Love poem 爱情诗）Didactic poetry 说理诗 Burlesque 滑稽讽刺诗 Parody 模仿讽刺诗2.versification 韵律Stanza：诗的一段 a unit of lines related Line：诗行Foot 音步: a unit of poetic meter of stressed or unstr

16、essed syllable 一个轻重音节的组合。每行中音步数大致相同，也有不同的情况。Monometer Diameter Trimeter Tetrameter pentameterMeter韵律/节拍/格: formal rhythm in lines of verse. the verse line is divided into feet which contain different rhythms and stresses. Meter is the regular pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables.Iambic 抑扬格 -

17、 /, / I saw the sky descending black and whitetrochaic扬抑格 / -, / Let her live to earn her dinner.Anapest抑抑扬 - - /, / There are many who say a dog has his day.Dactyl扬扬抑 / / -, / / Take her up tenderlyMeter + foot= metrical rhythm/versificationE.g.: As soon as April pieces into the root Iambic pentame

18、ter 五步抑扬格 - / - / - / - / -/ / / / / /Foot is not to be confused with meter, though the names of feet end with “-meter”. Meter is based on syllables, indicating how stressed and unstressed syllables are arranged. Foot is applied with a single line, indicating how many meters are employed in that lin

19、e1.Rhyme 韵脚: two or more words with the same sound, e.g. love and dove2.押韵的条件：3.重读音节的元音应相同：there, share, where4.它前面的辅音应不同：5.它后面如有辅音应相同：right, knight, flight6.它后面如有轻读音节应相同：wonder, blunderGeoffrey Chaucer （1340-1400）Life Literary career The Canterbury Tales ContributionsChaucers position in English li

20、terature1. He was born into a wine merchant family in London.2. At 17, he became a page in a noblemans household3. At 19, he went to France with the English army and was imprisoned.4. He was married to a maid of honor to the queen at 26.5. At 27 he entered the service of the king. 6. From 1372-1373

21、he went to Italy on diplomatic missions7. In 1374, he was made controller of customs in London8. He was even made MP for Kent in 1386.9. He died in 1400 10. He was buried in Westminster Abbeythe Poets CornerChaucers active career as courtier, soldier, diplomat, and civil servant provided him not onl

22、y with knowledge but also experiences which accounted for the wide range of his writings.Literary career 1.The French period （1360s1372）Under the influence of French poetry, he translated many French works and also familiarized with writings in Latin esp. Virgil and Ovid.Works: The Romaunt of the Ro

23、se 玫瑰的故事2. The Italian period （13721385） a. He immersed himself in the works of Dante, Petrarch and Boccaccio.b. Here he wrote Troilus and Criseyde, 特罗勒斯与克丽西德, the first modern novel, which also became the subject of Shakespeare and Dryden3.The Mature period/English period （13851400）. Free from any

24、foreign influence, he has his own choice of subject, own grasp of character and his own diction and plot. The Canterbury Tales 坎特伯雷故事集The Canterbury TalesChaucers masterpiece, one of the monumental works in English literatureSubject matter p.43 The prologue p. 44-5 Provides a framework for the whole

25、 poemSocial significance p. 44-5the function of the Prologue to The Canterbury Tales1.The Prologue provides a framework for the tales. It contains a group of vivid sketches of typical medieval figures. All classes of the English feudal society, except the royalty and the poorest peasant, are represe

26、nted by these thirty pilgrims. 2.It is no exaggeration to say that the Prologue supplies a miniature of the English society of Chaucers time. Looking at his word-pictures, we know at once how people lived in that era. That is why Chaucer has been called “the founder of English realism”. 3.On the oth

27、er hand , there is also an intimate connection between the tales and the Prologue, both complement each other.Metical rhythm of “The Canterbury Tales ” As soon as April pieces to the root - / - / - / - / - / The drought of March, and bathes each bud and shoot - / - / - / - / - / Through every vein o

28、f sap with gentle showers From whose engendering liquor spring the flowers Iambic pentameter 五步抑扬格 正当四月里甘甜的春雨 渗透了三月里干枯的根须 沐浴了茎络，唤起了生机 使鲜花盛开，清香缕缕 当西风以自己温暖的气息 在每一个树林，每一片荒地，唤起一个个嫩芽新枝 当青春的太阳在白羊宫里 已经走过一半的路程 小鸟们彻夜不眠，吟唱歌曲 大自然在他们心里弹奏旋律 这是人们都立愿前去 向远处的圣地进香朝礼Chaucers contribution to English Literature He intro

29、duced from Italy and France the rhymed stanza of various types, esp. the “heroic couplet ”to English poetry, to replace the old Anglo-Saxon alliterative verse. He was the first great poet who wrote in English language （Middle English）, thus establishing English as the literary language. He did much in making the London dialect the foundation for modern English languageHeroic couplet: the rhymed couplet of iambic pentame