The LiteratureAmerica文档格式.docx

1、 they were read aloud in family circle （hence “fireside poets”） Longfellow was the most technically accomplished of the grou1William Bradford and John Winthrop Something they had in common:a. Works noted for their simplicity and honesty.b. Works written, not from literary ambition, but from a sense

2、of the need to record important events in permanent form.c. Works of literary excellence through a direct and vigorous prose styled. Both being governors.（p.7）2. John Cotton and Roger WilliamsCotton: spokesman of Massachusetts “the patriarch of New England”. Primary influence was through the altar/p

3、ulpit more authoritativeWilliams: educated in law/distinctly Puritan more democratic/exiled to Rhode IslandWith him began the history of religious toleration in America; and the history of the separation of church and state. （P.10）3. Anne Bradstreet and Edward TaylorBradstreet: born in England/ a me

4、mber of the gentry/her brother-in-law making her first works published The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung Up in America （1650）（moving ly conveyed her feelings concerning religion and her family）She reveals a complex emotional life in her poetry, a life much bound by the assumptions and attitudes of coloni

5、al Puritanism.Her poetry is in a plain style, controlled in tone and mood, and precise in poetic statement4. Edward Taylor the best of the Puritan poets Born inn England Emigrated to Massachusetts in 1668 His poetry is late baroque（结构复杂、形象奇特而又 模糊） in style. He wrote lyrics that showed his delight in

6、 Christian belief and experience.Most of his works treated religious themes, with many poems based directly on the Psalms.Literature of Revolution （1） （1763 1810） The historical background: （pp. 14-15） Theology and politics were two important subjects in early American writing. The writers held vita

7、lly important places in the movement for American independence. By the mid-18th century, “state” began to replace “colony” an important sign of political trend. The War of Independence Literary activities were growing.Background: Enlightenment movement（P.16）（a term used to describe a literary and ph

8、ilosophical movement in Europe between 1660 and 1770. In England it is sometimes referred to as “the Age of Reason.”The age was characterized by a profound faith in the powers of human reason and a devotion to clarity of thought, to harmony, proportion and balance. It flourished in France. Its purpo

9、se was to enlighten the whole world with the light of modern philosophical and artistic ideas. The englighteners celebrated reason or rationality, equality and science. Writers characteristic :clarity and precision The American enlighteners opposed themselves to the old colonial order and religious

10、obscurantism. They disseminated knowledge and advocated revolutionary ideas. American Enlightenment dealt a decisive blow upon the puritan traditions and brought to life secular education and literature. The secular ideals of the American Enlightenment were exemplified in the life and career of Benj

11、amin Franklin.17th C. Am.Lit was primarily religious,18th C. Am. Lit. was political. Although Am. Lit. did not achieve full maturity in the 18th century, its scope was at least widened. 1st magazines in 1741 Public Occurrences, 1st Am. newspaper, 1690 （just for reference）Thomas paine great commoner

12、of mankind, Franklin recommend him “an ingenious worthy young man” The most articulate spokesman or pamphleteer of Am. Revolution Came to US with the help B. Franklin Indicted for treason and forced to take refuge in FranceWork Common Sense （1776）: it called for independence. It displays Paines grea

13、t genius for memorable phrases and emotion-packed language. The American Crisis （1776 1783）: it is his chief contribution to Am. Revolution and Am. Lit. The Age of Reason （ 1794）: it is about religion.The American Crisis Style: （The habitual manner of expression of an author. An authors style is the

14、 product of choices, made consciously or unconsciously, about elements such as organization, diction, imagery, pace, and even certain recurring themes or subjects.）Paines style He possessed the gift of using key words and phrases which had a magnetic effect upon those who read them. He could electri

15、fy（stimulate or excite sb. suddenly） his audience with the written words. The essays were written in a simple, clear, and forceful style. He wrote with urgency, excitement, and bold simplicity. He was a master of rhetorician（雄辩家）. His arguments were cruelly simple, his presentation of issues blandly

16、（平淡无奇的） elementary.Thomas Jefferson Drafting committee of Declaration of Independence （P35）: John Adams, Franklin, Roger Sherman, Robert R. Livingston and Thomas Jefferson. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, they they are endowed by their Creator with certain u

17、nalienable Rights: that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.”Washiongton irving First great belletrist纯文学的/ first great prose stylist of Am. Romanticism,Father of Am. short story His contribution to Am lit is unique in more than one way:1） One of the first Am. writers to earn

18、an international reputation; the one Am author Europeans knew about. 2） the short story as a genre in Am Lit probably began with his The Sketch Book. always wrote for pleasure and to produce pleasure.（p.60） work History of New York （1809）, a satire Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. （1820） his fi

19、nest and most typical book, an international success.Rip Van Winkle 瑞普 凡 温克尔, widely recognized as the first modern short story, demonstrated for the first time the immense artistic achievement possible in short fiction and set a high standard for subsequent American short-story writers.Legend of Sl

20、eepy Hollow 睡谷的传说Basic Element:Plot Def.: the sequence of events in a story and their relation to one another. Structure:（Aristotle:b, m, e）: exposition: provides the background info we need describes the setting 1） time 2） place introduce major characters and situation character Flat : simple, one-

21、dimensional, unsurprising, and usually unchanging or static Round : complex, full, described in detail, often contradictory, and usually dynamic, or changing in some way during the story.plot conflict: the struggle between opposing forces in a plot. Types of conflict: 1） man against man 2） man again

22、st nature 3） man against himself Rising action:the dramatization of events that complicate the situation and gradually intensify the conflict. Climax: the turning point of the story, its emotional high point. Falling Action: the fourth stage of the narration where the conflict proceeds toward resolu

23、tion. Denouement: the conclusion/resolution of the plot, in which the falling action is brought to a close and the outcome or outcomes of the climax are presented to the reader.The legend of sleepy hollow The plot of the story Character: （any person who plays a part in a narrative. ） Ichabod Crane B

24、rom Van Brunt （ Brom Bones） Katrina Van Tassel For the first time in Am. Lit there is, in the characterization of Brom Bones, the figure of the frontiersman so important to Am. Lit and Am. Popular culture: physically imposing, self-confident, rough and ready, untutored but endowed with great natural

25、 virtues.Irving s story characteristics In his most successful stories Irving combined the striking incident pattern of folktale, the polished language and engaging authorial persona of familiar essays, and the closely observed detail of descriptive sketches; in his best work his pervasive humor mut

26、es （weakens） his sentimentality and his frequent striving after Gothic effects.James cooper First Am novelist Began his literary career on a dare His fame rests on his frontier stories Known as “the American Scott” Sir Walter Scott: Scottish novelist,poet, criticwork The Spy 1821 间谍 The Pilot 1823 领

27、航者 The Leatherstocking Tales 皮裹腿故事集 The Pioneers 1823 拓荒者 The Last of the Mohicans 1826 最后的莫希干人 The Prairie 1827大草原 The Pathfinder 1840 探路者 The Deerslayer 1841 杀鹿者Natty Bumppo The central figure in his novels Goes by various names Deerslayer Pathfinder Hawkeyeachievement He invented the spy novel wi

28、th The Spy, which brought him the international fame. He is credited with having invented the Western in The Leatherstocking Tales and the sea adventure with The Pilot. His ability to tell tales of romance and adventure in convincingly often beautifully described settings won him a devoted readershi

29、p and earned a title “the American Scott”. He was credited with early American developments of international theme, the theme of the Puritan conscience, the family saga （家事小说）, the utopian and dystopian（非理想化的） novel, and the series novel. He stands at the headwaters of the American tradition of fiction. He contributed signi