英国文学名词解释综合版

英国文学名词解释综合版
名词解释：
1, Humanism: a variety of ethical theory and practice that emphasizes reason, scientific inqu iry, and human fulfillment in the natural world and often rejects the importance of belief in God. It fo-
cuses on human values and concerns, attaching prime importance to human rather than divine o r supernatural matters. 人道主义
2, Renaissance: the period of European history at the close of the Middle Ages and the rise o f the modern world; a cultural rebirth from the 14th through the middle of the 17th centuries. Th e renaissance was a cultural movement that profoundly affected European intellectual life in the early modern period. Beginning in Italy, and spreading to the rest of Europe by the 16th century, its influence was felt in literature, philosophy, art, music, politics, science, religion, and other asp ects of intellectual inquiry. Renaissance scholars employed the humanist method in study, and se arched for realism and human emotion in art. 文艺复兴3, Spenserian stanza: a fixed verse form invented by Edmund Spenser for his epic poem The Fae-
rie Queene. Each stanza contains nine lines in total: eight lines in iambic pentameter followed by a single 'Alexandrine' line in iambic hexameter The rhyme scheme of these lines is "ababbcbcc." 斯宾塞第二节诗
4, Metaphysical poets: The metaphysical poets is a term coined by the poet and critic Samu el Johnson to describe a loose group of British lyric poets of the 17th century, whose work was ch aracterized by the inventive use of conceits, and by
speculation about topics such as love or religi on. 玄学诗5, Lake Poets: The Lake Poets are a group of English poets who all lived in the Lake District o f Eng-
land at the turn of the nineteenth century. The three main figures of what has become known as the Lakes School are William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and Robert Southey 湖畔诗
6, Beowulf: It is the oldest poem in the English language and the most important specimen o f Anglo-Saxon literature. The main stories are based on the folk legends of the primitive northern tribes. It is a pagan poem, which presents us an all-round picture of the tribal society. 贝奥武甫
7, Byronic hero: The Byronic hero is a variant of the Romantic hero as a type of character, na med after the English Romantic poet Lord Byron. a man proud, moody, cynical, with defiance on his brow, and misery in his heart, a scorner of his kind, implacable in revenge, yet capable of dee p and strong affection 拜伦式英雄8, Romanticism: Romanticism is a literary and artistic movement, which prevailed in England from 1798 to 1832. It is concerned with the expression of the individual's feeling and emotions a nd stressed strong emotion as a resource of aesthetic experience.浪漫主义
9, Ode: a lyrical verse written in praise of, or dedicated to someone or something which cap tures the poet's interest or serves as an inspiration for the ode. 颂诗,赋
(有特殊主题,多为歌颂特定人物或事的抒情诗)
O~ to the West Wind.
西风颂
(雪莱(Shelley) 的诗)
O~ on a Grecian Urn.
希腊古瓮之歌
(济慈(Keats) 的诗)
10, University Wits: The University Wits were a group of late 16th century English playwrigh ts who were educated at the universities and who became playwrights and popular secular write rs. Prominent members of this group were Christopher Marlowe, Robert Greene, and Thomas Na she from Cambridge, and John Lyly, Thomas Lodge, George Peele from Oxford. 大学才子
11, Sentimentalism: Sentimentalism stresses on material senses as being spiritual and/or co nsid-
ers soul to be material, thus anything done on sentimental level is more or less materialistic ra-ther than spiritual/transcendental. 情感主义
12, Alliteration: Alliteration refers to the repetition of a particular sound in the first syllables of a series of words or phrases. Alliteration has developed largely through poetry, in which it mor e narrowly refers to the repetition of a consonant in any syllables that, according to the poem's meter, are stressed. Alliteration is commonly used in many languages, especially in poetry. 头韵
13,Glorious Revolution: the name of the overthrow of King James II of England (James VII of Scot-
land and James II of Ireland) by a union of English Parliamentarians with the Dutch stadtholder W illiam III of Orange-Nassau (William of Orange). William's successful invasion of England with a D utch fleet and army led to his ascending the English throne as William III of England jointly with hi s wife Mary II of England. In 1688, William of orange landed at torbay and marched upon London . This takeover was smooth,
with neither bloodshed, nor any execution of the King, which becam e known as the glorious revolution. 光荣革命
14, Norman Conquest: the invasion and conquest of England by an army of Normans and Fr ench led by Duke William II of Normandy. William, who defeated King Harold II of England on 14 Octo-
ber 1066 at the Battle of Hastings, was crowned as king on Christmas Day 1066. He then consoli-dated his control over England and settled many of his followers in England, introducing a numbe r of governmental and societal changes to medieval England. 诺曼征服
15, Ballad: A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularl y characteristic of the popular poetry and song of the British Isles from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many ballads were written and sold as single sheet broadsides. The form was often used by poets and composers from the 18th century onwards to produce lyrical ballads. In the lat er 19th century it took on the meaning of a slow form of popular love song and the term is now often used as synonymous with any love song, particularly the pop or rock power ballad. 歌谣
16 .Free verse : Free verse has no overall rhyme scheme, nor basic meter informing the whole poem. Ezra pound advised poets to compose in the sequence of the musical phrase, not in the sequence of the metronome. Charles Olson advised poets t compose by listening to their own breath. Walt Whitman created an impressive rhythm by accumulation: keeping writing long lines of approximately the same length and causing the pause to recur at about the same interval after each line. 自由体诗
17. Open form, Free verse, Prose Poem
问答题：
1. Humanism was a study first done in the renaissance. instead of learning only about god and rel igion, people, for the first time, started to just think about ourselves as people characteristics of humanism include anatomy, classicism, nature, realism, reason and learning, religion, individual-ism, youth, and perspective.
2, Sonnet 18 theme of man and the natural world. On one level, Sonnet 18 is clearly concerned w ith the relationship between man and the eventual, inescapable death he’ll encounter in nature. On another level, the poet also seems fascinated by the relationship between seasonal weather a nd personal, internal "weather" and balance. Sonnet 18 Theme of Literature and Writing Like mu ch of Sh akespeare’s work, Sonnet 18 is all about writing and expressing one’s self through lan-guage. This is, at its clearest, a poem about the power of the written word over death, fate, and possibly even love. Sonnet 18 Theme of Time The speaker of Sonnet 18 is absolutely fixated on fa te and mortality, but believes he’s come up with an effective time machine: poetry. Sonnet 18 is addressed to a friend, not to a woman Shakespeare compares his friendship to a summer's day . Friendship is unlike summer not changing and it is everlasting. Friendship is like a mild and eter-nal summer.
3 movement of Romanticism
The historical issues and developments of the time played a major role in provoking and shap-ing the new literary movement of Romanticism. The Industrial Revolution, its urbanization of Eng lish life, and its abuses against the working class called for a change in literary concerns and style. The basis aims of
romanticism were various: a return to nature and to belief in the goodness of man; the rediscovery of the artist as a supremely individual creator; the exaltation of senses and emotions over reason and intellect.
4， Charlotte Bronte
In this novel, Charlotte Bronte pours a great deal of her own experiences, such as the life at Lo-wood School and life as a governess. One of the central themes of the book is the criticism of th e bourgeois system of education. Another problem raised by Charlotte in the novel is the posi-tion of woman in society. Jane Eyre is an orphan child with a fiery spirit and a longing to love and be loved. She is poor and plain but she dares to love her master, a man superior to her in many w ays. As a little governess, she is brave enough to declare to the man her love for him. She cuts a c ompletely new women image. She represents those middle-class working women who are strug-gling for recognition of their basic rights and equality as a human being.
5，
metaphysical poetry——complex, highly intellectual verse filled with intricate and far-fetched m etaphors. John Donne is considered the greatest of the metaphysical poets.
6 Swift's prose
Another important feature of Swift's prose is that he uses the common touch. In other words, ev erybody can understand his language that is why even children can read his books with so much enjoyment. Also, Swift addresses people as rational and political beings, making them his equals. Swift wrote in a very plain and downright style. He didn't use any embellishment. At times, when Swift was writing serious stuff this same plain style appears dry but when writing humorously, thi s same plainness
gives his wit a singular edge. Swift didn't use ornate or rhetorical language.
7 the general relation of Normans and Saxons
After the Norman Conquest, the general relation of Normans and Saxons was that of master and servant. One of the most striking manifestations of the supremacy of the conquerors was to be s een in the language. The Norman lords spoke French, while their English subjects retained their o ld tongue. For a long time the scholar wrote in Latin and the courtier in French. There was al-most no written literature in English for a time. Chronicles and religious poems were in Latin. Ro mances, the prominent kind of literature in the Anglo-Norman period, were at first all in French. By the end of the fourteenth century, when Normans and English intermingled, English was once more the dominant speech in the country. But now it became something different from the old A
nglo-Saxon. The structure of the language remained English, and the common words were almos t all retained, though often somewhat modified in form. But many terms employed by the Nor-mans were adopted into the English language.
8 The character Shylock, in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice
The character Shylock, in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, is portrayed as a beastly monstr osity, with a lust for Antonio's life. Shylock is clearly a villain in the sense that he takes repeatedl y takes advantage of people in vulnerable economic situations and makes a handsome living in th is way. He is not an inherently likable character throughout “The Merchant of Venice” by Shakes peare; he avoids friendships, he is cranky, and he is steadfast in his beliefs to the point of being ri gid. Shylock
is also a man who is unreasonable and self-thinking, demanding Shylock is a man wh o is hardly likable in all aspects throughout “The Merchant of Venic e”.
9 Robinson Crusoe is one of the protagonists drawn most successfully in English novels. Through his characterization of Crusoe, Defoe describes him as a hero struggling against nature and hu-man fate with an indomitable will, and highly praises his creative labor, physical and mental, an a llusion to the glorification of the bourgeois creativity when it was a rising and more energetic clas s in the initial stage of its historical development.
10 In Shakespeare's Hamlet, a ghost tells Hamlet that his uncle, Claudius, is responsible for the d eath of his father. Hamlet is driven to reveal the truth of his father's death and seeks to avenge h is murder to achieve justice. In his quest to right the wrongdoing, Hamlet delays acting toward ju stice for many reasons. The main factor for Hamlet's hesitation is attributed to his self-discipline. He lacks of ability to act on his emotions. Hamlet is an intelligent, moral, and reserved character. He restrains himself to act rationally and not on emotion. This hesitation is a tragic flaw for Ham-let, but in order to resolve the truth, it is necessary. Hamlet has doubts about the validity of the g host; he is too rational a character to seek revenge on Claudius based on a conversation with a su pernatural spirit. He is unsure whether it was his father's ghost, or some evil deity trying to trick him.英国文学问答题
1.Shakespeare:
Questions:
1. Why sleep is so frightening, according to Hamlet, since it can “end” the heartache and the thousand natural shocks”?
2. Why would people rather hear all the sufferings of the world instead choosing death to get rid of them, according to Hamlet?
3. What, after all, makes people lose their determination to take action? Please explain in relation to the so-called hesitation of Hamlet.
4. What does Romeo compare Juliet to in the beginning passage of the selection?
5. What is Romeo and Juliet’s attitude toward being a Montague or a Capulet?
6.What does Romeo mean when he says “Look thou but sweet, /And I am proof against their e nmity”?
7.What’s your understanding on the utterance “to be or not be”?
8. Briefly comment on the characteristics of Hamlet’s personality.
9.When were Shakespeare’s major tragedies written? What did he write about in his tragedies?
Answers for reference:
1. Nobody can predict what he will dream of after he falls asleep.
2.Death is so mysterious that nobody knows what death will bring to us. Maybe bitter sufferings, great pains, heartbreaking stories…
3.1) Conscience and over-considerations. 2) He wants to revenge, but doesn’t know
how; 2) He wants to kill his uncle, but find it too risky; 3) He lives in despair and wants to commit suicide, 4)however, he knows if he dies, nobody will comfort his father’s ghost. He is in face of great dilemma.
4. Sun.
5. They would give up their names for love’s sake.
6. Only if you are kind to me, their hatred cannot hurt me.
7. “To be or not to be” means to live or end one’s life by self-destruction. Hamlet has already spoken of suicide as a means of escape, and he dwells on it in a later part of this very speech, giving however a different reason for refraining. The notion that in the words “or not to be ”he is speculating on the possibility of “something after death”---whether there is a future life –cannot be entertained for a moment. The whole drift of the speech shows his belief in a future life. Practically the whole speech has become proverbial as an outpouring of utter worldly weariness.
8. Hamlet is the typical of humanists under the pen of Shakespeare, who is characteristic of the perfection and perseverance in personality embodied in the Renaissance superman. As Ophelia tells us that he had been the ideal Renaissance prince___ a soldier, scholar, courtier, “the glass of fashion and the mold of form.” But since his father died and his mother hastily remarried, there is transition in his character. He was in the state of depression, melancholy and delay of revenging. Why? Because he realizes, as a humanist, what his real duty lies in. So he pretended to be mad, melancholy, depressed and slow in action. By large, he is very sensitive,
resourceful and has his own ideas, and the essence of his revenging his father is not for himself or for the bloody family feuds and hatred but lies in punishing the social corruptions, the wrongs, praising the good, and setting it right. As humanist himself he is all alone, detaching himself from the mass, which is the major reason why he failed himself.
9. Shakespeare’s main tragedies were written during the period of gloom and depression, which dated from 1600 to 1607.
Shakespeare’s great tragedies are associated with a period of gloom and sorrow in his life. During this period, England witnessed a general unrest, and social contradictions became very sharp. What caused the wri ter’s personal sadness is unknown to us. It is generally attributed to the political misfortune of his friend and patron, Earl of Essex, who was killed by the queen.
10.What was the keynote of the Renaissance? Can you define it?
Answer: Humanism was the keynote of the Renaissance, reflecting the new outlook of the rising bourgeois class. The humanists advocated the emancipation of man, tried to have the new evaluation of man and his powers, fought for equality and justice and opposed feudal tyranny and religious obstinacy.
11.What are Shakespeare’s four great comedies and four great tragedies?
Answer: The four great comedies: A Midsummer Night’s Dream As You Like it
The Merchant of Venice Twelfth Night The four great tragedies: Hamlet Othello King Lear Macbeth 12.What is the theme of Shakespeare’s So nnet 18?
Answer: Only literature (“eternal lines”, “this”) can contend with time, and literature is created by man, so in the final analysis, this poem glorifies man’s greatness and immortality, which is a feature of the Renaissance Period.
2.Bacon:
13.According to Bacon, what studies chiefly serve for?
14.According to Bacon, what are the disadvantages of
studies?
15.According to Bacon, what is the relationship between studies and life experiences?
16.According to Bacon, different people have different attitudes toward studies, please name some.
17.According to Bacon, what way should we have toward studies?
18.According to Bacon, how studies exert influence over human character?
19.Please list at least 4 major works written by Francis Bacon.
Answers:
13.Studies serve 1)for delight, 2)for ornament, and3) for ability. Their chief use for delight, is in
privateness and retiring; for ornament, is in discourse; and for ability, is in the judgement and disposition of business. (3points)
14.1)To spend too much time in studies is sloth; 2)to use them too much for ornament, is
affectation; 3) to make judgement wholly by their rules, is the humour of a scholar. (3points) 15.1)Studies perfect nature, and are perfectec by experience: 2)for natural abilities are like natural plants, that need pruning by study; 3)and studies themselves do give forth directions too much at large, except they be bounded in by experience. (3points)
16.1)Crafty men contemn studies, 2)simple men admire them, and 3)wise men use them; 4)for they teach not their own use;
5)but that is a wisdom without them, and above them, won by observation.(3points)
17.1)Read not to contradict and confute;2) nor to believe and take for granted; 3)nor to find talk and discourse;4) but to weigh
and consider. (3points)
18.1)Histories make men wise; 2)poets witty; 3)the mathematics subtile; 4)natural philosophy deep; 5)moral grave;
6)logic and rhetoric able to contend. Abeunt studia in morse. (3points)
19.1)Advancement of Learning, 1605; 2)New Instrument,1620; 3)New Atlantis, 1626; 4)Essays, 1625.(3points)
3.Jane Austen:
Questions:
20. Why do you think of Mrs.Bennet? How can you characterize her?
21. What do you known about Jane Austen’s writing style?
Answers for reference:
20. 1) She is mean, her only care is to marry her daughter to rich young men ; 2) She is simple and foolish, even cannot understand her husband’s ironical words. 3) She loves her daughter , though she doesn’t understand them ,but what she do is only for their happiness rather than herself.
21. 1) keen observation of society around her , good ear for conversation, use of mild, irony and penetrating analysis.2)Style, clarity, economy, skillful dialogue, tight plotting, simple and clear. 3）Readers can find sth of themselves, comfort, tranquility, escape in her novels.
22.Tell the story of Pride and Prejudice.
Answer: Bingley, a rich bachelor, takes Netherfield Park, and brings there his friend Darcy. Bingley falls in love with Jane, and Darcy is attracted to her next sister Elizabeth, but offends her by his proud behavior. He proposes to her but is rejected. Her prejudice against him increases as more misunderstanding arises. After many twists and turns, however, things are cleared up, and
the two couples are happily united.
23.In Jane Austen’s surroundings, what were the only important issues in life?
Answer: In Jane Austen’s surroundings, marriage, inheritance of property and maintenance of social prestige were the only important issues in life.
24. O n what issues were Jane Austen’s novels centered?
Answer: Her novels were centered on such issues as marriage, inheritance of property and maintenance of social prestige.
25. From what book is the following paragraph taken? Who wrote it?
“Elizabeth, feel ing all the more than common awkwardness and anxiety of his situation, now forced herself to speak; and immediately, though not very fluently, gave him to understand that her sentiments had undergone so material a change, since the period to which he alluded, as to make her receive with gratitude and pleasure his present assurances. The happiness which this reply produced, was such as he had probably never felt before; and he expressed himself on the occasion as sensibly and as warmly as a man violently in love can be
supposed to do. Had Elizabeth been able to encounter his eye, she might have seen how well the expression of heartfelt delight, diffused over his face, became him; but, though she could not look, she could listen, and he told her of feelings, which, in proving of what importance she was to him, made his affection every moment more valuable.”
Answer: It is taken from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.
26. Who said the following? From what book is it taken?
“I cannot give you credit for any philosophy of the kind. Your retrospections must be so totally void of reproach, that the
contentment arising from them is not of philosophy, but, what is much better, of innocence. But with me, it is not so. Painful recollections will intrude which cannot, which ought not, to be repelled. I have been a selfish being all my life, in practice, though not in principle. As a child I was taught what was right, but I was not taught to correct my temper. I was given good principles, but left to follow them in pride and conceit. Unfortunately an only son (for many years an only child), I was spoilt by my parents, who, though good themselves (my father, particularly, all that was benevolent and amiable), allowed, encouraged, almost taught me to be selfish and overbearing; to care for none beyond my own family circle; to think meanly of all the rest of the world; to wish at least to think meanly of their sense and worth compared with my own. Such I was, from eight to eight and twenty; and such I might still have been but for you, dearest, loveliest Elizabeth! What do I not owe you! You taught me a lesson, hard indeed at first, but most advantageous. By you, I was properly humbled. I came to you without a doubt of my reception. You showed me how insufficient were all my pretensions to please a woman worthy of being pleased.”
Answer: It was said by Darcy. It is taken from Pride and Prejudice.
27. D o you agree with the statement “it is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife”? Why?
Answer: To make the statement really true, it would be better to omit “in possession of a good fortune”. The original statement actually is only the wishful thinking of Mrs. Bennet and is rather ironically amusing. Marriage and money have no relationship at all. We cannot define a man by his possession of
fortune; marriage is something really holy and people marry because they fall in love with each other, not with money
4.Charlotte Bronte:
Questions:
28.What’s the theme in Jane Eyre?
29.Please show your understanding on the love between Jane Eyre and Mr Rochester . Answers for reference:
28.1) Jane Eyre is not only a love story; 2) it is also a plea for the recognition of the
individual’s worth and 3) sex equality that Women attempt t o assert their own identity within the male-dominated society.
29.Though poor and plain, Jane Eyre, who had a strong will of life, tried hard to get her
rights of equality. She left the man very much who was about 20 years older than she and richer. She just wanted him to treat her equally. She was great because her love made disillusioned Rochester happy again. Mr. Rochester was a man full of life’s misery, yet he loved Jane truly and respected her very much. That’s why he got her love.
30.Why does Jane Eyre decide to stay with Mr. Rochester?
Answer: She has always loved him. She doesn’t really want to marry St John. She once left Mr. Rochester because he was already married to Bertha, not because she stopped loving him. The call she hears at the window of “Jane! Jane!” makes her think Rochester is in trouble, so she goes back to find him.
31.Tell the story of Jane Eyre.
Answer: Jane becomes a governess for Rochester, who falls in love with her, and she with him. They are about to be married when Jane, learning that Rochester has a wife, a lunatic, flees from the house. She is taken in and cared for by Rev. Rivers.
Meanwhile, a great misfortune befalls Rochester: he loses his sight during a fire in the house, set by his mad wife. Hearing that Rochester is penniless and disabled, Jane Eyre hurries to him and becomes his wife.
32.Why is Jane Eyre so popular?
Answer: The heroine is plain and poor; the heroine is the first female character to claim the right to feel strongly about her emotions and act on her convictions; such a psychologically complex heroine had never been created before.
33. Who said the following? From what book is it taken?
“Cruel, cruel deserter! Oh, Jane, what did I feel when I discovered you had fled from Thornfield, and when I could nowhere find you; and, after examining your apartment, ascertained that you had taken no money, nor anything which could serve as an equivalent! A pearl necklace I had given you lay untouched in its little casket; your trunks were left corded and locked as they had been prepared for the bridal tour. What could my darling do, I asked, left destitute and penniless? And what did she do? Let me hear now.”
Answer: It was said by Mr. Rochester. It is taken from Jane Eyre.
5.Charles Dickens:
Questions:
34. How do you understand Pip’s so called “Great Expectation”?
35. Please explain the reason that Great Expectation is a so-called bildungsroman or growth novel.
Answers for reference:
(简略版)
34.1) W hen he was young,he wanted to become a
blacksmith like Joe, his brother in law. 2)
When he met Havisham and fell in love with Estella, his expectations changed: to raise his social status and become a gentleman,get a better education and then marry Estella. 3) When Pip discovered that his benefactor was in fact a co nvict, his “great expectation” turned out to be bubble, beautif ul but transient. Pip finally realized the money and social status is not the most important thing in life. W hat’s important is love and loyalty. M an's true value has nothing to do with his money and status.
35.It is the novel of the growth and development of the hero Pip. There is absence of parents
for Pip who is raised by his sister and brother-in-law; As a gentleman, Pip condescends people of lower class, losing sight of the generous, kind aspect of being a gentleman; He is tested and drawn to destructive love etc.
36.Tell the story of the excerpt from Great Expectations you have read.
Answer: One night, a familiar figure comes into Pip’s room –- the convict Magwitch, who surprises Pip by saying that he, not Miss Havisham, is the source of Pip’s fortun e. He tells Pip that he was so moved by Pip’ boyhood kindness that he had dedicated his life to making Pip a gentleman, and made a fortune in Australia for that very purpose. Magwitch is caught and sentenced to death, and Pip loses his fortune.
37.What is the theme of the excerpt from Great Expectations you have read?
Answer: Affection, loyalty, and conscience were considered more important than social advancement and wealth
38.From what book is the following paragraph taken? Who。