英美文学教程笔记

English Literature
Chapter One
English Literature in the Middle Age (5 th -15th )
Main points:
I.Background information of the Anglo-Saxon period.
II.Literary characteristics of the Anglo-Saxon period.
III.Background information of the Anglo-Norman period.
IV.Literary characteristics of the Anglo-Norman period.
V.Important literary works and men of letters of the Anglo-Norman period.
VI.Geoffrey Chaucer
I . Background information of the Anglo-Saxon period
The period can be roughly divided into two stages: the Anglo-Saxon period and the Anglo-Norman period.
1.The making of the nation.
1.1The inhabitants of the nation
The native Celts 凯尔特人 (they inhabit in what is now Ireland, Wales and Scotland ) ------ the Roman Conquest ( this conquest was led by Julius Caesar in 55B.C., which lasted 4 centuries, but it made little influence on the nation 's literature ) the Anglo-Saxon Conquest in about 449 by
three Teutonic tribes 条顿部落 --- the Anglos, the Saxons, the Jutes.
The Anglo-Saxons were Christianized in the 7th century, which influenced the literature in two aspects: one is the great number of Christian poetry which forms an important part of English literature of this period; the other is Christian color in pagan works, for the monks recorded the oral literature with their Christian ideas. (The ideas usually do not go with the content of the whole being.)
1.2The language
In the 7 th, the three tribes mixed into a whole people called English and the language spoken by them is generally called Anglo-Saxon, that is the Old English.
II.Literary characteristics of the Anglo-Saxon period.
The main literary form of the period is poetry and there are two groups: pagan poetry and religious poetry, and often Christian one.
The most important works left is Beowulf《贝奥武甫》or《贝尔武夫》
The introduction to Beowulf
It is the earliest complete epic in English literature and it is regarded as the national epic of the English people.
-- Definition of epic or national epic 史诗: it is a poetic account of the deeds of one or more
great heroes, or of a nation's past history.
-- 3182 lines, two parts with an interpolation between the two.
-- The theme of the poem: Beowulf is one of the nation 's heroes of the English people. With the descriptions of his heroic deeds, the song reflects events taking place on the Scandinavian peninsula at the beginning of the 7th century.
-- The significance of the poem: The story represents 1) the fight of the ancient people against beasts and natural forces ( e.g. flood, volcano ); 2) it reflects the features of tribal
society of ancient time; 3)Beowulf 'sdeeds presents the ideal virtues of ancient Anglo-
Saxons.( courage,
prowess, devotion to his people )
Characteristics of the poem: an alliterative verse 头韵体诗歌 ; pagan in spirit and matter,
yet with visible Christian marks.
III.Background information of the Anglo-Norman period.
3.1The Norman Conquest
The beginning of the Anglo-Norman period is marked by the Norman Conquest in 1066. The influences of the conquest on the English society are: 1) the nation turned from the tribal society to the feudal society; 2) the conquest brought for the nation French civilization and the French language.
3.2The language
At first, French was the language of the upper class or the oppressor and Old English was the language of the oppressed. Then Old English was combined with French to form a new language Middle English
IV.Literary characteristics of the Anglo-Norman period
The main literary forms of the period are poetry and prose. ( romance in the form of prose ) Literary characteristics
-- 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's Canterbury tales, 一方面保留古英语的头韵体诗歌 e.g. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
-- poetic forms: A. romance 传奇 which was brought from France to England, was about the bright, romantic tales of love and adventures of the knights.(P18)
B.Ballad 民谣: ( definition ) Ballad is a kind of English folk literature. It
is a story told in songs, usually in 4-line stanzas, with the 2 nd and the
4th lines rhymed. It portrays the characters from the lower class and gives
an outlook of the life of the common people in feudal England.(P51)
e.g. the “Robin Hood ”group
V.Important literary works and men of letters of the Anglo-Norman period.
-- Sir Gawain and the Green Knight , the most important among the King Arthur 's circle.(P18) It is about the adventures and romantic love of a knight, Sir Gawain. And the knight
represents the ideal virtues advocated in the feudal society --- courage, devotion to his king and also his beloved lady; this romance also gives a vivid account of the court life at that time;
-- Piers, the Plowman by William Langland 朗格兰
It is a religious allegory.
-- Geoffrey Chaucer 乔叟
VI.Geoffrey Chaucer
He is regarded as “father of English poetry”, and one of the greatest narrative poets in England.(P41) As a writer living in the transitional period when England turned from feudal society to capitalism, his works reveals faithfully the life and the thoughts of his
time.(he eulogizes the ideals of chivalrous England on the one hand, and on the other hand, he sang highly of the Renaissance spirits)
6.1About the author
A.Chaucer was born in about 1340 in a family of a rich merchant and served as page to a countess, which provided with him a chance of getting in close ties with the court and nobility.
B.In 1359 he accompanied the English army to France and in 1367 he was sent on several
embassies to France. This experience helped him get in acquaintances with French renaissance.
(imitate mew forms of poetry writing, translate French works)
C.In 1367 he was sent on several embassies to Flanders, France and Italy, he then got in
acquaintances with Italian renaissance. (Dante 但丁 , Boccaccio 卜伽丘 , Petrarch 彼得拉克 )
D.The poet died in 1400 and was buried in Westminster Abbey, thus founding the “Poets'
Corner”.
6.2Chaucer 's main works (P42) masterpiece: The Canterbury Tales
6.3The Canterbury Tales
-- It is one of the most famous works in all literatures. In arranging the poem, he imitates the framework of Boccaccio ' Decamenon《十日谈》：a general prologue + 24 tales with
interlogues.(P43)
Chaucer created a brilliant and picturesque panorama of his time and his country. In
this book, he portrayed characters from all walks of life and made them tell stories
that revealed the life, manners and thoughts of people from different social classes.
As a humanist, he eulogized humanist ideas. He believed in the rights of man to
earthly happiness. He was keen to praise man's energy, intellect, quick wit and the
love for life. Chaucer introduced from France the rhymed stanza of various types to
replace the Old English alliterative verse. He was the first to employ skillfully
heroic couplets in English poetic writing.
He covered all the major types of medieval literature in his masterpiece, such as
romances, folk tales, animal stories.
Chaucer also contributed greatly to the founding of English literary language, the
basis of which was formed by the London dialect, so profoundly used by the poet.
-- Significance of The Canterbury Tales
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Appreciation pf the “general Prologue”(P43)
Chapter Two
English Literature in the Renaissance
Main points:
I.Historical background of the period
II.Features of English Renaissance
III.Important literary men and literary works
IV.Christopher Marlowe and William Shakespeare
I. Historical background of the period
The 16th century in England was a period of the breaking up of feudal relations and the establishing of the foundations of capitalism.
A.Economically, the period witnessed the progress of bourgeois economy which was stimulated by
the Enclosure movement.( 圈地运动 )
B.Scientifically, it was a time of new discoveries in geography and astrology. ( 哥伦布发现新大
陆，哥白尼的“太阳中心说” )The discovery of new land led to the development of overseas trade.
The new ideas about the centre of the world aroused suspicion on medieval religion.
C The religious and political reform in England or the consolidation of secular and
ecclesiastical power under one King greatly furthered the strengthening of English monarchy.
D. In literature and arts, there was a keen interest in the rediscovered ancient Greek and Roman
culture with a reassertion of man 's position as the centre of the universe. Also the
introduction of printing in the turning of the century made reading popular, which helped the spread of new ideas among the populace.
II.Features of English Renaissance
--- The definition or the term
Renaissance: The term Renaissance originally indicates a revival or rebirth of ancient
Greek and Roman arts and sciences after the dark ages of medieval
obscurantism. Indeed, a great number of the works of classical authors were
translated into English during the 16th century. The study and propagation of
classical learning and art was carried on by the progressive thinkers of the
humanists. They held their chief interest not in ecclesiastical knowledge, but
in man, his environment and doings and bravely fought for the emancipation of
man from the tyranny of the church and religious dogmas.
--- Two key features of Renaissance
A. The humanists showed a thirsting curiosity for classical literature. There aroused a
general of the study of Greek and Latin authors.（ e.g. translating their works, modeling their literary forms, borrowing their subjects ）
B. They had a keen interest in life and human activities. For the first time, man is
considered as the centre of the universe. The interest in God and in the life after death is transformed into the exaltation of man and an absorption in earthly life.
III.Important literary men and literary works
3.1Literary forms of the period
A. poetry, lyrical poetry and narrative/epic poetry
B. prose, literary critic works and essays
C.drama, history drama, tragedy and comedy
D.novels in prose
3.2Main literary figures and their works
--- Thomas More 's （莫尔） Utopia 〈乌托邦〉 , a truthful picture of the people 's sufferings on the one hand, on the other hand, the book reveals his ideal of a future happy society.
--- Thomas Wyatt （怀亚特） the one to introduce sonnet （十四行诗） into English literature
Henry, Earl of Surrey （萨里） the one to introduce bland verse （无韵体诗） into English literature
--- Philip Sidney （锡德尼） famous for his lyrical poetry and the first important literary critics, Defense of Poetry 《诗辩）
--- Edmund Spenser （斯宾塞）
A. his main poems: Fairy Queen 《仙后》 , the greatest epic poem of the time;
The Shepherd 's Calendar 《牧人日历》
B. Spenserian stanza: （definition） It is a stanza created by Spenser. The stanza contains
9 lines rhymed in ababbcbcc with the first 8 lines in iambic pentameter and the last line
in iambic hexameter.
--- Francis Bacon （培根） the greatest prose writer of the period
his masterpiece: Essays 《论说文集》
IV.Christopher Marlowe and William Shakespeare
4.2 Christopher Marlowe Marlowe is one of the greatest playwrights in the English Renaissance. He is also a great lyrical poet. He reformed the genre of drama in England and perfected the language and verse of dramatic works. It was Marlowe who made blank verse (an unrhymed iambic pentameter) the principal vehicle of expression in drama. His main works : Dr. Faustus Tamburtaine, the Great The Jew of Malta
4.3 William Shakespeare 4.3.1 Shakespeare 's life. Shakespeare was born in 1564 in Stratford-on-Avon. At the age of seven, Shakespeare was sent to the local grammar school which he attended for 6years.At about 1586, he left his
hometown and sought his fortune in London. By the end of 1590, he became known as an actor and also a playwright. In 1612, he retired and went back to Stratford and died in 1616.
4.3.2 Works of Shakespeare Altogether, he produced 38 dramas, (history plays, tragedies, comedies, tragic comedies) 2 long narrative poems, and 154 sonnets.
---- The 3 major periods of his literary activities and all his works (P71). The first period:
The achievement of this period lie in history plays, comedies and sonnet writing. Shakespeare's history plays are all political plays which cover 2 centuries of English history. By depicting the horrors and disasters caused by wars (e.g. Wars of Roses, the Hundred Year s 'War ), Shakespeare shows the necessity for national unity, the
responsibilities of an efficient ruler and the importance of legitimate succession to the throne which is approved by its subjects ( 臣民 ). Through the history plays, the author implies the current political issues of Selecting reading Hamlet 1. 这一幕的剧情
2．内容分析 3．主题和意义 对生与死的思考
4．写作技巧 blank verse, soliloquy, rhetoric devices
Sonnet 18 1.definition of English sonnet: It is a 14-line verse ababcdcdefefggwritten in iambic pentemetre with the rhymic form of ababcdcdefefgg.
2. 内容分析
3. 主题和意义 immortality--- poetry makes beauty immortal
4. 写作技巧 sonnet. rhetoric devices
4.1 A brief introduction to English drama
English could be dated back to the Middle Ages. A. B. C. The miracle play 传奇剧 ---- plays based on the Bible e.g. the creation of the world, Norch and the flood, the birth of Christ. Gradually secular and commercial elements were introduced. The Morality play 道德剧 presents the conflict of good and evil with the introduction of allegorical doctrines in abstract form.
Interlude 幕间剧 A short play slipped into a play to enliven the audience after a solemn
scene.
4.3.3 General comment on Shakespeare
1. Shakespeare is one of the founders of realism n world literature. He paints, through his great plays a panorama of the decline of the old feudal nobility and the rise of the new Tudor monarchy, which represented the interests of the English bourgeoisie. He condemns unfailingly the evils in his society the rotten state affairs, radial and religious discrimination social inequality and the
corrupting affect of money.
2. Shakespeare pictures a series of ideal characters to embody his humanist 'thsoughts. In his works, he eulogizes man ' s power, man ' s wit, man ' s pursuit of secular happiness; he expresses the triumph of love and justice over greed and brutality; also in his works, he expressed his idea of equality among human beings.
3. Shakespeare gives us a world of full-blooded people who represent all the complexities and implications of real life. Shakespeare emphasizes on the psychological make-up of his major character and reveals the inner workings of the minds in a very detailed analytical way, often though the use of monologue. In character portrayal, the poet put his characters intense social conflicts and shows their thoughts and feelings under their own historical environment and social situations.
4. Shakespeare is skillful in many poetic forms; the song, the sonnet, the couplet and the dramatic blank verse. He also takes advantage of the dramatic devices of ancient and contemporary playwrights such as play in play, disguise, etc.
5. Shakespeare is a great master of the English language. He commands a vocabulary larger than any other English writer. Many of his new coinage and turns of expressions have become everyday usages in English life. He and the Authorized version of King Jame
' s Bible are the tw
great contributions of Modern English language.
Chapter Three
English Literature in English Revolution and Restoration
Historical background of the period Literary characteristics Main literary men Historical background of the period
Puritan revolution or English
bourgeoisie revolution
The contradictions between the feudal system and the bourgeoisie reached the peak and resulted in a revolutionary outburst.(1642-1649). Charles I was beheaded, and England became a commonwealth under the leadership of Oliver Cromwell, that is the establishment of republicanism. That revolution meant three things. (P130)
There appeared religious conflicts between Puritanism and Anglican Church. It was a conflict between the theory
of the divine rights of Kings and doctrines of republicanism. So in a certain way, this conflict is a part of English bourgeoisie revolution. Another influence is that the puritans preached hard work and unceasing labor but with no enjoyment of worldly pleasures. In literature , it resulted in the decline of drama and a style of simplicity.
The Restoration (1660) after the death of Oliver Cromwell marks the break of the government with the popular
force and a compromise with the feudal remnants. In 1660m Charles II returned to England, many republicans were executed. Charles II even made an attempt to Main points:
1.
2. 3. I. The 17th century was one of the most tempestuous periods in English history. A.
B. C.
restore the old absolute monarchy, which was against the interests of the upper layer of bourgeoisie, so in 1688, the Glorious Revolution took place.
II. Literary characteristics
A.
B.
II I.
A.
B.
C. In literature, it is also an age of confusion. Much of the literature of this period was concerned with the social upheaval of the time. In subject, some were for the revolution while others were on the royal side.
The high achievements of the period are its prose writing (mostly pamphlet writing) and poetry writing.
Main literary men
John Bunyan 班扬 The Pilgrim 's Progress 《天路历程》
- main story: Christian set out from the City of Destruction 毁灭城 to make his way to the Holy City. On his way, he meets with the perils and temptations of the Slough of Despond 失望谷， Vanity Fair 虚荣市 , and Doubting Castle 怀疑城 . He faces and overcomes the demon Appolyon 地狱魔王 , and finally came to the Celestial City 天国 .
- an analysis of the book: It is written in the ole-fashioned, medieval form of allegory and dream (a religious allegory), it provides a faithful reflection of his age; the author satires and criticizes the corruption of the ruling class and the religious institution, and expresses his idea of religious freedom. Through Christian 's searching for the Holy City, the author pictures an ideal future life of freedom and equality.
John Dryden 屈莱顿
He is the most important literary figure of the Restoration period. He is known as a poet, playwright and literary critic. He is regarded as the earliest literary critic of real importance in the History of English literature.
John Donne 多恩 / 邓恩
The leading man of metaphysical school
- definition of metaphysical poetry: 玄学派诗歌 The term is commonly used to name the work of the 17th writers who wrote under the influence of John Donne. The general features of the school are: 1) the diction is simple and echoes the words and cadences of
common speech; 2) the imagery is drawn from the actual life yet subtle, the extended metaphors for such images are typically called “metaphysical conceits ”;3) the form is frequently that of an argument with the poet 's beloved, with God, or with himself.
The representatives are Donne and Herbert.
- Main features of Donne
.D
In subject, his poems show a seemingly unfocused diversity f experience and attitudes, and a free range of feelings and moods. The most striking feature of his poetry is its concern of reality, in the sense that it seems to reflect life in a real rather than a poetical world. Donne frequently applies conceits, and his poetry involves a kind of argument with the brief and simple language.
John Milton 弥尔顿
-- His life story: 1) He was born in a rich puritan family. Influenced by the family,
John Milton loved books and music.
young
2) For 5 years after his graduation from Cambridge University, Milton
lived in his father 's home at Horton, writing poetry, studying
science, theology and music, and roaming about the wide fields of
classical, Hebrew,
Italian and English literature.
3) He set out to travel through France, Switzerland and Italy, while in
Italy, news came that the conflicts between the king and the people were
severe. Milton gave up his plan for traveling and went back to London
for the people 's cause.
- His literary career: His literary career can be divided into 3 periods/ stages:
1)the early poetic writing
2)the second pamphlet writing
3)the last great poetry writing
1)The early period refers to the days in Cambridge and in Horton. IN his early works, Milton
appeared as the inheritor of all that was best in Elizabethan literature. He was more a poet in apprenticeship. He modeled and experienced different kinds of poetic writings, such as sonnets, masque, lyrical poems, etc.
His main works of this period are : P140
2)The second period: pamphlets and sonnets
This period is a time when Milton devoted all his time and energy to the cause of liberty. His works of this period presents the activities and thoughts of this period. The chief theme of this time is liberty, liberty in politics, in religion and in personal life.
His main works of this period are:
Areopagitica 《论出版自由》(liberty of unlicensed printing)
Eiko noklastes《偶像的破坏者》(justifies the execution of
Charles ) Defense of the English People 《为英国人辩护》(a
defense of the Commonwealth and Revolution)
The Doctrine and Discipline of Divorce 《离婚之原则规范》(incompatibility of temper be considered an effective reason for divorce) 3) The third period is the period of restoration:
Milton returned to his writing of poetry and he wrote his greatest works. Paradise lost 失乐园(the greatest epic afterBeowulf )
Paradise Regained 复乐园
Samson Agonistes 力士参孙
---- An analysis of Paradise Lost , Milton 'smasterpiece
It is a long epic in 12 books of about 10,000 lines. It was written in blank verse.
A.Its theme:
The stories were take from the Old Testament 旧约全书: the creation, the rebellion in Heaven of Satan and his fellow angels, the defeat and expulsion from Heaven, the creation of the earth and of Adam and Eve, the fallen angels in hell plotting against God, Satan'stemptation of Eve, and the departure of Adam and Eve from Eden.
Liberty and rebellion against authority is the central theme of the poem. In the poem, the author eulogized Satan's fighting for liberty and Adam/Eve's rebellion against God'sorders.
B.The story:
Satan and the rebellious angels rise against God but are finally defeated.
Satan and his followers are banished from Heaven and driven into hell. The epic opens with
the description of a meeting of the fallen angels in hell.
Satan chooses for his battle filed the Garden of Eden, where live the first man and woman. Adam and Eve, who are allowed by God to enjoy the beauties and bounties of Paradise, provided they do not eat the fruit on the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.
Satan assumes the shape of a serpent and appears before Eve. He persuades her to break God'command and eats an apple from the forbidden tree智慧树and plucks another one for Adam. God sees all this, and Adam and Eve are both deprived of immortality, exiled from Paradise and doomed to an earthly life full of hardships and sufferings.
Archangel Michael prophesies to Adam that in time to come their sin will be redeemed by the hard toil of the human race who will attain moral perfection and regain eternal bliss through a conversion to the Christian faith.
The poem ends in Adam'sand Eve's banishment from Paradise. Arm-in arm they leave the Garden of Eden to face a life of work filled with activity and daring deeds. C. Evaluation of the work:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5. Through Satan's ceaseless rebellion against Go'ds authority, the poet eulogizes the rebellious spirit of the people against authority. (for the revolution) Satan in a way symbolizes Milton himself; Satan's ceaseless fight implies Milton 's determination to fight for the people till the end. (Samson's fight also presents the autho'rs desire to sacrifice his life for the people's cause. Adam and Eve embody Milton 's belief in the power of man. Their craving for knowledge reflects man's longing for knowledge and intelligence. Adam 's fall by consciously picking and eating the fruit indicates the triumph of human love over the obedience to God. For these points, Paradise lost is considered as a work of humanistic ideas.
The epic is written in blank verse with long, involved and sometimes seemingly interminable sentenceconstruction; which adds to enrich the complexity of the poem's theme and to increase the effect of the description; this long and involved sentence structure makes the verse sound oratorical and elaborately logical, which strengthens the dignity of the epic 's theme. (be in harmony with the theme) The effect of resonant syllables rolls with the sound of rumbling thunder.
As a great poet in acquaintance with Hebrew and classical literature, he not only borrows themes from the Bible , his works are full of Biblical and classical allusions. Chapter Four The 18 th Century The Age
of Enlightenment in England main points Main points: 1.
2.
3.
4. Definition of Enlightenment
Historical Background of the period
Literary characteristics of English Enlightenment Some literary men and literary works.
I. Enlightenment 启蒙运动(from 1688 the Glorious Revolution -1789 the French Revolution)
It is an intellectual movement usually associated with the 18th century. This is one of the rare historical movements which named itself .Certain thinkers and writers, primarily in London and Paris, believed that they were more enlightened than their compatriots and set out to enlighten them. They believed human reason could be used to combat ignorance, superstition and tyranny, and to build a
better world. Their principal targets were religion embodied in France in the Catholic Church and the domination of society by a hereditary aristocracy.
-- Definition of Enlightenment: The enlightenment Movement was progressive intellectual movement which flourished in France (the French philosophers
Voltaire , Rousseau, Montesquieu, Diderot ) and swept through the whole western Europe (Russia in the 19th century) at the time. The movement was a furtherance of the Renaissance. Its purpose was to enlighten the whole world with the light of modern philosophical and artistic ideas. It celebrated reason/rationality, equality and science. Features of enlightenment:
A.The enlighteners celebrated reasons or rationality, equality and science. Reason is regarded as the only and final cause of any human thought and activities)
B.They called for a reference to order, reason and rules.
C.They advocated universal education. Human beings were limited, dualistic, imperfect, and capable of rationality and perfection through education. If the mass were well educated, there would have a great chance for a democratic and equal human society.
D.Literature is regarded as the right means of public education. II. Historical Background of England in the period Political conditions of the period The two major results of the Glorious Revolution in 1688 are 1) the establishment of modern English political system— the constitutional monarchy system君主立宪希
9 ; 2) the appearance of two major parties -- the Tories and the Whigs. And
nearly all the writers at that time had certain connection with one of the two parties. Most of the works were about political matters.
-- Economic development in England
The Revolution established the system of capitalism in England. A new Enclosure Movement --- the invention of textile machine and other machinery colonization in the new world 1) England for the first time became a powerful capitalist country, 2) the working force increased rapidly. The works on one hand portrayed the rising of the bourgeoisie such as Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe, on the other hand, the misery of the masses of people was the topic of many works.
-- The influence of social life.P165
III. Literary characteristics of Enlightenment
-- Among the English enlighteners of the 18th century there were chiefly two groups:
1.Pope, Defoe, Addison and Steale, Richardson support the principles of the existing society, and they believed that partial reforms would be sufficient.
2.Swift, Fielding, Smollett, Sheridan, Goldsmith, Samuel Johnson advocated more resolute democratization in the management of the government. Yet, anyway, in England, the movement will not lead to a revolution, for England has just ended。