英国文学简史lecture 2(revised)

A
pilgrimage is a religious journey undertaken for penance and grace.
are those who strive to obtain salvation of their soul through a physical journey undertaken for love of God.
春夜喜雨
唐· 杜甫
好雨知时节，
当春乃发生。 随风潜入夜， 润物细无声。
微雨洒芳尘，酝造可人春色
酝造：酿造。可人：喜人。 宋 石孝友《好事近》

暖雨晴风初破冻，柳眼梅腮，已觉春心动。 ——宋.李清照《蝶恋花》
When
also Zephyrus with his sweet breath Exhales an air in every grove and heath Upon the tender shoots, and the young sun His half-course in the sign of the Ram has run

When
the sweet showers of April fall and
shoot Down through the drought of March to pierce the root Bathing every vein in liquid power From which there springs the engendering of the flower
东风何时至，已绿湖上山
唐 丘为《题农父庐舍》
the youthful sun / His half-course in the sign of the Ram has run

The sun is young because it has run only half way through the Ram, which is the first sign of the Zodiac. The sun runs through the sign of the Ram annually, from March 21st to April 21st. For the zodiac signs, see the following picture.

黄 道 十 二 宫 视 觉 图
白羊座 金牛座 双子座 巨蟹座 狮子座 处女座 天秤座 天蝎座 射手座 摩羯座 水瓶座 双鱼座
And
the small fowls are making melody That sleep sway the night with the open eye (so nature pricks them and their heart engages)
Symbols are objects, characters, figures, or colors used to represent abstract ideas or concepts. Springtime The Canterbury Tales opens in April, at the height of spring. The birds are chirping, the flowers blossoming, and people long in their hearts to go on pilgrimages, which combine travel, vacation, and spiritual renewal. The springtime symbolizes rebirth and fresh beginnings.
Another picture of the pilgrims for Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales
What are the symbolic meanings of pilgrimage in April?
April is a season for rebirth or new life. The pilgrims do their journey to holy places, which implies an act of purifying soul and consequently getting a rebirth.
春在乱花深处鸟声中
宋 陈亮《南歌子》
The
people long to go on pilgrimages the palmers long to seek the stranger strands Of far-off saints, hallowed in sundry lands, And specially, from every shire’s end in England, down to Canterbury they wend to seek the holy blissful martyr, quick in giving help to them when they were sick.
THale Waihona Puke Baidue General Prologue
Prologue: a separate introductory section of a literary work. Couplet : a stanza consisting of two lines with the same rhyme Heroic couplet : a pair of iambic pentameter lines When the sweet showers of April fall and shoot / / - / - / - / Down through the draught of March to pierce the root / / / / - /
How to understand “Who gave them strength when they were sick and faint”?
According to Christianity, man’s first fall in the Garden of Eden caused death to man, which means that man’s body is exposed to sickness. In another way, original sin (breaking the covenant with God) caused man to deteriorate into a patient, waiting for God’s curing. This motif can be found in many western literary works.
iambic pentameter lines)
The Poet’s Corner in the Westminster Abbey built in Chaucer’s honour
II. The Canterbury Tales is a collection of stories written by Geoffrey Chaucer in the 14th century. The tales, some of which are originals and others not, are contained inside a frame tale and told by a collection of pilgrims on a pilgrimage from Southwark to Canterbury to visit the shrine of Saint Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral.
Pilgrims
Summary: The Opening lines of The General

Prologue The narrator opens the General Prologue with a description of the return of spring. He describes the April rains, the burgeoning flowers and leaves, and the chirping birds. Around this time of year, the narrator says, people begin to feel the desire to go on a pilgrimage. Many devout English pilgrims set off to visit shrines in distant holy lands, but even more choose to travel to Canterbury to visit the relics of Saint Thomas Becket in Canterbury Cathedral, where they thank the martyr for having helped them when they were in need. The narrator tells us that as he prepared to go on such a pilgrimage, staying at a tavern in Southwark called the Tabard Inn, a great company of twenty-nine travelers entered.
3. The language 4. Appreciation Questions:
1. In which season did the story happen? 2. Zephyrus: 3. How to understand “the young sun”? 4. How to understand “when they were sick?” 5. What is the symbolic meaning of springtime? 6. Symbolic meaning of pilgrimage in April? 7. A brief summary?
Boccacio’s Decameron initiates the trend of story-telling by turns in literature
The pilgrims on their way to Canterbury
1.The Prologue 2. Significance: Chaucer is the father of English literature, and started a great tradition for English literature: he initiated the realistic tradition in English literature; he initiated the tradition of irony and satire in English literature; though he used London dialect to write The Canterbury Tales, Chaucer contributed a lot to prosody in English poetry, and was the first English poet to write with heroic couplet (two rhyming lines of iambic pentameter).
Lecture 2
Geoffrey Chaucer (1340 — 1400) The English Renaissance
Part 1: Geoffrey Chaucer (1340 — 1400)
I. Life father of English poetry Founder of English realism First to use the London dialect in writing First great poet to use the English language in writing Master of word picture First to use heroic couplets (a rhymed pair of