Preface to Lyrical Ballads
西方思想经典导读 有中文

Chapter 9 Romanticism1. Romanticism refers to an attitude or intellectual orientation that characterizes many works of literature , painting, music, architecture, criticism, and historiography in western civilization over a period from the late 18th to the mid-19th century.浪漫主义指的是一种态度或知识取向,刻画出了许多作品的文学、绘画、音乐、建筑、批评和史学在西方文明在一段时间内从18世纪末到19世纪中叶。
2. The "Preface" to Lyrical Ballads by William Wordsworth, known as the manifesto of romanticism, addresses the subjects, aim and style of romantic poetry as well as the essential characteristics of a romantic poet.威廉·华兹华斯是一个浪漫的诗人,他写的抒情诗集的“卷首语”,被称为浪漫主义宣言,讨论了浪漫主义诗歌的主题,目的和风格以及基本特征的。
3. William Wordsworth was an early leader of Romanticism in English poetry, who ranks as one of the greatest lyric poets in the history of English literature.威廉·华兹华斯是英语诗歌中早期浪漫主义的领袖,他在英语文学的历史位列最伟大的抒情诗人之一。
魏尔伦最著名的诗

魏尔伦最著名的诗
魏尔伦(William Wordsworth)是英国浪漫主义诗人,他的作
品以描写自然、人性和人类情感为特点。
他最著名的诗歌之一包括:
1. 《浮岛》(Daffodils)- 这首诗以自然景观为背景,描述了
一片野生水仙花田的壮丽景象,表达了作者对自然的赞美与喜悦。
2. 《晚上的垂柳》(The Daffodils)- 这首诗以描绘一个虚构
的垂柳树为主题,通过对树木的观察与想象,表达了作者对自然美的赞美与向往。
3. 《行走靠近天堂》(Lines Composed a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey)- 这首诗描绘了一次作者到蒂廷伯修道院附近
散步的经历,通过对自然景观与内心感受的抒发,表达了对自然的敬畏和对时间的感悟。
4. 《迷失者》(The Wanderer)- 这首诗通过描写一个迷失的
流浪者的经历,反映了对自由、自然和内心平和的追求。
5. 《前言》(Preface to Lyrical Ballads)- 这不是一首具体的诗,而是一篇影响深远的散文,其中魏尔伦提出了关于诗歌创作的理论观点,包括诗歌应该抒发真实的个人情感,而不仅仅是描述客观的景物。
这些诗歌代表了魏尔伦作品中浪漫主义情感和对自然的赞美的主题,被认为是他最著名的作品之一。
英国文学史及作品选读练习题2

The first poem in The Lyrical Ballads is Coleridge’s masterpiece_______.所选答案: A.The Rime of the Ancient Mariner正确答案: A.The Rime of the Ancient Mariner反馈:The Rime of the Ancient MarinerOf the following four novels by Austen_______is the most popular and dramatic one.所选答案:Pride and Prejudice正确答案:Pride and Prejudice反馈:Pride and Prejudice. All the following about Romanticism are true EXCEPT .所选答案:C.Romanticism constitutes a change of direction from attention tothe inner world of human spirit to the outer world of socialcivilization.正确答案:C.Romanticism constitutes a change of direction from attention tothe inner world of human spirit to the outer world of socialcivilization.反馈:Romanticism constitutes a change of direction from attention tothe inner world of human spirit to the outer world of socialcivilization.The Romantic period is a great age of all literary genres EXCEPT .所选答案: A. drama正确答案: A. drama反馈:dramaJane Austen’s view of life is a totally one.所选答案: A.realistic正确答案: A.realistic反馈: realisticAll the following are novels written by Jane AustenEXCEPT_______.所选答案: A.Shirley正确答案: A.Shirley反馈:ShirleyIn_______, _______set forth his principles of poetry, “all goodpoetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feeling”.所选答案: B.In The Preface to Lyrical Ballads; Wordsworth正确答案: B.In The Preface to Lyrical Ballads; Wordsworth 反馈:In The Preface to Lyrical Ballads; WordsworthPrometheus Unbound is a(n) __________by________.所选答案: A. lyrical drama, Shelley正确答案: A. lyrical drama, Shelley反馈:lyrical drama, ShelleyAll the sonnets were written by Keats EXCEPT .所选答案: D.London 1802正确答案: D.London 1802反馈: London 1802_______is a poem that tells the glorious victory of the battle at Bannockburn led by the Scottish national hero Robert Bruce.所选答案: The Minstrelsy of the Scottish Border正确答案:The Lord of the Isles_______is NOT among the representative essayists in the romantic times.所选答案: C.Walter Scott正确答案: C.Walter Scott反馈:Walter Scott_______is one of the first generation of English Romantic poets.所选答案:Wordsworth正确答案:Wordsworth反馈:WordsworthThe prevailing tone in Pride and Prejudice is .所选答案: B. mild satire正确答案: B. mild satire反馈:mild satire_______can be found among Shelley’s love lyrics.所选答案: A.One Word is Too Often Profaned正确答案: A.One Word is Too Often Profaned反馈:One Word is Too Often ProfanedPride and Prejudice is noted for its vividly depicted characters who are revealed through comparison and contrast with each other. Among the following pairs of characters are NOT in contrast.所选答案: B. Lady Catherine and Mr. Collins正确答案: B. Lady Catherine and Mr. Collins反馈:Lady Catherine and Mr. Collins_______is NOT a lyric written by Wordsworth.所选答案: B.Love’s Philosophy正确答案: B.Love’s Philosophy反馈:Love’s PhilosophyIn Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s “Kubla Khan”, “A sunny pleasure dome with caves of ice “_______.所选答案: C.Refers to the palace where Kubla Khan once lived正确答案: C.Refers to the palace where Kubla Khan once lived 反馈:Refers to the palace where Kubla Khan once livedWhich one of the following statements about Don Juan is true?.所选答案:B.It displayed Byron’s genius as a romanticist and arealist simultaneously正确答案: B.It displayed Byron’s genius as a romanticist and a realist simultaneously反馈:It displayed Byron’s genius as a romanticist and a realist simultaneouslyThe Romantic Movement expressed a attitude toward theexisting social and political conditions that came with industrializationand the growing importance of the bourgeoisie.所选答案: D. negative正确答案: D. negative反馈:negative问题20得2 分,满分2 分is Shelley’s well-known political lyric, which calls upon the working class to fight against their rulers and exploiters.所选答案: D.Song to the Men of England正确答案: D.Song to the Men of England反馈:Song to the Men of EnglandWhich one of the following does NOT describe the characteristics ofScott’s writing?所选答案: B.His plotting is often closely knitted.正确答案: B.His plotting is often closely knitted.反馈:His plotting is often closely knitted.In Coleridge’s “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner”, the mariner suffers the horror of death, because _______.所选答案: B.He kills an albatross正确答案: B.He kills an albatross反馈:He kills an albatrossAll the poems were written by Byron EXCEPT_______.所选答案: C. The Masque of Anarchy正确答案: C. The Masque of Anarchy反馈:The Masque of AnarchyAfter the massacre in St. Peter’s Field near Manchester,______wrote_______.所选答案: D. Shelley, “Song to the Men of England”正确答案: D. Shelley, “Song to the Men of England”反馈:Shelley, “Song to the Men of England”The revolutionary Romantic poet went to Greece to help that country in its struggle for liberty and died of fever there.所选答案: D.Byron正确答案: D.Byron 反馈:ByronShelley was influenced by the Utopian ideal of ________.所选答案:William Godwin正确答案:William Godwin反馈:William GodwinAt the beginning of Pride and Prejudice , the attitude of Darcy andElizabeth toward each other is that of .所选答案: C. mutual repulsion正确答案: C. mutual repulsion反馈:mutual repulsion问题28得2 分,满分2 分T he following statements are about “Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage”. Among them which one is NOT true?所选答案: D.The first canto deals with Albania and Greece.正确答案: D.The first canto deals with Albania and Greece.反馈: The first canto deals with Albania and Greece.“If winter comes, can spring be far behind?” is taken from _______.所选答案: D.Ode to the West Wind正确答案: D.Ode to the West Wind反馈:Ode to the West WindWhich of the following poems was written by Scott?所选答案: The Lady of the Lake正确答案: The Lady of the Lake反馈:The Lady of the Lake”You and the girls may go, or yo u may send them by themselves, which perhaps will be still better, for as you are as handsome as any of them, Mr. Bingley might like you the best of the party.” The figure of speech used in the sentence is .所选答案: D. B. irony正确答案: D. B. irony反馈:ironyAmong the following, _______is an elegy.所选答案: C.Adonais正确答案: C.Adonais 反馈:AdonaisWordsworth does not emphasize the importance of ______in poetry composition.所选答案: C.the right poeticform正确答案: C.the right poeticform反馈:the right poetic formOf the following statements about Lyrical Ballads, which is NOT true?所选答案:B.The poems are noted for the uncompromising obscurity ofmuch of the language.正确答案:B.The poems are noted for the uncompromising obscurity ofmuch of the language.反馈:The poems are noted for the uncompromising obscurity of much of the language._______ is the poetic drama written by Byron.所选答案: C.Cain正确答案: C.Cain反馈:Cain“Ode to the West Wind” is concluded with mood.所选答案: C.triumphant and hopeful正确答案: C.triumphant and hopeful反馈: triumphant and hopefulRomantic writers employ all the following EXCEPT as their poetic materials.所选答案: B. the abstract正确答案: B. the abstract反馈:the abstractIt is said that all Keats’s personality seems to be breathed into his odes, of which the more famous odes are “de to Autumn”, “Ode on Melancholy”, ”Ode on a Grecian Urn” and “Ode to Nightingale”, all with th e praise of _______ as their general theme.所选答案: C.beauty正确答案: C.beauty反馈:beauty_______is NOT a historical novel written by Scott.所选答案: A.Marmion正确答案: A.Marmion反馈:Marmionis Byron’s poetic drama with the material taken from Biblical story or stories.所选答案: A. Cain正确答案: A. Cain反馈:CainIn 1843, _______was made poet laureate.所选答案: B.Wordsworth正确答案: B.Wordsworth反馈:Wordsworth’s poetry is always sensuous, colorful and rich in imagery, which expresses the acuteness of his senses. In his poetry, sight, sound, scent,taste and feeling are all taken into give an entire understanding of an experience.所选答案: A. Keats正确答案: A. Keats反馈:Keats——is NOT the essay written by Charles Lamb所选答案: C. Characters of Shakespeare’s Plays正确答案: C. Characters of Shakespeare’s Plays反馈:Characters of Shakespeare’s PlaysAll the following statements about “Ode on a Grecian Urn” are true EXCEPT .所选答案:D.In this poem, the poet spoke as bitterly of human woes as hedid in “Ode to a Nightingale”.正确答案:D.In this poem, the poet spoke as bitterly of human woes as hedid in “Ode to a Nightingale”.反馈:In this poem, the poet spoke as bitterly of human woes as he did in “Ode to a Nightingale”.“Beauty is truth, truth beauty” is an epigrammatic line by _______.所选答案: A.William Wordsworth正确答案: D.John KeatsWhen composing poems for Lyrical Ballads, Coleridge was given the task of writing about ________.所选答案: C. the supernatural and the romantic正确答案: C. the supernatural and the romantic反馈:the supernatural and the romantic问题47得2 分,满分2 分 King Richard the Lion Heart and Robin Hood both appear inScott’s novel_____.所选答案:Ivanhoe正确答案:Ivanhoe反馈:IvanhoeKeats wrote five long poems. _______ is NOT among them.所选答案: D.Isabella正确答案: A.Annabel LeeThe two poets who won the title of the poet laureate are ________.所选答案: C. Wordsworth and Southey正确答案: C. Wordsworth and Southey反馈:Wordsworth and SoutheyWilliam Wordsworth, a romantic poet, advocated all of the following EXCEPT _______.所选答案: C.Elegant wording and inflated figures of speech正确答案: C.Elegant wording and inflated figures of speech 反馈:Elegant wording and inflated figures of speech。
西南大学《英语》网上作业题及答案

(0098)《英语》网上作业题答案1:第一次作业2:第二次作业3:第三次作业4:第四次作业5:第五次作业6:第六次作业1:[单选题]"In a Station of the Metro" is regarded by critics as a classic specimen of _______. A:the absurd poetryB:the transcendental poetryC:the romantic poetryD:the imagist poetry参考答案:DPreface to Lyrical Ballads, or Lyrical Ballads2:[填空题]_____ coined terms like libido, id, ego, superego to reveal the true selves of human beings.参考答案:Sigmund Freud, or Freud1:[单选题]After his experiences in the forest, Young Goodman Brown returns to Salem ______. A:desperate and gloomyB:renewed in his faithC:wearing a black veilD:unaware of his own sin参考答案:A2:[填空题]In _________'s eighteenth sonnet, he compares a friend to a summer day, and declares his friend the better.参考答案:1:[单选题]“When the evening is spread out against the s ky/ Like a patient etherized upon a table.” (T. s. Eliot, “The Love song of J. Alfred Prufrock”) What does the image in the quoted lines suggest?A:ViolenceB:HorrorC:InactivityD:Indifference参考答案:CWilliam Shakespeare, or Shakespeare2:[填空题]The final book of ______ begins with Socrates return to an earlier theme, that of imitative poetry.参考答案:William Shakespeare, or Shakespeare1:[单选题]William Wordsworth, a romantic poet, advocated all of the following except _____. A:normal contemporary speech patternsB:humble and rustic life as subject matterC:elegant wording and inflated figures of speechD:intensely subjective feeling toward individual experience参考答案:C Poetics2:[填空题]In ______, Aristotle analyses in great proportion issues like tragic catharsis, tragic pity, and tragic fear.参考答案:Poetics1:[单选题]"If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?'' The quoted line comes from ______. A:Shelley’s “Ode to the West Wind’’B:Walt Whitman’s Leaves of GrassC:John Milt on’s Paradise LostD:John Keats’ “Ode on a Grecian Urn”参考答案:ATragedy2:[填空题]In ______, William Wordsworth defined poetry as "the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings.”参考答案:Preface to Lyrical Ballads, or Lyrical Ballads1:[单选题]We can perhaps desc ribe Emily Grierson in Faulkner's short story "A Rose for Emily” in all the following ways except that _______.A:she is psychologically deformedB:she is wicked and morally corruptedC:she is a symbol of the Old SouthD:she is a prisoner and victim of the past参考答案:B Poetics2:[填空题]According to Aristotle, ______ is an imitation not only of a complete action, but of events inspiring fear or pity.参考答案:Tragedy。
(完整版)PrefacetoLyricalBallads

The Harvard Classics. 1909–14.Preface to Lyrical BalladsWilliam Wordsworth (1800)T HE F IRST volume of these Poems has already been submitted to general perusal.1 It was published, as an experiment, which, I hoped, might be of some use to ascertain, how far, by fitting to metrical arrangement a selection of the real language of men in a state of vivid sensation, that sort of pleasure and that quantity of pleasure may be imparted, which a Poet may rationally endeavour to impart.I had formed no very inaccurate estimate of the probable effect of those2 Poems: I flattered myself that they who should be pleased with them would read them with more than common pleasure: and, on the other hand, I was well aware, that by those who should dislike them, they would be read with more than common dislike. The result has differed from my expectation in this only, that a greater number have been pleased than I ventured to hope I should please.Several of my Friends are anxious for the success of these Poems, from a3 belief, that, if the views with which they were composed were indeed realized, a class of Poetry would be produced, well adapted to interest mankind permanently, and not unimportant in the quality, and in the multiplicity of its moral relations: and on this account they have advised me to prefix a systematic defence of the theory upon which the Poems were written. But I was unwilling to undertake the task, knowing that on this occasion the Reader would look coldly upon my arguments, since I might be suspected of having been principally influenced by the selfish and foolish hope of reasoning him into an approbation of these particular Poems: and I was still more unwilling to undertake the task, because, adequately to display the opinions, and fully to enforce the arguments, would require a space wholly d isproportionate to a preface. For, to treat the subject with the clearness and coherence of which it is susceptible, it would be necessary to give a full account of the present state of the public taste in this country, and to determine how far this taste is healthy or depraved; which, again, could not be determined, without pointing out in what manner language and the human mind act and re-act on each other, and without retracing the revolutions, not of literature alone, but likewise of society itself. I have therefore altogether declined to enter regularly upon this defence; yet I am sensible, that there would be somethinglike impropriety in abruptly obtruding upon the Public, without a few words of introduction, Poems so materially different from those upon which general approbation is at present bestowed.It is supposed, that by the act of writing in verse an Author makes a formal4 engagement that he will gratify certain known habits of association; that he not only thus apprises the Reader that certain classes of ideas and expressions will be found in his book, but that others will be carefully excluded. This exponent or symbol held forth by metrical language must in different eras of literature have excited very different expectations: for example, in the age of Catullus, Terence, and Lucretius, and that of Statius or Claudian; and in our own country, in the age of Shakespeare and Beaumont and Fletcher, and that of Donne and Cowley, or Dryden, or Pope. I will not take upon me to determine the exact import of the promise which, by the act of writing in verse, an Author in the present day makes to his reader: but it will undoubtedly appear to many persons that I have not fulfilled the terms of an engagement thus voluntarily contracted. They who have been accustomed to the gaudiness and inane phraseology of many modern writers, if they persist in reading this book to its conclusion, will, no doubt, frequently have to struggle with feelings of strangeness and awkwardness: they will look round for poetry, and will be induced to inquire by what species of courtesy these attempts can be permitted to assume that title. I hope therefore the reader will not censure me for attempting to state what I have proposed to myself to perform; and also (as far as the limits of a preface will permit) to explain some of the chief reasons which have determined me in the choice of my purpose: that at least he may be spared any unpleasant feeling of disappointment, and that I myself may be protected from one of the most dishonourable accusations which can be brought against an Author, namely, that of an indolence which prevents him from endeavouring to ascertain what is his duty, or, when his duty is ascertained, prevents him from performing it.The principal object, then, proposed in these Poems was to choose incidents5 and situations from common life, and to relate or describe them, throughout, as far as was possible in a selection of language real ly used by men, and, at the same time, to throw over them a certain colouring of imagination, whereby ordinary things should be presented to the mind in an unusual aspect; and, further, and above all, to make these incidents and situations interesting by tracing in them, truly though not ostentatiously, the primary laws of our nature: chiefly, as far as regards the m anner in which we associate ideas in a state of excitement. Humble and rustic life was generally chosen, because, in that condition, the essential passions of the heart find a better soil in which they can attain their maturity, are less under restraint, and speak a plainer and more emphatic language; because in that condition of life our elementary feelings coexist in a state of greater simplicity, and, consequently, may be more accurately contemplated, and more forciblycommunicated; because the manners of rural life germinate from those elementary feelings, and, from the necessary character of rural occupations, are more easily comprehended, and are more durable; and, lastly, because in that condition the passions of men are incorporated with the beautiful and permanent forms of nature. The language, too, of these men has been adopted (purified indeed from what appear to be its real defects, from all lasting and rational causes of dislike or disgust) because such men hourly communicate with the best objects from which the best part of language is originally derived; and because, from their rank in society and the sameness and narrow circle of their intercourse, being less under the influence of social vanity, they convey their feelings and notions in simple and unelaborated expressions. Accordingly, such a language, arising out of repeated experience and regular feelings, is a more permanent, and a far more philosophical language, than that which is frequently substituted for it by Poets, who think that they are conferring honour upon themselves and their art, in proportion as they separate themselves from the sympathies of men, and indulge in arbitrary and capricious habits of expression, in order to furnish food for fickle tastes, and fickle appetites, of their own creation. 1I cannot, however, be insensible to the present outcry against the triviality6 and meanness, both of thought and language, which some of my contemporaries have occasionally introduced into their metrical compositions; and I acknowledge that this defect, where it exists, is more dishonourable to the Writer’s own character t han false refinement or arbitrary innovation, though I should contend at the same time, that it is far less pernicious in the sum of its consequences. From such verses the Poems in these volumes will be found distinguished at least by one mark of difference, that each of them has a worthy purpose.Not that I always began to write with a distinct purpose formerly conceived; but habits of meditation have, I trust, so prompted and regulated my feelings, that my descriptions of such objects as strongly excite those feelings, will be found to carry along with them a purpose. If this opinion be erroneous, I can have little right to the name of a Poet. For all good poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings: and though this be true, Poems to which any value can be attached were never produced on any variety of subjects but by a man who, being possessed of more than usual organic sensibility, had also thought long and deeply. For our continued influxes of feeling are modified and directed by our thoughts, which are indeedthe representatives of all our past feelings; and, as by contemplating the relation of these general representatives to each other, we discover what is really important to men, so, by the repetition and continuance of this act, our feelings will be connected with important subjects, till at length, if we be originally possessed of much sensibility, such habits of mind will be produced, that, by obeying blindly and mechanically the impulses of those habits, we shall describe objects, and utter sentiments, of such a nature, and in such connexion with each other, that the understanding of the Reader must necessarily be in some degree enlightened, and his affections strengthened and purified.It has been said that each of these poems has a purpose. Another circumstance7 must be mentioned which distinguishes these Poems from the popular Poetry of the day; it is this, that the feeling therein developed gives importance to the action and situation, and not the action and situation to the feeling.A sense of false modesty shall not prevent me from asserting, that the8 Reader’s attention is pointed to this mark of distinction, far less for the sake of these particular Poems than from the general importance of the subject. The subject is indeed important! For the human mind is capable of being excited without the application of gross and violent stimulants; and he must have a very faint perception of its beauty and dignity who does not know this, and who does not further know, that one being is elevated above another, in proportion as he possesses this capability. It has therefore appeared to me, that to endeavour to produce or enlarge this capability is one of the best services in which, at any period, a Writer can be engaged; but this service, excellent at all times, is especially so at the present day. For a multitude of causes, unknown to former times, are now acting with a combined force to blunt the discriminating powers of the mind, and, unfitting it for all voluntary exertion, to reduce it to a state of almost savage torpor. The most effective of these causes are the great nationalevents which are daily taking place, and the increasing accumulation of men in cities, where the uniformity of their occupations produces a craving for extraordinary incident, which the rapid communication of intelligence hourly gratifies. to this tendency of life and manners the literature and theatrical exhibitions of the country have conformed themselves. The invaluable works of our elder writers, I had almost said the works of Shakespeare and Milton, are driven into neglect by frantic novels, sickly and stupid German Tragedies, and deluges of idle and extravagant stories in verse.—When I think upon this degrading thirst after outrageous stimulation, I am almost ashamed to have spoken of the feeble endeavour made in these volumes to counteract it; and, reflecting upon the magnitude of the general evil, I should be oppressed with no dishonourable melancholy, had I not a deep impression of certain inherent and indestructible qualities of the human mind, and likewise of certain powers in the great and permanent objects that act upon it, which are equally inherent and indestructible; and were there not added to this impression a belief, that the time is approaching when the evil will be systematically opposed, by men of greater powers, and with far more distinguished success.Having dwelt thus long on the subjects and aim of these Poems, I shall request9 the Reader’s permission to apprise him of a few circumstanc es relating to their style, in order, among other reasons, that he may not censure me for not having performed what I never attempted. The Reader will find that personifications of abstract ideas rarely occur in these volumes; and are utterly rejected, as an ordinary device to elevate the style, and raise it above prose. My purpose was to imitate, and, as far as possible, to adopt the very language of men; and assuredly such personifications do not make any natural or regular part of that language. They are, indeed, a figure of speech occasionally prompted by passion, and I have made use of them as such; but have endeavoured utterly to reject them as a mechanical device of style, or as a family language which Writers in metre seem to lay claim to by prescription. I have wished to keep the Reader in the company of flesh and blood, persuaded that by so doing I shall interest him. Others who pursue a different track will interest him likewise; I do not interfere with their claim, but wish to prefer a claim of my own. There will also be found in these volumes little of what is usually called poetic diction; as much pains has been taken to avoid it as is ordinarily taken to produce it; this has been done for the reason already alleged, to bring my language near to the language of men; and further, because the pleasure which I have proposed to myself to impart, is of a kind very different from that which is supposed by many persons to be the proper object of poetry. Without being culpably particular, I do not know how to give my Reader a more exact notion of the style in which it was my wish and intention to write, than by informing him that I have at all times endeavoured to look steadily at my subject; consequently, there is I hope in these Poems little falsehood of description, and my ideas areexpressed in language fitted to their respective importance. Something must have been gained by this practice, as it is friendly to one property of all good poetry, namely, good sense: but it has necessarily cut me off from a large portion of phrases and figures of speech which from father to son have long been regarded as the common inheritance of Poets. I have also thought it expedient to restrict myself still further, having abstained from the use of many expressions, in themselves proper and beautiful, but which have been foolishly repeated by bad Poets, till such feelings of disgust are connected with them as it is scarcely possible by any art of association to overpower.If in a poem there should be found a series of lines, or even a single line,10 in which the language, though naturally arranged, and according to the strict laws of metre, does not differ from that of prose, there is a numerous class of critics, who, when they stumble upon these prosaisms, as they call them, imagine that they have made a notable discovery, and exult over the Poet as over a man ignorant of his own profession. Now these men would establish a canon of criticism which the Reader will conclude he must utterly reject, if he wishes to be pleased with these volumes. and it would be a most easy task to prove to him, that not only the language of a large portion of every good poem, even of the most elevated character, must necessarily, except with reference to the metre, in no respect differ from that of good prose, but likewise that some of the most interesting parts of the best poems will be found to be strictly the language of prose when prose is well written. The truth of this assertion might be demonstrated by innumerable passages from almost all the poetical writings, even of Milton himself. to illustrate the subject in a general manner, I will here adduce a short composition of Gray, who was at the head of those who, by their reasonings, have attempted to widen the space of separation betwixt Prose and Metrical composition, and was more than any other man curiously elaborate in the structure of his own poetic diction.In vain to me the smiling mornings shine,And reddening Phœbus lifts his golden fire:The birds in vain their amorous descant join,Or cheerful fields resume their green attire.These ears, alas! for other notes repine;A different object do these eyes require;My lonely anguish melts no heart but mine;And in my breast the imperfect joys expire;Yet morning smiles the busy race to cheer,And new-born pleasure brings to happier men;The fields to all their wonted tribute bear;To warm their little loves the birds complain.I fruitless mourn to him that cannot hear,And weep the more because I weep in vain.It will easily be perceived, that the only part of this Sonnet which is of11 any value is the lines printed in Italics; it is equally obvious, that, except in the rhyme, and in the use of the single word ’fruitless’ for fruitlessly, which is so far a defect, the language of these lines does in no respect differ from that of prose.By the foregoing quotation it has been shown that the language of Prose may12 yet be well adapted to Poetry; and it was previously asserted, that a large portion of the language of every good poem can in no respect differ from that of good Prose. We will go further. It may be safely affirmed, that there neither is, nor can be, any essential difference between the language of prose and metrical composition. We are fond of tracing the resemblance between Poetry and Painting, and, accordingly, we call them Sisters: but where shall we find bonds of connexion sufficiently strict to typify the affinity betwixt metrical and prose composition? They both speak by and to the same organs; the bodies in which both of them are clothed may be said to be of the same substance, their affections are kindred, and almost identical, not necessarily differing even in degree; Poetry 2 sheds no tears ’such as Angels weep,’ but natural and human tears; she can boast of no celestial choir that distinguishes her vital juices from those of prose; the same human blood circulates through the veins of them both.If it be affirmed that rhyme and metrical arrangement of themselves13 constitute a distinction which overturns what has just been said on the strict affinity of metrical language with that of prose, and paves the way for other artificial distinctions which the mind voluntarily admits, I answer that the language of such Poetry as is here recommended is, as far as is possible, a selection of the language really spoken by men; that this selection, wherever it is made with true taste and feeling, will of itself form a distinction far greater than would at first be imagined, and will entirely separate the composition from the vulgarity and meanness of ordinary life; and, if metre be superadded thereto, I believe that a dissimilitude will be produced altogether sufficient for the gratification of a rational mind. What other distinction would we have? Whence is it to come? and where is it to exist? Not, surely, where the Poet speaks through the mouths of his characters: it cannot be necessary here, either for elevation of style, or any of its supposed ornaments: for, if the Poet’s subject be judiciously chosen, it will naturally, and upon fit occasion, lead him to passions the language of which, if selected truly and judiciously, must necessarily be dignified and variegated, and alive with metaphors and figures. I forbear to speak of an incongruity which would shock the intelligent Reader, should the Poet interweave any foreign splendour of his own with that which the passion naturally suggests: it is sufficient to say that such addition is unnecessary. and, surely, it is more probable that those passages, which withpropriety abound with metaphors and figures, will have their due effect, if, upon other occasions where the passions are of a milder character, the style also be subdued and temperate.But, as the pleasure which I hope to give by the Poems now presented to the14 Reader must depend entirely on just notions upon this subject, and, as it is in itself of high importance to our taste and moral feelings, I cannot content myself with these detached remarks. and if, in what I am about to say, it shall appear to some that my labour is unnecessary, and that I am like a man fighting a battle without enemies, such persons may be reminded, that, whatever be the language outwardly holden by men, a practical faith in the opinions which I am wishing to establish is almost unknown. If my conclusions are admitted, and carried as far as they must be carried if admitted at all, our judgements concerning the works of the greatest Poets both ancient and modern will be far different from what they are at present, both when we praise, and when we censure: and our moral feelings influencing and influenced by these judgements will, I believe, be corrected and purified.Taking up the subject, then, upon general grounds, let me ask, what is meant15 by the word Poet? What is a Poet? to whom does he address himself? and what language is to be expected from him?—He is a man speaking to men: a man, it is true, endowed with more lively sensibility, more enthusiasm and tenderness, who has a greater knowledge of human nature, and a more comprehensive soul, than are supposed to be common among mankind; a man pleased with his own passions and volitions, and who rejoices more than other men in the spirit of life that is in him; delighting to contemplate similar volitions and passions as manifested in the goings-on of the Universe, and habitually impelled to create them where he does not find them. to these qualities he has added a disposition to be affected more than other men by absent things as if they were present; an ability of conjuring up in himself passions, which are indeed far from being the same as those produced by real events, yet (especially in those parts of the general sympathy which are pleasing and delightful) do more nearly resemble the passions produced by real events, than anything which, from the motions of their own minds merely, other men are accustomed to feel in themselves:—whence, and from practice, he has acquired a greater readiness and power in expressing what he thinks and feels, and especially those thoughts and feelings which, by his own choice, or from the structure of his own mind, arise in him without immediate external excitement.But whatever portion of this faculty we may suppose even the greatest Poet16 to possess, there cannot be a doubt that the language which it will suggest to him, must often, in liveliness and truth, fall short of that which is uttered by men in real life, under the actual pressure of those passions, certain shadows of which the Poet thus produces, or feels to be produced,in himself.However exalted a notion we would wish to cherish of the character of a Poet,17 it is obvious, that while he describes and imitates passions, his employment is in some degree mechanical, compared with the freedom and power of real and substantial action and suffering. So that it will be the wish of the Poet to bring his feelings near to those of the persons whose feelings he describes, nay, for short spaces of time, perhaps, to let himself slip into an entire delusion, and even confound and identify his own feelings with theirs; modifying only the language which is thus suggested to him by a consideration that he describes for a particular purpose, that of giving pleasure. Here, then, he will apply the principle of selection which has been already insisted upon. He will depend upon this for removing what would otherwise be painful or disgusting in the passion; he will feel that there is no necessity to trick out or to elevate nature: and, the more industriously he applies this principle, the deeper will be his faith that no words, which his fancy or imagination can suggest, will be to be compared with those which are the emanations of reality and truth.But it may be said by those who do not object to the general spirit of these18 remarks, that, as it is impossible for the Poet to produce upon all occasions language as exquisitely fitted for the passion as that which the real passion itself suggests, it is proper that he should consider himself as in the situation of a translator, who does not scruple to substitute excellencies of another kind for those which are unattainable by him; and endeavours occasionally to surpass his original, in order to make some amends for the general inferiority to which he feels that he must submit. But thi s would be to encourage idleness and unmanly despair. Further, it is the language of men who speak of what they do not understand; who talk of Poetry as of a matter of amusement and idle pleasure; who will converse with us as gravely about a taste for Poetry, as they express it, as if it were a thing as indifferent as a taste for rope-dancing, or Frontiniac or Sherry. Aristotle, I have been told, has said, that Poetry is the most philosophic of all writing: it is so:its object is truth, not individual and local, but general, and operative; not standing upon external testimony, but carried alive into the heart by passion; truth which is its own testimony, which gives competence and confidence to the tribunal to which it appeals, and receives them from the same tribunal.Poetry is the image of man and nature. The obstacles which stand in the way of the fidelity of the Biographer and Historian, and of their consequent utility, are incalculably greater than those which are to be encountered by the Poet who comprehends the dignity of his art. The Poet writes under one restriction only, namely, the necessity of giving immediate pleasure to a human Being possessed of that information which may be expected from him, not as a lawyer, a physician, a mariner, an astronomer, or a natural philosopher, but as a Man. Except this one restriction, there is no objectstanding between the Poet and the image of things; between this, and the Biographer and Historian, there are a thousand.Nor let this necessity of producing immediate pleasure be considered as a19 degradation of the Poet’s art. It is far otherwise. It is an acknowledgement of the beauty of the universe, an acknowledgement the more sincere, because not formal, but indirect; it is a task light and easy to him who looks at the world in the spirit of love: further, it is a homage paid to the native and naked dignity of man, to the grand elementary principle of pleasure, by which he knows, and feels, and lives, and moves. We have no sympathy but what is propagated by pleasure: I would not be misunderstood; but wherever we sympathize with pain, it will be found that the sympathy is produced and carried on by subtle combinations with pleasure. We have no knowledge, that is, no general principles drawn from the contemplation of particular facts, but what has been built up by pleasure, and exists in us by pleasure alone. The Man of science, the Chemist and Mathematician, whatever difficulties and disgusts they may have had to struggle with, know and feel this. However painful may be the objects with which the Anatomist’s knowledge is connected, he feels that his knowledge is pleasure; and where he has no pleasure he has no knowledge. What then does the Poet? He considers man and the objects that surround him as acting and re-acting upon each other, so as to produce an infinite complexity of pain and pleasure; he considers man in his own nature and in his ordinary life as contemplating this with a certain quantity of immediate knowledge, with certain convictions, intuitions, and deductions, which from habit acquire the quality of intuitions; he considers him as looking upon this complex scene of ideas and sensations, and finding everywhere objects that immediately excite in him sympathies which, from the necessities of his nature, are accompanied by an overbalance of enjoyment.To this knowledge which all men carry about with them, and to these sympathies20 in which, without any other discipline than that of our daily life, we are fitted to take delight, the Poet principally directs his attention. He considers man and nature as essentially adapted to each other, and the mind of man as naturally the mirror of the fairest and most interesting properties of nature. and thus the Poet, prompted by this feeling of pleasure, which accompanies him through the whole course of his studies, converses with general nature, with affections akin to those, which, through labour and length of time, the Man of science has raised up in himself, by conversing with those particular parts of nature which are the objects of his studies. The knowledge both of the Poet and the Man of science is pleasure; but the knowledge of the one cleaves to us as a necessary part of our existence, our natural and unalienable inheritance; the other is a personal and individual acquisition, slow to come to us, and by no habitual and direct sympathy connecting us with our fellow-beings. The Man of science seeks truth as a。
英语国家概况谢福之_课后答案

英语国家概况(谢福之主编)课后答案一、选择题(答案在下面)I. Choose the one that best completes each of the following statements.1.The two main islands of the British Isles are .A. Great Britain and IrelandB. Great Britain and ScotlandC. Great Britain and WalesD. Great Britain and England2. is the capital city of Scotland.3. A. Belfast B. Edinburgh C. Aberdeen D. Cardiff4.According to a 2005 estimate, Britain now has a population of overmillion.A. 160B. 600C. 60D. 165.Among the four parts of the United Kingdom, is the smallest.A. EnglandB. ScotlandC. WalesD. NorthernIreland6.Almost a quarter of the British population lives in England.A. northeasternB. southeasternC. northwesternD.southwestern7.English belongs to the group of Indo-European family of languages.A. CelticB. Indo-IranianC. GermanicD. Roman8.The introduction of Christianity to Britain added the first element ofwords to English.A. Danish and FinnishB. Dutch and GermanC. French and ItalianD. Latin and Greek9.The evolution of Middle English was reinforced by the influence.A. NormanB. DutchC. GermanD. Danish10.Samuel Johnson’s dictionary was influential in establishing a standard formof .A. grammarB. handwritingC. spellingD.pronunciation11.At present, nearly of the world’s population communicate in English.A. halfB. a quarterC. one thirdD. one fifth12.The attack on Rome ended the Roman occupation in Britain in 410.A. NormanB. DanishC. CelticD. Germanic13.By the late 7th century, became the dominant religion in England.A. Celtic ChristianityB. Anglo-Saxon ChristianityC. Germanic ChristianityD. Roman Christianity14.Westminster Abbey was built at the time of .A. St. AugustineB. Edward the ConfessorC. William the ConquerorD. Alfred the Great15.The marked the establishment of feudalism in England.A. Viking invasionB. signing of the Magna CartaC. Norman ConquestD. Adoption of common law16.The end of the Wars of the Roses led to the rule of .A. the House of ValoisB. the House of YorkC. the House of TudorD. the House of Lancaster17.The direct cause for the Religious Reformation was King Henry VIII’s effortto .A. divorce his wifeB. break with RomeC. support the ProtestantsD. declare his supreme power overthe church18.The English Civil War broke out in 1642 between .A. Protestants and PuritansB. Royalists and ParliamentariansC. nobles and peasantsD. aristocrats and Christians19. was passed after the Glorious Revolution.A. Bill of RightsB. Act of SupremacyC. Provisions of OxfordD. Magna Carta20.The Industrial Revolution was accomplished in Britain by the middle of thecentury.A. 17thB. 18thC. 19thD. 20th21.Britain faced strong challenges in its global imperial dominance by the beginning ofthe century.A. 17thB. 18thC. 19thD. 20th22.The British government is characterized by a division of powers between threeof the following branches with the exception of the .A. judiciaryB. legislatureC. monarchyD. executive23.The importance of the British monarchy can be seen in its effect on .A. passing the billsB. advising the governmentC. political partiesD. public attitude24.As a revising chamber, the House of Lords is expected to the House ofCommons.A. rivalB. complementC. criticizeD. inspect25.British Cabinet works on the principle of .A. collective responsibilityB. individual responsibilityC. defending the collectivismD. defending the individuals26.The main duty of the British Privy Council is to .A. make decisionsB. give adviceC. pass billsD. supervisethe Cabinet27.In Britain, the parliamentary general election is held every years.A. threeB. fourC. fiveD. six28. has a distinct legal system based on Roman law.A. WalesB. EnglandC. ScotlandD. Northern Ireland29.Generally speaking, the British Parliament operates on a system.A. single-partyB. two-partyC. three-partyD.multi-party30.The policies of the Conservative Party are characterized by pragmatismand .A. government interventionB. nationalization of enterprisesC. social reformD. a belief in individualism31.The Labor Party affected the British society greatly in that it .A. set up the National Health ServiceB. improved publictransportationC. abolished the old tax systemD. enhanced the economicdevelopment32.The British economy achieved global dominance by the .A. 1860sB. 1870sC. 1880sD.1890s33.In , the British Parliament passed two important acts to establish awelfare state.A. 1945B. 1946C. 1947D. 194834.The in the early 1970s worsened an already stagnant economy in Britain.A. oil crisisB. high inflation ratesC. large importsD. unemployment problem35.Of the following practices, does not belong to Thatcher’s socialwelfare reform.A. reducing child benefitsB. shortening the unemployment benefitsperiodC. reducing the unemploymentD. lowering old age pensions36.The Blair government has been successful in all the following aspectsexcept .A. limiting government spendingB. keeping inflation under controlC. reducing unemploymentD. reducing inequality37.Britain has devoted of its land area to agriculture.A. 54%B. 64%C. 74%D.84%38.Britain’s important fishing areas include all the following except .A. the North SeaB. the English ChannelC. The sea area around IrelandD. The sea area between Britain andIreland39.Coal mining industry in Britain provides of the energy consumed in thecountry.A. 1/3B. 1/4C. 1/5D. 2/340.The car industry in Britain in mostly .A. foreign-ownedB. state-ownedC. joint-ventureD.privately-owned41.Of the following sectors in Britain, has experienced spectaculargrowth since the end of Word War II.A. agricultureB. energy industryC. service industryD.manufacturing industry42.In Britain, the division between grammar schools and vocational schools wereended by the introduction of comprehensive schools in the .A. 1930sB. 1940sC. 1950sD. 1960s43.About of British children receive primary and secondary educationthrough the independent system.A. 5%B. 6%C. 7%D. 8%44.Partially funded by central government grants, the British universities receivetheir remaining funds from all the following sources except .A. tuition feesB. loansC. donationsD. corporatecontributions45.Of the following, is NOT a basis of admission to Britain’suniversities.A. result in national entrance testB. A-level resultC. an interviewD. school references46.To be admitted to the Open University, one need .A. some educational qualificationsB. no educationalqualificationsC. General Certificate of Education-AdvancedD. General National VocationalQualifications47.Among Britain’s quality press, the following newspapers are regarded as the“Big Three” with the exception of .A. The TimesB. The GuardianC. The ObserverD. The DailyTelegraph48.Life on Earth is a kind of program produced by the BBC and is popularamong 500 million viewers worldwide.A. featureB. dramaC. documentaryD. soapopera49. is Britain’s top pay television provider.A. BSBB. SkyTVC. BBCD. BSkyB50.Of the following, is NOT a common feature of all the British holidays.A. families getting togetherB. friends exchanging good wishesC. friends enjoying each other’s companyD. families traveling overseas51.The following Christmas traditions are particularly British except .A. Trooping the ColorB. Queen’s Christmas messageC. Boxing DayD. Christmas pantomime52.The most significant achievement of the English Renaissance is .A. poetryB. dramaC. novelD. pamphlet53. is viewed as Romantic poetry’s “Declaration of Independence.”A. “I Wondered Lonely as a Cloud”B. Don JuanC.“Preface to Lyrical Ballads”D. Prometheus Unbound54.Of Dickens’ novels, is considered autobiographical.A. A Tale of Two CitiesB. David CopperfieldC. Oliver TwistD. Great Expectations55. is a representative of English Critical Realism at the turn of the 19thcentury.A. Robert Louis StevensonB. John MiltonC. Joseph ConradD. Thomas Hardy56.Of the following statements, is NOT correct in terms ofNeo-Romanticism.A. It prevailed at the end of the 19th century.B. The writers were dissatisfied with the social reality.C. The writers believed in “Art for Art’s Sake”.D. Treasure Island was a representative work.57. is NOT included in the modernist group.A. Oscar WildB. Virginia WoolfC. William Butler YeatsD. T. S. Eliot58.Of the following books, was NOT written by Thomas Hardy.A. Jude the ObscureB. Tess of the D’UrbervillesC. Adam BedeD. The Return of the Native59.Of the following statements, is NOT correct about Virginia Woolf.A. She was a central figure of the “Bloomsbury Group”.B. She experimented with stream of consciousness.C. She was an influential feminist.D. Her masterpiece was The Rainbow.60.Of the following writers, is NOT a Nobel Prize winner.A. Samuel BeckettB. James JoyceC. William GoldingD. V. S.Naipaul61.Waiting for Godot is written by .A. Samuel BeckettB. George OrwellC. William GoldingD. D. H.Lawrence62.The United States has states on the continent.A. 50B. 49C. 48D. 3563.The state of is the largest in area of all the states.A. AlaskaB. HawaiiC. TexasD. Florida64.The U. S. lies in North America, with Canada to the north, Mexico tothe south, the Atlantic to its and the Pacific to its .A. northern, east, westB. central, east, westC. southern, west, eastD. western, east, west65.The largest river in the U. S. is .A. the Missouri RiverB. the Mississippi RiverC. the Ohio RiverD. the Colorado River66.Some of the world famous universities like Harvard, Yale and MIT arelocated .A. in the SouthB. along the Pacific CoastC. in New EnglandD. in the Midwest67. is located on the U. S. –Canadian border between Lake Erie and LakeOntario.A. Yellowstone National ParkB. The Grand CanyonC. Niagara FallsD. The Great Salt Lake68.The native Alaskan population includes the following except the .A. IndiansB. EskimosC. AleutsD. Blacks69.The largest minority in the United States is the .A. Pacific IslandersB. BlacksC. Native AmericansD.Asians70.The Immigrants Act of 1924 restricted the further immigration into the UnitedStates, particularly from .A. EuropeB. AsiaC. AfricaD. SouthAmerica71.The characteristic of dominant American culture is .A. English-speaking, northern European, Roman Catholic and middle-classB. English-speaking, western European, Roman Catholic and upper-classC. English-speaking, northern European, Protestant and upper-classD. English-speaking, western European, Protestant and middle-class72.The first successful English colony in North America was founded atin .A. Jamestown, LouisianaB. Boston, MassachusettsC. Jamestown, VirginiaD. Plymouth, Georgia73.Pilgrim Fathers are a group of who came to America to avoid persecutionin England.A. ProtestantsB. PuritansC. CatholicsD.Christians74.The Seven Years’ War occurred between the .A. French and American IndiansB. French and SpaniardsC. French and BritishD. British and American Indians75.“No taxation without representation” was the rallying slogan of .A. the settlers of VirginiaB. the people of PennsylvaniaC. the colonists in New EnglandD. the people of the 13 colonies76.The first shots of the American War of Independence were fired in .A. ConcordB. LexingtonC. PhiladelphiaD. Boston77.In May 1775, was held in Philadelphia and began to assume the functionsof a national government.A. the First Continental CongressB. the Second ContinentalCongressC. the Boston Tea PartyD. the Congress of Confederation78.Abraham Lincoln issued to grant freedom to all slaves.A. Declaration of IndependenceB. ConstitutionC. Emancipation ProclamationD. Bill of Rights79.The policy of the United States was at the beginning of the two worldwars.A. neutralityB. full involvementC. partial involvementD.appeasement80.President applied New Deal to deal with the problems of the GreatDepression.A. WilsonB. TrumanC. RooseveltD. Kennedy81.The Vietnam War was a long-time suffering for Americans, and it continuedthroughout the terms of Presidents .A. Johnson, Nixon and FordB. Truman, Eisenhower and KennedyC. Kennedy, Johnson and NixonD. Eisenhower, Kennedy and Johnson82.The U. S. Constitution came into effect in .A. 1787B. 1789C. 1791D. 179383.The Constitution of the United States .A. gives the most power to CongressB. gives the most power to the PresidentC. tries to give each branch enough power to balance the othersD. gives the most power to the Supreme Court84.The Bill of Rights .A. defines the rights of Congress and the rights of the PresidentB. guarantees citizens of the United States specific individual rights andfreedomsC. is part of the Declaration of IndependenceD. has no relationship with the Constitution85.The following except are guaranteed in the Bill of Rights.A. freedom of religionB. the right to get into people’s house by policeC. freedom of speech and of pressD. the right to own one’s weapon if one wishes86.All the following except cannot make legislative proposal.A. the SenatorB. the RepresentativeC. the Secretary of StateD. the President87.The following except are all powers of the President.A. vetoing any bills passed by CongressB. appointing federal judges when vacancies occurC. making lawsD. issuing executive orders88.According to the Constitution, a candidate for President must be .A. at least 35 years oldB. at least a 14 years’ resident of the United StatesC. born in AmericaD. all of the above89.The terms for a Senator and Representative are and yearsrespectively.A. two, fourB. two, threeC. two, sixD. six, two90.The Supreme Court is composed of justices.A. sixB. sevenC. eightD. nine91.The President is directly voted into office by .A. all citizens of AmericaB. the citizens over 18 yearsoldC. electors elected by the votersD. the senators andrepresentatives92.America produces a major portion of the world’s products in the followingfields except .A. machineryB. automobilesC. oreD. chemicals93.The modern American economy progressed from to , and eventually,to .A. colonial economy, handcraft economy, industrial economyB. farming economy, handcraft economy, industrial economyC. colonial economy, farming economy, industrial economyD. handcraft economy, farming economy, industrial economy94.Chartered companies were NOT granted the by the British King or Queen.A. political authorityB. economic rightsC. judicial authorityD. diplomatic authority95.The first National Bank of the United States was established with the urgeof .A. George WashingtonB. Thomas JeffersonC. Andrew JacksonD. Alexander Hamilton96.The following inventions took place during the “second industrial revolution”except .A. typewriterB. telephoneC. electric lightD.refrigerator97.President Johnson tried to build a “Great Society” by introducing variousprograms like the following except .A. MedicareB. Food StampsC. Education InitiativesD. Unemployment Pension98.About of American crops are for export.A. halfB. one thirdC. one fourthD. one fifth99.The following statements are all true except .A. Agribusinesses reflect the big, corporate nature of many farm enterprises.B. Agribusinesses maintain a balanced trade pattern between agriculturalimports and exports.C. Agribusinesses range from one-family corporations to multinational firms.D. Agribusinesses include a variety of farm businesses and structures.100. is not one of the three giants in American automobile industry.A. FordB. General MotorsC. ChryslerD. American Motors 101.At present, U. S. exports account for of the world’s total.A. 10%B. 15%C. 20%D. 25%102.Formal education in the United States consists of , secondary and higher education.A. kindergartenB. publicC. elementaryD.private103.Of the following subjects, are NOT offered to elementary school students.A. mathematics and languagesB. politics and business educationC. science and social studiesD. music and physical education 104.Higher education in the United States began with the founding of .A. Yale UniversityB. Harvard UniversityC. Princeton UniversityD. New York University105.Of the following, are NOT among the categories of American higher education.A. universities and collegesB. research institutionsC. technical institutionsD. community colleges106.Of the following, is NOT the responsibility of the board of trustees in U. S. institutions.A. choosing the presidentB. establishing policies for administrators and facultyC. approving budget and other financial projectD. decide which student to enroll107.To get a bachelor’s degree, all undergraduate students are required to do the following except .A. attending lectures and completing assignmentsB. passing examinationsC. working for communitiesD. earning a certain number of credits108.Of the following universities, has NOT cultivated any American President yet.A. Harvard UniversityB. Massachusetts Institute ofTechnologyC. Princeton UniversityD. Yale University109. is sold especially to the upper or upper-middle class and it hasa reputation for its serious attitude and great bulk.A. The Washington PostB. The New York TimesC. Los Angeles TimesD. New York Daily News110.Of the following, is NOT among the three major radio and TV networks in America.A. the National Broadcasting System (NBS)B. the Public BroadcastingService (PBS)C. the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS)D. the American BroadcastingSystem (ABS)111.The National Day of the United States falls on .A. June 4thB. July 4thC. June 14thD. July 14th112.Of the following writers, are from the Colonial and Revolutionary Periods.A. Benjamin Franklin & Edgar Ellen PoeB. Edgar Ellen Poe & JonathanEdwardsC. Benjamin Franklin & Jonathan EdwardsD. Edgar Ellen Poe & WashingtonIrving113. is regarded as “the father of American literature”.A. James Fennimore CooperB. Ralph Waldo EmersonC. Thomas JeffersonD. Washington Irving114.Of the following, is NOT Nathaniel Hawthorne’s work.A. The Scarlet LetterB. The House of the Seven GablesC. The Marble FaunD. Nature115.Of the following, is considered Herman Melville’s masterpiece.A. The Last of the MohicansB. The Legend of Sleepy HollowC. Moby DickD. Daisy Miller116.Of the following, is NOT characteristic of Mark Twain’s works.A. colloquial speechB. a sense of humorC. a realistic viewD. an idealistic view117.Of the following writers, is NOT included in the group of naturalists.A. Stephen CraneB. Frank NorrisC. Theodore DreiserD. HermanMelville118. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s finest novel is , and its theme is about .A. The Great Gatsby, the American DreamB. Tender is the Night, loveC. Tales of the Jazz Age, the loss of oneselfD. The Beautiful and the Damned, the evil of human nature119.Of the following books, is NOT written by Ernest Hemingway.A. The Sun Also RisesB. The Sound and the FuryC. A Farewell to ArmsD. For Whom the Bell Tolls120.Of the following writers, is Not a Nobel Prize winner.A. Alice WalkerB. Ernest HemingwayC. William FaulknerD. EugeneO’Neil121. is the first African-American winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature.A.Ralph EllisonB. Tony MorrisonC. Richard WrightD. JamesBaldwin选择题参考答案:第一章 A B C D B C D A C B第二章 D D B C C A B A C D三 C D B A B C C B D A四 C B A C D C D B A C五 D B B A B C C D D A六 B C B D C A C D B A八 C A B B C C D B A D九 C B C D B B C A C D十 B C B B C C D D D C十一 C C D D D D B B D A十二 C B B B D C B B B B十三 C D D C D D A B A B二、判断题及答案Chapter 11.The island of Great Britain is geographically divided into three parts: England, Scotland and Wales. (2.People in different parts of Britain like to use the name England to refer to their country.(3.Today more than half of the people in Wales still speak the ancient Welsh language.(4.In terms of population and area,Northern Ireland is the second largest part of the United Kingdom.5.The longest river of Britain originates in Wales.(6.Because of political troubles,Northern Ireland has been quite significant among the four constituent parts of the United Kingdom.(7.Though the climate in Britain is generally mild,the temperature in northern Scotland often falls below --10C in January.(8.The majority of the people in Britain are descendants of the Anglo--Saxons.()9.The Celtic people are the earliest known inhabitants of Britain.(10.English changed into what is described as Modern English from the late 16th century.(Chapter 21.The British history before 55BC is basically undocumented.(2.The Celts became the dominant group in Britain between the 8th and 5th centuries BC.(3.The name of Britain came from a Celtic tribe--- the Britons.(4.The Anglo--Saxons came to Britain in the mid--5th century.()5.The chief or king of the Anglo--Saxon tribes exercised power at their own will.( )6.The Vikings began to attack the English coast in the 8th century.( )7.Henry II built up a large empire which included England and most of France.( )8.The Magna Carta was designed to protect the rights of both the privileged class and the townspeople. )9.The Hundred Years' War was a series of wars fought between England and Normans foe trade and territory. )10.In an effort to make a compromise between different religious factions,QueenElizabeth I actually defended the fruit of the Religious Reformation.(Chapter 31.Conventions are regarded less important than common law in the working of the British government. )2.The British monarchy has never been interrupted throughout the history.( )3.In reality,the British King or Queen is the source of all government powers.(4.British Parliament is the law--making body of the Commonwealth of Nations.5.Lords Spiritual and Lords Temporal are all members in the British Upper House.( )6.The members in the House of Commons are appointed rather than elected. )7.The British Prime Minister is the leader of the majority party in Parliament.( )8.Cabinet members are chosen by the Prime Minister from various political parties in Parliament.(9.British law consists of two parts,the civil law and the criminal law.(10.The legal systems in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are much similar in terms of law, organization and practice.(Chapter 41.Britain was the first industrialized nation in the world.( )2.The British economy experienced a relative decline during the postwar period. )3.Limited resources and high unemployment rate were persistent problems that prevented rapid economic development in Britain.(4.Thatcher's revolution turned out to be a great success in dealing with all the British econimic and social problems.( )5.The economic approach adopted by Tony Blair is different from that of the Labor party and the Conservative Party.( )6.Blair made the Bank of England independent in order to separate politics and economic policy.( )7.Britain is the world's leading exporter of poultry and dairy products.( )8.The fishing industry provides more than 50%of Britain's demand for fish.(9.Britain is an important oil exporter since its oil industry has a long history.( )10.Nuclear power is one of the major energy sources in Britain.( )Chapter 51.The British government has been responsible for education since the early 1800s.(cation in Britain is compulsory for all children between the ages of 6 and 15.( )3.The National Curriculum is compulsory in both the state system and the independent system.( )4.When children finish their schooling at 16, they are required to take a national GCSE examination.( )5.Graduates from state schools in Britain have a less favorable chance to enter famous universities than those from independent schools.( )6.In the 1960s, a large number of new universities were founded in Britain.( )7.Most British people begin their day with reading the morning newspaper and end it watching television in the evening. )8.The Times is the world's oldest national newspaper( )9.The BBC World Service broadcasts only in English throughout the world.( )10.Some British holidays are celebrated to mark the important events of the Christian calendar, and others are related to local customs and traditions. ) Chapter 61.The Canterbury Tales is a representative work of the Old English Period.(2.Renaissance is characterized by admiration of the Greek and Latin classics.( )3.Hamlet depicts the hero's struggle with two opposing forces: moral integrity andthe need to avenge his father's murder.(4.Alexander Pope was a great English poet who also translated Homer's Iliad.( )5.Jonathan Swift is probably the foremost prose satirist in the English language, and Robinson Crusoe is his masterpiece.( )6.William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge brought the Romantic Movement to its height.( )7.Lord Byron distinguished himself by the musical quality of his short poems, such as "Ode to the West Wind".( )8.Jane Austen was a well--known novelist of the stream of consciousness school.(9.Joseph Conrad is classified as a forerunner of Modernism, which prevailed before World War II.( )10.V.S.Naipaul detailed in his works the dual problems of the Third World: the oppression of colonialism and the chaos of postcolonialism.( )Chapter 71.The Republic of Ireland occupies the entire area of the island of Ireland.( )2.The earliest inhabitants in Ireland were Celtic tribes from Europe.( )3.In the 1800s, Ireland gained in prosperity because it became a part of Britain.( )4.In the 1930s, Ireland was not indeed a republic,but belonged to the Commonwealth of Nations.( )5.To support the government's neutrality in World War II, there was no Irishman participating in the war.( )6.With the help of Britain, Ireland entered the EEC in 1973 without difficulties.( )7.In 1949, Britain recognized the independence of the Irish Republic and returned the six northern countries.( )8.In Ireland, both the House of Representatives and the Senate have the power of making laws.( )9.English is the only official language in Ireland, because the majority of people speak it as their tongue. )10.Catholicism in Ireland is more than a mere matter of private faith.( Chapter 81.The eastern highlands formed by the Appalachians hold one third of the country's continental territory. )2.The climate in the United States can be classified as temperate,with some mild subtropical and tropical zones.( )3.Almost through the middle of the United States, north to south,runs a well--known。
华兹华斯的名言

华兹华斯的名言华兹华斯(William Wordsworth,1770-1850)是英国浪漫主义诗人,以他的诗歌表达了对自然和人类内心世界的探索和赞美。
他的作品深受启发和影响,并对后来的文学创作产生了深远的影响。
以下是华兹华斯的一些名言及其相关参考内容。
1. "Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings: it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquility."(诗歌是强烈情感的自然流露:它的起源来源于内心静寂中重新回忆起的情感。
)这句话来自华兹华斯的《论诗歌的概念和未来的前景》(Preface to Lyrical Ballads),他在这里强调了诗歌来自内心深处情感的自发性和内省的重要性。
2. "Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart."(用你心灵的呼吸来填充你的纸张。
)这句话来自华兹华斯的一封信,他鼓励诗人以真挚的情感将自己的内心世界表达出来,并在作品中探索与读者的情感共鸣。
3. "The best portion of a good man's life: His little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and of love."(优秀人生的最美好部分:他无名无记的善行和爱。
)这句话出自华兹华斯的长诗《加里忒亚修女》(Tintern Abbey),他在该作中表达了对无私的善行的赞美,并认为这些善行是人生中最珍贵的部分。
4. "The child is father of the man."(孩童是大人的先导。
)这句话出自华兹华斯的诗歌《寓言》,他认为童年时期的经历和体验对个人成长和塑造性格起着关键作用。
(完整word版)英美国家概况填空题

Chapter 11.The two main island of the Britain Isles are Great Britain and Ireland。
2.Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland.3.Among the four parts of the United Kingdom ,Northern Ireland is the smallest.4.English belong to the Germanic group of the Indo—European family of languages。
5.The introduction of Christianity to Britain added the first element of Latin and Greek.6.The evolution of Middle English was reinforced by the Norman influence.7.Samuel Johnson’s dictionary was influential in establishing a standar d form of spelling.8.At present ,nearly one—third of the world’s population communicate in English。
Chapter 21.The Germanic attack on Rome ended the Roman occupation in Britain in 410。
2.By the late 7th century ,Roman Christianity became the dominant religion in England.3.The Norman Conquest marked the establish of feudalism in England。
英语国家概况复习整理精选全文完整版

可编辑修改精选全文完整版英语国家概况复习整理一、单选题知识点:1.英国部分英国的主要岛屿:Great Britain and IrelandEdinburgh(爱丁堡)是苏格兰的首都英国有超过60 million的人口Northern Ireland是4个英国组成部分中最小的一个1/4 人口住在southeastern England英语属于Indo-European 语系中的Germanic(日耳曼语)基督教额引入为英国添加了第一笔 Latin and Greek色彩中世界英语被Norman influence强化塞缪尔.约翰逊的词典的意义是建立了Spelling的标准目前,将近a quarter的世界人口讲英文The Gremanic对罗马的进攻结束了罗马人占领英国在7世纪晚期,Roman Christianity(天主教会)处于英格兰的主导地位Westminster Abbey(威斯敏斯特教堂)建立在Edward the confessor(忏悔者爱德华)时期The Norman conquest 标志着Feudalism(封建制度)在英国的建立玫瑰花战争带来the House of Tudor的统治宗教改革(Religious Reformation)的直接原因是亨利三世国王divorce his wife英国革命在1642年爆发于Royalists and Parliamentarians(保皇党人和国会议员)之间Bill of Right(人权法案)在Glorious Revolution (光荣革命)后被通过19世纪中期英国的Industrial Revolution完成英国在20世纪初期面临着强烈的全球帝国统治挑战英国政府的三权分立:judiciary(司法),legislature(立法)及executive(行政),而不包括momarchy(君主) 英国君主的重要性体现在他在public attitude方面的影响British Cabinet(内阁)在Collective responsibility(集体负责制)的原则下工作英国Priry Council(枢密院)的主要责任是Give advice英国议会大选每5年举行一次Scotland拥有建立在罗马法律基础上的独特的法律系统英国议会的经营是two-party(两党的)模式保守党的政策是典型的Pragmatism(实用主义)和 a belief in individualism(个人主义的信仰)工会党(The Labor Prty)的影响是建立了全国健康服务体制(National Health Service)英国经济到1800s实现了全球统治在1946年,英国议会通过了两个重要法案,建立了福利规定1970s早期的The oil crisis(石油危机)恶化了本来已经不景气的英国经济布莱尔政府没有在reducing inequality方面获得成功英国开垦了74%的土地用于发展农业英国的渔业地区不包括The sea area between Britain and Ireland在英国,煤矿产业提供了1/4的能源英国汽车产业几乎全部是Foreign-owned(外企)英国文艺复兴时期最光辉的成就是drama(戏剧)"Preface to Lyrical Ballads"是浪漫诗的开篇之作Thomas Hardy 是19世纪批判现实主义的代表Waiting for Godot是Samuel Bekett 写的2.美国部分美国大陆上有48个statesAlaska是最大的州美国在 central North America ,加拿大在它的北面,墨西哥在南面,大西洋在它的东面,太平洋在它的西面美国最大的河流是Mississippi River哈佛、耶鲁和MIT等著名大学位于New EnglandNiagara Falls(尼亚加拉瀑布)位于美国-加拿大边境上阿拉斯加人口中没有the Blacks美国最大的少数民族是the Blacks1924年的移民法案限制美国的进一步移民,尤其是来自欧洲的美国文化主流的特点是:English-speaking,Western European,Protestant and Middle-class第一个北美殖民地建立在Jamestorn,VirginiaPilrim Fathers 是一群Paritans(清教徒),他们为了逃避在英国的迫害而来到美国7年战争发生在French and British之间"No taxation without represtation"是The people of 13 colonies的口号美国独立战争的第一枪在Lexingto (列克星顿)打响1775年5月,The second continenta congrsee 在Philadelphia举行林肯签发了Declaration of Independence承诺给予所以奴隶自由第二次世界大战开始时,美国是neutrality(中立的)政策Roosevelt(罗斯福)新政处理了大萧条的问题越南战争继续受Eisenhower,kennedy and johnson的影响美国的ore(矿石)只占世界很小部分现代美国经济经历了faming economy,handcraft economy,最终形成industrial economy第一家国家银行是在Alexander Hamilton时期建立的美国1/3粮食用于出口目前,美国出口占世界10%美国常规教育包括elementary,secondary and higher education美国高等教育开始于Harvard University 的建立MIT没有出过总统美国国庆节在July 4thWashington Irving 是美国文学之父Tony Morrison是第一个获得诺贝尔奖文学奖的非裔美国人二、名词解释:1. American Civil War(美国内战)American Civil War is a war that was fought in the US between 1861 and 1865 when 11 southern states rebelled against the federal government. The southern states were beaten, and as a result of the war, slaves became free.2.Melting pot and salad(大熔炉)The melting pot is an analogy for the way in which homogeneous societies develop, in which the ingredients in the pot (people of different cultures, races and religions) are combined so as to develop a multi-ethnic society. The term, which originates from the United States, is often used to describe societies experiencing large scale immigration from many different countries.3.American Constitution(美国宪法)American Constitution,which was drawn up in 1787 and came into effect in 1789,is the basic law of the land.For over two centuries,it has guided the development of government institution and has the basis for the nation,s political stability,economic growth and social progress.4.Cold War(冷战)In the spring of 1947 ,for the purpose of establishing the U.S.hegenmiony(霸权) in postwar world,President Truman declared the "Tueman Doctrine",aiming at expanding American sphere of influence.This marked the beginning of the Cold War period.the Cold War exerted great influence in Europe,and two Germanys were founded.Then,in April 1949,the U.S.allied with other Western countries,forming the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.While seeking to prevent Communist ideology from gaining further adherents(追随者) in Europe, the U.S.also responded to the challenges elsewhere.5.Thanksgiving(感恩节)Thanksgiving is a associated with the time when Europeans first came to the New World.In1620,the Mayflower arrived and brought about 150 Pilgrims.Life at the beginning was very hard and there was not enough food,so many of them died.During the following summer the Native Americans helped them and then they had a bountiful harvest.So they held a big celebration to thank God and the Native Americans.6.British Labor Party(英国工会党)British Labor Party known as a party of high taxation,was created by the growing trade union movement at the end of the 19th century.It quickly replaced the Liberal Party as one of the two largest political parties.The Labor government that come to power in 1945 had a major effort on British society. It set up the National Health Service.The party activities are largely funded by the trade unions.7.British Conservative Party(英国保守党)By and large, the Conservative Party is supported by those who have something to "conserve".Economically,the Conservative Party supports free enterprise and privatization of state-owned enterprise.It is against too much government intervention,especially nationalization.The Conservative Partyfavors reducing the influence of trade unions and minimizing expenditures on social welfare.Its policies are charactized by pragmatism and a belied in individualism.monwealth of Nations(联邦国家)The Commonwealth of Nations is a voluntary association of independent sovereign statse,all of which acknowledge the British monarch as the head.The Commonwealth is not a political union of any sort,and its member states have full autonomy to manage their internal and external affairs.It is primarily an organization in which countries with diverse economic backgrounds have an opportunity for close and equal interaction after gaining independence.The major activities of the Commonwealth are designed to advocate democracy,human rights,and to promote economic cooperation and growth within its members.9.Critical Realism(批判现实主义)The Critical Realism of the 19th centry flourished in the 1840s and the early 1850s.The Critical Realism described the chief traits of the society and criticized the capitalist system from a democratic viewpoint.The greatest English realist was Charles Dickens.10.Standard English (标准英语)Standard English is based on the speech of the upper class of southeastern England.It is widely used in media and taught at school .It is preferred by the educated,middle-class people .It has developed and has been promoted as a model for correct British English .It is also the norm carried overseas.Today Standard English is codified to the extent that the grammar and vocabulary are much the same everywhere in the world where English is thought and used.三、简答题:1.what is the full name of the UK?The full name is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland2.why do tourists from all over the world like to go to Scotland?They like to enjoy the beautiful Scottish scenery ,to drink Scotch whisky and to see Scotsmen wearing kilts and playing bagpipes.3.How many periods can the development of the English language be divided into and what are they ?The development of the English language can be divided into three periods : Old English ,Middle English and Modern English.4.Why did English become more important after the Black Death?The laboring and merchant classes grew in economic and social importance after the Black Death,so English also grew in importance compare to French.。
英国文学选读下 作者作品名整理

The Age of Romanticism (1798~1832)补充:Rousseau (1712~1778) 卢梭:The New Heloise (1761) Emile (1762)Edmund Burke (1729~1797):Reflection on the Revolution in FranceA Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and the Beautiful Aristotle:The PoeticsLonginus:On the SublimeThomas Paine (1737~1809) :The Rights of Man (1791)William Wordsworth (1770~1850) 华兹华斯Preface to Lyrical Ballads 《抒情歌谣集》序言Composed upon Westerminster Bridge 《写于威斯敏斯特桥上》The Solitary Reaper 《孤独的割麦女》I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud 《我好似一片孤的流云》LinesComposed a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey 《丁登诗》The RecluseThe PreludeThe Lucy PoemsLondon(1802)Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772~1834) 柯尔律治Kubla Khan 《忽必烈汗》The Rime of the Ancient Mariner 《古舟子咏》Biographia LiterariaRemorseChristabelThe Eolian Harp (1795)Reflections on having left a Place of Retirement (1795)This Lime-Tree Bower my Prison (1797)Frost at Midnight (1798)Fears in Solitude (1798)The Nightingale: A Conversation Poem (1798)Dejection: An Ode (1802)To William Wordsworth (1807)Poems on Various SubjectsGeorge Gordon Byron (1788~1824) 拜伦Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage (1809) 《恰尔德. 哈罗尔德游记》Don Juan 《唐璜》The Isles of Greece (哀希腊)When We Two Parted 《记当时我俩分手》She Walks in Beauty 《她身披美丽而行》Hours of IdlenessOriental TalesPrometheusSonnet on ChillonThe Prisoner of ChillonPercy Bysshe Shelley (1792~1822) 雪莱Song to the Men of England 《致英国人之歌》Ode to the West Wind (1819) 《西风颂》On the Necessity of Atheism (1811)Queen MabAlastor (1816)The Revolt of Islam (1818)The Mask of Anarchy (1819)Prometheus Unbound (1820)Hellas (1822)The Cenci (1819)Adomais (1821)The Defence of Poetry (1821)To a SkylarkLove’s philosophyOne word Is Too often ProfanedWith a Guitar, to JaneOzymandias 《法老》John Keats (1795~1821) 济兹On First Looking into Chapman’s Homer 《初读查普曼译荷马史诗》Ode to a Nightingale 《夜莺颂》To Autumn 《秋颂》Endymion (1818)Charles Lamb (1775~1834) 兰姆Old China 《古旧的瓷器》Tales from Shakespeare (1807)Essays of Ilia (1823)Last Essays of Ilia (1833)The Tomb of DouglasA Vision of RepentanceBlank Verse with Charles Lloyd, the mentally unstable son of the founder of Lloyd's Bank The Old Familiar FacesRosamund GrayOn the Tragedies of ShakespeareSpecimens of the English Dramatic Poets Who Lived About the Time of Shakespeare. Thomas de Quincey (1785~1859) 德.昆西On the Knocking at the Gate in Macbeth 《论〈麦克白〉剧中的敲门声》The Confessions of an English Opium-Eater (1821)Walladmor (1825)On Murder Considered as one of the Fine Arts (1827)Klosterheim, or the Masque (1832)Lake Reminiscences (1834–40)Walter Scott (1771~1832) 司各特Ivanhoe 《艾文赫》Minstrelsey of the Scottish Border (1802-1803)The Lay of the Last Minstrel (1805)Marmion (1808)The Lady of the Lake (1810)Waverley (1812)Rob RoyThe Heart of MidlothianThe Bride of LammermoorThe Victorian Age (1832~1901) 维多利亚时期The Victorian NovelistsCharles Dickens (1812~1870)狄更斯Dombey and Son (1848)《董贝父子》Bleak House (1853)《荒凉山庄》Sketches by Boz (1836)The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club/Pickwick Papers (1836~1837)Oliver Twist (1837~1838)Nicholas Nickleby (1838~1839)The Old Curiosity Shop (1840~1841)Martin Chuzzlewit (1843~1844)A Christmas CarolThe ChimesThe Cricket on the HearthDavid CopperfieldAmerican NoteA Tale of Two CitiesHard Times (1854)Little Dorrit (1857)Our Mutual Friend (1865)Great ExpectationsWilliam Makepeace Thackeray (1811~1863) 威廉麦克皮斯萨克雷Vanity Fair (1848) 《名利场》The School of Snobs (1846~1847)The Newcomes (1853~1855)Henry Esmond (1852)The Victorian poetsLord Alfred Tennyson (1809~1892) 丁尼生In Memoriam 《悼念》Ulysses 《尤利西斯》Break, Break, Break 《拍岸曲》MaudPoems by Two Brothers (1827)Poems (1833)The Lady of ShalottMorte d’ArthurIdylls of the KingRobert Browning (1812~1889) 布朗宁My Last Duchess 《我的前公爵夫人》Meeting at Night 《深夜幽会》Parting at Morning 《清晨离别》Pauline (1833)Matthew Arnold (1822~1888) 阿诺德Dover Beach 《多佛海滩》Essays in Criticism (1865 and 1888)Culture and Amarchy (1889)The Bronte Sisters 勃朗特三姐妹Charlotte Bronte(1816~1855) Jane Eyre (1847)Emily Bronte(1818~1848) Wuthering Heights (1847) 《呼啸山庄》Anne Bronte(1820~1849) Agnes Gray (1847)Thomas Carlyle (1795~1881) 卡莱尔Past and Present (1843) 《过去和现在》Sartor Resartus (1833~1834)History of the French Revolution (1837)German Literature (1837)Periods of European Culture (1838)Heroes and Hero Worship (1841)Reminiscences (1881)Thomas Hardy (1840~1928) 哈代Tess of the D’Urbervilles (1891) 《德伯家的苔丝》In Time of “The Breaking of Nations ”《国家分裂时》Afterwards 《身后》Jude the Obscure (1896)The DynastsJoseph Conrad (1857~1924) 康拉德Heart of Darkness 《黑暗的心脏》Almayer’s Folly (1895)The Nigger of “the Narcissus” (1897)Lord Jim (1900)Nostromo (1904)The Secret Agent (1907)George Bernard Shaw (1856~1950)肖伯纳Major Barbars’(1905) 《巴巴拉少校》Widowers’ House (1892)Mrs. Warren’s ProfessionPygmalion (1912)Heartbreak House (1917)The Twentieth CenturyModernism 现代文学派Thomas Stearns Eliot (1888~1965) 艾略特The Love Song of J.Alfred Prufrock (1911)《普鲁弗洛克的情歌》The Waste Land (1921)Lancelot Andrews (1928)Ash Wednesday (1930)Murder in the Cathedral (1935)The Family Reunion. (1939)James Joyce (1882~1941) 乔伊斯Ulysses (1922) 《尤里克斯》,A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (1916)Stephen Spender ( 1909~1995) 斯彭德The Landscape Near An Aerodrome.《机场附近的景色》Wystan Hugh Auden (1907~1973) 奥登Spain 1937 《西班牙1937》Angry Young Men愤怒的青年John Osborn (1929~1994) 奥斯本Look Back in Anger 《愤怒的回顾》补充:Kingsley Amis : Lucky Jim (1954)John Wain : Hurry on Down (1953)John Braine : Room at the Top (1957)Alan Sillitoe : Saturday Night and Sunday Morning (1958)The Theatre of the Absurd荒诞派戏剧补充:Martin Esslin : The Theatre of the Absurd (1961)Camus : The Myth of Sisphyus (1942)Samuel Beckett (1906~1989) 贝克特Waiting for Godot (1952) 《等待戈多》Iris Murdoch (1919~1999) (Dame Jean Iris Murdoch) 默多克Under the Net (1954)The Flight from the Enchanter (1956)The Bell (1958)A Severed Head (1961) 《割裂的头脑》The Unicorn (1963)The Red and Green (1965)A Fairly Honourable Defeat (1970)The Black Prince (1973)The Sea, The Sea (1978)The Philosopher’s Pupil (1983)The Green Knight (1993)William Golding (1911~1993) 威廉.戈尔丁Lord of The Flies (1954) 《蝇王》The Inheritors (1955)Pincher Martin (1965)Free Fall (1959)The Spire (1964)The Pyramid (1967)The Scorpion God (three short novels) (1971)Darkness Visible (1979)Rites of Passage (1980)The paper Men (1987)Fire Down Below (1989)V. S. Naipaul (1932~) 维.苏奈保尔Fiction works: The Mystic Masseur(1957)Miguel Street(1958)A Way in the World (1997)A House for Mr. Biswas (1961) The Mimic Man(1967)Half a Life(1999)A Bend in the River (1979)The Enigma of Arrival (1987) Guerrillas(1975)In a Free State(1971)《在一个自由的国度》包含five apparently independent stories or novellas: 1“Prologue, Form a Journal: The Tamp atPiraeus”, 2“One out of Many”, 3“Tell Me Who to Kill”, 4“In a Free State”, 5“Epilogue, from a Journal: The Circus at Lu xor”.Nonfictional works:Between Father and Son: Family LettersBeyond beliefs: I slamic Excursions Among the ConvertedPeoples, Among the Believers: an I slamic JourneyIndia: a Million Mutinies NowIndia: a Wounded CivilizationMartin Amis (1949~) 马丁.艾米斯Novels: The Rachel Papers(1973) Success(1978) Other People: a Mystery Story(1981) Money:a Suicide Note (1984) 《钱:绝命书》London Fields(1989) Time’s Arrow(1999) The Information(1995) Night Train(1997)Story collection: Einstein’s Monsters (1986)Non-fictional writing: Visiting Nabokov (1993)Seamus Heaney (1939~) 谢默斯.希尼First poem: Tractors, in the Belfast Telegraph.First book of poetry: Death of a Naturalist (1966),《博物学家之死》,Dorr into the Dark(1969), Electric Light(2001).Book of literary criticism: Preoccupations, The Government of Tongue, The Place of Writing and Redness of Poetry.Translation of the old-English epic: Beowulf (1999).Nobel Prize for Literature in 1995: Crediting Poetry.Poetry of two genres: 1 the private or autobiographical theme(rural experience): Death of a Naturalist(1966),《博物学家之死》,Dorr into the Dark(1969).2 the public or political theme(psychological meditation on the violence in Northern Ireland arising from religious and political conflicts):NorthMade by: Leo、Zoe、Eva.。
Preface to Lyrical Ballads(by William Wordsworth)

Preface to Lyrical Ballads(by William Wordsworth)I. Read the following words selected from Preface to Lyrical Ballads by William Wordsworth in1800 and pay special attention to highlighted ones.It was published, as an experiment, which, I hoped, might be of some use to ascertain, how far, by fitting to metrical arrangement aselection of the real language of men in a state of vivid sensation,that sort of pleasure and that quantity of pleasure may be imparted, which a Poet may rationally endeavour to impart.The principal object, then, proposed in these Poems was to choose incidents and situations from common life, and to relate or describe them, throughout, as far as was possible in a selection of language really used by men, and, at the same time, to throw over them a certain colouring of imagination, whereby ordinary things should be presented to the mind in an unusual aspect; and, further, and above all, to make these incidents and situations interesting by tracing in them, truly though not ostentatiously, the primary laws of our nature: chiefly, as far as regards the manner in which we associate ideas in a state of excitement. Humble and rustic life was generally chosen, because, inthat condition, the essential passions of the heart find a better soil in which they can attain their maturity, are less under restraint, and speak a plainer and more emphatic language; The language, too, of these men has been adopted。
西方思想经典导读-有中文

Chapter 9 Romanticism1. Romanticism refers to an attitude or intellectual orientation that characterizes many works of literature , painting, music, architecture, criticism, and historiography in western civilization over a period from the late 18th to the mid-19th century.浪漫主义指的是一种态度或知识取向,刻画出了许多作品的文学、绘画、音乐、建筑、批评和史学在西方文明在一段时间内从18世纪末到19世纪中叶。
2. The "Preface" to Lyrical Ballads by William Wordsworth, known as the manifesto of romanticism, addresses the subjects, aim and style of romantic poetry as well as the essential characteristics of a romantic poet.威廉·华兹华斯是一个浪漫的诗人,他写的抒情诗集的“卷首语”,被称为浪漫主义宣言,讨论了浪漫主义诗歌的主题,目的和风格以及基本特征的。
3. William Wordsworth was an early leader of Romanticism in English poetry, who ranks as one of the greatest lyric poets in the history of English literature.威廉·华兹华斯是英语诗歌中早期浪漫主义的领袖,他在英语文学的历史位列最伟大的抒情诗人之一。
2011年四川大学英语专业英美文学真题试卷_真题-无答案

2011年四川大学英语专业(英美文学)真题试卷(总分34,考试时间90分钟)1. 名词解释1. Francis Bacon2. Matthew Arnold3. George Bernard Shaw4. The Southern Renaissance in American Literature5. The Waste Land2. 单项选择题1. Natty Bumppo is the protagonist appearing in a series five novels written by______.A. Mark TwainB. Theodore DreiserC. Nathaniel HawthorneD. James Fenimore Cooper2. Which ONE of the following works deals with the conflict between the capital and the land, and with the struggle between the railroad and the farmers?A. The Adventures of Huckleberry FinnB. The OctopusC. The Scarlet LetterD. Uncle Tom"s Cabin3. Which ONE of the following poems is composed in memory of Abraham Lincoln?A. The Wild Honey SuckleB. The Tide Rises, the Tide FallsC. Because I Could Not Stop for DeathD. O Captain, My Captain4. Which ONE of the following is the author of Light in August?A. Willa CatherB. Richard WrightC. Ernest HemingwayD. William Faulkner5. Which ONE of the following literary schools is related with the concepts of determinism?A. realismB. romanticismC. naturalismD. modernism6. Which ONE of the following is the author of Utopia?A. Charles LambB. Washington IrvingC. Edgar Allan PoeD. Thomas More7. Which of the following is NOT a typical feature of Modernism?A. AllusionB. The use of symbolsC. IronyD. Simplicity in language8. The works of Bronte sisters are marked by strong______ elements.A. realisticB. pragmaticC. romanticD. magical9. In Preface to Lyrical Ballads" , Wordsworth gives his definition for good poetry: " for all good poetry is the______ overflow of powerful feelings.A. naturalB. spontaneousC. impulsiveD. artless10. During the 1950s, there appeared a group of young writers in Britain who were fiercely critical of the established order. They were called______.A. Angry Young FellowsB. Critical Young WritersC. Angry Young MenD. Cynical Young Writers3. 问答题1. Make a comment on Bleak House by Charles Dickens.2. Make a comment on Ralph Waldo Emerson"s work Nature.。
William Wordsworth1

Lyrical Ballads, which opened with Coleridge‘s ‘The Rime of the Ancient Mariner.’ 《古舟子咏》 The Prelude 序曲 The Excursion 远足
What is the relation between the poet and nature as described in the poem? Do you think nature can have healing effect on mind? Rhyme scheme Recurrent image of “dance” Intensity of “happiness” Change of the poet’s feeling A sense of joy and unity and continuity in the natural elements of air, water and earth
我孤独地漫游,像一朵云 在山丘和谷地上飘荡, 忽然间我看见一群 金色的水仙花迎春开放, 在树荫下,在湖水边, 迎着微风起舞翩翩。 连绵不绝,如繁星灿烂, 在银河里闪闪发光, 它们沿着湖湾的边缘 延伸成无穷无尽的一行; 我一眼看见了一万朵, 在欢舞之中起伏颠簸。
Structure:
1st stanza occasion 2-3rd stanza happy sensation at the sight of the dancing flowers 4th stanza happy sensation experienced again at the memory of the scene
ballads
William Wordsworth

Major works
Lyrical Ballads (1798、1800)
“Preface to the Lyrical Ballads ” 《抒情歌谣集》序 “Lines Composed A Few Miles above Tintern Abbey” 丁登寺 “Lines Written in Early Spring” 早春诗行 “She Dwelt among the Untrodden Ways” 她住在人迹罕至处 “My Heart Leaps Up” 我的心激烈的跳跃 “London, 1802” 伦敦,一八零二年 “The Solitary Reaper” 孤独的割麦者 “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud” Also known as “Daffodils” 我独自漫游像一朵浮云(水仙花)
I WANDERED LONELY AS A CLOUD
I wandered lonely as a cloud That floats on high o'er vales and hills, When all at once I saw a crowd, A host of golden daffodils; Beside the lake, beneath the trees, Fluttering and dancing in the breeze. Continuous as the stars that shine and twinkle on the Milky Way, They stretched in never-ending line along the margin of a bay: Ten thousand saw I at a glance, tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
华兹华斯英文简介

华兹华斯英文简介文件排版存档编号:[UYTR-OUPT28-KBNTL98-UYNN208]W i l l i a m W o r d s w o r t h:William Wordsworth (7 April 1770 – 23 April 1850) was a major English Romantic poet who, with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, helped launch the Romantic Age in English literature with their 1798 joint publication, Lyrical Ballads.Wordsworth's masterpiece is generally considered to be The Prelude, a semi autobiographical poem of his early years which the poet revised and expanded a number of times. The work was posthumously titled and published, prior to which it was generally known as the poem "to Coleridge". Wordsworth was England's Poet Laureate from 1843 until his death in 1850.Biography:Early life and educationThe second of five children born to John Wordsworth and Ann Cookson, William Wordsworth was born on 7 April 1770 in Cockermouth in Cumberland — part of the scenic region in north-west England, the Lake District. His sister, the poet and diarist Dorothy Wordsworth, to whom he was close all his life, was born the following year. All of his siblings were destined to have successful careers. His elder brother Richard became a lawyer in London; John Wordsworth rose to the rank of Captain on a merchantman of the East India Company; and the youngest of the family, Christopher, became Master of Trinity Collegeat Cambridge. After the death of their mother in 1778, their fathersent William to Hawkshead Grammar School and sent Dorothy to live with relatives in Yorkshire. She and William did not meet again for another nine years. His father died when he was 13.[1]Wordsworth made his debut as a writer in 1787 when he published a sonnet in The European Magazine. That same year he began attending St John's College, Cambridge, and received his . degree in 1791.[2] He returned to Hawkshead for his first two summer holidays, and oftenspent later holidays on walking tours, visiting places famous for the beauty of their landscape. In 1790, he took a walking tour of Europe, during which he toured the Alps extensively, and also visited nearby areas of France, Switzerland, and Italy. His youngest brother, Christopher, rose to be Master of Trinity College.Relationship with Annette VallonIn November 1791, Wordsworth visited Revolutionary France and became enthralled with the Republican movement. He fell in love with a French woman, Annette Vallon, who in 1792 gave birth to their child, Caroline. Because of lack of money and Britain's tensions with France, hereturned alone to England the next year.[4] The circumstances of his return and his subsequent behaviour raise doubts as to his declaredwish to marry Annette but he supported her and his daughter as best he could in later life. During this period, he wrote his acclaimed "It isa beauteous evening, calm and free," recalling his seaside walk withhis wife, whom he had not seen for ten years. At the conception ofthis poem, he had never seen his daughter before. The occurring lines reveal his deep love for both child and mother. The Reign of Terror estranged him from the Republican movement, and war between France and Britain prevented him from seeing Annette and Caroline again forseveral years. There are also strong suggestions that Wordsworth may have been depressed and emotionally unsettled in the mid 1790s.With the Peace of Amiens again allowing travel to France, in 1802 Wordsworth and his sister, Dorothy visited Annette and Caroline in France and arrived at a mutually agreeable settlement regarding Wordsworth's obligationsFirst publication and Lyrical BalladsIn his "Preface to Lyrical Ballads" which is called the 'manifesto' of English Romantic criticism, Wordsworth calls his poems ' experimental'. 1793 saw Wordsworth's first published poetry with the collections An Evening Walk and Descriptive Sketches. He received a legacy of £900 from Raisley Calvert in 1795 so that he could pursue writing poetry. That year, he also met Samuel Taylor Coleridge in Somerset. The two poets quickly developed a close friendship. In 1797, Wordsworth andhis sister, Dorothy, moved to Alfoxton House, Somerset, just a fewmiles away from Coleridge's home in Nether Stowey. Together,Wordsworth and Coleridge (with insights from Dorothy) produced Lyrical Ballads (1798), an important work in the English Romantic movement. The volume had neither the name of Wordsworth nor Coleridge as the author. One of Wordsworth's most famous poems, "Tintern Abbey", was published in the work, along with Coleridge's "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner". The second edition, published in 1800, had only Wordsworth listed as the author, and included a preface to the poems, which was significantly augmented in the 1802 edition. This Preface to Lyrical Ballads is considered a central work of Romantic literary theory. In it, Wordsworth discusses what he sees as the elements of a new type of poetry, one based on the "real language of men" and which avoids the poetic diction of much eighteenth-century poetry. Here, Wordsworth also gives his famous definition of poetry askeets "the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings from emotions recollected in tranquility." A fourth and final edition of Lyrical Ballads was published in 1805.Germany and move to the Lake DistrictWordsworth, Dorothy, and Coleridge then travelled to Germany in the autumn of 1798. While Coleridge was intellectually stimulated by the trip, its main effect on Wordsworth was to produce homesickness.[4] During the harsh winter of 1798–1799, Wordsworth lived with Dorothyin Goslar, and despite extreme stress and loneliness, he began work onan autobiographical piece later titled The Prelude. He also wrote a number of famous poems, including "the Lucy poems". He and his sister moved back to England, now to Dove Cottage in Grasmere in the Lake District, and this time with fellow poet Robert Southey nearby. Wordsworth, Coleridge, and Southey came to be known as the "Lake Poets".[5] Through this period, many of his poems revolve around themes of death, endurance, separation, and grief.。
孤独的割麦女译文

孤独的割麦女看,一个孤独的高原姑娘在远远的田野间收割,一边割一边独自歌唱,——请你站住.或者俏悄走过!她独自把麦子割了又捆,唱出无限悲凉的歌声,屏息听吧!深广的谷地已被歌声涨满而漫溢!还从未有过夜莺百啭,唱出过如此迷人的歌,在沙漠中的绿荫间抚慰过疲惫的旅客;还从未有过杜鹃迎春,声声啼得如此震动灵魂,在遥远的赫布利底群岛打破过大海的寂寥。
她唱什么,谁能告诉我?忧伤的音符不断流涌,是把遥远的不悦诉说?是把古代的战争吟咏?也许她的歌比较卑谦,只是唱今日平凡的悲欢,只是唱自然的哀伤苦痛——昨天经受过,明天又将重逢?姑娘唱什么,我猜不着,她的歌如流水永无尽头;只见她一面唱一面干活,弯腰挥镰,操劳不休……我凝神不动,听她歌唱,然后,当我登上了山岗,尽管歌声早已不能听到,它却仍在我心头缭绕。
-------------------------------------------- Wordsworth's preface to the 1800 Lyrical Ballads argues that poetry "con tains a natural delineation of human passions, human characters, and hu man incidents." It ought not be judged by the presence of artificial, poeti c diction. Rather, "the language of conversation in the middle and lower classes of society" can be its medium. "The Solitary Reaper" exemplifies these beliefs.Written seven years after Lyrical Ballads, it describes a nameless listener 's delight in a young woman's melancholy song in an unknown language as, working by herself in a Scottish valley, she swings a sickle, reaping grain. Four eight-line stanzas, each closing with two couplets and all wr itten in octosyllabic lines, have a musical lilt. Short lines deliver the rhym es at a quick pace. Sentences normally need two or more such short lin es to complete, so that few lines are strongly end-stopped; most freely e njamb. Diction is conversational. Often lines consist mainly of monosyllab ic words (4-5, 13, 17, 21, 24, 27, 30-32). Wordsworth prefers common v erbs, "behold," "reap," "sing," "stop," "pass," "cut," "bind," "chant," "hear,"and "break." Words imported into English from Latin or Greek, like "solit ary" and "melancholy" or forms with "-ive" and "-ion" endings (e.g., "plain tive" and "motionless"), are infrequent.Wordsworth writes plain, almost undemanding verse. For example, he re peats the simplest idea in varying words. The girl is "single," "solitary," a nd "by herself" (1-3). She is "reaping" (3), that is, "cuts and binds the gr ain" (5), "o'er the sickle bending" (28). The onlooker is both "motionless and still" (29). The lass "sings" (3, 17, 25, 27) or does "chant" (9) a "str ain" (6), a "lay" (21), or "a song" (26). The speaker relies on everyday i dioms, worn to vagueness by overuse in ordinary talk. Her "theme" (25) is of "things" (19) or "matter" (22) "That has been, and may be again"(24). This excludes only what never existed at all. Whenever the speake r might become elevated in speech, his language seems prosaic, even c hatty: "Will no one tell me ..." (17), "Whate're the theme" (25), and "Lon g after it was heard no more" (32). Wordsworth notes, pointedly, that thi s last line comes verbatim from a prose travel book."The Solitary Reaper" does not implement, programmatically, his dogma of plain diction. For example, "Vale profound" (7), "plaintive numbers" (1 8), and "humble lay" (21) are semi-formulaic catch phrases in the very e ighteenth-century verse whose artificiality he rejects. These exceptions m ay be deliberate, characterizing the speaker (not Wordsworth) as someon e for whom poetry means much. He resorts to formulas as if to hint that the girl's song is out-of-place in the valley, however separated from the traditions of fine verse by her class, occupation, and location. Wordswor th may deliberately impoverish his speaker's language so as to contrast i t with the reaper's song.Unlike other poets, this lass sings alone, isolated from both her predece ssors (her "poetic tradition") and any audience. Dryden, Pope, Gray, and so many others defined themselves by quoting from classical literature and each other. Wordsworth's "The Solitary Reaper" shatters this continui ty. Her song, like a found poem, springs directly from nature, without lite rary context. Her "music" runs like water ("overflowing" the valley) and s urpasses the beauty of two celebrated English song-birds, the nightingale and the cuckoo. Here again the speaker raids conventional poetic langu age, as if incapable of finding truly suitable language. Ironically, both his analogies break down. Reaping takes place at harvest time, in the autu mn, not in the spring or summer, seasons traditionally associated with th e cuckoo and the nightingale. The reaper, a single "Maiden" (25), hardly fits the myth of married Philomela, rape victim and tragic revenger, eve n though the reaper sings in a melancholic, plaintive way about "Some n atural sorrow" (23). The strange language in which the lass chants alsoremoves her from any poetic tradition known to the speaker. He compre hends only her "sound," "voice," and "music," though it rings in his heart -- his memory -- "long after it was heard no more" (32).This simple confession redeems the speaker from his own impoverished language. He bears witness to something that eighteenth-century poetry seemed at times embarrassed of. What transfixes him in song is not its content, but its emotionally expressive music. The listener does not unde rstand why she sings in melancholy, only what the emotion itself is. This feeling "could have no ending" (26), as if she, like Keats' Ruth amid th e alien corn, communicates wordlessly something universal about the hu man condition. Despite its sadness, the song helps the speaker to moun t up the hill (30). In current psychology, the capacity to feel emotion and link it to goals makes life, indeed survival itself, possible. The speaker's "heart" (31), by bearing her music, can go on. For that reason, "The S olitary Reaper" relates an ecstatic moment in which a passer-by transcen ds the limitations of mortality. Both the song and he go on together.。
大量应用诗句的英语作文

大量应用诗句的英语作文Sailing Through the Tapestry of Time with the Threads of Poetry.Since the dawn of human consciousness, poetry has served as an exquisite tapestry, intricately woven with the threads of our emotions, aspirations, and reflections. Across the vast expanse of history, poets have captured the ephemeral essence of life's profound moments, immortalizing them in lines that resonate with timeless truths.Like a mariner embarking on uncharted seas, poetry guides us through the tumultuous waters of existence, revealing hidden depths and distant shores. It becomes a celestial compass, illuminating our path as we navigate the complexities of the human experience."Life is a tale / told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, / Signifying nothing."William Shakespeare, Macbeth.Shakespeare's haunting words, penned centuries ago,still echo with a poignant reminder of life's fleeting nature. The Bard of Avon summons the metaphor of a tale narrated by a fool, chaotic and devoid of meaning. Yet, amidst the tempestuousness, there is a glimmer of acceptance, as we embrace the absurdity of our brief sojourn on earth."Hope is a lover's staff."William Shakespeare, Two Gentlemen of Verona.In contrast to life's often unpredictable nature, Shakespeare's enduring image of hope offers solace and resilience. Like a faithful staff upon which a weary traveler leans, hope sustains us through the darkest of times. It becomes a beacon of light, guiding us towards the horizon of possibility."All that glitters is not gold."William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice.The Bard's sage advice cautions us against superficial appearances. He reminds us that true worth lies not in outward gleam but in intrinsic qualities. Like the allureof fool's gold, glittering objects may deceive, leading us astray from the genuine treasures that await."The world is too much with us; late and soon, /Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers; / Little we see in Nature that is ours; / We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!"William Wordsworth, The World Is Too Much with Us.Wordsworth's poignant lines lament the corrosiveeffects of materialism on the human soul. He decries the relentless pursuit of wealth and possessions, whichobscures our connection to the natural world. In the faceof such distractions, we surrender our true selves, becoming mere cogs in a soulless machine."To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield."Alfred, Lord Tennyson, Ulysses.Tennyson's stirring words encapsulate the indomitable spirit of human endeavor. He urges us to embrace life's challenges, to embark on daring adventures, and to persist against all odds. Like the legendary Odysseus, we are called to navigate unknown seas and conquer adversity, knowing that the journey itself is the ultimate triumph."And miles to go before I sleep."Robert Frost, Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.Frost's evocative lines paint a vivid picture of the relentless passage of time. As the traveler pauses in his solitary journey, he contemplates the vast expanse that still lies ahead. The poem serves as a reminder that life is a continuous pilgrimage, filled with both joys and sorrows, and that the path we tread is always leadingtowards the unknown."Do not go gentle into that good night."Dylan Thomas, Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night.In the face of death's inevitable embrace, Thomas's passionate plea urges us to resist quietly fading into oblivion. He implores us to rage against the dying of the light, to live with intensity and purpose, and to leave a legacy that will echo throughout time."Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings."William Wordsworth, Preface to Lyrical Ballads.Wordsworth's definition of poetry captures its essence as an unfiltered expression of the heart. It is a raw and unbridled outpouring of emotions that transcends the boundaries of language and speaks directly to the soul. In its purest form, poetry becomes a mirror reflecting thehuman experience in all its complexity and beauty."I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree."William Butler Yeats, The Lake Isle of Innisfree.Yeats's enchanting poem transports us to a tranquil island paradise, a sanctuary where the poet longs to escape the turmoil of the modern world. Through vivid imagery and evocative language, he paints a picture of idyllicsimplicity and communion with nature, reminding us of the restorative power of solitude and the allure of the natural world."The world is too much with us; late and soon, /Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers; / Little we see in Nature that is ours; / We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!"William Wordsworth, The World Is Too Much with Us.Wordsworth's poignant lament echoes through thecenturies, serving as a timeless warning against the dangers of materialism and excess. He urges us to reconnect with the natural world, to rediscover the simple pleasures that life has to offer, and to reclaim our own hearts from the clutches of a consumerist society.。
英美文学选读考试题

英美文学选读考试题一.9 authors, 20 works. (20)William Shakespearean: The tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark.Venus and Adonis, Rape of Lucrece.Daniel Defoe: Robinson Crusoe, Moll Flanders. Captain SingletonRobert Burns: My heart’s in the Highlands, A Red Red Rose. Auld Lang Syne.William Wordsworth:“The Solitary Reaper”. “We are S even”, “Lucy”, “Michael”, “Simon Lee””Lucy”I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud, The Solitary Reaper.John Keats: On First Looking into Chapman’s Homer, On a Grecian Urn, To Psyche, TO a Nightingale. “Ode to Autumn”, “Ode on Melancholy”, “Ode on a Grecian Urn”and “Ode to a Nightingale”. All were written in 1819 with the praise of beauty as their general theme.Jane Austen: Novels: Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, EmmaCharles Dickens: long novel: Pickwick Papers Novels: Oliver Twist, Nicholas Nickleby, Barnaby Rudge, Great Expectations, OurMutual FriendsCharlotte Bronte: The Professor, Jane Eyre.Thomas Hardy: The Return of the Native, The Mayer of Casterbridge, Tess of the d’Urbervilles, Jude the Obscure 二,对错(10)1. Act three is the best known and most important of Hamlet’s soliloqui es among all the soliloquies in the play. In this soliloquy, Hamlet reveals his innermost thoughts and emotions, his hesitation in particular, before taking decisive action.2. Robinson Crusoe retells, in the first person singular, a sailor’s adventure on an inhabitated island.3. Defoe traces the development of Robison Crusoe from a innocent and artless youth into a clever and hardened man, tempered by numerous trials in his eventful life.4. Burn s’s poetry was written in the Scottish dialect on a variety of subjects. A large number of his poems deal with themes of love, friendship, Scottish life and nature.5. A second edition 1800 contained more poems and a preface by Wordsworth. The preface to Lyrical Ballads best read as a statement of his principle of poems.6. According to Wordsworth, he believed that “All goodpoetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings.” Thus he located many of his poems in “common life” and his poetry is distinguished by the simplicity and purity of his language.7. There he lives a life of poverty and misery, and makes friends with the lively and penniless Mr. Micawder.8. Jane Eyre maintains that women should have equal rights with men, thus this novel has drawn the feminists’ attention in t he twentieth century.三,选择(10)According to Wordsworth, he believed that “All good poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings.”He located many of his poems in “common life” and his poetry is distinguished by the simplicity and purity of his language.四,读选文,回答问题(两诗歌,三小说)作者名字(5个40分)1.Sonnet18: Shakespearian.What is the theme of this sonnet? -- Runs in iambic pentameter, rhymed ABAB CDCD EFEF GG.2.The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark: Shakespearian.What dos e the “to or not to be” soliloquy tell us about Hamlet’s state of mind?―The soliloquy opens with a question,and there two other extended questions in the passage, all of which suggests that Hamlet is undecided, and either unable or unwilling to make up his mind, contemplating suicide, and disenchanted with the suffering of human life. He is cynical, but comforts himself with reflection, even though he is clearly suffering greatly and aware of his own sins and weakness.Why Hamlet hesitates before taking decisive action? -- Hamlet is often indecisive and hesitant, but at other times prone to rash and impulsive acts. Even at the end of this whole narrative of Hamlet's, he still doesn't decide on anything. He's just speaking his thoughts; he's not committing to anything. I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud: William Wordsworth.3. I wandered lonely as a cloud: William Wordsworth.What does “daffodil” stand for? ---Daffodil stand for nature in this poem, but the poet does not depict it simply as part of nature. As for Wordsworth, he dose not just want to depict the natural landscape, moreover, he pays much attention to the interaction between mature and human nature. He perceives nature as a stone of truths about human nature.Analyze the form of this poem by taking the first two lines as example. ---This poem consists of four stanzas and in eachstanza there are six lines. In each line there are four feet with a weak- strong sound pattern. The rime scheme in each stanza is a b a b c c.I wandered lonely as a cloud aThat floats on high o’er vales and hills, bWhen all at once I saw a crowd, aA host of golden daffodils; bBeside the lake, beneath the trees cFluttering and dancing in the breeze. C4.To Autumn: John Keats.What are the images used in this poem? Are they carefully arranged? --- Visual image, olfactory image, gustatory image, tactile image, auditory image. Through a series of images, make readers announcement of its scene, feeling rich concrete images.In the poem of To Autumn, he used visual image, auditory image, tactile image, gustatory image, kinaesthetic image and abstractimage to make the abstract impression of autumn specific, appreciable and more colorful. The pursuit to beauty is the way that Keats loves life, nature and also is the way he observes and enjoys life and nature. The pursuit to beau ty is his critique to the darkness of life and society. It also tells how he wanted beautifula nd ideal life in his short life.5.Pride and Prejudice: Jane Austen.Do you agree with the opening statement of the novel? What has the sentence to do with tone of the whole novel? --- Opening statement of the novel set the tone for whole novel. Writer is very serious in stating a universal truth, but what follows, however, is a very common topic of everyday life―marriage. Thus a humorous and ironic effect is achieved. Two key words appear in the statement: marriage and money, which in effect ate subject matter of the whole novel, the focus here is on the link between money and marriage.Based on your reading of the first two chapters of the novels, can you summarize the characteristics of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet? ―Mr. Bennet: he behaved sarcastically humorous, witty and capricious, and insightful in the process of showing his disrespect and dislike of Mrs. Bennet. Her mind was less difficult to develop. She was woman of mean understanding, little information, and uncertain temper. When she was discounted, she fancied herself nervous, the business of her life was to get her daughters married; its solace was visiting and news.What is your understanding of the relationship betweenmoney and marriage? --- A happy and strong marriage takes time to build and must be based on mutual feeling, understanding, and respect. Marriage can not built on the basis of money. If there is no real love between the couple, their marriage will become a tragedy eventually. Even though money can give people the comfortable house and the luxurious life, it can not buy a beautiful marriage6.David Copperfield: Charles Dickens.Dose David enjoys his life described in this chapter? How do you know? ---- David works very hard in the factory, but he could simply pay for his living. The real difficulty is that he feels very lonely, because from Monday morning until Saturday night, he has no advice, no encouragements, and no assistance of any kind. Luckily, his stay with the Micawber family in his leisure time turns out to be quite pleasant. They form a very precious friendship.Why dose the novel use the first point of view? --- It helps the author to select details. Only the events and details that David could have seen and experienced can logically be introduced into the story. The narrator’s limited view may create the effect o f suspense. 7.Jane Eyre: Charlotte BronteGive common: 性格特点:Jane Eyre is Straightforward andfeminism. Showed her concerns for the position of women particularly in English society.五,回答问题(20)William Shakespearean154 sonnets. Long poems: Venus and Adonis, The Rape of Lucrece. 38 plays.Daniel Defoe1. What are the characteristics of Crusoe from the selected reading?--- Self-reliance; patient; cheerful; clarity, courage and persistence in overcoming difficulties he start a new life in the desolate island, which demands a lot of courage and daring.Robert Burns―ScotlandA Red, Red Rose: wrote in 1794, published in 1796.1. An outstanding feature of this poem is the skillful use simile at the beginning of the poem. Draw on specific lines to explain its effect.---Simile means a comparison between two unlike items that includes like or as. For example, the first line of this poem: “Oh, my love is like a red, red rose"; al so, in this poem, "My love is like the melody". By comparing the speaker' s love to a red, red rose and a melody, readers canclearly sense the speaker's appreciation and deep love to his lover.2. This short poem is actually composed of a series of overstatements. What is the function of them? Give examples to illustrate your point. --- Overstatement is intentional exaggeration, which is, saying more that is actually meant. In this poem, when the speaker says that he will love his lady until all the seas go dry, he is using overstatement. By using this, the poet can attract readers’ attention and the sentence will leave a deep impression on the reader’s mind.William Wordsworth“The break with the conventional poetical tradition of the 18th century”. A second edition in 1800 contained more poems and a preface by Wordsworth. The preface to lyrical Ballads is best read as a statement or his principles of poetry.John KeatsJane AustenThe Plot Pride and Prejudice---Major characters: Elizabeth Bennet(the second eldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet); Jane Bennet(first); Lydia Bennet(fifth); Mr. Bingley: a rich, single. Mr. Darcy (Mr. Bingley’sfriend who is a rich and proud young man)Theme: money and marriage.Writing style: Clarity, economy, skillful use of dialogue and tight plotting are the main features of Jane Austen’s style.Subject: Houses, money, estates run.Charles Dickens:David Copperfield:theme: the hero of the novel. The novel depicts David’s life experiences from an innocent boy to a famous wr iter. Style: Of Dickens’s fictional art, the most distinguishing feature is his successful characterization, especially male characters. Dickens was also a great story-teller. His plots were always very large, varied and complicated. However, the plots of his novels changed dramatically as he got older. In his later years, plots primarily became the vehicles for his characterization of thematic concerns, as readers may find in this novel.Charlotte Bronte-Jane Eyre four girls except Ann weres send to Charity School,三个姐妹中最大的,Unhappy life in charity school, with Emily go to Charlotte study. 性格特点:Straightforward直白的人feminism女权主义Romantic浪漫主义Thoughtful1.Give t hree instances in which Jane Eyre draws fromCharlotte Bronte’s background 1). Jane’s life in Lo wood is depicted based on the author’s own experiences in charity school where she spent some unhappy years of her childhood. 2) In Thornfield, Jane falls in love with Mr. Rochester, a rich squire who turns out to have had a mad wife. This is by and large Charlotte’s experience in Brussels where she falls in a married professor. 3) In Thronfield, Jane works as governess, and Charlotte herself worked as teachers and governess during 1837 to 1840.2.Discuss the symbolic use of names in this novel.1)“Eyre”, the surname of Jane, has the same pronunciation as “air”, which may symbolize Jane’s pursuit of freedom. 2) “Blanche”, the given name of Miss. Ingram, has its Fre nch origin, which actually means “white” in English. And it may symbolize the shallowness of Miss. Ingram.3.How does Mr. Rochester treat Jane in this chapter? What Jane’s character attract him ?To start with, Mr. Rochester shows some cruelty in his courtship of Jane so as to make Jane jealous. On hearing this, Jane could not help telling him her true feelings that she longs for equality and does not want to depart with him.?When Mr. Rochester confesses his real intention, Jane feels hurt and refuses his courtship at first.?Then she realizes his intention and accepts his love.?Her self-respect, her desire for independence, her courage, her moral strength, her passion and her personal loyalty and devotion, all these work together to make Mr.Rochester greatly attracted by her.Thomas Hardy:Hardy was a poet before he was a novelist. It was because his early verses could not be accepted that he turned to novel writing.Plot of the novel: Tess of the d’Unbervilles, Hardy’s most famous novel, has a subtitle, which is, A Pure Woman Faithfully Portrayed. It tells a tragic life story of a beautiful,naive country girl, Tess Durbeyfield.General features and comments: The whole story is filled with a feeling of dismal foreboding and doom. Father circumstances and tragic coincidences abound in the book. 12春《英美文学选读》作业1一、单选题1. How many periods are divided into in the creation years of Shakespeare? Three2. Defoe's Robinson Crusoe created the image of anenterprising Englishman, typical of the English bourgeoisie in the 18th century.3. In English poetry the _ iamb _is regarded as the most common foot.4. The excerpt The Other Side of the Island was chosen from Chapter_Ⅸ__ in Robinson Crusoe.5. "Do you think, because I am poor, obscure, plain, and little,I am soulless and heartless?。
Platonism in Preface to Lyrical Ballads

校园英语 / 文艺鉴赏Platonism in Preface to Lyrical Ballads湖南师范大学英语教学部/严文烨【Abstract】Platonism has exerted great influence on Romanticism. Wordsworth, as the leading figure of English Romanticism, was inevitably influenced by Plato. Preface to Lyrical Ballads is Wordsworth’s declaration of Romanticism. In this essay, the inheritance and innovation of Platonism in Preface to Lyrical Ballads is analyzed from three aspects: mimetic theories, pragmatism and expressive theories.【Key words】Platonism; Romanticism; Wordsworth; Preface to Lyrical BalladsIn 1800, Wordsworth broke the domineering rules of Neoclassicism which has brought the rationality into full play. He published the declaration of Romanticism: Preface to Lyrical Ballads. “For all the good poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings.” This essence of the whole preface has opened the new page of literature.Romanticism changed the analogue of the mirror into the lamp. By saying that I mean the Romanticists do not regard creations as merely an imitation any more. Creations, from their perspectives, are lights of the soul which brighten up the world inspired by imagination.It seems that Platonism and Romanticism are incompatible. But one can never deny the influence of Platonism on Romanticism. Wordsworth, as one of greatest Romantic poets, was inevitably influenced by Plato. As a matter of fact, we can find some shadow of Platonism in Wordsworth’s Preface to Lyrical Ballads even though the complexity of Plato’s attitude towards poets and poems has confused the readers from generation to generation. This paper will probe into the Platonism in Preface to Lyrical Ballads from three aspects.1. Mimetic TheoriesDiscussing poetic conceptions of Plato, we should have the “mimesis” to start with. Plato defined art as the imitation (mimesis). The tenth book of the Republic makes this point clear. For Plato, artists are inferior because they just represent the phenomena which are imitations of the Ideal Forms. The appearance is away from truth, let alone the creations of artists who can only imitate the appearance.Wordsworth conceives of the artist as an imitator of reality, not appearance. To achieve this goal, firstly, he donates his best effort in purifying his language in poems. He “adopts the very language of men” to narrow the gap between the world of Idea and the world of art. Secondly, he defines all good poetry as “spontaneous overflow of powerful feeling”. To some degree, this definition is the variant of Plato’s mimesis. Poetry is not just about imitation. It is more reproductive than mimetic. Thirdly, “the principal object, then, proposed in these Poems was to choose incidents and situations from common life”. Here the definition of art as mimetic is viewed as an affirmative tool for the poets to fulfill their ultimate worthy purpose which will be discussed in the next part.2. PragmatismAs we all know, Plato banishes the poets from his ideal republic. But he recognizes the importance of poetry in the education of its citizens. When it comes to moral significance, there is an indirect defense of poetry in the tenth book of the Republic:“Since we’ve been conditioned by our wonderful societies until we have a deep-seated love for this kind of poetry, we’ll be delighted if there proves to be nothing better and closer to the truth than it (Plato 820-822).”The defense of poetry and the banishment are mixed in the Republic. It seems to be paradoxical, but in fact it is more like complexity than contradiction. Besides, this complexity can be simplified under the only one requirement: poetry should be in conformity with the principle of morality and religion.We can easily find the similar conceptions in Preface to Lyrical Ballads. At the beginning of Preface to Lyrical Ballads, Wordsworth declares his purpose of “prefix(ing) a systematic defense of the theory upon which the Poems were written” is to “give a full account of the present state of the public taste in this country, and to determine how far this taste is healthy or depraved (1)”. Later in the preface, he criticizes the current situation of literature works and comments:“The invaluable works of our elder writers, I had almost said the works of Shakespeare and Milton are driven into neglect by frantic novel, sickly and stupid German Tragedies, and deluges of idle and extravagant stories in verse (5).” He also believes that each of poems should have “a worthy purpose”. “Poetry is the breath and finer spirit- 245 -- 246-校园英语 / 文艺鉴赏of all knowledge.” says Wordsworth. Moral significance, in Wordsworth ’s eyes, gives poetry a valuable dignity. He praises the philosophical character of poetry and believes that value gives poetry an importance greater than science.Plato and Wordsworth offer us similar conceptions about the moral effects of poetry. Both of them agree that poetry should have a beneficial effect on all our intellectual and moral life. Wordsworth himself admits that “Aristotle, I have been told, has said, that Poetry is the most philosophic of all writing: it is so: its object is truth, not individual and local, but general, and operative … truth which is it own testimony (9).”3. Expressive TheoriesFeeling becomes the third topic this essay will discuss. Here feeling includes imagination, inspiration and so on. The single strongest influence of Romanticism on later generation is the exposition of imagination and inspiration. And this exposition is totally influenced by Platonism. In the Ion, the conception of poetic inspiration is described as the divine ability of poets which enable them to interpret the things of God to us (12). The strongest voice of Preface to Lyrical Ballads goes like “all the good poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings: it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquility (Wordsworth 13).” What ’s more, these powerful feelings is “intermingled with powerful descriptions of the deeper passion ” or inspirations. This is the essential point of agreement between Platonism and Romanticism.Common people can own passion, too. So what distinguishes the poets and common people? For Plato, poets should be divinely inspired. Nevertheless, Wordsworth put it in straightforward description.He is a man speaking to men: a man, it is true, endowed with more lively sensibility. More enthusiasm and tenderness, who has a greater knowledge of human nature, and a more comprehensive soul […] an ability of conjuring up in himself passions (8).The above passage has made an insight into all the problems. Under this one restriction, the gap between the poet and the image is narrowed down. So the problem of imitation solved. The pleasure is given, so the purpose of poetry is achieved.Since the key body of poetry is affirmed, we can shift our focus to imagination and inspiration. Wordsworth interpreted imagination as more than recollection or the ability to describe things which are not present right before our eyes. It is a process of writing confined by some specific restrictions. He believes thatimagination is the core of creations (Nowell 30-35).Wordsworth states in the last book of The Prelude,Imagination having been our theme,So also hath that intellectual Love,For they are each in each, and cannot stand Dividually (521).Love and imagination never go alone. Plato defines love as intermediate between the divine and the mortal. This definition builds a bridge which leads to the ultimate integration of all the elements. The main body is man. Poets are divinely inspired and then donate love and imagination to poems which finally become the intermediate between the divine and the man.There is one more concept to be mentioned. Plato describes an internalization of art. He claims that every one of us is made pretty much what he is by the bent of his desires and the nature of his soul. This kind of internalization, from my perspective, has something to do with the internal imagination and inspiration. People in real life are “under the actual pressure of those passions, certain shadows of which the Poet thus produces, or feels to be produced, in himself (Wordsworth 9).”Romanticism is not only the inheritance but also the innovation of Platonism. Wordsworth and Preface to Lyrical Ballads is one of the typical representatives. The definition of poetry, the theory of inspiration and the moral effects of poetry are all the new elaboration and sublimation of Platonism. Even though Wordsworth differs from Plato in radical ways, one can never neglect the a thousand and one links between them two. And both of them lead the development of poetry into a new age and make a great influence on all the posterity. References:[1]Plato.Republic.Trans.Pang Xichun.Beijing:Jiuzhou Press,2007.[2]Smith,Nowell,C.Wordsworth ’s Literary Criticism.London:Bristol Classical Press,1905.[3]Wordsworth,William.The Prelude:A Parallel Text,Ed.J.C.Maxwell.Harmondsworth:Penguin Books.[4]Wordsworth,William.Harvard Classics,Vol.39.New York:P.F.Collier & Son Company,1909–14.13 Jan.< /39/36.html >.[5]Ware,Tracy.“Shelley's Platonism in A Defence of Poetry.” Studies in English Literature 23.4(1983):549-567.。
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The Harvard Classics. 1909–14.Preface to Lyrical BalladsWilliam Wordsworth (1800)T HE F IRST volume of these Poems has already been submitted to general perusal.1 It was published, as an experiment, which, I hoped, might be of some use to ascertain, how far, by fitting to metrical arrangement a selection of the real language of men in a state of vivid sensation, that sort of pleasure and that quantity of pleasure may be imparted, which a Poet may rationally endeavour to impart.I had formed no very inaccurate estimate of the probable effect of those2 Poems: I flattered myself that they who should be pleased with them would read them with more than common pleasure: and, on the other hand, I was well aware, that by those who should dislike them, they would be read with more than common dislike. The result has differed from my expectation in this only, that a greater number have been pleased than I ventured to hope I should please.Several of my Friends are anxious for the success of these Poems, from a3 belief, that, if the views with which they were composed were indeed realized, a class of Poetry would be produced, well adapted to interest mankind permanently, and not unimportant in the quality, and in the multiplicity of its moral relations: and on this account they have advised me to prefix a systematic defence of the theory upon which the Poems were written. But I was unwilling to undertake the task, knowing that on this occasion the Reader would look coldly upon my arguments, since I might be suspected of having been principally influenced by the selfish and foolish hope of reasoning him into an approbation of these particular Poems: and I was still more unwilling to undertake the task, because, adequately to display the opinions, and fully to enforce the arguments, would require a space wholly d isproportionate to a preface. For, to treat the subject with the clearness and coherence of which it is susceptible, it would be necessary to give a full account of the present state of the public taste in this country, and to determine how far this taste is healthy or depraved; which, again, could not be determined, without pointing out in what manner language and the human mind act and re-act on each other, and without retracing the revolutions, not of literature alone, but likewise of society itself. I have therefore altogether declined to enter regularly upon this defence; yet I am sensible, that there would be somethinglike impropriety in abruptly obtruding upon the Public, without a few words of introduction, Poems so materially different from those upon which general approbation is at present bestowed.It is supposed, that by the act of writing in verse an Author makes a formal4 engagement that he will gratify certain known habits of association; that he not only thus apprises the Reader that certain classes of ideas and expressions will be found in his book, but that others will be carefully excluded. This exponent or symbol held forth by metrical language must in different eras of literature have excited very different expectations: for example, in the age of Catullus, Terence, and Lucretius, and that of Statius or Claudian; and in our own country, in the age of Shakespeare and Beaumont and Fletcher, and that of Donne and Cowley, or Dryden, or Pope. I will not take upon me to determine the exact import of the promise which, by the act of writing in verse, an Author in the present day makes to his reader: but it will undoubtedly appear to many persons that I have not fulfilled the terms of an engagement thus voluntarily contracted. They who have been accustomed to the gaudiness and inane phraseology of many modern writers, if they persist in reading this book to its conclusion, will, no doubt, frequently have to struggle with feelings of strangeness and awkwardness: they will look round for poetry, and will be induced to inquire by what species of courtesy these attempts can be permitted to assume that title. I hope therefore the reader will not censure me for attempting to state what I have proposed to myself to perform; and also (as far as the limits of a preface will permit) to explain some of the chief reasons which have determined me in the choice of my purpose: that at least he may be spared any unpleasant feeling of disappointment, and that I myself may be protected from one of the most dishonourable accusations which can be brought against an Author, namely, that of an indolence which prevents him from endeavouring to ascertain what is his duty, or, when his duty is ascertained, prevents him from performing it.The principal object, then, proposed in these Poems was to choose incidents5 and situations from common life, and to relate or describe them, throughout, as far as was possible in a selection of language real ly used by men, and, at the same time, to throw over them a certain colouring of imagination, whereby ordinary things should be presented to the mind in an unusual aspect; and, further, and above all, to make these incidents and situations interesting by tracing in them, truly though not ostentatiously, the primary laws of our nature: chiefly, as far as regards the m anner in which we associate ideas in a state of excitement. Humble and rustic life was generally chosen, because, in that condition, the essential passions of the heart find a better soil in which they can attain their maturity, are less under restraint, and speak a plainer and more emphatic language; because in that condition of life our elementary feelings coexist in a state of greater simplicity, and, consequently, may be more accurately contemplated, and more forciblycommunicated; because the manners of rural life germinate from those elementary feelings, and, from the necessary character of rural occupations, are more easily comprehended, and are more durable; and, lastly, because in that condition the passions of men are incorporated with the beautiful and permanent forms of nature. The language, too, of these men has been adopted (purified indeed from what appear to be its real defects, from all lasting and rational causes of dislike or disgust) because such men hourly communicate with the best objects from which the best part of language is originally derived; and because, from their rank in society and the sameness and narrow circle of their intercourse, being less under the influence of social vanity, they convey their feelings and notions in simple and unelaborated expressions. Accordingly, such a language, arising out of repeated experience and regular feelings, is a more permanent, and a far more philosophical language, than that which is frequently substituted for it by Poets, who think that they are conferring honour upon themselves and their art, in proportion as they separate themselves from the sympathies of men, and indulge in arbitrary and capricious habits of expression, in order to furnish food for fickle tastes, and fickle appetites, of their own creation. 1I cannot, however, be insensible to the present outcry against the triviality6 and meanness, both of thought and language, which some of my contemporaries have occasionally introduced into their metrical compositions; and I acknowledge that this defect, where it exists, is more dishonourable to the Writer’s own character t han false refinement or arbitrary innovation, though I should contend at the same time, that it is far less pernicious in the sum of its consequences. From such verses the Poems in these volumes will be found distinguished at least by one mark of difference, that each of them has a worthy purpose.Not that I always began to write with a distinct purpose formerly conceived; but habits of meditation have, I trust, so prompted and regulated my feelings, that my descriptions of such objects as strongly excite those feelings, will be found to carry along with them a purpose. If this opinion be erroneous, I can have little right to the name of a Poet. For all good poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings: and though this be true, Poems to which any value can be attached were never produced on any variety of subjects but by a man who, being possessed of more than usual organic sensibility, had also thought long and deeply. For our continued influxes of feeling are modified and directed by our thoughts, which are indeedthe representatives of all our past feelings; and, as by contemplating the relation of these general representatives to each other, we discover what is really important to men, so, by the repetition and continuance of this act, our feelings will be connected with important subjects, till at length, if we be originally possessed of much sensibility, such habits of mind will be produced, that, by obeying blindly and mechanically the impulses of those habits, we shall describe objects, and utter sentiments, of such a nature, and in such connexion with each other, that the understanding of the Reader must necessarily be in some degree enlightened, and his affections strengthened and purified.It has been said that each of these poems has a purpose. Another circumstance7 must be mentioned which distinguishes these Poems from the popular Poetry of the day; it is this, that the feeling therein developed gives importance to the action and situation, and not the action and situation to the feeling.A sense of false modesty shall not prevent me from asserting, that the8 Reader’s attention is pointed to this mark of distinction, far less for the sake of these particular Poems than from the general importance of the subject. The subject is indeed important! For the human mind is capable of being excited without the application of gross and violent stimulants; and he must have a very faint perception of its beauty and dignity who does not know this, and who does not further know, that one being is elevated above another, in proportion as he possesses this capability. It has therefore appeared to me, that to endeavour to produce or enlarge this capability is one of the best services in which, at any period, a Writer can be engaged; but this service, excellent at all times, is especially so at the present day. For a multitude of causes, unknown to former times, are now acting with a combined force to blunt the discriminating powers of the mind, and, unfitting it for all voluntary exertion, to reduce it to a state of almost savage torpor. The most effective of these causes are the great nationalevents which are daily taking place, and the increasing accumulation of men in cities, where the uniformity of their occupations produces a craving for extraordinary incident, which the rapid communication of intelligence hourly gratifies. to this tendency of life and manners the literature and theatrical exhibitions of the country have conformed themselves. The invaluable works of our elder writers, I had almost said the works of Shakespeare and Milton, are driven into neglect by frantic novels, sickly and stupid German Tragedies, and deluges of idle and extravagant stories in verse.—When I think upon this degrading thirst after outrageous stimulation, I am almost ashamed to have spoken of the feeble endeavour made in these volumes to counteract it; and, reflecting upon the magnitude of the general evil, I should be oppressed with no dishonourable melancholy, had I not a deep impression of certain inherent and indestructible qualities of the human mind, and likewise of certain powers in the great and permanent objects that act upon it, which are equally inherent and indestructible; and were there not added to this impression a belief, that the time is approaching when the evil will be systematically opposed, by men of greater powers, and with far more distinguished success.Having dwelt thus long on the subjects and aim of these Poems, I shall request9 the Reader’s permission to apprise him of a few circumstanc es relating to their style, in order, among other reasons, that he may not censure me for not having performed what I never attempted. The Reader will find that personifications of abstract ideas rarely occur in these volumes; and are utterly rejected, as an ordinary device to elevate the style, and raise it above prose. My purpose was to imitate, and, as far as possible, to adopt the very language of men; and assuredly such personifications do not make any natural or regular part of that language. They are, indeed, a figure of speech occasionally prompted by passion, and I have made use of them as such; but have endeavoured utterly to reject them as a mechanical device of style, or as a family language which Writers in metre seem to lay claim to by prescription. I have wished to keep the Reader in the company of flesh and blood, persuaded that by so doing I shall interest him. Others who pursue a different track will interest him likewise; I do not interfere with their claim, but wish to prefer a claim of my own. There will also be found in these volumes little of what is usually called poetic diction; as much pains has been taken to avoid it as is ordinarily taken to produce it; this has been done for the reason already alleged, to bring my language near to the language of men; and further, because the pleasure which I have proposed to myself to impart, is of a kind very different from that which is supposed by many persons to be the proper object of poetry. Without being culpably particular, I do not know how to give my Reader a more exact notion of the style in which it was my wish and intention to write, than by informing him that I have at all times endeavoured to look steadily at my subject; consequently, there is I hope in these Poems little falsehood of description, and my ideas areAnd weep the more because I weep in vain.It will easily be perceived, that the only part of this Sonnet which is of11 any value is the lines printed in Italics; it is equally obvious, that, except in the rhyme, and in the use of the single word ’fruitless’ for fruitlessly, which is so far a defect, the language of these lines does in no respect differ from that of prose.By the foregoing quotation it has been shown that the language of Prose may12 yet be well adapted to Poetry; and it was previously asserted, that a large portion of the language of every good poem can in no respect differ from that of good Prose. We will go further. It may be safely affirmed, that there neither is, nor can be, any essential difference between the language of prose and metrical composition. We are fond of tracing the resemblance between Poetry and Painting, and, accordingly, we call them Sisters: but where shall we find bonds of connexion sufficiently strict to typify the affinity betwixt metrical and prose composition? They both speak by and to the same organs; the bodies in which both of them are clothed may be said to be of the same substance, their affections are kindred, and almost identical, not necessarily differing even in degree; Poetry 2 sheds no tears ’such as Angels weep,’ but natural and human tears; she can boast of no celestial choir that distinguishes her vital juices from those of prose; the same human blood circulates through the veins of them both.If it be affirmed that rhyme and metrical arrangement of themselves13 constitute a distinction which overturns what has just been said on the strict affinity of metrical language with that of prose, and paves the way for other artificial distinctions which the mind voluntarily admits, I answer that the language of such Poetry as is here recommended is, as far as is possible, a selection of the language really spoken by men; that this selection, wherever it is made with true taste and feeling, will of itself form a distinction far greater than would at first be imagined, and will entirely separate the composition from the vulgarity and meanness of ordinary life; and, if metre be superadded thereto, I believe that a dissimilitude will be produced altogether sufficient for the gratification of a rational mind. What other distinction would we have? Whence is it to come? and where is it to exist? Not, surely, where the Poet speaks through the mouths of his characters: it cannot be necessary here, either for elevation of style, or any of its supposed ornaments: for, if the Poet’s subject be judiciously chosen, it will naturally, and upon fit occasion, lead him to passions the language of which, if selected truly and judiciously, must necessarily be dignified and variegated, and alive with metaphors and figures. I forbear to speak of an incongruity which would shock the intelligent Reader, should the Poet interweave any foreign splendour of his own with that which the passion naturally suggests: it is sufficient to say that such addition is unnecessary. and, surely, it is more probable that those passages, which withpropriety abound with metaphors and figures, will have their due effect, if, upon other occasions where the passions are of a milder character, the style also be subdued and temperate.But, as the pleasure which I hope to give by the Poems now presented to the14 Reader must depend entirely on just notions upon this subject, and, as it is in itself of high importance to our taste and moral feelings, I cannot content myself with these detached remarks. and if, in what I am about to say, it shall appear to some that my labour is unnecessary, and that I am like a man fighting a battle without enemies, such persons may be reminded, that, whatever be the language outwardly holden by men, a practical faith in the opinions which I am wishing to establish is almost unknown. If my conclusions are admitted, and carried as far as they must be carried if admitted at all, our judgements concerning the works of the greatest Poets both ancient and modern will be far different from what they are at present, both when we praise, and when we censure: and our moral feelings influencing and influenced by these judgements will, I believe, be corrected and purified.Taking up the subject, then, upon general grounds, let me ask, what is meant15 by the word Poet? What is a Poet? to whom does he address himself? and what language is to be expected from him?—He is a man speaking to men: a man, it is true, endowed with more lively sensibility, more enthusiasm and tenderness, who has a greater knowledge of human nature, and a more comprehensive soul, than are supposed to be common among mankind; a man pleased with his own passions and volitions, and who rejoices more than other men in the spirit of life that is in him; delighting to contemplate similar volitions and passions as manifested in the goings-on of the Universe, and habitually impelled to create them where he does not find them. to these qualities he has added a disposition to be affected more than other men by absent things as if they were present; an ability of conjuring up in himself passions, which are indeed far from being the same as those produced by real events, yet (especially in those parts of the general sympathy which are pleasing and delightful) do more nearly resemble the passions produced by real events, than anything which, from the motions of their own minds merely, other men are accustomed to feel in themselves:—whence, and from practice, he has acquired a greater readiness and power in expressing what he thinks and feels, and especially those thoughts and feelings which, by his own choice, or from the structure of his own mind, arise in him without immediate external excitement.But whatever portion of this faculty we may suppose even the greatest Poet16 to possess, there cannot be a doubt that the language which it will suggest to him, must often, in liveliness and truth, fall short of that which is uttered by men in real life, under the actual pressure of those passions, certain shadows of which the Poet thus produces, or feels to be produced,in himself.However exalted a notion we would wish to cherish of the character of a Poet,17 it is obvious, that while he describes and imitates passions, his employment is in some degree mechanical, compared with the freedom and power of real and substantial action and suffering. So that it will be the wish of the Poet to bring his feelings near to those of the persons whose feelings he describes, nay, for short spaces of time, perhaps, to let himself slip into an entire delusion, and even confound and identify his own feelings with theirs; modifying only the language which is thus suggested to him by a consideration that he describes for a particular purpose, that of giving pleasure. Here, then, he will apply the principle of selection which has been already insisted upon. He will depend upon this for removing what would otherwise be painful or disgusting in the passion; he will feel that there is no necessity to trick out or to elevate nature: and, the more industriously he applies this principle, the deeper will be his faith that no words, which his fancy or imagination can suggest, will be to be compared with those which are the emanations of reality and truth.But it may be said by those who do not object to the general spirit of these18 remarks, that, as it is impossible for the Poet to produce upon all occasions language as exquisitely fitted for the passion as that which the real passion itself suggests, it is proper that he should consider himself as in the situation of a translator, who does not scruple to substitute excellencies of another kind for those which are unattainable by him; and endeavours occasionally to surpass his original, in order to make some amends for the general inferiority to which he feels that he must submit. But thi s would be to encourage idleness and unmanly despair. Further, it is the language of men who speak of what they do not understand; who talk of Poetry as of a matter of amusement and idle pleasure; who will converse with us as gravely about a taste for Poetry, as they express it, as if it were a thing as indifferent as a taste for rope-dancing, or Frontiniac or Sherry. Aristotle, I have been told, has said, that Poetry is the most philosophic of all writing: it is so:its object is truth, not individual and local, but general, and operative; not standing upon external testimony, but carried alive into the heart by passion; truth which is its own testimony, which gives competence and confidence to the tribunal to which it appeals, and receives them from the same tribunal.Poetry is the image of man and nature. The obstacles which stand in the way of the fidelity of the Biographer and Historian, and of their consequent utility, are incalculably greater than those which are to be encountered by the Poet who comprehends the dignity of his art. The Poet writes under one restriction only, namely, the necessity of giving immediate pleasure to a human Being possessed of that information which may be expected from him, not as a lawyer, a physician, a mariner, an astronomer, or a natural philosopher, but as a Man. Except this one restriction, there is no objectstanding between the Poet and the image of things; between this, and the Biographer and Historian, there are a thousand.Nor let this necessity of producing immediate pleasure be considered as a19 degradation of the Poet’s art. It is far otherwise. It is an acknowledgement of the beauty of the universe, an acknowledgement the more sincere, because not formal, but indirect; it is a task light and easy to him who looks at the world in the spirit of love: further, it is a homage paid to the native and naked dignity of man, to the grand elementary principle of pleasure, by which he knows, and feels, and lives, and moves. We have no sympathy but what is propagated by pleasure: I would not be misunderstood; but wherever we sympathize with pain, it will be found that the sympathy is produced and carried on by subtle combinations with pleasure. We have no knowledge, that is, no general principles drawn from the contemplation of particular facts, but what has been built up by pleasure, and exists in us by pleasure alone. The Man of science, the Chemist and Mathematician, whatever difficulties and disgusts they may have had to struggle with, know and feel this. However painful may be the objects with which the Anatomist’s knowledge is connected, he feels that his knowledge is pleasure; and where he has no pleasure he has no knowledge. What then does the Poet? He considers man and the objects that surround him as acting and re-acting upon each other, so as to produce an infinite complexity of pain and pleasure; he considers man in his own nature and in his ordinary life as contemplating this with a certain quantity of immediate knowledge, with certain convictions, intuitions, and deductions, which from habit acquire the quality of intuitions; he considers him as looking upon this complex scene of ideas and sensations, and finding everywhere objects that immediately excite in him sympathies which, from the necessities of his nature, are accompanied by an overbalance of enjoyment.To this knowledge which all men carry about with them, and to these sympathies20 in which, without any other discipline than that of our daily life, we are fitted to take delight, the Poet principally directs his attention. He considers man and nature as essentially adapted to each other, and the mind of man as naturally the mirror of the fairest and most interesting properties of nature. and thus the Poet, prompted by this feeling of pleasure, which accompanies him through the whole course of his studies, converses with general nature, with affections akin to those, which, through labour and length of time, the Man of science has raised up in himself, by conversing with those particular parts of nature which are the objects of his studies. The knowledge both of the Poet and the Man of science is pleasure; but the knowledge of the one cleaves to us as a necessary part of our existence, our natural and unalienable inheritance; the other is a personal and individual acquisition, slow to come to us, and by no habitual and direct sympathy connecting us with our fellow-beings. The Man of science seeks truth as aremote and unknown benefactor; he cherishes and loves it in his solitude: the Poet, singing a song in which all human beings join with him, rejoices in the presence of truth as our visible friend and hourly companion. Poetry is the breath and finer spirit of all knowledge; it is the impassioned expression which is in the countenance of all Science. Emphatically may it be said of the Poet, as Shakespeare hath said of man, ‘that he looks before and after.’ He is the rock of defence for human nature; an upholder and preserver, carrying everywhere with him relationship and love. In spite of difference of soil and climate, of language and manners, of laws and customs: in spite of things silently gone out of mind, and things violently destroyed; the Poet binds together by passion and knowledge the vast empire of human society, as it is spread over the whole earth, and over all time. The objects of the Poet’s thoughts are everywhere; though the eyes and senses of man are, it is true, his favourite guides, yet he will follow wheresoever he can find an atmosphere of sensation in which to move his wings. Poetry is the first and last of all knowledge—it is as immortal as the heart of man. If the labours of Men of science should ever create any material revolution, direct or indirect, in our condition, and in the impressions which we habitually receive, the Poet will sleep then no more than at present; he will be ready to follow the steps of the Man of science, not only in those general indirect effects, but he will be at his side, carrying sensation into the midst of the objects of the science itself. The remotest discoveries of the Chemist, the Botanist, or Mineralogist, will be as proper objects of the Poet’s art as any upon which it can be employed, if the time should ever come when these things shall be familiar to us, and the relations under which they are contemplated by the followers of these respective sciences shall be manifestly and palpably material to us as enjoying and suffering beings. If the time should ever come when what is now called science, thus familiarized to men, shall be ready to put on, as it were, a form of flesh and blood, the Poet will lend his divine spirit to aid the transfiguration, and will welcome the Being thus produced, as a dear and genuine inmate of the household of man.—It is not, then, to be supposed that any one, who holds that sublime notion of Poetry which I have attempted to convey, will break in upon the sanctity and truth of his pictures by transitory and accidental ornaments, and endeavour to excite admiration of himself by arts, the necessity of which must manifestly depend upon the assumed meanness of his subject.What has been thus far said applies to Poetry in general; but especially to21 those parts of composition where the Poet speaks through the mouths of his characters; and upon this point it appears to authorize the conclusion that there are few persons of good sense, who would not allow that the dramatic parts of composition are defective, in proportion as they deviate from the real language of nature, and are co loured by a diction of the Poet’s own, either peculiar to him as an individual Poet or belonging simply to Poets。