英美文学选读课Lecture-Nine
自考英美文学选读00604考前串讲（1-10）
自考英美文学选读00604考前串讲（1-10）英美文学考前串讲（1）前言：大家好！为了帮助广大的考生在有效的时间内达到较好的复习效果，我们总结了近几年来京城一些名师的串讲资料，以及上课老师所讲的重点内容．对于没有上过课的学生，相信它会给您一个指导性的作用，帮助您达到事半功倍的效果！而对于上过课的考生来说，再看以下的串讲内容效果当然会更好！以下的串讲内容包括三方面内容：第一部分：介绍考试题型及评分标准第二部分：考试习题集 (以串讲内容及课本重点知识为依据)．第三部分: 考试注意事项(由于时间有限，难免有不足，还请大家原谅!)Wish you all Success! Good Luck!Part I Introduction about Examination:1) 考试题型第一部分：选择题：I. Multiple Choice: (40 points, 1 point for each)E.g. Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies are the following works except ____.A. HamletB. King LearC. Romeo and JulietD. OthelloAnswer: C. (可参考课本P33)II. Reading Comprehension (16 points, 4 points for each)也就是根据选读中的一句话或一段话，回答三个问题，这些完成来自于书上，在以下的串讲中我们会给大家做具体的总结，以帮助大家顺利的通过考试！例如：2001年考过的一个题目：“Wild Spirit, which art moving everywhere;/Destroy and Preserver’ hear, O hear!”Questions:A. Identify the poem and the poet.B. What is the "Wild Spirit"?C. What does the "Wild Spirit" destroy and preserve?Answer:A: Shelly’s "Ode to the West wind"雪莱的《西风颂》B. The West wind: "breath of Autumn’s being’’C. It destroys things /thoughts / idea that are dead, it preserves new life. (or seeds that represent new life or new birth.) (可参考课本P211)评分标准：A,B,各1分，C,2分. 语言错误酌情扣分第二部分是非选择题 (共44分)III. Questions and Answers (24 points in all, 6 points for each) 例如："My boy!" said the old gentleman, learning over the desk. Oliver started at the sound. He might be excused for doing so, for the words were kindly said, and strange sounds frighten one. He trembled violently, and burst into tears." (Charles Dickens, Oliver Twist)Explain why the boy (Oliver Twist) started first, then trembled violently and burst into tears when the words were” kindly" said.参考答案：The boy started at the words because kind words were not expected; it is (was, must be) the first time in all his life that the boy (Oliver Twist) had been “kindly” greeted; strange sounds may predict another suffering/misfortune/tortu re/…) (At least one example from the text to back up the above statement.)评分标准：概述占4分, 例子占2分．语言错误酌情扣分．IV. Topic discussion (20 points in all, 10 points for each)Write no less than 150 words on each of the following topics in English in the corresponding space on the answer sheet.例如：Mark Twin presented the 19th century American in his own unique way. Discuss Twain’s art of fiction: the setting, the language, and the characters, etc., based on his novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.参考答案：A.Mark Twain uses the Mississippi alley as his fictional kingdom, writing about the landscape and people, the customs and the dialects of one particular region, and therefore known as a local colorist.B.He creates life-like characters, especially the unconventional Huckleberry Finn, who runs away from civilization and stands opposite to conventional village morality.C.He uses a simple, direct vernacular language, totally different from any precious literary language. It is the kind of colloquial language belonging to the lower class, the living local American English.D.He has created a special humor to satirize social injustice and the decayed convention.英美文学考前串讲（2）Part One: English LiteratureChapter I An Introduction to Old and Medieval English Literature & The Renaissance PeriodI. Choose the right answer:1. Dr. Faustus is a play based on the _____legend of a magicianaspiring for ____ and finally meeting his tragic end as a result of selling his soul to the Devil.A.British/ immoralityB.French/moneyC.German/knowledgeD.American/political powerAnswer: C (可参考课本P21)2. _____, is a typical example of Old English poetry, is regarded today as the national epicof the Anglo-Saxons.A.The Wife’s ComplaintB.BeowulfC.The Dream of the RoodD.The SeafarerAnswer: B (可参考课本P1)3.It’s Chaucer alone who, for the first time in English literature, presented to us a comprehensive realistic picture of the English Society in his masterpiece__________.A.The Canterbury TalesB.The Legend of Good WomenC.Troilus and CriseydeD. The Romaunt of the Rose.Answer: A (可参考课本P4)4. The Essence of Renaissance, the most significant intellectual movement, was_____.A. Geographical explorationB. Religious reformationC. Publishing and translationD. Humanism.Answer: D (可参考课本P8)5. “Prince Arthur’s greatest mission is his search for Gloriana, with whom he has fallen in love through a love vision.”The two figures come from_____.A.Paradise LostB.Dr. FaustusC.The Faerie QueeneD.HamletAnswer: C (可参考课本P13)6. In “Sonnet 18”, Shakespeare_________________.A.Meditate on the destructive power of time and eternal beauty by poetry.B.Satirize human’s vanity.C.Predict the eternity of love.D.Eulogize the power of the beauty.Answer: A (P37)7. ____ gave new vigor to the blank verse with his “mighty lines” and make ’blank verse’the principle vehicle of expression in drama.A.SurreyB.WyattC.MarloweD.SidneyAnswer: C (P21)8. Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies are the following works except____.A.HamletB.King LearC.Romeo and JulietD.OthelloAnswer: C (P33)9. The Renaissance refers to between 14th----mid-17th century, which was under the reign of Queen___and absolute monarchy in England reached its summit, and in which the ’real mainstream (真正的文学主流)’ was ____.A.Victoria/poetryB.Elizabeth/ dramaC.Mary/ novelD.James/ dramaAnswer: B (P11)10. In The Legend of Good Women, Chaucer used for the first time in English the rhymed couplet of iambic pentameter, which is to be called later____.A.The Spenserian stanzaB.The heroic coupletC.The blank verseD.The free verseAnswer: B (P5)11. The Redcrosse Knight in “The Faerie Queene” stands for_____, and Una stands for_____.A.bravery/ chastityB.holiness/ truthC.error/ deliveryD.true gentleman/ lady.Answer: B (P16)12. Which of the following is NOT regarded as one of the characteristics of Renaissance?A.Rediscovery of ancient Roman and Greek culture.B.Attempt to remove the old feudalist ideas in Medieval Europe.C.Exaltation of man’s pursuit of happiness in his life, and tolerance of man’s f oibles.D.Praise of man’s efforts in soul delivery and personal salvation.Answer: D (P7)13. “The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune” is an example of ______.A.MetaphorB.SimileC.IronyD.PersonificationAnswer: A (P55)14. _____ introduced the Petrarchan sonnet into England.A.Anglos/ SaxonsB.Normans/ Anglo-SaxonsC.Greeks/ RomansD.Romans/ NormansAnswer: B (P11)15. It is ___ alone who, for the first time in English literature presented to us a comprehe nsive realistic picture of the English society of his time and created a whole gallery of vivid characters from all walks of life.A.Edmund SpenserB.Geoffrey ChaucerC.William ShakespeareD.John DonneAnswer: B (P4)16. The following belong to the characteristics of ’metaphysical poetry’ represented by ’John Donne’ except___.A.ConceitsB.Actual imagery and simple dictionC.Argumentative formD.Elegant styleAnswer: D (P63)17. Paradise Lost is actually a story taken from____.A.Greek MythologyB.Roman legendC.The Old TestamentD.The New TestamentAnswer: C (P73)18. In “Paradise Lost”, Satan says “We may with more successful hope resolve/ To wage by force or guile eternal war, / Irreconcilable to our grand Foe” What does the “Eternal war”mean?A.To remove God from his throneB.To burn the Heaven DownC.To corrupt God’s creation of man and woman-----Adam and EveD.To beguile into a snake to threaten man’s lifeAnswer: C (P71, 节选部分在P75)19. _____, the first of the great tragedies, is generally regarded as Shakespeare’s most po pular play o n the stage, for it has the qualities of a “blood-and-thunder” thriller and a ’philosophical exploration’ of life and death.A.The Merchant of VeniceB.HamletC.King LearD.The Winter’s TaleAnswer: B (P33)20. It was ___and ___ the two conquests that provided the source for the rise and growth ofEnglish literature.A.Anglos/ SaxonsB.Normans/ Anglo-SaxonsC.Romans/ NormansD.Greeks/ RomansAnswer: B (P1)21. Paradise Lost is ___’s masterpiece, which is an epic in 12 books, written in blank verse, abo ut the heroic revolt of Satan against God’s authority.A.John DonneB.Christopher MarloweC.John MiltonD.Edmund SpenserAnswer: C (P71)22. The following description fit into Milton ’except’_____.A.a great revolutionary poet of the 17th centuryB.an outstanding political pamphleteerC.a great stylist and master of blank verseD.a kind of elegant and refine style.Answer: D (P70---73)23. _____is not written by John Milton.A.Samson AgonistesB.Paradise LostC.Paradise regainedD.TamburlaineAnswer: D (P71)24. Marlow’s greatest achievement is that he perfected the ’blank verse’, and he is regarded as ’the pioneer of English drama’, which of the following is not written by him?A.TamburlaineB.The Jew of MaltaC.The Passionate to His LoveD.The Sun RisingAnswer: D (P20)25. ____Essays is the first example of that genre in English literature, which has been recgnized as an important landmark in the development of English prose.A.John Milton’sB.Francis Bacon’sC.Montaigne’sD.Thomas Gray’sAnswer: B (P58)26._____Was known as “the poets’poet”.A.William ShakespeareB.Edmund SpenserC.John DonneD.John MiltonAnswer: B (P15)27. “And we will make thee beds of roses / And a thousand fragrant posies/ A cap of flowers, and a kirtle/ Embroidered all with leaves of myrtle.”The above lines are probably taken from______.A.Spenser’s The Faerie Queene27.B.John Donne’s The Sun RisingC.Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18D.Marlow’s The Passionate Shepherd to His Love.Answer: D (P28)28. Which of the following statement best illustrates the theme of Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18?A.The speaker eulogizes the power of Nature.B.The speaker satirizes human vanity.C.The speaker praises the power of artistic creation.D.The speaker meditates on man’s salvation.Answer: C (P37)II. Read the quoted part and answer the questions:1.“For herein Fortune shows herself more kindThan is her custom. It is still her useTo let the wretched man outlive his wealth,To view with hollow eye and wrinkled browAn age of poverty; from which ling’ring pe nanceOf such misery doth she cut me off”1.Identify the title of the works and author.2.Explain “from which…cut me off”.3.What happened to him, which caused the words?参考答案:The lines are from “The Merchant of Venice”,William Shakespeare. (P48)2) This sentence means she, ’Lady Fortune(命运女神)’, is more kind to him because she is taking away both his wealth and life.3) The speaker is Antonio, it’s said that his ship have all been lost, and he is penniless, and will have to pay the pound of flesh. (Because Shylock has made a strange bond that requiresAntonio to pay him a pound of flesh if he can’t repay him the money that he borrowed for his friend in due time.) (P38)2.“Read not to contract and confuse, not to believe and take for granted, nor to find talk and discourse, but to weigh and consider”1)Identify the work and author.2)What idea does the passage express?参考答案：1) The sentence comes from “Of Studies”written by ’Francis Bacon’. (P61)2) The Sentence talks about the proper way to read: When you r ead, don’t be puzzled by the content of the book; don’t take it for granted; don’t quote too much from the book; before accepting its idea, you’d better think about its shortcomings and consider it from all sides.3.“Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st;Nor shall death brag thou wander’st in his shade,When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st:So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.1) Where does the poem comes from? Who wrote it?What does “eternal lines”mean?Interpret it briefly.参考答案：1) The poem is “Shall I Compare thee to a Summer’s Day”, by Shakespeare. (P38)2) Eternal lines means the lines of the poem and other sonnets. (P38)3) It means: you will not lose your beauty, and death will not threaten you with darkness, either. As long as man can live in theworld, they will see your beauty in my lines of my poem, which has given you eternal life. (Or A nice summer’s day is usually transient, but the beauty in poetry can last for ever. (P37)4.“…All is no lost: the unconquerable will,And study of revenge, immortal hate,And courage never to submit or yield:And what is else not to be overcome?……Irreconcilable to our grand Foe”1) Please identify the poem and the poet.2) Interpret“all is not lost”.3) What does the whole passage mean?参考答案：1) It is taken from John Milton’s “Paradise Lost”.(P74)2) “all is not lost”is the word from Satan----Satan and other angels rebel against God, but they are driven from Heaven into hell. In the fire of the hell, Satan is determined to fight back, just like what he says: not all is lost, the unconquerable will, the deep hatred, and the courage to fight till death still remain. (P71)3) This passage shows Satan’s will not to submit (服从), and the desire to long for freedom; to beg God for mercy and worship his power is more shameful and disgraceful than the downfall.(P71)5.“If he be not apt to beat over matters, let him study the lawyer’s cases. So every defect of the mind may have a special receipt.”Questions:3)What does “beat over matters”mean?4)What does “receipt’refer to?5)From which essay does the above sentences come, what is the essay mainly about?参考答案：1)It means: make through examinations of things. (P63)2)“Receipt”refers to cure, prescription. (P63)3)The sentences are from “Of Studies”(Francis Bacon). It is the most popular of bacon’s essays. It analyzes what studies chiefly serve for, the different ways adopted by different people to pursue studies, and how studies exert influence over human character. (P60—61)6.“What, is great Mephistophilis to passionateFor being deprived of the joys of heaven?Learn thou of Faustus manly fortitudeAnd scorn those joys thou never shalt possess.……Say he will spare him Four and twenty yearsLetting him live in all voluptuousnessHaving thee ever to attend on me…Questions:1)Identify the passage and author;2)“Say he surrenders up to him his soul”, who will surrender his soul? What for?3)Who are thee? What will he do?参考答案：1) The passage come s from “Dr.Faustus”written by Christopher Marlowe. (P25—26)2) Dr.Faustus will surrender his soul to devil. Because he wasa great scholar who has a strong desire to ’get knowledge’in vain, finally he ’made a bond’to sell his soul to Devil in return for 24 years of life in which he may get anything he desires. (P22)3) The “thee”, refers to “Mephistophilis”, the Devil’s servant.He helped Dr.Faustus to do anything he wants. (P22)7.“Busy old fool, unruly sun,Why does thou thus,Through windows and through curtains call on us?”Questions:6)Identify the work and author.7)What idea does the passage express?参考答案:1)The passage comes from “The Sun Rising”, written by ’John Donne’. (P66)2) The speaker questions the sun’s authority and speaks condescendingly, placing the sun in the status of a subordinate. In the lover’s kingdom, the sun has no right to dictate the time of day or the passing of seasons. His presence in their bedchamber is an intrusion on their privacy.III. Questions and answers:1.How do you know about Renaissance? Give a summery about English literature in the period?(No more than 150 words)参考答案:1.The Renaissance refers to the period between 14th----mid-17th century. It first started in Italy.2.The Renaissance means rebirth or revival----the discovery of ancient Roman and Greek culture.3.In essence, The Renaissance is a historical period in which the European humanist thinkers and scholars tried to get rid of the old feudalist ideas in medieval Europe, to introduce new ideas that expressed the interests of the rising bourgeoisie/middle class, and to recover the purity of the early church from the corruption of Roman Catholic church.4.Humanism is the essence of Renaissance -----Man is the measure of all things. The humanism exalted/praised human nature and emphasized the dignity of human beings and the present life. They thought man had the right to enjoy the beauty of life and had the ability to perfect himself and made wonders, which got ready for the appearance of the great Elizabethan writers in Britain. Poetry and drama were the most outstanding literary forms.5.Shakespeare, Marlowe and Francis Bacon etc. were the remarkable representatives of the English Renaissance. (可参考课本P7---12)2. Please give a brief analysis of Hamlet’s “T o be or not to be”soliloquy (独白).参考答案:“To be or not to be”is ’a philosophical exploration of life and death’. The soliloquy condemned the hypocrisy and treachery and general corruption of the world, and revealed the character of Hamlet---so ’speculative, questioning, contemplative and melancholy./gloomy’. It was not because he was not able to take action to revenge, but because of his ’hesitative/hesitant character’, when the chance for acti on came, it seemed defeat.It can be interpreted as: Hamlet bears the heavy burden of the duty to revenge his father’s death, he is forced to live in the suspense of facts and fiction, language and action. He considers that it would be better to ’commit suicide’, but being scared of what might happen to him in the afterlife. So he put off the thing because of the sin. He considers the plan carefully only to find reason for not carrying it out. The soliloquy conveys ’the sense of world-weariness (厌世)’. (P33-34)3. What common features do the characters share in Marlow’s works? (No more than 150 words)参考答案:The creation of The Renaissance hero is one of Marlow’s contributions.1)Such a hero is always individualistic and full of ambition, facing bravely the challenge from god and men. They had human dignity and capacity, trying to get heaven/highest ideas on the earth by their own efforts.2)For example: T amburlaine is a character written by Marlowe. By depicting a great hero with high ambition and sheer brutal forc4e in conquering, Marlowe voiced the supreme desire of man for infinite/ limitless power and authority. In Dr.Faustus, Marlowe celebrated the human passion for knowledge, power and happiness.3) Tamburlaine and Dr.Faustus are typical in owning such Renaissance spirit, Tamburlaine, being a cruel conquer, found happiness in conquering other kingdom. Only death could defeat him. While Dr.Faustus, a more introspective and philosophical figure, had high spirit for knowledge but he had sin for having despair in God and trust in Devil. (P20—22)4. What are the main themes of Shakespeare’s plays?参考答案：Shakespeare’s plays are divided into 3 types: comedies, tragedies and historical plays.1) His historical plays are with the theme-----national unity under a might and just sovereign/ruler is necessary.2)In his romantic comedies, he takes an optimistic attitude toward love friendship and youth.3)In his tragedies, Shakespeare always portrays some nobleheroes, who faces the injustice of life and is caught ina difficult situation and whose fate is closely connected with the fate of his nation. Each hero has his weakness of nature. We also see the conflict between the individual and the evil force in the society. And his major characters are always individuals representing certain types.5. Please comment on the character of Satan in “Paradise Lost.”参考答案：Satan is a rebellious (叛逆的) figure against God in literature, defeated, he and his rebel angels were cast into hell. However, Satan refused to accept his failure, swearing that “all was not lost”and that he would revenge for his downfall. The freedom of the will is the keystone of Satan’s character, which was the important spirit of the rising middle class. While he tempted Adam and Eve, which proved his evilness.6. What are the characteristics of the Humanism?参考答案：1)’Humanism’is the essence of Renaissance.2)Humanists see that human beings were glorious creatures capable of individual development in the direction of perfection, and that the world they inhabited was theirs not to despise (轻视) but to ’question, explore, and enjoy’.3)They also believe that man did not only have the right to enjoy the beauty of this life, but had the ability to perfect himself and to perform wonders (创造奇迹). (P8)英美文学考前串讲（3）Chapter 2 The Neoclassical PeriodI. Choose the right answer:1. ____brings Henry Fielding the name of the "Prose Homer".B.Tom JonesC.Robison CrusoeD.Colonel JackAnswer: B (P122)2. Alexander Pope worked painstakingly on his poemsand finally brought to its last perfection ______Drydenhad successfully used in his plays.A.the heroic coupletB.the free verseC.the blank verseD.the Spenserian stanzaAnswer: A (P92)3. Of all the 18th century novelists ___was the first to set out,both in theory and practice, to write specially a "comic epic in prose."A.Henry FieldingB.Daniel DefoeC.Jonathan SwiftD.John BunyanAnswer: A (P120)4. ____is the most successful religious allegory in the English language.A.Genesis AB.The Holy WarC.The Pilgrims progressD.ExodusAnswer: C (P85)5. In which of the following works can you find the proper names "Lilliput", "Brobdingnag", "Houyhnhnm" and "Yahoo"?B.The Faririe QueeneC.Gulliver’s travelsD.The School of ScandelAnswer: C (P108)6. "As shades more sweetly recommend the light,So modest plainness sets off sprightly wit;For works may have more wit than does’em goodAs bodies perish through excess of blood."In the above lines, Pope tries to sat that_______.A.more wit will make better poetryB.plainness is more important than wit in poetryC.too much wit will destroy good poetryD.plainness will make wit dullAnswer: C (P93-94)7. The Rape of the Lock by Alexander Pope is written in the formof a mock______, which describes the triviality of high society in a grand style.A.epicB.elegyC.sonnetD.odeAnswer: A (P92)8. Which of the following is NOT a typical feature ofSamuel Johnson’s language style?A.His sentences are long and well structured.B.His sentences are interwoven with parallel words.C.He tends to use informal and colloquial words.D.His sentences are complicated, but his thoughts are clearlyexpressed. Answer: C (P132)9. "The boast of heraldry, the pomp of power,And all that beauty, all that wealth e’er gave,Awaits alike the inevitable hour.In the above quoted passage, Thomas Gray intends to say that great family, power, beauty and wealth___________.A.will never make people lead to the same destination----paths of glory.B.will inevitably make people realize their glorious dreamsC.are the very best things to lead people to their gloriesD.will never prevent people from reaching their final destination---grave. Answer: D (P154)10. ____has been regarded by some as "Father of the English novel"for his contribution to the establishment of the form of the modern novel.A.John BunyanB.Henry FieldingC.Daniel DefoeD.Johnathan SwiftAnswer: B (P121)11. ____was very much concerned with the theme of the vanityof human wishes and tried to awaken men to this follyand hoped to cure them of it through his writing.A.Samuel JohnsonB.Jonathan SwiftC.Richard Brinsley SheridanD.Thomas GrayAnswer: A (P132)12. ____was the only important dramatist of the 18th century,in his plays, morality is the constant theme.A.Alexander PopeB.Richard Brinsley SheridanC.Samuel JohnsonD.George Bernard ShawAnswer: B (P136)13. As the representative of the Enlightenment, Pope was oneof the first to introduce___to England.A.RationalismB.CriticismC.RomanticismD.RealismAnswer: A (P91)14. The Rivals and ____are generally regarded as important linksbetween the masterpiece of Shakespeare and those of Bernard Shaw.A.The School for ScandalB.The DuennaC.Widower’s HousesD.The Doctor’s DilemmaAnswer: A (P137)15. ____is a sharp satire on the moral degeneracy(道德沦丧) of the aristocratic-bourgeois society in the 18th century England.A.The RivalsB.Gulliver’s TravelsC.Toms JonesD.The School for ScandalAnswer: D (P138)16. The poem "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard" by Thomas Grayis regarded as the most representative work of _____.A.The Metaphysical SchoolB.The Graveyard SchoolC.The Gothic SchoolD.The Romantic SchoolAnswer: B (P152)17. _______, written in heroic couplet by Pope, is consideredmanifesto of English Neoclassicism.A.An Essay of Dramatic PoetryB.An Essay on CriticismC.The Advancing of learningD.An Essay on FreedomAnswer: B (P93)18. ______is a typical feature of Swift’s writings.A.Elegant styleB.Causal narrationC.Bitter satire/doc/eb7726994.html,plicated sentence structureAnswer: C (P107)19. In the following writings by Henry Fielding,which brings him the name of the "Prose Homer"?A.The Coffee---House Politician.B.The Tragedy of Tragedies.C.The History of Tom Jones, A Foundling.D.The History of Amelia.Answer: C (P120)20. "Hold! See whether it is or not before you go to thedoor----I have a particular message for you if it should be my brother." The two sentences are found in ________.A.The School for ScandalB.The RivalsC.The CriticD.The Scheming LieutenantAnswer: A (P139)21. In terms of Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard, which is wrong?A.The author employs metaphor in this poem.B.The author excessively expresses his personal melancholy.C.Here he reveals his sympathy for the poor and the unknown.D.He mocks the great ones who despise the poor and bring havoc on them.Answer: B (P152-153)22. The Houyhnhnms depicted by Jonathan Swift in Gulliver’s Travels are________.A.horses that are endowed with reason.B.pigmies that are endowed with admirable qualitiesC.giants that are superior in wisdom.D.Hairy, wild, low and despicable creatures,who resemble human beings not only in appearancebut also in some other ways.Answer: A (P108)II. Read the quoted part and answer the questions:1. "Words are like leaves;and where they most abound,Much fruit of sense beneath is rarely found.False eloquence, like the prismatic glass,Its gaudy colors spreads on every place;The face of Nature we no more survey,All glares alike, without distinction gay."Questions:1) Identify the author and the passage;2) Name the devices used in the passage with examples;3) Explain "Words….found".4) What is the mainly implied idea of the passage?参考答案：1) The passage is from Pope’s "An Essay on Criticism". (P94)2) In the passage the author used "Simile" the device,e.g. "Words are like leaves" and "false eloquence,like the prismatic glass’ etc.3) The sentence means: Where/When too many words are used,they seldom express much sense.4) The passage implies authors shouldn’t stress too muchthe artificial use of Conceit or the external beauty of language,they should pay special attention to True Wit, which is best set in the plain style. (just as too many leaves will cover the fruits,too gaudy/ showy glass will hide the face the Nature,too false and eloquent language will hide the Wit in the articles.)2. "Let not Ambition mock their useful toil,Their homely joys, and destiny obscure;Nor Grandeur hear with a disdainful smileThe short and simple annals of the poor.The boast of heraldry, the pomp of power,。
自考英美文学选读课件(超级完整版)
制作思维导图
利用思维导图工具将笔记内容可视化，形成 清晰的知识网络。
定期复习
定期回顾和复习笔记内容，加深记忆和理解； 同时不断补充和完善笔记。
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课程总结与展望未来
课程重点内容回顾
01 文学流派与时期
本课程涵盖了从古典到现代的英美文学发展，重 点介绍了各个时期的代表性流派，如浪漫主义、 现实主义、现代主义等。
周完成一篇读书笔记等。
制定学习计划
根据学习目标，制定详细的学习计划， 包括学习时间、学习内容、学习方法 等。
监督与调整
定期检查学习进度，根据实际情况调 整学习计划，确保按计划执行。
如何提高阅读速度和效率
预览与预测
在阅读前预览文本，了解大致内容和结 构，预测可能涉及的主题和观点。
意群阅读
通过意群阅读，将单词组合成有意义 的短语或句子，提高阅读速度和理解
《傲慢与偏见》
通过贝内特家五个女儿的婚恋经历， 探讨婚姻与爱情的真谛。
《尤利西斯》
通过主人公布鲁姆一天的生活，表现 现代人的孤独与迷茫。
07
自学方法与技巧分享
如何制定自学计划并执行
确定学习目标
明确自考英美文学选读的学习目标， 包括掌握文学理论、了解文学流派、
熟悉重要作家作品等。
分解学习任务
将学习计划分解为可执行的小任务， 如每天阅读一定数量的文学作品、每
英美戏剧流派及特点
古典主义戏剧
以古希腊和古罗马戏 剧为典范，注重情节、 结构和语言的完美和 谐。
浪漫主义戏剧
强调情感、个性和自 然的表达，追求超越 现实的理想境界。
现实主义戏剧
关注现实生活和社会 问题，通过刻画典型 人物和环境来揭示社 会本质。
lesson9thebluesteye
Part IV: The Various Condition of the American Black People in Specific Period
Song：Southern Trees Bear a Strange Fruit
Southern trees bear a strange fruit Blood on the leaves and blood at the root Black bodies swinging in the southern breeze Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees
• 1911年至1950年：黑人的参政力量不断上升。 • 从1911年到二战结束后，美国经济有了长足的发展，在此期
间，黑人的经济地位也开始有所提高，出现了一批黑人中产 阶级。在他们以及诸多黑人团体的推动下，黑人开始积极参 与政治生活，他们的政治权利在这一时期得到了很大改善。 在富兰克林•罗斯福任总统期内（1933-1945），联邦政府任 命了一大批黑人进入联邦各部门，担任全国青年黑人事务处、 联邦内务部、联邦司法部处长或顾问的职务，黑人第一次被 罗斯福称为“我们的黑人公民”。杜鲁门接任总统后，不断 敦促国会通过一揽子法案，包括尽快制定联邦反私刑法，设 立公平就业委员会，制止州际交通公路上的种族隔离现象等， 黑人在选举、教育等问题上的权益进一步扩大。
这些作品均以美国的黑人生活为主要内容，笔触 细腻，人物、语言及故事情节生动逼真，想象力 丰富 .
The Bluest Eye
——A novel based on elements of Morrison’s own experience, contrasts two black families: the dysfunctional(不正常的) breedloves and the healthy, loving McTeers.
(完整版)英美文学选读课PPTLectureTwo
● Beowulf killed Grendel’s mother and be the king of the country.
● Beowulf fought against the fire dragon and died.
The Theme
• How the primitive people struggles against the hostile forces of the natural world under a wise and mighty leader.
Beowulf
The Story
● Hrothgar, built a great hall named Heorot ● The hall was later harassed by a monster named Grendel. ● Beowulf fought againsts Grendel and killed him. ● Grendel’s mother came to revenge.
The earliest inhabitants in England: the Celts, from the upper Rhineland
英美文学选读 ppt课件
◦ about Hollywood
PPT课件
25
Fitzgerald has become identified with the extravagant living of the Jazz Age:
“It was an age of miracles, it was an age of art, it was an age of excess, and it was an age of satire.”
◦ published after the start of The Great Depression ◦ it is about people with money ◦ People didn’t want to read about success and excess when
they didn’t have enough!
◦ tend to the children, ◦ cook the meals, ◦ do the shopping and sewing, and ◦ uphold the daily routines for the family, primarily
tending to the husband’s needs.
family, and provide a home, food, and clothing.
PPT课件
9
During this time period, it was unacceptable for women, or a woman, to travel alone.
Women were to:
Chapter Nine(William Faulkner )
时间分配
90mins
教学内容
板书或课件版面设计
5mins
20mins
30mins
30mins
3mins
2mins
Step 1: Preview Questions
Aim of quality: discuss the ways to disclose feelings in inner time
教学方法
Lecture, discussion, PPT presentation
重点、难点
Key Points:Features of William Faulkner’sthe Sound and the Fury
1950, Nobel Prize for Lit.
（以上为补充资料）
Ⅰ. Evaluation
1950Nobel Prize Winner;
The most influential and critical figure in the Southern Renaissance;
Aues of short stories;
Step3William Faulkner
Life and Career
New Albany,Mississippi(1897) (with a prominent great-grandfather, Colonel William Faklner)
Oxford,LafayetteCounty(1902)
The owner of a literary kingdom Yoknapatawpha county
英美文学选读教学大纲
二、课程教学目的《英美文学选读》是英语语言文学专业本科四年级学生的选修课程，是为培养理解和鉴赏英国和美国文学原著的能力而设置的一门专业理论课程。
设置本课程旨在使学生在掌握英国和美国文学源流和发展的基础之上，通过阅读具有代表性的英国和美国文学作品，理解作品的内容，学会分析作品的艺术特色并努力掌握正确评价文学作品的标准和方法，增强对作品中表现的社会生活和人物感情的理解，提高语言基本功和阅读文学作品的能力和鉴赏水平。
三、课程教学要求1、课堂讲授和研讨相结合，教师布置学生课前对作家生平和历史背景进行研究，并向学生提供参考书目和相关网站；2、课堂上进行重点阅读和分析；组织课堂讨论，鼓励新视角和新思维；并通过影视、多媒体等手段辅助教学，在期中和期末布置学期论文和考查来检验教学效果。
五、教学内容英国文学部分第一章 Early And Medieval English Literature 【教学目的】细读英国伟大诗人乔叟的代表作品《坎特伯雷故事集》的节选，分析其主要语言和叙事特色，解读作品中反映出的中世纪的宗教、政治、经济和市民生活等诸多方面的问题。
【教学重点】细读《坎特伯雷故事集》的节选简介中世纪英国文学的主要特点【教学难点】分析其主要语言和叙事特色，解读作品中反映出的中世纪的宗教、政治、经济和市民生活等诸多方面的问题。
第一章 Early And Medieval English Literature一、简介中世纪英国文学的主要特点二、乔叟的生平简介和主要贡献三、通过细读“The General Prologue”分析和研讨作品的语言特色和叙事特点及作品中反映出的中世纪的宗教、政治、经济和市民生活等诸多方面的问题。
第二章 The English Renaissance【教学目的】通过本章的学习，了解文艺复兴运动和人文主义思潮产生的历史、文化背景，认识该时期文学创作的基本特征和基本主张，及其对同时代及后世英国文学乃至文化的影响；了解该时期重要作家的文学生涯、创作思想、艺术特色及其代表作品的主题结构、人物刻画、语言风格、思想意义等；同时结合注释，读懂所选作品，了解其思想内容和写作特色，培养理解和欣赏文学作品的能力。
英国文学史及作品选读教案-Lecture-8(09级)
Lecture 8The Romantic Period (II)ⅠTeaching ContentGeorge Gordon Byron; Percy Bysshe Shelley; John KeatsⅡTime Allotment2 periodsⅢTeaching Objectives and Requirements1 Help the students understand George Gordon Byron.@2 Help the students have a good understanding of Percy Bysshe Shelley.3 Help the students have a good understanding of John Keats.ⅣKey Points and Difficult Points in Teaching1Percy Bysshe Shelley2 John KeatsⅤTeaching Methods and MeansLecture; Discussion; Multi-mediaⅥTeaching Process"1 George Gordon Byron (1788-1824) (For Self-Study)IntroductionByron’s best poems are Don Juan and Childe Harold. His other works include Hours of Idleness and English Bards and Scottish Reviewers… (See Wang Shouren,76 and Chang Yaoxin, 197-198).Comments on Byron●Byron’s poetry is one of experience. His heroes are more or less pictures of himself.His hero is known as “Byronic Hero”, a proud, mysterious rebel figure of noble origin. With immense superiority in his passions and powers, he would carry on his shoulders the burden of righting all the wrongs in a corrupt society. He would rise single-handedly against any kind of tyrannical rules either in government, in religion, or in moral principles with unconquerable wills and inexhaustible energies. For such a hero, the conflict is usually one of rebellious individual against out-worn social systems and conventions. The figure is, to some extent, modeled on the life and personality of Byron.● Byron insisted on authentic—and moral —nature of his work.●Byron’s poetry exerts great influence on the Romantic Movement. He stands withShakespeare and Scott among the British writers who exert great influence overthe mainland of Europe.(See Chang Yaoxin, 197)]Discussion of She Walks in Beauty(See the Textbook Selected Readings, 74-75)● It is a lyrical poem written in 1814 and published in 1815.●In June, 1814, several months before he met and married his first wife, AnnaMilbanke, Lord Byron attended a party at Lady Sitwell’s. While at the party, Lord Byron was inspired by the sight of his cousin, the beautiful Mrs. Wilmot, who was wearing a black spangled mourning dress. Lord Byron was struck by his cousin’s dark hair and fair face, the mingling of various lights and shades. This became the essence of his poem about her.(Discuss the questions in the Selected Readings.)● The first two lines bring together the opposing qualities of darkness and light thatare at play throughout the three verses. The remaining lines of the first verse tell us that her face and eyes combine all that’s best of dark and bright. No mention is made here or elsewhere in the poem of any other physical features of the lady.The focus of the vision is upon the details of the lady’s face and eyes which reflect the mellowed and tender light. She has a remarkable quality of being able to contain the opposites of dark and bright. The fourth line starts with an accented syllable followed by an unaccented one, rather than the iambic meter of the other lines, an unaccented syllable followed by an accented one. The result is that the word “Meet” receives attention, an emphasis. The lady’s unique feature is that opposites “meet” in her in a wonderful way.●The second verse tells us that the glow of the lady’s fa ce is nearly perfect. Theshades and rays are in just the right proportion, and because they are, the lady possesses a nameless grace. This conveys the romantic idea that her inner beauty is mirrored by her outer beauty. Her thoughts are serene and sweet. She is pure and dear.● The last verse is split between three lines of physical description and three linesthat describe the lady’s moral character. Her soft, calm glow reflects a life of peace and goodness. This is a repetition, an emphasis, of the theme that the lady’s physical beauty is a reflection of her inner beauty.、2 Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822)Life and achievements(See Chang Yaoxin, 202-204)● Shelley is an idealistic and prophetic Romantic.● He sees life on the horizon and gives the vision a tangible form in his poetry.● He refuses to accept life as it is and tries to envision life as devoid of oppression,injustice, tyranny, and corruption current in the social life of his day.● He visualizes the birth of an ideal social order based on the regeneration of manand virtue of love. He made himself a kind of precursor to the socialist movement soon to sweep across Europe and England.Shelley’s Works<●Prometheus Unbound: a lyrical drama, Shelley’s masterpiece, most famous (SeeChang Yaoxin, 206-207)● His short lyrical poems◆ As for his lyrics on nature, the two best known ones are Ode to the West Wind(1819) and To a Skylark (1820). His other lyrics on nature are mainly Hymn of Apollo, The Cloud and To the Moon.◆Shelley’s love l yrics, numerous and widely known, including mainly L ove’sPhilosophy, I Fear Thy Kisses, Gentle Maiden, One Word Is Too Often Profaned and When the Lamp Is Shattered. In his love lyrics, Shelley regards love as the noblest thing in the universe, as the thing of extreme purity and as a feeling of devotion and worship. He believes that the noblest love in the human world may lead mankind to a state of harmony, happiness, peace and perfection. He advocates that love should be elevated high above the vulgar, practical attitude toward it.Comments on Shelley●Byron said of Shelley that he “was, without exception, the best and least selfishman I ever knew. I never knew one who was not a beast in comparison”.Matthew Arnold thought that Shelley’s character was t oo sensitive for a really great writer and called him a “beautiful and ineffectual angel, beating in the void his luminous wings in vain”. But Shelley was not ineffectual, and he was not so cut off from the realities of life as Arnold suggests.● Shelley has a shrewd and informed comprehension of the complexities of earthlylife. And his generous, unselfish personality also contained elements of sophisticated playfulness and good humor---he was not beyond laughing at himself.● Intellectually, he was an immensely learned and well-read man capable of morerefined and original philosophical thinking than any other English Romantic, including Coleridge. And as a poet, as Wordsworth said, “Shelley is one of the best artists of us all! Mean in workmanship of st yle.”~Discussion of Ode to the West Wind(Discuss the questions in the Selected Readings)● Motif of the poem: his desire for freedom and his resolution to sacrifice for thestruggle for freedom. To the poet, the west wind, powerful as it is, is not merelya natural phenomenon. It is a “spirit”, the “breath of Autumn’s being” that canspread messages of freedom far and wide that both destroys and preserves the revival in the spring. The west wind symbolizes rebirth and creative power. To some extent, the west wind is the symbol of revolutionary spirit.◆ Stanza I---The west wind has swept the foliages off the tree and carried seedsto the earth. She is both destroyer and preserver.◆ Stanza II---The west wind has awakened the sky. In this stanza, the west windis compared to the rainstorm that bursts out of the dark clouds.◆ Stanza III---The west wind has awakened the Mediterranean. The poet thinksthat the billow results from the trembling of the sea-blooms (trees) for fear of the coming west wind.◆ Stanza IV---I would have the same strength and free spirit as the west wind if Iwere brought up like him. Unfortunately, I was chained and bowed by the vicissitudes of life.◆ Stanza V---I wish we could unite to fight for a bright future. I want to spreadm y words among mankind. I’m optimistic about the future. If winter comes, can spring be far behind/● Images◆ Life images: seeds, spring, clarion, buds;◆ Death images: dead leaves, ghosts, hectic, pestilence, dark wintry bed, corps,grave.◆These life and death images on the one hand are associated with the twofunctions of the West Wind: destroyer and preserver, and on the other hand, remind us of resurrection and a cycle of life and death.3 John Keats (1795-1821)Life and achievements(See Chang Yaoxin, 207-210)●Keats was a person of singular determination. His imagination was sensual. Hewould like to be an Apollo, the god of poetry. He loved “the principle of beauty in all things” and was singularly adamant in his belief that there existed a world of eternal beauty somewhere more real than the life being lived here and it was his job to search for and create it.—● He had a sharp eye for colors and a keen ear for rhythms and a rare capacity tobring out the magic of words. He has been well known for the exquisite texture of his poetry, with its beautiful imagery, sound, and diction. His sole object in life was to look for beauty, and he was a pure poet. He was serious about life and never strove for art only for art’s sake.●He is also an influential literary theorist. His major ideas on poetry include hisnotions of “negative capability,” poetic identity and emphasis on the oneness of truth and beauty (Truth is beauty, beauty is truth).Keats’s major works● A short and miserable life as he has, Keats has produced voluminous literary works.He has written five long poems: Endymion, Isabella, The Eve of St. Agnes, Lamia, and Hyperion.◆Endymion (1818) is a poem of 4000 lines. The story is taken from Greekmythology, telling the romantic love story of between Endymion (a handsome shepherd of Mount Latmos) and the moon goddess Cynthia. It is often interpreted as an allegory representing the poet’s quest for an ideal feminine counterpart and flawless beauty.◆Isabella is based on a story in Decameron by Boccaccio. The poet retold thetragic love story between Lorenzo and Isabella. The poem expresses sympathy for the oppressed and indignation at human cruelty.◆Lamia takes its story from Burton’s Anatomy of Melancholy. Lamia is a serpentmaiden. She loves a young man named Lycius. They get married and hold their wedding banquet. Among their guests comes the sophist Apollonius who sees through Lamia’s disguise. Lamia asks Apollonius to keep it a secret, but Apollonius refuses. He reveals Lamia’s identity to the public. Then Lamia vanishes. It is obvious that this story is parallel to The Tale of the White Serpent in China. The emphasis is on the appreciation of sensuous beauty.◆The Eve of St Agnes is a young people’s poetic version of Romeo and Juliet,written in Spenserian stanzas, telling the story between the young maiden Madeline and her lover Porphyro). St Agnes is the patron saint of virgins. The poem is full of beautiful imaginary, rich colour and word music. Keat s’fondness for sensuous beauty and his ability to paint exquisite world-pictures find their best expression in his poem.`◆Hyperion is an unfinished long epic, regarded as Keats’ greatest achievementin poetry. It includes two fragments, Hyperion and The Fall of Hyperion. The poem describes a struggle for power in heaven. Keats wanted to convey in this poem that the victory of life and youth over the forces of decadence and retrogression is inevitable. The old order must give way to the new system—this is the eternal law of nature.● Keats has written many short lyrical poems, of which the odes and the sonnets arebest known. The odes are generally regarded as Keats’s most important and mature works. His odes include: Ode to Autumn, Ode to a Nightingale, Ode on Melancholy, and Ode on a Grecian Urn. His best known sonnets include: Bright Star, When I Have Fear, and The Grasshopper and the Cricket.Discussion of Ode to a Nightingale●In this poem, Keats not only expresses his raptures upon hearing the beautifulsongs of the nightingale and his desire to go to the ethereal world of beauty together with the bird, but also shows his deep sympathy for and his keen understanding of human miseries in the society in which he lived.● This poem expresses the contrast between the happy world of natural lovelinessand human world of agony.◆ At first, opiates and wine seems to be a way to transcend the human misery.◆At last poetry itself is seen the most effective way to release misery and toreach paradise. The bird’s song roused in the poet’s heart a form of spiritual homesickness, a longing to be at one with beauty.◆Keats manages to keep a precarious balance between mirth and despair,rapture and grief. Through the power of language, a world of beauty is visualized. But the excitement created through words is also subtly destroyed by them. The ultimate imaginative view evaporates in its extremity as the full associations of the last word “toll”the poet back from his near loss ofselfhood to the real and human world of sorrow and death. The title of F.Scott Fitzgerald’s Tender is the Night derives itself from this poem.(▼Stanza I—I was falling asleep after taking opiates when I heard a nightingale singing in the beechen forest.▼Stanza II—I’d like a cup of red wine to soothe my trouble.▼Stanza III—The nightingale was singing in ecstasy while I am suffering on earth.▼Stanza IV—I wish I could fly to the moon together with the nightingale.▼Stanza V—I realize that I was in a beautiful garden full of fragrant flowers.▼Stanza VI—The nightingale, regardless of my imminent death, kept singing in an ecstasy. Her melody was floating over the grassland aimlessly sinceher bosom friend cannot hear it any longer.▼Stanza VII—The nightingale’s melody has magical power to arouse the nostalgia of Ruth, a female in the Bible.▼Stanza VIII—The nightingale’s melody faded away, but I was still absorbed in it. I was half awake and half asleep.~ⅦReflection Questions and AssignmentsReflection questions1 In what way are nature and imagination related in Ode to the West Wind2 In Ode to a Nightingale, what images of sound, sight, smell, taste, or touchhave led you on a journey of the imagination back to some remembered past occurrence3 Comment on the epigram “beauty is truth, truth is beauty” in the Ode on aGrecian Urn.Assignments1 Read Ode on a Grecian Urn.2 Pre-read Jane-Austen.~3 Pre-read Pride and Prejudice in the Selected Readings.ⅧMajor References1 Abrams, M. H. ed. The Norton Anthology of English Literature, (6th edition),Norton: 1993.2 Baugh, Albert C. A Literary History of England. 1967.3 Drabble, Margaret.The Oxford Companion to English Literature. OxfordUniversity Press and Foreign language and Research Press, 1998.4 陈嘉.《英国文学史》. 北京：商务印书馆，1986.5 陈嘉.《英国文学作品选读》. 北京：商务印书馆，1982.6 侯维瑞. 《英国文学通史》. 上海：上海外语教育出版社，1999.·7 刘炳善. 《英国文学简史》. 郑州：河南人民出版社，1993.8 刘守兰. 《英美名诗解读》. 上海：上海外语教育出版社，2003.9 罗经国. 《新编英国文学选读》. 北京：北京大学出版社，1997.10 蒋洪新. 《英美诗歌选读》.长沙：湖南师范大学出版社，2004.11 隋刚.《英美诗歌意境漫游》.北京：外文出版社，1998.12 孙汉云. 《英国文学教程》. 南京：河海大学出版社，2005.13 王佩兰等. 《英国文学史及作品选读》. 长春：东北师范大学，2006.14 王松年. 《英国文学作品选读》. 上海：上海交通大学出版社，2002.15 王佐良. 《英国诗选》. 上海：上海译文出版社，1993.16 吴伟仁. 《英国文学史及选读》（第二册）. 北京：外语教学与研究出版社，1990.17 杨岂深，孙铢.《英国文学选读》. 上海：上海译文出版社，1981.18 张伯香.《英美文学选读》. 北京：外语教学与研究出版社，1998.19 张定铨. 《新编简明英国文学史》. 上海：上海外语教育出版社，2002.。
《英美文学选读》课程概述
课程概述一、课程性质和学习目的英美文学选读课是全国高等教育自学考试英语语言文学专业本科段的必修课，是为培养和检验自学应考者英美文学的基本理论知识和理解、鉴赏英美文学原著的能力而设置的一门专业理论课程。
设置本课程旨在使英语自学者对英美两国文学形成与发展的全貌有一个大概的了解；并通过阅读具有代表性的英美文学作品，理解作品的内容，学会分析作品的艺术特色并努力掌握正确评价文学作品的标准和方法。
由于本课程以作家作品为重点，因此学生要仔细品味原作。
通过阅读，努力提高语言水平，增强对英美文学原著的理解，特别是对作品中表现的社会生活和人物思想感情的理解，提高他们阅读文学作品的能力和鉴赏水平。
二、课程内容本课程由英国文学和美国文学两个部分组成。
主要内容包括英美文学发展史、及代表作家的简要介绍和作品选读。
文学史部分从英美两国历史、语言、文化发展的角度，简要介绍英美两国文学各个历史断代的主要历史背景，文学文化思潮，文学流派，社会政治、经济、文化等对文学发展的影响，主要作家的文学生涯、创作思想、艺术特色及其代表作品的主题结构、人物刻画、语言风格、思想意义等；选读部分主要节选了英美文学史上各个时期重要作家的代表作品，包括诗歌、戏剧、小说、散文等。
三、考核目标及考核要求本课程的考试要求为全日制普通高等学校英语语言文学专业《英美文学选读》课程的结业水平。
除绪论部分外，大纲对其它部分均一一列出知识点，并提出具体的考核要求。
其中，凡要求“识记”的内容，所涉及的知识和理论都与考核点直接相关，应考者应熟知其概念和有关知识，理解其原理，并能在语言环境中予以辨认。
凡要求“领会”的内容，必须做到掌握有关知识和理论。
凡要求“应用”的内容，必须做到在掌握有关知识理论的基础上使之转化为能力，即能用有关知识和理论来分析解决英美文学中的相关问题，并指导作品的阅读。
凡要求“一般识记”的内容，所涉及的知识和理论，一般不直接作为考核时命题的内容，但由于这些内容对于其它相关知识理论以及作品阅读能力的考核有直接或间接的影响，因此要求应考者在自学过程中对这些内容要有所了解，不应忽略。
英美文学课件lecture 9
2)
3)
IV. Evaluation on him:
1) Dreiser has been a controversial figure in American literary history. His works are powerful in their portrayal of the changing American life, but his style is considered crude. He showed a new way of presenting reality and inspired the writers of the 1920s with courage and insight. It is in Dreiser’s works that American naturalism is said to have come of age. He embraced social Darwinism. He learned to regard man as merely an animal driven by greed and lust in a struggle for existence in which only the fittest, the most ruthless, survive. Human tragedy comes as a result of the collision between man’s biological needs and society’s ruthless manipulation. It is Dreiser’s announced intention to report the coarse and the vulgar and the cruel and the terrible in life in defiance of the genteel and evasive current literature with which he had absolutely no patience and sympathy.
2020年英美文学选读教案以及复习要点
英美文学选读教案以及复习要点英美文学选读教案以及复习要点专业八级资料 Lecture 1 William Shakespeare 1. Introduction of the course (1) This course is called Selected Readings in English and American Literature, a pulsory course for you. It will be finished in 12 weeks. And in each week well meet each other two times. (2) In this course, you will have to read some original works taken from English and American classics. It may be a little bit difficult for you. However, its also a chance for you to know some great treasury in world literature and Ill help you understand them. (3)Comparing with the literary history courses, this course mainly focuses on original productions. The course book is a nice one with classical works and detailed notes. (4) For the final test, 10% will be decided by your attendance, 20% by your homework and 70% by the test paper. About the homework, after we finish each writer, Ill give you a name list of remended works written by the writer. In the whole semester, you should choose at least one piece of English writers works and one piece of American writers works remended by me. And then you should write a small paper on the piece of works you chose. That means you should turn in two papers in the whole semester. (5) A very important suggestion: previewthe productions before the class; otherwise itll be very difficult for you to catch me in the class. 2. William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616) (1) Historical Background A. Queen Elizabeth I: a powerful England with the fast development of capitalism B. Renaissance: an intellectual movement sprung first in Italy in the 14th century and gradually spread all over Europe. Two features are striking of this movement. The one is a thirsting curiosity for the classical literature. Another is the humanism, which means the new feeling of admiration for human beauty and human achievement. C. Shakespeare lived in such a period and also such a period made him the most famous and most important English writer. (2) Life (Read paragraph 1 and 2 on page 1 after class. These two paragraphs are the introduction of the great writers life.) A. His plete works include 37 plays, 2 narrative poems and 154 sons. B. He is mainly famous for his great plays, especially the outstanding Four Great Tragedies. (Hamlet, King Lear, Othello and Macbeth) He is also the author of some other famous plays, such as Romeo and Juliet, but today well learn the excerpt from one of his great edies - The Merchant of Venice, which well talk about a little bit later. C. Shakespeares sons are also very good. Well first introduce Son 18, the most famous son written byShakespeare. (3) Son 18 A. A son is a lyric poem consisting of a single stanza of fourteen iambic pentameter lines linked by an intricate rhyme scheme. It was introduced to England from Italy by Sir Thomas Wyatt and Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey. (It is a very popular poem form and used widely in English literature. In the Elizabeth era, Edmund Spenser was also famous for his sons. And later, John Milton, Byron and Keats all contributed excellent sons.) B. Though the son is a fixed form, but the rhyme scheme of the son is not fixed. (few minutes for students to find out this poems rhyme scheme.) Answer: abab cdcd efef gg. This is a typical rhyme scheme used by Shakespeare in all his sons. C. Explain the poem sentence by sentence. temperate: moderate or mild; rough winds: strong winds; darling: lovely; lease: 租约;plexion: appearance; dim: darken with cloud; brag: boast; D.(discuss) Theme: expressing the deep love to his friend (4) The Merchant of Venice A. Famous edy written by Shakespeare in his youth B. Setting: Venice, the Middle Age C. Characters: Bassanio, Antonio, Shylock, Portia (let students discuss the characters) Portia: Shakespeares ideal woman, beautiful, intelligent, cultured, gracious, independent, a daughter of Renaissance Shylock: most suessful character, a Jew, a greedy and merciless usurer and also avictim of racial discrimination and religious persecution (sympathy) D. Plot: Read the introduction from P3 to P4. E. (Discuss)Theme: Mercy wins over malice. F. The selection is the most famous scene of the whole play and also the climax of the play. (Ask students to read it thoroughly after the class.) In the class, well learn a short part taken from the scene. (P10 to P11, the famous statement about mercy made by Portia) G. (the last but not least) form of the play: verse drama written in blank verse mostly blank verse: unrhymed iambic pentameter. Soon after blank verse was introduced by Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey in his translation of Virgils works, it became the standard meter for Elizabethan and later poetic dramas and some poets, such as John Milton, also employed this form to write their long poems. (5) Remended Reading Son 29; Son 73; Son 116; Four great tragedies; Romeo and Juliet; A Midsummer Nights Dream 3. Homework 1. Preview the next chapter about John Milton.2. Find out the form and rhyme scheme of the poem To Cyriack Skinner on P23. Lecture 2 John Milton (1608 0 1674) (Comparing with William Shakespeare, few people read his great productions today. However, he is also a classical writer in English Literature.) 1. Historical Background (Discussion: Any important event happened during Miltons life time in Britain )English Bourgeois Revolution The conflicts between King (James I and then Charles I) and the Parliament Profound conflicts: the Old Feudalism and New Capitalism In religion: The Anglican Church and the Puritan The consequence of those contradictions: the Civil War (1642 - 1649) The King was executed in 1649 and monarchy was abolished. Oliver Cromwells dictatorship (1649 - 1660) The Restoration: Charles II and then James II Glorious Revolution (1688) 2. Life born in a rich and cultured family - handsome and hardworking - graduated from Cambridge University and got master degree - six years private study and the most knowledgeable poet in Britain - writing pamphlets for the Commonwealth - blind in 1652 - arrested and fined after restoration - produced three great poems in plain life Most important works - three great poems: Paradise Lost (1667); Paradise Regained (1671); Samson Agonistes (1671) (poetic drama) Besides three great poems in his late years, he also wrote some excellent sons including the one well learn today.3. To Cyriack Skinner (Ask the questions of homework) (Answer: Son; abba abba cdcdcd) (1) Form: Son (2) Rhyme scheme: abba abba cdcdcd (different with William Shakespeares sons) (3) Explain the poem sentence by sentence (4) (Discussion) Theme: the authors positive attitude towards his blindness (another sonon blindness seems more discouraged.) 4. Paradise Lost (《失乐园》) (1) Miltons masterpiece; greatest epic written in the English language *epic(史诗): it is a long verse narrative on a serious subject, told in a formal and elevated style, and centered on a heroic or quasi-divine figure on whose actions depends the fate of a tribe, a nation, or the human race. Notice the differences between traditional epics and literary epics. Paradise Lost is a literary epic. (2) Its a long epic including 12 books. The plot is taken from the Old Testament of Holy Bible. *Holy Bible对于理解西方文化最重要的经典,分为《旧约》(The Old Testament)和《新约》(The New Testament)两部分,这两部分写于不同的时期,而且使用的文字不同,《旧约》主要用希伯莱语写成,《新约》则用希腊文写成.圣经最早曾被翻译成希腊文,然后是拉丁文,在欧洲各国通行.《圣经》英译始自8世纪,但各种版本都不算通行,直到Martin Luther宗教改革之后,1611年出现的Authorized Version 至今通行,对英国的语言和文学影响极大.推荐阅读英文版《圣经》节选或房龙《圣经的故事》中文版. Plot: (paragraph two on P24) revolt of Satan and some other angels 0 their defeat and throwing into the Hell 0 temptation of Adam and Eve 0 expulsion of Adam and Eve (3) Theme: to justify the ways of God to man (su内容仅供参考。
英美诗歌选读PPT课件
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2) The Narrative Poem There are three major subclasses of narratives: epic, metrical romance, and ballad; but there are a very large number of narrative poems which can not be easily classified and which do not fit into any of these three kinds.
At this level, poetry parallels fiction and drama, forming with them the greatest three of the conventional literary categories which divideቤተ መጻሕፍቲ ባይዱthe pages of popular literary textbooks, such as
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音节可分为单音节、双音节、多音- 节三类。 单音节：you，day，me，big，make，bar等。 双音节：begin，open，foolish，summer，
mountain等。 多音节：wonderful，revolution，satisfactory等。 辅音也可构成音节，如people，rhythm中的ple和
And the term prosification is utilized as an opposite to versification, in systematic antithetic senses.
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Internals of poetry :Imagery, S-ubject Matters and Themes
英美文学选读课lectureone
The Enlightenment (18th century)
The 17th Century
The AngloNorman (1066-
1350)
The AngloSaxon (449-
1066)
The Purposes of This Course
•Make students get a clear picture of the development of English literature
Resolution
•Resolution is the final stage of plot. It draws the action to a close and accounts for all remaining loose ends.
Characterization
•Characterization• Methods of
A General Description
•You will study the eight periods in English literary history
•You will have a very hard time! •You will learn to appreciate
literature, learn to make criticism and even learn to write a small critical essay!
AmericanLiterature《英美文学选读》（美国文学部分）
AmericanLiterature《英美文学选读》（美国文学部分）American LiteratureChapter one : The romantic periodI. Emerson’s transcendentalism and his attitude toward nature:1.Transcendentalism—it is a philosophic and literary movement that flourish in New England, as a reaction against rationalism and Calvinism. It stressed intuitive understanding of god without the help of the church, and advocated independence of the mind.2. Emerson’s transcendentali sm:The over-soul—it is an all-pervading power goodness, from which all things come and of which all are a part. It is a supreme reality of mind, a spiritual unity of all beings and a religion. It is a communication between an individual soul and the universal over-soul. And he strongly believe in the divinity and infinity of man as an individual, so man can totally rely on himself.3.His toward nature:Emerson loves nature. His nature is the garment of the over-soul, symbolic and moral bound. Nature is not something purely of the matter, but alive with God’s presence. It exercise a healthy and restorative influence on human beings. Children can see nature better than adult.II. Hawthorne’s Puritanism and his black vision of man:1. Puritanism—it is the religious belief of the Puristans, who had intended to purify and simplify the religious ritual of the church of England.2. his black vision of man—by the Calvinistic concept of original sin, he believed that human being are evil natured andsinful, and this sin is ever present in human heart and will pass one generation to another.3. Young Goodman Brown—it shows that everyone has some evil secrets. The innocent and na?ve Brown is confronted with the vision of human evil in one terrible night, and then he becomes distrustful and doubtful. Brown stands for everyone ,who is born pure and has no contact with the real world ,and the prominent people of the village and church. They cover their secrets during daily lives, and under some circumstances such as the wit ch’s Sabbath, they become what they are. Even his closed wife, Faith, is no exception. So Brown is aged in that night.IV. Whitman and his Leaves of Grass :1. Theme: sing of the “en-mass”and the self / pursuit of love, happiness, and ***ual love / sometimes about politics (Drum taps)2. Whitman’s originality first in his use of the poetic form free verse (i.e. poetry without a fixed beat or regular rhyme scheme),by means of which he becomes conversational and casual.3.He uses the first person pronoun “I”t o stress individualism, and oral language to acquire sympathy from the common reader.III. Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser:1. Theme: The author invented the success of Carrie and the downfall of Hurstwood out of an inevitable and natural judgment, because the fittest can survive in a competitive, amoral society according to the social Darwinism.2. The character analysis of Carrie: She follows the right direction to a pursuit of the American dream, and the circumstances and her desire for a better life direct to thesuccessful goal. But she is not contented, because with wealth and fame, she still finds herself lonely. She is a product of the society, a realization of the theory of the survival of the fittest.3. The character analysis of Hurstwood: He is a negative evidence of the theory of the survival of the fittest. Because he is still conventional and can not throw away the social morals, he is not fitted to live in New York.III. F. Scott Fitzgerald and his The Great Gatsby1. Theme: Gatsby is American Everyman. His extraordinary energy and wealth make him pursue the dream. His death in the end points at the truth about the withering of the American Dream. The spiritual and moral sterility that has resulted from the withered American Dream is fully revealed in the article. However, although he is defeated, the dream has gave Gatsby a dignity and a set of qualities. His hope and belief in the promise of future makes him the embodiment of the values of the incorruptible American Dream .2. The character analysis of Gatsby: Gatsby is great, because he is dignified and ennobled by his dream and his mythic vision of life. He has the desire to repeat the past, the desire for money, and the desire for incarnation of unutterable vision on this material earth. For Gatsby, Daisy is the soul of his dreams. He believe he can regain Daisy and romantically rebels of time. Although he has the wealth that can match with the leisured class, he does not have their manners. His tragedy lies in his possession of a naive sense and chivalry.IV. Ernest Hemingway’s artistic features:1. The Hemingway code heroes and grace under pressure:They have seen the cold world ,and for one cause, they boldly and courageously face the reality. They has an indestructiblespirit for his optimistic view of life. Whatever is the result is, the are ready to live with grace under pressure. No matter how tragic the ending is, they will never be defeated. Finally, they will be prevail because of their indestructible spirit and courage.2. The iceberg technique:Hemingway believe that a good writer does not need to reveal every detail of a character or action. The one-eighth the is presented will suggest all other meaningful dimensions of the story. Thus, Hemingway’s lang uage is symbolic and suggestive.V. The character analysis of Emily in A Rose for Emily:Emily is a symbol of old values, standing for tradition, duty and past glory. But she is also a victim to all those she cares and embrace. The source of Emily’s strang eness is from her born pride and self-esteem, the domineering behavior of her father and the betrayal of her lover. Barricaded in her house, she has frozen the past to protect her dreams. Her life is tragic because the defiance of the community, her refusal to accept the change and her extreme pride have pushed her to abnormality and insanity.。
高级英语第一册第九课马克吐温（AdvancedEnglish,Volume1,lessonni..
高级英语第一册第九课马克吐温（Advanced English, Volume 1,lesson ninth, Mark, Twain）Ninth lessonsMark, Twain -- a mirror of the United States(excerpt)Noel grove?Mark most Americans think that? Twain is a great writer, he describes Huck? Finn eternal childhood is full of a quality suggestive of poetry or painting journey and Tom Sawyer? Freedom and adventure in the long summer days. Indeed, the most popular writer of the spirit of exploration, patriotic, romantic temperament and humorous style to reach the peak of perfection degree. But I found that there is a different Mark? Twain Mark: a life tragedy by blow and become, sarcastic ridicule Twain, detest the world and its ways? A human quality of weakness and care-laden, clearly see the future is a dark man.The printing industry, the navigator, Confederate guerrillas, gold prospector starry eyed optimist, acid tongued: Mark? Twain Samuel? Clemence, Lang Hearn? He lives with more than 1/3 of the time traveled across the United States, to experience a new life in the United States, and then as writer and lecturer he felt that all this to the world. His pen name was a report he heard when he was working on a steamship. The water was two (12 feet) wide - meaning navigable. His works are more than 20 isstill in print, and translations are still have readers around the world, but his reputation degree.In Mark, Twain's youth, the geographic center of the United States was the Mississippi River, the great artery of communication in the middle of the young country. The keel, the gondola, and the raft carry the most important goods. Wood, corn, tobacco, wheat and furs through these vehicles transported to the downstream river delta, and sugar, syrup, cotton and whiskey goods were transported to the north. Prior to the climax of Western territorial development in 1850s, the vast Mississippi River Basin accounted for 3/4 of the United States' already developed territories.In 1857, young Mark Twain stepped into the world as a small pilot on a steamboat. In this new job, he came into contact with all kinds of people, and he saw a colorful world. He is completely devoted to the life, often in the steering room listening to people talk about civil strife, piracy, lynching cases, Youyi sell drugs as well as riverside houses some outsider story. All this, and the rich and colorful language absorbed by his memory, as accurate as a phonograph, had the chance to be reproduced in his work.The steamboat deck is not only full of pioneering spirit of the rich people, but also carrying some prostitutes, gamblers and gangsters scum. From all these different kinds of people, Mark Twain acutely knows human beings and knows the difference between people's words and actions. His four and a half years on the steamboat was the beginning of his real education and the most profound education. Late in life, Mark? Twain alsoacknowledged that the river made him understand a variety of human nature. This experience of life contributed to all his creations, but the most successful ones he described were the men on the Mississippi river.With the development of railway transportation, the demand for steamboat pilots in society is decreasing day by day, and the outbreak of civil war hinders the development of commercial trade. At this point, Mark Twain left the Mississippi River basin. He was a ragtag team of Confederate guerrillas for two weeks of soldiers. The team tried every means to avoid fighting the enemy. After convinced that "I am more proficient in retreating than the people who invented the retreat", Mark Twain left the team.He went west by stagecoach, by the gold rush was popular at that time in the state of Nevada area HuaSu temptation. After the great wealth that only lucky and the persistent would have hit eight months of two minds work, he failed.After bankruptcy and discouragement, he accepted a job as a reporter for the territorial development newspaper in Virginia, a move that will be forever appreciated by the literary community.Ever since he was disheartened by the failure of the gold rush, Mark Twain began to strive for regional prestige as a newspaper reporter and humorist. Journalistic work certainly cannot make him like gold winners like become wealthy, but in the money his pen is better than his pickax much more effective. In the spring of 1864, less than two years before he joined the territorydevelopment newspaper, he traveled to San Francisco in the stagecoach, a cradle of promising young writers both then and now.Mark? Twain honed and experimented with his new pen, but because he wrote some sharp commentary and forced to leave the city. His sharp criticism around the mistreatment of Chinese issues presented to the municipal government angered officials angry, because he had to flee to the valley of Sacramento gold district temporarily revive. His description of the pioneers there made the west coast region more innovative and modern. "People here are really amazing, because those clumsy-handed, lazy in the doldrums, idiotic stay at home...... It is those people as California won such a reputation: when they set out on a magnificent career, they will at any cost or risk in a heroic spirit and dash forward, in the end of one thousand. Californians still keep this reputation, therefore, when they launch a new shaking heaven and earth feats, those who will be wiser as usual, smiled and said: "well, this is the California style."."In the winter of 1864 and 1865, Mark Twain was spent in the Ann Giles mining area. On this dreary day, he took a note. In the out of order about the weather condition and boring about the entries in the food area with a day to hear a story narrative record, this record determines the direction of his career: "Coleman with his jumping frog - and bet $50 -- no stranger stranger jumping frog, Coleman to give him a stranger to use this time to bring a leap frog belly with lead bullets, so, don't jump to leapfrog, jumping frog strangers can win."After Mark Twain's beautiful style of writing? Rewrite this story appeared in newspapers across the United States, "he became known to every family famous jumping frog". At this point, Mark? Twain as the "Pacific coast Wild Humorist" reputation in the country has been firmly established.Two years later, he had an opportunity to observe the old continent of Europe with an American eye. In the city of New York, the steamer "Philadelphia" is ready for a sightseeing cruise to Europe and the Holy land. This is the first time Americans have organized larger groups of sightseeing tours - and they can also be seen as milestones in the history of a nation's development. Mark Twain, a journalist in a California newspaper, was appointed to interview with the tour group. If readers expect to read about the travels of the description in high spirit, that they are going to feel surprise.For example, for the Turkey monarchs he had given him what good impression Sultan is reported, "people can choose a place to set a trap, quasi overnight can capture a dozen more capable people." He boasted of some disdained revered artists and art treasures, even dare to profane words to insult to the religious holy land. After returning home, more and more newspapers began to publish his articles, and all the United States laughed with him. He returned to the United States, his travel notes "Innocents Abroad travel" immediately became a bestseller.At the age of thirty-six, Mark Twain began living in Connecticut, Hartford,All his best work came out at that time.As early as 1870, Mark Twain attempted to write a story about a boy's childhood adventure, which he called Billy Rodgers. Two years later, he changed the hero's name to Tom and proceeded to adapt the story into a play. It was not until 1874 that he began to expand the story seriously. Published in 1876, Tom Sawyer soon became a classic of American children's stories. The film about Tom's mischievous daring ingenuity and he told Betsy? Thatcher innocence of the feelings of the story almost like the "Declaration of independence" as in American schools today reading books.Mark, Twain's own declaration of independence, was expressed by another character. In the sixth chapter of "Tom Sawyer", he introduces the village vagrant, the son of the town drunkard, Huckleberry, Finn". Huck et al in the Puritan widow Douglas to live a decent life, to his friend Tom escaped from there? Yafa cable complaint said: "I tried, or not; not ah, Tom. That's not my day...... The widow's house listens to the bells, sleeps to the bells, the bells to the bells, and everything to be fixed."Nine years after Tom Sawyer swept the United States, Huck was given an independent life and became the hero of a book that many people believe is the most successful description of the American people. He with a runaway slave on a raft along the Mississippi River floating range show a picture to reveal the vivid picture of American social life picture. The Mississippi River, especially for Huck? The character of Finn's description, Mark Twain? You want to get out from the bound himself and often make their own distress the pace of life, from life and all the sacred rules of the religious order for the cause of the successof the hard struggle of the liberation of desire expression was most incisive.Mark Twain argues that there is a missing ingredient in American ideals. He said: "we just have to lie down occasionally and take a good rest, and keep the corner of the frontier, and we'll be able to be a vibrant nation, what an intellectual nation!"!"Mark? Twain's life is shrouded in the shadow of tragedy, their loved ones one by one: his father died when he was twelve years old died of pneumonia, his brother Henry in a steamboat explosion killed; his son Langdon is nineteen months away from the world. His eldest daughter, Susie, died of spinal meningitis; Mrs. Clemence died of heart disease in Florence; and his little daughter drowned in an upstairs bath due to an epileptic seizure.This had made the world laugh himself is all the bitterness of human life. In his early writings the moral sermon was wrapped in a humorous coat, and now humor is a hot satire. For the United States Army massacred six hundred Philippines Moro behavior in a volcano, he did not directly attack, but pretended to sing the praises of. In the mysterious stranger, he pointed out that human beings should abandon religious fantasies and rely on themselves rather than God to create a better world.His own last fantasy, then, seemed to be dashed. In his old age, when he was dictating his autobiography, he spoke with extreme despair about the ultimate liberation of man from earthly suffering:"...... They vanished from the world; they were insignificant and accomplished in the world; and even theirexistence was a mistake, a failure, a folly. Nothing in the world has left a trace of their existence. The world has given them only one day's sorrow and everlasting forgetfulness."。
《美国文学》课件九
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Henry David Thoreau
1 Thoreau’s position in American literature A prose writer and poet, and another renowned New England Transcendentalist; for half a century after his death, he remained in obscurity, but he became one of the three great American authors of the nineteenth century who had no contemporary readers and yet became great in the 20th century (the other two being Herman Melville and Emily Dickinson).
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Nature
Emerson regards nature as the purest, and the most sanctifying moral influence on man, and advocates a direct intuition of a spiritual and immanent God in nature. Alone in the Woods one day, for instance, he experienced a moment of "ecstasy" which he records thus in his Nature:
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He went to live on Walden Pond just to experiment with a new way of life for himself, and felt that he came out of it a better man, reborn and reinvigorated. And in 1854, he published his masterpiece, Walden, one of the representative Transcendentalist works.
Unit Nine Beginning of American Literature and Edgar Allan Poe
Unit Nine Beginning of American Literature and Edgar Allan PoeWarming-up 常识预习1. Who was the first American to achieve an international literary reputation after the Revolutionary War?2. In the early 19th century, Washington Irving wrote the Sketch Book which became the first work by an American writer to win financial success on both sides of the Atlantic. What are the most famous and anthologized short stories in this book?3. What do you know about United States Declaration of Independence?4. What ear ly American writer’s thrilling work is considered the masterpiece of Gothic literature?5. DeCoteau is an American film producer known for directing low budget horror movies. Have you seen his House of Usher (2008)?6. Besides macabre stories, what else did Edgar Allan Poe write? Lecturette专题讲座Beginning of American Literature and Edgar Allan PoeAmerica, during its early history, was a series of British colonies on the eastern coast of the present-day United States. Therefore, its literary tradition begins as linked to the broader tradition of English literature. However, unique American characteristics and the breadth of its production usually now cause it to be considered a separate path and tradition.Some of the earliest forms of American literature were pamphlets and writings extolling the benefits of the colonies to both a European and colonist audience. And the religious disputes that prompted settlement in America were also topics of early writing. During the revolution itself, poems and songs such as “Yankee Doodle” and “Nathan Hale” were popular. In the post-war period, Thomas Jefferson's United States Declaration of Independence, his influence on the American Constitution, his autobiography, the Notes on the State of Virginia, and his many letters solidify his spot as one of the most talented early American writers. Much of the early literature of the new nation struggled to find a uniquely American voice in existing literary genre, and this tendency was also reflected in novels. European forms and styles were often transferred to new locales and critics often saw them as inferior.With the War of 1812 and an increasing desire to produce uniquely American literature and culture, a number of key new literary figures emerged, perhaps most prominently Washington Irving (often considered the first writer to develop a unique American style) and Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849). Poe began writing short stories –including The Masque of the Red Death, The Pit and the Pendulum, The Fall of the House of Usher, and The Murdersin the Rue Morgue – that explore previously hidden levels of human psychology and push the boundaries of fiction toward mystery and fantasy. One of Poe’s macabre works The Fall of the House of Usher is summed up as follows.The tale opens with the unnamed narrator arriving at the house of his friend, Roderick Usher, having received a letter from him in a distant part of the country complaining of an illness and asking for his comfort. Although Poe wrote this short story before the invention of modern psychological science, Roderick's symptoms can be described according to its terminology. They include hyperesthesia (extreme hypersensitivity to light, sounds, smells, and tastes), hypochondria (an excessive preoccupation or worry about having a serious illness), and acute anxiety. It is revealed that Roderick's twin sister, Madeline, is also ill and falls into cataleptic, death-like trances. The narrator is impressed with Roderick's paintings, and attempts to cheer him by reading with him and listening to his improvised musical compositions on the guitar. Roderick sings “The Haunted Palace”, then tells the narrator that he believes the house he lives in to be sentient, and that this sentience arises from the arrangement of the masonry and vegetation surrounding it.Roderick later informs the narrator that his sister has died and insists that she be entombed for two weeks in a vault in the house before being permanently buried. The narrator helps Roderick put the body in the tomb, and he notes that Madeline has rosy cheeks, as some do after death. They inter her, but over the next week both Roderick and the narrator find themselves becoming increasingly agitated for no apparent reason. A storm begins. Roderick comes to the narrator's bedroom, which is situated directly above the vault, and throws open his window to the storm. He notices that the tarn surrounding the house seems to glow in the dark, as it glowed in Roderick Usher's paintings, although there is no lightning. The narrator attempts to calm Roderick by reading aloud The Mad Trist, a novel involving a knight named Ethelred who breaks into a hermit's dwelling in an attempt to escape an approaching storm, only to find a palace of gold guarded by a dragon. He also finds hanging on the wall a shield of shining brass of which is written a legend: that the one who slays the dragon wins the shield. With a stroke of his mace, Ethelred kills the dragon, who dies with a piercing shriek, and proceeds to take the shield, which falls to the floor with an unnerving clatter.As the narrator reads of the knight's forcible entry into the dwelling, cracking and ripping sounds are heard somewhere in the house. When the dragon is described as shrieking as it dies, a shriek is heard, again within the house. As he relates the shield falling from off the wall, a reverberation, metallic and hollow, can be heard. Roderick becomes increasingly hysterical, and eventually exclaims that these sounds arebeing made by his sister, who was in fact alive when she was entombed and that Roderick knew that she was alive. The bedroom door is then blown open to reveal Madeline standing there. She falls violently in death upon her brother, who dies of his own terror. The narrator then flees the house, and, as he does so, notices a flash of light causing him to look back upon the House of Usher, in time to watch it break in two, the fragments sinking into the tarn.And the above-mentioned “The Haunted Palace” goes like this:I.In the greenest of our valleys,By good angels tenanted,Once a fair and stately palace -Radiant palace - reared its head.In the monarch Thought's dominion -It stood there !Never seraph spread a pinionOver fabric half so fair.II.Banners yellow, glorious, golden,On its roof did float and flow;(This - all this - was in the oldenTime long ago)And every gentle air that dallied,In that sweet day,Along the ramparts plumed and pallid,A winged odor went away.III.Wanderers in that happy valleyThrough two luminous windows sawSpirits moving musicallyTo a lute's well-tunéd law,Round about a throne, where sitting(Porphyrogene !)In state his glory well befitting,The ruler of the realm was seen.IV.And all with pearl and ruby glowingWas the fair palace door,Through which came flowing, flowing, flowing,And sparkling evermore,A troop of Echoes whose sweet dutyWas but to sing,In voices of surpassing beauty,The wit and wisdom of their king.V.But evil things, in robes of sorrow,Assailed the monarch's high estate ;(Ah, let us mourn, for never morrowShall dawn upon him, desolate !)And, round about his home, the gloryThat blushed and bloomedIs but a dim-remembered storyOf the old time entombed.VI.And travellers now within that valley,Through the red-litten windows, seeVast forms that move fantasticallyTo a discordant melody ;While, like a rapid ghastly river,Through the pale door,A hideous throng rush out forever,And laugh - but smile no more.The ballad serves as an allegory about a king “in the olden time long ago” who is afraid of evil force s that threaten him and his palace, foreshadowing impending doom. As part of The Fall of the House of Usher, Poe said, “I mean to imply a mind haunted by phantoms — a disordered brain” referring to Roderick Usher. The poem takes a marked change in tone towards the second to last stanza. After discussing the wit and wisdom of the king, and song and beauty in the kingdom:But evil things, in robes of sorrow,Assailed the monarch's high estate.The house and family are destroyed and, apparently, become phantoms. The beginning of the poem compares the structure with a human head. For example, the windows are eyes, its door representing a mouth. The exterior represents physical features while the interior represents the mind engaged in imaginative thought.The Fall of the House of Usher is considered the best example of Poe's "totality", where every element and detail is related and relevant. The theme of the crumbling, haunted castle is a key feature of a late 18th Century novel which largely contributed in defining the Gothic genre. The house and the setting is really a reflection of Roderick Usher as described in the story, it could symbolize the bleak cheeks, huge eyes...rank and slightly bushy mustache, and perhaps even white trunks of decayed teeth of Usher.The Fall of the House of Usher shows Poe's ability to create an emotional tone in his work, specifically feelings of fear, doom, and guilt. These emotions center on Roderick Usher who, like many Poe characters, suffersfrom an unnamed disease. The illness manifests physically but is based in Roderick's mental or even moral state. He is sick, it is suggested, because he expects to be sick based on his family's history of illness and is, therefore, essentially a hypochondriac. Similarly, he buries his sister alive because he expects to bury her alive, creating his own self-fulfilling prophecy. The House of Usher, itself doubly referring both to the actual structure and the family, plays a significant role in the story. It is the first character that the narrator introduces to the reader, presented with a humanized description: its windows are described as “eye-like” twice. The fissure that develops in its side is symbolic of the decay of the Usher family and the house "dies" along with the two Usher siblings. This connection was emphasized in "The Haunted Palace" which seems to be a direct reference to the house that foreshadows doom. Roderick Usher, his sister Madeline, and the house all shared one common soul". The explicit psychological dimension of this tale has prompted many critics to analyze it as a description of the human psyche, comparing, for instance, the House to the unconscious, and its central crack to the personality split which is called Dissociative identity disorder. Mental disorder is also evoked through the themes of melancholy, possible incest, and vampirism. An incestuous relationship between Roderick and Madeline is not explicitly stated, but seems implied by the strange attachment between the two._____________________________________________________________________ __________macabre: thrilling 惊悚的Thomas Jefferson: the third President of the United States (1801–1809), the principal author of the Declaration of Independence 托马斯杰佛逊United States Declaration of Independence: a statement adopted by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, which announced that the thirteen American colonies then at war with Great Britain were now independent states, and thus no longer a part of the British Empire美国独立宣言Washington Irving: an American author, essayist, biographer and historian of the early 19th century华盛顿欧文ballad: a form of verse, often a narrative and set to music歌谣allegory: a figurative mode of representation conveying a meaning other than the literal寓言Dissociative identity disorder: a psychiatric diagnosis that describes a condition in which a person displays multiple distinct identities or personalities (known as alter egos or alters), each with its own pattern of perceiving and interacting with the environment 人格分裂症Going-over复习反馈Multiple-choice Questions1. American literature began with the first ________ in Virginia and New England.A. English coloniesB. French coloniesC. aboriginal settlements2. American literature at first was naturally a _________ literature, by authors who were Englishmen and who thought and wrote as such.A. uniqueB. colonialC. original3. Thomas Jefferson’s attitude, that is, a firm belief in progress, and the pursuit of ________, is typical of the period we now call Age of Reason.A. happinessB. natural beautyC. truth4. Washington Irving, the Father of American literature, developed the ___________ as a genre in American literature.A. short storyB. novelC. black humor5. ____________ is usually acknowledged as the originator of detective stories. His detective August Dupin of Muders in the Rue Morgue is the forerunner of Sherlock Holmes and other later fictional detectives.A. Washington IrvingB. Thomas JeffersonC. Edgar Allan Poe6. In The Fall of the House of Usher, the opening description establishesa mood of gloominess that foreshadows ______________ to follow.A. the terrifying eventsB. the romantic affairsC. the detective stories7. In ________________, the sister who was buried alive by her brother breaks out of her coffin and dies in the embrace of her brother, who then also dies.A. The Fall of the House of UsherB. The Masque of the Red DeathC. The Pit and the Pendulum8. In which genre are the short stories of Edgar Allan Poe placed?A. dramaticB. historicalC. Gothic9. Poe emphasized the _______of impression of short stories, that is, every element and detail is related and relevant. This is well manifested in The Fall of the House of Usher.A. foreshadowingB. totalityC. onomatopoeiaessay Q’s10. How was American literature related to the literary tradition of Europe in its early stage?11. Edgar Allan Poe’s position is unique in the history of American literature. Comment on him and his works.12. What is the tone of The Fall of the House of Usher? How is it developed in the story?。
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Otherቤተ መጻሕፍቲ ባይዱworks of Gray
“Ode on the Spring” (1742)
“Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College” (1747)
The Sentimental Literature
• Samuel Richardson: Pamela • Laurence Sterne: A Sentimental
Journey through France and Italy
• Gray: “Elegy” • Thomas Young: “The Night” • Cowper: “The Task:
• He reveals his sympathy for the poor and the unknown but mocks the great ones who despise the poor
Lecture Nine Thomas Gray
Teacher: Wang Xingwei
The Pre-Romanticism
Thomas Gray (1716-1771)
Life
• Unhappy childhood • Left Cambridge without a
degree • The friendship with Horace
An illustration to Gray's poem Ode on
the Spring
“Ode on the Death of a Favourite Cat” (1748)
the Graveyard School poetry
“Elegy Written in a Country
Churchyard”
Walpole • Professor of History and
Modern Language at Cambridge
Life
• lived at the time when Enlightenment Movement was coming to its end
• the sentimental literature was flourishing
“Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard”
• A result of eight years’ careful composition and polishing
• The reflection on death, the sorrows of life, and the mysteries of human life with a touch of his personal melancholy
Gray as a leader of the Sentimental literature
• his life experience happened to make him the forerunner of this new literary trend
• his masterpiece “Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard” once and for all established his fame as the leader the sentimental poetry