英国文学_名词解释_【整理后】
(完整版)英国文学名词解释
①Beowulf: The national heroic epic of the English people. It has over 3,000 lines. It describes the battles between the two monsters and Beowulf, who won the battle finally and dead for the fatal wound. The poem ends with the funeral of the hero. The most striking feature in its poetical form is the use if alliteration. Other features of it are the use of metaphors(暗喻) and of understatements(含蓄).②Alliteration: In alliterative verse, certain accented(重音) words in a line begin with the same consonant sound(辅音). There are generally 4accents in a line, 3 of which show alliteration, as can be seen from the above quotation.③Romance:The most prevailing(流行的) kind of literature in feudal England was the Romance. It was a long composition, sometimes in verse(诗篇), sometimes in prose(散文), describing the life and adventures of a noble hero, usually a knight, as riding forth to seek adventures, taking part in tournament(竞赛), or fighting for his lord in battle and the swearing of oaths.④Epic:An epic is a lengthy narrative poem, ordinarily concerning a serious subject containing details of heroic deeds and events significantly to a culture or nation. The first epics are known as primacy, or original epics.⑤Ballad: The most important department of English folk literature is the ballad which is a story told in song, usually in 4-line stanzas(诗节), with the second and fourth lines rhymed. The subjects of ballads are various in kind, as the struggle of young lovers against their feudal-minded families, the conflict between love and wealth, the cruelty of jealousy, the criticism of the civil war, and the matters and class struggle. The paramount(卓越的) important ballad is Robin Hood(《绿林好汉》).⑥Geoffrey Chaucer杰弗里▪乔叟: He was an English author, poet, philosopher and diplomat. He is the founder of English poetry. He obtained a good knowledge of Latin, French and Italian. His best remembered narrative is the Canterbury Tales(《坎特伯雷故事集》), which the Prologue(序言) supplies a miniature(缩影) of the English society of Chaucer’s time. That is why Chaucer has been called “the founder of English realism”. Chaucer affirms men and women’s right to pursue their happiness on earth and opposes(反对) the dogma of asceticism(禁欲主义) preached(鼓吹) by the church. As a forerunner of humanism, he praises man’s energy, intellect, quick wit and love of life. Chaucer’s contribution to English poetry lies chiefly in the fact that he introduced from France the rhymed stanza of various types, especially the rhymed couplet of 5 accents in iambic(抑扬格) meter(the “heroic couplet”) to English poetry, instead of the old Anglo-Saxon alliterative verse.⑦【William Langland威廉▪朗兰: Piers the Plowman《农夫皮尔斯》】The English Bible:The first complete English Bible was translated by John Wycliffe(约翰▪威克里夫). The Authorized Version is King James Bible made in 1611. The result is a monument of English language and English literature.Renaissance:Renaissance or the birth of letters is an intellectual movement. Its two features are a thirsting curiosity for the classical literature and the keen interest in the activities of humanity. Humanism is the key-note of the Renaissance.William Caxton威廉▪卡克斯顿: He is the first English printer and invented in England the profession of publisher.Thomas More托马斯▪莫尔:The greatest of the English humanists was Thomas More, the author of Utopia《乌托邦》. He is also one of such “giants”(巨匠) of the Renaissance. He distinguished himself as a learned scholar, a master of Latin, a witty talker, a lover of music, an honest statesman , and a man of noble character, modest but steadfast(坚定的), to his convictions. He was a far-sighted thinker, aspired for a totally new society with happy, classless, and free from poverty and exploitation. He was one of the forerunners of modern socialist thought.Utopia:It is More’s masterpiece, written in the form of a conservation between More and Hythloday, a returned voyager. It is divided into two books. The first book contains a long discussion on the social conditions of England. In the second book is described in detail an ideal communist society, Utopia. The name “Utopia” comes from Greek words meaning “no place” and was adopted by More as the name of his ideal commonwealth.Philip Sidney菲利普▪锡德尼: He is well-known as a poet and critic of poetry. His collection of love sonnets, Astrophel and Stella《爱星者与星》, was published in 1591.Edmund Spenser埃德蒙▪斯宾塞(莎翁之前最杰出的英国诗人):The poet’s poet of the period was ES who was buried beside Chaucer in Westminster Abbey. ES has held his position as a model of poetical art among the Renaissance English poets, and his influence can be traced in the works of Milton, Shelley, and Keats. ES is the first master to make that language the natural music of his poetic effusions(感情的流露). His sonnets in Amoretti, together with Sidney’s Astrophel and Stella and Shakespeare’s sonnets ,are the most famous sonnet sequences of the Elizabeth Age.【In 1579 he wrote The Shepherd’s Calendar《牧人日记》which marked the budding(萌芽) of the Renaissance flower in the northern island of England. The faerie Queen 《仙后》is his greatest work which was dedicated to Queen Elizabeth.】Francis Bacon: He is the founder of English materialist philosophy and the founder of modern science in England. His New Instrument is called the Inductive Method of reasoning. He is also the first English essayist. To give a few, “Men fear death as children fear to go in the dark..”“Studies serve for delight.”“Reading makes a full man; conference a ready man; and writing anexact man.”Drama: The Miracle Play圣迹剧The Morality Play道德剧寓意剧The Interlude幕间节目Christopher Marlowe克里斯托弗·马洛: The most gifted of the “university wits”was Christopher Marlowe. His best work include 3 of his plays, Tamburlaine《帖木儿大帝》(1587), The Jew of Malta《马耳岛的犹太人》(1592), and Doctor Faustus《浮士德博士》(1588). He was the greatest of the pioneers of English drama. His work paved the way for the plays of the greatest English dramatist——Shakespeare——whose achievements were the monument of the English Renaissance. 【His plays show the spirit of the rising bourgeoisie, its eager curiosity for knowledge, its towering pride, its insatiable(不知足的) appetite for power won by military, might, knowledge, or gold. The theme of his plays is the praise of individuality freed from the restraints of medieval dogmas and law, and the conviction of the boundless possibility of human efforts in conquering the universe. The heroes in his plays are merely individualists, their individualistic ambition often brings ruin to the world and sometimes to themselves.】William Shakespeare: Shakespeare is one of the founders of realism in world literature. His dramatic creation often used the method of adaptation. Shakespeare long experience with the stage and his intimate knowledge of dramatic art thus acquired make him a master hand for playwriting. Shakespeare was skilled in many poetic forms: the song, the sonnet, the couplet, and the dramatic blank verse. He was especially at home with the blank verse. Shakespeare was a great master of the English language. Shakespeare has been universally acknowledged to be the summit of the English Renaissance, and one of the greatest writers over the world.①The great comedies:A Midsummer Might’s Dream, The Merchant of Venice, As You Like It,Twelfth Night.②The great tragedies:Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth.The Merchant of V enice:威尼斯富商安东尼奥Antonio为了成全好友巴萨尼奥Bassanio的婚事,向犹太人高利贷者夏洛克Shylock借债。
英国文学 名词解释
1.Romance: a long composition, in verse or in prose, describing the life and adventures of a noble hero, especially for the knight. The most popular theme employed was the legend of K i n g A r t h u r a n d t h e r o u n d t a b l e k n i g h t. 2.Ballad民谣: a story told in song, usually in four-line stanzas, with the second and fourthlines rhymed.3.Heroic Couplet英雄偶句诗: a couplet consisting of two rhymed lines of iambicpentameter, and written in an elevated style. 4.Renaissance: a revival or rebirth of the artistic and scientific revival which originated in Italy in the 14th century and gradually spread all over Europe. It has two features: a thirsting curiosity for the classical literature and keen interest in activities of humanity. 5.Sonnet 14行诗: 14-line lyric poem, usually written in rhymed iambic pentameter.6.Blank verse无韵诗: poetry written in unrhymed iambic pentameter. 7.Enlightenment启蒙运动: a revival of interest in the old classical works, logic, order,restrained emotion and accuracy.8.Neoclassicism新古典主义: the Enlightenment brought about a revival of interest in Greek and Roman works. This tendency is known as Neoclassicism. 9.Sentimentalism感情主义: it was one of the important trends in English literature of the later decades of the 18 century. It concentrated on the free expression of thoughts and emotions, and presented a new view of human nature which prized feeling over thinking,passion over reason.10.Romanticism: imagination, emotion and freedom are certainly the focal points of romanticism. The particular characteristics of the literature of romanticism include: subjectivity and an emphasis on individualism; freedom from rules; solitary life rather then life in society; the beliefs that imagination is superior to reason; and love of and worship ofnature.11.Lake Poets: the English poets who lived in and drew inspiration from the Lake Districtat the beginning of the 19th century.12.Byronic Heroes拜伦式英雄: a variant of the Romantic heroes as a type of character( enthusiasm, persistence, pursuing freedom), named after the English RomanticPoet Gordon Byron.13.Aestheticism唯美主义: an art movement supporting the emphasis of aesthetic values more than socio-political themes for literature, fine art, music and other arts. 14.Stream-of-Consciousness: it is a literary technique that presents the thoughts and feelings of a character as they occur without any clarification by the author. It is a narrativemode.15.Dramatic Monologue戏剧独白16.Iambic Pentameter抑扬格五音步: a poetic line consisting of five verse feet, with each foot an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable, that is, with each foot an iamb. 17.Epic史诗: a long narrative poem telling about the deeds of a great hero and reflecting the values of the society from which it originated.18.Elegy挽歌: a poem of mourning, usually over the death of an individual; may also be a lament over the passing of life and beauty or a meditation of the nature of death; a type oflyric poem.19.Spenserian Stanza斯宾塞诗体: a nine-line stanza made up of 8 lines of iambic pentameter ending with an Alexandrine. Its thyme scheme is ababbcbcc. This stanza wascommon to travel literature.1.(杰弗里乔叟):the Father of English Poetry; The Canterbury Tales《埃特伯雷故事集》(24stories)More: Utopia《乌托邦》- the communication between more and the traveler which justcame back from Utopia.3.: the first English Essayist; Essays《随笔集》- Of Studies, Of Truth (philosophical andliterary works)4. Poet's poet; The Fairy Queen《仙后》(to Queen Elizabeth I)四大悲剧:(1)《奥瑟罗》叙述摩尔人贵族瑟罗由于听信手下旗官伊阿古的谗言,被嫉妒所压倒,掐死了无辜妻子苔丝狄蒙娜,随后自己也悔恨自杀。
英国文学 名词解释
英国文学名词解释
英国文学是指英格兰、苏格兰、威尔士和北爱尔兰地区的文学作品。
它的历史可以追溯到中世纪,经历了文艺复兴时期、启蒙时代、浪漫主义时期、维多利亚时代等不同的文学风格和时期。
英国文学的特点之一是其丰富多样的文学形式。
从中世纪的骑士传奇和中世纪诗歌到现代小说和诗歌,英国文学涵盖了各种各样的文学体裁。
其中一些最重要的文学体裁包括史诗、戏剧、诗歌、小说和散文。
这些不同的文学形式为英国文学带来了不同的风格和主题。
英国文学的另一个重要特点是其丰富多样的主题和风格。
从中世纪的宗教作品和史诗到现代小说和诗歌,英国文学涵盖了各种各样的主题。
它反映了社会、政治、宗教和文化变革的演变。
一些最常见的主题包括爱情、战争、自然、宗教、社会道德和个人发展。
不同的作家和时代也采用了不同的文学风格和技巧来表达这些主题。
英国文学的另一个重要方面是它的历史和文化意义。
通过阅读英国文学作品,我们可以了解英国历史的演变,了解英国社会和文化的发展。
英国文学作品中经常出现的历史事件、人物和地点也成为了文学研究和文化遗产的重要组成部分。
在英国文学中,有很多重要的作家和作品。
莎士比亚、狄更斯、奥斯卡·王尔德、简·奥斯汀和弗吉尼亚·伍尔夫都是英国文学史上的重要人物。
他们的作品不仅在英国有着广泛的影响力,也
对世界文学产生了重要的影响。
总之,英国文学是一个丰富多样的文学传统,它的作品涵盖了各种各样的文学形式、主题和风格。
通过阅读和研究英国文学作品,我们可以深入了解英国的历史、文化和文学发展。
英国文学的一些名词解释
英国文学的一些名词解释英国文学是世界文学宝库中的明珠,众多文学名著诞生于这片土地上。
提到英国文学,我们不仅仅要了解其中众多名著的作者和故事情节,我们还需要掌握一些专业术语和概念。
在本文中,我将为大家解释一些与英国文学相关的名词,帮助读者更好地理解英国文学的精髓。
一、浪漫主义浪漫主义是18世纪末到19世纪初兴起的一种文学运动,它强调个人感受、想象力和超凡脱俗的体验。
浪漫主义充满了激情和对自然、人类内心世界的热爱。
在英国文学史上,浪漫主义给予了众多优秀的作品,如《弗兰肯斯坦》、《唐吉诃德》等。
二、维多利亚时代维多利亚时代是指1837年至1901年英国女王维多利亚统治下的时期。
这个时代是英国工业革命达到巅峰的时期,但也是社会动荡和不平等的时期。
维多利亚时代的文学作品通常描写社会阶级落差、人性的复杂以及对女性地位的思考。
其中最著名的代表作品包括《雾都孤儿》、《呼啸山庄》等。
三、现代主义现代主义是20世纪初兴起的一种文学运动,它试图打破传统的叙事形式,挑战读者的理解和想象力。
现代主义作品通常以碎片化的结构、内心独白和流露出的不确定性为特点。
英国文学史上的现代主义代表作品有《尤利西斯》、《荒原》等。
四、战后文学战后文学是指第二次世界大战结束后,英国文学的新兴潮流。
在这一时期,英国文学持续呈现多样性和实验性。
战后文学关注社会变革、性别政治以及民族认同,并通过多种不同的写作风格和技巧来探索个体心理和文化理解。
该时期的代表作品包括《动物农场》、《1984》等。
五、北方现实主义北方现实主义是19世纪中叶至20世纪初期在英国出现的文学派别,它对于社会的现象和底层人民的生存状况进行了深刻而真实的描写。
北方现实主义作品通常关注社会困境和阶级冲突,以真实主义的手法展现人物的命运和社会环境的影响。
代表作品有《红与黑》、《战争与和平》等。
六、文学奖项文学奖项是评选和表彰优秀文学作品和作者的机构或组织举办的活动,也是文学界的重要盛事。
(完整word版)英国文学_名词解释_【整理后】
1.epic 史诗:a long narrative poem,grand in style,about heroes and heroic deeds, embodyingheroic ideals of a nation or race in the making. Beowulf is the English national epic that was passed from mouth to mouth and written down by many unknown hands.2.Conceit:a kind of metaphor that makes a comparison between two startlinglydifferent things. A conceit usually provides the framework for an entire poem。
An especially unusual and intellectual kind of conceit is the metaphysical conceit,used by certain 17th-century poets, such as John Donne.。
3.Epiphany(顿悟):a sudden revelation of truth about life inspired by a seeminglytrivial incident4.Metaphysical poetry:玄学诗派the poetry of John Donne and other 17th-centurypoets who wrote in a similar style。
It is characterized by verbal wit and excess, ingenious structure, irregular meter,colloquial language, elaborate imagery,anda drawing together of dissimilar ideas 。
英国文学名词解释综合版
英国文学名词解释综合版(总15页) --本页仅作为文档封面,使用时请直接删除即可----内页可以根据需求调整合适字体及大小--名词解释:1, Humanism: a variety of ethical theory and practice that emphas izes reason, scientific inquiry, and human fulfillment in the natural world and often rejects the importance of belief in God. It fo-cuses on human values and concerns, attaching prime importance to hum an rather than divine or supernatural matters. 人道主义2, Renaissance: the period of European history at the close of t he Middle Ages and the rise of the modern world; a cultural rebirth from the 14th through the middle of the 17th centuries. The renais sance was a cultural movement that profoundly affected European intell ectual life in the early modern period. Beginning in Italy, and spre ading to the rest of Europe by the 16th century, its influence was felt in literature, philosophy, art, music, politics, science, religi on, and other aspects of intellectual inquiry. Renaissance scholars em ployed the humanist method in study, and searched for realism and hu man emotion in art. 文艺复兴3, Spenserian stanza: a fixed verse form invented by Edmund Spens er for his epic poem The Fae-rie Queene. Each stanza contains nine lines in total: eight lines in iambic pentameter followed by a single 'Alexandrine' line in iambic hexameter The rhyme scheme of these lines is "ababbcbcc." 斯宾塞第二节诗4, Metaphysical poets: The metaphysical poets is a term coined by the poet and critic Samuel Johnson to describe a loose group of B ritish lyric poets of the 17th century, whose work was characterized by the inventive use of conceits, and by speculation about topics such as love or religion. 玄学诗5, Lake Poets: The Lake Poets are a group of English poets who all lived in the Lake District of Eng-land at the turn of the nineteenth century. The three main figures of what has become known as the Lakes School are William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and Robert Southey 湖畔诗6, Beowulf: It is the oldest poem in the English language and t he most important specimen of Anglo-Saxon literature. The main stories are based on the folk legends of the primitive northern tribes. It is a pagan poem, which presents us an all-round picture of the tribal society. 贝奥武甫7, Byronic hero: The Byronic hero is a variant of the Romantic hero as a type of character, named after the English Romantic poet Lord Byron. a man proud, moody, cynical, with defiance on his brow, and misery in his heart, a scorner of his kind, implacable in rev enge, yet capable of deep and strong affection 拜伦式英雄8, Romanticism: Romanticism is a literary and artistic movement, w hich prevailed in England from 1798 to 1832. It is concerned with the expression of the individual's feeling and emotions and stressed s trong emotion as a resource of aesthetic experience.浪漫主义9, Ode: a lyrical verse written in praise of, or dedicated to s omeone or something which captures the poet's interest or serves as an inspiration for the ode. 颂诗,赋(有特殊主题,多为歌颂特定人物或事的抒情诗)O~ to the West Wind.西风颂(雪莱 (Shelley) 的诗)O~ on a Grecian Urn.希腊古瓮之歌(济慈 (Keats) 的诗)10, University Wits: The University Wits were a group of late 16 th century English playwrights who were educated at the universities and who became playwrights and popular secular writers. Prominent memb ers of this group were Christopher Marlowe, Robert Greene, and Thomas Nashe from Cambridge, and John Lyly, Thomas Lodge, George Peele fro m Oxford. 大学才子11, Sentimentalism: Sentimentalism stresses on material senses as being spiritual and/or consid-ers soul to be material, thus anything done on sentimental level is more or less materialistic rather than spiritual/transcendental. 情感主义12, Alliteration: Alliteration refers to the repetition of a parti cular sound in the first syllables of a series of words or phrases. Alliteration has developed largely through poetry, in which it more narrowly refers to the repetition of a consonant in any syllables that, according to the poem's me-ter, are stressed. Alliteration is commonly used in many languages, e specially in poetry. 头韵13,Glorious Revolution: the name of the overthrow of King James I I of England (James VII of Scot-land and James II of Ireland) by a union of English Parliamentarians with the Dutch stadtholder William III of Orange-Nassau (William of Orange). William's successful invasion of England w ith a Dutch fleet and army led to his ascending the English throne as William III of England jointly with his wife Mary II of Englan d. In 1688, William of orange landed at torbay and marched upon Lon don. This takeover was smooth, with neither bloodshed, nor any execut ion of the King, which became known as the glorious revolution. 光荣革命14, Norman Conquest: the invasion and conquest of England by an army of Normans and French led by Duke William II of Normandy. William, who defeated King Harold II of England on 14 Octo-ber 1066 at the Battle of Hastings, was crowned as king on Christma s Day 1066. He then consoli-dated his control over England and settled many of his followers in England, introducing a number of governmental and societal changes t o medieval England. 诺曼征服15, Ballad: A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular po etry and song of the British Isles from the later medieval period u ntil the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later t he Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many ballads were written an d sold as single sheet broadsides. The form was often used by poets and composers from the 18th century onwards to produce lyrical ball ads. In the later 19th century it took on the meaning of a slow f orm of popular love song and the term is now often used as synony mous with any love song, particularly the pop or rock power ballad.歌谣16 .Free verse : Free verse has no overall rhyme scheme, nor basic meter informing the whole poem. Ezra pound advised poets to compose in the sequence of the musical phrase, not in the sequence of the metronome. Charles Olson advised poets t compose by listening to their own breath. Walt Whitman created an impressive rhythm by accumulation: keeping writing long lines of approximately the same length and causing the pause to recur at about the same interval after each line. 自由体诗17. Open form, Free verse, Prose Poem问答题:1. Humanism was a study first done in the renaissance. instead of l earning only about god and religion, people, for the first time, sta rted to just think about ourselves as people characteristics of human ism include anatomy, classicism, nature, realism, reason and learning, religion, individualism, youth, and perspective.2, Sonnet 18 theme of man and the natural world. On one level, Son net 18 is clearly concerned with the relationship between man and th e eventual, inescapable death he’ll encounter in nature. On another level, the poet also seems fascinated by the relationship between sea sonal weather and personal, internal "weather" and balance. Sonnet 18 Theme of Literature and Writing Like much of Shakespeare’s work, S onnet 18 is all about writing and expressing one’s self through lan guage. This is, at its clearest, a poem about the power of the wri tten word over death, fate, and possibly even love. Sonnet 18 Theme of Time The speaker of Sonnet 18 is absolutely fixated on fate and mortality, but believes he’s come up with an effective time machi ne: poetry. Sonnet 18 is addressed to a friend, not to a woman!!! Shakespeare compares his friendship to a summer's day. Friendship is unlike summer not changing and it is everlasting. Friendship is likea mild and eternal summer.3 movement of RomanticismThe historical issues and developments of the time played a major role in provoking and shap-ing the new literary movement of Romanticism. The Industrial Revolutio n, its urbanization of Eng-lish life, and its abuses against the working class called for a ch ange in literary concerns and style. The basis aims of romanticism w ere various: a return to nature and to belief in the goodness of m an; the rediscovery of the artist as a supremely individual creator; the exaltation of senses and emotions over reason and intellect. 4,Charlotte BronteIn this novel, Charlotte Bronte pours a great deal of her own exper iences, such as the life at Lo-wood School and life as a governess. One of the central themes of the book is the criticism of the bourgeois system of education. An other problem raised by Charlotte in the novel is the posi-tion of woman in society. Jane Eyre is an orphan child with a fier y spirit and a longing to love and be loved. She is poor and plai n but she dares to love her master, a man superior to her in many ways. As a little governess, she is brave enough to declare to th e man her love for him. She cuts a com-pletely new women image. She represents those middle-class working women who are strug-gling for recognition of their basic rights and equality as a human being.5,metaphysical poetry——complex, highly intellectual verse filled with intricate and far-fetched metaphors. John Donne is considered the greatest of the metap hysical poets.6 Swift's proseAnother important feature of Swift's prose is that he uses the commo n touch. In other words, everybody can understand his language that is why even children can read his books with so much enjoyment. Als o, Swift addresses people as rational and political beings, making th em his equals. Swift wrote in a very plain and downright style. He didn't use any embellishment. At times, when Swift was writing seri ous stuff this same plain style appears dry but when writing humorou sly, this same plainness gives his wit a singular edge. Swift didn't use ornate or rhetorical language.7 the general relation of Normans and SaxonsAfter the Norman Conquest, the general relation of Normans and Saxo ns was that of master and servant. One of the most striking manifes tations of the supremacy of the conquerors was to be seen in the l anguage. The Norman lords spoke French, while their English subjects retained their old tongue. For a long time the scholar wrote in Lat in and the courtier in French. There was al-most no written literature in English for a time. Chronicles and rel igious poems were in Latin. Romances, the prominent kind of literatur e in the Anglo-Norman period, were at first all in French. By the end of the four teenth century, when Normans and English intermingled, English was onc e more the dominant speech in the country. But now it became someth ing different from the old Anglo-Saxon. The structure of the language remained English, and the common words were almost all retained, though often somewhat modified in f orm. But many terms employed by the Nor-mans were adopted into the English language.8 The character Shylock, in Shakespeare's The Merchant of VeniceThe character Shylock, in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, is po rtrayed as a beastly monstrosity, with a lust for Antonio's life. Shylock is clearly a villain in the sense that he takes repeatedly takes advantage of people in vulnerable economic situations and makes a handsome living in this way. He is not an inherently likable ch aracter throughout “The Merchant of Venice”by Shakespeare; he avo ids friendships, he is cranky, and he is steadfast in his beliefs t o the point of being ri-gid. Shylock is also a man who is unreasonable and self-thinking, demanding Shylock is a man who is hardly likable in all a spects throughout “The Merchant of Venice”.9 Robinson Crusoe is one of the protagonists drawn most successfully in English novels. Through his characterization of Crusoe, Defoe des cribes him as a hero struggling against nature and hu-man fate with an indomitable will, and highly praises his creative l abor, physical and mental, an allusion to the glorification of the b ourgeois creativity when it was a rising and more energetic class in the initial stage of its historical development.10 In Shakespeare's Hamlet, a ghost tells Hamlet that his uncle, Cla udius, is responsible for the death of his father. Hamlet is driven to reveal the truth of his father's death and seeks to avenge his murder to achieve justice. In his quest to right the wrongdoing, H amlet delays acting toward justice for many reasons. The main factor for Hamlet's hesitation is attributed to his self-discipline. He lacks of ability to act on his emotions. Hamlet is an intelligent, moral, and reserved character. He restrains himself to act rationally and not on emotion. This hesitation is a tragic flaw for Ham-let, but in order to resolve the truth, it is necessary. Hamlet has doubts about the validity of the ghost; he is too rational a char acter to seek revenge on Claudius based on a conversation with a su pernatural spirit. He is unsure whether it was his father's ghost, or some evil deity trying to trick him.英国文学问答题:Questions:1. Why sleep is so frightening, according to Hamlet, since it can “end” the heartache and the thousand natural shocks”2. Why would people rather hear all the sufferings of the world instead choosing death to get rid of them, according to Hamlet3. What, after all, makes people lose their determination to take action Please explain in relation to the so-called hesitation of Hamlet.4. What does Romeo compare Juliet to in the beginning passage of the selection5. What is Romeo and Juliet’s attitude toward being a Montague or a Capuletdoes Romeo mean when he says “Look thou but sweet, /And I am proof against their e nmity”7.What’s your understanding on the utterance “to be or not be”8. Briefly comment on the characteristics of Hamlet’s personality. were Shakespeare’s major tragedies written What did he write about in his tragediesAnswers for reference:1. Nobody can predict what he will dream of after he falls asleep.is so mysterious that nobody knows what death will bring to us. Maybe bitter sufferings, great pains, heartbreaking stories…3.1) Conscience and over-considerations. 2) He wants to revenge, butdoesn’t know how; 2) He wants to kill his uncle, but find it too risky; 3) He lives in despair and wants to commit suicide,4)however, he kno ws if he dies, nobody will comfort his father’sghost. He is in face of great dilemma.4. Sun.5. They would give up their names for love’s sake.6. Only if you are kind to me, their hatred cannot hurt me.7. “To be or not to be” means to live or end one’s life by self-destruction. Hamlet has already spoken of suicide as a means of escape, and he dwells on it in a later part of this very speech, giving however a different reason for refraining. The notion that in the words “or not to be ” he is speculating on the possibility of “something after death”---whether there is a future life –cannot be entertained for a moment. The whole drift of the speech shows his belief in a future life. Practically the whole speech has become proverbial as an outpouring of utter worldly weariness.8. Hamlet is the typical of humanists under the pen of Shakespeare, who is characteristic of the perfection and perseverance in personality embodied in the Renaissance superman. As Ophelia tells us that he had been the ideal Renaissance prince___ a soldier, scholar, courtier, “the glass of fashion and the mold of form.” But since his father died and his mother hastily remarried, there is transition in his character. He was in the state of depression, melancholy and delay of revenging. Why Because he realizes, as a humanist, what his real duty lies in. So he pretended to be mad, melancholy, depressed and slow in action. By large, he is very sensitive, resourceful and has his own ideas, and the essence of his revenging his father is not for himself or for the bloody family feuds and hatred but lies in punishing the social corruptions, the wrongs, praising the good, and setting it right. As humanist himself he is all alone, detaching himself from the mass, which is the major reason why he failed himself.9. Shakespeare’s main tragedies were written during the period of gloom and depression, which dated from 1600 to 1607.Shakespeare’s great tragedies are associated with a period of gloom and sorrow in his life. During this period, England witnessed a general unrest, and social contradictions became very sharp. What caused the writer’s personal sadness is unknown to us. It is generally attributed to the political misfortune of his friend and patron, Earl of Essex, who was killed by the queen.10.What was the keynote of the Renaissance Can you define itAnswer: Humanism was the keynote of the Renaissance, reflecting the new outlook of the rising bourgeois class. The humanists advocated the emancipation of man, tried to have the new evaluation of man and his powers, fought for equality and justice and opposed feudal tyranny and religious obstinacy.11.What are Shakespeare’s four great comedies and four great tragedies Answer: The four great comedies: A Midsummer Night’s Dream As You Like itThe Merchant of Venice Twelfth NightThe four great tragedies: Hamlet Othello King Lear Macbeth12.What is the theme of Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18Answer: Only literature (“eternal lines”, “this”) can contend with time,and literature is created by man, so in the final analysis, this poem glorifies man’s greatness and immortality, which is a feature of the Renaissance Period.:13.According to Bacon, what studies chiefly serve for14.According to Bacon, what are the disadvantages of studies15.According to Bacon, what is the relationship between studies and life experiences16.According to Bacon, different people have different attitudes toward studies, please name some.17.According to Bacon, what way should we have toward studies18.According to Bacon, how studies exert influence over human character19.Please list at least 4 major works written by Francis Bacon.Answers:13.Studies serve 1)for delight, 2)for ornament, and3) for ability. Their chiefuse for delight, is in privateness and retiring; for ornament, is in discourse; and for ability, is in the judgement and disposition of business.(3points)14.1)To spend too much time in studies is sloth; 2)to use them too much forornament, is affectation; 3) to make judgement wholly by their rules, is the humour of a scholar. (3points)15.1)Studies perfect nature, and are perfectec by experience: 2)for natural abilities are like natural plants, that need pruning by study; 3)and studies themselves do give forth directions too much at large, except they be boundedin by experience. (3points)16.1)Crafty men contemn studies, 2)simple men admire them, and 3)wise men use them; 4)for they teach not their own use; 5)but that is a wisdom without them, and above them, won by observation.(3points)17.1)Read not to contradict and confute;2) nor to believe and take for granted; 3)nor to find talk and discourse;4) but to weigh and consider. (3points)18.1)Histories make men wise; 2)poets witty; 3)the mathematics subtile;4)natural philosophy deep; 5)moral grave; 6)logic and rhetoric able to contend. Abeunt studia in morse. (3points)19.1)Advancement of Learning, 1605; 2)New Instrument,1620; 3)New Atlantis, 1626; 4)Essays, 1625.(3points)Austen:Questions:20. Why do you think of How can you characterize her21. What do you known about Jane Austen’s writing styleAnswers for reference:20. 1) She is mean, her only care is to marry her daughter to rich young men ; 2) She is simple and foolish, even cannot understand her husband’s ironical words. 3) She loves her daughter , though she doesn’t understand them ,but what she do is only for their happiness rather than herself.21. 1) keen observation of society around her , good ear for conversation, use of mild, irony and penetrating Style, clarity, economy, skillful dialogue, tight plotting, simple and clear. 3)Readers can find sth of themselves, comfort, tranquility, escape in her novels.22.Tell the story of Pride and Prejudice.Answer: Bingley, a rich bachelor, takes Netherfield Park, and brings there his friend Darcy. Bingley falls in love with Jane, and Darcy is attracted to her next sister Elizabeth, but offends her by his proud behavior. He proposes to her but is rejected. Her prejudice against him increases as more misunderstanding arises. After many twists and turns, however, things are cleared up, and the two couples are happily united.23.In Jane Austen’s surroundings, what were the only importantissues in lifeAnswer: In Jane Austen’s surroundings, marriage, inheritance of property and maintenance of social prestige were the only important issues in life.24. On what issues were Jane Austen’s novels centeredAnswer: Her novels were centered on such issues as marriage, inheritance of property and maintenance of social prestige.25. From what book is the following paragraph taken Who wrote it“Elizabeth, feeling all the more than common awkwardness and anxiety of his situation, now forced herself to speak; and immediately, though not very fluently, gave him to understand that her sentiments had undergone so material a change, since the periodto which he alluded, as to make her receive with gratitude and pleasure his present assurances. The happiness which this reply produced, was such as he had probably never felt before; and he expressed himself on the occasion as sensibly and as warmly as a man violently in love can be supposed to do. Had Elizabeth been able to encounter his eye, she might have seen how well the expression of heartfelt delight, diffused over his face, became him; but, though she could not look, she could listen, and he told her of feelings, which, in proving of what importance she was to him, made his affection every moment more valuable.”Answer: It is taken from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.26. Who said the following From what book is it taken“I cannot give you credit for any philosophy of the kind. Your retrospections must be so totally void of reproach, that the contentment arising from them is not of philosophy, but, what is much better, of innocence. But with me, it is not so. Painfulrecollections will intrude which cannot, which ought not, to be repelled. I have been a selfish being all my life, in practice, though not in principle. As a child I was taught what was right, but I was not taught to correct my temper. I was given good principles,but left to follow them in pride and conceit. Unfortunately an only son (for many years an only child), I was spoilt by my parents, who, though good themselves (my father, particularly, all that was benevolent and amiable), allowed, encouraged, almost taught me to be selfish and overbearing; to care for none beyond my own family circle; to think meanly of all the rest of the world; to wish at least tothink meanly of their sense and worth compared with my own. Such I was, from eight to eight and twenty; and such I might still have been but for you, dearest, loveliest Elizabeth! What do I not owe you! You taught me a lesson, hard indeed at first, but most advantageous. By you, I was properly humbled. I came to you without a doubt of my reception. You showed me how insufficient were all my pretensions to please a woman worthy of being pleased.”Answer: It was said by Darcy. It is taken from Pride and Prejudice.27. D o you agree with the statement “it is a tr uth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune mustbe in want of a wife” WhyAnswer: To make the statement really true, it would be better to omit “in possession of a good fortune”. The original statement actually is only t he wishful thinking of Mrs. Bennet and is rather ironically amusing. Marriage and money have no relationship at all. We cannot define a man by his possession of fortune; marriage is something really holy and people marry because they fall in love with each other, not with moneyBronte:Questions:28.What’s the theme in Jane Eyre29.Please show your understanding on the love between Jane Eyreand Mr Rochester .Answers for reference:28.1) Jane Eyre is not only a love story; 2) it is also a plea forthe recognition of the individual’s worth and 3) sex equalitythat Women attempt to assert their own identity within the male-dominated society.29.Though poor and plain, Jane Eyre, who had a strong will of life,tried hard to get her rights of equality. She left the man verymuch who was about 20 years older than she and richer. She justwanted him to treat her equally. She was great because her lovemade disillusioned Rochester happy again. Mr. Rochester was a manfull of life’s misery, yet he loved Jane truly a nd respected her very much. That’s why he got her love.30. Why does Jane Eyre decide to stay with Mr. RochesterAnswer: She has always loved him. She doesn’t really want to marry St John. She once left Mr. Rochester because he was already married to Bertha, not because she stopped loving him. The call she hears at the window of “Jane! Jane!” makes her think Rochester is in trouble, so she goes back to find him.31.Tell the story of Jane Eyre.Answer: Jane becomes a governess for Rochester, who falls in love with her, and she with him. They are about to be married when Jane, learning that Rochester has a wife, a lunatic, flees from the house. She is taken in and cared for by Rev. Rivers. Meanwhile, a great misfortune befalls Rochester: he loses his sight during a fire in the house, set by his mad wife. Hearing that Rochester is penniless and disabled, Jane Eyre hurries to him and becomes his wife.32.Why is Jane Eyre so popularAnswer: The heroine is plain and poor; the heroine is the first female character to claim the right to feel strongly about her emotions and act on her convictions; such a psychologically complex heroine had never been created before.33. Who said the following From what book is it taken“Cruel, cruel deserter! Oh, Jane, what did I feel when I discovered you had fled from Thornfield, and when I could nowherefind you; and, after examining your apartment, ascertained that you had taken no money, nor anything which could serve as an equivalent!A pearl necklace I had given you lay untouched in its little casket; your trunks were left corded and locked as they had been prepared for the bridal tour. What could my darling do, I asked, left destitute and penniless And what did she do Let me hear now.”Answer: It was said by Mr. Rochester. It is taken from Jane Eyre.Dickens:Questions:34. How do you understand Pip’s so called “Great Expectation”35. Please explain the reason that Great Expectation is a so-called bildungsroman or growth novel.Answers for reference:(简略版)34.1) W hen he was young,he wanted to become a blacksmith like Joe, hisbrother in law. 2) When he met Havisham and fell in love with Estella, his expectations changed: to raise his social status and become a gentleman, get a better education and then marry Estella. 3) When Pip discovered that his benefactor was in fact a convict, his “greatexpectation” turned out to be bubble, beautiful but transient.Pip finally realized the money and social status is not the most important thing in life. W hat’s important is love and loyalty. M an's true value has nothing to do with his money and status.35.It is the novel of the growth and development of the hero Pip.There is absence of parents for Pip who is raised by his sisterand brother-in-law; As a gentleman, Pip condescends people oflower class, losing sight of the generous, kind aspect of being a gentleman; He is tested and drawn to destructive love etc.36.Tell the story of the excerpt from Great Expectations you haveread.Answer: One night, a familiar figure comes into Pip’s room –- the convict Magwitch, who surprises Pip by saying that he, not Miss Havisham, is the source of Pip’s fortune. He tells Pip that he wasso moved by Pip’ boyhood kindness that he had dedicated his life to making Pip a gentleman, and made a fortune in Australia for that very purpose. Magwitch is caught and sentenced to death, and Pip loses his fortune.37.What is the theme of the excerpt from Great Expectations youhave readAnswer: Affection, loyalty, and conscience were considered more important than social advancement and wealth38.From what book is the following paragraph taken Who wrote it“Nothing was needed but this; the wretched man, after loading wretched me with his gold and silver chains for years, had risked his life to come to me, and I held it there in my keeping! If I hadloved him instead of abhorring him; if I had been attracted to him by the strongest admiration and affection,instead of shrinking from him with the strongest repugnance; it could have been no worse. On the contrary, it would have been better,for his preservation would then have naturally and ten derly addressed my heart.”Answer: It is taken from Great Expectations by Charles Dickens.39.How do you evaluate the meeting of Pip with Magwitch。
(完整)英国文学名词解释大全(整理版),推荐文档
(完整)英国文学名词解释大全(整理版),推荐文档名词解释1.Epic(史诗)(appeared in the the Anglo-Saxon Period )It is a narrative of heroic action, often with a principal hero, usually mythical in its content, grand in its style, offering inspiration and ennoblement within a particular culture or national tradition.A long narrative poem telling about the deeds of great hero and reflecting the values of the society from which it originated.Epic is an extended narrative poem in elevated or dignified language, like Homer’s Iliad & Odyssey. It usually celebrates the feats of one or more legendary or traditional heroes. The action is simple, but full of magnificence.Today, some long narrative works, like novels that reveal an age & its people, are also called epic.E.g. Beowulf (the pagan(异教徒),secular(非宗教的) poetry)Iliad 《伊利亚特》,Odyssey《奥德赛》Paradise Lost 《失乐园》,The Divine Comedy《神曲》2.Romance (传奇)(Anglo-Norman feudal England)Romance is any imaginative literature that is set in an idealized world and that deals with heroic adventures and battles between good characters and villains or monsters.Originally, the term referred to a medieval (中世纪) tale dealing with the love and adventures of kings, queens, knights, and ladies, and including supernatural happenings.Form:long composition, in verse, in proseContent:description of life and adventures of a noble hero Character:a knight, a man of noble birth, skilled in the use of weapons; often described as riding forth to seek adventures,taking part in tournaments(骑士比武), or fighting for his lord in battles; devoted to the church and the king ?Romance lacks general resemblance to truth or reality.It exaggerates the vices of human nature and idealizes the virtues.It contains perilous (dangerous) adventures more or less remote from ordinary life.It lays emphasis on supreme devotion to a fair lady.①The Romance Cycles/Groups/DivisionsThree Groups●matters of Britain Adventures of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table (亚瑟王和他的圆桌骑士)●matters of France Emperor Charlemagne and his peers●matters of Rome Alexander the Great and the attacks of TroyLe Morte D’Arthur (亚瑟王之死)②Class Nature (阶级性) of the RomanceLoyalty to king and lord was the theme of the romances, as loyalty was the corner-stone(the most important part基石)of feudal morality.The romances were composed not for the common but for the noble, of the noble, and by the poets patronized (supported 庇护,保护)by the noble.3. Alliteration(押头韵): a repeated initial(开头的) consonant(协调,一致) to successive(连续的) words.e.g. 1.To his kin the kindest, keenest for praise.2.Sing a song of southern singer4. Understatement(低调陈述)(for ironical humor)not troublesome: very welcomeneed not praise: a right to condemn5. Chronicle《编年史》(a monument of Old English prose)6. Ballads (民谣)(The most important department of English folk literature )①Definition:A ballad is a narrative poem that tells a story, and is usually meant to be sung or recited in musical form.An important stream of the Medieval folk literature②Features of English Ballads1. The ballads are in various English and Scottish dialects.2. They were created collectively and revised when handed down from mouth to mouth.3. They are mainly the literature of the peasants, and give an outlook of the English common people in feudal society.③Stylistic (风格上)Features of the Ballads1. Composed in couplets (相连并押韵的两行诗,对句)or in quatrains (四行诗)known as the ballad stanza (民谣诗节), rhyming abab or abcb, with the first and third lines carrying 4 accented syllables (重读音节)and the second and fourth carrying 3.2. Simple, plain language or dialect (方言,土语)of the common people with colloquial (口语的,会话的), vivid and, sometimes, idiomatic (符合当地语言习惯的)expressions3. Telling a good story with a vivid presentation around the central plot.4. Using a high proportion of dialogue with a romantic or tragic dimension (方面)to achieve dramatic effect.④Subjects of English Ballads1. struggle of young lovers2. conflict between love and wealth3. cruelty of jealousy4. criticism of the civil war5. matters of class struggle7. Heroic couplet (英雄双韵体)(introduced by Geoffrey Chaucer)Definition:the rhymed couplet of iambic pentameter; a verse form in epic poetry, with lines of ten syllables and five stresses, in rhyming pairs.英雄诗体/英雄双韵体:用于史诗或叙事诗,每行十个音节,五个音部,每两行押韵。
英国文学名词解释大全(整理版)
1,alliteration 2,kenning 3,caesura 4,romance 5,chivalery 6,quatrain 7,meter:rhyme 8,heroic couplet 9iambic pentameter 10,bob and wheel 11,realism 12,idealism 13,renaissiance 14,blank verse 15,sonnet 16,comedy 17,tragedy 18,humanism 19,cavalier poets 20,metaphysical poets 21,metaphysical conceit1. Epic(史诗)(appeared in the Anglo-Saxon Period )Epic is an extended narrative poem in elevated or dignified language, like Homer’s Iliad & Odyssey. It usually celebrates the feats of one or more legendary or traditional heroes. The action is simple, but full of magnificence.Today, some long narrative works, like novels that reveal an age & its people are also called epic.E.g. Beowulf (the pagan(异教徒),secular(非宗教的) poetry)Iliad 《伊利亚特》,Odyssey《奥德赛》Paradise Lost 《失乐园》.1.Romance (传奇)(Anglo-Norman feudal England)•Romance is any imaginative literature that is set in an idealized world and that deals with heroic adventures and battles between good characters and villains or monsters.•Originally, the term referred to a medieval (中世纪) tale dealing with the love and adventures of kings, queens, knights, and ladies, and including supernatural happenings.Form:long composition, in verse, in proseContent:description of life and adventures of a noble heroCharacter:a knight, a man of noble birth, skilled in the use of weapons; often described as riding forth to seek adventures, taking part in tournaments(骑士比武), or fighting for his lord in battles; devoted to the church and the king •Romance lacks general resemblance to truth or reality.•It exaggerates the vices of human nature and idealizes the virtues.•It contains perilous (dangerous) adventures more or less remote from ordinary life.•It lays emphasis on supreme devotion to a fair lady.3. Alliteration(押头韵): a repeated initial(开头的) consonant(协调,一致) to successive(连续的) words.4. Heroic couplet (英雄双韵体)(introduced by Geoffrey Chaucer)Definition:the rhymed couplet of iambic pentameter; a verse form in epic poetry, with lines of ten syllables and five stresses, in rhyming pairs.英雄诗体/英雄双韵体:用于史诗或叙事诗,每行十个音节,五个音部,每两行押韵。
英国文学名词解释
英国文学名词解释英国文学是指在英国境内产生的文学作品,包括散文、诗歌、戏剧等多种文学形式。
以下是一些与英国文学相关的名词解释:1. 莎士比亚戏剧(Shakespearean Drama):指威廉·莎士比亚所创作的戏剧作品,包括《哈姆雷特》、《罗密欧与朱丽叶》等。
2. 简·奥斯汀小说(Jane Austen Novels):指英国女作家简·奥斯汀所写的一系列小说,主要描写中上层社会的生活,包括《傲慢与偏见》、《理智与情感》等。
3. 浪漫主义(Romanticism):指18世纪末至19世纪初的一种文艺运动,强调情感、个人主义和自然之美,代表作家有威廉·华兹华斯、塞缪尔·柯勒律治等。
4. 维多利亚时期文学(Victorian Literature):指19世纪中后期的英国文学,以女王维多利亚统治时期为背景,作品内容反映了社会变革和道德观念的转变,代表作家有查尔斯·狄更斯、乔治·艾略特等。
5. 符号主义(Symbolism):指19世纪末20世纪初的一种文学流派,强调象征和隐喻的运用,代表作家有奥斯卡·王尔德、D·H·劳伦斯等。
6. 现代主义(Modernism):指20世纪初的一种思潮和文学流派,以对现代社会的批判和对传统形式的挑战为特点,代表作家有弗吉尼亚·伍尔夫、詹姆斯·乔伊斯等。
7. 女性主义文学(Feminist Literature):指关注女性经验和性别平等的文学作品,代表作家有弗吉尼亚·伍尔夫、玛格丽特·阿特伍德等。
8. 后现代主义(Postmodernism):指二战后出现的一种思潮和文学流派,强调对现实的怀疑和对语言的游戏性,代表作家有萨缪尔·贝克特、艾里奥·卡尔维诺等。
9. 科幻文学(Science Fiction):指描写未来社会和科技发展的文学作品,代表作家有霍华德·菲利普斯·洛夫克拉夫特、艾萨克·阿西莫夫等。
(完整word版)英国文学最全名词解释
名词解释1、Alliteration(头韵) It refers to a repeated initial consonant to successive words and it is the most striking feature in its poetic form. In alliterative verse, certain accented words in a line begin with the same consonant sound。
It usually have a caesura in the middle and two stresses (or accents) in each half. The number of unstressed syllables in the two halves may vary。
Yet,the same consonant is repeated at the beginning of the accented syllables, either twice in the first half of the verse line and once in the second half, or vice versa. Or we can say there are generally 4 accents in a line, three of which show alliteration, and it is the initial sound of the third accented syllable that normally determiners the alliteration. Alliteration makes Anglo—Saxon poetry very musical in sound and acts almost the same part that rhyme plays in later poetry。
英国文学名词解释
1.(1) Modernism (现代主义)A movement of experiment in new techniques in writing. Modernist fiction represented a trend drifting away from the tradition of the 19th century realism. It put emphasis on the description ogoometimes it is call ed modern psychological fiction. Lawrence is a typical representative of itRealism(现实主义)Realism was a loosely used term meaning truth to the observed facts of life (especially when they are gloomy)。
Realism in literature is an approach that attempts to describe life without idealization or romantic subjectivity.Realism现实主义: An elastic and ambiguous term with two meanings. (1) First, it refers generally to any artistic or literary portrayal of life in a faithful, accurate manner, unclouded by false ideals, literary conventions, or misplaced aesthetic glorification and beautification of the world. It is a theory or tendency in writing to depict events in human life in a matter-of-fact, straightforward manner. It is an attempt to reflect life "as it actually is"--a concept in some ways similar to what the Greeks would call mimesis. (2) Secondly and more specifically, realism refers to a literary movement that developed out of naturalism in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Although realism and the concern for aspects of verisimilitude have been components of literary art to one degree or another in nearly all centuries, the term realism also applies more specifically to the tendency to create detailed, probing analyses of the way "things really are," usually involving an emphasis on nearly photographic details.These writers include such diverse artists as Mark Twain, Tolstoy, &Thomas Hardy.Modernism(现代主义): Around the two world wars, many writers and artists began to suspect and be discontent with the capitalism. They tried to find new ways to express their understanding of the world. It was a movement of experiments in techniques in writing. It flourished in the 20s and 30s in English literature.They turned their interest to describing what was happening in the minds of their characters. Because of their emphasis on the psychological activities of the characters, their writings are also called psychological novels. The Representatives are W.B. Yeats and T.S. Eliot,D.H. Lawrence, E.M. Foster, James Joyce and Virginia WoolfModernism: 1) The rise Of modernism movement Modernism rose out of skepticism and disillusionment of capitalism, which made writers and artists search for a new ways to express their understanding of the world and the human nature. The French symbolism was the forerunner ofmodernism. The First World War quickened the rising of all kinds of literary trends of modernism, which, toward the 1920s, converged into a mighty torrent of modernist movement. The major figures associated with the movement were Kafka, Picasso, Pound, Eliot, Joyce, and Virginia Woolf. Modernism was somewhat curbed in the 1930s. but after World War II, Varieties of modernism, or post-modernism, rose again with the spur of Sarter’s existentialism. However, they gradually disappeared or diverged into other kinds of literary trends in the 1960s. 2) The characteristics of modernism ●Modernism marks a strong and conscious break with the past, by rejecting the moral, religious and cultural values of the past.●Modernism emphasizes on the need to move away from the public to the private, from the objective to the subjective. ●Modernism upholds a new view of time by emphasizing the psychic time over the chronological one. It maintains that the past, the present and the future are one and exist at the same time in the consciousness of individual as a continuous flow rather than a series of separate moments.●Modernism is, in many respects, a reaction against realism. It rejects rationalism, which is the theoretical base of realism; it excludes from its major concern the external, objective, material world, which is the only creative source of realism; it casts away almost all the traditional elements in literature like story, plot, character, chronological narration, etc., which are essential to realism. As a result, the works created by the modernist writers can often be labeled as anti-novel, anti-poetry or anti-drama[22] Realism:(写实主义) A term used in literature and art to present life as it really is without sentimentalizing or idealizing it. Realistic writing often depicts the everyday life and speech of ordinary people. This has led, sometimes to an emphasis on sordid details.Critical Realism (批判现实主义) Critical realism is one of the literary genres that flourished mainly in the 19th century. It reveals the corrupting influence of the rule of cash upon human nature. Here lies the essentially democratic and humanistic character of critical realism. The English critical realists of the 19th century not only gave a satirical portrayal of the bourgeoisie and all the ruling classes, but also showed profound sympathy for the common people. In their best works, they used humor and satire to contrast the greed and hypocrisy of the upper classes with the honesty and good-heartedness of the obscure “simple people” of the lower classes. Humorous scenes set off the actions of the positive characters, and the humor is often tinged with a lyricism which serves to stress the fine qualities of such characters. At the same time,bitter satire and grotesque is used to expose the seamy side of the bourgeois society. The critical realists, however, did not find a way to eradicate the social evils they knew so well. They did not realize the necessity of changing 4 the bourgeois society through conscious human effort. Their works do notpoint toward revolution but rather evolution or reformism. They often start with a powerful exposure of the ugliness of the bourgeois world in their works, but their novels usually have happy endings or an impotent compromise at the end. Here are the strength and weakness of critical realism. 批判现实主义是盛行于19世纪的文学流派之一,揭示了金钱控制一切对人性的恶劣影响,这正是19世纪批判现实主义民主和人文特点的根源。
英国文学名词解释(整理版)
Noun ExplanationAllegory:A tale in verse or prose in which characters, actions, or settings represent abstract ideas or moral qualities. An allegory is a story with two meanings, a literal meaning and a symbolic meaning.Alliteration:The repetition of the initial consonant sounds in poetry. Antagonist:A person or force opposing the protagonist in a narrative; a rival of the hero or heroine.Antithesis:(a figure of speech) The balancing of two contrasting ideas, words phrases, or sentences. An antithesis is often expressed in a balanced sentence, that is, a sentence in which identical or similar grammatical structure is used to express contrasting ideas.Aside:In drama, lines spoken by a character in an undertone or directly to the audience. An aside is meant to be heard by the other characters onstage.Ballad:A story told in verse and usually meant to be sung. In many countries, the folk ballad was one of the earliest forms of literature. Folk ballads have no known authors. They were transmitted orally from generation to generation and were not set down in writing until centuries after they were first sung. The subject matter of folk ballads stems from the everyday life of the common people. Devices commonly used in ballads are the refrain, incremental repetition, and code language. A later form of ballad is the literary ballad, which imitates the style ofthe folk ballad.Biography:A detailed account of a person’s life written by another person. Blank verse:Verse written in unrhymed iambic pentameter. Classicism:A movement or tendency in art, literature, or music that reflects the principles manifested in the art of ancient Greece and Rome. Classicism emphasizes the traditional and the universal, and places value on reason, clarity, balance, and order. Classicism, with its concern for reason and universal themes, is traditionally opposed to Romanticism, which is concerned with emotions and personal themes.Climax:The point of greatest intensity, interest, or suspense in a gogotory’s turning point. The action leading to the climax and the simultaneous increase of tension in the plot are known as the rising action. All action after the climax is referred to as the falling action, or resolution. The term crisis is sometimes used interchangeably with climax.Comedy:in general, a literary work that ends happily with a healthy, amicable armistice between the protagonist and society. Conceit:A kind of metaphor that makes a comparison between two startlingly different things. A conceit may be a brief metaphor, but it usually provides the framework for an entire poem. An especially unusual and intellectual kind of conceit is the metaphysical conceit.Conflict:A struggle between two opposing forces or characters in a shortstory, novel, play, or narrative poem. Usually the events of the story are all related to the conflict, and the conflict is resolved in some way by the story’s end.Couplet:Two consecutive lines of poetry that rhymed. A heroic couplet is an iambic pentameter couplet.Critical Realism:The critical realism of the 19th century flourished in the forties and in the beginning of fifties. The realists first and foremost set themselves the task of criticizing capitalist society from a democratic viewpoint and delineated the crying contradictions of bourgeois reality. But they did not find a way to eradicate social evils.Dramatic monologue:A kind of narrative poem in which one character speaks to one or more listeners whose replies are not given in the poem. The occasion is usually a crucial one in the speaker’s personality as well as the incident that is the subject of the poem.Elegy:A poem of mourning, usually over the death of an individual. An elegy is a type of lyric poem, usually formal in language and structure, and solemn or even melancholy in tone. Enlightenment:With the advent of the 18th century, in England, as in other European countries, there sprang into life a public movement known as the Enlightenment. The Enlightenment on the whole, was an expression of struggle of the then progressive class of bourgeois against feudalism. The ego goes inequality, stagnation, prejudices and other survivals of feudalism. They attempted to place all branches of science at the service of mankind by connecting them with the actual deeds and requirements of thepeople.Epic:A long narrative poem telling about the deeds of a great hero and reflecting the values of the society from which it originated. Many epics were drawn from an oral tradition and were transmitted by song and recitation before they were written down.Essay:A piece of prose writing, usually short, that deals with a subject in a limited way and expresses a particular point or view.Free Verse:Verse that has either no metrical pattern or an irregular pattern.Hyperbole:A figure of speech using exaggeration, or overstatement, for special effect.Iamb抑扬格:It is the most commonly used foot in English poetry, in which an unstressed syllable comes first, followed by a stressed syllable. Iambic pentameter:A poetic line consisting of five verse feet, with each foot an iamb—that is, an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable. Iambic pentameter is the most common verse line in English poetry.Irony:A contrast or an incongruity between what is stated and what is really meant, or between what is expected to happen and what actually happens.Three kinds of irony are(1) verbal irony, in which a writer or speaker says one thing and means something entirely different;(2) dramatic irony, in which a reader or an audience perceives something that a character in the story or play does not know;(3) irony of situation, in which the writer shows a discrepancy between the expected results of some action or situation and its actual results.Lyric:A poem, usually a short one, that expresses a speaker’s personal thoughts or feelings. The elegy, ode, and sonnet are all forms of the lyric.Morality play:An outgrowth of miracle plays. Morality plays were popular in the 15th and 16th centuries. In them, virtues and vices were personified.Myth:A story, often about immortals and sometimes connected with religious rituals, that is intended to give meaning to the mysteries of the world. Myths make it possible for people to understand and deal with things that they cannot control and often cannot see. A body of related myths that is accepted by a people is known as its mythology. A mythology tells a people what it is most concerned about.Narrator:One who narrates, or tells, a story. A story may be told by a first-person narrator, someone who is either a major or minor character in the story. Or a story may be told by a third-person narrator, someone who is not in the story at all. The word narrator can also refer to a character in a drama who guides the audience through the play, often commenting on the action and sometimes participating in it.Naturalism:An extreme form of realism. Naturalistic writers usually depictthe sordid side of life and show characters who are severely, if not hopelessly, limited by their environment or heredity. Neoclassicism:A revival in the 17th agogo of order, balance, and harmony in literature.Ode:A complex and often lengthy lyric poem, written in a dignified formal style on some lofty or serious subject. Odes are often written for a special occasion, to honor a person or a season or to commemorate an event.Pathos:The quality in a work of literature or art that arouses the reader’s feelings of pity, sorrow, or compassion for a character. The term is usually used to refer to situations in which innocent characters suffer through no fault of their own.Poetry:The most distinctive characteristic of poetry is form and music. Poetry is concerned with not only what is said but how it is said. Poetry evokes emotions rather than express facts. Poetry means having a poetic experience. Imagination is also an essential quality of poetry. Poetry often leads us to new perceptions, new feelings and experiences of which we have not previously been aware.Protagonist:The central character of a drama, novel, short story, or narrative poem. The protagonist is the character on whom the action centers and with whom the reader sympathizes most. Usually the protagonist strives against an opposing force, or antagonist , to accomplish something.Renaissance:The term originally indicated a revival of classical (Greek andRoman) arts and sciences after the dark ages of medieval obscurantism.Romance:Any imagination literature that is set in an idealized world and that deals with a heroic adventures and battles between good characters and villains or monsters.Satire:A kind of writing that holds up to ridicule or contempt the weaknesses and wrongdoings of individuals, groups, institutions, or humanity in general. The aim of satirists is to set a moral standard for society, and they attempt to persuade the reader to see their point of view through the force of laughter. Song:A short lyric poem with distinct musical qualities, normally written to be set to music. In expresses a simple but intense emotion.Sonnet:A fourteen-line lyric poem, usually written in rhymed iambic pentameter. A sonnet generally expresses a single theme or idea. Spenserian stanza:A nine-line stanza with the following rhyme scheme: ababbabcc. The first eight lines are written in iambic pentameter. The ninth line is written in iambic hexameter and is called an alexandrine. Stanza:It’s a structural division of a poem, consisting of a series of verse lines which usually comprise a recurring pattern of meter and thyme.Canto:A section or division of a long poem. The cantos can be a great lyric/poemStream of consciousnes s: “Stream-of-Consciousness” or“interior monologue”, is one of the modern literary techniques. It is the style of writing that attempts to imitate the natural flow of a character’s thoughts, feelings, reflections, memories, and mental images as the character experiences them.Wit:A brilliance and quickness of perception combined with a cleverness of expression. In the 18th century, wit and nature were related-nature provided the rules of the universe; wit allowed these rules to be interpreted and expressed.。
(完整word版)英国文学 名词解释
1.(1) Modernism (现代主义)A movement of experiment in new techniques in writing. Modernist fic tion represented a trend drifting away from the tradition of the 19th century realism。
It put emphasis on the description ogoometimes it is called modern psychological fiction. Lawrence is a typical representative of itRealism(现实主义)Realism was a loosely used term meaning truth to the observed facts of life (especially when they are gloomy)。
Realism in literature is an approach that attempts to describe life without idealization or romantic subjectivity。
Realism现实主义: An elastic and ambiguous term with two meanings。
(1) First, it refers generally to any artistic or literary portrayal of life in a faithful, accurate manner, unclouded by false ideals, literary conventions, or misplaced aesthetic glorification and beautification of the world。
英国文学名词解释总结版
English RomanticismEnglish Romanticism, as a historical phase of literature, is generally said to have begun in 1798 with the publication of Wordsworth and Coleridge's Lyrical Ballads and to have ended in 1832 with Sir Walter Scott's death and the passage of the first Reform Bill in the Parliament.Historical and Cultural backgroundDuring this period, England had experienced profound economic and social change. The biggest social change in English history was the transfer of large masses of the population from the countryside to the towns. As a result of the Enclosures and the agricultural mechanization, the peasants were driven out of their land; some emigrated to the colonies; some sank to the level of farm laborers and many others drifted to the industrial towns where there was a growing demand for labor. But the new industrial towns were no better than jungles, where the law was "the survival of the fittest." The cruel economic exploitation caused large-scale workers' disturbances in England.Influences of the Romantic MovementRomanticism constitutes a change of direction from attention to the outer world of social civilization to the inner world of the human spirit.In essence it designates a literary and philosophical theory which tends to see the individual as the very center of all life and all experience. It also places the individual at the center of art, making literature most valuable as an expression of his or her unique feelings and particular attitudes and valuing its accuracy in portraying the individual's experiences.The Romantic Perioda. The Romantic period is an age of poetry. Blake, Wordsworth, Coleridge, Byron, Shelley and Keats are the major Romantic poets. They started a rebellion against the neoclassical literature, which was later regarded as the poetic revolution.b. The Romantic period is also a great age of prose. The two major novelists of the Romantic period are Jane Austen and Walter Scott.c. Besides poetry and prose, there are quite a number of writers who have tried their hand at poetic dramas in this period.The Romantic MovementIt expressed a more or less negative attitude towards the existing social and political conditions that came with industrialization and the growing importance of the bourgeoisie. The Romantics felt that the existing society denied people their essential human needs, so they demonstrated a strong reaction against the dominant modes of thinking of the 18th-century writers and philosophers. Where their predecessors saw man as a social animal, the Romantics saw him essentially as an individual in the solitary state and emphasized the special qualities of each individual's mind.The Gothic NovelIt is a type of romantic fiction that predominated in the late 18th century and was one phase of the Romantic movement, its principal elements are violence, horror and the supernatural, which strongly appeal to the reader's emotion. With its descriptions of thedark, irrational side of human nature, the Gothic form has exerted a great influence over the writer of the Romantic period. Works like The Mysteries of Udolpho (1794) by Ann Radcliffe and Frankenstein (1818) by Mary Shelley are typical Gothic romance.Characteristics of Romantic literature in English historyThe Romantic period is an age of poetry. Blake, Wordsworth, Coleridge, Byron, Shelley and Keats are the major Romantic poets. They started a rebellion against the neoclassical literature, which was later regarded as the poetic revolution. Wordsworth and Coleridge were the major representatives of this movement. They explored new theories and innovated new techniques in poetry writing. They saw poetry as a healing energy: they believed that poetry could purify both individual souls and the society. The Romantics not only extol the faculty of imagination, but also stress the concept of spontaneity and inspiration, regarding them as something crucial for true poetry. The natural world comes to the forefront of the poetic imagination. Nature is not only the major source of poetic imagery, but also provides the dominant subject matter. Wordsworth is the closest to nature. To escape from a world that had become excessively rational, as well as excessively materialistic and ugly, the Romantics would turn to other times and places, where the qualities they valued could be convincingly depicted. Romantics also tend to be nationalistic, defending the great poets and dramatists of their own national heritage against the advocates of classical rules who tended to glorify Rome and rational Italian and French neoclassical art as superior to the native traditions. To the Romantics, poetry should be free from all rules. They would turn to the humble people and their everyday life for subjects.William Blake1) Early worksThe Songs of Innocence(1809) is a lovely volume of poems, presenting a happy and innocent world, though not without its evils and sufferings. For instance, " Holy Thursday" with its vision of charity children lit " with a radiance all their own" reminds us terribly of a world of loss and institutional cruelty.2) His Songs of Experience(1794) paints a different world, a world of misery, poverty, disease, war and repression with a melancholy tone. The benighted England becomes the world of the dark wood and of the weeping prophet.3) Blake's Marriage of Heaven and Hell (1790) marks his entry into maturity. The poem was composed during the climax of the French Revolution and it plays the double role both as a satire and a revolutionary prophecy. In this poem, Blake explores the relationship of the contraries. Attraction and repulsion, reason and energy, love and hate, are necessary to human existence. Life is a continual conflict of give and take, a pairing of opposites, of good and evil, of innocence and experience, of body and soul. "Without contraries," Blake states, "there is no progression."The "marriage," to Blake, means the reconciliation of the contraries, not the subordination of the one to the other.Characteristics of Blake's poemsBlake who lived in the blaze of revelation, felt bound to declare that " I know that This world is a world of IMAGINATION and Vision," and that "The Nature of my work is visionary or imaginative."From childhood, Blake had a strongly visual mind; whatever he imagined, he also saw. As an imaginative poet, he presents his view in visual images instead of abstract terms. Blake writes his poems in plain and direct language. His poems often carry the lyric beauty with immense compression of meaning. He distrusts the abstractness and tends to embody his views with visual images. Symbolism in wide range is also a distinctive feature of his poetryThe TygerThe Tyger, included in Songs of Experience, is one of Blake's best-known poems. It seemingly praises the great power of tiger, but what the tiger symbolizes remains disputable: the power of man? Or the revolutionary force? Or the evil? Or as it is usually interpreted, the Almighty Maker who created both the meek and gentle lamb and the terrible and awesome tiger? The poem is highly symbolic with a touch of mysticism and it is open to various interpretations.The poem contains six quatrains in rhyming couplets and its language is terse and forceful with an anvil rhythm.William WordsworthWordsworth are known as the "Lake Poets."As a great Romantic poet, Wordsworth had a long poetic career. His Lyrical Ballads, written together with Coleridge, is generally regarded as the symbol of the beginning of the Romantic period in England.His poetic outlookWordsworth is regarded as a " worshipper of nature." He can penetrate to the heart of things and give the reader the very life of nature. "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" is perhaps the most anthologized poem in English literature, and one that takes us to the core of Wordsworth's poetic beliefs. To Wordsworth, nature embodies human beings in their diverse circumstances. It is nature that gives him "strength and knowledge full of peace.“Common life is Wordsworth's only subject of literary interest. The joys and sorrows of the common people are his themes. His sympathy always goes to the suffering poor.Wordsworth is a poet in memory of the past. To him, life is a cyclical journey. Its beginning finally turns out to be its end.Wordsworth's deliberate simplicity and refusal to decorate the truth of experience produced a kind of pure and profound poetry which no other poets has ever equaled. Poetry, he believes, originates from "emotion recollected in tranquility."Rejecting the contemporary emphasis on form and intellectual approach that drained poetic writing of strong emotion, he maintains that the scenes and events of everyday life and the speech of ordinary people are the raw material of which poetry can and should be made.His poetical works1) LyricsLyrical Ballads differs in marked ways from his early poetry, notably the uncompromising simplicity of much of the language, the strong sympathy not merely with the poor in general but with particular, dramatized examples of them, and the fusion of natural description with expressions of inward states of mind. The poems Wordsworth added to the 1800 edition of the Lyrical Ballads are among the best of his achievements. Characteristics of Wordsworth’s Poems and His AchievementsWilliam Wordsworth is the leading figure of the English romantic poetry, the focal poetic voice of the period. His is a voice of searchingly comprehensive humanity and one that inspires his audience to see the world freshly, sympathetically and naturally. The most important contribution he has made is that he has not only started the modern poetry, the poetry of the growing inner self, but also changed the course of English poetry by using ordinary speech of the language and by advocating a return to nature.1) I Wandered Lonely as a CloudWordsworth is regarded as a "worshipper of nature." He can penetrate to the heart of things and give the reader the very life of nature. "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" is perhaps the most anthologized poem in English literature, and one that takes us to the core of Wordsworth's poetic beliefs. Wordsworth wrote this beautiful poem of nature after he came across a long belt of gold daffodils tossing and reeling and dancing along the waterside. There is a vivid picture of the daffodils here, mixed with the poet's philosophical and somewhat mystical thoughts.The poem consists of four 6-lined stanzas of iambic tetrameter with a rhyme scheme of ababcc in each stanza. The last stanza describes the poet's recollection in tranquility from which this poem arose. The poet thinks that it is a bliss to recollect the beauty of nature in his mind while he is in solitude.George Gordon ByronHours of idleness English Bards and Scotch Reviewers. Childe Harold's Pilgrimage Oriented Tales, the verse drama Manfred Don JuanByronic HeroAs a leading Romanticist, Byron's chief contribution is his creation of the " Byronic hero," a proud and mysterious rebel figure of noble origin. With immense superiority in his passions and powers, the Byronic hero would carry on his shoulders the burden of righting all the wrongs in an evil society, and would fight single-handedly against any kind of tyrannical rules either in government, in religion or in moral principles with unconquerable wills and inexhaustible energies. The conflict is usually one of rebellious individuals against outworn social systems and convention. The figure is, to some extent, modeled on the life and personality of Byron himself, and makes Byron famous both at home and abroadPercy Bysshe ShelleyThe Necessity of AtheismThe whole poem has a logic of feeling, a not easily analyzable progression that leads to the triumphant, hopeful and convincing conclusion: "If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?"Shelley derived from his reading of Dante. The nervous thrill of Shelley's response to nature however is here transformed through the power of art and imagination into a longing to be united with a force at once physical and prophetic. Here is no conservative reassurance, no comfortable mysticism, but the primal amorality of nature itself with its mad fury and its pagan ruthlessness. Shelley's ode is an invocation(祈祷) to a primitive deity, a plea to exalt him in its fury and to trumpet the radical prophecy of hope and rebirth.Poetic drama: Prometheus Unbound (1820Characteristics of Shelley's PoetryShelley is one of the leading Romantic poets, an intense and original lyrical poet in the English language. Like Blake, he has a reputation as a difficult poet: erudite, imagistically complex, full of classical and mythological allusions. His style abounds in personification and metaphor and other figures of speech which describe vividly what we see and feel, or express what passionately moves us.John KeatsEndymion Lamia, Isabella, The Eve of St. Agnes, and Other Poems Ode to a NightingaleOde on an Grecian UrnIt shows the contrast between the permanence of art and the transience of human passion. The poet has absorbed himself into the timeless beautiful scenery on the antique Grecian Urn: the lovers, musicians and worshippers on the Urn exist simultaneously and for ever in their intensity of joy. They are unaffected by time, stilled in expectation. This is at once the glory and the limitation of the world conjured up by an object of art. The urn celebrates but simplifies intuitions of ecstasy by seeming to deny our painful knowledge of transience and suffering.Characteristics of Keats's PoetryKeats's poetry is always sensuous, colorful and rich in imagery, which expresses the acuteness of his senses. Sight, sound, scent, taste and feeling are all used to give an entire understanding of an experience. He has the power of entering the feelings of others-either human or animal. With vivid and rich images, he paints poetic pictures full of wonderful color. Keats's poetry, characterized by exact and closely-knit construction, sensual descriptions, and by force in imagination, gives transcendental values to the physical beauty of the world."Ode on a Grecian Urn"The Grecian Urn that the poem depicts is a piece of ancient Greek pottery with a pastoral scene overwrought upon it. The urn represents a piece of artifact, and it has endured a long history, yet remains untarnished, and the pastoral scene on it can still be seen clearly. On the surface, this ode is about the Grecian Urn, but we can fairly say it is a commentary on nature and art, for art has the power to preserve intense human experiences, so that they may go on being enjoyed by men from generation to generation. Pleasure in life cannot be protected from change, while artifact can remain intact. The Ode consists of 5 stanzas, the first four stanzas describing a pastoral scene on the urn, and the last epitomizing the relation of the timeless ideal world in art to the woeful actual world.Jane AustenSense and Sensibility; Pride and Prejudice; Northanger Abbey; Mansfield Park; Emma; and PersuasionAusten's main literary concern is about human beings in their personal relationships. Because of this, her novels have a universal significance. She is particularly preoccupied with the relationship between men and women in love. Stories of love and marriage provide the major themes in all her novels. The works of Jane Austen, delightful and profound, are part of the supreme achievements of English literature. With trenchant observation and in meticulous detail, she presents the quiet, day-to-day life of the upper-middle-class English. Her characteristic theme is that maturity is achieved through the loss of illusions. Faults of character displayed by the people of her novels are corrected when, through tribulation, lessons are learned. Even the most minor characters are vividly particularized in Austen's lucid style. All these show a mind of the shrewdest intelligence adapting the available traditions and deepening the resources of art with consummate craftsmanship. Because of her sensitivity to universal patterns of human behavior, Jane Austen has brought the English novels, as an art form, to its maturity, and she has been regarded by many critics as one of the greatest of all novelists.Selected ReadingAn Excerpt From Chapter I of Pride and Prejudice1) Structure, characterization and language styleThe structure of the novel is exquisitely deft, the characterization in the highest degree memorable, while the irony has a radiant shrewdness unmatched elsewhere. At the heart of the novelist's exploration of the marriage, property and intrigue lies the exhilarating suspense of the relationship between Elizabeth Bennet and Darcy, and Jane Austen's delicate probing of the values of the gentry. The moments of high comedy in the novel are always related to deeper issues. Elizabeth's rejection of the odious Mr. Collins suggests her independence and self-esteem, but when Collins is accepted by her friend Charlotte Lucas, we see the reality of marriage as a necessary step if a woman is to avoid the wretchedness of aging spinsterhood. Conversely, in the elopement of Lydia and Wickham, we are shown the dangers of feckless relationships unsupported by money. The comic characters in Pride and Prejudice are: Mr. and Mrs. Bennet, Mr. Collins and that monstrous snob Lady Catherine de Burgh, who make us laugh even as they parody erroneous views of marriage and class. Characteristics of Jane Austen's novels1) Austen‘s novels describe a narrow range of society and events: a quiet, prosperous, middle class circle in provincial surroundings, which she knew well from her own experience.2) Her subject matter is also limited, for most of her novels deal with the subject of getting married, which was in fact the central problem for the young leisure-class lady of that age, who had no other choice in her life but to find a good husband.3) Austen's interest was in human nature; in her depiction of human nature, instead of being fascinated by great waves of elevated emotion, by passion or heroic experience, she focused on the trivial and petty details of everyday living, which became very interesting through her truthful and lively description.4) Austen's novels are brightened by their witty conversation and omnipresent humor. Her language shines with an exquisite touch of lively gracefulness, elegant and refined, but never showy.The Bronte SistersCharlotte BronteEmily Bronte Wuthering HeightsAnne Bronte Agnes Grey The Tenant of Wildfell HallCharlotte's Literary CreationCharlotte Bronte's works are all about the struggle of an individual towards self-realization, about some lonely and neglected young women with a fierce longing for love, and understanding and a full, happy life. All her heroines' highest joy comes from some sacrifice of self or some human weakness overcome. Besides, she is a writer of realism combined with romanticism. On the one hand, she presents a vivid realistic picture of the English society by exposing the cruelty, hypocrisy and other evils of the upper classes and by showing the misery and suffering of the poor. Her works are famous for the depiction of the life of the middle-class workingwomen, particularly governesses. On the other hand, her writings are marked throughout by intensity of vision and of passion. By writing from an individual point of view, by creating characters who are possessed of strong feelings, fiery passions and some extraordinary personalities, by using some elements of horror, mystery and prophesy,she is able to recreate life in a very romantic way. The vividness of her subjective narration, the intensely achieved characterization, especially those heroines who are totally contrary to the public expectations and the most truthful presentation of the economical, moral, social life of the time -all this earns her works a never dying popularity.Jane, like Mr. Rochester, has to undergo a series of physical and moral tests to grow up and achieve her final happiness. The success of the novel is also due to its introduction to the English novel the first governess heroine. Jane Eyre is a completely new woman image. She represents those middle-class workingwomen who are struggling for recognition of their rights and equality as a human being. The vivid description of her intense feelings and her thought and inner conflicts brings her to the heart of the audience.Jane Eyre's characterJane Eyre, an orphan child with a fiery spirit and a longing to love and be loved, a poor, plain, little governess who dares to love her master, a man superior to her in many ways, and even is brave enough to declare to the man her love for him, cuts a completely new woman image. In this novel Charlotte characterizes Jane Eyre as a naive, kind-hearted, noble-minded woman who pursues a genuine kind of love. Jane Eyre represents those middle-class workingwomen who are struggling for recognition of their basic rights and equality as a human being. The vivid description of her intense feelings and her thought and inner conflicts brings her to the heart of the audience. The selected part is taken from Chapter XXIII, not long after Jane is back from her aunt's funeral. Jane finds herself hopelessly in love with Mr. Rochester but she is aware that her love is out of the question. So, when forced to confront Mr. Rochester, she desperately and openly declared her equality with him and her love for him. The passion described here is intense and genuine.。
英国文学名词解释
1.Romance: a long composition; in verse or in prose; describing the life and adventures of a noble hero; especially for the knight. The most popular theme employed was the legend of King Arthur and the round table knight.2.Ballad民谣: a story told in song; usually in four-line stanzas; with the second and fourth lines rhymed.3.Heroic Couplet英雄偶句诗: a couplet consisting of two rhymed lines of iambic pentameter; and written in an elevated style. 4.Renaissance: a revival or rebirth of the artistic and scientific revival which originated in Italy in the 14th century and gradually spread all over Europe. It has two features: a thirsting curiosity for the classical literature and keen interest in activities of humanity.5.Sonnet 14行诗: 14-line lyric poem; usually written in rhymed iambic pentameter.6.Blank verse无韵诗: poetry written in unrhymed iambic pentameter. 7.Enlightenment启蒙运动: a revival of interest in the old classical works; logic; order; restrained emotion and accuracy. 8.Neoclassicism新古典主义: the Enlightenment brought about a revival of interest in Greek and Roman works. This tendency is known as Neoclassicism.9.Sentimentalism感情主义: it was one of the important trends inEnglish literature of the later decades of the 18 century. It concentrated on the free expression of thoughts and emotions; and presented a new view of human nature which prized feeling over thinking; passion over reason.10.Romanticism: imagination; emotion and freedom are certainly the focal points of romanticism. The particular characteristics of the literature of romanticism include: subjectivity and an emphasis on individualism; freedom from rules; solitary life rather then life in society; the beliefs that imagination is superior to reason; and love of and worship of nature.11.Lake Poets: the English poets who lived in and drew inspiration from the Lake District at the beginning of the 19th century. 12.Byronic Heroes拜伦式英雄: a variant of the Romantic heroes as a type of character enthusiasm; persistence; pursuing freedom; named after the English Romantic Poet Gordon Byron. 13.Aestheticism唯美主义: an art movement supporting the emphasis of aesthetic values more than socio-political themes for literature; fine art; music and other arts.14.Stream-of-Consciousness: it is a literary technique that presents the thoughts and feelings of a character as they occur without any clarification by the author. It is a narrative mode. 15.Dramatic Monologue戏剧独白16.Iambic Pentameter抑扬格五音步: a poetic line consisting of five verse feet; with each foot an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable; that is; with each foot an iamb.17.Epic史诗: a long narrative poem telling about the deeds of a great hero and reflecting the values of the society from which it originated.18.Elegy挽歌: a poem of mourning; usually over the death of an individual; may also be a lament over the passing of life and beauty or a meditation of the nature of death; a type of lyric poem. 19.Spenserian Stanza斯宾塞诗体: a nine-line stanza made up of 8 lines of iambic pentameter ending with an Alexandrine. Its thyme scheme is ababbcbcc. This stanza was common to travel literature.1.杰弗里乔叟:the Father of English Poetry; The Canterbury Tales 埃特伯雷故事集24stories2.Thomas More: Utopia乌托邦- the communication between more and the traveler which just came back from Utopia.3.: the first English Essayist; Essays随笔集- Of Studies; Of Truth philosophical and literary works4. Poet's poet; The Fairy Queen仙后to Queen Elizabeth I四大悲剧:1奥瑟罗叙述摩尔人贵族瑟罗由于听信手下旗官伊阿古的谗言;被嫉妒所压倒;掐死了无辜妻子苔丝狄蒙娜;随后自己也悔恨自杀..奥瑟罗是个襟怀坦白、英勇豪爽的战士;苔丝德蒙娜天真痴情;毅然爱上了他;不顾家庭的反对和社会的歧视;同他结了婚..但是;他们的爱情虽然战胜了种族歧视;却没有逃脱伊阿古的阴谋陷害..伊阿古假装忠诚;心地奸诈;由于升不上副将;就对奥瑟罗怀恨在心;千方百计害死奥瑟罗夫妇;最后自己也得不到好下场..通过这个形象;莎士比亚对原始积累时期新兴资产阶级中的极端利已主义进行了深刻的揭露和批判..2李尔王描写一个专制独裁的昏君;由于刚愎自用;遭受到一场悲惨的结局..悲剧的目的同样在于揭露原始积累时期的利已主义;批判对于权势、财富的贪欲..悲剧还反映了当时广大农民流离失所的英国现实..在第三幕第四场里;李尔被两个女儿驱逐出门以后;跑到暴风雨的荒野;诅咒女儿忘恩负义..在雷电交加中;李尔对穷苦的人们喊道:“衣不蔽体的不幸的人们;无论你们在什么地方;都得忍受着这样无情的暴风雨的袭击;你们的头上没有片瓦遮身;你们的腹中饥肠雷动;你们的衣服千疮百孔;怎么抵挡得了这样的气候呢”这里;莎士比亚通过李尔的口表达了他对无家可归的农民的同情;同时也是对当代现实的揭露..但是;紧接着上面那段话之后;李尔说道:“安享荣华的人们呵;睁开你们的眼睛来;到外面来体味一下穷人所忍受的苦;分一些你们享用不了的福泽给他们;让上天知道你们不是全无心肝的人吧这种求助于剥削阶级发善心以解决社会矛盾的想法;正是一种调和阶级矛盾的人道主义思想..3麦克白野心家麦克白将军从战场上立功凯旋;由于野心的驱使和妻子的怂恿;利用国王邓肯到自己家中作客的机会;弑君而自立;最后;这个血腥的篡位者被邓肯的儿子和贵族麦克德夫所战败而死去..他的妻子也因精神分裂而死..这出悲剧深刻地揭示出个人野心对人所起的腐蚀作用;是莎士比亚心理描写的杰作..4哈姆莱特1601是莎士比亚戏剧创作的最高成就;写的是丹麦王子哈姆莱特为父复仇的故事..悲剧的情节是这样的:丹麦王子哈姆莱特;在德国威登堡大学接受人文主义教育..因为父王突然死去;怀着沉痛的心情回到祖国;不久;母后又同新王——他的叔父结婚;使他更加难堪..新王声言老王是在花园里被毒蛇咬死的;王子正在疑惑时;老王的鬼魂向他显现;告诉他“毒蛇”就是新王;并嘱咐他为父复仇..哈姆莱特认为他这复仇不只是他个人的问题;而是整个社会、国家的问题..他说自己有重整乾坤;挽狂澜于既倒的责任..他考虑问题的各个方面;又怕泄漏心事;又怕鬼魂是假</PGN0315.TXT/PGN>的;怕落入坏人的圈套;心烦意乱;忧郁不欢;只好装疯卖傻..同时;他叔父也怀疑他得知隐秘;派人到处侦察他的行动和心事..甚至利用他的两个老同学和他的情人去侦察他..他趁戏班子进宫演出的机会;改编一出阴谋杀兄的旧戏文贡札古之死叫戏班子演出;来试探叔父..戏未演完;叔父做贼心虚;坐立不住;仓皇退席..这样;更证明叔父的罪行属实..叔父觉得事情不妙;隐私可能已被发觉..宫内大臣波洛涅斯献计;让母后叫儿子到私房谈话;自己躲在帷幕后边偷听;王子发现幕后有人;以为是叔父;便一剑把他刺死..从此;奸王使用借刀杀人法;派他去英国;并让监视他去的两个同学带去密信一封;要英王在王子上岸时就杀掉他;但被哈姆莱特察觉半路上掉换了密信;反而叫英王杀掉了两个密使;他自己却跳上海盗船;脱险回来..回来后知道情人奥菲莉娅因父死、爱人远离而发疯落水溺死..奸王利用波洛涅斯的儿子雷欧提斯为父复仇的机会;密谋在比剑中用毒剑、毒酒来置哈姆莱特于死地..结果;哈、雷二人都中了毒剑;王后饮了毒酒;奸王也被刺死..王子临死遗嘱好友霍拉旭传播他的心愿.. C:鉴赏与品评:莎士比亚的悲剧主要是理想与现实的矛盾和理想的破灭..如哈剧中安排三条复仇线索;以王子复仇为主线;另两条线索穿插糅合其间..李剧中也有两条平行交错的线索..其次;人物形象鲜明;作者善于深入刻画人物的内心世界;使其性格更丰满深刻..如哈姆雷特的着名独白;富有哲理性..麦克白杀人后精神崩溃的过程更是刻画得细腻真切..此外;作者还善于渲染气氛;营造悲剧性的氛围;烘托人物的心理活动..如麦剧中夜与血的形象贯穿始终;阴森恐怖..李剧中暴雨荒原一场;激烈哀愤喜剧:A Midsummer Night's Dream仲夏夜之梦;The Merchant of Venice 威尼斯商人;As You Like It皆大欢喜;Twelfth Night第十二夜悲喜剧:Romeo and Juliet罗密欧与朱丽叶5. Paradise Lost失乐园a revolt against God's authority; Paradise Regained复乐园how Christ overcame Santa ——stories were taken from Bible6.John Bunyan: the son of Renaissance; Pilgrim's Progress天路历程imagination; shadowing; realistic religious allegory7.George Gordon Byron: vigorous; strong and beautiful; Childe Harold's Pilgrimage恰尔德哈罗尔德游记spenserian stanza; fights for liberty; Don Juan唐璜a broad critical picture of European life; When We Two Parted昔日依依别;She Walks in Beauty她走在美的光影中;The Isles of Greece哀希腊8.: Ode to the West Wind西风颂-赞颂西风;希望与其紧密相连; Prometheus Unbound解放了的普罗米修斯the victory for man's struggle against tyranny and oppression9.Jane Austen: wit; dry humour; subtle irony;realistic; Pride and Prejudice傲慢与偏见Elizabeth and Darcy;Sense and Sensibility理智与情感;Emma爱玛10.: critical realist writer; humour; wit; happy endings; A Tale of Two Cities双城记London & Paris; where there is oppression; there is revolution; David Copperfield大卫科波菲尔;Oliver Twist雾都孤儿;Hard Time艰难时世;Great Expectations远大前程; Dombey and Son董贝父子;Pickwick Papers匹克威克外传11.我已故的公爵夫人 7.The Bronte Sisters: :简·爱是一个心地纯洁、善于思考的女性;她生活在社会底层;受尽磨难..但她有倔强的性格和勇于追求平等幸福的精神..小说以浓郁抒情的笔法和深刻细腻的心理描写;引人入胜地展示了男女主人公曲折起伏的爱情经历;歌颂了摆脱一切旧习俗和偏见..扎根于相互理解、相互尊重的基础之上的深挚爱情;具有强烈的震撼心灵的艺术力量..其最为成功之处在于塑造了一个敢于反抗;敢于争取自由和平等地位的妇女形象.. Emily: Wuthering Heights呼啸山庄:描写吉卜赛弃儿希斯克利夫被山庄老主人收养后;因受辱和恋爱不遂;外出致富;回来后对与其女友凯瑟琳结婚的地主林顿及其子女进行报复的故事..。
英国文学名词解释复习资料
《英国文学》名词解释Active Romanticism: Active romanticism strives to strengthen man's will to live and raise him up against the life around him, against any yoke it would impose, so the general feature of the works of the active romanticists is a dissatisfaction with the bourgeois society, which finds expression in a revolt against oppression and exploitation, so that their writings are filled with strong-willed heroes, formidable events, tragic situations, powerful conflicting passions, and exotic pictures. Active romanticists were younger poets like Byron, Shelley and Keats.AlliterationIn poetry: the repetition of sounds in closely associated words. The term is usually applied to the repetition of consonants, particularly when they are the first letter of the words, but can apply to any stressed consonants. The term is sometimes used to refer to repeated vowel sounds, though the term more often used in this case is …assonance‟. e.g. O wild West WindElizabethan Drama:Elizabethan drama refers to the plays produced while Queen Elizabeth reigned in England, from 1558 until 1603. The most popular types of Elizabethan plays were histories of England‟s rulers, but revenge dramas and bawdy comedies also drew significant crowds. Although Shakespeare was the most prolific and certainly the most famous of the Elizabethan dramatists, other popular playwrights of the period included Christopher Marlowe and Ben Johnson.English Renaissance: The English Renaissance was a cultural and artistic movement in England dating from the late 15th and early 16th centuries to the early 17th century. The beginning of the English Renaissance is often taken as 1485, and the Elizabethan period in the second half of the 16th century is usually regarded as the height of the English Renaissance, which lasted until the mid 17th century.Enlightenment Movement: A progressive intellectual movement starting in France and spreading England in the 18th century. Its purpose was to enlighten the whole world with modern philosophical and artistic ideas. The enlighteners fought against class inequality, prejudices, and other survivals of feudalism and celebrated reason, rationality, equality and science.Epic: An epic is an extended narrative poem in elevated or dignified language,celebrating the feats of a legendary or traditional hero.First-Person Point of View: a point of view in which an "I" or "we" serves as the narrator of a piece of fiction. The narrator may be a minor character, observing the action, or the main protagonist of the story. In addition, a first-person narrator may be reliable or unreliable.Gothic Novel/Romance: Gothic novel is a type of romantic fiction that predominated one phase of the Romantic movement. Its principal elements are violence, horror, and the supernatural. They are so named because “Gothic” architecture such as castles or monasteries equipped with subterranean passages, dark battlements, hidden panels, and trapdoors dating from the middle ages is invariably the setting for the elements of horror in them. The first genuine Gothic romance in 18th century English literature is Horace Walpole‟s The Castle of Otranto, which is believed to have begun the tradition of gothic romance in English literature.Heroic Couplet: Heroic couplet is a verse form used in Epic poetry, with lines of 10 syllables and five stresses (Iambic pentameter), in rhyming pairs as AABBCC….. It was perfected by Alexander Pope.Imagism / ImagistThe Imagists were a group of poets who were influenced by Ezra Pound. Imagism, the Imagist movement, which originated in London and was prominent in England and America from around 1912 to 1917, was crucial to the development of Modernist poetry. These poets aimed to free poetry from the conventions of the time by advocating a free choice of rhythm and subject matter, the diction of speech, and the presentation of meaning through the evocation of clear, precise, visual images.Among the poets associated with Ezra Pound in this movement were Hilda Doolittle, Amy Lowell, and William Carlos Williams. Pound later associated himself with Vorticism旋涡主义, and Amy Lowell took over the leadership of the Imagist movement. Many English and American poets were influenced by Imagism, such as D.H. Lawrence, T. S. Eliot, Conrad Aiken, Marianne Moore, and Wallace Stevens.Imagery: The art of using expressive images in art, literature, or music to present ideas or feelings. Images created in a literary work may not be only of the visual sense, but also of sensation (touch, taste, smell, sound, orientation) and emotion.Limited Omniscient: said when the narrator tells the story in the third person, but tells it from the viewpoint of one (sometimes more) character(s) in the story. This unnamed narrator knows everything about the main character, but does not reveal the inner thoughts of other characters.Magic realismFiction which displays a mingling of the mundane with the fantastic, giving the narrative dual dimensions of realism and fantasy. One of its purposes is to draw attention to the fact that all narrative is an invention. The technique is mainly associated with South American writers, such as Jorge Luis Borges and Gabriel García Márquez, but has also been used by writers such as the British Angela Carter, and the Anglo-Indian Salman Rushdie.Middle Ages: the period in Western European history that followed the disintegration of the West Roman Empire in the 4th and 5th cent, and lasted into the 15th cent., i.e., into the period of the Renaissance.Middle English:the English language from about 1100 to about 1450, from which the Scots of Lowland Scotland and other modern dialects developed.Modern English:the English language since about 1450, esp. any of the standard forms developed from the S. East Midland dialect of Middle English.Neoclassicism:Following the archaeological rediscovery of Herculaneum and Pompeii in the 18th century, there was a renewed interest in the culture of ancient Rome and, subsequently, ancient Greece. This period (1660-1798) is generally designated as neoclassicism. In literature, neoclassicists thought that all forms of literature were to be modeled after the classical works of the ancient Greek and Roman writers and those of the contemporary French ones. They held that the artistic ideals should be order, logic, restrained emotion and accuracy, and literature should be judged in terms of its service to humanity.Ode: Ode is a type of lyrical verse which is elaborately structured praising or glorifying an event or individual, describing nature intellectually as well as emotionally. There are three typical forms of odes: the Pindaric, Horatian, and irregular. Pindaric odes follow the form and style of Pindar(Thomas Gray‟s “The Progress of Poesy” and “The Bard.”). Horatian odes follow conventions of Horace (“Ode on a Grecian Urn” and “Ode to aNightingale”). Irregular odes are rhyming, but they do not employ the three-part form of the Pindaric ode nor the regular stanzas of the Horatian ode.Old English literature: Literature extending from about 450 to 1066, the year of Norman Conquest.Old English:the English language from the time of the earliest settlements in the fifth century AD to about 1100. The main dialects were West Saxon (the chief literary form), Kentish, and Anglian. Also called Anglo-Saxon.Passive Romanticism: Romanticism prevailed in England during the period 1798-1832. Some romantic writers reflected the thinking of classes ruined by the bourgeoisie, and by way of protest against capitalist development turned to the feudal past as their ideal. These were the elder and sometimes called passive or escapist romanticists, represented by Wordsworth, Coleridge and Southey.Petrarchan sonnet: The Petrarchan sonnet (also Italian sonnet) was first developed by the Italian humanist and writer, Francesco Petrarca. The original Italian sonnet form divides the poem's 14 lines into two parts, an octave (first eight lines) and a sestet (last six lines). The rhyme scheme for the octave is typically abba abba. The sestet is more flexible. Petrarch typically used cde cde or cdc dcd for the sestet.Protagonist: The leading character, hero, or heroine of a drama or other literary work.Realism / social realism / Socialist realismBroadly - writing about people and settings which could really exist, and events which could really happen. In particular the term Realism refers to a movement of nineteenth-century European art and literature which rejected Classical models and Romantic ideals in favour of a realistic portrayal of actual life in realistic settings, often focusing on the harsher aspects of life under industrialism and capitalism. Forerunners in literature were the French novelist Honoré de Balzac (1799-1850), and the English novelist George Eliot (1819-1880). In the twentieth century the writing of the Angry Young Men can be seen as a reassertion of the values of realism.…Social realism‟, a term borrowed from art criticism, is often used synonymously with …realism‟.…Socialist realism‟ refers to literature or criticism presented from the Marxist viewpoint.RomanticismRomanticism was a movement prevalent in European art, music, and literature in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The style was revolutionary in that it emphasized subjective experience, and favoured innovation over adherence to traditional or Classical forms, and the expression of feeling over reason. In English literature, William Wordsworth (1770-1850) and Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834) werefirst-generation or passive Romantic poets, and Byron (1788-1824), Shelley (1792-1822), and Keats (1795-1821) were second-generation or active Romantics.Renaissance: Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. As a cultural movement, it encompassed a flowering of literature, science, art, religion, and politics, and a resurgence of learning based on classical sources, the development of linear perspective in painting, and gradual but widespread educational reform.Rhyme: “R hyme (rime)” is a repetition of similar sounds in two or more words and is most often used in poetry and songs. Normally the last stressed vowel in the line and all sounds following it make up the rhyming element: this may be a monosyllable, or two syllables, or even three syllables, which are regarded a s “perfect rhyme.” Departures from this norm include general rhyme, eye rhyme, and mirror rhyme.Romance: A popular literary form in the medieval period, using a long, narrative verse or prose to sing knightly adventures or other heroic deeds, in which romantic love is an important part of the plot.Stream of consciousnessSometimes called …continuous monologue‟. Literary technique developed in the 1920s, as part of Modernism which attempts to reproduce the moment-to-moment flow of subjective thoughts and p erceptions in an individual‟s mind. The technique was used by Dorothy Richardson, James Joyce, and Virginia Woolf. The term was originally coined by the American philosopher and psychologist William James in Principles of Psychology (1890).SymbolismThe Symbolist movement originated in France with the volume of poetry Les Fleurs du Mal (1857) by Charles Baudelaire (1821-1867), and was taken up by such poets as Stéphane Mallarmé, Paul Verlaine, Arthur Rimbaud, and Jules Laforgue. They aimed to break away from the formal conventions of French poetry, and attempted to express the transitory perceptions and sensations of inner life, rather than rational ideas. They believed in the imagination as the arbiter of reality, were interested in the idea of acorrespondence between the senses, and aimed to express meaning through the sound patterns of words and suggestive, evocative images, rather than by using language as a medium for statement and argument.The Symbolists were a major influence on British, Irish, and American writers such as W. B. Yeats, Ezra Pound, T. S. Eliot, Dylan Thomas, e e cummings, Wallace Stevens, and William Faulkner.Viewpoint / Point of viewThe viewpoint which the reader shares while reading a narrative. Fiction writers use three main viewpoints: 1. The omniscient (all-knowing) narrator's viewpoint. The narrator of the story theoretically knows everything about all the characters. Referring to them in the third-person, the author can tell us about the characters in an objective way and switch between them at will, showing us what each is doing thinking and feeling at any time. 2. The first-person viewpoint, in which the narrator speaks as 'I' and conveys the story through his/her own subjective experience. 3. The viewpoint of the main character, or characters, in the story, but conveyed in the third-person. Here the narrative is ostensibly being presented by a narrator, in that we read 'she did this', or 'he did that', but the narrator's viewpoint is merged with that of the character(s) so that everything in the story is seen through the subjective experience of the character(s). Shakespearean Sonnet:The sonnet form used by Shakespeare, composed of three quatrains and a terminal couplet in iambic pentameter with the rhyme pattern abab cdcd efef gg. Shakespearean sonnet is also called Elizabethan sonnet, or English sonnet. Third Person Omniscient:the point of view with which t he narrator can, and usually does, report the inner feelings and thoughts of characters. The narrator is usually not an actual character in story but an invisible storyteller who can see and report anything. Third-Person Objective:the point of view with which the facts of a narrative are reported by a seemingly neutral, impersonal observer or recorder.Tragedy:A drama or literary work in which the main character is brought to ruin or suffers extreme sorrow, especially as a consequence of a tragic flaw, moral weakness, or inability to cope with unfavorable circumstances.Metaphysical Poetry: Metaphysical poetry is a term commonly used to name the work of the 17th-century writers who wrote under the influences of John Donne, who tried to break away from the Elizabethan love poetry. Less concerned with expressing feeling than with analyzing it, Metaphysical poetry is marked by bold and ingenious conceits. The form is frequently that of an argument with the poet‟s beloved, with God or with himself.。
英国文学 名词解释
1.Romance: a long composition, in verse or in prose, describing the life and adventures of a noble hero, especially for the knight. The most popular theme employed was the legend of King Arthur and the round table knight.2.Ballad民谣: a story told in song, usually in four-line stanzas, with the second and fourth lines rhymed.3.Heroic Couplet英雄偶句诗: a couplet consisting of two rhymed lines of iambic pentameter, and written in an elevated style.4.Renaissance: a revival or rebirth of the artistic and scientific revival which originated in Italy in the 14th century and gradually spread all over Europe. It has two features: a thirsting curiosity for the classical literature and keen interest in activities of humanity.5.Sonnet 14行诗: 14-line lyric poem, usually written in rhymed iambic pentameter.6.Blank verse无韵诗: poetry written in unrhymed iambic pentameter.7.Enlightenment启蒙运动: a revival of interest in the old classical works, logic, order, restrained emotion and accuracy.8.Neoclassicism新古典主义: the Enlightenment brought about a revival of interest in Greek and Roman works. This tendency is known as Neoclassicism.9.Sentimentalism感情主义: it was one of the important trends in English literature of the later decades of the 18 century. It concentrated on the free expression of thoughts and emotions, and presented a new view of human nature which prized feeling over thinking, passion over reason. 10.Romanticism: imagination, emotion and freedom are certainly the focal points of romanticism. The particular characteristics of the literature of romanticism include: subjectivity and an emphasis on individualism; freedom from rules; solitary life rather then life in society; the beliefs that imagination is superior to reason; and love of and worship of nature.11.Lake Poets: the English poets who lived in and drew inspiration from the Lake District at the beginning of the 19th century.12.Byronic Heroes拜伦式英雄: a variant of the Romantic heroes as a type of character( enthusiasm, persistence, pursuing freedom), named after the English Romantic Poet Gordon Byron.13.Aestheticism唯美主义: an art movement supporting the emphasis of aesthetic values more than socio-political themes for literature, fine art, music and other arts.14.Stream-of-Consciousness: it is a literary technique that presents the thoughts and feelings of a character as they occur without any clarification by the author. It is a narrative mode. 15.Dramatic Monologue戏剧独白16.Iambic Pentameter抑扬格五音步: a poetic line consisting of five verse feet, with each foot an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable, that is, with each foot an iamb.17.Epic史诗: a long narrative poem telling about the deeds of a great hero and reflecting the values of the society from which it originated.18.Elegy挽歌: a poem of mourning, usually over the death of an individual; may also be a lament over the passing of life and beauty or a meditation of the nature of death; a type of lyric poem. 19.Spenserian Stanza斯宾塞诗体: a nine-line stanza made up of 8 lines of iambic pentameter ending with an Alexandrine. Its thyme scheme is ababbcbcc. This stanza was common to travel literature.1.(杰弗里乔叟):the Father of English Poetry; The Canterbury Tales《埃特伯雷故事集》(24stories)2.Thomas More: Utopia《乌托邦》- the communication between more and the traveler which just came back from Utopia.3.: the first English Essayist; Essays《随笔集》- Of Studies, Of Truth (philosophical and literary works)4. Poet's poet; The Fairy Queen《仙后》(to Queen Elizabeth I)四大悲剧:(1)《奥瑟罗》叙述摩尔人贵族瑟罗由于听信手下旗官伊阿古的谗言,被嫉妒所压倒,掐死了无辜妻子苔丝狄蒙娜,随后自己也悔恨自杀。
British Literature英国文学名词解释,整理背诵
British Literature英国文学名词解释,背诵第一章:Old and Medieval British Literature(中古时期英国文学)Alliteration (头韵): It is the repetition of the initial consonant sounds in poetry. In 0ld English alliterative meter, alliteration is the principal organizing device of the verse line, such as in Beowulf.Ваllаd (民谣): It is a relatively short narrative poem, written to be sung, with a simple and dramatic action. The ballads tell of love, death, the supernatural, or a combination of these. Two characteristics of the ballad are incremental repetition and the ballad stanza. Incremental repetition repeats one or more lines with small but significant variations that advance the action. The ballad stanza has four lines; commonly, the first and third lines contain four feet or accents, the second and fourth lines contain three feet. Ballads often open abruptly, present brief description and use concise dialogue.Old English period (the Anglo-Saxon period): 1) The Old English period, extended from the invasion of Celtic England by Germanic tribes (the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes) in the first half of the fifth century to the conquest of England in 1066 by the Norman French under the leadership of William the Conqueror. 2)Only after they had been converted to Christianity in the seventh century did the Anglo-Saxons, whose earlier literature had been oral, begin to develop a written literature.Consonance (假韵): It refers to the repetition of similar consonant sounds in a group of words. Sometimes the term refers to the repetition of consonant sounds in the middle or at the end of words. Sometimes the term is used for slant rhyme (or partial rhyme)in which initial and final consonants are the same but the vowels different: litter/ letter , green/groan.Couplet (两行诗): It refers to the two consecutive lines of poetry that rhyme. A heroic couplet is an iambic r pentameter couplet.Epic (史诗): Epic, in poetry, refers to a long work dealing with the actions of gods and heroes,Imagery (意象) : Words or phrases that create pictures or images in the readers‘mind. Images can appeal to other senses as well: touch, taste, smell and hearing.Kenning (隐喻表达法): In old English poetry, an elaborate phrase that descries persons, thing or events in a metaphorical and indirect way.Legend (传奇): A song or narrative handed down from the past. Legend differs from myths on the basis of the elements of historical truth they contain.Ottava Rima ( 八行体): A form of eight-line stanza, the rhyme scheme is abababcc.Romance (罗曼史/骑士文学): Any imagination literature that is set in an idealized world and deals with heroic adventures and battles between good characters and villains or monsters. Originally, the term referred to a medieval tale dealing with the loves and adventures of kings, queens, knights and ladies, and including unlikely or supernatural happenings. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (高文爵士与绿衣骑士) is the best of medieval romances. John Keats‘The Eve of St. Agnes (圣爱格尼斯节前夕) is one of the greatest metrical romances ever written.Simile (明喻): A comparison made between two things through the use of a specific word of comparison, such as like, as, than or resemble, and the comparison must be between two essentially unlike things.Understatement (含蓄): It is a figure of speech in literature writing. It deliberately represents something as very much less in magnitude or importance than it really is, or is ordinarily considered to be. The effect usually is ironic.Middle English period: The four and a half centuries between the Norman Conquest in 1066, which effected radical changes in the language, life, and culture of England, and about 1500, when the standard literary language had become recognizably modern English, that is, similar to the language we speak and write today.Arthurian legend: It is a group of tales (in several languages) that developed in the Middle Ages concerning Arthur, semi-historical king of the Britons and his knights. The legend is a complex weaving of ancient Celtic mythology with later traditions around a core of possible historical authenticity.第二章:British Literature of the Renaissance Period (文艺复兴时期英国文学)Allegory (寓言): A tale in verse or prose in which characters, actions, or settings represent abstract ideas or moral qualities. An allegory is a story with two meanings: a literal meaning and a symbolic meaning.Aphorism (格言): A concise, pointed statement expressing a wise or clever observation about life.Blank verse (无韵体诗): Verse written in unrhymed iambic pentameter. It is the verse form used in some of the greatest English poetries, including that of William Shakespeare and John Milton.Comedy (喜剧): In general, a literary work that ends happily with a healthy ,amicable armistice between the protagonist and society.Essay (散文): A piece of prose writing, usually short, that deals with a subject in a limited way and expresses a particular point of view. An essay may be serious or humorous, tightly organized or rambling, restrained or emotional. The two general classifications of essay are: the informal essay and the formal essay. An informal essay is usually brief and is written as if the writer is talking informally to the readers about some topic, using a conversational style and a personal or humorous tune. By contrast, a formal essay is tightly organized, dignified in style and serious in tone.Foreshadowing (预兆): The use of hints or clues in a narrative lo suggest what will happen later. Writers use foreshadowing to create interest and to build suspense. Sometimes foreshadowing also prepares the reader for the ending of the story.Humanism ( 人文主义): Humanism is the essence of the Renaissance. It emphasizes the dignity of human beings and the importance of the present life. Humanists voiced their beliefs that man was the center of the universe and man did not only have the right to enjoy the beauty of the present life , but had the ability to perfect himself and to perform wonders.Paradox(似非而是): A statement or expression so surprisingly self-contradictory as to provoke us into seeking another sense or context in which it would be true.Morality Play (道德剧) : An outgrowth of Miracle Plays. Morality Play was popular in the 15th and 16th centuries. In it, virtues and vices were personified.Meter (格律) : A generally regular pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables in poetry. The analysis of the meter is called scansion.Miracle Play (奇迹剧) : A popular religious drama of medieval England. Miracle Plays were based on stories of the saints or sacred history.Narrative poem (叙述诗): A Narrative poem refers w a poem that tells a story. It may consist of a series of incidents, as in Homer's The Iliad and The Odysseus, and John Milton's Paradise Lost.Pastoral (牧歌): A type of poem that deals in an idealized way with shepherds and rustic life. Two pastoral poems are Christopher Marlow's The Passionate Shepherd to His Lover and Sir Walter Raleigh's The Nymph’s Reply to the Shepherd.Ralegh’s poem might be called anti-pastoral because of its realistic tone.Poetry (诗歌): The most distinctive characteristics of poetry are form and music. Poetry is concerned with not only what is said but how it is said. Poetry evokes emotions rather than express facts. Poetry means having a poetic experience. Imagination is also an essential quality of poetry. Poetry often leads us to new perceptions, new feelings and experiences of which we have not previously been aware.Quatrain (四行诗): Usually a stanza or poem of four lines. A quatrain can also be any group of four lines unified by a rhyme scheme. Quatrains usually follow an abab, abba or abcb rhyme scheme.Renaissance (文艺复兴): The term originally indicated a revival of classical (Greek and Roman) arts and sciences after the dark ages of medieval obscurantism. Humanism is the essence of Renaissance. The real mainstream of English Renaissance is the Elizabethan drama with William Shakespeare being the leading dramatist.Soliloquy (独白): In drama, an extended speech delivered by a character alone on stage. The character reveals his or her innermost thoughts and feelings directly to the audience, as if thinking aloud.Sonnet (十四行诗): A fourteen-line lyric poem, usually written in rhymed iambic pentameter.A sonnet generally expresses a single theme or idea.Spenserian Stanza (斯宾塞诗节):A nine-line stanza with the flowing rhyme scheme: ababbcbcc. The first eight lines are written in iambic pentameter. The ninth line is written in iambic hexameter and is called an alexandrine.Stanza (诗节):It’s a structural divi sion of a poem, consisting of a series of verse line which usually comprise a recurring pattern of meter and rhyme.Terza rima (三行体): An Italian verse form consisting of a series of thee-line stanzas in which the middle line of each stanza rhymes with the first and third lines of the following stanza.Tragedy (悲剧): In general, a literary work in which the protagonist meets an unhappy or disastrous end. Unlike comedy, tragedy depicts the actions of a central character who is usually dignified or heroic.Trochee (抑扬格):A metrical foot used in formal poetry. It consists of a stressed syllable followed by an unstressed one.University Wits (大学才子):University Wits refers to a group of scholars during the Elizabethan Age who graduated from cither Oxford or Cambridge. They came to London with the ambition to become professional writers. Some of them later became famous poets and playwrights. They were called" University Wis". Robert Greene, Thomas Kyd, Jhon Lyly and Christopher Marlowe were among them. They paved the way, to some extent, for the coming of Shakespeare.Utopia (乌托邦): It is written in a conversation form between More and Hythloday, a returned voyager. It is divided into two books. The first book contains a long discussion on the social conditions of England. The second book describes in detail an ideal communist society, Utopia.Francis Bacon: Francis Bacon (1561-1626), was an English philosopher, statesman, scientist, lawyer, jurist, author and pioneer of the scientific method. He served both as Attorney General and Lord Chancellor of England. Although his political career ended in disgrace, he remained extremely influential through his works, especially as philosophical advocate and practitioner of the scientific method during the scientific revolution. His essays are famous for its brief and wise quotations and the most widely-read works are his essays “Of Studies”, “Of Truth” and “Of Death”.第三章:The 17th Century -The Period of Revolution and Restoration (17世纪资产阶级革命和王朝复辟时期)Assonance (押韵): The repetition of similar vowel sounds, especially in poetry. Assonance is often employed to please the ear or emphasize certain sounds.Carpe Diem (及时行乐):A tradition dating back to classical Greek and Latin poetry and particularly popular among English Cavalier poets. Carpe Diem means literally “seize the day”, that is, “live for today”.Didactic literature (教诲文学):Didactic literature is said to be didactic if it deliberately teaches some moral lessons. The use of literature for such teaching is one of its traditional justifications.Elegy (挽歌): A poem of mourning, usually over the death of an individual. An elegy is a type of lyric poem, usually formal in language and structure, and solemn or even melancholy in tone.Genre (体裁):A literary species or form, e. g·, tragedy, epic, comedy, novel, essay, biography and lyric poem.Metaphor (暗喻): A figure of speech that makes a comparison between two things that are basically dissimilar. Unlike simile, a metaphor does not use a connective word such as like, as, or resemble in making the comparison.Metaphysical poetry (玄学派诗歌) : The poetry of John Donne and other 17th century poets who wrote in a similar style. Metaphysical poetry is characterized by verbal wit and excess, ingenious structure, irregular meter, colloquial language, elaborate imagery, and a drawing-together of dissimilar ideas.Conceit (奇想): Conceit is a far-fetched simile or metaphor; a literary conceit occurs when the speaker compares two highly dissimilar things. Conceit is extensively employed in John Donne's poetry.Paradise Lost: Paradise Lost is an epic poem in blank verse by the 17th-century English poetJohn Milton:The poem concerns the Christian story of “the Fall of Man”: the temptation of Adam and Eve by the fallen angel Satan and their expulsion from the Garden of Eden. Milton's purpose, stated in Book I, is to " justify the ways of God to men and elucidate the conflict between God's eternal foresight and free will.blank verse: Blank verse is a type of poetry, distinguished by having a regular meter, but no rhyme. In English, the meter most commonly used with blank verse has been iambic pentameter (as used in Shakespearean plays). The first known use of blank verse in the English language was by Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey. Christopher Marlowe was the first English author to make full use of the potential of blank verse, and also established it as the dominant verse form for English drama in the age of Elizabeth I and James I. The major achievements in English blank verse were made by William Shakespeare, who wrote much of the content of his plays in unrhymed iambic pentameter, and Milton, whose Paradise Lost was written in blank verse.第四章: The 18th Century- -The Age of Enlightenment in England (18世纪英国启蒙运动阶段)Aside (旁白): In drama, line spoken by a character in an undertone or directly to the audience. An aside is meant to be heard by the other characters onstage.Classicism (古典主义运动): A movement or tendency in art, literature, or music that reflects the principles manifested in the art of ancient Greece and Rome. Classicism emphasizes the traditional and the universal, and the places value on reason, clarity, balance, and order. Classicism, with its once for reason and universal themes, is traditionally opposed to Romanticism, which is concerned with emotions and personal themes.Enlightenment Movement (启蒙运动):Enlightenment is an intellectual movement that originates in Europe and comes to America in the 18th century. It stresses the power of human reason, the importance of methods and discoveries instead of God. Its purpose is to enlighten the whole world with the light of modern philosophical and artistic ideas. It celebrates reason or rationality, equality and science. It advocates universal education.Denouement (结局): The outcome of a plot. The denouement is that part of a play, short story, novel, or narrative poem in which conflicts are resolved or unraveled, and mysteries and secrets connected with the plot are explained.Epistolary novel (书信体小说): An epistolary novel is a novel told through the medium of letters written by one or more of the characters. The usual form is the letter, but diary entries, newspaper clipping and other documents are sometimes used. The epistolary novel's reliance on subjective points of view makes it the forerunner of the modern psychological novel.Farce (闹剧):A type of comedy based on a ridiculous situation, often with stereotyped characters. The humor in a farce is largely slapstick--that is, it often involves crude physical action. The characters in a farce are often the butts of practical jokes.Fiction (小说) : Prose narrative based on imagination, usually a novel or a short story.Gothic Romance (哥特小说): A type of novel that flourished in the lat-18th and early-19th century in England. Gothic romances are mysteries, often involving the supernatural and heavily tinged with horror, and they are usually against dark backgrounds of medieval ruins and haunted castles.The Graveyard School (墓地派诗歌): The Graveyard School refers to a school of poets of the 18th century whose poems are mostly devoted to a sentimental lamentations or meditation on life, past and present, with death and graveyard as themes. Thomas Gray is considered to be the leading figure of this school and his Elegy Witten in a Country Churchyard is his most representative work.Mock epic (讽刺史诗): A comic literary form that treats a trivial subject in the grand, heroic style of the epic. A mock epic is also referred to as a mock heroic poem.Neoclassicism (新古典主义): A revival in the 17th and 18th centuries of classical standards of order, balance, and harmony in literature. John Dryden and Alexander Pope were major exponents of the neoclassical school.Novel (小说): A book-length fictional prose narrative, having many characters and often a complex plot.Pre-romanticism (前浪漫主义): It originated among the conservative groups of men and letters as a reaction against Enlightenment and found its most manifest expression in the "Gothic Novel”. The term arose from t he fact that the greater part of such romances were devoted to the medieval times.Refrain (叠句): A word phrase, line or group of lines repeated regularly in a poem, usually at the end of each stanza. Refrains are often used in ballads and narrative poems to create a songlike rhythm and to help build suspense. Refrains can also serve to emphasize a particular idea.Satire (讽刺): A kind of writing that holds up to ridicule or contempt the weaknesses and wrong doings of individuals, groups, intuitions, or humanity in general. The aim of satirists is to set a moral standard for society, and they attempt to persuade the readers to see their points of view through the force of laughter.Sentimentalism (感伤主义): Sentimentalism came into being as a result of a bitter discontent on the part of certain enlighteners in social reality. It is a pejorative term to describe false orsuperficial emotion, assumed feeling, self-regarding postures of grief and pain. In literature, it denotes " pathetic indulgence”.Theme (主题): The general idea or insight about life that a writer wishes to express in a literary work. All the elements of a literary work- plot, setting, characterization, and figurative language---contribute to the development of its theme.English Enlightenment: With the advent of the 18th century in England, there sprang into life a progressive intellectual movement known as the Enlightenment or the Age of Reason. The enlighteners held the common faith in human rationality, eternal justice and natural equality. The great enlighteners in Britain were those great writers like Alexander Pope, Joseph Addison, Jonathan Swift and Samuel Johnson.British neoclassicism: In English literature, the stylistic trend between the Restoration and the advent of romanticism at the beginning of the 19th century is referred to as neoclassicism. The term " neoclassicism” is derived from the convictions of the leading poet-critics of the age that literary theory and practice should follow the models established by Greek and Latin writers. These critics held that writers should emphasize types rather than individual characteristics; adhere to " nature " by aspiring to order and regularity; and strictly observe the unities of time, place, and action in dramatic composition. Major British neoclassicists are John Dryden, Alexander Pope and Samuel Johnson."A Modest Proposal":"A Modest Proposal" is a famous satire written by Jonathan Swift. Assuming the cool tone of an impartial outsider, the author suggests that children of the poor Irish people be sold at one year old as food for the English nobles, Written with much conciseness and terseness, the " proposal" is by far the most consummate artistic expression of Swift’s indignation toward the terrible oppression and exploitation of the Irish people by the English ruling class.Picaresque novel: 1) Derived from the Spanish word picara, meaning " rogue" or " rascal”, the term generally refers to a basically realistic and often satiric work of fiction chronicling the career of an engaging, lower-class rogue-hero, who takes to the road for a series of loose, episodic adventures, sometimes in the company of a sidekick. 2) Well-known examples of the picaresque novel are Cervantes Don Quixote (1605) and Henry Fielding's Tom Jones (1749).第五章The Age of Romanticism (浪漫主义时期的英国文学)Byronic hero (拜伦式的英雄) :Byronic hero refers to 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, and 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.Canto (篇/章): A section or division of a long poem. In English poetry , Alexander Pope's The Rape of the Lock (《夺发记》)and Byron's Don Juan (《唐璜》) are divided into cantos.Fable (寓言): A fable is a short story, often with animals as its characters. It illustrates a moral.Lake Poets (湖畔派诗人); Romantic poets such poets as Willian Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge and Robert Southey who lived in the Lake District came to be known as the Lake School or Lake poets.Lyric (抒情诗): Lyric is a poem, usually a short one, which expresses a speaker’s personal thought and feelings. The elegy, ode, and Bonnet are all forms of the lyric.Ode (颂歌) : Usually a lyric poem of moderate length, with a serious subject, an elevated style, and an elaborate stanza pattern. The ode often praises people, the arts of music and poetry, natural scenes, or abstract concepts, The Romantic poets used the ode to explore either personal or general problems; they often started with a meditation on something in nature ,as Keats' Ode to a Nightingale or Shelley's Ode to the West Wind.Romanticism (浪漫主义): A movement that flourished in literature, philosophy, music, and art in Western culture during most of the 19th century, beginning as a revolt against classicism. Romanticism gave primary concern to passion, emotion, and natural beauty. The English Romantic period is an age of poetry.tercet: Tercet refers to a unit of three verse lines, usually rhyming either with each other or with neighboring lines and three-line stanzas of terza rima and of the villanelle are known as tercets.Charles Lamb: Charles Lamb (1775- -1834) was an English essayist, best known for his Essays of Elia and children's book Tales from Shakespeare, which he produced with his sister, Mary Lamb. Lamb has been referred to as the most lovable figure in English literature, and his influence on the English essay form surely cannot be overestimated.第六章The Victorian Period- English Critical Realism (维多利亚时期英国批判现实主义文学)Allusion (暗指/典故): A reference to a person, a pace, an event or a literary work that a writer expects the readers to recognize and respond to. An allusion may be drawn from history, geography, literature or religion.Antagonist (反面人物): A person or force opposing the protagonist in a narrative; a rival of the hero or heroine.Character (角色):In appreciating a short story, characters are indispensable elements. Characters are the persons presented in a dramatic or narrative work. Forst divides characters into two types: flat character, which is presented without much individualizing detail; and round character, which is complex in temperament and motivation and is represented with subtle particularity.Critical Realism (批判现实主义): The Critical Realism of the I9h century flourished in the 1840s and in the beginning of the 1850s. The realists first and foremost set themselves the task of criticizing capitalist society from a democratic viewpoint and delineated the crying contradictions of bourgeois reality. But they did not find way to eradicate social evils. Charles Dickens is the most important critical realist.Dramatic Monologue (戏剧独白): A kind of narrative poem in which one character speaks to one or more listeners whose replies are not given in the poem. The occasion is usually a crucial one in the speaker's personality as well as the incident that is the subject of the poem. Robert Browning's My Last Duchess is a typical example.Flashback (倒叙): A scene in a short story, novel, play or narrative poem that interrupts the action to show an event that happened earlier.Narration (叙述) : Like description, narration is a part of conversation and writing. Narration is the major technique used in expository writing, such as autobiography Successful narration must grow out of good observation, to-the-point selection from observation and clear arrangement of details in logical sequence, which is usually chronological. Narration gives an exact picture of things as they occur.Narrator (陈述者) : One who narrates or tells a story. A story may be told by a first-person narrator, someone who is either a major or minor character in the story. Or a story may be told by a third-person narrator, someone who is not in the story at all. Narrator can also refer to a character in a drama who guides the audience through the play, often commenting on the action and sometimes participating in it.Psychological Novel (心里小说):It refers to a kind of novels that dwell on a complex psychological development and present much of the narration through the inner workings of a character's mind. Thackeray's characterization of Rebecca Sharp is very much psychological.Point of view (叙述角度): The perspective from which the story is told. The most obvious point of view is probably the first person or "I". The omniscient narrator knows everything, may reveal the motivations, thoughts and feelings of the characters, and gives the reader information. With a limited omniscient narrator, the material is presented from the point of view of a character, in the third person. The objective point of view presents the action and the characters' speech, without comment or emotion. The reader has to interpret them and uncover their meanings. A narrator may be trustworthy or untrustworthy, involved or uninvolved.Plot (情节): Plot is the first and most obvious quality of a story. It is the sequence of events or actions in a short story, novel, play or narrative poem. For the readers, the plot is the underlying patter in a work of fiction, the structural element that gives it unity and order. For the writer, the plot is the guiding principle of selection and arrangement. Conflict, a struggle of some kind, is the most important element of plot.Protagonist (正面人物): It refers to the hero or central character who is often hindered by some opposing force either human or animal in accomplishing his or her objectives.Bildungsroman (成长小说): Bildungsroman defines a genre of the novel which focuses on the psychological and moral growth of the protagonist from youth to adulthood, and in which characters' change is thus extremely important. In a Bildungsroman, the goal is maturity. Charles Dickens' David Copperfield is a classic Bildungsroman.Victorian period: 1) Chronologically the Victorian period roughly coincides with the reign of Queen Victoria who ruled over England from 1836 to 1901. The period has been generally regarded as one of the most glorious in the English history. 2) In this period, class struggle was very tense. As a result, a new literary trend- critical realism appeared. The criticism of the 19th century flourished in the forties and in the early fifties. The critical realists described with much vividness and great artistic skill the chief traits of the English society and criticized the capitalist system from a democratic view point. In this period, the novel became the most widely read and the most vital and challenging expression of progressive thought. The Victorian age also produced a host of great prose writers. The poetry of this period was mainly characterized by experiments with new styles and new ways of expression. 3) Victorian literature as a product of its age, naturally took on its quality of magnitude and diversity. It was many-sided and complex, and reflected both romantically and realistically the great changes that were going on in people's life and thought.第七章:The 20th Century British Literature (20世纪英国文学)Aestheticism or the Aesthetic Movement (唯美主义): It began to prevail in Europe in the middle of the 19th century. The theory of " art for art's sake" was first put forward by the French poet Theophile Gautier. They declared that art should serve no religious, moral or social purpose. The two most important representatives of aestheticists in English literature are Walt Pater and Oscar Wilde.Black comedy or Black humor (黑色幽默): It is mostly employed to describe baleful, naive, or inept characters in a fantastic or nightmarish modern world playing out their roles in what Ionesco call a" tragic fare”, in which the events are often simultaneously comic, horrifying, and absurd. Joseph Heller’s Catch-22 can be taken as an example of the employment of this technique.。
英国文学 名词解释
Allegory:寓言a story or description in which the characters and events symbolize some deeper underlying meaning, and serve to spread moral teaching.Alliteration:頭韻A poetic device where the first consonant sounds or any vowel sounds in words or syllables are repeated.Allusion:引喻A reference to a familiar literary or historical person or event, used to make an idea more easily understood.Ballad:民謠A short poem that tells a simple story and has a repeated refrain. Ballads were originally intended to be sung. Early ballads, known as folk ballads, were passed down through generations, so their authors are often unknown. Later ballads composed by known authors are called literary ballads.Blank Verse:素體詩unrhymed lines of iambic pentameter.Carpe Diem:A Latin term meaning "seize the day." This is a traditional theme of Poetry, especially lyrics. A carpe diem poem advises the reader or the person it addresses to live for today and enjoy the pleasures of the moment.Two celebrated carpe diem poems are Andrew Marvell's "To His Coy Mistress" and Robert Herrick's poem beginning "Gather ye rosebuds while ye may...."Conceit:奇思妙喻an unusually far-fetched or elaborate metaphor or simile presenting a surprisingly apt parallel between two apparently dissimilar things or feelings.Connotation:暗示The impression that a word gives beyond its defined meaning.Couplet:對聯、兩行詩Two lines of Poetry with the same rhyme and Meter, often expressing a complete and self-contained thought.Epic:史詩A long narrative poem about the adventures of a hero of great historic or legendary importance. The setting is vast and the action is often given cosmic significance through the intervention of supernatural forces such as gods, angels, or demons. Epics are typically written in a classical style of grand simplicity with elaborate Metaphor s and allusions that enhance the symbolic importance of a hero's adventures.Frame story框架故事: a story in which another story is enclosed or embedded as a “tale within a tale”, or which contains several such tales.Heroic Couplet:英雄偶句詩A rhyming couplet written in iambic pentameter (a Verse with five iambic feet).Humanism:人文主義A philosophy that places faith in the dignity of humankind and rejects the medieval perception of the individual as a weak, fallen creature. "Humanists" typically believe in the perfectibility of human nature and view reason and education as the means to that end.Iambic pentametre:抑揚格五音步If a line of a poem has five feet, and in each foot there are two syllables, the first being unstressed, the second, stressed, the line is an iambic pentameter line.Irony:諷刺、反語In literary criticism, the effect of language in which the intended meaning is the opposite of what is stated.Metaphysical Poetry:玄學詩The body of poetry produced by a group of seventeenth-century English writers called the "Metaphysical Poets." The group includes John Donne and Andrew Marvell. The Metaphysical Poets made use of everyday speech, intellectual analysis, and unique imagery. They aimed to portray the ordinary conflict s and contradictions of life. Their poem s often took the form of an argument, and many of them emphasize physical and religious love as well as the fleeting nature of life. Elaborate conceit s are typical in metaphysical poetry.Metaphysical Poets:玄學詩人a group of 17th century English poets whose work is notable for its ingenious use of intellectual concepts in surprising conceits, strange paradoxes, and far-fetched imagery.Oedipus Complex:戀母情結A son's amorous obsession with his mother. The phrase is derived from the story of the ancient Theban hero Oedipus, who unknowingly killed his father and married his mother.Oxymoron:矛盾修飾法A phrase combining two contradictory terms. Oxymorons may be intentional or unintentional.Paradox:駁論A statement that appears illogical or contradictory at first, but may actually point to an underlying truth.Poetic License:詩的破格Distortions of fact and literary convention made by a writer — not always a poet— for the sake of the effect gained. Poetic license is closely related to the concept of "artistic freedom."Renaissance:文藝復興The period in European history that marked the end of the Middle Ages. It began in Italy in the late fourteenth century. In broad terms, it is usually seen as spanning the fourteenth, fifteenth, and sixteenth centuries, although it did not reach Great Britain, for example, until the 1480s or so. The Renaissance saw an awakening in almost every sphere of human activity, especially science, philosophy, and the arts. The period is best defined by the emergence of a general philosophy that emphasized the importance of the intellect, the individual, and world affairs. It contrasts strongly with the medieval worldview, characterized by the dominant concerns of faith, the social collective, and spiritual salvation.Rhyme:韻律When used as a noun in literary criticism, this term generally refers to a poem in which words sound identical or very similar and appear in parallel positions in two or more lines. Rhymes are classified into different types according to where they fall in a line or stanza or according to the degree of similarity they exhibit in their spellings and sounds. Some major types of rhyme are "masculine" rhyme, "feminine" rhyme, and "triple" rhyme. In a masculine rhyme, the rhyming sound falls in a single accent ed syllable, as with "heat" and "eat." Feminine rhyme is a rhyme of two syllables, one stressed and one unstressed, as with "merry" and "tarry." Triple rhyme matches the sound of the accented syllable and the two unaccented syllables that follow: "narrative" and "declarative."Romance: is a tale in verse, embodying the life and adventures of knights. Romance was characteristic of the early feudal age, as it reflected the spirit of chivalry, i. e., the quality and ideal of knightly conduct. The content of romance was usually about love, chivalry, and religion. It generally concerns knights and involves a large amount of fighting as well as a number of miscellaneous adventures;Soliloquy:獨白A monologue in a drama used to give the audience information and to develop the speaker's character. It is typically a projection of the speaker's innermost thoughts. Usually delivered while the speaker is alone on stage, a soliloquy is intended to present an illusion of unspoken reflection.Sonnet:十四行詩A fourteen-line poem, usually composed in iambic pentameter, employing one of several rhyme schemes. There are three major types of sonnets, upon which all other variations of the form are based: the "Petrarchan" or "Italian" sonnet, the "Shakespearean" or "English" sonnet, and the "Spenserian" sonnet. A Petrarchan sonnet consists of an octave rhymed abbaabba and a "sestet" rhymed either cdecde, cdccdc, or cdedce. The octave poses a question or problem, relates a narrative, or puts forth a proposition; the sestet presents a solution to the problem, comments upon the narrative, or applies the proposition put forth in the octave. The Shakespearean sonnet isdivided into three quatrains and a couplet rhymed abab cdcd efef gg. The couplet provides an epigrammatic comment on the narrative or problem put forth in the quatrains. The Spenserian sonnet uses three quatrains and a couplet like the Shakespearean, but links their three rhyme schemes in this way: abab bcbc cdcd ee. The Spenserian sonnet develops its theme in two parts like the Petrarchan, its final six lines resolving a problem, analyzing a narrative, or applying a proposition put forth in its first eight lines.Spenserian stanza:斯賓塞詩體a group of eight lines of iambic pentameter followed by a six-stress iambic line, with a rhyme scheme ababbcbcc.Theme: The main point of a work of literature. The term is used interchangeably with thesis.Tragic Flaw:悲劇性缺陷In a tragedy, the quality within the hero or heroine which leads to his or her downfall.Examples of the tragic flaw include Othello's jealousy and Hamlet's indecisiveness, although most great tragedies defy such simple interpretation.。
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1.epic 史诗:a long narrative poem, grand in style, about heroes and heroic deeds, embodying heroicideals of a nation or race in the making. Beowulf is the English national epic that was passed from mouth to mouth and written down by many unknown hands.2.Conceit:a kind of metaphor that makes a comparison between two startlingly different things. Aconceit usually provides the framework for an entire poem. An especially unusual and intellectual kind of conceit is the metaphysical conceit, used by certain 17th-century poets, such as John Donne..3.Epiphany(顿悟): a sudden revelation of truth about life inspired by a seemingly trivial incident4.Metaphysical poetry:玄学诗派the poetry of John Donne and other 17th-century poets who wrotein a similar style. It is characterized by verbal wit and excess, ingenious structure, irregular meter, colloquial language, elaborate imagery, and a drawing together of dissimilar ideas .5.Stream of consciousness意识流: a kind of writing technique in which a character's perceptions, thoughts, andmemories are presented in an apparently random form, without regard for logical sequence, chronology, or syntax.Often such writing makes no distinction between various levels of reality--such as dreams, memories, imaginative thoughts or real sensory perception.6.heroic couplet 英雄双韵体two successive lines of rhymed poetry in iambic pentameter. Geoffrey Chaucer’s masterpiece The Canterbury Tale was written in heroic couplet.7.ballad meter 民谣体traditionally a four-line stanza containing alternating four-stress and three-stress lines, usually with a refrain and the rhyme scheme of abcb. Robert Burns’ “A Red, Red Rose” is a great love ballad.8.sonnet 十四行诗a fixed form consisting of fourteen lines of 5-foot iambic verse. It first flourished in Italy in the 14thcentury. William Shakespeare was a great English sonnet writer famous for his 154 sonnets.9.iambic pentameter 五步抑扬格the basic line in English verse, with five feet in a line, usually an unaccented syllable followed by an accented syllable. It was probably introduced by Geoffrey Chaucer and certainly established by him in The Canterbury Tales.10.image 意象a concrete representation of an object or sensory experience. Typically, such a representation helpsevoke the feelings associated with the object or experience itself. Many images are conveyed by figurative language. An image may be visual, olfactory, tactile, auditory, gustatory, abstract and kinaesthetic. The rose in Robert Burns’ poem “A Red, Red Rose” is a beautiful image.11.“Dramatic monologue”戏剧独白that is a lyric poem which reveals “ a soul in action” through the conversation of one character in a dramatic situation. T he character is speaking to an identifiable but silent listener at a dramatic monent in the speaker’s life.12.blank verse 无韵诗,素体诗unrhymed iambic pentameter, the most widely used of English verse forms and usually used in English dramatic and epic poetry. William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet is written in blank verse.13.Sonnet is a verse form of fourteen lines, in English characteristically in iambic pentameter and most often in one ofthe two rhyme schemes: the Italian(or Petrarchan) or Shakespearean14.essay 散文a composition, usually in prose, which may be of only a few hundred words or of book length andwhich discusses, formally or informally, a topic or a variety of topics. It is one of the most flexible and adaptable of all literary forms. Francis Bacon is a great essayist; his “Of Studies” is a model of good essay.15.English Romanticism 英国浪漫主义a literary movement that aimed at free expres sion of the writer’s ideas and feelings and flourished inthe early 19th century England. A great representative of this movement is Percy Bysshe Shelley, the author of “Ode to the West Wind”.16.Naturalism自然主义: A literary movement seeking to depict life as accurately as possible, without artificialdistortions of emotion, idealism, and literary convention. The school of thought is a product of post-Darwinian biology in the nineteenth century.17.Sentimentalism感伤主义:It is a literal movement in the middle of the 18th century in England which concentrateson the distressed of the poor unfortunate and virtuous people and demonstrates that effusive emotion was evidence of kindness and goodness.18.Bildungsroman: a novel that traces the initiation, development, and education of a young person. Examples areDickens’s David Copperfield and James Joyce’s Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man.ke poets 湖畔诗人the three romantic poets who lived in the Lake District of England and wrote poems about nature.William Wordsworth was the most famous of the lake poets; he wrote many great nature poems, including “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud”.20.poet laureate 桂冠诗人 A poet honored for his artistic achievement or selected as mostrepresentative of his country or era; in England, a court official appointed by the sovereign, whose original duties included the composition of odes in honor of the sovereign’s birthday and in celebration of state occasions of importance. William Wordsworth became poet laureate in 1843. 21.Realism现实主义: An elastic and ambiguous term with two meanings. (1) First, it refers generally to any artistic orliterary portrayal of life in a faithful, accurate manner, unclouded by false ideals, literary conventions, or misplaced aesthetic glorification and beautification of the world. It is a theory or tendency in writing to depict events in human life in a matter-of-fact, straightforward manner.22.Allegory is a tale in verse or prose in which characters, actions, or settings represent abstract ideas ormoral qualities. Thus, an allegory is a story with two meaning, a literal meaning and a symbolic meaning.23.Byronic hero is a character-type found in Byron’s narrative Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage. He is aboldly defiant but bitterly self-tormenting outcast, proudly contemptuous of social norms but suffering for some unnamed sin. Emily Bronte’s Heath cliff is a later example.24.启蒙运动:The 18th century marked the beginning of an intellectual movement in Europe, known as theEnlightenment, which was, on the whole, an expression of struggle of the bourgeoisie against feudalism. The enlighteners fought against class inequality, stagnation, prejudices and other survivals of feudalism. They attempt to place all branches of science at the service of mankind by connecting them with the actual needs and requirements of people.25.English Renaissance 英国文艺复兴the literary flowering of England in the late 16th century and early 17th century, with humanism as its keynote. William Shakespeare’s Hamlet is considered the summit of this renaissance.。