英国文学史部分名词解释

Epic

A lengthy narrative poetry, concerning a serious subject containing details of heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation. Vast setting covering many nations, the world or the universe; the use of epithets, features long and formal speeches. Celebrating heroic feats.

Enlightenment

The 18th century marked the beginning of the Enlightenment. An struggle of the bourgeoisie against feudalism. The enlighteners fought against class inequality, prejudices and other survivals of feudalism. They tried to place all branches of science with actual needs and requirements of people. Authors criticized different aspects of contemporary England, discussed social problems and touched upon morality and private life. They intended to reform social life, and mainly appealed to the middle class readers. Classicism: Addison and Steele

Renaissance

The rise of the bourgeoisie showed its influence in the sphere of cultural life. Renaissance is an intellectual movement. Two features: 1st a thirsting curiosity for the classical literature, Old manuscripts were dug out. 2nd keen interest in the activities of humanity. New feeling of admiration for human beauty and human achievement, arose the thought of humanism. The introduction of printing to England brought classical works.

mock epic

Mock-heroic or heroi-comic works are typically satires or parodies that mock common Classical stereotypes of heroes and heroic literature. Typically, mock-heroic works to insert the heroic work by either putting a fool in the role of the hero or by exaggerating the heroic qualities to such a point that they become absurd. (Mock-Heroic style of The Rape of the Lock)

Stream of consciousness

A narrative device used in literature “to depict the multitudinous thoughts and feeli ngs which pass through the mind. Another phrase for it is 'interior monologue'. ” In literary criticism, stream of consciousness is a narrative mode that seeks to portray an individual's point of view by giving the written equivalent of the character's thought processes, either in a loose interior monologue, or in connection to his or her actions. Stream-of-consciousness writing is usually regarded as a special form of interior monologue and is characterized by associative leaps in thought and lack of punctuation. It is primarily a fictional device.

parody

A parody is an imitative work created to mock, comment on or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of satiric or ironic imitation. As the literary theorist Linda Hutcheon puts it, "parody … is imitation, not always at the expense of the parodied text." Another critic, Simon Dentith, defines parody as "any cultural practice which provides a relativelypolemical allusive imitation of another cultural production or practice." Parody may be found in art or culture, including literature, music (although "parody" in music has an earlier, somewhat different meaning than for other art forms), animation, gaming and film.