英美文选读1

Part One: English Literature

An Introduction to Old and Medieval English Literature

I Understanding and application: (理解应用)

1. England’s inhabitants are Celts. And it is conquered by Romans, Anglo Saxons and Normans. The Anglo-Saxons brought the Germanic language and culture to England, while Normans brought the Mediterranean civilization, including Greek culture, Rome law and the Christian religion. It is the cultural influence of these two conquests that provided the source for the rise and growth of English literature.

2. The old English literature extends from about 450 to 1066, the year of the Norman conquest of England.

3. The old English poetry that has survived can be divided into two groups: The religious group and the secular one

4. Beowulf: a typical example of Old English poetry is regarded as the national epic of the Anglo-Saxons. It is an example of the mingling of nature myths and heroic legends.

5. After the Norman’s conquest, three languages co-existed in England. French is the official language that is used by king and the Norman lords. Latin is the principal tongue of church affairs and in universities. Old English was spoken only by the common English people.

6. In the second half of 14th century, English literature started to flourish with the appearance of writers like Geoffrey Chaucer, William Langland, John Gower, and others

II Recite: (识记再现)

1. Romance:

①It uses narrative verse or prose to sing knightly adventures or other heroic deeds is

a popular literary form in the medieval period.

②It has developed the characteristic medieval motifs of the quest, the test, the meeting with the evil giant and the encounter with the beautiful beloved.

③The hero is usually the knight, who sets out on a journey to accomplish some missions. There are often mysteries and fantasies in romance.

④Romantic love is an important part of the plot in romance.

Characterization is standardized, While the structure is loose and episodic, the language is simple and straightforward.

⑤The importance of the romance itself can be seen as a means of showing medieval aristocratic men and women in relation to their idealized view of the world.

2. Heroic couplet:

Heroic couplet is a rhymed couplet of iambic pentameter. It is Chaucer who used it for the first time in English in his work The Legend of Good Woman.

3. The theme of Beowulf:

The poem presents a vivid picture of how the primitive people wage heroic struggles against the hostile forces of the natural world under a wise and mighty leader. The poem is an example of the mingling of the nature myths and heroic legends.

4. The Wife of Bath in The Canterbury Tales:

The Wife of Bath is depicted as the new bourgeois wife asserting her independence. Chaucer develops his characterization to a higher artistic level by presenting characters with both typical qualities and individual dispositions.

5. Chaucer’s achievement:

①He presented a comprehensive realistic picture of his age and created a whole gallery of vivid characters in his works, especially in The Canterbury Tales.

②He anticipated a new ear, the Renaissance, to come under the influence of the Italian writers.

③He developed his characterization to a higher level by presenting characters with both typical qualities and individual dispositions.

④He greatly contributed to the maturing of English poetry. Today, Chaucer’s reputation has been securely established as one of the best English poets for his wisdom, humor and humanity.