1、精選文檔 A Brief Outline of British Literature History1. Medieval Literature (5 A.D. -1485) (中世紀文學(xué))Geoffrey Chaucer (13401400 )2. The English Renaissance (1500-1625) (文藝復(fù)興時期文學(xué))Thomas More （14781535）Edmund Spenser（15521599）Christopher Marlowe（15641593）Francis Bacon （15611626）William Shakespeare （15641616

2、）3. The Seventeenth century (17th century)( 17 世紀文學(xué))John Milton （16081674）John Donne （15721631）John Bunyan （16281688）4. English Enlightenment and neo-Classicism (17th century -18th century ) (英國啟蒙運動和新古典主義文學(xué))Alexander Pope （16881744）Jonathan Swift （16671745）Daniel Defoe （16601731）Henry Fielding （1707

3、1754）5. Romanticism in England (1798-1832) (浪漫主義時期文學(xué))Robert Burns （17591796）William Blake （17571827）William Wordsworth (17701850)Samuel Taylor Coleridge (17721834)George Gordon Byron(17881824)Percy Bysshe Shelley (17921822)John Keats (1795-1821)6. English Realism (1830s-1918) (現(xiàn)實主義時期文學(xué)) /Victorian A

4、ge (18321901)Robert Browning (18211889)Alfred Tennyson ( 18091892)Jane Austen (17751817) The Bronte SistersCharles Dickens (18121870)William Makepeace Thackeray (18111863) Thomas Hardy (18401928)Joseph Conrad ( 18571924)Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950)7. Modernism (1918-1945) (

5、現(xiàn)代主義文學(xué))T.S. Eliot (18881965)William Butler Yeats (18651939)James Joyce (18821941)Virginia Woolf (18821941)D.H. Lawrence (18851930)1. Medieval Literature (5 A.D. -1485) (中世紀文學(xué))Beowulf貝奧武夫: the national epic of the English people.romance (浪漫傳奇)：the most prevailing kind of literature in feudal EnglandT

6、heme: loyalty to king and lordKing Arthur and his knights of the Round Table亞瑟王和他的圓桌騎士 Sir Gawain and the Green Knight 高文爵士和綠衣騎士 Geoffrey Chaucer (1340- 1400)Literary Position: The father of English poetryMasterpiece: The Canterbury Tales 坎特伯雷故事集（Old English）Literary Achievements: Heroic couplet (英雄

7、雙韻體)2. The English Renaissance (1500-1625) (文藝復(fù)興時期文學(xué))The word “Renaissance” means revival（復(fù)活）. The term originally indicates a revival of classical (Greek and Roman) arts and sciences after the dark ages of medieval obscurantism（蒙昧主義）. Humanism: the essence of RenaissanceEdmund Spenser (1552- 1599):

8、 the poets poet Masterpiece :The Faerie Oueene仙后Thomas More （1478-1535）Masterpiece: Utopia（烏托邦）Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593): most gifted of the University Wits（大學(xué)才子派）. Masterpiece: The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus. 浮士德博士的悲劇 Francis Bacon (1561-1626 ) Literary Position:the founder of modern

9、science in England;one of the earliest essayist(散文家） in English languageMasterpiece : Essays論說文集 Of Studies (論讀書)William Shakespeare(15641616) Literary Position:“not of an age, but for all time”, the greatest giant of English language and poetic form, one of the founders of realism in world literatu

10、re, one of the greatest writers in the worlds literature. Literary Achievements:38 plays (comedies(喜?。? histories（歷史?。? tragedies（悲劇）, tragicomedies/romances（悲喜?。? narrative poems 154 sonnets (Sonnets 1-126 addressed to a young man, Sonnets 127-152 addressed to “Dark Lady”, Sonnets 153-154 addressed

11、 to Cupid, the God of love in Greek mythology )Plays (4 periods)1. First period (1592-1594): His apprenticeship in plays.Historical plays: King Henry VI 亨利六世, Richard 查理三世Comedies: Loves Labours Lost 愛的徒勞2. Second period (1595-1600): Mature period, a marked increase in the knowledge of humanismRomeo

12、 and Juliet羅密歐與朱麗葉(4大喜劇): A Midsummer Nights Dream仲夏夜之夢The Merchant of Venice威尼斯商人As You Like It皆大歡喜Twelfth Night第十二夜3. Third period (1601-1608): Flourishing period, a period of gloomy and depression(4大悲劇): Hamlet漢姆雷特Othello奧賽羅King Lear李爾王Macbeth麥克白4. Fourth period (1608-1612): The period of romanti

13、c drama in the form of tragicomediesReconciliation plays: The Winters Tale冬天的童話, The Tempest暴風雨3. The Seventeenth century (17th century)( 17 世紀文學(xué)) Historical background1. The English revolution（英國革命） and the Restoration（王朝復(fù)辟）. Causes: the conflict between the monarch and Parliament; the persecution

14、of the Puritans2. The bourgeois Dictatorship and the Restoration Glorious Revolutiona bloodless revolution The constitutional monarchy.John Milton (16081674) Literary Position A master of the Blank verse The greatest English revolutionary poet of the 17th century One of the greatest poets of the Eng

15、lish language Literary AchievementsPoems Paradise Lost 失樂園(1667): his masterpieceThe greatest epic in English literature.Paradise Regained (1671) 復(fù)樂園Samson Agonistes (1671) 力士參孫Paradise Lost失樂園John Milton1. Introduction Long epic in 12 books Written in blank verse Based on Genesis創(chuàng)世紀in the Old Testa

16、ment Dramatizes the Biblical account of humanitys banishment.2. ThemeMiltons aimed purpose: “justify the ways of God to man”（昭示天道對人的公正）Real purpose: Challenge the restored monarch God tyrannical, represents the kingSatan rebelling against monarchLove between Adam and Eve human pursuit for happiness,

17、 the spirit of Renaissance3. Writing featuresMilton style: Sonority洪亮, Eloquence雄辯, Majesty尊嚴, Grandeur壯美The blank verseLong and involved sentencesJohn Donne (1572-1631) Literary Positionfounder of Metaphysical School（玄學(xué)派）the greatest of the metaphysical poets. Literary AchievementsSongs and Sonnets

18、 歌與十四行詩The Flea跳蚤Holy Sonnets圣十四行詩 : Holy Sonnet 10Features of metaphysical poetry: conceits（奇喻）strange paradoxes（悖論）far-fetched （牽強的）imageryJohn Bunyan (1628-1688):Masterpiece: The Pilgrims Progress天路歷程4. English Enlightenment and neo-Classicism (17th century -18th century ) (英國啟蒙運動和新古典主義文學(xué)) (1688-

19、1798)Historical Background1. Comparatively peaceful development under the constitutional monarchy A compromise between Tory and Whig The leading navel power in Europe2. The Industrial Revolution 工業(yè)革命 Unprecedented technical innovations Rapid growth of industry and commerceThe Enlightenment An intell

20、ectual movement in Europe began in the late 17th and 18th centuries and ended with the French revolution of 178918th century : Age of Reason/ Age of Enlightenment1. Importancea lasting heritage for the 19th and 20th centuryit marked a key stage in the decline of the church and the growth of modern s

21、ecularism(世俗主義)it served as the model for political and economic liberalism.2. The development of Poetry: neo-Classicism 新古典主義3. Characteristic of neo-Classicism1). Emphasizing reason rather than emotion, form rather than content.2). Didactic and satirical3). Heroic Couplet (英雄雙韻體)4). Town poetry wr

22、iting for the rising bourgeoisieAlexander Pope (1688-1744)Literary Position an outstanding enlightener The greatest and the most important representative of the English classical poetry.The Rise of FictionDaniel Defoe Jonathan Swift Henry Fielding FictionThe mainstream of 18th century literature, &

23、The rise and growth of realistic novel the most prominent achievement of 18th century English literatureDaniel Defoe (1660-1731)Literary PositionFather of English novel Literary Achievements: Robinson Crusoe (1719)魯賓遜漂游記 Defoes masterpiece The first English novel in a real sense The first English re

24、alistic novelRobinson CrusoeDaniel Defoe1. Theme: to sing the praises of human laborto celebrate the strength of human rational will to conquer the natural environmentto beautify colonialism & Negro slavery2. Plot: run away from home become a sailor a planter in Brazil to an uninhabited island becau

25、se of shipwreck made a living there all by himself save a negro named Friday who became his servant back to England visit the remote island again and Friday was killed3. Robinson Crusoes characterization: typical of the rising English bourgeois class, practical, diligent, a restless curiosity to kno

26、w more about the world and a desire to prove individual power in the face of social and natural challenges; shrewd, care about money and good at managing; courageous and intelligent to overcome all kinds of obstaclesJonathan Swift (1667-1745)Literary Positionone of the greatest masters of English Pr

27、osea master satirist（諷刺作家）Style of Swifts prose:simple, clear and vigorous. His famous saying “Proper words in proper places, makes the true definition of a style” influenced a lot later writers.Literary AchievementsBooks The Battle of Books 書籍之戰(zhàn) A Tale of Tub 一個桶子的故事 Gulivers Travels 格列佛游記his maste

28、rpiece: a satire on the whole English society of the 18th century.Pamphlets The Drapers Letters一個布商的書信 A Modest Proposal 一個溫和的建議(A Modest Proposal for Preventing the Children of Poor People in Ireland from Being a Burden to Their Parents)Gulivers Travels格列佛游記Jonathan Swift Plot: Part I: A Voyage to

29、Lilliput Part II: A Voyage to Brobdingnag Part III: A Voyage to Laputa, Balnibarbi, Glubbdubdrib, Luggnagg and Japan Part IV: A Voyage to the Country of the Houyhnhnms Henry Fielding (1707-1754)Literary Achievements The History of Tom Jones, A Founding 棄兒湯姆瓊斯 Literary Position The founder of English

30、 realistic novel-setting up the theory of realism in literary position.5. Romanticism in England (1798-1832) (浪漫主義時期文學(xué))Pre-Romanticism: Latter half of the 18th centuryRobert BurnsWilliam Blake1. Romantic revival A strong protest against the bondage of Classicism (=Formalism) A recognition of the cla

31、ims of passion and emotion.2. Representatives Robert Burns (1759-1796) 羅伯特彭斯 William Blake (1757-1827) 威廉布萊克 Robert Burns (1759-1796) Literary position the national poet of Scotland A poet of the peasants, a poet of the people Literary Achievements Poems chiefly in the Scottish Dialect蘇格蘭方言詩集A Red,

32、Red Rose一朵紅紅的玫瑰, Auld Long Syne昔日時光A Mans A Man for A That.無論何時都要保持尊嚴 My Heart s in the Highlands我的心在高原.Theme Love and friendship The natural beauty of his native Scotland The life and label of the common people The patriotism of his compatriots and their struggle for libertyFeatures of his poetrySc

33、ottish dialect William Blake Literary Position a Pre-Romantic or a forerunner（先驅(qū)） of the Romantic poetry of the 19th century Literary Achievements: Songs of Innocence天真之歌Songs of Experience經(jīng)驗之歌Songs of Innocence天真之歌 Written for children, express the poets delight in life. a lovely volume of poems, p

34、resenting a happy and innocent world without evils and sufferings To depict the happy condition of a child before it knows anything about the pains of experience. Simple without being nave, childlike without being childish, innocent, everything seems to be in harmony. e.g. The Lamb羔羊Songs of Experie

35、nce經(jīng)驗之歌 Much mature work The atmosphere is no longer sunny but sad and gloomy. Presenting a world of misery, poverty, disease, war and repression with a melancholy tone.e.g. The Tiger 老虎The Age of Romanticism (1798-1832)Political and social factors1. The American and French revolution: an upsurge of

36、 national liberation and democratic movements American revolution (1775-1783)The formation of the independent United States. French revolution of 1789“Liberty, equality and fraternity”2. The Industrial Revolution Intellectual Background-Shift from emphasis on reason to instinct and emotion General c

37、haracteristic features (style)1. Subjectivism2. Spontaneity3. Singularity4. Simplicity: everyday language spoken by the rustic people5. A dominating note of melancholy6. A freer verse form Romantic Poetry1. Lake poets (湖畔派詩人)the passive or escapist romanticists: Wordsworth, Coleridge, Southey detest

38、ing the real world, escaping from the reality.2. Revolutionary poets(革命派詩人) (Active or radical) romanticists: Byron, Shelley, Keats striving to strengthen mans will to live and raise him up against the darkness in the world.Lake Poets (湖畔派詩人)William WordsworthSamuel Taylor ColeridgeRobert SoutheyWil

39、liam Wordsworth (1770-1850) Literary PositionPoet Laureate 桂冠詩人 （1843）the best and the most famous romantic poetA great poet of nature Literary Achievements Lyrical Ballads (1798) 抒情歌謠集 : The Prelude (1850) 序曲： Wordsworths autobiographical poem. Major works:I wondered lonely as a cloud 我好似一朵流云獨自漫游Lu

40、cy Poems 露西The Solitary Reaper 孤獨的收割女 Major concern1. Nature 2. The life of ordinary people Poetic features Simplicity and purity of his language.Lyrical Ballads (1798) 抒情歌謠集William Wordsworth1. Written by Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge2. Marked the break with the conventional poetic traditi

41、on of 18th century classicism, and the beginning of romanticism in English poetry3. The preface serves as the manifesto of the English romantic movements in poetry.4. The principle of poetry: “All good poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feeling.” “所有好詩都是強烈感情的自然流露.”William WordsworthSamue

42、l Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834) Literary position Poet, critic, and philosopher of Romanticism. Literary Achievement The Rime of the Ancient Mariner(1798)古舟子吟 Kubla Khan (1816)忽必烈汗Robert Southey (1774-1843)Revolutionary Poets （革命派詩人）George Gordon ByronPercy Bysshe ShelleyJohn KeatsGeorge Gordon Byron

43、 (17881824) Life born in a noble family inherited the baronial title graduated from Cambridge University entered House of Lords strongly criticized by those conservatives and at last left England stayed in Italy and then Greece died in Greece at 36 Literary Position one of the most excellent represe

44、ntatives of English Romanticism.His literary career was closely linked with the struggle and progressive movements of his age. Major Works Child Harolds Pilgrimage恰爾德哈羅德游記 One of his most readable books Don Juan唐璜 His masterpieceByronic Heroes The men with fiery and unbending will express the poets

45、own ideal of freedom. The men who rise against tyranny and injusticeDon Juan 唐璜George Gordon Byron1. Hero of the long poem: Don Juan, a Spanish young man born in a noble family; strange adventures he has experienced (Greece, Turkey, Russia and England); 2. A panorama of the whole Europe and a strong

46、 satirePercy Bysshe Shelley (17921822) Literary Position The great poet of revolutionary romanticism in England.The most wonderful lyric poet England has ever produced Major Works Prometheus Unbound 解放了的普羅米修斯lyrical drama Ode to the West Wind 西風頌 Artistic Features Lyrics intensity Lyrics on politics

47、 Lyrics on nature Lyrics on love Revolutionary ardency Optimistic idealism Image（意象）& symbol（象征）Ode to the West Wind西風頌It made Shelley the greatest English lyrical poet, and is the lyric of lyrics.1. Main idea The old world must go, a new word must come with the Spring, laden with fresh sweet promis

48、es for suffering humanity.2. 1). Stanza West wind is Blowing over the land Driving dead leaves away Carrying the seeds to wintry bed so that they would grow up next year. Both a destroyer and preserver A destroyer of old, useless, decaying things, such as dead leaves. A preserver of new, life-going

49、things, such as seeds.2). Stanza West wind is Sweeping in the sky Gathering the loose clouds Preparing a storm with black rain, lightening and hail Calling the dirge of the dying year3). Stanza West wind is Moving across the sea From the Mediterranean to the Atlantic Ocean Becoming stronger and stro

50、nger Even frightening the sea vegetation4). Stanza The poet compares “I” to and with the west wind “if”s Poetic inspiration The poets personality5). Stanza The poets wishes To share the spirit of the west wind To use his poem to quicken a new birth and awaken the earthThe poets prophecy If winter co

51、mes, can spring be far behind?3. West wind: A symbol Strength, power Change of season Approaching revolution The poets personality The poetic inspiration A revolutionary spirit The destroyer of the old world the preserver of the new world Hope for the new lifeJohn Keats (17951821) Literary Achieveme

52、ntShort Poems of the numerous short poems by Keats, the most important are his sonnets and odes. Ode on Melancholy 憂郁頌 Ode to Nightingale 夜鶯頌 Ode to Autumn 秋頌 Ode on a Grecian Urn 希臘古甕頌 Features1. A clean split with 18th century classicism. Byron & Shelley: attempted to remold the contemporary socie

53、ty with both poetry and political action. Keats: restricted his application of the principle of liberty to the sphere of Art.2. Beauty in truth, truth in beauty. （美即現(xiàn)實，現(xiàn)實即美） Keats found beauty in nature, in literature, esp. poetry, and in human struggle for liberty.6. English Realism (1830s-1918) (現(xiàn)

54、實主義時期文學(xué)) /The Victorian Age (18321901)Charles DickensWilliam Makepeace ThackerayThe Bront Sisters Historical background 1. The Victorian AgeFirst Period (1832-1848): a time of social unrestThe mid-Victorian Period (1848-1870): The heyday of the Victorian AgeThe last period: (1870-1901): The decay of Victorian values2. The end of poetry poem3. The rise of novelsNovel: dominant literary genreCritical Realism1. Appeared in 19th century and flourished in 1840s and early 50s2. Representatives Charles D