英国文学

2021年1月24日发(作者：enhances)
English literature Introduction
A quotation
Now, here is my secret, a very simple secret. It is only with the heart
that one can see rightly. What is essential is invisible to the eyes.

Little Prince

the purpose of literature
The function of tragedy
is to
achieve
catharsis through pity and fear.

Poetics

Old English
1. The English/ Anglo- Saxon conquest, AD450
The Romans were followed by three Germanic tribes:
Angles, Saxons and Jutes from what is now Denmark and Northern Germany.
They
settled
down
as
farmers
and
named
the
land
they
lived
England
which
means the land of Angles.
Beowulf
Beowulf: England’s national epic

Not about England but about their hometown in Denmark.
Major Characters: Beowulf (hero),
Grendel ( a sea animal)

Grendel’s mother ( a sea witch)

a firedrake
（
dragon )
of the poem: national epic
民族史诗

epic:
a
long
narrative
poem
about
men
of
the
aristocratic
class
involved
in
a
series
of
actions
that
are
important
in
the
development
of
a
nation.
Social background
f is a folk legend brought to England by
Anglo-Saxons from their continental home. Its main stories are folk
legends of primitive Northern tribes.
terization: a grand hero
Bravery, courage, self sacrifice
He is faithful to his people. He goes alone to rescue his people.
He
forgets
himself
in
face
of
death,
thinking
only
that
it
profits
others
t matter theme
Subject matter:It tells the story of Beowulf fighting against monsters
like Grendel and the fire dragon, winning the battle and protecting his
people.
Theme: the universal
truth
of good fighting against and triumphing over
the evil.

A Sample Piece
Thus make their mourning the men of Denmark,
For the fall of their treasure giver,
His hearth-companions
Quoth that of all the kings of earth,
Of men he was the mildest and most beloved,
To his kin the kindest, keenest to praise.
Beowulf (a modern translation)
ic features 1: alliteration
头韵

The most noticeable artistic feature of Beowulf is alliteration.
Alliteration is the hallmark of the Anglo- Saxon poetry.
Alliteration makes poetry very musical in sound.
Definition:
the
repetition
of
initial
consonant
sounds
in
each
verse
line
or a group words.
Artistic features 2 : metaphors and similes
Artistic features 3 : understatement
“not troublesome”
----- very welcome
“ need not praise”
-------- need condemn
Understatement gives
an
impression
of
reserve
and a
tinge
of
ironical
humor. This quality is regarded as a permanent characteristic of the
English.

The Canterbury Tales
坎特伯雷故事

Geoffrey Chaucer
（
1340
——
1400
）

Chaucer: father of English poetry; founder of English Realism
Full wise is he that can himselven knowe
---- Geoffrey Chaucer
乔叟去世后安葬在威斯敏斯特教堂（
Westminster Abbey
）从此威斯敏斯特教堂
的一角便成为大诗人安葬的”诗人角”（
the poet
’
s corner
）
.
1.a well-knit structure: 24 tales (20 completed)
A
unity
is
achieved
through
the
device
of
the
framed
story,
i.e.
Chaucer’s invention of a journey of pilgrimage
.
the general prologue
separate prologues to each tale with links, comments
Chaucer
’
s status in literature:
founder of English realism
nner of Humanism
3.

1
st
great poet who wrote in English
4.

Father or founder of English Poetry.
2.a realistic masterpiece
Nearly
all
classes
of
the
English
feudal
society
are
represented
by
those
pilgrims. The whole piece is a collection of true-to-life pictures of
the English society of Chaucer’ s time.

His tales expose and satirize the evils of the time and attack the
corruption of the church
progressive
idea:
humanistic
tendency Influenced
by
the
early
Italian
Renaissance, Chaucer affirmed man's right to pursue earthly happiness
and
opposed
asceticism,
praised
man's
energy,
intellect,
and
love
of
life
contribution to the English language
1. The first great poet who wrote in the English language.
2. His creation was an important factor in establishing English as the
literary language.
3. He did much in making the dialect of London the standard for modern
English speech.
bution to English poetry
–
father of English poetry
Chaucer
introduced
the
rhymed
stanzas

（诗节）
of
many
kinds
from
French
poetry, esp. the heroic couplet
（英雄双韵体）

heroic couplet: a pair of rhyming lines of
iambic pentameter.
l literary terms to analyze poems
Rhyme:
（押韵）
is the echo or coincidence of sounds at the end of the
line.
Rhyme scheme : is the pattern of rhyming lines in a poem or in lyrics
for music. It is usually referred to by using letters to indicate which
lines rhyme
an exercise for rhyme scheme
Bid me to weep, and I will weep,
While I have eyes to see;
And having none, yet I will keep
A heart to weep for thee.
--------
Robert Herrick
rhythm/ meter:
格律

Meter is the rhythm, the pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables
in verse.
iambic
抑扬格，
抑扬格的：
a
type
of
rhythm
in
poetry
in
which
an
unstressed
syllable is followed by a stressed syllable
foot
音步
: the unit of rhythm in a verse line
e.g. For men may come and men may go.
Come live with me and be my love.
iambic
pentameter
五步抑扬格：
a
verse
line
which
consists
of
five
feet,
with each foot an iambic.
Example:So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
只要人类在呼吸，眼睛看得见，

我这诗就活着，使你的生命绵延

Shakespeare
introduction of a literary term: setting
The
setting
of
a story
refers
to its
place and time,
i.e.
the
background
against which the action of the story takes place.
But pay attention: setting may mean more than mere background. It can
make
things
happen.
It
can prompt characters to act, bring them
to
realizations, or cause them to reveal their innermost natures.
_______
conquered
England
on
October
1066.
From
then
on
began
the
medieval