美国文学选读期末名词解释

2021年1月25日发(作者：沙包)
1.

American Romanticism(
美国浪漫主义
)
①
Romanticism refers to an artistic and intellectual movement originating in Europe in
the late 18th century and characterized by a heightened interest in nature, emphasis on
the individual
’
s expression of emotion and imagination, departure from the attitudes and
forms of classicism, and rebellion against established social rules and conventions.

②
The romantic period in American literature stretches from the end of the 18th century
through the outbreak of the Civil war.

③
Irving, Whitman and Thoreau are the representatives.
Background
(1)

Political background and economic development
(2)

Romantic movement in European countries
Derivative
–
foreign influence
features
(1)

American
romanticism
was
in
essence
the
expression
of
―a
real
new
experience and contained ―an alien quality‖ for the simple reason that ―the
spirit of the place‖ was radically new and alien.

(2)

There is American Puritanism as a cultural heritage to consider. American
romantic
authors
tended
more
to
moralize.
Many
American
romantic
writings intended to edify more than they entertained.
(3)

The ―newness‖ of Americans as a nation is in connection with American
Romanticism.
(4)

As
a
logical
result
of
the
foreign
and
native
factors
at
work,
American
romanticism was both imitative and independent.
浪漫主义两大主题：爱和大自然的力量




The social and cultural background of Romanticism
：



---The
young
Republic
was
flourishing
into
a
politically,
economically
and
culturally
independent country.



---The Romantic writings revealed unique characteristics of their own in their works and
they grew on the native lands.



---The
desire
for
an
escape
from
society
and
a
return
to
nature
became
a
permanent
convention of American literature.



---The
American
Puritanism
as
a
cultural
heritage
exerted
great
influences
over
American moral values.




Romantics frequently shared certain general
characteristics
: moral enthusiasm, faith in
value
of
individualism
and
intuitive
perception,
and
a
presumption
that
the
natural
world wa
s a source of goodness and man’s societies as a source of corruption.


2.
Transcendentalism (
超验主义、
先验主义
) :
It was a group of new ideas in literature,
religion,
culture
and
philosophy
that
emerged
in
New
England
in
the
middle
19th
century.
It
began
as
a
protest
against
the
general
state
of
culture
and
society.
Among
transcendentalist
’
s
core
beliefs
was
an
ideal
spiritual
state
that
“
transcends
”

the
physical
and
empirical(
以观察或实验为依据的
)
and
is
only
realized
through
the
individual
’
s
intuition,
rather
than
through
the
doctrines
of
established
religions.
Prominent transcendentalists included Ralph Waldo Emerson
（爱默生）
, Henry David
Thoreau
（梭罗）
, Walt Whitman
（惠特曼）
, etc. It is a kind of philosophy that stresses
belief in transcendental things and the importance

of spiritual rather than material existence.
（相信超凡的事物，认为精神存在比物质
存在更重要
).
American Transcendentalism(
美国超验主义
)
①
Transcendentalism
is
the
summit
of
the
Romantic
Movement
in
the
history
of
American literature in the 19th century, which flourished from about 1835 to 1860.

②
Transcendentalists place emphasis on the importance of the Oversoul, the individual
and nature. Specifically, they stressed intuitive understanding of God, without the help
of the church, and advocated independence of the mind.

③
The
most
important
representatives
are
Ralph
Waldo
Emerson
and
Henry
David
Thoreau.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
①
Ralph
Waldo
Emerson
was
an
American
essayist,
philosopher
and
poet,
best
remembered for leading the Transcendentalist movement of the mid 19
th
century.

②
He expressed the philosophy of Transcendentalism in his 1836 essay,
Nature
.

③
Besides,
his
The
American
Scholar

was
considered
to
be
American’
s
―
Intellectual
Declaration of Independence
‖
.
Oversoul

①
It
is
an all- pervading
power
for
goodness
from
which all things come of which all
things are a part.

②
It is a key doctrine for Transcendentalists.
Self-reliance

①
Self-reliance

is
an
essay
written
by
American
Transcendentalist
philosopher
Ralph
Waldo Emerson.
②
It contains the most solid statement of one of his repeating themes, the need for each
individual to avoid conformity and false consistency, and follow his or her own instincts
and ideas.
③
These ideas are considered a reaction to a commercial identify. Emerson calls for a
return to individual identity.
Individualism(
个人主义
)
①
Individualism
is
a
moral,
political,
and
social
philosophy,
which
emphasizes
individual
liberty,
the
primary
importance
of
the
individual,
and
the
“
virtues
of
self- reliance
”
.

②
It
is
thus
directly
opposed
to
collectivism,
social
psychology
and
sociology,
which
consider the individual’s rapport to the society or communit
y.

③
It is often confused with ―egoism‖, but an individualist need not be an egoist.

Walden

①
It is one of the American classics written by Henry David Thoreau.
②
It records his experiment in living at Walden pond, his sympathetic understanding of
nature, his meditation on the meanings of life and his social criticism.
③
Compared with
Emerson’
s
Nature
, it is more radical and social- minded.


3.
Free verse (
自由体诗歌
)
①
Free verse is a general term referring to the modern form of verse with no fixed foot,
rhythm or rime schemes.

②
It was first written and labeled by a group of French poets of the late 19th century.

③
Free
verse
has
been
characteristic
of
the
work
of
many
American
poets,
including