英国文学18-19世纪浪漫主义

第一篇：英国文学18-19世纪浪漫主义

Part Five: Romanticism in England the Age of Poetry Teaching Arrangement: I.Historical Background II.Romanticism III.A.poets

1.Escapist romanticists / Lake Poets(湖畔派诗人)(William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Robert Southey)

2.active romanticists /demonic group/Satanic school(撒旦派)(George Gordon Byron, Percy Bysshe Shelley, John Keats)

B.essayists(Charles Lamb, William Hazlitt, Thomas De Quincey)

C.novelist(Walter Scott)I.Historical Background(1)Industrial Revolution —transformed Britain from agricultural to industrial country, responsible for the change in the pattern of social life and the worsening of social contradictions;?(2)American revolution in 1775— the Declaration of Independence, written by Thomas Jefferson in 1776, with its emphasis on individual rights;(3)The French revolution in 1789 —introduced the democratic ideals: liberty, equality and fraternity for everybody;

(4)the abolition of slavery in the British colonies;(5)the introduction of system of national education;(6)the Factory Acts《工厂法案》 by which the employment of children under nine was forbidden by the law.(7)Lyrical Ballads, 《抒情歌谣集》 a collection of poem by William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge, published in 1798, which marked the start of Romanticism as a literary trend.II.English Romanticism 1.definition—English Romanticism is generally said to have began in 1798 with the publication of Wordsworth & Coleridge‘s Lyrical Ballads and to have ended in 1832 with Sir Walter Scott’s death and the passage of the first Reform Bill《改革法案》 in the Parliament.English Romanticism is a revolt of the English imagination against the neoclassical reason.The French Revolution of 1789-1794 and the English Industrial Revolution exert great influence on English Romanticism.Romanticists show in their works their profound dissatisfaction with the social reality and their deep hatred for any political tyranny, economic exploitation and any form of oppression, feudal or bourgeois.In the realm of literature, they revolt against reason, rules, regulation, objectivity, common senses, etc.and emphasize the value of feelings, intuition, freedom, nature, subjectivism, individuality, originality, imagination, etc.2.The features of the Romantic writings: 1)? Dissatisfaction with the bourgeois society.2)Their writings filled with strong-willed heroes or even titanic images, formidable events and tragic situations, powerful conflicting passions and exotic pictures.3)pay attention to spiritual and emotional life of man.Most works are supernatural and full of imagination.4)interest in the past, the unusual, the unfamiliar, the bizarre 5)strong desire to escape from the reality.6)concerned much about the influence of nature.7)Their writings free from any rules, they fight against the tenure of new classicism: order, harmony, balance, reason.They ask for the freedom of expression.8)A feeling of loneliness & a note of melancholy

8)The glorification of the commonplace---the aim of good poetry is “to choose incidents and situations from common life” and to use a “selection of language really spoken by men”, and to awaken in the reader “freshness of sensation” in the presentation of “familiar objects”.9)characterized by 5 “I”s: Imagination, Intuition, Idealism, Inspiration, Individuality.3.Two schools of Romanticism A.escapist romanticists, “the Lake Poets”湖畔派, represented by William Wordsworth华兹华斯, Samuel Taylor Coleridge柯勒律治 and Robert Southey骚塞.B.active romanticists, “the Satanic school”撒旦派, with Byron拜伦, Shelly雪莱 and Keats济慈 as representatives

湖畔派Lake Poets

18～19世纪的英国浪漫主义诗歌流派。主要成员有华兹华斯、柯尔律治和骚塞。由于他们三人曾一同隐居于英国西北部的昆布兰湖区，先后在格拉斯米尔和文德美尔两个湖畔居住，以诗赞美湖光山色，所以有“湖畔派诗人”之称。

在诗歌题材上，他们主张写下层人民的日常生活，强调诗人的内心探索和感情的自然流露；在诗体方面，主张发展民间诗歌的艺术传统，采用民间口语，发挥诗人的想象力。他们的理论和实践结束了英国古典主义诗学的统治，对英国诗歌的改革和发展起了很大作用。但是他们否定诗歌的社会作用，美化中世纪的田园生活，提倡唯心主义、唯灵主义、神秘主义；把“听天由命”看成是人的“天性的永恒部分”；拜伦和雪莱对此进行过激烈的批评。

湖畔派诗人起初都同情法国革命，随着革命的深入，由害怕革命而退却，进而逃避现实，迷恋过去，美化中世纪的宗法制，幻想从古老的封建社会中去寻找精神的安慰与寄托。当湖畔派诗人的消极倾向日益明显的时候，青年诗人拜伦、雪莱开始登上文坛，向湖畔派诗人展开论争。拜伦在一八O九年完成的讽刺长诗《英格兰诗人和苏格兰评论家》中，不仅回答了消极浪漫主义者操纵的刊物《爱丁堡评论》对拜伦诗作的攻击，而且还严厉地谴责了湖畔派诗人的消极倾向。由于他们敢于向湖畔派诗人作斗争，因而被英国绅土们斥之为撒旦(恶魔)，所以文学史上称拜伦、雪莱和济慈为“撒旦派”。

一般说，湖畔派诗人代表消极浪漫主义倾向，撒旦派代表积极浪漫主义精神。虽然湖畔派诗人在与古典主义的斗争中有过贡献，在诗歌的艺术上有较深的造诣，但其历史地位远不及撒旦派重要。

III.poets—Lake Poets 1.William Wordsworth威廉·华兹华斯(重点)1.1 life Born in 1770 in a lawyer‟s family Orphaned when he was 14 Went to school in Hawkshead, developed a deep love for nature 1787-1791 Studied at Cambridge--political enthusiasm roused 1790-1792 visited France twice In 1797, moved to Somerset with his sister Dorothy and made friends with Coleridge, all devoting their time writing poetry Published Lyrical Ballads together with Coleridge.Two periods of his literary career A revolutionist with liberal politics idea and ambiguous religion A conservative, coming to believe that man‟s wild spirit is needed taming by the church

1.2 major works: 1)Lyrical Ballads 《抒情歌谣集》

followed by “The Preface to the Lyrical Ballads”—served as the manifesto of the English Romantic Movement in poetry.2)famous short poems：

About nature: “I wondered Lonely as a Cloud” “独自漫游似浮云”，or “The Daffodils” “咏水仙”

“Intimation of Immortality” “不朽颂”

“Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey”

“丁登寺”;“To the Cuckoo” “致布谷鸟”;“My Heart Leaps up When I Behold” “我心雀跃”;“To a Butterfly” “致蝴蝶” “An Evening Walk” “黄昏漫步 ”

About human life:--sympathy for the poor

Lucy Poems 《露西组诗》

“The Solitary Reaper” “孤独的收割者”

“The Old Cumberland Beggar” “康伯兰的老乞丐”

“Michael” “迈克尔”

“We are Seven” “我们七个”

3)“The Prelude” “序曲”--Wordsworth’s autobiographical poem in 14 books published after his death, a spiritual record of his mind, showing his own thought and sentiment.1.3 Comment on Wordsworth A.The poet of nature Nature---medium---revelation(启示)

Nature---entity---communicating with God, learning more about God, and enjoying the holy and awesome feelings Nature---purest, most uncorrupted form, a manifestation of God‟s creation power

B.Wordsworth‟s definition to poetry

Good poetry must speak “the real language of man” and write about the life of common people in an imaginative way.Good poetry is “the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings.”诗是强烈情感的自然流露。Poetry “takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquility”.诗源于情感，但在平静中回忆。

The objects which excited these emotions were to be ordinary ones.The style selected for the new poetry was also to be simple.A poet should give pleasure and reveal universal truth.Poetry is “the most philosophic of all writing” 1.4 “I wondered Lonely as a Cloud” 我好似一朵孤独的流云，高高地飘游在山谷之上，突然我看到一大片鲜花，是金色的水仙遍地开放。它们开在湖畔，开在树下 它们随风嬉舞，随风飘荡

它们密集如银河的星星，像群星在闪烁一片晶莹； 它们沿着海湾向前伸展，通往远方仿佛无穷无尽； 一眼看去就有千朵万朵，万花摇首舞得多么高兴。

粼粼湖波也在近旁欢跳，却不如这水仙舞得轻俏；

诗人遇见这快乐的旅伴 又怎能不感到欢欣雀跃； 我久久凝视--却未领悟

这景象所给予我的精神至宝。

后来多少次我郁郁独卧，感到百无聊赖心灵空漠；

这景象便在脑海中闪现，多少次安慰过我的寂寞

我的心又随水仙跳起舞来，我的心又重新充满了欢乐。

The poem contains 4 six-lined stanzas of Iambic tetrameter with the rhyme scheme of ababcc in each stanza.Theme: eulogy颂词 for the harmony between things in nature and the harmony between nature and man

Analysis of “I wondered Lonely as a Cloud” :

A.the first and the second stanza---a vivid picture of a host of golden daffodils dancing happily in the breeze B.the third stanza---the happiness brought to the poet‟s soul by the dancing daffodils

C.the last stanza---the happiness brought by the daffodils lasts forever in the poet‟s memory.孤独的割麦女

看，一个孤独的高原姑娘，在远远的田野间收割，一边割一边独自歌唱，请你站住。或者俏悄走过！她独自把麦子割了又捆，唱出无限悲凉的歌声，屏息听吧！深广的谷地 已被歌声涨满而漫溢！? 还从未有过夜莺百啭，唱出过如此迷人的歌，在沙漠中的绿荫间 抚慰过疲惫的旅客； 还从未有过杜鹃迎春，声声啼得如此震动灵魂，在遥远的赫布利底群岛 打破过大海的寂寥。她唱什么，谁能告诉我？ 忧伤的音符不断流涌，是把遥远的不幸诉说？ 是把古代的战争吟咏？ 也许她的歌比较卑谦，只是唱今日平凡的悲欢，只是唱自然的哀伤苦痛—— 昨天经受过，明天又将重逢？

姑娘唱什么，我猜不着，她的歌如流水永无尽头； 只见她一边唱一边干活，弯腰挥镰，操劳不休„„ 我凝神不动，听她歌唱，然后，当我登上了山岗，尽管歌声早已不能听到，它却仍在我心头缭绕。Homework：

Give an analysis of “The Solitary Reaper”, which should include: Metrical pattern(格律): Rhyme scheme(押韵): General meaning of each stanza: The theme of the poem(deliver your homework through the online teaching system)Lucy Poems--“She Dwelt Among the Untrodden Ways”《她住在人迹罕至的地方 》 她住在人迹罕至的地方, 圣洁的小溪在身边流淌, 没有谁把这少女赞颂, 少有人为她挂肚牵肠。

她是紫罗兰身影半露, 生苔的墓碑将她遮挡;美丽如一颗孤星, 在夜空里闪闪发亮。

没有谁了解她曾活在世上, 少有人知道她何时夭亡;躺在墓中的露西啊，唯有我与别人都不一样。

（国际关系学院06考研题）

Questions:(1)What is the rhyme scheme of the poem?(2)Are there any images in this poem? Please point them out.(3)Can the second stanza be omitted? What role does it play in this poem?(4)Please paraphrase the poem in less than 100 words.(1)The rhyme scheme is abab, cdcd, efef(2)Yes, there are images in this poem: “a half hidden violet” and “a star shining in the sky”.(3)No.the image of the violet shows that she is so modest, shy and unknown that no one will pay attention to her;the image of the star shining in the sky indicates that in her lover‟s eyes, she is like the single star shining brightly and beautifully in the sky.(4)She lived in an isolated place beside the springs of Dove, Nobody praised her and few people loved her.She is like a violet beside a mossy tone, unnoticed by people.She is like a star shinning in the sky, fair and loving in her lover‟s heart.When she is alive, nobody knows her;thus when she dies, few people feel sad about her.But for me it is different to know her death(because I loved her so much and I feel so sad).2.Samuel Taylor Coleridge（了解）2.1 life born into a clergyman‟s family, a genius.At 6, read the Bible, Robinson Crusoe and Arabian Nights.full of fantasy and dreams.made friends with Charles Lamb, the great essayist of English Romanticism in his Cambridge years.ran away from the university and enlisted in the army;

returned to Cambridge without getting a degree;joined Robert Southey in a utopian plan of establishing an ideal democratic community in America in 1749 which didn‟t come to any fruition;

Split with Southey and married Sara Fricker, but an unhappy and short-lived marriage;In 1796, addicted to opium with a view to relieving his headache and depression;In 1797, began his friendship with Wordsworth;

In 1798, published The Lyrical Ballads with Wordsworth;In 1810, quarreled seriously with Wordsworth.Reconciled later;In later years, turned conservative and resorted to theology for his spiritual support.2.2 major works: Demonic Poems: 魔幻诗

The Rime of the Ancient Marine《古舟子咏》 Kubla Khan 《忽必烈汗》 Christabel 《克里斯塔贝尔》 Conversational poems 对话诗 Frost at Morning《午夜寒霜》

Dejection: An Ode 《沮丧：一首颂歌》 Essays Biographia Literaria 《文学传记》

Lectures on Shakespeare between 1808 and 1815 The Rime of the Ancient Mariner 《古舟子咏》

It is Coleridge‟s contribution to The Lyrical Ballads.It is a long poem, telling a story in the form of ballad.Three guests are on their way to a wedding party when an ancient mariner stopped one of them.The mariner tells of his adventures on the sea.His story is full of horrors.When his ship sails towards the South Pole, an albatross(信天翁）comes through the snow-fog and alights on the rigging.Outline of the Story:

A.pointless slaughter of an albatross--omen of bad luck B.awful punishment that his crime brought about C.realization of the sacredness of life Theme

It is a psychologically profound study of guilt, of remorse, of the nature of evil.Kubla Khan《忽必烈汗》

Kubla Khan is a dream-poem.During an illness in 1797 Coleridge retired to a lonely farmhouse.One day he fell asleep while he was reading a passage about Kubla Khan from a book of travels.While dreaming he composed a poem about 200 or 300 lines.On waking he began to write down the poem.But he was interrupted by a person and the vision faded.He left a fragment of only 54 lines and never finished the poem.第一节： 忽必烈汗忽必烈汗建立“上都”，修起富丽的逍遥宫，那儿有神河阿尔浮 流经深不可测的岩洞，注入不见太阳的海中。那儿有十哩方圆的沃土，城墙、高塔四面围绕，明媚的花园，曲折的小溪，丁香、豆蔻芳华四溢，树林像山丘一样古老，环抱着阳光灿烂的草地。第二节：

但沿着松柏苍苍的山坡 急转直下，却是悬崖深谷！一片荒芜！好像施过魔术，会有女子在下弦月下出没，为她的恶魔情人哀哭！深谷里煮沸了一锅骚乱，仿佛大地在急促地气喘，一股强大的喷泉不时腾空，在它一阵阵爆发之中 巨石弹起，如同冰雹，如同谷粒在连枷之下蹦跳！

在这些石块的狂舞中，有时神河也被高高抛起，它扭成五哩蜿蜓的迷宫，它穿过森林和谷地，到达深不可测的岩洞，喧哗着沉入死水洋底。

忽必烈汗远远谛听，在喧哗中 听到祖先的声音在预言战争！

第三节

逍遥宫的影子青幽，在波浪之中漂流，喷泉与岩洞交响，构成韵律的重奏。

奇迹在此汇集，鬼斧神工，阳光灿烂的宫和冰的岩洞！第四节：

我梦幻中看见

一个操琴的女郎—— 阿比西尼亚姑娘，她轻轻拨动琴弦，把阿波拉山吟唱。啊，但愿我能在心底 把她的乐曲和歌声复制。那时我就会如醉如痴，我只消用那悠扬的仙乐 就能重建那天宫瑶池，那阳光灿烂的宫和冰的洞窟！

凡是聆听者都将目睹，大家都将高呼：“当心！当心！瞧他飘扬的头发，闪亮的眼睛！我们要绕他巡行三圈，在神圣的恐惧中闭上双眼，因为他尝过蜜的露水，饮过乐园里的乳泉。”(1)identify the author(2)What is his theory of poems?(3)What kind of philosophy is behind the italic words “His flashing eyes„.milk of paradise”?（北航08考研题）

Answer:(1)Samuel Taylor Coleridge(2)Coleridge believed in the “feeling heart,” in the spiritual power of the individual imagination, the completeness and harmonious beauty of God‟s creation.though Coleridge shared with Wordsworth a desire to return poetry to the ordinary, the concrete, and the language of speech, he was also desirous of discovering the spiritual, supernatural and exotic.Coleridge expresses his conception of poetry in terms of a synthesis of imaginative vision and of actual perception, of “outer” and “inner,” or of “object” and “subject.”

a poem is a growing unity, the parts related to one another and all comprising a whole.The “end” of poetry is pleasure, not instruction, and yet a poem tells a higher truth.(3)The poet says that he once saw an Abyssinian maid who played her dulcimer and sang of Mount Abora.The song of the Abyssinian maid can be the poet‟s source of inspiration.If he could receive “her symphony and song” within him, he could rebuild his own dome of pleasure in the air.And all who saw him would cry “Beware of „his flashing eyes, his floating hair!‟ ”.The listeners would circle him and close their eyes with “holy dread”, knowing that he had tasted honeydew, and “drunk the milk of Paradise”.The poet wants to express that people have certain awe and even fear for nature and enjoys its beauty with utmost piety.注：《忽必烈汗》一诗中既无故事情节，也没有明确的主旨，而只是传达了一种幻觉或印象，虽然以忽必烈汗为题目，但并没有刻意描写或赞颂这位中国帝王的伟业，而是将这位传奇人物当作寄情表意的媒介充分发挥诗人的想象力。这里，诗人的情感与豪华的宫殿、仙女的爱情、少女的琴声和中国的忽必烈汗交织在一起，创造了一种优美的旋律和超凡的意境。初看起来，全诗的确缺乏一种逻辑统一性，但读起来并不感到杂乱无章。倒是诗中所迸发的那种神秘的异国情调常常让读者遐思不已。另外，这首诗在叙述方面的确具有独创性，开拓了西方诗歌的新视野。诗人在叙述过程中不断出现语义断裂和不连贯现象可以使读者更加关注诗歌的形式，充分领略其神奇而优美的韵律。今天，该诗与《古舟子咏》一样已成为英国文学中的瑰宝。

Christabel 《克里斯塔贝尔》

Another of Coleridge’s unfinished poem written in ballad meter.It tells a story of a sorcerer(男巫）who casts a spell over a pure young girl.Its mysterious atmosphere and the Gothic horror may freeze our blood.Biographia Literaria《文学传记》

A literary autobiography.Point of view:

(1)The task of literary criticism is not to judge but to appreciate and interpret.(2)The poet is a creator and the critic is an assistant to the work of creation.The critic must enter into the poet‟s purpose and art, and interpret ideas and beauty for the benefit of the reader.(3)The poet, as a man endowed with imaginative genius and fine perception, must be allowed to present the truth in his own way without regard to rules or models.2.3 artistic features：

(1)Mysticism神秘主义 and demonism魔鬼信仰with strong imagination;(2)Depiction of unusual and supernatural images.(3)pay close attention to language of poetry.He maintains that the true end of poetry is to give pleasure “through the medium of beauty”, not to instruct.3.Robert Southey 罗伯特·骚塞(了解)3.1 One of the “Lake Poets”

Expelled from Westminster School for his outspoken composition against corporal punishment In Oxford, made acquaintance of Coleridge and Wordsworth, and shared their revolutionary ardor in the 1790s Radicalism faded at the turn of the century, changed from a revolutionist to a Tory, made Poet Laureate 3.2 major Works epic— Joan of Arc 《圣女贞德》 Drama– Wat Tyler 《瓦特·泰勒》

Short poems— The Inchcape Rock《因尺角之石》 The Battle of Blenheim《布莱尼姆之战》

My Days among the Dead Are Passed《我与死者做伴的日子已结束》 Prose— The Life of Nelson《纳尔逊传》 Poetical romances--Thalaba the Destroyer 《萨拉巴》 Madoc《麦道克》

The Curse of Kehama《克哈马的诅咒》 Roderick, the Last of the Goths 《罗德里克，最后的高斯人》

1.1 life

Born in an aristocratic family Became Lord Byron after inheriting the title and estate of his grand-uncle a radical supporter of worker‟s movement.In 1811, took seat in the House of Lords(贵族院/上议院).He made vehement speeches to attack English government’s policy for the Luddites(workers who destroy machinery).Byron left England for ever in 1816.He first visited Switzerland, where he made acquaintance with Shelley.Then he moved to Italy, where he finished Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage 《恰尔德·哈罗德游记》and wrote his masterpiece Don Juan《唐璜》.Upon hearing the news of the Greek revolt against the Turks, Byron plunged himself into the struggle.The Greeks made him commander in chief(总司令)of their forces in 1824.Due to months’ hard work under bad weather, he fell ill and died.April 19, 1824, Byron died with “ Forward!Forward!Follow me!” The Greek people mourned over his premature death.Byron was regarded as the “satanic poet” by the English government when he died.It was not until 1969 that a white marble memorial to Byron was erected in Westminster Abbey.Nowadays his name is put in the Poets‟ Corner.1.2 major works:(1).Hours of Idleness 《闲散的时刻》--his first collection of poems composed in college dealing with childish recollections and early friendship, but was mercilessly criticized by Edinburgh Review, a blow to the young man, but didn’t discourage him;(2).English Bards and Scotch Reviewers《英国诗人和苏格兰评论家》--a satirical poem against Edinburgh Review, in which Wordsworth, Southey and some other celebrities of the day were satirized;

(3)Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage 《恰尔德·哈罗德游记》

an autobiographical narrative poem written in Spenserian stanzas.It tells the travels and the reflections of a pilgrim, Childe Harold, who is tired of the empty life of pleasure and is now seeking spiritual rebirth.In this poem, Childe Harold was the poet himself.They both lamented over the corrupted reality and wanted to make a change;they loved freedom and were eager to build a marvelous career.The poem is an imaginative and romantic presentation of the poet‟s disturbing emotion and eagerness for freedom.It also emphasizes individualism.(4)Don Juan《唐·璜》

Byron’s masterpiece, an epic satire in ottava rima(八行体), A stanza of poem consisting of 8 lines in iambic pentameter rhyming abababcc.16,000 lines long in 16 cantos.Don Juan is an aristocratic libertine, amiable and charming to ladies—a great lover and seducer of women.In the conventional sense, Juan is immoral, yet Byron takes this poem as the most moral.And Byron invests in Juan the moral positives like courage, generosity and frankness, which, according to Byron, are virtues neglected by the modern society.The unifying principle in Don Juan is the basic ironic theme of appearance and reality, or what things seem to be and what they actually are.The third canto of the poem is different from the rest of the poem metrically.It consists of sixteen 6-lined stanzas of iambic tetrameter, the rhyme scheme being ababcc.《唐璜》是拜伦后期最重要的一部长诗。唐璜原是一名西班牙家传户晓的一名传说人物，他并不是一个英雄，相反他却是一个因为诱骗了某贵族少妇而被驱逐并到处流亡的青年无赖式的人物。但在拜伦的笔下得以重新塑造，成为一个“极美貌、骄傲、大胆而又运气好的人”。虽然他屡次身陷险境，但又每次都能从死神的身边安全逃开；虽然他经受过无数与情人生离死别的痛苦煎熬，但总有新的爱情给他带来新的幸福。他热情冲动、敏感正直，在遭遇饥饿的恐怖和沉船的厄运后，遇见了美丽的希腊少女海蒂。正陶醉于爱情和大自然时，一个游吟诗人的吟唱将唐璜带到了残酷的现实。这块如海蒂一般美丽的土地正饱受着土耳其的侵扰，并面临着即将灭亡的噩运。这段吟唱带给唐璜以巨大的震撼，诗人拜伦对这一切当然也感同身受。因为种种原因，作为希腊异族人的拜伦在他后来的生命岁月里选择了与希腊人民站在一起、并共同抵御外辱。而这段在《唐璜》中并不太起眼的第三章中的一节就在诗内和诗外的世界里也因此具有了特殊的意义。Selective reading P 305 From Don Juan, Canto III— “The Isles of Greece”《哀希腊》（read the first 6 stazas）Background: in the early 19th century, Greece was under the rule of Turks.Task: What techniques? What effect? What theme? 1.3 Contribution: chief contribution--“Byronic hero”(拜伦式英雄)Byronic hero--Byron‟s poetry is based on his own experience.His hero is known as “Byronic Hero”, a proud, mysterious rebel figure of noble origin.For such a hero, the conflict is usually one of rebellious individual against outworn social systems and conventions.Such a hero appears first in Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage, and then further developed in later works such as the Oriented Tales《东方故事集》，Manfred, 《曼弗雷德》 and Dan Juan in different guises.2.Percy Bysshe Shelley（雪莱）(1792-1822)2.1 life born in Sussex;father a conservative narrow-minded country gentleman;though gentle by nature, he could not stand any injustice

In 1811, expelled from Oxford for an anti-religion pamphlet The Necessity of Atheism《无神论的必然》

at 19, alone in London, homeless.married a 16-year-old schoolgirl Harriet in 1812, went to Ireland, Address to the Irish People 《告爱尔兰人民书》

in 1813, back in England wrote Queen Mab《麦布女王》 in 1814, broke with Harriet

in 1816, married Mary Godwin, daughter of radical philosopher Godwin

in 1818, Shelley‟s happy marriage was broken by the sudden death of Harriet who jumped into a river.The scandal made by political enemies compelled Shelley to leave England again, then he lived in Italy to support the independence wars of Italy, Spain and Greece.in 1816 met Byron

In 1818 The Revolt of Islam 《伊斯兰的反叛》

in 1819, Prometheus Unbound 《解放了的普罗米修斯》，Ode to the West Wind《西风颂》 Masque of Anarchy 《专制魔王的化妆旅行》,The Cenci 《钦契》A Defense of Poetry《诗辩》 In 1820, To a Skylark 《致云雀》

in 1822.July 8th, a sudden tempest struck his boat, drowned.Inscription on his tombstone: “ P.B.Shelley.COR CORDIUM” = the heart of hearts 众心之心

他的一切并没有消逝

只是经历过海的变异

已变得丰富而且神奇

2.2 major works A.“Queen Mab” 1813 《麦布女王》

A revolutionary poem condemning tyranny and exploitation and the unjust war waged by the rich to plunder wealth B.“ The Revolt of Islam” 1818 《伊斯兰的反叛》

a revolutionary epic--a brother and a sister are united in their common ideal of liberty, equality and fraternity；they arouse the spirit of revolt among their Islam people against their tyrants.“a sister-comrade”--women’s position

C.“Prometheus Unbound” 《解放了的普罗米修斯》1820 lyrical drama in 4 acts.Greek myth--Prometheus is reconciled to Zeus.But Shelley reinterpreted it.Prometheus is supported by public.He refuses to yield to the tyrant in heaven.At last Zeus is overthrown.Prometheus is released and throws off his fetters.The figure of Prometheus has been symbolic of those noble-hearted revolutionaries, who devote themselves to the just cause of the people and suffer great pains at the hands of tyrants.D.Ode to the West Wind 《西风颂》(重点)best of Shelley‟s lyrics

Expression of poet‟s envy of the boundless freedom of the west wind Melancholy in tune But optimistic and resolute in theme Poet‟s conviction---the good will certainly defeat the evil

frequently quoted epigram: “If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?”

《西风颂》是秋天的歌，是时代的声音。《西风颂》不免带有“婉转而忧愁”的调子。但雪莱对革命前途和人类命运始终保持着乐观主义的坚定信念，他坚信正义必定战胜邪恶，光明必定代替黑暗。诗人以“天才的预言家”的姿态向全世界大声宣告：

如果冬天来了，春天还会远吗？

Selective reading: P312 《西风颂》(1)Form: The poem is divided into 5 parts.Each part consists of four stanzas of terza rima and one couplet lines, rhymed aba bcb cdc ded ee(2)content: the poet describes vividly the activities of the west wind on the earth, in the sky and on the sea, and expresses his envy for the boundless freedom of the west wind, and his wish to be free like the wind and to scatter his words among mankind.(3)Theme: Revolutionary spirit.Wish to destroy the old and build up a new.(4)In what way is the west wind both a destroyer and a preserver?(南京大学07)The west wind is considered the “destroyer” for driving the last signs of life from the trees;it is considered the “preserver” for scattering the seeds which come to life in the spring.Definition: terza rima(三行体)—verse form consisting of stanzas of three lines(tercets);the first and third lines rhyming with one another and the second rhyming with the first and third of the following tercet.五个小节格律完整，可以独立成篇。从内容来看，它们又熔为一体，贯穿着一个中心思想。第一节描写西风扫除林中残叶，吹送生命的种籽。(大地)第二节描写西风搅动天上的浓云密雾，呼唤着暴雨雷电的到来。（天空）第三节描写西风掀起大海的汹涌波涛，摧毁海底花树。（海上）三节诗三个意境，诗人幻想的翅膀飞翔在树林、天空和大海之间，飞翔在现实和理想之间，形象鲜明，想象丰富，但中心思想只有一个，就是歌唱西风扫除腐朽、鼓舞新生的强大威力。从第四节开始，由写景转向抒情，由描写西风的气势转向直抒诗人的胸臆，抒发诗人对西风的热爱和向往，达到情景交融的境界，而中心思想仍然是歌唱西风。因此，结构严谨，层次清晰，主题集中，是《西风颂》一个突出的艺术特点。

《西风颂》采用象征手法，从头至尾环绕着秋天的西风作文章，无论是写景还是抒情，都没有脱离这个特定的描写对象，没有使用过一句政治术语和革命口号。然而读过后，我们却深深感受到，雪莱不完全是歌唱西风，诗人实质上是通过歌唱西风来歌唱革命。诗中的西风、残叶、种籽、流云、暴雨雷电、大海波涛、海底花树等等，都不过是象征性的东西，它们包含着深刻的寓意，大自然风云激荡的动人景色，乃是人间蓬勃发展的革命斗争的象征。从这个意义上说，《西风歌》不是风景诗，而是政治抒情诗，虽然没有一句直接描写革命，但整首诗都是在反映革命。尤其是结尾脍炙人口的诗句，既概括了自然现象，也深刻地揭示了人类社会的历史规律，指出了革命斗争经过艰难曲折走向胜利的光明前景。

第二篇：英国文学浪漫主义时期作家.

William Wordsworth(7 April 1770 –23 April 1850 was a major English Romantic poet who, with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, helped launch the Romantic Age in English literature with their 1798 joint publication, Lyrical Ballads.Wordsworth's masterpiece is generally considered to be The Prelude, a semi autobiographical poem of his early years which the poet revised and expanded a number of times.The work was posthumously titled and published, prior to which it was generally known as the poem “to Coleridge”.Wordsworth was England's Poet Laureate from 1843 until his death in 1850.The poet Robert Southey as well as Coleridge lived nearby, and the three maen bec ame known as“Lake Poets”.骚塞,柯勒律治也居住在同一地城,三人并称为“湖畔诗人”。

Wordsworth was a defining member of the English Romantic Movement.华兹华斯是英国浪漫主义诗歌的代表人物之一。

Like other Romantics, Wordsworth’s personality and poetry were deeply influenced by his love of nature, especially by the sights and scenes of the Lake Country, in which he spent most of his mature life.对自然的热爱以及他大部分人生所度过的地方--湖区--的风光景色都对他的性格和作品有着深远的影响。

A profoundly earnest and sincere thinker, he displayed a high seriousness tempered with tenderness and a love of simplicity.他是一位真挚深刻的思想者,作品在严谨中充满纯真质朴与敏感。I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud 我孤独地漫游,像一朵云 William Wordsworth I wandered lonely as a cloud 我孤独地漫游,像一朵云

That floats on high o'er vales and hills, 在山丘和谷地上飘荡, When all at once I saw a crowd, 忽然间我看见一群 A host, of golden daffodils;金色的水仙花迎春开放, Beside the lake, beneath the trees, 在树荫下,在湖水边, Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.迎着微风起舞翩翩。Continuous as the stars that shine 连绵不绝,如繁星灿烂, And twinkle on the milky way, 在银河里闪闪发光, They stretched in never-ending line 它们沿着湖湾的边缘 Along the margin of a bay: 延伸成无穷无尽的一行;Ten thousand saw I at a glance, 我一眼看见了一万朵, Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.在欢舞之中起伏颠簸。The waves beside them danced;but they 粼粼波光也在跳着舞, Out-did the sparkling waves in glee: 水仙的欢欣却胜过水波;A poet could not but be gay, 与这样快活的伴侣为伍, In such a jocund company: 诗人怎能不满心欢乐!I gazed--and gazed--but little thought 我久久凝望,却想象不到 What wealth the show to me had brought: 这奇景赋予我多少财宝,—— For oft, when on my couch I lie 每当我躺在床上不眠, In vacant or in pensive mood, 或心神空茫,或默默沉思，They flash upon that inward eye 它们常在心灵中闪现, Which is the bliss of solitude;那是孤独之中的福祉;And then my heart with pleasure fills, 于是我的心便涨满幸福, And dances with the daffodils.和水仙一同翩翩起舞。拜伦

1788年1月22日出生于伦敦,父母皆出自没落贵族家庭。他天生跛一足,并对此很敏感。十岁时,拜伦家族的世袭爵位及产业(纽斯泰德寺院是其府邸落到他身上,成为拜伦第六世勋爵。哈罗公学毕业后,1805-1808年在剑桥大学学文学及历史,他是个不刻苦的学生,很少听课,却广泛阅读了欧洲和英国的文学、哲学和历史著作,同时也从事射击、赌博、饮酒、打猎、游泳、拳击等各种活动。1809年3月,他作为世袭贵族进入了贵族院,他出席议院和发言的次数不多,但这些发言都鲜明地表示了拜伦的自由主义的进步立场。

剑桥大学毕业。曾任上议院议员。学生时代即深受启蒙思想影响。1809-1811年游历西班牙、希腊、土耳其等国,受各国人民反侵略、反压迫斗争鼓舞,创作《恰尔德•哈罗德游记》(Child Harold's Pilgrimage, 1809-1818。其代表作品有《恰尔德•哈罗德游记》《唐璜》(Don Juan, 1818-1823等。在他的诗歌里塑造了一批“拜伦式英雄”。他们孤傲、狂热、浪漫,却充满了反抗精神。他们内心充满了孤独与苦闷,却又蔑视群小。恰尔德•哈罗德是拜伦诗歌中第一个“拜伦式英雄”。拜伦诗中最具有代表性、战斗性,也是最辉煌的作品是他的长诗《唐璜》,诗中描绘了西班牙贵族子弟唐璜的游历、恋爱及冒险等浪漫故事,揭露了社会中黑暗、丑恶、虚伪的一面,奏响了为自由、幸福和解放而斗争的战歌。拜伦不仅是一位伟大的诗人,还是一个为理想战斗一生的勇士;他积极而勇敢地投身革命,参加了希腊民族解放运动,并成为领导人之一。

从1809-1811,拜伦出国作东方的旅行,是为了要“看看人类,而不是只在书本上读到他们”,还为了扫除“一个岛民怀着狭隘的偏见守在家门的有害后果”。在旅途中,他

开始写作《恰尔德•哈洛尔德游记》和其他诗篇,并在心中酝酿未来的东方故事诗。《恰尔德•哈洛尔德游记》的第一、二章在1812年2月问世,轰动了文坛,使拜伦一跃成为伦敦社交界的明星。然而这并没有使他和英国的贵族资产阶级妥协。他自早年就知道这个社会及其统治阶级的顽固、虚伪、邪恶及偏见,他的诗一直是对这一切的抗议。

1811-1816年,拜伦一直在生活在不断的感情旋涡中。在他到处受欢迎的社交生活中,逢场作戏的爱情俯拾即是,一个年青的贵族诗人的风流韵事自然更为人津津乐道。拜伦在1813年向一位安娜•密尔班克小姐求婚,于1815年1月和她结了婚。这是拜伦一生中所铸的最大的错误。拜伦夫人是一个见解褊狭的、深为其阶级的伪善所宥的人,完全不能理解拜伦的事业和观点。婚后一年,便带着初生一个多月的女儿回到自己家中,拒绝与拜伦同居,从而使流言纷起。以此为契机,英国统治阶级对它的叛逆者拜伦进行了最疯狂的报复,以图毁灭这个胆敢在政治上与它为敌的诗人。这时期的痛苦感受,也使他写出像《普罗米修斯》那样的诗,表示向他的压迫者反抗到底的决心。

What is an ode? a lyric poem typically of elaborate or irregular metrical form and expressive of exalted or enthusiastic emotion.珀西·比希·雪莱,是英国文学史上最有才华的抒情诗人之一。William Wordsworth曾称其为“One of the best artists of us all“,同时期的拜伦称其为 ”Without exception the best and least selfish man I ever knew", 更被誉为诗人中的诗人。其一生见识广泛,不仅是柏拉图主义者,更是个伟大的理想主义者。创作的诗歌节奏明快,积极向上。

雪莱习惯性的将他关于上帝、政治和社会等问题的想法写成小册子散发给一些素不相识的人,并询问他们看后的意见。

1811年3月25日,由于散发《无神论的必然》(The Necessity of Atheism,入学不足一年的雪莱被牛津大学开除。雪莱的父亲是一位墨守成规的乡绅,他要求雪莱公开声明自己与《无神论的必然》毫无关系,而雪莱拒绝了,他因此被逐出家门。被切

断经济支持的雪莱在两个妹妹的帮助下过了一段独居的生活,这一时期,他认识了哈丽雅特·韦斯特布鲁克(Harriet Westbrook,他妹妹的同学,一个小旅店店主的女儿。雪莱与这个十六岁的少女仅见了几次面,她是可爱的,又是可怜的,当雪莱在威尔士看到她来信称自己在家中受父亲虐待后便毅然赶回伦敦,带着这一身世可怜且恋慕他的少女踏上私奔的道路。他们在爱丁堡结婚,婚后住在约克。

Ode to the West Wind If Winter comes , can Spring be far behind? 冬天既快来,春天难道还远吗? 在写作上,诗作以象征手法见长。狂暴的西风既是自然界的风,更是革命的风暴,诗人明写自然之风,本意却在呼唤、盼望革命的风暴,象征手法使西风这一意象更加饱满而意蕴深刻。此外,诗作各部分重复“哦,你听”,重章复唱,既为了引起读者的参与,又使作品表现出一种跳动的节奏感、韵律感!玛丽.雪莱

英国著名小说家,因其1818年创作里文学史上第一部科幻小说《弗兰肯斯坦》(或译《科学怪人》,而被誉为科幻小说之母。她是英国著名浪漫主义诗人雪莱的第二任妻子。

1797年8月30日,玛丽·雪莱生于伦敦。她的父母同是政界名人:母亲是著名女权主义者、教育家和作家玛莉·渥斯顿克雷福特,父亲是自由主义者、哲学家、信奉无政府主义的记者、及信奉无神论的异见人士威廉·戈德温。1797年玛丽出生后十天母亲就因产后感染而去世,这使得玛丽一直抱有“自己害死了母亲”的想法。玛丽的父亲很快另觅新欢,玛丽只好和继母,异母兄弟一起生活。

1814年5月她结识了年轻的诗人珀西·雪莱,珀西当时已经成家,却很快为玛丽非凡的容貌、举止和才智所折服。两个月后,他们不顾众人反对,一起私奔离开了英

国。当雪莱的第一个妻子在1816年12月自杀去世后,他们正式结婚。然而玛丽婚后却接连丧失了三个孩子,并经历了丈夫早早去世的痛苦。

雪莱既殁,玛丽带了不满三岁的儿子伯熙回到英国。雪莱的父亲对她很苛严,只供她微薄的津贴,而且禁止她张扬雪莱的“劣迹”,否则就断绝接济。玛丽毅然辛苦笔耕,成为自食其力的专业作家。

早在她十九岁那年,拜伦与雪莱在日内瓦夜谈兴起,拜伦提议大家何不各写一篇神怪小说。四个人都动了笔,包括两位诗人,玛丽和拜伦的医生巴利多里。三位男士都无法终篇,玛丽越写越认真,竟然完成了一篇杰作。在伦敦引起轰动。这就是后来的传世名著《弗兰肯斯坦》。

1818年,她的第一部也是最重要的一部作品《弗兰肯斯坦》出版了。引起当时社会舆论,特别是科学界的广泛争论。这部小说后来经过多次改编,以多种艺术形式表现,并搬上银幕,成为科幻题材电影最早的蓝本之一。《弗兰肯斯坦》,除科幻色彩外,这部作品中既有浪漫气氛,又有深切的人文关怀,更有令人毛骨悚然的恐怖因子,故此也被人誉为“有史以来最伟大的恐怖作品之一”。对于一个20岁的作者来说,这是一个非凡的成就。这部作品立即取得了关键的广泛的成功,并为玛丽赢得了极大的声誉。

玛丽另一项贡献就是为亡夫编印遗作。雪莱死后留下不少迄未发表的作品,那首五百多行的未完成长诗《生之凯旋》就是一例。一八二四年,她出版了《雪莱诗遗作》,一八三九年又发行一套《雪莱诗集》。

玛丽·雪莱的主要科幻作品除了《弗兰肯斯坦》(1818之外,还有一部《最后一个人》(1826。1851年她去世后由别人整理出版了《故事集》。此外还有纯文学小说等。

【《弗兰肯斯坦》】

【玛丽·雪莱的科幻名著——《弗兰肯斯坦》】

主人公弗兰肯斯坦是一位从事人的生命科学研究的学者,他力图用人工创造出生命。在他的实验室里,通过无数次的探索,他创造了一个面目可憎,奇丑无比的怪物。开始时,这人造的怪物秉性善良,对人充满了善

意和感恩之情。他要求他的创造者和人们给予他人生的种种权利,甚至要求为他创造一个配偶。但是,当他处处受到他的创造者和人们的嫌恶和岐视时,他感到非常痛苦。他憎恨一切,他想毁灭一切。他杀害了弗兰肯斯坦的弟弟威廉,他又企图谋害弗兰肯斯坦的未婚妻伊丽莎白。弗兰肯斯坦怀着满腔怒火追捕他所创造的恶魔般的怪物。最后,在搏斗中,弗兰肯斯坦和怪物同归于尽。

本书揭示了作者的哲学观点。她认为人具有双重性格——善与恶。长期受人嫌恶、岐视和迫害会使人变得邪恶而干出种种坏事,甚至发展到不可收拾的地步。它还为英语添加了一个新的单词Frankerstein,一个最终毁了它的创造者的东西。

弗兰肯斯坦已成为好莱坞经典的形象之一。沃尔特·司各特

瓦尔特·司各特(1771—1832(Scott,Walter是一个英国著名的历史小说家和诗人。他生于苏格兰的爱丁堡市,父亲是位律师。司各将毕业于爱丁堡大学,当过律师,担任过副郡长、高等民事法庭书记宫等职

生平

生于1771年,1832年去世。司各特18个月时患小儿麻痹症而有腿萎缩。12岁时进爱丁堡大学。他十分欣赏德国的“狂飙文学”,翻译过德国著名民谣《莱诺尔》。1802年司各特出版《苏格兰边区歌两集》。1805年他第一部有分量的作品《最后一个吟游诗人之歌》问世。此后他投资印刷行业。1808年出版诗歌《玛米恩》,以后他创作了《湖边夫人》、《特里亚明的婚礼》、《岛屿的领主》等一系列诗歌。他最后一部长诗是《无畏的哈罗尔德》。

编辑本段

司各特的作品简介

司各特的诗充满浪漫的冒险故事,深受读者欢迎。但当时拜伦的诗才遮蔽了司各特的才华,司各特转向小说创作,从而首创英国历史小说,为英国文学提供了30多部历史小说巨著。最早的一部历史小说《威佛利》1813年出版,其取材于苏格兰。司各特关于英格兰历史小说有脍炙人口的《艾凡赫》(《撒克逊劫后英雄传》等,关于欧洲史的小说有《昆丁·达威

尔特》及《十字军英雄记》等。司各特的小说情节浪漫复杂，语言流畅生 动。后世许多优秀作家都曾深受他的影响。1826 年，他投资的印刷厂倒闭，司各特以英雄气概承担了 114,000 英镑的全部债务。他拼命地写作，还清 了债务。过分紧张的工作使他的身体垮了下来。司各特之死使英国举国悲 伤。司各特诚实守信 光荣的死 英国著名的小说家瓦尔特司各特是一个诚实守信的人，虽然为他很 贫穷，但是人们都很尊敬他。司各特为人正直，他的一个朋友看见他的生活很困难，就帮他办了一 家出版印刷公司，可是他不善于经营，不久就倒闭破产了。这使原本就很 贫穷的作家又背对背上了六万美元的债务包袱。司各特的朋友们商量，要凑足够的钱帮助他还债。司各特拒绝了，说： “不，凭我自己这双手我能还清债务。我可以失去任何东西，但惟一不能 失去的就是信用。” 为了还清他的债务，他像拉板车的老黄牛一样努力工作，他的朋友们 都非常佩服他的勇气，都说他是一个真正的男子汉，是一个正直高尚的人。当时的很多家报纸都报道了他的企业倒闭的消息，有的文章中充满了 同情和遗憾。他把这些文章统统扔到火炉里，他的心里对自己说：“瓦尔 特司各特不需要要怜悯和同情，他有宝贵的信用和战胜生活的勇气。” 在那以后他更加努力地工作，学会了许多以前不会干的活，经常一天 跑几个单位，变换不同的工作，人累得又黑又瘦。有一次，他的一个债主看了司各特写的小说后，专程跑来对他说：“司 各特先生，我知道您很讲信用，但是您更是一个很有才华的作家，您应该 把时间更多地花在写作上，因此我决定免除您的债务，您欠我的那一部分 钱就不用还了。” 司各特说：“非常感谢您，但是我不能接受您的帮助，我不能做没有 信用的人。” 这件事之后，他在日记本里这样写道：“我从来没有像现在这样睡得 这样踏实和安稳。我的债主对我说，他觉得我

是一个诚实可靠的人，他说 可以免掉我的债务，但我不能接受。尽管我的前方是一条艰难而黑暗的路，但却使我感到光荣，为了保全我的信誉，我可能困苦而死，但我却死得光 荣。” 由于繁重的劳动，司各特曾经病倒过。在病中，他经常对自己说：“我 欠别人的债还没还清呢，我一定要好起来，等我赚了钱，还了债，然后再 光荣而安详的死。” 司各特热爱苏格兰家乡，从小对故乡丰富的历史传说和民间歌谣产生 了浓厚的兴趣。一八 0 二年至一八 0 三年间他搜集整理并出版了《苏格兰

边区歌谣》，引起人们的注意，也为他日后的创作打下了基础。一八 0 五 年，司各特创作的叙事长诗《末代歌者之歌》出版，轰动了英国文坛，给 他带来了声誉。此后他又创作了长诗《玛密恩》和《湖上夫人》等。在这 些叙事诗里，司各特运用浪漫抒情的手法描绘了苏格兰瑰丽的自然景色，叙述了苏格兰和英格兰古老的历史传说，引起了人们极大的兴趣，奠定了 自己在英国文坛上的诗人地位。一八一四年，司各特匿名出版了一部以苏格兰詹姆士党人一七四五年 起义为题材的历史小说《威弗利》，受到读者极其热情的欢迎。这时，拜 伦已在诗坛上崭露头角，司各特自叹不如，于是决心转到小说创作方面。胜炙人口的作品 从一八一四年到一八三二年司各特去世为止，他一共创作了二十余部 历史小说，其中最为胜炙人口的有以苏格兰历史为背景的《中洛辛郡的心 脏》、《修墓老人》、《红古罗伯》，以英格兰历史为背景的《艾凡赫》 和以法国历史为背景的《惊婚记》。社会评价 司各特的历史小说气势磅礴，宏伟壮丽，出色地反映了英格兰、苏格 兰和欧洲历史重大转折时刻的矛盾冲突。在他的笔下，历史事件毫不枯燥，总是和故事人物悲欢离合的曲折遭遇有机地结合在一起。司各特的创作对欧洲历史小说起了开创作用，被尊为历史小说的创 始人。英国的狄更斯、斯蒂文森，法国的雨果、巴尔扎克、大仲马，俄国 的普希金，意大利的曼佐尼，美国的库柏等著名作家都曾受到司各特的深 刻影响。

第三篇：英国文学练习题

英国文学选读练习

1.English Romanticism is generally said to have begun with_____in 1798.A.the publication of Lyrical BalladsB.the death of Sir Scott

C.the birth of William WordsworthD the passage of the first Reform Bill in the Parliament

2.The Romantic Period is first of all an age of_____.A.NovelB.poetryC.dramaD.prose

3.Romanticism does not emphasize_____.A.the special qualities of each individual’s mindB.the inner world of the human spirit

C.IndividualityD.the features that men have in common

4._____ is not a Romantic poet.A.William BlakeB.Sir ScottC.P.B.ShelleyD.Lord Byron

5._____ is a Romantic novelist but is impressed with neo-classic strains.A.Walter ScottB.Mary ShelleyC.Jane AustenD.Ann Radcliff

6._____ is not characteristic of William Blake’s writing.A.plain and direct languageB.compression of meaningC.supernatural qualityD.symbolism

7.Wordsworth published Lyrical Ballads in 1789 with _____.A.ByronB.ColeridgeC.ShelleyD.Keats

8.Wordsworth thinks that _____ is the only subject of literary interest.A.the life of rising bourgeoisieB.aristocratic lifeC.the life of the royal familyD.common life

9.Don Juan is the masterpiece of_____.A.Lord Byron’sB.P.B.Shelley’sC.John Keats’sD.Samuel Coleridge’s

10._____ is not a novel written by Jane Austen.A.Jane EyreB.Sense and SensibilityC.Pride and PrejudiceD.Emma

II.Decide whether the following statements are true or false and write your answers in the brackets.(T)1.The Romantic period is also a great age of prose.(T)2.Romantics also tend to be nationalistic, defending their own literary heritage against the advocates of classical rules.(F)3.Coleridge has been rewarded as Poet Laureate.(F)4.Keats is one of the “Lake Poets.”

(F)5.Jane Austen is a typical Romantic writer.III.Name the author of each of the following literary work.1.“The Rime of the Ancient Mariner”-----Coleridge

2.Songs of Innocence-----Blake

3“Ode to a Nightingale”-----Keats

4.“A Song: Men of England”-----Shelley

5.The Prelude-----Wordsworth

IV.Define the literary terms listed below

1.Romanticism: Romanticism is a movement that flourished in literature, philosophy, music and art in western culture during most of the nineteenth century, beginning as a revolt against classicism.There have been many varieties of Romanticism in many different times and places.The leading features of Romantic movements are Wordsworth, Shelley, etc.2.Ode:Ode is a complex and often lengthy lyric poem, written in a dignified formal style on some lofty or serious subject.Odes are often written for a special occasion, to honour a person or a season or to commemorate an event.V.For each of the quotations listed below please give the name of the author and the title of the literary work from which it is taken and then briefly interpret it.1….Be through my lips to unawakened Earth.The trumpet of a prophecy!O, Wind,If winter comes, can Spring be far behind?

2.For oft, when on my couch I lie

In vacant or in pensive mood,They flash upon that inward eye

Which is the bliss of solitude;

And then my heart with pleasure fills,And dances with the daffodils.V.1.It is taken from Shelley’s Ode to the West Wind.In this poem, Shelley eulogizes the powerful west wind and expresses his eagerness to enjoy the boundless freedom from the reality.In these last lines, the poet shows his optimistic spirit for the future.2.It is taken from Wordsworth’s “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud.” The poet thinks that it is a bliss to recollect the beauty of nature in his mind while he is in solitude.He expresses his strong affecting for nature in the poem.1.The Renaissance is actually a movement stimulated by a series of historical events, which one of the following is not such an event?

A.The rediscovery of ancient Rome and Greek culture.B.England's domestic rest.C.New discovery in geography and astrology.D.The religious reformation and the economic expansion.2.Which of the following is regarded as the most successful religious allegory in the English language.A.The Pilgrim's ProgressB.Grace Abounding to the Chief of SinnersC.The Life and Death of Mr.BadmanD.The Holy War

3.It isalone who, for the first time in English literature, presented to us a comprehensive realistic picture of the English society of his time and created a whole gallery of vivid characters from all walks of life.A.Geoffrey Chaucer B.Martin Luther C.William Langland D.John Gower

4.All of the following four exceptare the most eminent dramatists in the Renaissance England.A.Francis Bacon B.Christopher Marlowe C.William Shakespeare D.Ben Jonson

5.It is generally regarded that Keats's most important and mature poems are in the form of.A.elegy B.ode C.epic D.sonnet

6.Daniel Defoe's novels mainly focus on.A.the struggle of the unfortunate for mere existenceB.the struggle of the shipwrecked persons for security

C.the struggle of the pirates for wealthD.the desire of the criminals for property

7.In Beowulf,fought against the monster Grendel and a five breathing dragon.A.the Anglo-Saxons B.Beowulf C.the Scandinavian D.the Winter Dragon

8.Francis Bacon is best known for hiswhich greatly influenced the development of this literary form.A.essays B.poems C.works D plays

9.Most of Thomas Hardy's novels are set in Wessex.A.a crude region in EnglandB.a fictional primitive regionC.a remote rural areaD.Hardy's hometown

10.We can perhaps describe the west wind in Shelley's poem “Ode to the West Wind” with all the following terms except.A.swift B.proud C.tamed D.wild

11.“Blindness”, “partiality”, “prejudice”, and “absurdity” in the novel “Pride and Prejudice” are most likely the characteristics of.A.Elizabeth B.Darcy C.Mr.Bennet D.Mrs.Bennet

12.The modern English novel came into being in.A.the middle of the 17th centuryB.the 17th centuryC.the late 18th centuryD.the middle of the 18th century

13.Who is not the major figure of modernist movement?

A.Eliot B.Joyce C.Charles Dickens D.Pound

14.Who is considered to be the best known English dramatist since Shakespeare?

A.Oscar Wilde B.John Galsworthy C.W.B.Yeats D.George Bernard Shaw

15.Of the following poets, which is not regarded as “Lake Poets”?

A.Samuel Taylor Coleridge B.Robert Southy C.William Words worth D.William Shakespeare

16.In the first part of Gulliver's Travels, Gulliver told his experience in.A.Lilliput B.Brobdingnag C.Houyhnhnm D.England

17.Which of the following cannot describe “Byronic hero”?

A.proud B.mysterious C.noble origin D progressive

18.In the history of literature, Romanticism is generally regarded as.A.the thought that designates a literary and philosophical theory which tends to see the individual as the very center of all life and all

experience.B.the thought that designates man as a social animal

C.the orientation that emphasizes those features which men have in common

D.the modes of thinking

19.The term “metaphysical poetry” is commonly used to name the work of the 17th century writers who wrote under the influence of.A.John Milton B.John Donne C.John Keats D.John Bunyan

20.“The Vanity Fair” is a well-known part in.A.The Pilgrim's Progress B.Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners

C.The Life and Death of Mr.Badman D.The Holy War

21.In Oliver Twist, Charles criticizes.A.money worshipping tendencyB.dehumanizing of workhouse systemC.hypocrisy of the upper societyD.distortion of human heart

22.Which of the following plays by Shakespeare is history play?

A.Otharo B.The Merry Wives of Windsor C.Henry IV D.King Lear

23.Who is regarded as a “worshipper of nature”.A.John Keats B.William Blake C.William Wordsworth D.Jane Austen

24.Which of the following writing is not the work by Charles Dickens?

A.A Tale of Two Cities B.Hard Times C.Oliver Twist D.Sons and Lovers

25.The 18th century England is known as thein the history.A.Romanticism B.Classicism C.Renaissance D.Enlightenment

26.Romance, which uses narrative verse or prose to tell stories of ___ adventures or other heroic deeds, is a popular literary form in the medieval period.A.ChristianB.knightlyC.GreekD.Primitive

27.The Romantic writers would focus on all the following issues EXCEPT the ___.A.individual feelingsB.idea of survival of the fittestC.strong imaginationD.return to nature

28.Generally , the Renaissance refers to the period between the 14th and mid-17th centuries, its essence is.A.scienceB.philosophyC.artsD.humanism

29.In the field of literature, the Enlightenment Movement brought about a revival of interest in the old classical works.This tendency is known as.A.ClassicismB.NeoclassicismC.RomanticismD.pre-Romanticism

30.Paradise Lost is actually a story taken from

A.the RenaissanceB.the Old TestamentC.Greek MythologyD.the New Testament

Complete each of the following statements with a proper word or a phrase according to the textbook.(20×1 points)

1.In “The Canterbury Tales”, Chaucer employed theheroic couplet with true ease and charm for the first time in the history of English literature.2.Christopher Marlowe is the most gifted of the “University Wits ”.3.The term “ metaphysical poetry” is commonly used to name the work of the 17th“If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?”, which might appear rhetorical, but is more probably intended to indicate Shelley's own uncertainty.It is important to note that Shelley did not advocate the willing application of force and revolution.Clearly the poet hoped that radical social change, or a rebirth of personal inspiration, could be accomplished without violence.His comments in his notebook are useful to help us to read this final line: “the spring rebels not against winter but it succeeds it-the dawn rebels not against night but it disperses it.” The unanswered question in this poem is whether or not the same cyclical inevitability will apply to social and political change as it does to the changes within Nature.

第四篇：英国文学概论

一、中世纪文学

古英语文学 英格兰岛的早期居民凯尔特人和其他部族,没有留下书面文学作品。5世纪时，原住北欧的三个日耳曼部落——盎格鲁、撒克逊和朱特——侵入英国，他们的史诗《贝奥武甫》传了下来。诗中的英雄贝奥武甫杀巨魔、斗毒龙，并在征服这些自然界恶势力的过程中为民捐躯。它的背景和情节是北欧的，但掺有基督教成分，显示出史诗曾几经修改，已非原貌。按照保存在一部10世纪的手抄本里的版本来看，诗的结构完整，写法生动，所用的头韵、重读字和代称体现了古英语诗歌的特色。

6世纪末,基督教传入英国，出现了宗教文学。僧侣们用拉丁文写书，其中比德所著的《英国人民宗教史》(731年完成)既有难得的史实,又有富于哲理的传说，受到推崇，并译成了英文。

此后，丹麦人入侵，不少寺院毁于兵火，学术凋零。9世纪末,韦塞克斯国王阿尔弗雷德大力抗丹，同时着手振兴学术，请了一批学者将拉丁文著作译为英文，并鼓励编写《盎格鲁—撒克逊编年史》，这是用英国当地语言写史的开始。

中古英语文学 1066年诺曼人入侵，带来了欧洲大陆的封建制度，也带来了一批说法语的贵族。古英语受到了统治阶层语言的影响,本身也在起着变化,12世纪后发展为中古英语。文学上也出现了新风尚，盛行用韵文写的骑士传奇，它们歌颂对领主的忠和对高贵妇人的爱，其中艺术性高的有《高文爵士与绿衣骑士》。它用头韵体诗写成，内容是古代亚瑟王属下一个“圆桌骑士”的奇遇。

14世纪后半叶，中古英语文学达到了高峰。这时期的重要诗人乔叟的创作历程，从早期对法国和意大利作品的仿效，进到后来英国本色的写实，表明了英国文学的自信。他的杰作《坎特伯雷故事集》用优美、活泼的韵文，描写了一群去坎特伯雷朝圣的人的神态言谈；他们来自不同阶层和行业,各人所讲的故事或雅或俗,揭示了多方面的社会现实。同时，还有教会小职员兰格伦写的头韵体长诗《农夫皮尔斯》(一译《农夫彼得之梦》)，用梦幻的形式和寓意的象征，写出了1381年农民暴动前后的农村现实，笔锋常带严峻的是非之感。同样宣泄下层人民情绪的还有民间歌谣，它们往往是在长时间的口头流传之后才写定的，其中最初见于15世纪抄本的罗宾汉歌谣，描绘了一群农民劫富济贫、打击教会僧侣和执法吏的事迹，传诵至今。

二、文艺复兴时期文学

16世纪，由于新航路发现后海外贸易发达，英国国力逐渐充实，民族主义高涨，1588年一举击败大陆强国西班牙派来入侵的“无敌舰队”。文化上也出现了一个活动频繁、佳作竞出的文艺复兴局面。

一如在14世纪的意大利，文艺复兴在英国是以重新发现希腊、罗马的古典文化开始的。大学里恢复了古希腊语的教学，接着出现了规模宏大的翻译活动，众多的学者、作家将古代希腊、罗马和近代意、法等国的学术和文学名著译成了早期近代英语。哲学家、教育家、历史家、政治家、宗教人士纷纷从事著述，用不同方式表达了人文主义思想，其中有托马斯·莫尔用拉丁文写的《乌托邦》(1516)。这部作品借一个旅行者谈海外见闻的方式，描绘了一个没有私有制和宗教压迫而崇尚学术的理想社会，而对为了能多产羊毛而大规模圈地、迫使贫苦农民流离失所的“羊吃人”的现实英国作了有力的谴责。

诗歌创作空前活跃，大批诗集出版，开一时风气的重要诗选也陆续问世，其中《杂集》(1557)发表了华埃特和萨里两人对于意大利十四行诗的仿作，使这一诗体在英国生根。到了90年代，锡德尼等著名诗人都出版了十四行诗集，虽然仍以歌颂爱情为主，却能突破旧格局而注入新内容。比十四行更重要的还有其他诗体，或抒情，或叙事，或讽刺，或探讨哲理，都有出色的代表作家，而成就最大的则数斯宾塞。他的主要作品《仙后》(1590～1596)规模宏大，内容丰富，利用中古骑士传奇的体裁，以寓言为主要手法，在精神上却反对天主教而歌颂作为英国民族象征的伊丽莎白女王，传达了正在兴起的清教主义的严峻的道德观，并且出之以优美而多变的韵文，使得斯宾塞不仅独步当时诗坛，而且成为后世讲究诗艺的作家所仰慕的“诗人的诗人”。

诗歌的成就还包括无韵体诗在剧本里的成功运用。诗同剧的结合产生了这一时期文学最骄傲的成果：诗剧。从16世纪80年代起，诗剧作者们摆脱了中古神秘剧、奇迹剧、道德剧的宗教色彩和粗糙技巧，建立了一种生气勃勃的新戏剧，敏锐、强烈地表达了时代精神，在艺术上作了多方面的大胆创新。第一个成功地使无韵体诗变成戏剧媒介的是马洛。他用“壮丽的诗句”写壮丽的人物，如《帖木儿》（1590）中的中亚大帝国的创立者和《浮士德博士的悲剧》(1604)中的追求无限知识的德国博士，同时又在《爱德华二世》（1594）里将一个国王的遭遇写成了英国第一个历史剧。马洛早死，但是诗剧继续成长，经过基德、格林、查普曼、德克、米德尔顿、马斯顿、海伍德等人的创作实践，题材扩大，技巧更趋成熟，至莎士比亚而集大成。

莎士比亚是演员和剧作家，一生写了37部剧本。他博采众长而又自有创造，在历史剧、喜剧、悲剧、传奇剧各方面都写出了杰作。他的9个历史剧包括了从约翰王到亨利五世（亦即从13世纪初到15世纪末）之间连续300年的英国历史,场面之大实属空前，而作者也写得波澜壮阔,反封建、反内战,热情地歌颂了民族国家的形成。他的喜剧活泼多趣，有浓厚的生活气息，其中《仲夏夜之梦》（1596）和《皆大欢喜》(1600)又充满浪漫诗情，令人神驰；《威尼斯商人》(1597)用生动的法庭对抗的场景提出了海外贸易和犹太人放高利贷等经济问题；而结构完整、语言锋利则又数揭露清教徒虚伪的《第十二夜》(1601)。他写悲剧的天才首先见于《罗密欧与朱丽叶》(1595)，这个歌颂自由恋爱的剧本象朝露一样新鲜，而一对纯真青年的死又对封建门第的残酷作了有力的控诉，为后来的西欧乃至世界的文学艺术提供了又一个有长远吸引力的主题。1600年以后，他的思想更深刻，技巧也更老练，创作了一系列卓越的悲剧，其中《哈姆雷特》(1601)写一个年轻的人文主义者面对邪恶势力，在怀疑、犹豫之后终于为“重整乾坤”而献出生命；《奥瑟罗》（1604）写一个威尼斯的黑人大将虽然武功盖世，却仍然受到邪恶势力的捉弄，以至亲手杀了无辜的爱妻；《李尔王》(1606)写一个国王在老年做了极不合情理的事，因此也受到极不合情理的对待,终于流落在民间,而在这过程中反而悟到了真理；《麦克白》(1606)则深入探索了野心的毁灭性，在充满迷信和恐怖的气氛里，作者却让他笔下的罪人不时剖析内心，沉思和反省给了这个悲剧以更大的深度。这一时期的作品标志着莎士比亚达到了他的戏剧艺术的顶点。以后他转入传奇剧的写作，以宽恕和解为主题，其中《暴风雨》(1611)仍是有魅力的佳作。

在莎士比亚创作的末期，诗剧仍然繁荣，不仅有鲍蒙特与弗莱彻等人在写传奇剧，还出现了莎士比亚所未曾尝试的社会讽刺剧，其代表作家是琼森。他的最好的剧作是《狐狸》（1606年上演）和《炼金术士》（1610年上演），它们把17世纪初年伦敦社会上的骗子、方士、食客、荡妇、清教徒之流暴露得淋漓尽致，诗句也典丽有力。但琼森后来为了投合宫廷所好而去写假面剧。同时舞台上出现了韦伯斯特、特纳等人写的凶杀剧，他们以绝好的诗才而渲染色情和恐怖，诗剧的败象已现。等到福特、修莱等人的剧本上演，不仅内容猥琐，韵文也虚浮，深为在政治上日益强大、信仰清教主义的资产阶级所不喜，他们所控制的国会于1642年通过法令，封闭了所有戏院。从16世纪兴起的英国诗剧，在经历了60年的光辉灿烂的成长过程之后，至此乃告衰竭

文艺复兴文学中还有丰富多采的散文作品。16世纪的英语虽然稍嫌芜杂，却十分富于表达力，叙事、状物、写景、辩难,无所不能,因此出现了各种风格的散文，繁丽工整如黎里的《尤佛伊斯》(1579～1580)，明白晓畅如纳什的《不幸的旅人》（1594），绵密雅洁如胡克的《论教会政策的法则》(1594～1597)，简约隽永如培根的《随笔》(1597～1625)。上述黎里与纳什二书也是原始形态的小说。此外还有德洛尼写小城镇手工业者的三本书，特别是写鞋匠的《高贵的行业》(1600)，在细节的叙述上已接近后来的现实主义小说。正是由于这时英语表达力强，所以在大规模的翻译活动中也产生了许多优秀的译作，如诺斯所译的普卢塔克的《希腊罗马名人比较列传》(1579)和弗洛里奥所译的蒙田的《随笔集》(1603)。它们都是莎士比亚参考过的书。17世纪初最重要的译作则是1611年由国王詹姆斯一世下令出版的英文《圣经》。它是47位学者集体翻译的成果，吸收了以前英文译本的优点，用词纯朴而富于形象，韵律也饶声调之美，对后来的英语产生了重大而持久的影响。以上思想、学术、诗、诗剧、散文、翻译等方面的活动成就卓越，尤以诗剧为最，使这一时期文学成为欧洲以至世界文学的高峰之一。

三、17世纪文学16、17世纪之交,英国国内政治经济的矛盾加深,人心动荡，反映于文学的，除了上述诗剧的衰败，还有在散文作品中围绕政治与宗教问题的论争文章的急剧增多，在诗歌中出现了以多恩为代表的玄学派诗和一些称为骑士派的贵族青年所写的爱情诗，前者用新奇的形象和节奏写怀疑与信念交替的复杂心情，显示出当时科学大进展冲击传统文化的影响；后者则表达了一种末世情调。17世纪40年代，革命终于爆发。人民经过公开审判，处决了国王查理一世，并在打了一场激烈的内战之后建立了以克伦威尔为首的资产阶级政权。在文学上，革命主要表现于两个方面：一是有大量的传单和小册子印行，各种集团特别是属于革命阵营左翼的平均派和掘地派通过它们来发表政见，其中李尔本、温斯坦利等人写得犀利有力；二是出现了一个革命的大诗人——弥尔顿。

弥尔顿对于革命的贡献，首先在于他的政论文。从1641年起，他搁下了早以优美著称的诗笔，而用英文和拉丁文写了许多政论小册子，为英国人民处死国王的革命行动辩护,也发表他的进步主张,如《论离婚》(1643)和《论出版自由》(1644)。他的文章虽然句式繁复，却有雄奇之美，在英国散文中自成一格。

1660年革命遭受了重大挫折，王政复辟。这时弥尔顿已经双目失明,受着政治迫害,但他痛定思痛，把自己的一腔孤愤写进了他一生最后的三大作品。首先是《失乐园》(1667)。这首以人类祖先失去乐园的圣经故事为主题的史诗表达了作者的清教主义，而在对于撒旦的描写中则又倾注着他的革命思想，正是那些歌颂叛逆者的响亮诗行构成了诗中最动人的篇章。继之而来的《复乐园》(1671)叙述耶稣拒绝撒旦诱惑的节操,虽见平淡,仍多佳句。同时出版的《力士参孙》是英文中最出色的希腊式古典悲剧，结构严谨而人物突出。作者写参孙双目失明，身陷囹圄，而仍力抗强暴，终于与敌人同归于尽。这当中有弥尔顿对自己不平凡的一生的回顾，炽热的情感溢出诗行，表示他依然壮怀激烈，不变革命初衷。在艺术上弥尔顿力求完美，以希腊、罗马的古典文学为典范，然又不失英国本色，在他的笔下无韵诗更具有庄严灿烂之美，表现了“雄伟的风格”。

王政复辟以后，文学风气为之一变，盛行嘲笑清教徒的讽刺诗，法国式的“英雄悲剧”和反映浮华、轻佻的贵族生活的“风尚喜剧”。这类喜剧中也有意存讽刺的，如康格里夫的《如此世道》(1700)。这时文坛上的领袖人物是德莱顿，他有多方面的才能，主要成就在政治讽刺诗和文论。也有作家反对当时的社会风尚，如来自下层人民的班扬，他的《天路历程》(1678)用朴素而生动的文字和寓言的形式叙述了虔诚教徒在一个充满罪恶的世界里的经历，对居住在“名利场”的上层人物作了严峻的谴责。这里有清教主义的回响，而作品的卓越的叙事能力又使它成为近代小说的前驱。

还有两类散文作品，带来了新气象。一类是科学文章。1660年成立的皇家学会要求会员用“工匠、乡下人、商人的语言”，尽力把一切事物表达得“象数学那样朴实无华”。另一类是哲学著作，先有霍布斯，后有洛克，都用清楚、有力的文字发表了他们的经验主义哲学和政治思想，特别是洛克的影响深远的社会契约论成了近代资产阶级民主政治的理论基础。求实的文风和民主思想都是资产阶级所欢迎的；国王虽复位，实权还在他们手里。1688年,他们把另一个不得人心的国王赶下了台,从此政权被商人和地主的联盟所牢牢掌握，文学也进入一个新的发展时期。

四、18世纪文学

18世纪前半叶，英国社会安定，文学上崇尚新古典主义，其代表者是诗人蒲柏。他运用英雄偶句体极为纯熟，擅长写讽刺诗，但以发泄私怨居多。表现出启蒙主义精神的主要是散文作家，他们推进了散文艺术，还开拓了两个文学新领域，即期刊随笔和现实主义小说。

期刊文学是应广大读者的要求而兴起。斯梯尔与艾迪生两人有首创之功。前者创办《闲谈者》报(1709～1711)，后者继出《旁观者》报(1711～1712)，将街谈巷议和俱乐部里的风趣幽默写上了期刊。艾迪生的文笔尤见典雅。后来笛福、斯威夫特、菲尔丁、约翰逊、哥尔德斯密斯等名家都曾主编期刊或为期刊撰稿，可见此风之盛。由于他们的努力，英国式的随笔得到进一步的提高，题材更广泛，文笔也更灵活。

更具英国特色而又对欧洲大陆产生重大影响的则是散文小说。笛福的《鲁滨孙飘流记》(1719)、《摩尔·弗兰德斯》(1722)等书把水手和女仆当做英雄人物来介绍，细节写得十分逼真，虽然书的结构松散，作者却有娓娓动听的说故事的本领，使读者始终保持兴趣。他的文字口语化，善于绘声绘形，而又迅捷有力。这些特点，加上笛福对英国城乡诸色人等的深刻了解，使他奠定了英国现实主义小说的基础。斯威夫特的《格利佛游记》（1726）是以讽刺朝政、表现人类的丑恶为目的的寓言，然而作为故事，也是十分引人入胜。他把现实细节放在十分奇特的幻想的情景之中，而幻想也是正在发展中的英国小说所需要的。世纪中叶，理查逊用书信体小说细致地描写遭遇不幸的少女的内心,以《克拉丽莎》(1747～1748)等大部头小说感动了一整代英国和西欧的读者，法国启蒙思想家狄德罗称之为伟大创造力的表现。但在菲尔丁的眼里，理查逊只是市侩哲学的代表，于是他起而用仿作去讽刺之，其结果却掌握了写小说的艺术，于是有了他自己的创作，其中最受称道的是《弃婴托姆·琼斯的故事》(1749)，它的人物、风景、场面都是典型的英国式的。作者歌颂真诚、热心、忠实而又不受传统束缚的青年男女，全书有一种爽朗、清新的空气，而又结构完整，把现实主义小说推进到了一个新的水平。当时及稍后还有斯摩莱特、哥尔德斯密斯、斯特恩等人的小说，或扩充了题材，或实验了新写法，都有建树，因此虽然世纪末出现了渲染神秘恐怖的“哥特小说”，但是现实主义已经成为英国小说中的主流，继续向前发展。

菲尔丁的作品《弃婴托姆·琼斯的故事》插图

出色的散文还见于其他文学品种。约翰逊的《诗人传》(1779～1781)是传记和文论的卓越结合，鲍斯韦尔的《约翰逊传》(1791)开辟了传记文学的新境界，伯克的《论美洲的赋税》（1774）展示了政治讲演术的力量，吉本的《罗马帝国衰亡史》(1776～1788)更以其深刻的启蒙主义思想和典丽的文笔成为全欧钦仰的史学杰作。

然而散文之势虽盛，诗歌并未沉寂，不仅有世纪初的蒲柏和汤姆逊在创作，就是一些散文名家，如斯威夫特、约翰逊和哥尔德斯密斯，也善于写诗。等到世纪后半叶，感伤主义抬头，诗歌也复振，出现了扬格的《夜思》(1742～1745)和格雷的《墓园挽歌》(1750)等佳作，反映了英国许多人在产业革命加紧进行中所感到的痛苦和彷徨。珀西编的《英诗辑古》(1765)引起了对古民歌的爱好，于是仿作者有之，伪造者有之，形成一种对中世纪神往的风气。这时从经济不甚发达的苏格兰传来了农民诗人彭斯的声音,他既是旧民歌的整理者,又是新诗篇的创造者，而吟唱的内容则是爱情和自由、平等、博爱的新思想。后者正是法国启蒙思想的结晶，在80年代之末导致了法国大革命。对这次革命的迎或拒，同情或反对，使英国散文作家发生了严重的分裂，但大多数诗人却在革命初起的“黎明”时刻对人类的未来充满了希望。在这样的气氛中产生了浪漫主义诗歌。

第五篇：《英国文学》读后感

Puritanism Features: 1.Predestination: God decided everything before things occurred.2.Original sin: Human beings were born to be evil, and this original sin can be passed down from generation to generation.3.Total depravity4.Limited atonement: Only the “elect” can be saved.Influence1.A group of good qualities – hard work, thrift, piety, sobriety(serious and thoughtful)influenced American literature.2.It led to the everlasting myth.All literature is based on a myth – garden of Eden.3.Symbolism: the American puritan’s metaphorical mode of perception was chiefly instrumental in calling into being a literary symbolism which is distinctly American.4.With regard to their writing, the style is fresh, simple and direct;the rhetoric is plain and honest, not without a touch of nobility often traceable to the direct influence of the Bible.General features of Romanticism

A.Stressing emotion rather than reasonB.Stressing freedom and individuality

C.Idealism rather than materialismD.Writing about nature, medieval legends and with supernatural elements

Features of American Romanticism

A.Imitative

B.Independent

a.peculiar American experience(landscape, pioneering to the West, Indian civilization, new nation's democracy and dreams)

b.Puritan heritage(more moralizing, edifying more than mere entertainment)(careful about love and sex.example: Scarlet Letter)

“Father of American literature”“Father of the American short story”

The first American writher of imaginative literature to gain international fame.The short story as a genre in American literature began with Irving’s The Sketch Book.The Sketch Book also marked the beginning of American Romanticism.超越主义features:

A.Emphasis on Spirit(Oversoul)(超灵)against “world is made of matter”;against “neglecting of spiritual life in capitalist world”

B.Emphasis on individualsOld Puritan views: self-reliance and self-improvement Through communication with Oversoul, human being can be divine.against “total depravity” in Old Puritan doctrinesagainst dehumanization of capitalist world

C.Taking nature as the symbol of the Spirit(Oversoul)

encouraging people to find goodness and beauty from nature

against materialism in the society and the actions which broke the harmony between human and nature only for profits

D.Brotherhood of man(equal and liberty)interested in social reforms;endeavor to create an ideal society;against “everything for money” in the capitalist world

Significance:A.influenced a large group of writersB.summit of American RomanticismC.marked the independence of American literature

Emerson’s aesthetics brought about a revolution in American literature in general and in American poetry in particular.It marked the birth of true American poetry and true American poets.Robert Frost Features

(1)His poems mostly wrote about nature(influence from Wordsworth and Emerson)and New England landscape.(2)Deceptively simple style(reason for popular)(3)Symbolism(show his poems’ deep meaning)(4)He was likely to choose traditional forms for his poem, but the themes of his poems are mostly modern.(In his poems, traditional elements and modern elements mingle together.)

In Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening, Frost uses the kind of familiar New England details that constitute his poetry for more than descriptive purposes.He shapes them into a meditation on the tension we sometimes feel between life’s responsibilities and the “lovely, dark, and deep” attraction that death offers.When the speaker’s horse “gives his harness bells a shake”, we are reminded that we are confronting a universal theme as well as a quiet moment of natural beauty.Emily Dickinson Features

A.Strong influence of Puritanism on her thought(pessimism and tragic tone of her poems)

B.Care about death and immortality(1/3 of all her poems talked about these two themes.)

C.exploring human’s inner world(psychology description in her poems)

D.severe economy of expressionE.original imagesF.direct and plain language G.great influence on the Imagist Movement in the 20th century

The poem is discussing death, a very gloomy subject, but it is done with a rather light tone.The tone is light just because the author does not take death as a catastrophe;instead, she treats the angel of death as a very polite gentleman, as a long-missing guest, giving up her work and leisure, putting on her fine silky dresses, she accompanies death in the same carriage to eternity.All the beauty of this work lies in the poetess’ open-minded attitude towards death.Edgar Allan Poe 诗的特点：father of modern short story，father of detective story

father of psychoanalytic criticisma.Gothic elements(terror and romance)

b.deep analysis of human psychology(He noticed subconscious of human mind nearly one hundred year before Freud.)(He was also the first American author who took neurotic characters as main characters in his stories.)c.precursor of detective stories(e.g.“The Murders in the Rue Morgue”)and science stories

The aim of poem writing is beauty;the most beautiful thing described by a poem is the death of a beautiful woman;the desirable tone of a poem is melancholy;

Whiteman featuresA.He extols the ideals of and and celebrates the B.employing “free verse” as the form of his poems with two characteristics: parallelism;phonetic recurrence(P92-P93)What is the difference between free verse and blank verse?(blank verse has no rhyme, but it should be iambic pentameter)C.frankness of the commonplace and the ugly sides in human lifeD.direct, plain and even vulgar languageE.“untold latencies”(his poetry suggests rather than tell)F.great influence on the 20th century American poets

The Jazz Age

Specifically the 1920s, when young men and women indulge in a whirl of frenetic social excitement or dissipation fostered by the collapse of moral standards during and following World War I.The term was established by Fitzgerald in his Tales of the Jazz Age(1922)

The Great Gatsby Symbolism

Gatsby: the country’s historyDaisy: seemingly beautiful American Dream

Tom: commercialization which brought the country only moral depravityNick: hope of the countryMore: The green light on Daisy’s dock, the eyes of Doctor T.J.Ekleburg, the valley of ashes, Gatsby’s parties, East Egg, West Egg.Theme: disillusionment of American Dream in the materialized America

The decline of the American dream, the spirit of the 1920s, the difference between social classes, the role of symbols in the human conception of meaning, the role of the past in the dreams of the future.