美国文学教案

第一篇：美国文学教案

Lecture 1

The Literature of the Colonial America and

of Reason and Revolution Ⅰ Teaching Content Literature of the Colonial America;Literature of Reason and Revolution Ⅱ Time Allotment 2 periods Ⅲ Teaching Objectives and Requirements Make the students know clear about American Puritanism and its influence on American Literature.Help the students to know about the main literary form, content and theme in Colonial America and the representative writers of this period.Help the students know about the American history of Independence War and the representatives in the period of Reason and Revolution, especially their influence on American Literature.4 Make the students have a good understanding of Jonathan Edwards and Benjamin Franklin.Make sure the students understand clearly about Benjamin Franklin’s Autobiography and its influence on the latter Americans.Ⅳ Key Points and Difficult Points in Teaching 1 American Puritanism Jonathan Edwards 3 Benjamin Franklin 4 Autobiography

Ⅴ Teaching Methods and Means

Lecture;Discussion;Multi-media Ⅵ Teaching Process 1 Literature of the Colonial America(1607-1765)1.1 Historical Background ● In 1492, Christopher Columbus found the new continent called America.● There were many immigrants: Spanish(they built the first town on the new continent);Dutch(they built New York city at the beginning stage);French(today still lots of people’s mother tongue is French in North America);English(they first settled in Jamestown and Virginia in 1607)● In1620, the famous ―May Flower‖ shipped 102 Puritans to Plymouth.(Q: transportation is not convenient, why some many immigrants left their hometown and came to such a remote place as America?)(A: Economic reasons: to seek fortune;Religious reasons: reformation and religious conflicts in Europe, persecution of Protestants, to seek a paradise of their own)1.2 Puritan Thought ● Puritans=Calvinists ◆ Puritans believed most doctrines preached by John Calvin, a theologian, so they were also called Calvinists.◆ Puritans wanted to ―purify the church‖ to its original state, because they thought the church was corrupted and had too many rituals.◆ To be a Puritan: taking religion as the most important thing;living for glorifying God;believing predestination（命运天定）, original sin（原罪，人生下来就是有罪的，因为人类的祖先亚当和夏娃是有罪的）, total depravity（人类是完全堕落的，所以人要处处小心自己的行为，要尽可能做到最好以取悦上帝）, limited atonement（有限救赎，只有被上帝选中的人才能得到上帝的拯救）

◆ Life style of Puritans: pious, austere of taste, diligent and thrift, rigid sense of morality, self-reliant(John Milton is a typical Puritan.)● American Puritan ◆ On the one hand, American Puritans were all idealist as their European brothers.They came to the new continent with the dream that they would built the new land to an Eden on earth.◆ On the other hand, American Puritans were more practical maybe because of the severe conditions they faced.● American Puritanism（清教主义）

◆

Puritanism is the practices and beliefs of the Puritans.The Puritans were originally members of a division of the Protestant Church, who came into existence in the reigns of Queen Elizabeth and King James I.The first settlers who became the founding fathers of the American nation were quite a few of them Puritans.They came to America out of various reasons, but it should be remembered that they were a group of serious, religious people, advocating highly religious and moral principles.◆ As the word itself hints, Puritans wanted to purify their religious beliefs and practices.They felt that the Church of England was too close to the Church of Rome in doctrine form of worship, and organization of authority.◆ The American Puritans, like their brothers back in England, were idealists, believing that the church should be restored to complete ―purity‖.They accepted the doctrine of predestination, original sin and total depravity, and limited atonement through a special infusion of grace from God.But in the grim struggle for survival that followed immediately after their arrival in America, they became more and more practical, as indeed they had to be.◆ Puritans’ lives were extremely disciplined and hard.Puritans tended to suspect joy and laughter as symptoms of sin: a Puritan woman was once

threatened with banishment for smiling in church.They drove out of their settlements all those opinions that seemed dangerous to them, and history has criticized their actions.Yet in the persecution of what they considered error, the Puritans were no worse than many other movements in history.As a culture heritage, Puritanism did have a profound influence on the early American mind.◆ American Puritanism also had a enduring influence on American literature.It had become, to some extent, so much a state of mind, so much a part of the national cultural atmosphere, rather than a set of tenets.● Influence of American Puritanism on literature ◆ Basis of American literature: the dream of building an Eden of Garden on earth(Early American literature were mainly optimistic because they believed that God sent them to the new continent to fulfill the sacred task so they would overcome all the difficulties they met at last.Gradually Americans found that their dreams would not be successful, so lots of pessimistic literary works were produced.)◆ Symbolism(象征主义): lots of American writers liked to employ symbolism in their works.(typical way of Puritans who thought that all the simple objects existing in the world connoted deep meaning.)Symbolism means using symbols in literary works.The symbol means something represents or stands for abstract deep meaning.◆ Style: simple, fresh and direct(just as the style of the Authorized Version of Holy Bible)1.3 Colonial Literature ● General features ◆ Humble origins: diaries, histories, letters etc.◆ In content: serving either God or colonial expansion or both ◆ In form: imitating English literary traditions ● Captain John Smith: the first American Writer, A Description of New England(P16)● William Bradford: The History of Plymouth Plantation(P16-17)● John Winthrop: The History of New England, A Model of Christian Charity

● Anne Bradstreet: first American woman poet;a Puritan poet;once called ―Tenth Muse‖;her first collection of poems, ―The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung Up in America‖ not containing any of her best known poems was the first book written by a woman to be published in the United States;her poems mainly about religious experience, family life and early settlers’ lives;her work also serves as a document of the struggles of a Puritan wife against the hardships of New England colonial life, and in some way is a testament to plight of the women of the age;her most famous poems—‖Contemplations‖(P17)

● Edward Taylor: the best of the puritan poets;a meditative poet;most of his work treated religious themes, with poems based directly on the Psalms

● Roger Williams: one of the greatest Puritan dissenters;begins with the history of religious toleration in America, and the history of the separation of church and state.Literature of Reason and Revolution(1765-End of 18th C)2.1 Historical Background ● American Revolution(Strict rules made by English government prevented the economic development of the colonies.It was unfair.So American Independence War broke.)◆ 1775, Lexington, beginning of the Independence War ◆ June 4th, 1776, Thomas Jefferson, Declaration of Independence ◆ 1778, alliance with France, turning point for American army ◆ 1778, English army surrendered ◆ 1783, formal recognition from Britain government ● Enlightenment(启蒙运动)(Review English Literature, 18th century, Addison, Steele and Pope, Classicism)◆

Originated in Europe in the 17th century ◆

Resources: Newton’s theory;deism（自然神教派，课本P28，宗教与启蒙精神相结合的产物）;French philosophy(Rousseau, Voltaire)◆

Basic principles: stressing education;stressing Reason(Order)(The age has been called Age of Reason.);employing Reason to reconsider the traditions and social realities;concerns for civil rights, such as equality and social justice ◆

Significance: accelerating social progress;freeing people from the limitations set by prevailing Puritanism;making spiritual preparation for American Revolution ◆

Representatives: Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Paine, Thomas Jefferson etc.◆

Influence on literature In form: imitating English classical（古典主义）writers In content: utilitarian tendency(for political or educational purpose)2.2 Representatives in the period of Reason and Revolution 2.2.1 Jonathan Edwards(1703—1758)(last important figure in Puritan tradition)(In most course books, Jonathan Edwards is not included in the period of Reason Revolution and is put to the Colonial Period.However, Philip Freneau should be included in this period.Maybe for the sake of comparing Jonathan Edwards and Benjamin Franklin, the author of the course book put them together.)● Life ◆ Born in a very religious New England family ◆ Graduated from Yale ◆ Worked as a minister and was an important figure in ―Great Awakening‖(a serious of religious revivals which occurred in the 1730s and 1740s on North America continent)◆ Dismissed from his position because of fierce religious controversy at that time ◆ Lived and meditated in solitude;wrote some books(P29)

● Analysis ◆ Influenced by the new ideas of Enlightenment, such as empiricism ◆ Still a pious Puritan ◆ His sense of God’s overwhelming presence in nature and in soul anticipated the Transcendentalism.(P32)◆ First modern American and the country’s last medieval man 2.2.3 Benjamin Franklin(1706-1790)● Life—Jack of all trades ◆ Born in a poor candle maker’s family in Boston ◆ No regular education ◆ Became an apprentice of a printer when he was 12 ◆ An editor of a newspaper and published lots of essays when he was 16 ◆ Went to Philadelphia when he was 17 ◆ A successful printer and publisher ◆ Retired when he was 42 ◆ A scientist with lots of inventions and a famous experiment(kite, electricity, thunderstorm)◆ A famous statesman(the only American who once signed all the four documents that created the new country)(P33)◆ An example who made American Dream come true ● Literary works ◆ Poor Richard’s Almanac《穷查理的年历》

Modeled on farmers’ annual calendar;kept publishing for many years;includes many classical sayings, such as ―A penny saved is a penny earned.‖(P34)

◆

The Autobiography—first of its kind in literature Writing when he was 65 An introduction of his life to his own son Including four parts written in different time Puritanism’s influence, such as self-examination and self-improvement(timetable, thirteen virtues, life style)Enlightenment spirits(man is basically good and free by nature, endowed by god with certain inalienable rights of liberty and the pursuit of happiness;virtues includes ―order‖)

Style: simple, clear in order, direct and concise(―Nothing should be expressed in two words that can as well be expressed in one.‖)(Puritanism’s influence)

Popular, still well-read today, his values and style influenced lots of Americans 2.2.4 Other Representatives ● Thomas Paine(1737-1809): ◆

with his natural gift for pamphleteering and rebellion ◆

His chief contribution was a series of 16 pamphlets entitled American Crisis

and signed ―Common Sense‖.◆

In Common Sense he boldly advocated a ―Declaration for Independence‖.● Thomas Jefferson(1743-1826): ◆

His thought and personality have influenced his countrymen more deeply, and remained effectively alive, than those of any other American ◆

For him, government, a necessary evil, found sanction only in the common consent of a social contract, its purpose was the benefit of the individual, not his exploitation;it must provide freedom of speech, thought, association, press, worship, education, and enterprise(a concept of democracy ◆

Declaration of Independence

● Philip Freneau(1752-1832)◆ He is the most important poet in the 18th century.◆ He was entitled ―Father of American Poetry‖.◆ He was called ―The poet of the Revolution‖

◆ He was born in New York and graduated from Princeton University.◆ He wrote lots of poems supporting American Revolution and human liberty.◆ He was the most notable representative of dawning American nationalism in literature.◆ His poems presented Romantic spirits but his form and taste were mainly influenced by Classicism.◆ Most famous poems: ―The Wild Honey Suckle‖ and ―The Indian Burying Ground‖

◆ Analyze and discuss the theme, rhyme scheme and some difficult dictions in ―The Wild Honey Suckle‖.Ⅶ Reflection Questions and Assignments Reflection Questions 1 How did Franklin and his writings help the formation of the American Dream? What figures of speech are used in ―The Declaration of Independence‖? Analyze and discuss the theme, rhyme scheme and some difficult dictions in ―The Wild Honey Suckle‖.Assignments 1 Discuss the influence of Puritanism in American literature, with emphasis on the elements of Puritan thought in the works of the colonial writers.2 Compare Jonathan Edwards and Benjamin Franklin.Lecture 2 American Romanticism and New England Literature: Washington Irving and James Fenimore Cooper Ⅰ Teaching Content

American Romanticism;Washington Irving;James Fenimore Cooper Ⅱ Time Allotment 2 periods Ⅲ Teaching Objectives and Requirements Make the students know clear about American Romanticism and its difference from European and British Romanticism.Help the students to know about the main literary form, content and theme in American Romantic Period.Help the students know about the early two romantic writers, Washington Irving and James Fenimore Cooper, especially their contributions to American Literature.4 Make the students have a general idea about Irving’s short story ―The Legend of Sleepy Hollow‖ and have a good understanding of Irving’s short story ―Rip Van Winkle‖.Make sure the students understand clearly about James Fenimore Cooper’s ―Leather stocking Tales‖

Ⅳ Key Points and Difficult Points in Teaching 1 American Romanticism Washington Irving James Fenimore Cooper 4 ―Rip Van Winkle‖

Ⅴ Teaching Methods and Means

Lecture;Discussion;Multi-media Ⅵ Teaching Process 1 American Romanticism 1.1 General Introduction(Review Romanticism in British literature)● Time: from the end of the 18th century to the outbreak of the Civil War ● Reasons(Why American Romanticism emerged?)◆ Fast development of the new nation(Historically: the time of westward expansion;Economically: industrialization, flood of immigrants, pioneers pushing the frontier further west—economic boom;Politically: democracy and political equality—the ideals of the new nation)—a promising new land with prevailed optimistic moods ◆ Development of journalism(Some influential periodicals appeared, such as The Atlantic Monthly.They need more literary productions.)◆ Foreign influences(Review history of English literature.)(from the 18th century classicism to sentimentalism to Pre-Romanticism to Romanticism

which can be divided into passive group and active group)(most influential British writers to American Romanticists-Walter Scott)● General features of Romanticism ◆ Stressing emotion rather than reason ◆ Stressing freedom and individuality ◆ Stressing idealism rather than materialism ◆ Writing about nature, medieval legends and with supernatural elements 1.2 Features of American Romanticism(P43-44)● Imitative

◆ against the literary forms and ideas of classicism, developing some relatively new forms of fiction and or poetry, emphasizing upon the imaginative and emotional qualities of literature, a liking for the picturesque, the exotic, the sensuous, the sensational, and the supernatural(P41)● Independent

◆ peculiar American experience(landscape, pioneering to the West, Indian

civilization, new nation’s democracy and dreams)(P41-42)

◆ Puritan heritage(more moralizing, edifying more than mere entertainment)(careful about love and sex.example: Scarlet Letter)(P42)◆ American national consciousness—the sense of mission 1.3 Two periods and representatives ● 1770s to 1830s—Early period ◆ Representatives: Washington Irving, James Fenimore Cooper and New England poet ◆ Two famous poets: William Cullen Bryant(first distinctive American lyric poet;writing about nature, religion and life;famous poems―A Psalm of Life‖)

● 1830s to 1860s—Late period ◆ Flowering of American literature ◆ Representatives: Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Herman Melville, Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson, Edgar Allan Poe etc.1.4 Significance of American Romanticism

Creative period of a native American culture and literature 2 Washington Irving(17831851)● Life story ◆ born in a rich family ◆ attended Yale but expelled ◆ five years at sea ◆ inherited fortune then a comfortable life ◆ wrote lots of novels because he one day was disgusted by one novel ● Major works ◆ ―Leather stocking Tales‖(a series of five novels about the frontier life): The

Pioneers, The Prairie, The Last of the Mohicans, The Pathfinder, The Deerslayer

◆ Central character: Natty Bumppo(several names for same character: Hawk-eye, the Pathfinder, the Deer slayer, Leather stocking)(a typical frontier man: honest, simple, innocent, generous)(represents brotherhood of man, nature and freedom)◆ Theme: modern civilization advancing on the wilderness and the contradiction between them ● Features ◆.Good at inventing plots(Cooper had never been to the frontier area personally.)◆ Style: powerful, yet clumsy and dreadful ◆ Wooden Characters

◆ Use of dialect, but not authentic(criticized by Mark Twain)

● Contributions ◆ Finding ―the West‖ and ―the frontier life‖ as materials for literary works ◆ Introducing Western tradition into American literature Ⅶ Reflection Questions and Assignments Reflection Questions American Romanticism grew as a result of a combination of internal and external factors at work then.Discuss.Assignments 1 Explain Washington Irving’s significance in American literary history.Read Rip Van Winkle or The Last of the Mohicans and make comments on one of the aspects in either work.Lecture 3 American Romanticism and New England Literature: Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau Ⅰ Teaching Content New England Transcendentalism;Ralph Waldo Emerson;J Henry David Thoreau Ⅱ Time Allotment 2 periods Ⅲ Teaching Objectives and Requirements Make the students know clear about New England Transcendentalism 2 Make the students have a good understanding of Ralph Waldo Emerson and the excerpt from his ―Self-Reliance‖ Make sure the students understand clearly about Henry David Thoreau

Ⅳ Key Points and Difficult Points in Teaching 1 New England Transcendentalism Ralph Waldo Emerson 3 ―Self-Reliance‖Henry David Thoreau Ⅴ Teaching Methods and Means

Lecture;Discussion;Multi-media Ⅵ Teaching Process 1 New England Transcendentalism

(a special kind of philosophy appeared in the 1830s in US)(quite influential)1.1 Resources ● Puritan heritage ◆ At the end of the 18th century people gradually felt boring about the strict Calvinism.At the same time with the development of science and technology, Americans suspected the old religion.Thus, Unitarianism（唯一神教）—a religious term(belief in the unity of God, not the Trinity of God)appeared.It was a developed school from the Calvinism.Its principles include the fatherhood of God, the brotherhood of men, the leadership of Jesus(which ignores Jesus’ divinity), salvation by character, and ―continual progress of mankind‖ rather than old religion’s ―man’s total depravity‖.It was an obvious improvement on Calvinism that never accepted the prospect of man’s perfectibility.It influenced Emerson.(P59)

◆ Emerson once was a preacher of Unitarianism, but he thought there were too many rituals in this religious school.Then he resigned from the position and sought a way for people to worship more freely.◆ Emerson also believed in individuality and the dream of making a Garden of Eden on earth held by old generation Puritans.◆ Emerson inherited the ideas of inward communication with God and the divine symbolism of nature from Jonathan Edwards.● Foreign influence ◆ German Philosophy, especially Kant（康德）, a famous German philosopher ◆ Ancient Indian and Chinese works, such as Confucius and Mencius 1.2 Features(P57)● Emphasis on Spirit(Oversoul)(超灵)（爱默生在超验主义里强调的超灵相当于过去宗教里上帝的这个角色，在超验主义里超灵是无形的，人生活的世界里所有的一切都来自超灵，超灵在人生活的世界里也无所不在。）against ―world is made of matter‖;

against ―neglecting of spiritual life in capitalist world‖ ● Emphasis on individuals Old Puritan views: self-reliance and self-improvement Through communication with Oversoul, human being can be divine.against ―total depravity‖ in Old Puritan doctrines against dehumanization of capitalist world ● 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 ● Brotherhood of man(equal and liberty)interested in social reforms;endeavor to create an ideal society;against ―everything for money‖ in the capitalist world 1.3 Significance

● influenced a large group of writers ● summit of American Romanticism

● marked the independence of American literature 2 Ralph Waldo Emerson(1803 – 1882)2.1 Life

● born in a clergyman’s family in New England ● graduated from Harvard ● a Unitarian minister ● abandoned Unitarianism and went to Europe searching for truth ● founded a Transcendentalists’ Club and published a journal, the Dial

● traveled and gave lectures;quite influential 2.2 Major works

● Nature(a book which declared the birth of Transcendentalism), establishing

Emerson as the most eloquent spokesman of New England Transcendentalism ● Some other essays preaching his thoughts: Essays: First Series, including The ―Oversoul‖, ―Self-reliance‖ and ―The American Scholar‖(American’s Declaration of Intellectual Independence);Essays: Second Series, including ―The Poet‖ and ―Experience‖ 2.3 Aesthetics and significance ● Aesthetics ◆In Emerson’s opinion, poets should function as preachers who gave

directions to the mass.◆ True poetry should serve as a moral purification.◆ The argument(or his thought or experience)should decide the form of the poem instead of traditional techniques.◆ The poets should express his thought in symbols.◆ Poets should use words for their pictorial and imaginative meaning.◆ As to theme, Emerson called upon American authors to writer about peculiar American matters.● Significance 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 such as Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson.● Limitation His reputation fell in the 20th century because he firmly believed human and human society could be better.It seemed that he had no sense of evil and too optimistic about human nature and the society.Somebody once called this kind of optimism ―Transcendental folly‖.(爱默生的散文富于哲理，多格言警句，在中国有多种译文。中国著名的女作家张爱玲曾经翻译过爱默生的散文，目前她的译本已由三联书店出版。)2.4 Nature and Self-reliance

● Nature

◆ Published anonymously in 1836, the essay contains an introduction and eight brief Chapters, which discuss the love of nature, the uses of nature, the idealist philosophy in relation to nature, evidences of spirit in the material universe, and the potential expansion of human souls and words that will

result from a general return to direct, immediate contact with the natural environment.◆ In the essay Emerson clearly expresses the main principles of his Transcendentalist pursuit and his love for nature.In expressing his belief in the mystical ―unity of Nature,‖ Emerson develops his concept of the ―Over-soul‖ ―Universal Mind.‖ This essay has become so important that most people consider it an unofficial manifesto for the ―Transcendental Club.‖

● Self-reliance(Selected Readings, P20-24)

◆ The Theme is ―Be yourself.Trust your own inner voice.‖ Emerson repeats that theme throughout the essay in different ways.For example, he urges his readers to retain the outspokenness of a small child who freely speaks his mind–because he has not yet been corrupted by adults who tell him to do otherwise.He also urges readers to avoid envying or imitating others viewed as models of perfection;instead, he says, readers should take pride in their own unique individuality and never be afraid to express their own original ideas.In addition, he says, they should refuse to conform to the ways of the popular culture and its shallow ideals;rather they should live up to their own ideals–even if doing so reaps them criticism and denunciation.◆ In this essay, Emerson uses first-, second-, and third-person point of view.◆ Among the most notable characteristics of Emerson’s writing style are these: ▼ thorough development of his thesis through examples, repetition, and reinforcement;

▼ coinage of memorable statements of principle, or aphorisms;

▼ frequent references(allusions)to historical and literary figures, such as Socrates, Galileo, Copernicus, Napoleon, Shakespeare, Franklin, Dante, and Scipio(Roman general who defeated Hannibal), who embody qualities Emerson discusses;

▼ frequent use of figurative language to make a point, such as ―An institution is the lengthened shadow of one man‖(metaphor)and ―They who made England, Italy, or Greece venerable in the imagination did so by sticking fast where they were, like an axis of the earth‖(simile).Henry David Thoreau(1817-1862)3.1 Life

● Born in a common family in New England ● Graduated from Harvard, but only stayed at home and helped family business ● A friend of Emerson ● Active in social life and had a strong sense of justice(Example: He once refused to pay a poll-tax of 2 dollars because he felt the tax was unfair, and thus he was jailed.And later he wrote an essay named ―Civil Disobedience‖ which advocated passive resistance to unjust laws and influenced Gandhi in India.甘地的非暴力不合作运动)● not successful as a writer and lived in obscurity all his life 3.2 Works

● A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers

● Walden（《瓦尔登湖》）(description of his life near the pond called Walden belonging to Emerson;the author lived there for nearly two years with only an axe at the beginning)(This book was a failure in his own time but became very popular in the 20th century.)Walden presented Thoreau’s unusual interests in nature and showed his individualism which inherited from American Puritanism.The book described the author’s extremely simple life and regeneration he experienced when he lived near the Walden pond.Comparing with Emerson who was a great thinker, Thoreau was a great experimentalist who put Emerson’s Transcendental doctrines into practice in the actual life.(《瓦尔登湖》在二十世纪已经成为了一本美国文学中的经典著作，在中国有多个译本，其中比较常见的一个译本由徐迟翻译，在中国非常流行。)(《瓦尔登湖》中的名剧：‖我可以用28.12元建立一个家，0.27元过一周的生活。每年我用6个星期赚一年的生活费，剩余的46个星期做自己想做的事。‖ 对于在20世纪的繁忙的现代社会中奔波的人，《瓦尔登湖》中记述的作者亲近自然的简单生活自然别有一番魅力，它就像现代人的一个梦想，这也是为什么此书在20世纪非常流行的原因之一。

(一位梭罗研究专家曾经说《瓦尔登湖》有5种读法：1，关于自然的书；2，关于自立更生，简单生活的书；3，对现代生活的批评；4，文学名著；5，神圣的书。)(梭罗在《瓦尔登湖》记述的生活方式很像中国古代的隐士，有兴趣的同学可以对他们进行一个比较。)Ⅶ Reflection Questions and Assignments Reflection Questions Compare Wordsworth and Emerson.Assignments 1 According to Ralph Waldo Emerson, how does nature delight, purify and ennoble man and compensate for his solitude? 2 Comment on Walden.

第二篇：美国文学教案

Lecture 1

The American Literature

I.Teaching Aim: through introduction, the students should get an idea about the history and development of American nation and how did the American literature came into being and what is the characteristic of its early literature.II.Teaching method: Teacher’s Presentation.III.Teaching Tool: multi-medium.Key points: the characteristics of literature.一、基本概况

国名

美利坚合众国（United States of America），简称美国（U.S.A.），旧称花旗国。【面积】9629091平方公里（其中陆地面积915.8960万平方公里），本土东西长4500公里，南北宽2700公里，海岸线长22680公里。

【人口】2.96亿（2005年7月）。白人占75%，拉美裔占12.5%，黑人占12.3%，亚裔占3.6%，华人约243万，占0.9%，多已入美国籍（2000年美人口普查数据）。通用英语。56%的居民信奉基督教新教，28%信奉天主教，2%信奉犹太教，信奉其他宗教的占4%，不属于任何教派的占10%。

【首都】 华盛顿哥伦比亚特区（Washington D.C.），人口约55.4万（2004年）。

【国庆日】7月4日（美国独立日，1776年）。美国文学的历史不长，它几乎是和美国自由资本主义同时出现，较少受到封建贵族文化的束缚。美国早期人口稀少，有大片未开发的土地，为个人理想的实现提供了很大的可能性。

美国人民富于民主自由精神，个人主义、个性解放的观念较为强烈，这在文学中有突出的反映。美国又是一个多民族的国家，移民不断涌入，各自带来了本民族的文化，这决定了美国文学风格的多样性和庞杂性。美国文学发展的过程就是不断吸取、融化各民族文学特点的过程。许多美国作家来自社会下层，这使得美国文学生活气息和平民色彩都比较浓厚，总的特点是开朗、豪放。内容庞杂与色彩鲜明是美国文学的另一特点。个性自由与自我克制、清教主义与实用主义、激进与反动、反叛和顺从、高雅与庸俗、高级趣味与低级趣味、深刻与肤浅、积极进取与玩世不恭、明快与晦涩、犀利的讽刺与阴郁的幽默、精心雕琢与粗制滥造、对人类命运的思考和探索等倾向，不仅可以同时并存，而且形成强烈的对照。

美国文学表现为平民化，多元化，富于阳刚之气，热爱自由，追求以个人幸福为中心的美国梦。美国文学大致出现过3次繁荣：19世纪前期形成民族文学，第一和第二次世界大战后，美国文学两度繁荣，并产生世界影响，已有近10位作家获得诺贝尔文学奖。

从来没有一种潮流或倾向能够在一个时期内一统美国文学的天下。美国作家敏感、好奇，往往是一个浪潮未落，另一浪潮又起。作家们永远处在探索和试验的过程之中。20世纪以来，许多文**流起源于美国，给世界文学同时带来积极的与消极的影响。

Lecture 2

The American Literature

IV.Teaching Aim: through introduction, the students should get an idea about the history and development of American nation and how did the American literature came into being and what is the characteristic of its early literature.V.Teaching method: Teacher’s Presentation.VI.Teaching Tool: multi-medium.Key points: the characteristics of literature.按照体裁分类:

一、自传

二、诗歌

三、戏剧

四、小说

最初的美国文学既不是美国的，也不是真正的文学。它不是美国文学是因为它主要是从英格兰来的移民的作品。它不是文学是因为正如我们知道的—不是以诗歌、散文或小说的形式出现的—而是些颇有情趣的旅行记载和宗教作品。

殖民时期文学:这一时期的文学并不发达，主要以模仿为主，没有自己的鲜明特点，但那时的政治，经济和社会发展对美国文学的形成还是有很大的影响。例如：当年来美洲大陆移民的人基本上属于两种人，一类是为逃避国内政治迫害，追求宗教自由的英国清教徒，他们来到新英格兰地区，扎根发展；另一类是谋求发财致富的欧洲平民百姓，包括野心勃勃的冒险家。不论是哪一种人都相信在新大陆都可以得到自由平等的待遇，都有机会实现自己的理想。这种观点是“美国梦”成为日后美国文学的永恒主题。清教主义有关人生来有罪及上帝主宰一切等思想也影响了美国作家不断思考人性与原罪、人与上帝的关系。由于这一时期文学不很发达，主要文学形式多为讲经布道之作，也有游记、书信等其他文学作品。

这一时期大约从1607年约翰·史密斯船长领导第一批移民在北美大陆建立第一个英国殖民地詹姆斯敦到1765年殖民地人民愤怒抗议英国政府颁布的印花税法。总的来说，殖民时期人们忙于生存，无暇吟诗作曲，清教主义反对虚构的小说戏剧，因此文学不很发达。当时的宗教领袖和殖民区领导人物如布雷福德（William Bradford，1590－1657）、温思罗普（John Winthrop，1588－1649）等人撰写的书籍多半是讲道布经等有关神学的材料或日记。此外还有一些为欧洲读者或亲人撰写的介绍新大陆的山水风貌和日常生活的小册子或游记书信，最著名的作者是为英国人在北美建立第一个永久性殖民地的工作起重要作用的约翰.史密斯船长（Captain John Smith,1580-1631）.即便是诗歌也拜托不了宗教内容。比较出色的诗人有安妮.布雷特兹里特（Anne Bradstreet,约1612－1672）和爱德华.泰勒（Edward Taylor, 约1642-1729)。前者是北美第一位女诗人，她的诗歌虽然宗教气息较浓，但她描写夫妻恩爱，家庭美满等日常生活题材的诗歌感情真挚，富有感染力。泰勒是位牧师，虔诚的情教徒，诗歌创作也是为上帝服务，有些跟他的讲道有密切关系。他的作品在生前并未发表，直到20世纪30年代才被发现并整理出版。两位诗人的一个共同特点是都受英国玄学派诗人的影响，诗歌有较大的模仿性。

二、启蒙时期与独立革命（1765－18世纪末）这是北美人民争取独立、建立美利坚合众国的时期。17世纪末18世纪初，由于经济的发展，殖民者的注意力开始转向世俗生活，在欧洲启蒙主义和自然神论等哲学思潮的影响下，上帝的作用大大削弱，清教主义的统治逐渐衰落。18世纪美国启蒙运动的代表人物富兰克林（Benjamin Frankin,1706－1790）。富兰克林是个人文主义者，相信人性善良、主张人权天赋、政治平等，认为行善是忠于上帝的最好表示。他出身贫苦，但意志坚定，顽强奋斗，从商、参政，写文章、研究科学，终于成为文学家、科学家和在美国立国过程中起重大作用的政治家。他的《格言历书》（Poor Richard's Almanac）通过大量的格言警句宣传创业持家、待人处世的道德原则和勤奋致富的生活道路。他在独立革命期间撰写的《自传》（Autobiography）以亲身经历再次说明，美国有的是机会，只要勤奋便能成功。富兰克林的成功经验对美国人的人生观、事业观和道德观产生过深远的影响。他的《自传》还开创了美国名人写传记的风气，建立了传记文学的传统。

从1765年英国殖民者第一次反对英国政府的印花税到1789年美国联邦政府成立的20多年里，北美大陆的政治形势发展很快，1775年独立战争爆发，1776年宣布独立，1783年对英战争胜利，1789年新宪法生效，华盛顿当选第一任总统。独立革命时期文学的主要形式跟殖民时期一样以理性的敬文为主。主要是各派政治力量对于革命的必要性、革命的前途与方向、政府的形式与性质等重大问题展开激烈争论时所产生的大批论点鲜明、充满战斗力和说服力的杂文、政论文和演讲辞，如潘恩（Thomas Paine，1737－1809）的《常识》（Common Sense）、杰弗逊（Thomas Jefferson,1743－1826）的《独立宣言》（The Declaration of Independence）

三、浪漫主义时期（1800－1865）19世纪初，美国完全摆脱了对英国的依赖，以独立国家的身份进入世界政治舞台。民族文学开始全面繁荣，逐渐打破英国文学在美国的垄断局面。这时期作家们跟英国浪漫主义作家一样，强调文学的想象力和感情色彩，反对古典主义的形式与观点，歌颂大自然，崇尚个人和普通人的思想感情，并且寻根问祖发幽古之思情。但他们虽然模仿美国作家，素材却完全取自美国现实，如西部开发与拓荒经历。他们赞美美国山水，讴歌美国生活，反映美国人民的乐观与热情。

早期浪漫主义的主要代表作家是欧文（Washington Irving，1783－1859）、库柏（James Fenimore Cooper，1789－1851）和布赖恩特（William Cullen Bryant，1794－1878）。欧文以短篇小说见长，他的《见闻札记》（The Sketch Book）开创了美国短篇小说的传统，使他成为第一个享有国际声誉的美国作家。库柏主要写长篇小说，而且有三种不同类型的小说：历史小说、细节准确详尽的冒险小说和对后来西部文学影响甚大的边疆小说--《皮袜子故事集》（The Leather Stocking Tales）五部曲。布赖恩特是美国第一个浪漫主义诗人，也是第一个受到英国诗坛赞赏的美国诗人。《致水鸟》（To a Waterfowl）

19世纪的浪漫主义运动的中心在新英格兰地区，主要表现形式为超验主义（Transcendentalism）。超验主义理论崇尚直觉，反对理性和权威，强调人有能力凭直觉直接认识真理，人能超越感觉获得知识，因此，人的存在就是神的存在的一部分，人在一定范围内就是上帝，自然界是神对人的启示，人可以从自然界认识真理，了解物质发展规律，得到精神道德原则方面的启示。超验主义理论的奠基人是爱默生（Ralph Waldo Emerson，1803－1882）。爱默生的《论自然》（Nature）、《论自立》(Self-Reliance）等著作对打破神学统治，摒弃以神为中心的清教教义，强调人在宇宙万物中的地位，确立民主思想和发展民族文化起了极大的作用。《论自然》曾被称为超验主义理论的“圣经”。

棱罗（Henry David Thoreau,1817－1862）是爱默生的朋友和门徒。他接受爱默生关于认识自我和研究自然的思想，并且身体力行，独自在家乡森林沃尔登湖畔生活了两年，把超验主义的原则和自己的哲理信念付诸实践。《沃尔登湖》（Walden）详细描写他在湖畔的生活，宣传自然的美好，批判资本主义文明的消极影响，呼吁人们返朴归真，到自然中去寻找生活的意义和丰富的精神世界。梭罗富有正义感，反对美国对墨西哥的战争，谴责蓄奴制。他的《论公民的不服从》（Civil Disobedience）主张用和平斗争的方式反对战争和奴隶制，对印度的甘地、60年代的美国黑人领袖马丁·路德·金等人起过积极的影响。

在诗歌方面，新英格兰地区比较出名的诗人有朗费罗（Henry Wadsworth Longfellow,1807-1882），霍姆斯（Oliver Wendell Holmes,1809-1894）和洛威尔（James Russell Lowell, 1810-1891）等。他们大都出身世家，有地位有名望，文化修养比较高，但又都比较守旧，缺乏创新精神，对社会问题虽有批评却比较温和。因此他们常被称为波士顿的婆罗门（Brahmins）。19世纪美国最伟大的浪漫主义诗人是惠特曼（Walt Whitman，1819－1892），1855年出版的《草叶集》（Leaves of Grass）标志着美国文学进入了一个崭新的时代。另一位革新诗歌的诗人是狄金森（Emily Dickinson，1830-1886）。1955年出版的《艾米莉·狄金森诗集》》确立了狄金森在美国文学史上的重要地位。

浪漫主义时期两位重要的小说家是霍桑和梅尔维尔。霍桑（Nathaniel Hawthorne，1804－ 1864）不赞成超验主义，尤其是“人即是神”的说法。《红字》（The Scarlet Letter）描写罪恶对人的精神面貌作用；《带有七个尖角阁的房子》》（The House of the Seven Gables）表现祖上的罪孽对后代的报应。梅尔维尔（Herman Melville, 1819-1891）深受霍桑的影响，关心人类命运，相认邪恶的普遍性，怀疑超验主义的乐观主义理论，对社会进步持悲观态度。他们两人给美国文学带来了戏剧色彩。但是梅尔维尔不像霍桑那样安于命运、按受现实。他进行更为深刻的钻研，探讨上帝的本质、人类的天性和邪恶战胜一切的原因。代表作《白鲸》（Moby Dick）对此作了深刻的反映。

四、现实主义时期（186－1918）南北战争（1861-1865）以后到第一次世界人战爆发，美国完成了从农业社会到工业社会的转化，社会面貌和经济生活开始发生急剧的变化。

现实主义文学时期三位最重要的作家是豪威尔斯（William Dean Howells，1837-1920）马克吐温（Mark Twain，1835－1910）和詹姆斯（Henry James 1843－1916）。

五、现代主义时期（1918－1945）自20世纪开始，美国文学进入新的时代。第一次世界大战对美国人的思想和精神面貌产生极大的影响。人们对自由民主的信念开始动摇，普遍感到迷惘，甚至绝望。

现代主义文学是从诗歌开始的。当时的诗人大致可分为三类：

（l）芝加哥诗人。他们无论在诗歌形式上还是题材上都坚持惠特曼的传统，反映劳动人民的思想感情。（2）以庞德（Ezra Pound，1885-1972）和当时在伦敦居住尚未加入英国籍的艾略特（T．S．Eliot，1888－1965）为首的身居海外的诗人。（3）新英格兰诗人弗洛斯特(Robert Frost，1874－1963)和罗宾逊（Edward Arlington Robinson，1869－1935）属于第三类诗人，介乎上述两派之间，受到新诗歌运动的感染，但并不全盘接受它的原则和主张。

很多在20年代发表作品的年轻作家往往被称为“迷惘的一代”（the lost generation）。他们曾怀着自由民主的幻想参加过第一次世界大战。然而，残酷的战争、无谓的牺牲使他们的理想幻灭了。

菲茨杰拉德（F Scott Fitzgerald,1896－1940）虽然没有去过前线，却是典型的“迷惘的一代的作家。第一部长篇小说《人间天堂》和100多篇短篇小说真实地反映爵士时代人们醉生梦死的空虚的精神面貌，生动地再现了20年代美国青年认为”一切上帝都死亡了，一切战争都打完了和一切对人的信念都动摇了“的绝望心理。《了不起的盖茨比》》和《夜色温柔》（Tender is the Night）从内容到技巧都更为成熟，进一步揭露”美国梦“和”美国精神“的迷惑性和空虚。菲茨杰拉德是继德莱塞以后又一个抨击腐蚀人们灵魂的美国梦的作家。

海明威（Ernest Hemingway，1899－1961）是”迷惆的一代“作家的主要人物。《太阳照样升起》》（The Sun Also Rises）反映大战后在欧洲彷徨游荡的美国青年绝望和幻灭的情绪。《永别了，武器》（A Farewell to Arms）表现战争如何粉碎人们的理想和生活目的。《丧钟为谁而鸣》（For Whom the Bell Tolls）描写西班牙的内战。海明威小说的主人公常常是位心灵受过创伤、敏感而玩世不恭的年轻人，但他作品里往往又有一位勇敢正直的英雄。海明威笔下的英雄可能是不见经传的猎人、士兵、斗中土、拳击家，但他们都具有”硬汉“性格，曲折不挠，视死如归。他们给海明威的主人公以启示，教育他们在困难前面不低头、在压力下面不弯腰的处世原则。《老人与海》（The Old Man and the Sea）中的老渔民集中体现了海明威大力推崇的在失败中保持尊严从而取得精神胜利的生活原则。海明威不仅为美国文学创造了”硬汉"形象；他那含蓄简练，清新有力的文体对美国文学也产生了极大的影响。

第三篇：美国文学教案2

Section 2 Summit of Romanticism –American Transcendentalism I.Background: four sources

1.Unitarianism

(1)Fatherhood of God

(2)Brotherhood of men

(3)Leadership of Jesus

(4)Salvation by character(perfection of one’s character)

(5)Continued progress of mankind

(6)Divinity of mankind

(7)Depravity of mankind

2.Romantic Idealism

Center of the world is spirit, absolute spirit(Kant)

3.Oriental mysticism

Center of the world is “oversoul”

4.Puritanism

Eloquent expression in transcendentalism

II.Appearance

1836, “Nature” by Emerson

III.Features

1.spirit/oversoul

2.importance of individualism

3.nature – symbol of spirit/God

garment of the oversoul

4.focus in intuition(irrationalism and subconsciousness)

IV.Influence

1.It served as an ethical guide to life for a young nation and brought about the idea that human can be perfected by nature.It stressed religious tolerance, called to throw off shackles of customs and traditions and go forward to the development of a new and distinctly American culture.2.It advocated idealism that was great needed in a rapidly expanded economy where opportunity often became opportunism, and the desire to “get on” obscured the moral necessity for rising to spiritual height.3.It helped to create the first American renaissance – one of the most prolific period in American literature.V.RalphWaldo Emerson

1.life

2.works

(1)Nature

(2)Two essays: The American Scholar, The Poet

3.point of view

(1)One major element of his philosophy is his firm belief in the

transcendence of the “oversoul”.(2)He regards nature as the purest, and the most sanctifying moral

influence on man, and advocated a direct intuition of a spiritual and immanent God in nature.(3)If man depends upon himself, cultivates himself and brings out the divine in himself, he can hope to become better and even perfect.This is what Emerson means by “the infinitude of man”.(4)Everyone should understand that he makes himself by making his world, and that he makes the world by making himself.4.aesthetic ideas

(1)He is a complete man, an eternal man.(2)True poetry and true art should ennoble.(3)The poet should express his thought in symbols.(4)As to theme, Emerson called upon American authors to celebrate America which was to him a lone poem in itself.5.his influence

VI.Henry David Thoreau

1.life

2.works

(1)A Week on the Concord and Merrimack River

(2)Walden

(3)A Plea for John Brown(an essay)

3.point of view

(1)He did not like the way a materialistic America was developing and was vehemently outspoken on the point.(2)He hated the human injustice as represented by the slavery system.(3)Like Emerson, but more than him, Thoreau saw nature as a genuine restorative, healthy influence on man’s spiritual well-being.(4)He has faith in the inner virtue and inward, spiritual grace of man.(5)He was very critical of modern civilization.(6)“Simplicity…simplify!”

(7)He was sorely disgusted with “the inundations of the dirty institutions of men’s odd-fellow society”.(8)He has calm trust in the future and his ardent belief in a new generation of men.Section 3 Late Romanticism

I.Nathaniel Hawthorne

1.life

2.works

(1)Two collections of short stories: Twice-told Tales, Mosses from and Old Manse

(2)The Scarlet Letter

(3)The House of the Seven Gables

(4)The Marble Faun

3.point of view

(1)Evil is at the core of human life, “that blackness in Hawthorne”

(2)Whenever there is sin, there is punishment.Sin or evil can be passed from generation to generation(causality).(3)He is of the opinion that evil educates.(4)He has disgust in science.4.aesthetic ideas

(1)He took a great interest in history and antiquity.To him these furnish the soil on which his mind grows to fruition.(2)He was convinced that romance was the predestined form of American narrative.To tell the truth and satirize and yet not to offend: That was what Hawthorne had in mind to achieve.5.style – typical romantic writer

(1)the use of symbols

(2)revelation of characters’ psychology

(3)the use of supernatural mixed with the actual

(4)his stories are parable(parable inform)– to teach a lesson

(5)use of ambiguity to keep the reader in the world of uncertainty – multiple point of view

II.Herman Melville

1.life

2.works

(1)Typee

(2)Omio

(3)Mardi

(4)Redburn

(5)White Jacket

(6)Moby Dick

(7)Pierre

(8)Billy Budd

3.point of view

(1)He never seems able to say an affirmative yes to life: His is the attitude of “Everlasting Nay”(negative attitude towards life).(2)One of the major themes of his is alienation(far away from each other).Other themes: loneliness, suicidal individualism(individualism causing disaster and death), rejection and quest, confrontation of innocence and evil, doubts over the comforting 19c idea of progress

4.style

(1)Like Hawthorne, Melville manages to achieve the effect of ambiguity through employing the technique of multiple view of his narratives.(2)He tends to write periodic chapters.(3)His rich rhythmical prose and his poetic power have been profusely commented upon and praised.(4)His works are symbolic and metaphorical.(5)He includes many non-narrative chapters of factual background or description of what goes on board the ship or on the route(Moby Dick)

第四篇：美国文学教案1

Chapter 1 Colonial Period I.Background: Puritanism 1.features of Puritanism(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 depravity(4)Limited atonement: Only the “elect” can be saved.2.Influence(1)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.II.Overview of the literature 1.types of writing diaries, histories, journals, letters, travel books, autobiographies/biographies, sermons 2.writers of colonial period(1)Anne Bradstreet(2)Edward Taylor(3)Roger Williams(4)John Woolman(5)Thomas Paine(6)Philip Freneau IV.Benjamin Franklin 1.life 2.works(1)Poor Richard’s Almanac(2)Autobiography 3.contribution(1)He helped found the Pennsylvania Hospital and the American Philosophical Society.(2)He was called “the new Prometheus who had stolen fire(electricity in this case)from heaven”.(3)Everything seems to meet in this one man – “Jack of all trades”.Herman Melville thus described him “master of each and mastered by none”.Chapter 2 American Romanticism Section 1 Early Romantic Period What is Romanticism? An approach from ancient Greek: Plato A literary trend: 18c in Britain(1798~1832)Schlegel Bros.I.Preview: Characteristics of romanticism 1.subjectivity(1)feeling and emotions, finding truth(2)emphasis on imagination(3)emphasis on individualism – personal freedom, no hero worship, natural goodness of human beings 2.back to medieval, esp medieval folk literature(1)unrestrained by classical rules(2)full of imagination(3)colloquial language(4)freedom of imagination(5)genuine in feelings: answer their call for classics 3.back to nature nature is “breathing living thing”(Rousseau)II.American Romanticism 1.Background(1)Political background and economic development(2)Romantic movement in European countries Derivative – foreign influence 2.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.III.Washington Irving 1.several names attached to Irving(1)first American writer(2)the messenger sent from the new world to the old world(3)father of American literature 2.life 3.works(1)A History of New York from the Beginning of the World to the End of the Dutch Dynasty(2)The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent.(He won a measure of international recognition with the publication of this.)(3)The History of the Life and Voyages of Christopher Columbus(4)A Chronicle of the Conquest of Granada(5)The Alhambra 4.Literary career: two parts(1)1809~1832 a.Subjects are either English or European b.Conservative love for the antique(2)1832~1859: back to US 5.style – beautiful(1)gentility, urbanity, pleasantness(2)avoiding moralizing – amusing and entertaining(3)enveloping stories in an atmosphere(4)vivid and true characters(5)humour – smiling while reading(6)musical language IV.James Fenimore Cooper 1.life 2.works(1)Precaution(1820, his first novel, imitating Austen’s Pride and Prejudice)(2)The Spy(his second novel and great success)(3)Leatherstocking Tales(his masterpiece, a series of five novels)The Deerslayer, The Last of the Mohicans, The Pathfinder, The Pioneer, The Prairie 3.point of view the theme of wilderness vs.civilization, freedom vs.law, order vs.change, aristocrat vs.democrat, natural rights vs.legal rights 4.style(1)highly imaginative(2)good at inventing tales(3)good at landscape description(4)conservative(5)characterization wooden and lacking in probability(6)language and use of dialect not authentic 5.literary achievements He created a myth about the formative period of the American nation.If the history of the United States is, in a sense, the process of the American settlers exploring and pushing the American frontier forever westward, then Cooper’s Leatherstocking Tales effectively approximates the American national experience of adventure into the West.He turned the west and frontier as a useable past and he helped to introduce western tradition to American literature.Romantic Poets I.WaltWhitman 1.life 2.work: Leaves of Grass(9 editions)(1)Song of Myself(2)There Was a Child Went Forth(3)Crossing Brooklyn Ferry(4)Democratic Vistas(5)Passage to India(6)Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking 3.themes – “Catalogue of American and European thought”

He had been influenced by many American and European thoughts: enlightenment, idealism, transcendentalism, science, evolution ideas, western frontier spirits, Jefferson’s individualism, Civil War Unionism, Orientalism.Major themes in his poems(almost everything): equality of things and beings divinity of everything immanence of God democracy evolution of cosmos multiplicity of nature self-reliant spirit death, beauty of death expansion of America brotherhood and social solidarity(unity of nations in the world)pursuit of love and happiness 4.style: “free verse”

(1)no fixed rhyme or scheme(2)parallelism, a rhythm of thought(3)phonetic recurrence(4)the habit of using snapshots(5)the use of a certain pronoun “I”

(6)a looser and more open-ended syntactic structure(7)use of conventional image(8)strong tendency to use oral English(9)vocabulary – powerful, colourful, rarely used words of foreign origins, some even wrong(10)sentences – catalogue technique: long list of names, long poem lines 5.influence(1)His best work has become part of the common property of Western culture.(2)He took over Whitman’s vision of the poet-prophet and poet-teacher and recast it in a more sophisticated and Europeanized mood.(3)He has been compared to a mountain in American literary history.(4)Contemporary American poetry, whatever school or form, bears witness to his great influence.II.Emily Dickenson 1.life 2.works(1)My Life Closed Twice before Its Close(2)Because I Can’t Stop for Death(3)I Heard a Fly Buzz – When I died(4)Mine – by the Right of the White Election(5)Wild Nights – Wild Nights 3.themes: based on her own experiences/joys/sorrows(1)religion – doubt and belief about religious subjects(2)death and immortality(3)love – suffering and frustration caused by love(4)physical aspect of desire(5)nature – kind and cruel(6)free will and human responsibility 4.style(1)poems without titles(2)severe economy of expression(3)directness, brevity(4)musical device to create cadence(rhythm)(5)capital letters – emphasis(6)short poems, mainly two stanzas(7)rhetoric techniques: personification – make some of abstract ideas vivid III.Comparison:Whitman vs.Dickinson 1.Similarities:(1)Thematically, they both extolled, in their different ways, an emergent America, its expansion, its individualism and its Americanness, their poetry being part of “American Renaissance”.(2)Technically, they both added to the literary independence of the new nation by breaking free of the convention of the iambic pentameter and exhibiting a freedom in form unknown before: they were pioneers in American poetry.2.differences:(1)Whitman seems to keep his eye on society at large;Dickinson explores the inner life of the individual.(2)Whereas Whitman is “national” in his outlook, Dickinson is “regional”.(3)Dickinson has the “catalogue technique”(direct, simple style)which Whitman doesn’t have.Edgar Allen Poe I.Life II.Works 1.short stories(1)ratiocinative stories a.Ms Found in a Bottle b.The Murders in the Rue Morgue c.The Purloined Letter(2)Revenge, death and rebirth a.The Fall of the House of Usher b.Ligeia c.The Masque of the Red Death(3)Literary theory a.The Philosophy of Composition b.The Poetic Principle c.Review of Hawthorne’s Twice-told Tales III.Themes 1.death – predominant theme in Poe’s writing

“Poe is not interested in anything alive.Everything in Poe’s writings is dead.” 2.disintegration(separation)of life 3.horror 4.negative thoughts of science IV.Aesthetic ideas 1.The short stories should be of brevity, totality, single effect, compression and finality.2.The poems should be short, and the aim should be beauty, the tone melancholy.Poems should not be of moralizing.He calls for pure poetry and stresses rhythm.V.Style – traditional, but not easy to read VI.Reputation: “the jingle man”(Emerson)

第五篇：美国文学名词解释

1.Naturalism:American naturalism was a new and harsher realism.America’s literary naturalists dismissed the validity of comforting moral truths.They attempted to achieve extreme objectivity and frankness, presenting characters of low social and economic classes who were determined by their environment and heredity.Puritanism:Puritanism is the practices and beliefs of the Puritans.They accepted the doctrine of predestination, original sin and total depravity, and limited atonement through a special infusion of grace form God.3.Realism: Realism emphasizes on a faithful rendering of the ordinary, a slice of life as it is really lived.It expresses the concern for commonplace and the low, and it offers an objective rather than an idealistic view of human nature and human experience.4.Romanticism: romantics frequently shared certain general characteristics: moral enthusiasm, faith in value of individualism and intuitive perception, and a presumption that the natural world was a source of goodness and man’s societies a source of corruption.Transcendentalism:They spoke for cultural rejuvenation and stressed the importance of the individual.They offered a fresh perception of nature as symbolic of the Spirit or God.Nature was, to them, alive, filled with God’s overwhelming presence.6.Imagism意象主义: It’s a poetic movement of England and the U.S.flourished from 1909 to 1917.The movement insists on the creation of images in poetry by “the direct treatment of the thing” and the economy of wording.7.Local Colorism: fiction or poetry that focuses on specific features – including characters, dialects, customs, history, and landscape – of a particular region.8.Lost Generation: It describes the Americans who remained in Paris as a colony of “expatriates” or exiles.It describes the writers like Hemingway who lived in semi poverty.It describes the Americans who returned to their native land with an intense awareness of living in an unfamiliar changing world.9.Beat Generation: It was a group of American post-World War IIwho came to prominence in the 1950s.They rejected conventional social and moral values;expressed their alienation in their works from conventional “square” society by adopting a life style which featured sex, drugs, jazz and the freedom of the open road.10.Symbolism: Symbolism is the writing technique of using symbols.It enables poets to compress a very complex idea or set of ideas into one image or even one word.It’s one of the most powerful devices that poets employ in creation.11.Modernism：is loosely a synonym of anything contemporary.Strictly, Modernism began in the late 19th century and regarded the theory of psycho-analysis as its theoretical base.They pay more attention to the psychic time than the chronological one.12.A Jazz age(爵士时代):The Jazz Age describes the period of the 1920s and 1930s.With the rise of the great depression, the values of this age saw much decline.Highlighting what some describe as the decadence and hedonism, as well as the growth of individualism.