Part One: Early and Medieval English LiteratureWhat’s epic?Epic is one of the ancient types of poetry and plays a very important role in early development of literature and civilization. An epic is a long narrative poem of great scale and grandiose style about the heroes who are usually warriors or even demigods. It deals with noble characters and heroic deeds.Basically, it is a story about hero, more significantly, it reflects national history.The significance of Beowulf:It sings of the exciting adventures of a great legendary hero whose physical strength demonstrates his high spiritual qualities, i.e. his resolution to serve his country and kind folk, his true courage, courteous conduct, and his love of honor. In the poem, Beowulf is strong, courageous, selfless, and ready to risk his life in order to rid his people evil monsters.Geoffrey Chaucer杰佛利•乔叟1340-1400长诗：The House of Fame声誉之堂;Troilus and Criseyde特罗勒斯与克丽西德小说：Canterbury Tales坎特伯雷故事集----英国文学史上现实主义第一部杰作（他是最早有人文主义思想的作家，现实主义文学的奠基人Father of English poetry & Founder of English realism）(Boccacio 薄伽丘The Decameron十日谈)The significance of The Canterbury Tales is as follows:1.It gives a comprehensive picture of Chaucer‟s time.2.The dramatic structure of the poem has been highly commended by critics.3.Chaucer‟s humour: Humour is a characteristic feature of the English literature.4.Chaucer‟s contribution to the English language.Heroic couplet英雄双行体Part Two: The English Renaissance (1550-1642)Renaissance is commonly applied to the movement or period in western civilization, which marks the transition from the medieval to the modern world. It first started in Florence and V enice.HumanismAccording to them it was against human nature to sacrifice the happiness of this life for an after life. They argued that man should be given full freedom to enrich their intellectual and emotional life.In religion, the H thinking was a relation against the narrow mindedness of the Catholic Church; they demanded the information of the church.In art and literature, instead of singing praise to God, they sang in praise of man and of the pursuit of happiness in this life. H shattered the shackles of spiritual bo ndage of man’s mind by the Roman Catholic Church and opened his eyes to “a brave new world” in front of him.Edmund Spenser (1552?-1599) The Fearie Queene仙后Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593) They were predecessors to Shakespeare and were later called the University Wits（大学才子派）.William Shakespeare莎士比亚1564-1616“He was not of an age, but for all time.”Shakespeare’s achievements:1.Shakespeare represented the trend of history in giving voice to the desires and aspirations ofthe people.2.Shakespeare‟s humanism3.Sh akespeare‟s characterization4.Shakespeare‟s originality5.Shakespeare as a great poet6.Shakespeare as master of the English languageHamlet as a Character(Hamlet‟s theme is revenge interrelated with theme of faithlessness, love and ambition.)Soliloquy（自言自语，独白）is a dramatic speech delivered by on character speaking aloud while under the impression of being alone. The soliloquist thus reveals his or her inner thoughts and feelings to the audience, either direct address. It is also known as interior monologue.“To be, or not to be.” The speech conveys a sense of world weariness as well as the author‟s. SonnetA sonnet is a short song in the original meaning of the word. Later it became a poem of 14 lines, usually in iambic（长短格，抑扬格，抑扬格诗）pentameter（五步格诗）with various rhyming schemes.Part Three: Literature of Revolution Period (1603-1688)Francis Bacon培根1561-1626 essayist 散文家(the chief figure in English Prose in the first half of the 17th century and his essays began the long tradition of the English essay in the history of English literature.) Advancement of Learning学术的进展;Novum Organum 新工具;New Atlantic新大西岛;Essays论文集（Of Studies论学习;Of Wisdom for a Man‟s Self）Of Studies purpose: This essay is intended to tell people how to be efficient and make their way in public life.Language Appreciation:Parallel structure; succinct（简明的）expression; long complex sentences side by side with short simple ones; classical diction（发音）; good and clear logical reasoning, with examples and facts; objective impersonal, persuasiv e writing without “we”, “I”.Conceit(高傲，骄傲自大)Conceit originally means “concept” or “idea” and later came to mean “fanciful idea”. A conceit is a metaphor or simile that is mad elaborate (far-fetched), often extravagant（奢侈的，夸张的）. The difference between a conceit and a metaphor or simile is largely to degree. A metaphor or simile appeals mainly to the reader‟s 5 senses and is easier to understand; a conceit may strike the reader as weird.Founder of the Metaphysical school——John Donne; features of the school: philosophical poems, complex rhythms and strange images; the most famous preacher of his time. (In the first stage he was Donne the courtier, the lover, and the soldier. In the second stage he was Dr. John Donne, Dean of St. Paul‟s Cathedral.)John Milton约翰•弥尔顿1608-1674 (He was the man of revolution enthusiasm. The military leader of the revolution, John Milton was the man of thought, and with his pen he defended the revolutionary cause.) L…Allegro欢乐的人;Il Penseroso沉思的人;Comus科马斯;Lycidas列西达斯;Areopagitica论出版自由;Pro Populo Anglicano Defense为英国人民声辩; Pro Populo Anglicano Defense Secunda再为英国人民声辩; Paradise Lost失乐园; Paradise Regained复乐园; Samson Agonistes力士参孙.The blank verse 素体无韵诗, i.e., the unrhymed lines of iambic pentameter, is used throughout the epic and is characterized by its employment of long and involved sentences, which run on many lines with a variety of pauses, and achieving sometimes an oratorical and sometimes an elaborately logical effect.John Bunyan班扬1628-1688 The Pilgrim‟s Progress天路历程(Vanity Fair名利场);The Life and Death of Mr Badman培德曼先生的一生Part Four: The Eighteenth Century and Neo-classicism (1688-1798)What is Neo-classicism新古典主义?Neo-classicism was a reaction against the intricacy and occasional obscurity, boldness and the extravagance of European literature of the late Renaissance, as seen for instance, in the works of the metaphysical. In favor of simplicity, charity restraint regularity and good sense. The characteristics of neo-classicism can be summed up as follows:1.People emphasized reason rather than emotion, form rather than content.2.As reason was stressed, most of the writings of the age were didactic（迂腐的）and satirical.3.As elegance, correctness, appropriateness and restraint were preferred; the poet found closed couplet the only possible verse form for serious work.4.It is almost exclusively a “town” poetry, catering to the interests of the “society” in greatcities.5.It is entirely wanting in all those elements that are related with the “romantic”.28、Classicism (新古典主义)名词解释Classicism implies (意味着) the revival (复苏) of the forms and traditions of the ancient world，a return to works of old Greek literature from Homer to Plato and Aristotle. But French classicism of the 17th century was not conscious of being a classical revival (并非古典主义的复苏)。