英國文學史上的湖畔詩人論文

1、英國文學史課程論文Lake Poets in the history of Englishliterature英國文學史上的湖畔詩人AbstractThe Lake Poets or Lake School was a group of En glish poets:Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Robert Southey, and William Wordsworth. They lived in the lake district ” in northwestern England. This group was part of the roma ntic movem

2、e nt of the late 1700 and early 1800. They werein spired by the French revoluti on and the En glish In dustrialRevoluti on.They madebold experiments on poetry writing,no matter no poetry Ianguageseek ing or subjects. Wordsworth was regarded asworshipper of n ature”.Coleridge was not only a poet but

3、also a critic. While Southey pay more his attention to his democratic community inAmerica known as Pant ” isocracy .Key words: The Romantic Period, Nature, Super nature, Imagination,Innovation, Simple Ianguage, Inner world, Spirit,CommoHife,Democratic,Pant isocracy英國文學史上的湖畔詩人摘要湖畔詩人就是一組英國詩人，Samuel Ta

4、ylor Coleridge, Robert Southey,and William words worth.他們居住在英格蘭東北的“湖區(qū)”是18世紀至19世紀時期浪漫主義運動的一部分。受到法國大革命和英國工業(yè)革命的影響，他們 在詩歌創(chuàng)作方面做了大膽的改革，無論是在詩語言還是主題的選擇上都有獨到的 見解。William words worth 被人譽為自然的膜拜者。Samuel Taylor Coleridge 不但是著名的詩人，也是一流的文學批評家。然而，Robert Southey卻更為將精力注意到人人平等的大同社會上來。關鍵詞：浪漫主義時期，自然，超自然，想象，改革，簡化語言，內(nèi)在世界，

5、 精神實質(zhì)，平民生活，民主，大同社會Lake Poets in the history of EnglishliteratureThe English romanticism as a historical phrase ofliterature isgen erally said to have bega n in 1798 and en ded in 1832.however, at this great period, there are three great poets who cannot be igno red, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Robert S

6、outhey, and William Words worth.These three poets are known as the Lake Poets ”，because they once settled at Dove Cottage in Cashmere, Westmoreland, and the loveliest spot in the En glish Lake District.The Lake Poets play a tran siti onal role betwee n old and new stylesin the poetry development in

7、literature history especially in the English history .In their works we see the in flue nce from both the past and the moder n.During the roma ntic period, there have bee n great cha nges in bothEuropean society and economy, which were actually provoked by two importa nt revoluti ons, the French rev

8、oluti on and the En glish in dustrialrevolution. And as a result, some of the great imaginative writings inthe romantic period sprang from the confrontationof radicals andcon servatives at the close of the 18th cen tury. Whilethe lake poetschoose nature, imagination as their poetic subjects, other g

9、reat poets,such as George garde n Byron, showed a lasti ngcon tempt for what hecon sidered the com mon placea nd vulgarityof the lake poets ”. Because theythink thelake poets ”，to some extent, are too conservation in theirperiod.The other key element for the exiting of the lake poets ” is the cruel

10、econo mic exploitati on. As a con seque nce of the En glish in dustrial revolution, the European society emerged a new labor class. Though the social wealth had bee n in creased by several times, it was only the richwho ownedthis wealth. The majority of the people were still poor, or even poorer. Th

11、e romantics with thelake poets ” as a leader saw both thecorruption of the feudal societies and the exploitationin moderncapitalist society. Under such condition,the lake poets ” emphasized thespecial qualities of each in dividual mi nd. Wordsworth the solitaryreaper, Coleridge frost at ni ght, Sout

12、hey win ter are all such poems.So we can see they pay more atte nti on to portray the in dividualexperienee. It a typical character of theLake Poets ” to place thein dividual at the cen ter of art in order to express his or her unique feelings and particular attitudes.With the coming of the French R

13、evolution in 1978, and the primarily agricultural society replaced by a modern industrializedone, these threepoets in spired an en tire new poetic revoluti on.At first, they started a rebellionagainst the neoclassic literature.They explored newtheories and innovated newtechniques in poetry writing.

14、As we all know, the neoclassicists had somefixed rules and laws for almost every genre of literature.Poetry should be lyrical, didacticsatiric ordramatic and be strictly duded by prin ciples. The n eoclassicists also emphasized upon reas on and in tellect. However, the roma ntics started a poetic re

15、volution .Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Robot Southey, and William Wordsworth, with the publicati on of Lyrical Ballads, were the major representativesof thismovement.We can get such ideas from thefollowing examples: the ancient mariner written by Coleridge; the prelude- (1) written by Wordsworth. In the

16、se famous poems, we can see they have madebold experiments in poetic Ianguage, versification and design.Second, they believe that poetry could purify both in dividualand thesociety. At one hand, they chose to live by the lakeside so as to escape from the rational and ugly society. At other hand, the

17、y also want toachieve their wishful society in the imagination.I.imagination and inspiration, defined by Coleridge, is regarded as someth ing crucial for true poetry.Kublai Khan, as we all know, was composed in a dream after Coleridge took opium.So twice five miles of fertile ground, with walls and

18、towers weregirdled round;An dthere were garde ns bright with sinu ous rills, where blossomed many an incen se-beari ng tree;And here were forests ancient as the hills,enfoldingsunny spots ofgreenery. ”-When we read these great lines,we are deeply impressed by the imageof the river, the magnificent p

19、alace and other marvelous. We can hardly believe they were worked out in his unconsciousness. Similar examples can also be found from works of robot Southey, which contained a lot of vaguely hind tales.2. The n ature world is the firstthi ngcoming in to“ poetsimag in ati on.I“wa ndered Ion ely as a

20、cloud,The floats on high over vales and hills,Whe n all at once I saw a crowd,A host, of golde n daffodils;Besides the lake, ben eath the trees,Flutteri ng and dancing in the breeze.”-Wordsworth wrote this beautiful poem of n ature after he came acrossa long belt of gold daffodils along the watersid

21、e. In this poem, n atureis not only his source of imag in ati on but also his poetic subject. Butwhen we read it second time, maybe we can realize that the writer wantsto recollect the beauty of nature in his mind while he is in the solitude.Si nee the Lake Poets refers to three great En glish poets

22、, let appreciate them respectively.I. William WordsworthWilliam Wordsworth is a leading figure of the English romantic poetry. The most important contribution he has madeis that he has not only started the modern poetry but also changed the course of English poetry by using coordinator speech of the

23、 Ianguage and by advocating a return to nature.William Wordsworth was born in an attor ney family. As young boy, he developed a kee n love of n ature, which in flue need all his rest life. After the French Revolution, his heart was stirred and his imagination fired.However William Wordsworth was con

24、 servative in politics, which perky by Shelley and George Gordon Byro n were stro ngly aga in st.William Wordsworth had a long poetic career. Though his life, hefini shed many poem volumes. But maybe the most famous one is lyrical ballads. That is because this volumes differe nt from his early poetr

25、y, with an uncompromising simple Ianguage and fusion of nature description. The prelude is also amonghis best works and is regarded as one of William Wordsworth greatest works by many critics. Because he expressed his philosophy ideas in it. To him, life is a cyclical journey, in which the beg innin

26、g fin ally turns out to be its end.Accord ing to the subjects, William Wordsworth short poems can beclassified into two groups: poemsabout nature and poemsabout humanlife.William Wordsworth emphasized the picturesque sce nes and gave the reader the very life of nature. Heis regarded as the worshippe

27、r of nature. But we can also find a deeper moral awareness in his poems. To him, nature acts as a bridge betwee n huma n and certa in circumsta nee.We stood together; and that I, so longA worshipper of n ature hither cameUn wearied in that service: rather sayWith warmer love-oh! With far deeper zeal

28、Of holier love. Nor wilt thou the n forget,That after many wan deri ngs, many yearsOf abse nee, these steep woods and lofty cliffs,And this gree n pastoral la ndscape, were to meMore dear, both for themselves and for thy sake”B.the joys and sorrows of the commorpeople are also his usual subject. His

29、 sympathy always goes to the sufferingpoor. The Lucy poems describesa young country girl living a simple life in a remote village. In theist poem, William words worth used simple Ian guage to give the reader the scenes and events of everyday life. In his opinion, the speech of ordinary people was th

30、e raw material of poetry writing. By using limited Ianguage, William words worth worked out an eternal theme, love and loiss, time and death. ” the solitary reaper ” to a highland girl ” are all his masterpieces about huma n life.2. Samuel Taylor ColeridgeSamuel Taylor Coleridge is a son of a clergy

31、ma n. Whe n he was young, he was a Ionely sad boy, full of dreams in his mind. However after having met Robot southy, he was in spired by the radical thi nkers with their idealism. He even joined the Robot Southey in plotting a democratic com mun ity in America, n amed pan tisocracy .but gen erally

32、speak ing, he was a con servative poet. He opposed the rati on alistictrends of 18th cen turythought. In his opinion, ” a poet should realize the vague intimation derived from his unconsciousness without sacrificingthe vitality of thein spirati on.”-Samuel Taylor Coleridge is also a good critic in h

33、is period. His lectures on Shakespeare proved to be very successful. As a poet, hemai ntai ned thatthe true end of poetry is to give pleasure through themedium of beauty .This con cepti on is same with Wordsworth .however the two great poets also have something different with each other. For example

34、, Samuel Taylor Coleridge claimed that there was essentialdiffereneebetween the Ianguage of poetry and the Ianguage spoken by commorpeople, while William Wordsworth thought the speech of ordinary people were the raw material of poetry writi ng.Samuel Taylor Coleridge s achievement as poet can be div

35、ided into two groups: the dem onic and the con versati on al.A. the demonic group includes his three masterpieces, the rime of the an cie nt mari ner, Charitable and Kuala Khan. Mysticism and dem on ism withstro ng imagi nati on are the disti nctive features of this group.”The rime of the an cie nt

36、mariner told a story of a sailor, who met astra nge bird duri ng his adve nture trip. The mariner shot it and the n disaster fell on to the ship. Fi nally on ly whe n the mariner blessed for the water snake the ship then can get back home. In this story, we can find out Coleridge a more spiritual an

37、d religiousinterpretationof life.While his predecessors emphasizedrbas on Coleridge s dem onic works isa great improveme nt of poetry writ ing.B. Among the conversational group, frost at midnight is the mostimportant. This poemis a record of his personal thought about his infant son Harley in a midn

38、i ght. Gen erally speak ing, the conv ersatio nal groups deal with the themes, such as, the desire to go home and wish some one he loves success or experie nee joy. But in order to get that he must fail or suffer.3. Robert SoutheyAs a young stude nt, Robert Southey was expelled from school forcritic

39、izingthe practice of flogging in the school magaziner.this in cide nt helped to fire his youthful revolutio nary ideals, which found expression a few years later in his first long poem join of arc (1796).His attention was taken up by a new friend, Samuel Taylor Coleridge and his ideas about pant iso

40、cracy , a scheme to set up a democratic community in America, cameout.southey and Coleridge married two sisters, Edith and Sara Flicker. Though there were some ill-feeli ngs over the aba ndonment of pant isocracy, the two men rema ined frie nds.Like Wordsworth and Coleridge, he became disillusionedb

41、y theprogress of the French Revolution s would like to suggest that this volume of poems 1799 is some ways an an swer to Lyrical Ballads and to describe the contents of that volume. And he was cited as a political turn coat by the youn ger gen erati on ofroma ntic writers, no tably inByro ns Don Jua

42、 n.About his revoluti onaryideals we can see clearly from his poemw in terSome merry jest, or tale of murder dire,Or troubled spirit that disturbs the ni ght,Paus ing at times to rouse the molderi ng fire,Or taste the old October brow n and bright”- (5)But also Southey writes a lot of poems concerni

43、ng the slave trade.Look at the following linesHold your mad han ds! For ever on your pla inMust the gorged vulture clog his beak with blood?For ever must your ni gersta in ted flood,Roll to the rave nous shark his banq uet sla in?Hold your mad han ds! And lear n at le ngth to know,And turn your ven gea nee on the com mon foe”-(6)In his famous works we can see Southey did a lot of metrical experiment in his poetry writ in g.southy s