《英國文學簡史》完整版筆記

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Chapter4EnglishLiteratureofthe17thCenturyI.AHistorical

Background

II.TheOverviewoftheLiterature(1640-1688)

Therevolutionperiod

Themetaphysicalpoets;

TheCavalierpoets.

Milton:theliteraryandphilosophicalheritageoftheRenaissaneemergedwithProtestantpoliticalandmoralconviction

Therestorationperiod.

TherestorationofCharlesIIusheredinaliteraturecharacterizedbyreason,moderation,goodtaste,deftmanagement,andsimplicity.(schoolofBenJonson)

Thegreatphilosophicalandpoliticaltreatisesofthetimeemphasizerationalism.

Therestorationdrama.

TheAgeofDryden.

JohnMilton

Life:educatedat—visitingthecontinent—invoIvedintotherevolution—persecuted—writingepics.

Literarycareer.

The1stperiodwasupto1641,duringwhichtimeheistobeseenchieflyasasonofthehumanistsandElizabethans,althoughhisPuritanismisnotabsent.L'AllegreandILPenseroso(1632)arehisearlymasterpieces,inwhichwefindMiltonatrueoffspringoftheRenaissanee,ascholarofexquisitetasteandrareculture.NextcameComus,amasque.ThegreatestofearlycreationswasLycidas,apastoralelegyonthedeathofacollegemate,EdwardKing.

MajorWorks

ParadiseLost

theplot.

characters.

theme:justifythewaysofGodtoman.

ParadiseRegained.

SamsonAgonistes.

Featuresof'sworks.

MiltonisoneoftheveryfewtrulygreatEnglishwriterswhoisalsoaprominentfigureinpolitics,andwhoisbothagreatpoetandanimportantprosewriter.ThetwomostessentialthingstoberememberedabouthimarehisPuritanismandhisrepublicanism.

Miltonwrotemanydifferenttypesofpoetry.Heisespeciallyagreatmasterofblankverse.HelearnedmuchfromShakespeareandfirstusedblankverseinnon-dramaticworks.

Miltonisagreatstylist.Heisfamousforhisgrandstylenotedforitsdignityandpolish,whichistheresultofhislife-longclassicalandbiblicalstudy.

Miltonhasalwaysbeenadmiredforhissublimityofthoughtandmajestyofexpression.

JohnBunyan

Life:

puritanage;

poorfamily;

parliamentaryarmy;

Baptistsociety,preacher;

prison,writingthebook.

ThePilgrimProgress

Theallegoryindreamform.

theplot.

thetheme.

V.MetaphysicalPoetsandCavalierPoets.

MetaphysicalPoets

CavalierPoets

TheothergroupprevailinginthisperiodwasthatofCavalierpoets.Theywereoftencourtierswhostoodonthesideoftheking,andcalledthemselvesBenJonson.TheCavalierpoetswrotelightpoetry,polishedandelegant,amorousandgay,butoftensuperficial.Mostoftheirverseswereshortsongs,prettymadrigals,lovefanciescharacterizedbylightnessoheartandofmorals.CavalierpoemshavethelimpidityoftheElizabethanlyricwithoutitsimaginativeflights.TheyarelighterandneaterbutlessfreshthantheElizabethan's.

VI.JohnDryden.

Life:

therepresentativeofclassicismintheRestoration.

poet,dramatist,critic,prosewriter,satirist.

changeableinattitude.

Literarycareer—fourdecades.

PoetLaureate

Hisinfluences.

Heestablishedtheheroiccoupletasthefashionforsatiric,didactic,anddescriptivepoetry.

Hedevelopedadirectandconciseprosestyle.

Hedevelopedtheartofliterarycriticisminhisessaysandinthenumerousprefacestohispoems.

Chapter5EnglishLiteratureofthe18thCentury

Introduction

TheHistoricalBackground.

Theliteraryoverview.

TheEnlightenment.

TheriseofEnglishnovels.

Whentheliteraryhistorianseekstoassigntoeachageitsfavouriteformofliterature,hefindsnodifficultyindealingwithourowntime.AstheMiddleAgesdelightedinlongromanticnarrativepoems,theElizabethansindrama,theEnglishmanofthereignsofAnneandtheearlyGeorgesindidacticandsatiricalverse,sothepublicofourdayisenamoredofthenovel.Almostalltypesofliteraryproductioncontinuetoappear,butwhetherwejudgefromthelistsofpublishers,thestatisticsofpubliclibraries,orgeneralconversation,wefindabundantevideneeoftheenormouspreponderaneeofthiskindofliteraryentertainmentinpopularfavor.

Neo-classicism:arevivalintheseventeenthandeighteenthcenturiesofclassicalstandardsoforder,balanee,andharmonyinliterature.JohnDrydenandAlexanderPopeweremajorexponentsoftheneo-classicalschool.

Satiricliterature.

Sentimentalism

II.Neo-classicism.(ageneraldescription)

AlexanderPope

Life:

Catholicfamily;

illhealth;

taughthimselfbyreadingandtranslating;

friendofAddison,SteeleandSwift.

threegroupsofpoems:

AnEssayonCriticism(manifestoofneo-classicism);

TheRapeofLock;

Translationoftwoepics.

Hiscontribution:

theheroiccouplet——finish,eleganee,wit,pointedness;

satire.

weakness:lackofimagination.

AddisonandSteele

RichardSteele:poet,playwright,essayist,publisherofnewspaper.

JosephAddison:studiesatOxford,secretaryofstate,createdaliteraryperiodical“Specta(orzith”Steele,1711)

SpectatorClub.

Thesignificaneeoftheiressays.

Theirwritingsin “TheTatler”,and“TheSpectator”provideanesocialmoralityfortherisingbourgeoisie.

Theygiveatruepictureofthesociallifeofinthe18thcentury.

SamuelJohnso—poet,critic,essayist,lexicographer,editor.

Life:

studiesat;

madealivingbywritingandtranslating;

thegreatchamofliterature.

works:poem(TheVanityofHumanWishes,London；criticism

(TheLivesofgreatPoets；preface.

Thechampionofneoclassicalideas.

III.LiteratureofSatire:JonathanSwift.

Life:

borninIreland;

studiesatTrinityCollege;

workedasasecretary;

thechiefeditorofTheExaminer;

theDeanofSt.Patrick'sin.

Works:TheofBooks,ATaleofaTub,AModestProposal,Gulliver'sTravels.

Gulliver'sTravels.

Satire—theWhigandtheTories,AnglicanChurchandCatholicChurch.

Satire—thelegalsystem;condemnationofwar.

Satire—ridiculousscientificexperiment.

Satire—mankind.

EnglishNovelsofRealistictradition.

TheRiseofnovels.

Earlyforms:folktale-fables-myths-epic-poetry-romances—fabliaux—novella-imaginativenatureoftheirmaterial.(imaginativenarrative)

Theriseofthenovel

picaresquenovelinSpainandEngland(16thcentury):OforrelatingtoagenreofprosefictionthatoriginatedinSpainanddepictsinrealisticdetailtheadventuresofaroguishhero,oftenwithsatiricorhumorouseffects.

:.

AddisonandSteele:TheSpectator.

(plotandcharacterizationandrealism)

novelanddrama(17thecentury)

DanielDefoe—novelist,poet,pamphleteer,publisher,merchant,journalist.)

Life:

businesscareer;

writingcareer;

interestedinpolitics.

RobinsonCrusoe.

thestory.

thesignificaneeofthecharacter.

thefeaturesofhisnovels.

thestyleofIanguage.

HenryFielding—novelist.

Life:

unsuccessfuldramaticcareer;

legalcareer;writingcareer.

works.

TomJones.

theplot;

characters:Tom,Blifil,Sophia;

significanee.

thetheoryofrealism.

thestyleofIanguage.

WritersofSentimentalism.

Introduction

SamuelRichardson-novelist,moralist(Onewhoisundulyconcernedwiththemoralsofothers.)

Life:

printerbookseller;

letterwriter.

Pamela,VirtueRewarded.

thestory

thesignificanee

Pamelawasanewthingintheseways:

Itsintensionwastoaffordnotmerelyentertainmentbutalsomoralinstruction.

Itdescribednotonlythesayingsanddoingsofcharactersbuttheiralsotheirsecret

thoughtsandfeelings.Itwas,infact,thefirstEnglishpsycho-analyticalnovel.

3.OliverGoldsmith—poetandnovelist.

Life:

bornin;

asingerandtale-teller,alifeofvagabondage;

bookseller;

theLiteraryClub;

amiserablelife;

themostlovablecharacterinEnglishliterature.

TheVicarof.

story;

thesignicance.

VI.EnglishDramaofthe18thcentury

Thedeclineofthedrama

RichardBrinsleySheriden

life.

works:Rivals,TheSchoolforScandals.

significaneeofhisplays.

Inhisplays,moralityistheconstanttheme.Heismuchconcernedwiththecurrentmoralissuesandlashesharshlyatthesocialvicesoftheday.

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'sgreatnessalsoliesinhistheatricalart.Heseemstohaveinheritedfromhisparentsanaturalabilityandinbornknowledgeaboutthetheatre.Hisplaysaretheproductofadramaticgeniusaswellasofawell-versedtheatricalman.

Hisplotsarewell-organized,hischaracters,eithermajororminor,areallsharplydrawn,andhismanipulationofsuchdevicesasdisguise,mistakenidentityanddramaticironyismasterly.WittydialoguesandneatanddecentIanguagealsomakeacharacteristicofhisplays.

Chapter6EnglishLiteratureoftheRomanticAge

Introduction

HistoricalBackground

LiteraryOverview:Romanticism

CharacteristicsofRomanticism:

Thespontaneousoverflowofpowerfulfeelings

Thecreationofaworldofimagination

Thereturntonatureformaterial

Emphasisupontheexpressionofindividualgenius

ThereturntoMiltonandtheElizabethansforliterarymodels

Theinterestinoldstoriesandmedievalromances

AsenseofmelancholyandIoneliness

Therebelliousspirit

II.Pre-Romantics

RobertBurns

Life:FrenchRevolution

Featuresofpoetry

BurnsischieflyrememberedforhissongswrittenintheScottishdialect.

Hispoemsareusuallydevoidofartificialornamentandhaveagreatcharmofsimplicity.

Hispoemsareespeciallyappreciatedfortheirmusicaleffect.

Hispoliticalandsatiricalpoemsarenotedforhispassionateloveforfreedomandfierysentimentsofhatredagainsttyranny.

Significaneeofhispoetry

HispoetrymarksanepochinthehistoryofEnglishliterature.TheysuggestedthatthespiritoftheRomanticrevivalwasembodiedinthisobscureploughman.Love,humor,pathos,theresponsetonature-allthepoeticqualitiesthattouchthehumanheartareinhispoems,whichmarkedthesunriseofanotherday-thedayofRomanticism.

WilliamBlake

life:FrenchRevolution

works.

lSongsofInnocencelSongsofExperienee

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features

sympathywiththeFrenchRevolution

hatredfor18thcenturyconformityandsocialinstitution

attitudeofrevoltagainstauthority

strongprotestagainstrestrictivecodes

hisinfluenee

Blakeisoftenregardedasasymbolistandmystic,andhehasexertedagreatinflueneeontwentiethcenturywriters.Hispeculiaritiesofthoughtandimaginativevisionhaveinmanywaysprovedfarmorecongenialtothe20thcenturythantheyweretothe19th.

III.RomanticPoetsofthefirstgeneration

Introduction

WilliamWordsworth:representativepoet,chiefspokesmanofRomanticpoetry

Life:

lovenature;

；

tourto;

Frenchrevolution;

Dorathy;

The;

friendofColeridge;

conservativeafterrevolution.

works:

theLyricalBallads(preface):significanee

ThePrelude:abiographicalpoem.

theotherpoems

Featuresofhispoems.

Theme

Aconstantthemeofhispoetrywasthegrowthofthehumanspiritthroughthenaturaldescriptionwithexpressionsofinwardstatesofmind.

characteristicsofstyle.

Hispoemsarecharacterizedbyasympathywiththepoor,simplepeasants,andapassionateloveofnature.

SamuelTaylorColeridge:poetandcritic

Life:

；

friendwithSoutheyandWordsworth;

takingopium.

works.

lThefallofRobespierre

lTheRimeoftheAncientMariner

lKublaKhan

lBiographiaLiteraria

BiographiaLiteraria.

Hiscriticism

HewasoneofthefirstcriticstogiveclosecriticalattentiontoIanguage.Inbothpoetryandcriticism,hisworkisoutstanding,butitistypicalofhimthathiscriticalworkisveryscatteredanddisorganized.

RomanticPoetsoftheSecondGeneration.

Introduction

GeorgeGordonByron

Life:

,publishedpoemsandreviews;

atourofandtheEast;

left;

friendwithShelley;

workedin:nationalhero;

radicalandsympatheticwithFrenchRevolution.

Works.

lDonJuan

lWhenWeTwoParted

lSheWalksinBeauty

ByronicHero.

ByronintroducedintoEnglishpoetryanewstyleofcharacter,whichasoftenbeenreferredtoas “ByronicHero”of“satanicspirit”.Peopleimagine(

somethingofByronhimselfinthesestrangefiguresofrebels,pirates,anddesperateadventurers.

Poeticstyle:loose,fluentandvivid

PercyByssheShelley:poetandcritic

Life:

aristocraticfamily;

rebelliousheart;

;

IrishnationalliberationMovement;

discipleofWilliamGodwin;

marriagewithHarriet,andMarry;

leftandwanderedinEUrope,diedin;

radicalandsympatheticwiththeFrenchrevolution;

FriendwithByron

works:twotypes-violentreformerandwanderer

Characteristicsofpoems.

pursuitofabettersociety;

radianbeauty;

superbartistry:imagination.

DefenseofPoetry.

JohnKeats.

Life:

fromapoorfamily;

;

friendwithByronandShelley;

attackedbytheconservativesanddiedin.

works.

Characteristicsofpoems

lovedbeauty;

seekingrefugeinanidealisticworldofillusionsanddreams.

NovelistsoftheRomanticAge.

WaterScott.Novelistandpoet

Life:

;

;

poemtonovel;

unsuccessfulpublishingfirm;

greatcontribution:historicalnovel.

threegroupsofnovels

Featuresofhisnovels.

hisinfluenee.

JaneAusten

Life:

countryclergyman;

uneventfullife,domesticduties;

works.

featuresofherwritings.

rationalism,neoclassicism,romanticismandrealism.

VI.FamiliarEssays.

Introduction

CharlesLamb:essayistandcritic

life:

poorfamily;

friendofColeridge;

sisterMary;

workedintheEastIndiaHouse;

amiserablelife;

amanofmildcharacter.

aRomanticistofthecity.

works:EssaysofElia.Threegroups.

Features.

Themoststrikingfeatureofhisessaysishishumour.

Lambwasespeciallyfondofoldwriters.

Hisessaysareintenselypersonal.

Hewasaromanticist

Chapter7EnglishLiteratureoftheVictorianAge

Introduction

HistoricalBackground

Anageofexpansion

Theconditionsoftheworkersandthechartistmovement

Reforms

Darwin'stheoryofevolutionanditsinfluenee

Thewomenquestion

LiteraryOverview:criticalrealism.

InVictorianperiodappearedanewliterarytrendcalledcriticalrealism.Englishcriticalrealismofthe19thcenturyflourishedinthe40sandintheearly50s.Itfounditsexpressionintheformofnovel.Thecriticalrealists,mostofwhomwerenovelists,describedwithmuchvividnessandartisticskillthechieftraitsoftheEnglishsocietyandcriticizedthecapitalistsystemfromademocraticviewpoint.

NovelsofCriticalRealists.

CharlesDickens.

Life:

clerkfamily;

amiserablechildhood;

aclerk,areporter,awriter;

amanofhardwork.

worksofthreeperiods.

optimize

frustration

pessimism

Featuresofhisworks.

charactersketchesandexaggeration

broadhumorandpenetratingsatire

d.thepowerofexposure

WilliamMakepeaceThackeray

Life:

bornin;

studiedin;

workedasartistandillustratorandwriter.

work:TheVanityFair

ThackerayandDickens-features

JustlikeDickens,Thackerayisoneofthegreatestcriticalrealistsofthe19thcentury.Hepaintslifeashehasseenit.Withhispreciseandthoroughobservation,richknowledgeofsociallifeandofthehumanheart,thepicturesinhisnovelsareaccurateandtruetolife.

Thackerayisasatirist.Hissatireiscausticandhishumoursubtle.

Besidesbeingarealistandsatirist,Thackerayisamoralist.Hisaimistoproduceamoralimpressioninallhisnovels.

TheBronteSisters

CharlotteBronteandJaneEyre

EmilyBronteandTheWutheringHeights.

GeorgeEliot.

Life:

MaryAnnEvans;

theruralmidland;

abandonedreligion;

interestedinsocialphilosophicalproblems;

editoroftheWestminsterReview;

GeorgeHenryLewis.

works

lAdamBede

lSilasMarner

lMiddlemarch

Featuresofworks.

Asamoralist,sheshowsineachofhercharacterstheactionandreactionofuniversalforcesandbelievesthateveryevilactmustbringinevitablepunishmenttothemanwhodoesit.Morallawwastoherasinevitableandautomaticasgravitation.

ThomasHardy:novelistandpoet

Life:

—“Wexssex;

closetopeasantry;

beliefinevolution.

Works:

Romancesandfantasies

novelsofingenuity

novelsofcharactersandenvironment

IdeasofFate.

UnlikeDickens,mostofHardy'snovelsaretragic.Thecauseoftragedyisman'sownbehaviourorhisownfaultbutthesupernaturalforcesthatrulehisfate.AccordingtoHardy,manisnotthemasterofhisdestiny;heisatthemercyofindifferentforceswhichmanipulatehisbehaviourandhisrelationswithothers.

EnglishPoetsoftheAge

AlfredTennyson

life:

;

friendwithHallem;

poetlaureate.

Works:InMemoriam;IdyllsoftheKing.

RobertBrowning.

Life:marriedElizabethBarret,apoetess.

Works

theDramaticMonologue

Thedramaticmonologueisasoliloquyindramainwhichthevoicespeakingisnotthepoethimself,butacharacterinventedbythepoet,sothatitreflectslifeobjectively.ItwasimitatedbymanypoetsafterBrowningandbroughttoitsmostsophisticatedformbyT.S.EliotinhisTheLoveSongofJ.AlfredPrufroc(1915)

EnglishProseoftheage

ThomasCarlyle

life

works

JohnRuskin

life

works

socialandaestheticideas

V.Aestheticism

Aestheticism

Thebasictheoryoftheaesthetic—“artforart'ssakewassetforthbyaFrenchpoet,TheophileGautier.ThefirstEnglishmanwhowroteaboutthetheoryofaestheticismwasWalterPeter,themostimportantcriticalwriterofthelateVictorianperiod,whosemostimportantworkswerestudiesintheHistoryofRenaissaneeandAppreciations.ThechiefrepresentativeofthemovementinwasOscarWilde,withhisThePictureofDorianGray.Aestheticismplacesartabovelife,andholdsthatlifeshouldimitateart,notartimitatelife.Accordingtoaesthetes,allartisticcreationisabsolutelysubjectiveasopposedtoobjective.Artshouldbefreefromanyinflueneeofegoism.Onlywhenartisforart'ssakecanitbeimmortal.Itshouldberestrictedtocontributingbeautyinahighlypolishedstyle.

OscarWilde

Life:dramatist,poet,novelistandessayist,spokesmanfortheschoolof“Artforart'ssake”,theleaderoftheAestheticmovement

works

lTheHappyPrinceandOtherTales

lThePictureofDorianGray

lTheImportaneeofBeingEarnest

Chapter8EnglishLiteratureofthefirsthalfofthe20thCenturyI.HistoricalBackground

Rationalchangesonoldtraditions,insocialstandardsandinpeople'sthoughts

Thehightideofanti-Victorianism

TheFirstWorldWar

Thesuccessofwomen'sstruggleforsocialandcivilrights

II.OverviewoftheLiterature-theModernism

Whatismodernism?

Featuresofmodernism

Complexity

Radicalanddeliberatebreakwithtraditionalaestheticprinciples

BacktoAristotle

DevelopmentofmodernismafterWWII

Section1PoetryI.AGeneralSurvey

Thecenturyhasproducedalargenumberofbothmajorandminorpoets,manyofwhomhavereceivedgeneralacclaim.

Manywritersofsignificantworksoffictionalsowritedistinguishedpoetry.

Thepoetsofthe20thcenturyhavetendedtogroupthemselvesintoschoolswhosepoetryhasparticulardistinguishingcharacteristics.

II.ThomasHardy

Life

Works

hispoetry

PoemsandOtherVerses

PoemsofthePastandthePresent

Time'sLaughingStocks

MomentsofVision

LateLyricsandEarlier

ThefamousTragedyoftheQueenofCornwell

WinterWords

hisfictions

TessoftheD'Urbervilles

JudetheObscure

TheReturnoftheNative

FarfromtheMaddingCrowd

TheMayorofCasterbridge

Pointofview

Accordingtohispessimisticphilosophy,mankindissubjectedtotheruleofsomehostilemysteriousfate,whichbringsmisfortuneintohumanlife.

WilliamYeats

Life-poetanddramatist

Works

hispoetry

TheResponsibilities

TheWildSwansatCoole

TheTower

TheWindingStair

hisdramas

TheHourGlass

The'sDesire

OnBaile's

hisbookofphilosophy-Visions

Style

ThomasStearnsEliot

life-poet,playwright,literarycritic

Works

poems

lTheLoveSongofJ.AlfredPrufrock

lTheWasteLand(epic)

lHollowMan

lAshWednesday

lFourQuarters

Plays

lMurderintheCathedral

lSweeneyAgonistes

lTheCocktailParty

lTheConfidentialClerk

Criticalessays

lTheSacredWood

lEssaysonStyleandOrder

lElizabethanEssays

lTheUseofPoetryandTheUseofCriticisms

lAfterStrangeGods

Pointofview

Themodernsocietyisfutileandchaotic.

Onlypoetscancreatesomeorderoutofchaos.

Style

Freshvisualimagery,flexibletoneandhighlyexpressiverhythm

Difficultanddisconnectedimagesandsymbols,quotationsandallusions

Ellipticalstructures,strangejuxtapositions,anabseneeofbridges

TheWasteLand:fiveparts

TheBurialoftheDead

AGameofChess

TheFireSermon

DeathbyWater

WhattheThunderSaid

Section2FictionI.TheContinuingofRealism

Thetwocharacteristicsof20thcenturyfiction

Modernism

Continuationofthetraditionofrealism

Thebeginning

Generalfeatures

II.JohnGalsworthy

Life

Works

TheIslandPharisees

Turgenev

TheManofProperty

InChancery

ForsyteSaga

TheEndoftheChapter

TheSilverBox

Strife

Pointofview

Style

strengthandelasticity

powerfulsweep

brilliantillustrations

deeppsychologicalanalysis

III.StreamofConsciousness

JamesJoyce

li