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TheNeoclassicalPeriod(1688-1798)I.Thetimeperiod•TheneoclassicalperiodisbetweenthereturnoftheStuartsin1660andthefullassertionofRomanticismwhichcamewiththepublicationofLyricalBalladsin1798.II.Backgroundinformation1.HistoricalbackgroundA.TheEnglishsocietyoftheneoclassicalperiodwasaturbulentone.Therewasconstantstrifebetweenthemonarchandtheparliament,betweentheToriesandtheWhigsoverthecontroloftheparliamentandgovernment,betweenopposingreligioussects,betweentherulingclassandthelaboringpoor,etc.Inshort,itwasanagefullofconflictsanddivergenceofvalues.•B.TheeighteenthcenturysawthefastdevelopmentofBritainasanation.Towardsthemiddleofthecentury,Britainhadbecomethefirstpowerfulcapitalistcountryintheworld.Withtherapideconomicgrowth,thepopulationofthemiddleclassalsogreatlyexpanded.•2.Culturalbackground•A.Withthedevelopmentofcapitalism,thesocialandmoralvaluesofthemiddle-classpeoplebecamedominantinthesociety.Theybelievedinself-restraint,self-relianceandhardwork.Forthemthewholemeaningoflifewastowork,toeconomizeandtoaccumulatewealth.•B.TheEnlightenmentMovementwasinfullswinginEnglandduringthisperiod.Thepurposeofthismovementwastoenlightenthewholeworldwiththelightofmodernphilosophicalandartisticideas.Theenlightenerscelebratedreason,equalityandscience,claimingthatreasonshouldbetheonly,andfinalcauseofanyhumanthoughtandactivities.C.Theenlightenersbelievedthatwhenreasonservedastheyardstickforthemeasurementofallhumanactivitiesandrelations,everysuperstition,injusticeandoppressionwastoyieldplaceto“eternaltruth”,“eternaljustice”and“naturalequality”.•D.Theenlightenersadvocateduniversaleducation.Theybelievedthatifthemasseswerewelleducated,therewouldbegreaterchanceforademocratichumansociety.III.TheAgeofEnlightenment1.theoutline•A:thedefinition•Theeighteenth-centuryEnglandisalsoknownastheAgeofEnlightenmentortheAgeofReason.TheEnlightenmentMovementwasaprogressiveintellectualmovement.•B:thesource•ItflourishedinFranceandsweptthroughthewholeWesternEuropeatthetime.C.thenature•ThemovementwasafurtheranceoftheRenaissanceofthefifteenthandsixteenthcenturies.D.thepurpose•Itspurposewastoenlightenthewholeworldwiththelightofmodernphilosophicalandartisticideas.2.Therationalprinciples•A:Principles•Theenlightenmentcelebratedreasonorrationality,equalityandscience.Theyheldthatrationalityorreasonshouldbetheonly,thefinalcauseofanyhumanthoughtandactivities.•B:thesignificance•ItprovidedtheoryfortheFrenchRevolutionof1789andtheAmericanWarofIndependencein1776.•C:thehumanisticideas•Theenlightenersadvocateduniversaleducation.Theybelievedthathumanbeingswerelimited,dualistic,imperfect,andyetcapableofrationalityandperfectionthrougheducation.3.Theliteraturefeatures•Literatureatthetime,heavilydidacticandmoralizing,becameaverypopularmeansofpubliceducation.IV.Theliteratureforms1.thesentimentalliteratureA:thebackground:•Inthelastfewdecadesofthe18thcentury,however,theneoclassicalemphasisuponreason,intellect,witandformwasrebelledagainstorchallengedbythesentimentalists,andwasgraduallybyRomanticism.B.Thesignificance:•Thepoetictechniquesandcertainclassicalgraceshavebecomeapermanentheritage.2.theneoclassicalpoetry:A:thebackground•TheneoclassicalperiodwitnessedtheflourishofEnglishpoetryintheclassicalstyleclimaxingwithJohnDryden,AlexanderPopeandSamuelJohnson.B:thefeatures•Muchattentionwasgiventothewit,formandartofpoetry.3.therealisticnovelsA:thebackground•Themid-centurywas,however,predominatedbyanewlyrisingliteraryform—themodernEnglishnovel,givesarealisticpresentationoflifeofthecommonEnglishpeople.B:thefeatures:•ThisisanaturalproductoftheindustrialRevolutionandasymbolofthegrowingimportanceandstrengthoftheEnglishmiddleclass.4.TheGothicnovelsA:thebackground•FromthemiddleparttotheendofthecenturytherewasalsoanapparentshiftofinterestinliteraturecreationB:thefeatures•Gothicnovels—mostlystoriesofmysteryandhorrorwhichtakeplaceinsomehauntedordilapidatedMiddleAgecastles—wereturnedoutprofuselybybothmaleandfemalewriters.5.Others•Eulogizingorlamentinglyrics.Theromanticpoems,thetheatricalworld.Thewittyandsatireprose1628-1688JohnBunyanHisLife•Englishauthor&preacher,borninElstow,England,probablyNov.28,1628,anddiedinLondon,England,Aug,31,1688.Literaturestyles•1.Bunyan’sstylewasmodeledafterthatoftheEnglishBible.•2.Heusedconcreteandlivinglanguageandvividdetails.•3.Hemadeitpossibleforthereaderoftheleasteducationtosharethepleasureofreadinghisnovel.Hislanguage:•1.Bunyan’slanguageischieflyplainandcolloquialandquitemodernincomparisonwiththatofthewritersoftheRenaissance.•2.Hislanguageisclear,vivid,natural,homely,fluent,musicalandpowerful.Hisworks1.GraceAboundingtotheChiefofSinners(writteninprison)《罪人受恩记》《功德无量》2.TheLifeandDeathofMr.Badman《恶人先生的生平和死亡》《贝德曼先生的一生》3.TheHolyWar《神圣战争》4.ThePilgrim’sProgress(masterpiece)《天路历程》SelectedReading:ThePilgrim’sProgress…amanclothedwithragsstandinginacertainplace,withhisfacefromhisownhouse,abookinhishand,andagreatburdenuponhisback.Ilooked,andsawhimopenthebook,andreadtherein;andasheread,heweptandtrembled;and,notbeingablelongertocontain,hebrakeoutwithalamentablecry,saying,Whatshall