美国文学史总结

ⅠColonialAmerica(17thcentury)殖民主义时期文学1.In1492,ChristopherColumbusdiscoveredAmericaandhemistookthenativepeopleonthenewcontinentforIndians.Characterofcolonialliterature:a.content:religious,politicalb.form:diary,journal,letters,travelbooks,sermons,history(personalliterature)c.Style:simple.direct,concised.outofhumbleoriginsEarlyinthe17thcentury,theEnglishsettlementsinVirginiaandMassachusettsbeganthemainstreamofwhatwerecognizeastheAmericannationalhistory.TheearliestsettlersinAmericaincludedDutch,Swedes,Germans,French,Spaniards,ItaliansandPortuguese.ThefirstpermanentEnglishsettlementinNorthAmericawasestablishedatJamestown,Virginiain1607(北美弗吉尼亚詹姆斯顿)2.CaptainTownSmith,thefirstAmericanwriter3.PuritanThoughts:hardwork,thrift(节俭),piety(虔诚),sobriety(节制),这些也成了早期美国作品主导思想.典型的清教徒：JohnCotton&RogerWilliam,JohnCottonwascalled“thePatriarchofNewEngland(新英格兰教父)”清教徒采用的文学体裁：narratives(日记)andjournals(游记)清教徒在美国的写作内容：1）Theirvoyagetothenewland2）Adaptingthemselvestounfamiliarclimatesandcrops3）AboutdealingwithIndians4）Guidetothenewland,endlessbounty,invitationtoboldspirit4.Privateliterature:theological,moral,historical,political5.Theworkoftwowriters,AnneBradstreetandEdwardTaylor,rosetothelevelofrealpoetry.AnneBradstreetisoneofthemostinterestingoftheearlypoets,英国最早移民到美国的诗人.ThebestofthePuritanpoetswasEdwardTaylor.ⅡReasonandRevolution(18thcentury)理性和革命时期文学1.TheWarforIndependence(1776-1783)endedintheformationofaFederativebourgeoisdemocraticrepublic-theUnitedStatesofAmerica.2.BourgeoisEnlightenment3.BenjaminFranklin:PoorRichard’sAlmanac(穷人理查德的年鉴),anannualcollectionofproverbs.TheAutobiography,18世纪美国唯一流传至今的自传TheAutobiographyis,firstofall,aPuritandocument.ItisPuritanbecauseitisarecordofself-examinationandself-improvement.ThePuritans,asatype,wereverymuchgiventoself-analysis.TheAutobiographyshowsFranklinwasspokesmanfortheneworderof18th-centuryEnlightenment,andthatherepresentedinAmericaallitsideas,thatmanisbasicallygoodandfree,bynatureendowedbyGodwithcertaininalienablerightsoflibertyandthepursuitofhappiness.ItisthepatternofPuritansimplicity,directness,andconcision.Theplainnessofitsstyle,thehomelinessofimagery,thesimplicityofdiction,syntaxandexpressionaresomeoftheobviousfeatureswecannotmistake.Tone:OptimismTheAmericandreambeganwiththesettlementoftheAmericancontinent–thePromisedLand–theGardenofEden–optimisticaboutthefuture4.ThomasPaine:TheAmericanCrisis,极大恢复士气5.ThomasJefferson:TheDeclarationofIndependence6.PhilipFreneau,FatherofAmericanPoetry:TheIndianBurringGround(印第安人的坟地)TheWildHoneySuckle(野忍冬花)Thepoemisanindicationofthepoet’sdedicationtoAmericansubjectmatterandthenaturalscenesonthenewcontinent.HereinthispoemFreneaudealswiththethemesoflovelinessandthetransienceoflife.Thispoem,wellwithinthemelancholygenre,consistsofthepoet’spensivemusingsontheflower’sstory.Thefirsttwostanzaspicturetheadvantagesoftheflower’scountryretreat.Thenexttwostanzasunitethethemeoftheseasonswiththethoughtthatallmustdie.Deathanddecay,aswellascreation,aresocommon,somuchapartoftheuniversallaw.ⅢRomanticism(endofthe18thcentury——CivilWar)浪漫主义文学1.WashingtonIrving,FatherofAmericanliterature:SketchBook(见闻札记,thefirstmodernshortstoriesandthefirstgreatAmericanjuvenileliterature,acollectionofessays,sketches,andtales)2.JamesFenimoreCooper:TheLeatherstockingTales(皮袜子故事集,theAmericanNationalEpic)containsofTheDeerslayer(杀鹿者),TheLastoftheMohicans(最后的莫希干人),ThePathfinder(探路人),ThePioneers(拓荒者),andThePrairie(大草原).3.EdgarAllanPoe:TheRaven(乌鸦),AnnabelLee(安娜贝尔·李),TheFalloftheHouseofUsher(鄂榭府崩溃记)ToHelen○EdgarAllanPoewrote“ToHelen”asareflectiononthebeautyofMrs.JaneStithStanard,ofRichmond,Va.,whodiedin1824.ShewasthemotherofoneofPoe’sschoolclassmates,RobertStanard.WhenRobertinvitedEdgar,then14,tohishome(at19thandEastGraceStreetsinRichmond)in1823,Poewasgreatlytakenwiththe27-year-oldwoman,whoissaidtohaveurgedhimtowritepoetry.Hewaslatertowritethatshewashisfirstreallove.○1stanzaHelen:AnallusiontoHelenofTroyinGreekmythology.Nicean:OforfromNicea(alsospelledNicaea),acityinancientBithynia(nowpartofpresent-dayTurkey)nearthesiteoftheTrojanWar.Barks:smallsailingvessels.Endrhyme:A,B,A,B,B.○2stanzawont:accustomedtoNaiad:NaiadswereminornaturegoddessesinGreekandRomanmythology.Theyinhabitedandpresidedoverrivers,lakes,streams,andfountains.Naiadairs:Peaceful,gentlebreezesorqualitiesTheglorythat...Rome:Theselasttwolines,beginningwiththeglorythatwas,areamongthemostfrequentlyquotedlinesinworldliterature.Endrhyme:A,B,A,B,A.Halfrhyme:FaceandGreece○3stanzaPsyche:InGreekandRomanmythology,Psychewasabeautifulprincessdeartothegodoflove,Eros(Cupid),whowouldvisitherinadarkenedroominapalace.Onenightsheusedanagatelamptodiscoverhisidentity.Later,attheurgingofEros,Zeusgaveherthegiftofimmortality.Erosthenmarriedher.Endrhyme:A,B,B,A,B.fromtheregionswhichareHolyLand:fromancientGreeceandRome;fromthememoryPoehadofMrs.Stanard○Theme■Beauty,asPoeusesthewordinthepoem,appearstorefertothewoman'ssoulaswellasherbody.Ontheonehand,herepresentsherasHelenofTroy–thequintessenceofphysicalbeauty–atthebeginningofthepoem.Ontheother,herepres