英国文学简史-常耀信-Chapters-7-8

EnglishLiteratureChapters7—8KeyPointsinChapter7MovementtowardRomanticismJamesThomsonEdwardYoungGeorgeCrabbeWilliamCowperWilliamBlake•Introduction•WorksRobertBurns•Introduction•WorksMovementtowardRomanticismExtremestendtoprovokeareaction.WithPopeandthenSamuelJohnsonatthehelm,the18thcenturyragedforwardwiththeheroiccoupletandalmostoutlawedotherforms.However,fromtheveryoutset,somedissentingvoicesexistedandtriedtomakethemselvesheard.Therewasalsotheslybutsteadyassertionofemotionintheageofreason.WithRobertBurnsandWilliamBlakecomingfortheventuallyonthescene,thestagewerewellsetforanewgenerationofpoets,theRomantics.JamesThomson(1700-1748)HeisrememberednowmostlyforhisTheSeasons.TheCastleofIndolencewithitsmedievalallegoricalkindofstory,isreadoccasionallyaswell.TheSeasonsisalongpoemofover5,500lines,composedinblankverseinsteadofthetyrannicalheroiccouplet.EdwardYoung(1683-1765)Heisnowknownsolelyforhislongpoemofsometenthousandlines,Complaint,orNightThoughtsonLife,Death,andImmortality,popularlyknownasNightThoughts.TheworkhelpedtomovepoetryforwardtowardtheageofRomanticism:foronething,itwaswritteninblankverse,notinthefashionableheroiccouplet;thenthepoemisanadequateexpressionofemotions.NightThoughtsisnotedforitspsychologicalprobingsanditsmixingofpersonalsentimentswithreligiousdeliberations.WilliamCowper(1731-1800)Hispersonallifewasturbulentanddepressing.Hewashigh-strungandsuicidal.Hisblankverseprovedtobethebestofhistime.HismajorworksincludetheOnleyHymnsandTheTask,forwhichheisknownandreadtoday.WilliamBlake(1757-1827)IntroductionBlakewasanimportantlandmarkinbetweentwoliteraryperiods,pointingdirectlytothatofRomanticism.Thereweretwofactorsinhislifethathelpedtoorienthisthematicthrust.Onewashisnativesensitivitythatenabledhimtoseevisionsanddevelopakindofmysticism.Theotherwashiscontactwithsomeradicalpeople.Thetwomajorthematicstrandsthatmakeupthebasicfabricofhispoetryincludehisconcernwithsocialeventsandhismysticism.BlakewasbasicallyavisionaryWilliamBlake(1757-1827)WorksSongsofInnocence“InfantJoy”“TheBlossom”“TheLamb”“TheDivineImage”SongsofExperience“InfantSorrow”“TheSickRose”“TheTiger”“TheHumanAbstract”RobertBurns(1759-1796)IntroductionBornintoapoorScottishfarmer’sfamily.Heexperienceddirepovertyandhadclosecontactwithcommonlifeandcommonpeople.HeiscriticalofCalvinismanditshypocrisyandrigidmorality.BurnswroteintheScottishdialect,English,andamedleyofthetwo.RobertBurns(1759-1796)Works“ARedRedRose”“TamO’Shanter”“ForA’Thatan’A’That”ARedRedRoseOmyLuve'slikeared,redroseThat’snewlysprunginJune;OmyLuve'slikethemelodieThat’ssweetlyplay'dintune.Asfairartthou,mybonnielass,SodeepinluveamI:AndIwillluvetheestill,mydear,Tilla’theseasgangdry:Tilla’theseasgangdry,mydear,Andtherocksmeltwi’thesun:Iwillluvetheestill,mydear,Whilethesandso’lifeshallrun.Andfaretheewell,myonlyLuveAndfaretheewell,awhile!AndIwillcomeagain,myLuve,Tho’itweretenthousandmile.KeyPointsinChapter818thCenturyFictionJonathanSwift•Works•Gulliver’sTravelsDanielDefoe•Introduction•RobinsonCrusoeSamuelRichardsonHenryFielding•AestheticTheories•WorksLaurenceSterneTobiasSmollett18thCenturyFiction18thcenturywasoneinwhichthenovelasagenreprosperednotonlyinthepractice,butalsointhetheoryofthecraft.Thewritersdevelopedtherealisticmethodofpresentationandbroughtstory-tellinginfinitelyclosertothereallifeaslivedbytherealpeople.JonathanSwift(1667-1745)WorksTheBattleoftheBooksTaleofaTubTheIrishDrapier’sLettersAModestProposalItisoneofthemostcausticsatireseverwritteninliteraryhistoryGulliver’sTravelsJonathanSwift(1667-1745)Gulliver’sTravelsThisisasavagesatireintheformofafabuloustravelogueThebookconsistsoffourparts,eachrecordingonevoyagetooneoutlandish“remote”place.PartI:“AVoyagetoLilliput”PartII:“AVoyagetoBrobdingnag”PartIII:“AVoyagetoLaputa,Balnibari,Glubbdubdrib,Luggnagg,andJapan”PartIV:“AVoyagetotheCountryoftheHouyhnhunms”DanielDefoe(1660-1731)IntroductionHisviewsonthenovelfocusontwothingsofsignificancetotheemerginggenre(novel):itsrealismanditsmoralaesthetic.Hisprotagonistsarecommonpeoplewithrealcommonnamesandspeakas“I”,tellingtheirownstoriesinthefirst-personnarrative,addressingthereadersdirectlywithoutanymediation,justsoastoincreasetherealisticeffectofimmediacyandinvolvement.DanielDefoe(1660-1731)RobinsonCrusoeItistheworkforwhichDefoeisrememberedbyall.ThepopularRobinsonCrusoestoryaspeoplenormallyknowitisinfactthenarrativefocusofthefirstpart.Itisfirstandforemostamiddleclassbook,offeringjustificationfortheclass’forthcomingrisetopre-dominanceinnationallife.ThebookisatypicalPuritantale.RobinsonCrusoeisfrequentlyseensimplyasatrue-to-life,nomoreandnoless,specimenoftheordinaryhumankind.Bodyingforththesumtotaloftheperseveranceandindomitablenessofhumanspirit.Itisthisqualityinthecharacterthatremainseternallycharmingandgreat.SamuelRichardson(1689-1751)Pamela,OrVirtueRewardedmarksthebeginningofconversationalmannerofnarration.RichardhasbeenseenasthebeginninginoneofthesepsychologicalrealisminthehistoryoftheEnglishnovel.HenryFielding(1707-1754)Aestheti