Part-I.-The-Literature-of-Colonial-America

HistoryandAnthologyofAmericanLiteraturePartI.TheLiteratureofColonialAmerica(约1607-1765)PartII.TheLiteratureofReasonandRevolution(1765-1800)PartIII.TheLiteratureofRomanticism(1800-1865)PartⅣ.TheLiteratureofRealism(1865-1914)PartⅤ.TheLiteratureofModernism(1914-1945)PartⅥ.TheContemporaryLiterature(1945–thepresent)PartI.TheLiteratureofColonialAmerica(约1607-1765)HistoricalIntroductionEarlyAmericanwritersandPoetsPuritanPuritanismHistoricalIntroduction1.ThenativeAmericanandtheirculture–IndiansWhenChristopherColumbusreachedthecontinentofNorthAmericain1492,thereweremorethantwothousandindependenttribesofaboutonemillionnatives.TheywereAsianinorigin,livingthereforabouttwothousandyearsalready.AsColumbusmistookthemforIndians,theyhavebeencalledAmericanIndianssincethen.TheyspokefivehundreddifferentlanguagesfromfiftydifferentlanguagesgroupsthatexistedinNorthAmericabeforethefirstEuropeansarrivedthereNativeAmericanLiteratureBecausenoIndiantribehadawrittenlanguageuntilSequoyahinventedasyllabary(音节文字表)fortheCherokees（切罗基族）in1821,itiswildlyassumedthattheIndianshadnoliterature.Infact,allIndiantribeshadarichstoreoforalliteratureintheformsofsongs,prayers,spells,charms,omens,riddles,andstories.Differenttribeshaddifferentliterarytastes.1)wartales2)storiesaboutsex3)talesofsupernaturalTheirstoriesrangefromoriginmyththroughtricksterandherotalestoprophecy.2.ThehistoricalbackgroundofthecolonialTimeChristopherColumbusdiscoveredtheAmericancontinentin1492.Afterthat,manyEuropeansettlerscametoAmericancontinent.TheearliestsettlersincludedDutch,Swedes,Germans,French,Spaniard,Italians,andPortuguese.CaptainChristopherNewportreachedVirginiain1607.thefirstcolonyJamestownPuritanscametheNewEnglandarea,byMayflowerin1619.ThefirstsettlementwasestablishedinPlymouthin1620.EarlyAmericanWritersandPoets“ThefirstAmericanliteraturewasneitherAmericannorreallyliterature.ItwasnotAmericanbecauseitwastheworkmainlyofimmigrantsfromEngland.Itwasnotliteratureasweknowit–intheformofpoetry,essay,orfiction–butratheraninterestingmixtureoftravelaccountsandreligiouswritings”.------BodeSouth,Jamestown,Virginia:CaptainJohnSmithHisLife:Arealadventurer,hehadfoughttheTurksinHungary,wherehewaswoundedandtakenprisoner.Hewassoldasaslaveandescapedbykillinghismaster.In1607,hehelpedtosetupJamestown,thefirstEnglishcolonyinAmerica.HisWorks:SmithsentalettertotheVirginiaCompanyinLondon,defendingthehandlingofthesettlementandproclaimingthemeritsofthenewland.In1608,mostpartofhisletterwaspublished,underthetitleATrueRelationofSuchOccurrencesandAccidentsofNoteasHathHappenedinVirginiaSincetheFirstPlantingofThatColony.《关于弗吉尼亚的真实叙述》Thus,CaptainJohnSmithbecamethefirstAmericanwriter.Smithpublishedeightinall.HisContributions:HisdescriptionofAmericawerefilledwiththemes,myths,images,scenes,charactersandeventsthatwereafoundationforthenation’sliterature.HeluredthePilgrimsintofleeinghereandcreatingaNewland.North,NewEngland,PuritanWritersWilliamBradford:firstgovernorofPlymouth,TheHistoryofPlymouthPlantation,《普利茅斯种植园史》simplicity,earnestness,directreporting,readable,moving.JohnWinthrop:firstgovernorofBoston,TheHistoryofNewEngland,《新英格兰史》candidsimplicity,honestyTwoPoets:AnneBradstreet,EdwardTaylorAnneBradstreet(1612----1672)HerLife:Bornin1612intoaprosperousEnglishfamily,AnneDudleywasgivenawideeducationuncommonforgirlsatthattime.In1628shemarriedSimonBradstreet,andtwoyearslaterthecouplemigratedtoNorthAmericaalongwithothersofthePuritanoutlook.TheBradstreetswereaninfluentialfamilyinMassachusettsBay;Simonbecamejudge,legislator,andeventuallygovernorofthecolony.MeanwhileAnneBradstreetcaredforherhusbandandgrowingfamily,andwrotepoetry.Herextensiveliteraryproductionwasmanagedalongwiththetaskofbeingawildernesswifeandthemotherofeightchildren.Subjectsofherpoems:SomeofAnneBradstreet’spoeticventureswereoverambitious,butshewrotewellwhenshedealtwiththesimpleeventsofherdailylife.long,religiouspoemsonconventionalsubjectssuchastheseasons,thewittypoemsonsubjectsfromdailylifeandherwarmandlovingpoemstoherhusbandandchildren.TheCompleteWorksofAnneBradstreetTenthMuseLatelySprungUpInAmerica(1650)SeveralPoemsCompiledwithGreatWitandLearning(1678).TenthMuseLatelySprungUpInAmericacontainedthefirstNewWorldpoemspublishedinEngland,whichshowstheinfluenceofEdmundSpenser,PhilipSidneyandotherEnglishpoetsaswell.EdwardTaylor(1645----1729)HisLife:LikeAnneBradstreet,theintense,brilliantpoetandministerEdwardTaylorwasborninEngland.Thesonofayeomanfarmer----anindependentfarmerwhoownedhisownland----TaylorwasateacherwhosailedtoNewEnglandin1668ratherthantookanoathofloyaltytotheChurchofEngland.HestudiedatHarvardCollege,and,likemostHarvard-trainedministers,heknewGreek,Latin,andHebrew.Aselflessandpiousman,TayloractedasamissionarytothesettlerswhenheacceptedhislifelongjobasaministerinthefrontiertownofWestfield,Massachusetts,160kilometersintothethicklyforested,wildinterior.Taylorwasthebest-educatedmaninthearea,andheputhisknowledgetouse,workingasthetownminister,doctor,andcivicleader.HisWorks:Taylordidnotpublisha