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Lecture4The17thCenturyEnglishLiteratureTeachingObjectivesandRequirements1Helpthestudentsknowsomeinformationaboutthehistoricalbackgroundandtheliterarycharacteristicsofthe17thcentury.2MakethestudentsknowsomethingaboutJohnDonneandMetaphysicalpoetry.3HelpthestudentshaveagoodunderstandingofJohnMiltonandtheexcerptofParadiseLost.4MaketheSsknowaboutJohnBunyan.Contents1Abriefintroductionofthe17thcentury4JohnBunyan2MetaphysicalPoetsandMetaphysicalPoetry3JohnMiltonandhisParadiseLost1.1Historicalbackground1.2LiterarycharacteristicsThe17thcenturywasoneofthemosttempestuousperiodsinthehistory.Thiscenturywitnessedatleasttworevolutions:puritanrevolution(1640-1660)andgloriousrevolution(1688).Becauseofthesetworevolutions,thepoliticalsysteminEnglandunderwentsomewhatgreatchanges.HistoricalbackgroundFirst,afterthePuritanrevolutionthereestablishedakindofmilitarydictatorshipunderwhichthepeoplesufferedgreatly.Secondafterthegloriousrevolution,therebroughttoEnglandaconstitutionalmonarchy,withinwhichtheking’spowerwasgreatlyrestricted.Thegeneralfeaturesoftheagearethetransitionandthespiritofdoubtandscientificanalysis.Transitionheremeansthetransitionfromtheabsolutemonarchytoconstitutionalmonarchy,thetransitionfromagriculturaltomanufacturing,thetransitionofthestateitselffromorganicgardentothejointstockcompany,thetransitiontomodernsociety,andthetransitionofsecularization.backLiterarycharacteristics1.ThePuritansdisapprovedofthesonnetsandthelovepoetrywritteninthepreviousperiod.2.In1642thetheatreswereclosed.3.TheBiblebecamenowtheonebookofthepeople.ThePuritaninfluenceingeneraltendedtosuppressliteraryart.4.ThemostimportantpoetwasJohnMiltonandthereweretwoliteraryschoolsofpoets,theschoolofMetaphysicalandtheschoolofCavaliers.5.Theprevalentmoodthatenvelopedliteraryworkswasoneofgloom,pessimism,decadence,andfrivolity.back2.1MetaphysicalPoets2.2MetaphysicalpoetryJohnDonneGorgeHerbertAndrewMarvellRichardCrashawHenryVaughanAbrahamCowleyJohnClevelandbackTheterm“metaphysicalpoetry”iscommonlyusedtonametheworkofthe17th–centurywriterswhowroteundertheinfluenceofJohnDonne.Metaphysicalpoetryischaracterizedbyverbalwitandexcess,ingeniousstructure,irregularmeter,colloquiallanguage,elaborateimagery,andmetaphysicalconceitsandadrawingtogetherofdissimilarideas.Featuresofmetaphysicalpoetry:1)Thedictionissimpleandechoesthewordsandcadencesofcommonspeech;2)Theimageryisdrawnfromtheactuallife;3)Theformisfrequentlythatofanargumentwiththepoet’sbeloved,withGod,orwithhimself.Hasgainednewrecognitionbecauseoftheirseriousnessofart,theirspiritofrevolt,andtheirrealism,andithasgreatlyinfluencedthemodernistpoetryofthe20thcentury.back3.1JohnMilton3.2ParadiseLostAttwelve,Miltonwroteapoem,fromwhichwecanfindhimalreadyascholarinspirit:(MiltonisconsideredasthethirdgreatestEnglishpoetafterChaucerandShakespeare,andthegreatesttocomeoutofthe17thcentury.Heisthemasterofblankverse,thefirsttouseblankverseinnon-dramaticworks.)WhenIwasyetachild,NochildishplayTomewaspleasing;allmymindwassetSerioustolearnandknow,andthencetodoWhatmightbepublicgood;myselfIthoughtBorntothatand,borntopromotealltruth,Allrighteousthings.当我还是小孩时，我不喜欢儿戏，我只一心一意认真地学习与实践于大众有益的事情我想自己是为此而生的为推进真理和正义而生的。JohnMiltonbackParadiseLostThetheme:ThepoemwastojustifythewaysofGodtoman,i.e.,toadvocatesubmissiontotheAlmighty.ButafterreadingitonegetstheimpressionthatthemainideaofthepoemisarevoltagainstGod’sauthority.IthasbeennoticedbymanycriticsthatthepictureofGodsurroundedbyhisangels,whoneverthinkofexpressinganyopinionsoftheirown,resemblesthecourtofanabsolutemonarch,whileSatanandhisfollowers,whofreelydiscussallissuesincouncil,bearcloseresemblancetoarepublicanParliament.ThisaloneissufficienttoprovethatMilton’srevolutionaryfeelingmadehimforsakereligiousorthodoxy.Throughouttheepic,MiltonshowsaPuritan’srevoltagainsttheestablisheddoctrineoftheCatholicsandtheAnglicanChurchbyinterpretingthestoryintheBiblefreelyforhimself.TheImageofSatan:Satanistherealheroofthepoem.Likeaconqueredandbanishedgiant,heremainsobeyedandadmiredbythosewhofollowhimdowntohell.Heisfirmerthantherestoftheangels.Thoughdefeated,heprevails,sincehehaswonfromGodthethirdpartofhisangels,andalmostallthesonsofAdam.Thoughwounded,hetriumphsforthethunderwhichhituponhisheadandlefthisheartinvincible.Thoughfeeblerinforce,heremainssuperiorinnobility,sinceheprefersindependencetohappyservility,andwelcomeshisdefeatandhistormentsasaglory,aliberty,andajoy.SatanisthespiritquestioningtheauthorityofGod.back1)ThePilgrim’sProgress2)TheLifeandDeathofMr.Badman3)TheHolyWarBunyan’sworksItisaproseallegorydepictingthepilgrimageofahumansoulinsearchofsalvation.Ithastwoparts.ThefirstpartdealswithChristian’spilgrimagetotheCelestialCity,throughwhichherealizedhisownsalvation.Thesecondpartdealswithhiswifeandchildren’ssalvationthroughtheirpilgrimage.ThoughThePilgrim’sProgresshasgenerallybeenreadandappreciatedasareligiousbook,italsogivesafaithfulpictureoftheEnglishsocietyinBunyan’sage,addedhereandtherewithbittersatiresupontheEnglishrulingclasses.ThePilgrim’sProgressInthesenseofreligionitisaProtestantstudy,highly