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英美文学选读名词解释1.Allegory:Ataleinverseorproseinwhichcharacters,actions,orsettingsrepresentabstractideasormoralqualities.Anallegoryisastorywithtwomeanings,aliteralmeaningandasymbolicmeaning.2.Alliteration:Therepetitionoftheinitialconsonantsoundsinpoetry.3.Allusion:Areferencetoaperson,aplace,anevent,oraliteraryworkthatawriterexpectsthereadertorecognizeandrespondto.Anallusionmaybedrawnfromhistory,geography,literature,orreligion.4.AmericanNaturalism:Americannaturalismwasanewandharsherrealism.Americannaturalismhadbeenshapedbythewar;bythesocialupheavalsthatunderminedthecomfortingfaithofanearlierage.America’sliterarynaturalistsdismissedthevalidityofcomfortingmoraltruths.Theyattemptedtoachieveextremeobjectivityandfrankness,presentingcharactersoflowsocialandeconomicclasseswhoweredeterminedbytheirenvironmentandheredity.Inpresentingtheextremesoflife,thenaturalistssometimesdisplayedanaffinitytothesensationalismofearlyromanticism,butunliketheirromanticpredecessors,thenaturalistsemphasizedthattheworldwasamoral,thatmenandwomenhadnofreewill,thatliveswerecontrolledbyheredityandenvironment,thatthedestinyofhumanitywasmiseryinlifeandoblivionindeath.Althoughnaturalistliteraturedescribedtheworldwithsometimesbrutalrealism,itsometimesalsoaimedatbetteringtheworldthroughsocialreform.5.AmericanPuritanism:PuritanismisthepracticesandbeliefsofthePuritans.ThePuritanswereoriginallymembersofadivisionoftheProtestantChurch.ThefirstsettlerswhobecamethefoundingfathersoftheAmericannationwerequiteafewofthem.Theywereagroupofserious,religiouspeople,advocatinghighlyreligiousandmoralprinciples.Astheworditselfhints,Puritanswantedtopuritytheirreligiousbeliefsandpractices.Theyacceptedthedoctrineofpredestination,originalsinandtotaldepravity,andlimitedatonementthroughaspecialinfusionofgraceformGod.Asacultureheritage,PuritanismdidhaveaprofoundinfluenceontheearlyAmericanmind.AmericanPuritanismalsohadanenduringinfluenceonAmericanliterature.6.AmericanRealism:inAmericanliterature,theCivilWarbroughttheRomanticPeriodtoanend.TheAgeofRealismcameintoexistence.Itcameasareactionagainstthelieofromanticismandsentimentalism.Realismturnedfromanemphasisonthestrangetowardafaithfulrenderingoftheordinary,asliceoflifeasitisreallylived.Itexpressestheconcernforcommonplaceandthelow,anditoffersanobjectiveratherthananidealisticviewofhumannatureandhumanexperience.7.AmericanRomanticism:TheRomanticPeriodcoversthefirsthalfofthe19thcentury.ArisingAmericawithitsidealsofdemocracyandequality,itsindustrialization,itswestwardexpansion,andavarietyofforeigninfluenceswereamongtheimportantfactorswhichmadeliteraryexpansionandexpressionnotonlypossiblebutalsoinevitableintheperiodimmediatelyfollowingthenation’spoliticalindependence.Yet,romanticsfrequentlysharedcertaingeneralcharacteristics:moralenthusiasm,faithinvalueofindividualismandintuitiveperception,andapresumptionthatthenaturalworldwasasourceofgoodnessandman’ssocietiesasourceofcorruption.RomanticvalueswereprominentinAmericanpolitics,art,andphilosophyuntiltheCivilWar.Theromanticexaltationoftheindividualsuitedthenation’srevolutionaryheritageanditsfrontieregalitarianism.8.AmericanTranscendentalism:TranscendentaliststerrorsfromtheromanticliteratureofEurope.TheyspokeforculturalrejuvenationandagainstthematerialismofAmericagogopirit,ortheOversoul,asthemostimportantthingintheUniverse.Theystressedtheimportanceoftheindividual.Tothem,theindividualwasthemostimportantelementofsociety.TheyofferedafreshperceptionofnatureassymbolicoftheSpiritorGod.Naturewas,tothem,alive,filledwithGod’soverwhelmingpresence.Transcendentalismisbasedonthebeliefthatthemostfundamentaltruthsaboutlifeanddeathcanbereachedonlybygoingbeyondtheworldofthesenses.Emerson’sNaturehasbeencalledthe“ManifestoofAmericanTranscendentalism”andhisTheAmericanScholarhasbeenrightlyregardedasAmerica’s“DeclarationofIntellectualIndependence”.9.Analogy:(afigureofspeech)Acomparisonmadebetweentowthingstoshowthesimilaritiesbetweenthem.Analogiesareoftenusedforillustrationorforargument.10.Anapest抑抑扬:It’smadeupoftwounstressedandonestressedsyllables,withthetwounstressedonesinfront.11.Antagonist:Apersonorforceopposingtheprotagonistinanarrative;arivaloftheheroorheroine.12.Antithesis:(afigureofspeech)Thebalancingoftwocontrastingideas,wordsphrases,orsentences.Anantithesisisoftenexpressedinabalancedsentence,thatis,asentenceinwhichidenticalorsimilargrammaticalstructureisusedtoexpresscontrastingideas.13.Aphorism:Aconcise,pointedstatementexpressingawiseorcleverobservationaboutlife.14.Apostrophe顿呼法:Afigureofspeechinwhichanabsentoradeadperson,anabstractquality,orsomethingnonhumanisaddresseddirectly.15.Argument:Aformofdiscourseinwhichreasonisusedtoinfluenceorchangepeople’sideaoractions.Writerspracticeargumentmostoftenwhenwritingnonfiction,particularlyessaysorspeeches.16.Aside:Indrama,linesspokenbyacharacterinanundertoneordirectlytotheaudience.Anasideismeanttobeheardbytheothercharactersonstage.17.Assonance:Therepetitionofsimilarvowelsounds,especiallyinpoetry.Assonanceisoftenemployedtopleasetheearoremphasizecertainsounds.18.Atmos