《英国文学选读》复习题

1PartI:theAnglo-Saxonperiod(449-1066)1.HistoricalbackgroundTheearlyinhabitantsintheislandwenowcallEnglandwereBritons,atribeofCelts.FromtheBritonstheislandgotitsname—Britain,thelandofBritons,whowereaprimitivepeoplelivinginthetribalsociety.AfterthefalloftheRomanEmpire(410AD)andthewithdrawalofRomantroops,theTeutonictribes,esp.,theAngles,theSaxonsandtheJutes,conqueredtheislandandcalleditAngle-land,thenEngland.2.Literature：TheSongofBeowulfTheSongofBeowulf=thenationalepicoftheAnglo-SaxonsorEnglishpeople.TheSongofBeowulf–Features1)Theuseofalliteration—themoststrikingone.Inalliterativeverse,certainaccentedwordsinalinebeginwiththesameconsonantsound.Therearegenerally4accentsinaline,3ofwhichshowalliteration,2)ThemesItcanbeconcludedthatthispoemshowshowtheprimitivepeoplefightagainsttheforcesofthenaturalworldunderawiseandmightyleader.Butitseemsthatallthemesarepartofalargerthematicschemewhichcentersupontheconflictbetweengoodandevil.PartII:TheAnglo-NormanPeriod(1066—1350)1.Historicalbackground:TheNormanConquest:AfterthebattleofHastingsin1066,cametheFrench-speakingNormansunderDukeWilliam.1)ThreechiefeffectsoftheConquest:BThebringingofRomancivilizationThegrowthofnationality–astrongcentralizedgovernmentThenewlanguageandliterature2.Literature—Romance:1)TheliteraturetheNormansbroughttoEnglandisremarkableforitsbright,romantictalesofloveandadventure,inremarkablecontrastwiththestrengthandsombernessoftheAnglo-Saxonpoetry.2)SirGawainandtheGreenKnighta)ThebestofArthurianromances,anonymous,inalliterativeverseb)Theme:Atestofman’svirtueandtruthPartIII:GeoffreyChaucer(1340—1400)1.TheCanterburyTales21)TheGeneralPrologue:Thetalesbeginwithageneralprologue,whichprovidesaframeworkforthetalesandcomprisesagroupofvividsketchesoftypicalmedievalfigures.2)Chaucer’scontributionsAa.amasterofrealism:InhismasterpieceTheCanterburyTales,allclassesexcepttheroyaltyandthepoorestpeasantsarepresentedbythepilgrims.Everyfigureisdrawnwiththeaccuracyofaportrait.ItisnoexaggerationtosaytheProloguesuppliesaminiatureoftheEnglishsocietyofChaucer’stime.b.founderofEnglishliterarylanguage:HedidmuchinmakingtheLondondialectthefoundationformodernEnglishlanguage.HewasthefirstgreatpoetwhowroteinEnglishlanguage(MiddleEnglish),thusestablishingEnglishastheliterarylanguage.c.FatherofEnglishpoetry:HeintroducedfromItalyandFrancethemetricalform-therhymedstanzaofvarioustypes,especiallytheheroiccouplet,iambicpentameterswiththelinesrhyminginpairs.2.PopularBallads-DefinitionAballadisafolksongororallytransmittedpoemtellinginadirectanddramaticmannersomepopularstoryusuallyderivedfromatragicincidentinlocalhistoryorlegend.Thestoryistoldsimply,impersonally,andoftenwithvividdialogue.Usually,aballadiscomposedinfour-linestanzaswiththesecondandthefourthlinesrhymed.Thefirstandthethirdlinescarryfouraccentedsyllableswhereasthesecondandthefourthcarrythree.BalladsflourishedparticularlystronglyinScotlandfromthe15thcenturyonward.Sincethe18thcentury,educatedpoetsoutsidethefolk-songtradition—notablyColeridgeandGoethe—havewrittenimitationsofthepopularballad'sformandstyle:Coleridge's‘RimeoftheAncientMariner’(1798)isacelebratedexample.3.WilliamLanglandandPiersthePlowmanPiersthePlowmanisoneofthegreatestofEnglishpoemsofMedievaltimes.PartIV:TheRenaissance1.TheRenaissance—adefinitionRenaissance,or,therebirthofletters,isanintellectualmovement.ItsprangfirstinItalyinthe14thcenturyandgraduallyspreadalloverEurope.Twofeaturesarestrikingofthemovement.Oneisathirstingcuriosityforclassicalliterature.Theotherfeatureisthekeeninterestinlifeandhumanactivities.PeopleceasedtolookuponthemselvesaslivingonlyforGodandafutureworld.Thinkers,artistsandpoetsarose,whogaveexpression,(sometimesinanoldguise,though)tothenewfeelingofadmirationforhumanbeautyandhumanachievement,afeelinginsharpcontrastwithmedievaltheology.HencearoseHumanism,thespreadingofwhichindicatesthattheRenaissanceisrathertheflourishmentofbourgeoisartandliterature.2.HumanismHumanismistheessenceoftheRenaissance.Renaissancehumanistsfoundintheclassicsa3justificationtoexalthumannatureandcametoseethathumanbeingsweregloriouscreaturescapableofindividualdevelopmentinthedirectionofperfection,andthattheworldtheyinhabitedwastheirsnottodespisebuttoquestion,explore,andenjoy.Thus,byemphasizingthedignityofhumanbeingsandtheimportanceofthepresentlife,theyvoicedtheirbeliefsthatmandidnotonlyhavetherighttoenjoythebeautyofthislife,buthadtheabilitytoperfecthimselfandtoperformwonders.3.ThomasMore1)ThefirstoftheEnglishhumanistswasSirThomasMore(1478-1535).2)Thename“Utopia”comesfrom2Greekwordsmeaning“noplace”andwasadoptedbyMoreasthenameofhisidealcommonwealth.Ithasbeensinceusedtodesignatetheidealstate.4.FrancisBacon(1561-1626)HeintroducedtheessayasaliteraryformintotheEnglishlanguage.5.NewPoeticForms1)Thesonnet,anexactformofpoetryin14linesofiambicpentameter,wasintroducedfromItalytoEnglandbyThomasWyattandHenryHoward.Thefirsttwelvelinesareintricatelyrhymed,whicharefollowedbyaheroiccouplet.Forthenexthalfcentury,itwasoneofthemostpopularformsofEnglishverse.2)InthetranslationofVigil’sAdenoid,HenryHoward