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1、第一部分 盎格鲁撒克逊时期III. 名词解释1. Epic (or Heroic Poetry)It is, originally, an oral narrative poem, majestic both in theme and style. Epics deal with legendary or historical of events of national or universal significance, involving action of broad sweep and grandeur. Most epics deal with the exploits of a s
2、ingle individual, thereby giving unity to the composition. Typically, an epic includes several features: the introduction of supernatural forces that shape the action; conflict in the form of battles or other physical combat; and stylistic conventions such as an invocation to the Muse, a formal stat
3、ement of the theme, long lists of the protagonists involved, and set speeches couched in elevated language. Commonplace details of everyday life may appear, but they serve as background for the story and are described in the same lofty style as the rest of the poem. Epic poems are not merely enterta
4、ining stories of legendary or historical heroes; they summarize and express the nature or ideals of an entire nation at a significant or crucial period of its history. Examples include the ancient Greek epics by the poet Homer, the Iliad and the Odyssey. The characteristics of the hero of an epic ar
5、e national rather than individual, and the exercise of those traits in heroic deeds serves to gratify a sense of national pride. At other times epics may synthesize the ideals of a great religious or cultural movement. The Divine Comedy by the Italian poet Dante expresses the faith of medieval Chris
6、tianity. The Faerie Queene by the English poet Edmund Spenser represents the spirit of the Renaissance in English and like Paradise Lost by the English poet John Milton, represents the ideals of Christian humanism.2. AlliterationA repeated initial consonant to successive words. In Old English verse,
7、 any vowel alliterates with any others, and alliteration is not an unusual or expressive phenomenon but a regularly recurring structural feature of the verse, occurring on the first and third, and often on the first, second, and third, primary-stressed syllables of the four-stressed line. Thus, from
8、 The Seafarer:hreran mid hondum hrincaelde sae(“to stir with his hand the rime-cold sea”) In later English verse tradition, alliteration becomes expressive in a variety of ways. Spenser uses it decoratively, or to link adjective and noun, verb and object, as in the line: “much daunted with that dint
9、, her sense was dased.” In the 18th and 19th centuries it becomes even less systematic and more musical. IV .1. What is the theme of Beowulf?Beowulf, which centers on the narration of the exploits of the heroic figure Beowulf, is mainly about his three major adventures. It reflects a life of fights
10、and feasting, of ceremony, of brilliant gold and sudden darkness. Here is a world of sacred obligations, feud and vengeance with heroic figures who are proud of their birth and their physical strength. But beyond this, the forces of wyrd (fate) seem to control mans destiny with mysterious omnipotenc
11、e, while evil itself is both primordial and powerful. However, thematically the poem presents a vivid picture of how the primitive people wage heroic struggles against the hostile forces of the natural world under a wise and mighty leader. The poem is an example of the mingling of nature myths and h
12、eroic legends. For those interested in symbols, the simplest interpretation of the myths in the poem is to regard Beowulfs successive fights against the three monsters as the overcoming of the hostile forces of nature by mans indomitable will and perseverance. For instance, the battle between Beowul
13、f and the Dragon symbolically represents that phase of Winter and Summer myth in which the Summer God, here embodied by Beowulf, fights his last battle against the Winter Dragon in order to rescue the treasures of earth, that is, the golden corn and ruddy fruits. Having given them back to men, Beowu
14、lf himself dies of the Winters breath.2. What is the heroic ideal of Beowulf?Beowulf is essentially an aristocratic poem concerned with the heroic ideal of kings and kingship in North Europe. The social patterns ascribed in the poem are rigidly feudal, highly violent. Battle is a way of life. Streng
15、th and courage are basic virtues for both kings and his warriors. The hero-king strove to do better than any one else the things that are vitally important to the happy life of his people. The king should protect his people and show gentleness and generosity to his warriors. And in return, his warri
16、ors should show absolute obedience and loyalty to the king. By praising Beowulfs wisdom, strength and courage, and by glorifying his death for his people, the poem presents the heroic ideal of a king and his good relations to his warriors and people.3. What is the structure of Beowulf?According to the contents of the story, the poem can be divided into three parts:Part I: the fight against GrendelPart II: the fight against Grendels mother Part III: the figh
