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1、History of British Literature,A Brief Outline of British Literature,I. The early and Medieval literature 1. Beowulf 2. Geoffrey Chaucers The Canterbury Tales II. The English Renaissance (1485-1603) 1. Edmund Spencers The Shepherds Calendar and Faerie Queen 2. Francis Bacons Essays 3. William Shakesp
2、eares dramas,III. The 17th century (1603-1660) 1. The English Revolution 2. John Miltons Paradise Lost 3. John Bunyans Pilgrims Progress,IV. The Restoration and the 18th Century (1660-1798) 1. enlightenment 2. neo-classicism: a. John Drydens dramas b. Alexander Popes The Rape of the Lock c. Richard
3、Steele and Joseph Addisons essays d. Samuel Johnsons Dictionary 3. rise of the novel writing: a. Daniel DeFoes Robinson Crusoe b. Janathan Swifts Gullivers Travels,V. The Age of Romanticism (1798-1830) 1. Pre-Romanticism : a. William Blake b. Robert Burns c. William Wordsworth 2. Romanticism a. P. B
4、. Shelley b. G. G. Byron c. J. Keats 3. Jane Austens novels,VI. The Victorian Age (1832-1901) 1. industrial revolution 2. realism a. Charles Dickens b. Thomas Hardy c. Bronte sisters d. George Eliot 3. aestheticism a. Oscar Wilde,VII. The 20th century (1901-) 1. two world wars 2. modernism 3. psycho
5、logical fiction and stream of consciousness a. D. H. Lawrence b. James Joyce c. Virginia Woolf 4. poetry,definition of literature,Literature refers to All written or spoken compositions ( discourses) designed to tell stories, dramatize situations and reveal thoughts and emotions, and also more impor
6、tantly, to interest, entertain, stimulate, broaden and ennoble readers.,What to learn in this course? 1. historical and cultural background 2. life story of the masters 3. masterpieces introduction and features 4. some important literary terms and their meanings.,Lecture one: Early and Medieval Engl
7、ish Literature,1.The early inhabitants in England (today) were Britons, a tribe of Celts, which was primitive people, living in tribal society. Britain: the land of Britons. 2.The Roman Conquest In 55 B.C., Julius Caesar invaded Britain. “ I see, I go, I conquer.” 1) Roman mode of life came across t
8、o Britain: theaters; baths conquerors native Britons slaves 2) London became an important trading center. 3) Christianity was introduced to Britain. 4) Roman Empire began to decline at the beginning of 5C. In 410 A. D. all the Roman troops went back to the continent and never returned. The Roman occ
9、upation ended.,3. The English Conquest swarms of pirates invaded Britain simultaneously: In the 7th century, seven kingdoms a united kingdom: “England”, “the land of Angles”, with Angles the most numerous and a language “ Anglo-Saxon”= “Old English”. The tribal society feudalism, “kingship” 4. Relig
10、ion Anglo-Saxons were heathen people. Anglo-Saxons believed in old mythology of Northern Europe. In the 7th century, Anglo-Saxons were Christianized.,Three tribes: Angles in the east; Jutes in the southeast; Saxons in the south,5. “Beowulf”,for hundreds of years, it passed from mouth to mouth, writt
11、en down in the 10th century. 3,000 lines long poem of Old English. 700 750 AD, sung by minstrels to the chiefs and warriors in feasting hall,plot: nephew of King of Geats in Denmark, hearing King of Danes in great trouble Grendel, a monster carries away King of Danes warriors from a hall Beowulf sai
12、ls for Denmark with 14 companions after a feasting welcome, Beowulf and 14 men lie down in the hall waiting for the monster Beowulf grapples the monster single-handed, hand to hand combat, the monster retreats mortally wounded the monsters mother the she-monster comes to avenge the death, Beowulf fo
13、llowing the bloody trail to a lake Beowulf plunges into water, finds her, follows her into a hall under the waves by chance finding a big sword left by giants of old time Beowulf cuts off her head and the monsters too. After a celebration, Beowulf sails home to Geats land and becomes king and reigns
14、 over his people for 50 years. A fire dragon comes out of its den and belches forth its fire to burn the people old Beowulf bids farewell and goes to seak the dragon with 11 companions. single-handed fighting, the sword failing to bite, Beowulf is enveloped in flames. at last the dragon is killed. B
15、ut the hero is hopelessly wounded. the poem ends with the funeral of the hero.,Prototype: folk legends of primitive Northern tribes living in impenetrable forests, they had to fight against beasts. They were brave but superstitious. Features: (1) alliteration. ( certain accented words in a line begi
16、n with the same consonant sound.) “ Thus made their mourning the men of Geatland. For their heros passing, his hearth-companions Quoth that of all the kings of earth. Of men he was the mildest and most beloved To his kin the kindest, keenest to praise.”,(2) metaphors & understatements: eg. king= “Ring-giver” “Not troublesome” = very welcome a
