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1、The development of literature from The Anglo-Saxon Period to The 17th CenturyThe Anglo-Saxon periods literature is the beginning of the history of English literature. And the literature in this period is famous for Epics.The literature of this period falls naturally into two divisionspagan and Chris
2、tian. The former represents the poetry which the Anglo-Saxons probably brought with them in the form of oral sagasthe crude material out of which literature was slowly developed on English soil; the latter represents the writings developed under teaching of the monks. After the old pagan religion ha
3、d vanished, it still retained its hold on the life and language of the people. In reading the earliest poetry of England it is well to remember that all of it was copied by the monks, and seems to have been more or less altered to give it a religious coloring. More voluminous are the survivals of th
4、e Christian poetry preserved in the monasteries. Among the early Angle-Saxon poets we may mention Caedmon and Cynewulf. And in this period, there is a great epicThe Song of Beowulfand such poems as Widsith or The Travellers Song, and the Seafarer. The Song Beowulf can be justly termed Englands natio
5、nal epic and its hero Beowulf one of the national heroes of the English people.Next, we come to the Anglo-Norman period. Thats the age of Knighthood. Romance instead of traditional epic become the dominant narrative mode durning this period. The literature which they brought to England is remarkable
6、 for its bright, romantic tales of love and adventure, in marked contrast with the strength and somberness of Anglo-Saxon poetry. During the following three centuries Anglo-Saxon speech simplified itself by dropping of its Teutonic inflections, absorbed eventually a large part of the French vocabula
7、ry, and became the English language. English literature is also a combination of French and Saxon elements.At first the new literature was remarkably varied, but of small intrinsic worth; and very little of it is now read. In our study we have noted: first, Geoffreys History, which is valuable as a
8、source book of literature, since it contains the native Celtic legends of Arthur. Second, the work of the French writers, who made the Arthurian legends popular; Third, Riming Chronicles, history in doggerel verse, like Laysmons Brut; Fourth,Metrical Romances, or tales in verse. These were numerous,
9、 and of three classes; first,the Matter of France, tales centering about Charlemagne and his peers, chief of which is the Chanson de Roland; Second, Matter of Greece and Rome, an endless series of fabulous tales about Alexander, and about the fall of Troy; Third,Matter of Britain tales having for th
10、eir heroes Arthur and his knights of the Round Table. Then,we come to the next period. Chaucers creative work vividly reflected the changes which had taken root in English culture of the second half of the 14th century. Chaucers poetry traces out a path to the literature of English Renaissance. True
11、, in some aspects of his work Chaucer is still bound to the traditions of the Middle Ages and not few of his poems are written in the manner of French poets who enjoyed great popularity among the nobility. Apart from original poems, he translated various works of French authors, among which is the f
12、amous Romance of the Rose. He is still attracted by the form of vision so favoured in the Middle Ages The Legend of Good Women, The House of Fame, The Parliament Fowls, - a caustic allegorical satire on English Parliament. It is characteristic, however,that his allegories and symbols are already tin
13、ged with realistic images. He is drawn to everything that is earthly, tangible and human.In contradistinction to the alliterative verse of the Anglo-Saxon poetry, Chaucer chose the metrical form which laid the foundation of the English tonico-syllabic verse. Chaucer greatly contributed to the foundi
14、ng of the English literary language, the basis of which was formed by the London dialect, so profusely used by the poet.Chaucers masterpiece is The Canterbury Tales, one of the most famous works in all literature. Though the great work was never finished, Chaucer succeeded in his purpose so well tha
15、t in The Canterbury Tales he has givenus a picture of contemporary English life, its work and play, its deeds and dreams, its fun and sympathy and hearty joy of living such as no other single work of literature has ever equaled.His work is permeated with buoyant free-thinking, so characteristic of t
16、he age of Renaissance whose immediate forerunner Chaucer thus becomes. He believes in the right of man to earthly happiness. He is anxious to see man freed from superstitions and a blind belief in fate. He is always keen to praise mans energy, adroitness,intellect,quick wit the love for life.New social and ecinomic conditions brought about great changes in the development of science and art. Together with the develo
