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1、History and Anthology of English LiteratureAn Course IntroductionWarm-up Questionsn I. What is Literature?n Literature refers to the practice and profession of writing. It comes from human interest in telling a story, in arranging words in artistic forms, in describing in words some aspects of human
2、 experiences.n 2. Literature shows us not only what a society is like in a certain age, but also what people feel about it, what they hope from it, and how they can change it or escape from it.n 1. Reading for Pleasuren A great writer once said that “the study of literature should begin and end in p
3、leasure.” Apart from its role of education, cognition and aesthetic appreciation, literature primarily gives the reader pleasure.2. Reading for Relaxationn Reading can get readers away to an imaginary world, thus forget their problems and obligations of everyday life.3. Reading to Acquire Knowledgen
4、 Reading gives readers an insight into the tradition, custom, belief, attitudes, folklore, values of the age in which it is written. 4. Reading to Confront Experiencen Literature is appealing mainly because of its relationship to human experiences. It reveals the complexity and ambiguity of human ex
5、periences and thus broadens readers awareness of the possibilities of human experiences.5. Reading for Artistic Appreciationn Through reading, the readers can clarify, explain and evaluate literature from an aesthetic point of view. They will have a better understanding of its good craftsmanship, th
6、e beauty of expression and its form; It can be analyzed according to literary theories and criteria.III. Why is it necessary for you to study English literature?n 1. It improves your language proficiency. n 2. It enriches your knowledge about the English culture.n 3. It helps you explore the nature
7、of human beings. n 4. It gives you spiritual and psychological relief.n IV. How to study literature?1. Analytical Approachn Be familiar with such elements of a literary work as plot, character, setting, point of view, etc; answer some basic questions about the text itself.2. Thematic Approachn What
8、is the story, the poem, the play or the essay about? What does the writer want to inform the reader? Whats the theme of it? 3. Historical Approachn Historical approach aims at illustrating the historical development of literature.4. Other Approachesn Marxist/sociological criticismn psychoanalytical
9、criticismn structuralismn post-structuralismn V. How to Improve Reading Skills?n 1. Learn how to notice details, how to get the main idea, and how to locate the most meaningful passages in a literary work.n 2. Cherish a strong desire to extract greater meaning from a literary work by relating ideas
10、found in your reading with your own experience.English LiteratureAn OutlinePart I: The Anglo-Saxon period (449-1066)n historical background n Three conquests: Roman conquest in 43 AD; Anglo-Saxon conquest in 449; Norman conquest in 1066n 43 AD, Rome conquered Britain ,making the latter a province of
11、 Roman Empire; the withdrawal of Roman troops ,the Teutonic tribes, esp., the Anglos conquered the island and called it Angle-land, then England, their language is Anglo-Saxon old English.Part II: the Anglo-Norman period (10661485)n historical backgroundn Norman Conquest of Anglo-Saxon England, unde
12、r William, Duke of Normandy after the battle of Hastings in 1066, accelerated the development of feudalism in England.n The dark agePart III. The Renaissance (1485-1660)1). historic backgrounda. The War of Roses (1455-1488) and the establishment of the dynasties of Henry VII and VIIIthe centralized
13、monarchy.b.The Enclosure movement. “ sheep devoured Men.”c. The religious reformation, establishment of the Anglican Churchd. defeating the Spanish Invincible fleet” Armada” in 1588 and the establishment of the hegemony on the seas.e. The geographical exploration and trade expansion brought about th
14、e growth of the cities and the development of the capitalist textile industry.Part IV Neoclassical Period Years: 1660-1798 n 1. the contradictions between the feudal system and bourgeoisien 2. the glorious revolution in 1688n The bourgeoisie and the aristocracy ruled the country togethern 3. America
15、n war of Independence (1775-1783)n 4. French bourgeoisie revolution in 1789n 5. enlightenmentn The Enlightenment was a progressive intellectual movement throughout Western Europe in the 18th century. The Enlightenment in England appeared after the bourgeois revolution. The enlighteners considered th
16、e chief means for the betterment of the society was “enlightenment” or “education” for the people. They believed in the power of reason. Reason served as the yardstick for the measure of all human activities and social relations. Part V Romanticism (1798 1832) n Historical backgroundn 1. Heightened sensitivity to th
