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1、n nChoose the best answer.(2*20=40) Choose the best answer.(2*20=40) n nMatch the author and the work. (1*10=10) Match the author and the work. (1*10=10) n nExplain the literary terms. (2*5=10)Explain the literary terms. (2*5=10) Puritanism; transcendentalism; internal rhyme; assonance; Puritanism;
2、transcendentalism; internal rhyme; assonance; free verse; oxymoron; anaphora; American naturalism; free verse; oxymoron; anaphora; American naturalism; imagism; lost generation; local colorism; O. Henry ending; imagism; lost generation; local colorism; O. Henry ending; international theme; American
3、realism; Social Darwinism; international theme; American realism; Social Darwinism; iceberg theory; flashback; foreshadowing; Harlem iceberg theory; flashback; foreshadowing; Harlem Renaissance; jazz ageRenaissance; jazz agen nChoose one author from three and make comment on the Choose one author fr
4、om three and make comment on the author. (1*10=10) author. (1*10=10) n nChoose three passages from six and write down the name Choose three passages from six and write down the name of the author and the work, and make comment on the of the author and the work, and make comment on the whole work. (3
5、*10=30) whole work. (3*10=30) The Literature of Colonial AmericaHistorical Introductionn n1. colonial settlement(1607-1776)1. colonial settlement(1607-1776)n nIn 1492, Christopher Columbus discovered In 1492, Christopher Columbus discovered America and he mistook the native people on the America and
6、 he mistook the native people on the new continent for Indians.new continent for Indians.n n2. character of colonial literature2. character of colonial literaturea. a.content: religious, politicalcontent: religious, politicalb.b.form: diary, journal, letters, travel books, form: diary, journal, lett
7、ers, travel books, sermons, history (personal literature)sermons, history (personal literature)c. c.style: simple. direct, concisestyle: simple. direct, concised.d.out of humble originsout of humble origins The first American writern nCaptain John Smithn nThe General History of VirginiaEarly New Eng
8、land Literaturen n1. New England: six states in North-east of 1. New England: six states in North-east of America: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, America: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut.Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut.n n2.William Bradford2.William B
9、radford The History of Plymouth PlantationThe History of Plymouth Plantation John WinthropJohn Winthrop The History of New England The History of New England Puritan Thoughtsn n1.Gods chosen people They were meant to reestablish a commonwealth, based on the teachings of the Bible, restore the lost p
10、aradise and build the wilderness into a new Garden of Eden.n n2. John Calvin a. predestination b. original sin and total depravity c. the salvation of a selected few n n3. practical , optimistic， idealisticn n4. a doctrinaire opportunistn n5. American Puritans came under violent attacks for their ki
11、lljoy way of life, religious intolerance , bigotry and austerity.n n6. American Puritanism and Chinese Confucianism n n7. Jonathan Edwards , Benjamin Franklin the Influence of Puritanism to American Literature n nThe optimistic Puritan has exerted a great influence on American literature.n nThe Amer
12、ican Puritans metaphorical mode of perception was chiefly important in calling into being a literary symbolism which is distinctly American.n nWith regard to technique one naturally thinks of the simplicity which characterizes the Puritan style of writing.n n John Cotton and Roger Williamsn nAnne Br
13、adstreet and Edward Taylorn n小虫小物尚扬声，难道吾便如哑子。小虫小物尚扬声，难道吾便如哑子。 造物主颂扬长空，不能唱得更动听？造物主颂扬长空，不能唱得更动听？Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)Man of ActionBenjamin Franklin (1706-1790)vA. Status: vone of the greatest founding fathers of the American Nationva rare genius in human history vJack of all trades: essayist,
14、autobiographical writer, printer, scientist, postmaster, almanac maker, orator, statesman, philosopher, political economist, ambassador, parlor man, almost everythingvB. Life and Career (Early Years):v1. Calvinist background in Boston v2.Candle-makers family “poor and obscure”v3.Little formal educat
15、ionvSelf-taught and self-made v4.Apprentice to his half brother vA runaway boy from Boston to Philadelphia to make his own fortunevB. Life and Career (A Story of Success) v5.A successful printer who retired at 42v6. He founded the Pennsylvania Hospital, the University of Pennsylvania, the American P
16、hilosophical Society, a subscription library.v7. He invented a musical instrument called glass harmonica, the effective street lighting, the Franklin stove, bifocal glasses, efficient heating system, and lightning-rod for which he was praised as “the new Prometheus who had stolen fire from heaven”.
17、B. Life and Career (Public Career) v8. A member of the Pennsylvania AssemblyvThe Deputy Postmaster-General for the coloniesvRepresentative of the colonies in London for 18 years; Minister to France; Minister to Sweden vA delegate to the Continental Congressv9. Member of the Committee of Five to draf
18、t the Declaration of Independencev10. A member to draft the documents that created the United States: the Declaration of Independence, the treaty of alliance with France, the constitution.vC. His Major Writings: vPoor Richards Almanac v1. Time: almost a quarter of centuryv2. Content: Literary pieces
19、 such as poems and essays, a good many adages, common sense witticismsv3. Sources: he borrowed them from famous writers such as Rabelais, Defoe, Swift and Pope and tried to simplify these quotationsv4. Examples: Famous sayings such as “Lost time is never found again”, “God help them that help themse
20、lves”, “Fish and visitors stink in three days”, etc.v5. Function: practical, instructive, and amusingThe Autobiography of Benjamin Franklinv1. Nature: Probably the first of its kind in literature. A simple yet fascinating record of a mans success. A faithful account of the colorful career of America
21、s first self-made man. v2. Structure: The book consists of four parts, written at different times. Franklin was 65 when he began to write.v3. Content: v(a) Puritanism: It is first of all a Puritan document, a record of self-examination and self-improvement .v(b) Enlightenment: It embodies the new or
22、der of the 18th century Enlightenment. (Order and Moderation)1. TEMPERANCE.2. SILENCE.3. ORDER.4. RESOLUTION.5. FRUGALITY.6. INDUSTRY.7. SINCERITY.8. JUSTICE.9. MODERATION.10. CLEANLINESS.11.TRANQUILLITY.12. CHASTITY.13. HUMILITY.Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)vC. His Major Writings: vThe Autobiograph
23、y of Benjamin Franklinv4. Style: This work is written in the pattern of Puritan simplicity, directness, and concision. The most salient features are such as the plainness of its style, the homeliness of imagery, the simplicity of diction, syntax, and expression. v5. Tone: OptimismvThe American dream
24、 began with the settlement of the American continent the promised land the Garden of Eden optimistic about the futureThe Literature of Reason and RevolutionThomas Paine1737-1809n nCommon Sensen nAmerican Crisisn nRights of Mann nThe Age of ReasonThomas Painen nBorn in Britain, January 29 1737n nSelf
25、 taughtn nImmigrated to America 1774n nInvolved in American political lifen n“The bearer Mr Thomas Paine is very well recommended to me as an ingenious worthy young man.” -Benjamin Franklin. “I offer nothing more than simple facts, plain arguments, and common sense,” Argued strongly for Argued stron
26、gly for COMPLETECOMPLETE American American Independence, Not just Independence, Not just freedom from British Taxationfreedom from British Taxationn nThomas JeffersonThomas Jefferson 1743-1826 1743-1826 The Declaration of The Declaration of IndependenceIndependenceMajor eventsn n1. main writer of Th
27、e Declaration of Independencen n2. writer of the law for religious freedom in Virginian n founder of Virginia Universityn nthe third president of American n purchase LouisianaPhilip Freneau1752-1832n n“Father of “Father of American American Poetry”Poetry”n n He is the most important poet in the 18th
28、 century. He is the most important poet in the 18th century.n n He was entitled “Father of American Poetry”.n n He was called “The poet of the Revolution”n n He was born in New York and graduated from Princeton University.n n He wrote lots of poems supporting American Revolution and human liberty.n
29、n He was the most notable representative of dawning American nationalism in literature.The Wild Honey Sucklen nThe poem is an indication of the poets dedication to American subject matter and the natural scenes on the new continent.n nHere in this poem Freneau deals with the themes of loveliness and
30、 the transience of life.n nThis poem, well within the melancholy genre, consists of the poets pensive musings on the flowers story.n nThe first two stanzas picture the advantages of the flowers country retreat. n nThe next two stanzas unite the theme of the seasons with the thought that all must die
31、. Death and decay, as well as creation, are so common, so much a part of the universal law. 野忍冬花野忍冬花俏丽的花，你长得这样俏丽的花，你长得这样秀媚，秀媚，潜立在此间幽静之地，潜立在此间幽静之地，你甜蜜的花无人抚摸仍你甜蜜的花无人抚摸仍开放，开放，你细嫩的枝无人观赏也你细嫩的枝无人观赏也致意；致意；在这里，无漫游者会践在这里，无漫游者会践踏你，踏你，无忙碌人会为你落泪。无忙碌人会为你落泪。造化为你穿素装，造化为你穿素装，嘱你躲避庸俗的目光，嘱你躲避庸俗的目光，在此铺下庇荫地，在此铺下庇荫地，让小溪在
32、身边潺潺流去；让小溪在身边潺潺流去；就这样，你的夏天静静消逝，就这样，你的夏天静静消逝，你的生命渐趋安息。你的生命渐趋安息。你那必定凋敝的妩媚令你那必定凋敝的妩媚令我颠倒，我颠倒，遇见你未来的末日惹我遇见你未来的末日惹我悲凄；悲凄；妩媚已去也妩媚已去也-伊甸展开伊甸展开的群芳，的群芳，那些并不比你更秀丽；那些并不比你更秀丽；无情的白霜，秋天的威无情的白霜，秋天的威力，力，不容此花遗足迹。不容此花遗足迹。你细小的身躯最初，你细小的身躯最初，源于夜露与晨曦；源于夜露与晨曦； 既生自乌有，便一无所既生自乌有，便一无所失，失，离世时也依然故你；离世时也依然故你；生死之间，一个钟点而生死之间，一个钟点而
33、已，已，一枝脆嫩花朵的持续期。一枝脆嫩花朵的持续期。陆游卜算子陆游卜算子咏梅咏梅 n n驿外断桥边，寂寞开无主。已是黄昏独自愁，更著风和雨。 无意苦争春，一任群芳妒。零落成泥碾作尘，只有香如故。 American Romanticism * Irving * CoopervI. American Romanticismv1. Intellectual BackgroundvThe Romantic period stretches from the end of the 18th century through the outbreak of the Civil War. vPolitical
34、ly: Democracy and political equality became the ideal of the nation; and the two-party political system was in the making.vEconomically: The spread of industrialism, the sudden influx of immigrants, and the pioneers pushing the frontier further west lead to an economic boom.vLiterarily: The new nati
35、on cried for newer literary expressions; magazines appeared in big numbers such as The American Quarterly Review, The Southern Review, The Atlantic Monthly, and Harpers Magazine, facilitating literary expansion in this new country.v2. Foreign Influence (Derivative and Imitative)vThe Romantic movemen
36、t, which had flourished earlier in the century both in England and Europe, proved to be a decisive influence without which the upsurge of American romanticism would hardly have been possible. vThe British romantic writers such as William Wordsworth, Taylor Coleridge, Byron, Robert Burns, Shelley and
37、 Sir Walter Scott exerted a great influence upon their American brothers.vThe British Romantic literary pieces such as Lyrical Ballads (1798) by Wordsworth and Coleridge and Walter Scotts border tales were esp. prevalent in America. (Scotts Ivanhoe, Rob Roy, The Lady of the Lake, Waverley and The He
38、art of Midlothian)v3. Native Factors (Different and Distinctive)vAlthough the foreign influences were strong, American Romanticism exhibited from the very outset distinct features of its English and European counterpart. American romanticism was in essence the expression of “a real new experience” a
39、nd “a new sensibility”: new place; new faces; new sight, smells, and sounds; new cultural factor (American Indians).vAmerican Puritanism as a cultural heritage rendered American moral values basically puritan. Public atmosphere of the nation predominantly conditioned social life, cultural taste, and
40、 literary expression. One of its obvious manifestations is the fact that American Romantic writers tended more to moralize and use symbols than their English and European brothers.vAs a logical result of the foreign and native factors at work, American Romanticism was both imitative and distinctive,
41、 both derivative and independent.vthe star spangled banner vOh, say can you see, by the dawns early lightvWhat so proudly we hailed at the twilights last gleaming?vWhose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fightvOer the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming?vAnd the rocke
42、ts red glare, the bombs bursting in airvGave proof through the night that our flag was still therevO say, does that star-spangled banner yet wavevOer the land of the free and the home of the brave?vO say, does that star-spangled banner yet wavevOer the land of the free and the home of the brave?vII.
43、 Washington Irving (1783-1859)v1. Literary Statusv Father of American literaturev The first professional American writerv The first American Romantic writerv The first American short story writerv The first American imaginative writer to be recognized by the Europeansv v2. Life v Born into a wealthy
44、 New York merchant family v Read widely from very early age studied law v Cared for his family business in Englandv Went bankrupt wrote to support himself American Romanticism * Irving * Cooperv3. His Works: vA History of New York (1809)纽约外史vThe Sketch Book (1819-20) 见闻札记vThe History of the Life and
45、 Voyages of Christopher Columbus (1828)vThe Alhambra (1832) 阿尔罕伯拉vLife of Goldsmith, Life of Washington vThe short story as a genre in American literature probably began with Irvings The Sketch Book, a collection of essays, sketches, and tales, of which the most famous and frequently anthologized ar
46、e “Rip Van Winkle” and “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”.v4. Division of his writings: vIrvings career can be roughly divided into two important phases, the English period which span from his first book up to 1832 and the American period stretching over the remaining years of his life. v5. Writing Style
47、vIrvings style can only be described as beautiful though imitative. vA. Irving avoids moralizing as much as possible: he wrote to amuse and entertain.vB. He was good at enveloping his stories in a rich atmosphere, which is often more than compensation for the slimness of plot. vC. His characters are
48、 vivid and true so that they tend to linger in the mind of the reader.vD. He was such a humorous writer that it is difficult not to smile and occasionally even chuckle. vE. His language was finished and musical. v6. His Masterpiecesv“Rip Van Winkle” got suggestions from a German source. Irving chang
49、ed the setting of the original and added conflicts of his own to make it American. It is a fantasy tale about a man who somehow stepped outside the main stream of life. vRip Van Winkle is a simple, good-natured, and hen-pecked man. He does everything except take care of his own farm and family. He h
50、elps everyone except his wife and his own folks. So he is welcome everywhere except at home. “He is one of those happy mortals, who take the world easy, eat white bread or brown, whichever can be got with least thought or trouble, and would rather starve on a penny than work for a pound.”Plot Summer
51、y of “Rip Van Winkle”v The story of Rip Van Winkle is set in the years before and after the American Revolutionary War. Rip Van Winkle, a villager of Dutch descent, lives in a nice village at the foot of New Yorks Catskill Mountains. An amiable man whose home and farm suffer from his lazy neglect, h
52、e is loved by all but his wife. One autumn day he escapes his nagging wife by wandering up the mountains. After encountering strangely dressed men, rumored to be the ghosts of Henry Hudsons crew, who are playing nine-pin, and after drinking some of their liquor, he settles down under a shady tree an
53、d falls asleep. vHe wakes up twenty years later and returns to his village. He finds out that his wife is dead and his close friends have died in a war or gone somewhere else. He immediately gets into trouble when he hails himself a loyal subject of King George III, not knowing that in the meantime
54、the American Revolution has taken place. An old local recognizes him, however, and Rips now grown daughter eventually puts him up. As Rip resumes his habit of idleness in the village, and his tale is solemnly believed by the old Dutch settlers, certain hen-pecked husbands especially wish they shared
55、 Rips luck.v“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” narrates the memorable event of an apparently headless horseman throwing his head at his rival in love, and the memorable character of Ichabod. Plot Summery of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”vThe story is set about 1790 in the Dutch settlement of Tarry Town，Ne
56、w York，in a secluded glen called Sleepy Hollow. It tells the story of Ichabod Crane, a lean, lanky, and extremely superstitious schoolmaster from Connecticut who competes with Abraham Brom Bones Van Brunt, the town rowdy, for the hand of 18-year-old Katrina Van Tassel, the daughter and sole child of
57、 a wealthy farmer. vAs Crane leaves a party he attended at the Van Tassel home on an autumn night, he is pursued by the Headless Horseman，who is supposedly the ghost of a Hessian trooper who had his head shot off by a stray cannonball during some nameless battle of the American Revolution War, and w
58、ho rides forth to the scene of battle in nightly quest of his head. Ichabod mysteriously disappears from town, leaving Katrina to marry Brom Bones, who was to look exceedingly knowing whenever the story of Ichabod was related.vIII. James Fenimore Cooper (1789-1851)v1. Literary Status: vThe first Ame
59、rican Frontier novelvThe first American Sea novelvThe first American Spy NovelvThe first American Historical NovelvHis Leatherstocking Tales as the American National Epic v2. Life:vLocally famous family Yale University at 14 five years at sea comfortable life began to write accidentally failed in hi
60、s first novel Precaution his second novel The Spy firmly established with his The Leatherstocking Tales.3. His major works:vPrecaution (1820)vThe Spy (1821)v“The Leatherstocking Tales” includesvThe Pioneers (1823)vThe Last of the Mohicans (1826)vThe Prairie (1827)vThe Pathfinder (1840)vThe Deerslaye
61、r (1841)3. His major works:3. A. The Leatherstocking Tales is a series of novels by American writer James Fenimore Cooper, each featuring the main hero Natty Bumppo, known by European settlers as Leatherstocking, The Pathfinder, and the trapper and by the Native Americans as Deerslayer, and Hawkeye.
62、vB. Natty Bumppo first appears to be a real frontieersman in his crube cabin, a man of flesh and blood in the virgin forests of North America. But as he moves out of The Pioneers into the world of The Last of the Mohicans, The Prairie, The Pathfinder, and The Deerslayer, he does so gathering more an
63、d more of a halo of a legendary and mythic nature around him. He becomes a type, a representation of a nation struggling to be born, progressing from old age to rebirth and youth.vC. The five Cooper tales constitute a mythic reproduction of the whole process: the old and dying Leatherstocking in The
64、 Pioneers and The Prairie relives another phase of middle-age maturity in The Last of the Mohicans and The Pathfinder and enjoys another lease of youth in The Deerslayer.vD. Bumppos growth and progress embodies none other than the American quest for an ideal community; through this character Cooper
65、tried to create a national myth of his own.v5. Writing Features:vA. Plot construction: Cooper was good at inventing plots. His plots are sometimes quite incredible, but his stories are immensely intriguing.vB. Landscape description: His landscape descriptions are majestic and suggestive of sir Walte
66、r Scott, the legendary spirit of whose border tales might have been a source of inspiration for him.vC. A rich imagination: He had never been to the frontier and among the Indians and yet could write five huge epic books about them with his rich imagination. Free from injustice, he treated the Ameri
67、can Indians as noble savages.vD. Clumsy style: his style is dreadful; his characterization seems wooden and lacking in probability.v6. His Contributionva. Cooper hit upon the native subject of frontier and wilderness.vb. He contributed to American literature different subgenres of novels: spy novel,
68、 sea novel, frontier novel, and historical romance.vc. He created the first legendary frontier hero Natty Bumppo as the typical Pioneering figure.vd. He introduced the West and the frontier as a usable past into American literature, thus ushering the Western tradition into American world of letters.
69、The Last of the MohicansvMajor Duncan and David GamutvCora and AlicevHawkeye and his Mohican friends, Chicachgook and his son UncasvHuron Magua Edgar Allan PoeEdgar Allan Poe (1809-1849)Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849)n nI. Literary Statusn nPioneer of American Horror Talesn nPioneer of American Detectiv
70、e Talesn nPioneer of American Psycho-Analytic fictionn nEditor, Poet and Professional literary criticII. Life and Careern nBorn in an actor and actress family his parents died Born in an actor and actress family his parents died when he was very small adopted by a Virginia rich when he was very smal
71、l adopted by a Virginia rich businessman John Allan entered the Virginia businessman John Allan entered the Virginia University at 17 West Point where he began to write University at 17 West Point where he began to write poetry then tales editor of magazines such as The poetry then tales editor of m
72、agazines such as The Southern Literary Messenger, Grahams magazine, Southern Literary Messenger, Grahams magazine, etc. etc. n nAt 27 he married his 13-year-old cousin Virginia who At 27 he married his 13-year-old cousin Virginia who died very young in 1947.died very young in 1947. III. Edgar Allan
73、Poes Worksn nTales of the Grotesque and the ArabesqueTales of the Grotesque and the Arabesque 奇异怪诞故事集奇异怪诞故事集n nMS. Found in a BottleMS. Found in a Bottle 瓶子里发现的手稿瓶子里发现的手稿n nThe Murders in the Rue MorgueThe Murders in the Rue Morgue 毛格街杀人案毛格街杀人案n nThe Fall of the House of UsherThe Fall of the House o
74、f Usher 厄舍古屋的倒塌厄舍古屋的倒塌n nThe Masque of the Red DeathThe Masque of the Red Death 红色死亡的化妆舞会红色死亡的化妆舞会n nThe Cask of AmontilladoThe Cask of Amontillado 一桶酒的故事一桶酒的故事n nThe RavenThe Raven 乌鸦乌鸦n nIsrafelIsrafel 伊斯拉菲尔伊斯拉菲尔n nAnnabel LeeAnnabel Lee 安娜贝尔安娜贝尔 李李n nTo HelenTo Helen 致海伦致海伦 n nThe Poetic Principl
75、eThe Poetic Principle 诗歌原理诗歌原理 n nThe Philosophy of CompositionThe Philosophy of Composition 创作哲学创作哲学n nIV. Controversial Comments on Poen nProbably the most controversial and most misunderstood Probably the most controversial and most misunderstood literary figure in American literary historylitera
76、ry figure in American literary historyn nReasons:Reasons:n nHis criticisms against Henry Wadsworth LongfellowHis criticisms against Henry Wadsworth Longfellown nNegative commentsNegative comments Emerson “jingle man” Emerson “jingle man” Mark Twain Poes unreadable Mark Twain Poes unreadable Henry Ja
77、mes “enthusiasm for Poe is the mark of a Henry James “enthusiasm for Poe is the mark of a decidedly primitive state of development”decidedly primitive state of development” V. Poe as a literary critic (his aesthetics)n n1. Aesthetic writings: n n“The Philosophy of Composition” “The Poetic Principle”
78、n n2. Aesthetic ideas:n nA. Brevity: the poem should be short, readable at one sittingn nB. Beauty: the chief aim is beauty, namely to produce a feeling of beauty in the minds of the readern n The melancholy is the most legitimate of all poetic tones; the death of a beautiful woman is the most poeti
79、c topic in the world.n nC. Purity: Poe is opposed to the heresy of the didactic C. Purity: Poe is opposed to the heresy of the didactic and called for pure poetry. What he seems to be and called for pure poetry. What he seems to be saying is that art lies not so much in what is being saying is that
80、art lies not so much in what is being said as in the way it says it.said as in the way it says it.n n Besides, he stresses rhythm, defines true poetry as Besides, he stresses rhythm, defines true poetry as “the rhythmical creation of beauty” and declares that “the rhythmical creation of beauty” and
81、declares that “music is the perfection of the soul, or ideas, of “music is the perfection of the soul, or ideas, of poetry.” poetry.” n n He cited his own poem “The Raven” of 108 lines He cited his own poem “The Raven” of 108 lines to show his aesthetics : a sense of melancholy over to show his aest
82、hetics : a sense of melancholy over the death of a beloved beautiful young woman the death of a beloved beautiful young woman pervades the whole poem.pervades the whole poem.VI. Poes Writing Featuresn n1. Poe was a fascinating man of imagination. n n2. In theme, Poe anticipated 20th century literatu
83、re in his treatment of the disintegration of the self in a world of nothingness.n n3. Poe was sensitive enough to feel the pressure of a world where science and reason reign supreme, where “there is neither joy, nor love, nor light, nor certitude, nor peace, nor help from pain.”n n4. Baudelaire firs
84、t took note of the psychological 4. Baudelaire first took note of the psychological content of Poes tales and regarded Poe as “a writer of content of Poes tales and regarded Poe as “a writer of nerves”, and Erich Heller saw Poes contribution to nerves”, and Erich Heller saw Poes contribution to the
85、“discovery and colonization of the mind”; what the “discovery and colonization of the mind”; what interests Poe most is the deep abyss of the interests Poe most is the deep abyss of the unconscious and subconscious mental activity of the unconscious and subconscious mental activity of the people.peo
86、ple.n n5. Poes assumption seems to be that every mind is 5. Poes assumption seems to be that every mind is half mad or capable of slipping into insanity. As a half mad or capable of slipping into insanity. As a result of this, his fictional characters are mostly result of this, his fictional charact
87、ers are mostly neurotics. neurotics. n n6. Poes heroes are mostly “isolatoes”, with no sense 6. Poes heroes are mostly “isolatoes”, with no sense of identity, no names even, alienation from society.of identity, no names even, alienation from society.n n7. Poe was also a full rational human being wit
88、h an intuitive faculty; he was immensely interested in deduction and induction. He wrote half a dozen detective stories. To Helenn nBackgroundBackgroundn n Edgar Allan Poe wrote “To Helen” as a reflection on the Edgar Allan Poe wrote “To Helen” as a reflection on the beauty of Mrs. Jane Stith Stanar
89、d, of Richmond, Va., who beauty of Mrs. Jane Stith Stanard, of Richmond, Va., who died in 1824. She was the mother of one of Poes school died in 1824. She was the mother of one of Poes school classmates, Robert Stanard. When Robert invited Edgar, classmates, Robert Stanard. When Robert invited Edgar
90、, then 14, to his home (at 19th and East Grace Streets in then 14, to his home (at 19th and East Grace Streets in Richmond) in 1823, Poe was greatly taken with the 27-Richmond) in 1823, Poe was greatly taken with the 27-year-old woman, who is said to have urged him to write year-old woman, who is sa
91、id to have urged him to write poetry. He was later to write that she was his first real poetry. He was later to write that she was his first real love. love. n nHelen: An allusion to Helen of Troy in Greek mythology. n n Nicean: Of or from Nicea (also spelled Nicaea), a city in ancient Turkey near t
92、he site of the Trojan War. n nbarks: small sailing vessels.n n End rhyme: A, B, A,B, B. 1 stanza2 stanzan nwont: accustomed to n nNaiad: Naiads were minor nature goddesses in Greek and Roman mythology. They inhabited and presided over rivers, lakes, streams, and fountains.n nNaiad airs: Peaceful, ge
93、ntle breezes or qualities n nthe glory that . . .Rome: These last two lines, beginning with the glory that was, are among the most frequently quoted lines in world literature. n nEnd rhyme: A, B, A, B, A. Half rhyme: Face and Greece3 stanzan nPsyche: In Greek and Roman mythology, Psyche was a Psyche
94、: In Greek and Roman mythology, Psyche was a beautiful princess dear to the god of love, Eros (Cupid), beautiful princess dear to the god of love, Eros (Cupid), who would visit her in a darkened room in a palace. who would visit her in a darkened room in a palace. One night she used an agate lamp to
95、 discover his One night she used an agate lamp to discover his identity. Later, at the urging of Eros, Zeus gave her the identity. Later, at the urging of Eros, Zeus gave her the gift of immortality. Eros then married her.gift of immortality. Eros then married her.n nEnd rhyme: A, B, B, A, B. End rh
96、yme: A, B, B, A, B. n nfrom the regions which are Holy Land: from ancient from the regions which are Holy Land: from ancient Greece and Rome; from the memory Poe had of Mrs. Greece and Rome; from the memory Poe had of Mrs. Stanard Stanard Imagery and Summary of the Poem n nPoe opens the poem with a
97、simile“Helen, thy beauty is to me / Like those Nican barks of yore”that compares the beauty of Helen (Mrs. Stanard, ) with small sailing boats (barks) that carried home travelers in ancient times. n nHe extends this boat imagery into the second stanza, He extends this boat imagery into the second st
98、anza, when he says Helen brought him to the shores of the when he says Helen brought him to the shores of the greatest civilizations of antiquity, classical Greece and greatest civilizations of antiquity, classical Greece and Rome. It may well have been that Mrs. Stanards beauty Rome. It may well ha
99、ve been that Mrs. Stanards beauty and other admirable qualities, as well as her taking and other admirable qualities, as well as her taking notice of Poes writing ability, helped inspire him to notice of Poes writing ability, helped inspire him to write poetry that mimicked in some ways the classica
100、l write poetry that mimicked in some ways the classical tradition of Greece and Rome. Certainly the poems tradition of Greece and Rome. Certainly the poems allusions to mythology and the classical age suggest that allusions to mythology and the classical age suggest that he had a grounding in, and a
101、 fondness for, ancient he had a grounding in, and a fondness for, ancient history and literature. history and literature. n nIn the final stanza of the poem, Poe imagines that Mrs. Stanard (Helen) is standing before him in a recess or alcove in front of a window. She is holding an agate lamp, as the
102、 beautiful Psyche did when she discovered the identity of Eros (Cupid). Theme n nBeauty, as Poe uses the word in the poem, appears to refer to the womans soul as well as her body. On the one hand, he represents her as Helen of Troythe quintessence of physical beautyat the beginning of the poem. On t
103、he other, he represents her as Psychethe quintessence of soulful beautyat the end of the poem. In Greek, psyche means soul. New England Transcendentalism * Emerson * Thoreau vI. New England Transcendentalism v1. Time: vIn 1836, a little book came out which made a tremendous impact on the intellectua
104、l life of America. It was entitled Nature by Ralph Waldo Emerson. The New World was thrilled to hear the new voice it uttered. A whole new way of thinking began to exert its influence on the consciousness of man. Natures voice pushed American Romanticism into a new phase, the phase of New England Tr
105、anscendentalism, the summit of American Romanticism.v2. Essence: “Transcendentalism is idealism” in essence.v3. Background: Some New Englanders who were not quite happy about the materialistic-oriented life of their time formed themselves into an informal club, the Transcendentalist club, and met to
106、 discuss matters of interest to the life of the nation as a whole. They expressed their views, published their journal, the Dial, and made their voice heard. 1840-1929v4.Representative figures: some 30 men and a couple of women such as Emerson, Thoreau, Bronson Alcott, and Margaret Fuller, most of t
107、hem teachers or clergymen, radicals against rigid rationalism of Unitarianism.v5. Major Features:vA. Emphasis on spirit, or Oversoul vomnipresent, omniscient, omnipotentvB. the importance of the individual as the most important element of society vThe regeneration of the society could only come abou
108、t through the regeneration of the individual, through his self-perfection, self-culture, self-improvement, self-reliancevC. Nature as symbolic of the Spirit or God vNature was not purely matter. It was the garment of the Oversoul.v6. The product of a combination of foreign influences and the America
109、n Puritan tradition.vGerman philosophy: Schelling, Fichte, KantvFrench philosophy: Cousin, Collard, Gerando, JouffroyvEnglish critics: Thomas Carlyles Sartor-Resartus Coleridges Aids to ReflectionvOriental mysticism: Hindu works Upanishads and Bhagavad-Gita Chinese Confucius and MenciusvII. Ralph Wa
110、ldo Emerson (1803-1882)v1. Literary Status: v“Father of American Essay”, vThe Concord SagevLeader and spokesman of New England TranscendentalismvEssayist, poet, philosopher, orator, criticv2. Life:vBoston, Massachusetts Boston Latin School Harvard College rejecting Calvinist tenets run a school for
111、young ladies abandoned a Unitarian minister tour in Europe his return to America promulgating Transcendentalismv3. His major works:vA. CollectionsvPoems (1847); Representative Men (1850); English Traits (1856) vSociety and Solitude (1870); Letters and Social Aims (1876) vB. EssaysvSelf-Reliance Comp
112、ensation The Over-Soul vThe Poet Experience vNature (the Bible and manifesto of the New England Transcendentalism)vThe American Scholar (Intellectual Declaration of Independence)vC. PoemsvConcord Hymn The Rhodora vIII. Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862)v1. Literary Status:vThe Prophet of Non-Violence M
113、ovementvAdvocate of New England TranscendentalismvAmerican author, naturalist, transcendentalist, tax resister, development critic, sage writer and philosopher. v2. Life:vpencil-makers family Harvard friendship with Emerson trip on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers in 1839 a cabin on Walden Pond and
114、moved in on July 4 and lived there for over 2 years since 1845 a night in jail for a poll-tax of $ 2v3. Major Works:v“Civil Disobedience or Resistance to Civil Government” (1849) vA Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers (1849) vWalden (1854)v4. Walden, Thoreaus MasterpiecevA. a great Transcendent
115、alist work and Thoreaus masterpiecevB. a faithful record of his reflections when he was in solitary communion with nature vC. a book on self-culture and human perfectability; a book about man, what he is and what he should be and must be.vD. prophet of individualism in American literature critical o
116、f modern civilization which was degrading and enslaving man. “Civilized man is the slave of matter” a medicine for the fatal modern craze for monetary success in the wake of modern mechanization and commercialization “Simplicity, Simplify”vE. he was impatient with the overstress on the external deve
117、lopment of human beings such as railroad, telegraphvF. Regeneration became a major thematic concern of Walden and decided the structural framework: Walden unfolds in a single year, and progresses through summer and autumn to winter, and finally to a climax in the renaissance of spring.vG. Walden exh
118、ibits Thoreaus calm trust in the future and his ardent belief in a new generation of men. The book concludes on a clear note of optimism and hope. Two Giants in Novel-writingHawthorne and MelvilleNathaniel Hawthorne(1804-1864)I. Literary StatusGreatest Romance-writerPioneering psychological novelist
119、Moral novelistII. Life1804, July 4, in Salem, Massachusetts, a Puritan familyAncestors role in the Salem Witchcraft Trial in 1692Bowdoin College read widely writing tales and novelsNathaniel Hawthorne(1804-1864)III. Major WorksShort story collection: Twice-Told Tales (1837)Moses from an Old Manse (1
120、846)Romances:The Scarlet Letter (1850)The House of the Seven Gables (1851)The Blithedale Romance (1852)The Marble Faun (1860)Nathaniel Hawthorne(1804-1864)IV. Hawthornes Black Vision of LifeAll his life, Hawthorne seems to be haunted by his sense of sin and evil in life. Most of his works deal with
121、evil one way or another. A. Evil exists in the human heart (“Earthy Holocaust”)B. Everyone possesses some evil secret (“Young Goodman Brown”)C. Everyone seems to cover up his innermost evil (“The Ministers Black Veil”)D. Evil seems to be mans birthmark.E. Evil comes out of evil though it may take ma
122、ny generations F. One source of evil is overweening intellect. (The tension between the head and the heart) Hawthornes intellectual characters are usually villains, dreadful because devoid of fellow feelings. (Hollingsworth, Chillingworth, Dr. Rappaccini Hawthornes negative attitude toward science i
123、s reflected in his writings and characterizations).Nathaniel Hawthorne(1804-1864)V. Hawthorne and his romanceRomance is in Hawthornes mind the predestined form of American narrative.VI. The analysis of his masterpiece The Scarlet Letter1. Story and Plot: an aging English scholar Chillingworth his yo
124、ung beautiful wife Hester Prynne young and promising priest Arthur Dimmesdale Pearl2. Theme: A. Romantic or Puritan? A story of love or sin? a moral or immoral story? B. the adaptation of American Romanticism to American Puritan moralism the load of didacticism the desire to elevateC. What Hawthorne
125、 was predominantly concerned with was the moral, emotional, and psychological effect of the sin on the people in general Nathaniel Hawthorne(1804-1864)3. The analysis of the charactersA. Hester Prynne: This book is not a praise of Hester Prynne sinning, but a hymn on the moral growth of the woman wh
126、en sinned against. Hesters life eventually acquires a real significance when she reestablishes a meaningful relationship with her fellowmen. Symbolic of her moral development is the gradual, imperceptible change which the scarlet letter undergoes in meaning. A “Adultery” “Able”, “Angel” (“Adamic” th
127、e original sin or “America”)B. Arthur Dimmesdale banishes himself from the society. Deeply concerned with himself, he lives a stranger among his admirers. He undergoes the tragic experience of physical and spiritual disintegration.C. Roger Chillingworth, the real villain of the story, embodies pure
128、intellect, who commits “the unpardonable sin” (the violation of heart)Nathaniel Hawthorne(1804-1864)4. Structural features The 24 chapters of The Scarlet Letter are closely knitted together by means of the scaffold scenes which appear 3 times, almost symmetrically, in the beginning, in the middle, a
129、nd the end of the book, each time bringing the four major characters (Hester, Dimmesdale, Chillingworth, and Pearl) together. Chapters I-II, XII and XVIII serve as the props holding up the frame of the novel.5. Psychological complexitiesAll the major characters have complex psychologies; there is a
130、semblance of interior monologues which reveal their states of mind.6. AmbiguityOne salient feature of Hawthornes art is his ambiguity, of which the technique of multiple view employed in the book.Nathaniel Hawthorne(1804-1864)VII. Hawthornes Symbolism(The Scarlet Letter) the names of the characters,
131、 Dimmesdale, Chillingworth, little Pearl, the flower at the prison door, etc.(The House of the Seven Gables) the house, the rise and fall of the family fortune, the chickens dwindling in size, the love between the two young people(“The Young Goodman Brown”) nightly journey the inner urge of the youn
132、g to grow up and get initiated into the adult world the murkiness of night engenders a sense of uncertainty and fear the grown-up situation Faith young Goodman Brown (Everyman)VIII. Hawthornes influenceHerman Melville Henry James Hemingway William Faulkner .Herman Melville (1819-1891)I. Literary Sta
133、tus sea novelists, cannibal novels, etc.II. Life and CareerLittle education began to work early bank clerk, salesman, a farm-hand, school teacherA. Going out to sea，a sailor, a whaler B. his marriage He married above him.C. friendship with Hawthorne (1850)III. His View of the WorldTragic humanismHer
134、man Melville (1819-1891)IV. His major works:His novels:Typee (1846); Omoo (1847)Mardi (1849); Redburn (1849)White Jacket (1850)Moby Dick (1851)Pierre (1852); Confidence Man (1857)Billy Budd (unfinished)His poetic work: ClarelHis short stories: “Bartleby”, “Benito Cereno”Herman Melville (1819-1891)V.
135、 His masterpiece: Moby Dick1. Essence:a. Herman Melvilles masterpiece is Moby Dick, one of the worlds greatest masterpieces. b. To get to know the 19th century American mind and America itself, one has to read this book. c. It is an encyclopedia of everything, history, philosophy, religion, etc. in
136、addition to a detailed account of the operations of the whaling industry. d. But it is first a Shakespeare tragedy of man fighting against overwhelming odds in an indifferent and even hostile universe.2. Content: Ishmael, Pequod, Ahab, Moby DickHerman Melville (1819-1891)3. Idea: his bleak view of t
137、he worldThe world is at once Godless and purposeless. Man in this universe lives a meaningless and futile life, meaningless because futile.Man can observe and manipulate nature in a prudent way, and he must ultimately place himself at the mercy of nature. Man cannot influence and overcome nature at
138、its source. Once he attempts to seek power over nature, he is doomed. The idea that man can make the world for himself is nothing but a folly.Melville never seems able to say an affirmative yes to life: his is the attitude of “Everlasting Nay” .The loss of faith and the sense of futility and meaning
139、lessness were expressed in Melvilles works.Herman Melville (1819-1891)4. Themes and subjects:A. Alienation: he found existing on different levels, between man and man, man and society, and man and nature. (e.g. Ahab)B. criticism against Emersonian self-reliant individual: Ahab is too much of a self-
140、reliant individual to be a good human being. He stands alone on his own one leg among the millions of the peopled earth. For him the only law is his own will. To him the world exists for his own sake. His selfhood must be asserted at the expense of all else.C. Rejection and Quest: Ishmael resembles
141、his namesake in the Bible in that he is a wanderer. Tired with and rejecting his early lifestyle, he tried to seek for a happy and ideal life. He gradually comes to see the folly of Ahab seeking to conquer nature and begins to feel the significance of love and fraternity among mortal beings. Voyagin
142、g for Ishmael has become a journey in quest of knowledge and values.Herman Melville (1819-1891)5. Symbolism in the novel Moby DickA. the voyage itself is a metaphor for “search and discovery, the search for the ultimate truth of experience.”B. the Pequod is the ship of the American soul and consciou
143、sness.C. Moby Dick is a symbol of evil to some, of goodness to others, and of both to still others.D. The whiteness of Moby Dick is a paradoxical color, signifying death and corruption as well as purity, innocence and youth; it represents the final mystery of the universe. 6. The multiple view of po
144、int:different responses of different men Tashtego (the American Indian), Daggoo (the African American giant), Queequeg (the Polynesian) - StarbuckHerman Melville (1819-1891)7. The revival of MelvilleA dedicated artistThere was, to be sure, a great deal of Ahab in him.“I have written a wicked book”Bo
145、rn in the 19th century, Melville did not receive recognition until the 20th century. In the 1920s, a Columbia scholar, G. M. Weaver, did solid work in reviving him.Whitman and DickinsonWhitman and Dickinson- Romantic PoetryWhitman and DickinsonWhitman and DickinsonSimilarities: Both of them were dis
146、tinctively American poets in theme and technique. Both of them were part of American Renaissance.A. Themes: both praised in their different ways, an emergent America, its expansion, its individualism, and its Americanness.B. Techniques: breaking free of the poetic tradition and pioneering American m
147、odernist poetry with their poetic innovation.Differences: A. Whitman kept his eye on society at large while Dickinson explored the inner life of the self and individual.B. Whereas Whitman is national in his outlook, Dickinson is regional.C. In formal terms, Whitman is characterized by his endless, a
148、ll-inclusive catalogs while Dickinson by her concise, direct, and simple diction and syntax.Whitman and DickinsonI. Walt Whitman (1819-1892)1. Literary StatusFather of American PoetryPrecursor of Modern American Poetry Father of American Free VerseCelebrating America as a Poem2. LifeWorking-class ba
149、ckgroundHe grew up in New York and worked there.Five years of schooling, loafing and readingRich life experience: office boy, printers apprentice, carpenter, schoolmaster, printer, editor (of 8 successive papers), and journalistWhitman and Dickinson3. The Publication of Leaves of Grass Whitmans life
150、time literary endeavorA. The first edition of 12 poems in 1855 A stir broke with the poetic convention sexuality and exotic and vulgar languageharsh criticisms on it: “noxious weeds”, “poetry of barbarism”, “a mass of stupid filth”B. Nine editions in all (1855, 56, 60, 67,71, 76, 81, 89, 91-92)Began to be celebrated with the fifth editionC. His deathbed edition containing all of his 400-odd poems
