Ａｍｅｒｉｃａｎ ＬｉｔｅｒａｔｕｒｅＡｍｅｒｉｃａｎ Ｌｉｔｅｒａｔｕｒｅ1; 按照时期分类一、殖民时期（约1607—1765）二、启蒙时期和独立革命（1765—18世纪末）三、浪漫主义时期（1865—1918）四、现实主义时期（1865—1918）五、现代主义时期（1918—1945）六、当代文学（1945— ）2; v殖民地时期 v独立革命至南北战争时期 v南北战争到第一次世界大战 v两次世界大战之间 v第二次世界大战后 3; Brief Outline of American literature1.Colonial period (1607-1775)Anne BradstreetEdward Taylor2.Revolutionary period (1775-1783)Benjamin FranklinPhilip Freneau3.Democratic Period (1783-1802)4.Romanticism (1820-1861)Washington IrvingEdgar Allan PoeNathaniel Howthorne William Whitman* Transcendentalism * (New England Renaissance)Ralph Waldo EmersonFillip Thoreau5.Realism (1861-1914)Mark TwainHenry JamesNaturalism:Stephen CraneTheodore Dreiser6.The 1920sT.S. EliotWilliam FaulknerErnest Hemingway (Lost Generation)Imagism: Ezra Pound4; Brief Outline of American literature7.The 1930sSteinbeckHarlem Renaissance(Black American literature)HughesWrightEllison8.American DramaEugene O’Neill Arthur Miller Tennessee Williams9.The Post-war SceneSaul BellowSalingerPoetry:Confessional PoetryBlack Mountain PoetsSan Francisco RenaissanceThe Beat GenerationThe New York Poets5; Colonial Period (1607-1775)Chapter One6; Historical backgroundvThe first permanent English settlement in North America at James town, Virginia in 1607.vIn 1630 the puritans established the Massachusetts Bay Colony.vIndependent War (1776-1783); the foundation of a Federative bourgeois democratic republic—the United States of America.7; The early settlersvChristopher Columbus discovered the American continent in 1492.vCaptain John Smith reached Jamestown, Virginia in 1607.vPuritans came to the New England area, by Mayflower in 1620.vThe first settlement was established in Plymouth in 1620. vMassachusetts Bay Colony was established in 1630.8; Puritanism in America Why did Puritans come to America?- to escape religious persecution - to reform the Church of England - to have an entirely new church * God’s chosen people * To seek a new Garden of Eden * To build “City of God on earth”9; The Definition of Literary TermsvColonial AmericavAmerican PuritanismvAmerican Dream 10; Features of Puritanism1) Predestination: God decided everything before things occurred.2) Original sin: Human beings were born to be evil, and this original sin can be passed down from generation to generation.3) Total depravity: Humanity’s utter corruption since the Fall.4) Limited atonement: Only the “elect” can be saved.11; Influence of PuritanismInfluence - American Puritanism was one of the most enduring shaping influences in American thought and American literature.- American literature is based on a myth, i.e. the Biblical myth of the Garden of Eden.- Puritanism can be compared with Chinese Confucianism.12; Influence of Puritanism1） A group of good qualities—hard work, thrift, piety, sobriety (serious and thoughtful) influenced American literature.2) It led to the everlasting myth. All literature is based on a myth– garden of Eden. American literature, in a sense, was a literary expression of the pious idealism of the Puritan request. Namely, American literature is based on a myth, that is, the myth of Garden of Eden. (optimism/American Dream)3) Symbolism: The Puritans’ metaphorical mode of perception brought American literary symbolism into being, a literary symbolism which is distinctly American.4) With regard to their writing, the style is fresh, simple and direct; the rhetoric is plain and honest, not without a touch of nobility often traceable to the direct influence of the Bible. The Puritan style of writing was characterized by simplicity. (The use of metaphors was only to explain the writer’s opinions rather than to decorate.)13; Puritanism: Puritan values /Creedslhard worklthrift lpietylsobriety lPuritans are more practical, tougher, and to be ever ready for any misfortune and tragic failure.They are optimistic.14; American DreamThe American Dream is the faith held by many in the United States of American that through hard work, courage, and determination one can achieve a better life for oneself, usually through financial prosperity. These were values held by many early European settlers, and have been passed on to subsequent generations. Nowadays the American Dream has led to an emphasis on material wealth as a measure of success and /or happiness.15; •Types of writing: histories, travel accounts, diaries, biographies, letters, autobiographies, sermons, and poems.Major writers: vJohn Smith—the first American writervAnne Bradstreet—the first important poet in the American colonies. Her work The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung Up in America(1650) is considered as the first book of original poetry written in colonial America. vEdward Taylor—finest poet of the colonial period.16; Authors and Their WorksvPuritanism: William Bradford, Anne Bradstreet, Edward Taylor, Jonathan Edwards.vAnti—Puritanism: Roger Williams, John Woolman, Thomas Paine, Philip Freneau17; Major Writers Captain John Smith （约翰（约翰·史密斯）史密斯）u the first American writeru A Description of New England 《新英格兰叙事》(1616)u General History of Virginia《弗吉尼亚通史》（1642）vPocahontas 18; William Bradford (1590-1657)vOne of the greatest of colonial American, wholly consecrated to a mission in which he regarded himself as an instrument of God.vAt the age of 18, he accompanied the group to Holland to escape persecution.v13 years later he was one of those who, on December 11, took on the Mayflower and entered Plymouth Bay.vFrom 1622 until his death, Bradford was reelected thirty timed as governor.vMasterpiece: Of Plymouth Plantation《普利茅斯开发史》19; Of Plymouth PlantationvA story of these early American and their long geographical and spiritual pilgrimage.20; Three major poets in colonial period:1.Anne Bradstreet2.Michael Wigglesworth3.Edward Taylor 21; Anne Bradstreet (安妮安妮·布拉德斯特里特布拉德斯特里特) (1612-1672) uthe first American woman poetu ua Puritan poet, once called “Tenth Muse”umost famous poems—“Contemplations”《沉思录》22; Anne Bradstreet (1612-1672)the first noted poetess in colonial periodthe first noted poetess in colonial period1.Anne Bradstreet’s Works“Some verses on the Burning of Our House”“The Spirit and the Flesh”The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung Up in America2.Anne Bradstreet’s Life* She was born and educated in England.* At the age of 18, she came to America in 1630 with her father and husband. * She had 8 children.* She became known as the “Tenth Muse” who appeared in America.the first collection published by English colonists living in America23; 2. Michael Wigglesworth (1631-1705)the most popular poet in American Colonial Periodthe most popular poet in American Colonial PeriodWork: “The Day of Doom” (1662)3. Edward Taylor (1642?-1729)the finest poet in colonial period/ the finest poet in colonial period/ The greatest poet in American Colonial PeriodThe greatest poet in American Colonial PeriodWork: Preparatory Meditation24; Features of Colonial Poets1.They were servants of God.2.They faithfully imitated and transplanted English literary traditions.In English stylePuritan poets25; Chapter TwoRevolutionary Period (1775-1783) The Literature of Reason and Revolution (1700-1800)“The Age of Reason”“American Enlightenment”26; Literature of Reason and Revolution (1700-1800)I. Background --The Enlightenment Movement --The War of Independence (1775-1783)II. Jonathan Edwards and Benjamin Franklin A. Jonathan Edwards’ “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” B. Benjamin Franklin’s The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin (pp.21-28)III. Features of Literature27; The War of Independence (1775-1783)v1775, Lexington, beginning of the Independence WarvJune 4th, 1776, Thomas Jefferson, Declaration of Independencev1778, alliance with France, turning point for American armyv1778, English army surrenderedv1783, formal recognition from Britain government 28; Authors:vBenjamin Franklin (1706-1790): Poor Richard’s Almanac《《格言历书格言历书》》; Autobiography vThomas Paine (1737-1809):Comon Sense vThomas Jefferson (1743-1826):Declaration of Independence (1776) vWilliam Hill Brown(1765-1793):The Power of SympathyvPhilip Freneau (1752-1832): “The Wild Honey Suckle” romantic poemsvJonathan Edwards29; Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758)v Man of God30; Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758)1. Status: a puritan writer, theologian, colonial American preacher and missionary to Native Americans 2. Comments: vEdwards “is widely acknowledged to be America's most important and original philosophical theologian". vHe is known as one of the greatest and most profound of American theologians and revivalists. (born for religion and died for science)3. Works: The Freedom of the Will (1954); The Great Doctrine of Original Sin Defended (1758); The Nature of True Virtue (1765)v “Personal Narrative” and “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” are his frequently anthologized pieces. 31; Jonathan Edwards4. Criticism: v His work is very broad in scope, but he is often associated with his defense of Calvinist theology, the metaphysics of theological determinism, and the Puritan heritage. vHis famous sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” emphasized the just wrath of God against sin and contrasted it with the provision of God for salvation; the intensity of his preaching sometimes resulted in members of the audience fainting, swooning, and other more obtrusive reactions. 32; Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)33; Benjamin 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, autobiographical writer, printer, scientist, postmaster, almanac maker, orator, statesman, philosopher, political economist, ambassador， almost everything34; 《自传》《格言历书》C. LifevBenjamin Franklin came from a Calvinist background.vHe was born into a poor candle-maker’s family. He had very little education. He learned in school only for two years, but he was a voracious reader.vAt 12, he was apprenticed to his elder half-brother, a printer.vAt 16, he began to publish essays under the pseudonym “Silence Do good” .vAt 17, he ran away to Philadelphia to make his own fortune.vHe set himself up as an independent printer and publisher.B. Works• The Autobiography• Poor Richard’s Almanack35; Franklin’s Contributions to SciencevHe was also remembered for volunteer fire departments, effective street lighting, the Franklin stove, bifocal glasses and efficient heating devices. vAnd for his lightning-rod, he was called “the new Prometheus who had stolen fire from heaven.” Franklin’s Contributions to the U.S.vHe was the only American to sign the four documents that created the United States: The Declaration of Independence, The Treaty of Alliance with France, The Treaty of Peace with England, The ConstitutionD. Franklin’s Contributions to SocietyHe helped found the Pennsylvania Hospital. He founded an academy which led to the University of Pennsylvania. And he helped found the American Philosophical Society.36; Poor Richard's Almanackv1. Time: almost a quarter of centuryv2. Content: Literary pieces such as poems and essays, a good many adages, commonsense witticismsv3. Sources: he borrowed them from such 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 themselves”, “Fish and visitors stink in three days”, etc..v5. Function: practical, instructive, and amusing37; Poor Richard's Almanackvan annual collection of proverbsvemphasis on commercial success in these almanacs explains why Franklin has come down in American history as the perfect representative of the American Dream of “rags to riches.” vstress on the importance of working hard to make money and saving to reinvest it to make morevthe idea that happiness depended in the first place on economic success voptimistically believed success was within the grasp of any normal American who worked hard, lived modestly and remained alert to seize every opportunity for practical advancement. vno man could be virtuous or happy unless he did his best to improve the life of his society and his own life.38; Sayings from Poor Richard's AlmanackvA penny saved is a penny earnedvAn ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.vCreditors have better memories than debtors.vA word to the wise is sufficient.vHe that goes a-borrowing goes a-sorrowing. vGod helps them who help themselves.vEarly to bed, and early to rise, makes a Man healthy, wealthy, and wise.vDiligence is the Mother of Good Luck.vOne today is worth two tomorrow.vA small leak will sink a great ship.39; The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklinv1. Nature: Probably the first of its kind in literature. A simple yet fascinating record of a man’s success. A faithful account of the colorful career of America’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, a meticulous chart of 13 virtues to cultivate.v(b) Enlightenment: It embodies the new order of the 18th century Enlightenment. (Order and Moderation) v4. Style: This work is written in the pattern of Puritan simplicity, directness, and concision. The most salient显著地 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 began with the settlement of the American continent – the promised land – the Garden of Eden – optimistic about the future1. 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.40; ØThe Autobiography is a record of self-examination and self-improvement. ØBenjamin Franklin was a spokesman for the new order of the 18th century enlightenment ØThe Autobiography is a how-to-do-it book, a book on the art of self-improvement. (for example, Franklin’s 13 virtues)ØThrough telling a success story of self-reliance, the book celebrates, in fact, the fulfillment of the American dream.ØThe Autobiography is in the pattern of Puritan simplicity, directness, and concision. Evaluation41; Style of Franklinva brilliant writer, with a definite gift for writingvhas power of expression, simplicity, a subtle humor, sometimes sarcasticvperfect the Puritan plain style, “smooth, clear and short writings”vUse “a close, naked, natural way of speaking; positive expressions, clear senses, a native easiness, bringing all things as near the mathematical plainness as they can." 42; Hector St. John de Crevecoeurv Hector St. John de CrevecoeurvA. Birth: born in a French noble familyvB. Settlement: Settled in America and hoped that the New World man would be able to shake off the shackles of the old and live the way mankind should.vC. Works: Letters from an American Farmer (1775)vHe wrote 12 letters back to Europe, explaining the meaning of America to the outside world. The first 8 letters reveal the pride of a man being an American, and, thereupon, optimistic. Starting from his ninth letter, he began to speak with the voice of a disillusioned man, rendering the last 4 letters pessimistic. 43; Thomas Paine (1737-1809)vthe most persuasive rhetorician of the cause for independence. vborn in England, the son of a staymakervin 1774, at the age of 37, recognized by Franklin because of his peculiar talents, and made his way to Philadelphia, where he edited the Pennsylvania Magazine owned and published by Franklinvin 1776, his famous pamphlet Common Sense came out, bringing the separatist agitation to a crisis. vthe most articulate spokesman of the American Revolution, his chief contribution was a series of sixteen pamphlets entitled The American Crisis44; Works of Thomas PainevCommon Sense (1776) urged an immediate declaration of independencevThe American Crisis (Dec. 1776-April 1783), a series of 16 pamphlets in support of the Revolutionary WarvThe Rights of Man (1791-2), a defense of the French Revolution against the attacks of Edmund BurkevThe Age of Reason (1794-5), his great deistic (自然神论的)work45; Philip Freneau (1752-1832)Ø“Poet of the American Revolution”Ø“Father of American Poetry”Ø“Pioneer of the New Romanticism”Ø“A gifted and versatile lyric poet”46; •He is known as the poet of the American Revolution, the most accomplished patriot poet, the first American-born poet, and “father of American poetry.”•His voice is one of democracy and independence.•Much of his poetry focused on America’s future greatness, and on other subjects like the beauties of the natural world. Such lyric poems can be seen as the first expressions in American poetry of a deep spiritual engagement with nature.•He has been regarded as a fount for American Romanticism, at least a pioneer of romantic spirit.47; 《《美洲光辉的兴起美洲光辉的兴起》》《《夜之屋夜之屋》》《《英国囚船英国囚船》》1. Works•“The Rising Glory of America” (1772)•“The House of Night” (1779, 1786)•“The British Prison Ship” (1781)•“To the Memory of the Brave Americans” (1781)•“The Wild Honey Suckle” (1786)•“The Indian Burying Ground” (1788)•“The Dying Indian: Tomo Chequi”《《纪念美国勇士纪念美国勇士》》《《野金银花野金银花》》《《印第安人墓地印第安人墓地》》《《奄奄一息的印第安人：奄奄一息的印第安人：托姆托姆· ·察吉察吉》》48; American Romanticism 49 Romantic Period (end of 18th C.--the Civil War/the first half of the nineteenth century) Historical Background General Introduction of RomanticismMajor Writers and Literary Works Exit50 Historical BackgroundThe Romantic period stretches from the end of the 18th century through the outbreak of the Civil War. Exit51 Forward •The Romantic spirit stressed individualism, affirmed the value of the common person, and looked to the inspired imagination for its aesthetic and ethical values. • American Romanticist shared the impact from both American Puritanism and European Romanticism.General Introduction of Romanticism52 1.American romanticism was in essence the expression of “a real new experience and contained “an alien quality” for the simple reason that “the spirit of the place” was radically new and alien.2.There is American Puritanism as a cultural heritage to consider. American romantic authors tended more to moralize than to entertain.3.The “newness” of Americans as a nation is in connection with American Romanticism.As a logical result of the foreign and native factors at work, American romanticism was both imitative and independent.Features of American RomanticismExit53 Major Literary Figures ¡Section 1 Early Romantic PeriodSection 2 Summit of Romanticism – American TranscendentalismSection 3 Late Romanticism¡Romantic PoetsExit54 Washington Irving (1783—1859) first American writer father of American literature ExitForward 55 WorksThe Sketch BookForward The best known of The Sketch Book are "Rip Van Winkle" and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow"56 gentility, urbanity, pleasantnessavoiding moralizingenveloping stories in an atmospherevivid and true charactershumourmusical languageForward Irving's style57 James Fenimore Cooper (1789--1851)ExitWorksStyle58 WorksLeatherstocking Tales --(his masterpiece, a series of five novels-- The Deerslayer, The Last of the Mohicans, The Pathfinder, The Pioneers, The Prairie )Exit59 ExitStylevhighly imaginativevgood at inventing talesvgood at landscape descriptionvconservativevcharacterization wooden and lacking in probabilityvlanguage and use of dialect not authentic60 Section 2 Summit of Romanticism – American TranscendentalismAmerican TranscendentalismMajor writers and Literary WorksExitTranscendentalism61 ExitTranscendentalismFrom the 1830s, there was much talk among some young people about the “new spiritual era”. They wanted to explore the inner life. In the center of this activity were the Transcendentalists. They formed a movement of feelings and beliefs rather than a system of philosophy. Features:1.spirit/oversoul2.importance of individualism3.nature – symbol of spirit/God; garment of the oversoul4.focus in intuition (irrationalism and subconsciousness) Appearance:1836, “Nature” by Emerson62 ExitMajor WritersRalph Waldo Emerson Henry David Thoreau 63 ExitRalph Waldo Emerson (1803----1882)CommentsMajor Works64 Comments As a poet, preacher, orator, and essayist, Ralph Waldo Emerson articulated the new nation’s prospects and needs and became a weighty exemplum of the American artist. He becomes the founder of “Transcendentalism” or the spokesman for “Nature”. Exit65 ExitMajor WorksNature (1836)The American Scholar (1837)Essays:Books:Essays66 Exitman should not see nature merely as something to be used; man’s relationship with nature transcends the idea of usefulness. Nature is a kind of discipline to manNature67 Exitattacked the influence of the tradition and the pastcalled for a new burst of American creativitythe word scholar did not refer to the man of book learning, but to the original thinker. Such a man knows himself through intuition and the study of nature, not of the books. The American Scholar68 ExitThe most characteristic and influential of his books are the two volumes of Essays. Self-Reliance is one of the most famous of these lecture essays, and is widely read in American high schools today. Emerson believed above all in individualism, independence of mind, and self-reliance; He admired courage and was not afraid of changing or clashing ideas. Equally important is Emerson’s essay The Over-Soul (1841). From the Over-Soul come all ideas and intelligence: “We do not determine what we think. We only open our senses…and suffer the intellect to see.” Essays69 ExitHenry David Thoreau (1817—1862)Works: Walden (1854)70 Major WritersNathaniel HawthorneHerman MelvilleSection 3 Late Romanticism71 ExitNathaniel Hawthorne (1804—1864)Life and literary careerMajor Literary WorksStyle72 Exit Nathaniel Hawthorne was born on July 4, 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts. Hawthorne turned to writing after his graduation from Bowdoin College. Hawthorne returned to Salem in 1845, where he was appointed surveyor of the Boston Custom House. his most famous novel, The Scarlet Letter, was an immediate success and allowed Hawthorne to devote himself to his writing. He left Salem for a temporary residence in Lenox, where he completed the romance The House of the Seven Gables in 1851. While in Lenox, Hawthorne became acquainted with Herman Melville and became a major proponent of Melville's work. Hawthorne's subsequent novels, The Blithedale Romance, based on his years of communal living at Brook Farm, and the romance The Marble Faun, were both considered disappointments. Hawthorne supported himself through another political post, the consulship in Liverpool, which he was given for writing a campaign biography for Franklin Pierce. Hawthorne passed away on May 19, 1864 in Plymouth, New Hampshire. Emerson described his life as painful solitude. Hawthorne maintained a strong friendship with Franklin Pierce, but otherwise had few intimates and little engagement with any sort of social life. His works remain notable for their treatment of guilt and the complexities of moral choices. Life and literary career73 ExitThe Marble Faun (1860) 《玉石神像》Major Literary WorksTwice-Told Tales (1837) 《重说一遍的故事》Mosses from an Old Manse (1846) 《古厦青苔》The Scarlet Letter, (1850)The House of Seven Gables (1851) 《七尖角阁的房子》 The Blithedale Romance(1852) 《福谷浪漫史》 The Life of Franklin Pierce(1852)74 ContinueThis work is considered as his masterpiece. It is the study of the effects of the adultery of Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale, a Puritan minister. Hester is forced to wear a red letter “A” on her dress, showing the world that she is an adulteress. Hester’s husband tries to get revenge by destroying Dimmesdale’s mind and soul. Dimmesdale, the father of Hester’s child, tries to hide his guilt. In the end, he confesses and dies immediately afterward, praising God. The theme of the novel is that it is useless to hide guilt in order to avoid punishment. The novel asks the question of whether the act of Hester and her lover was really sinful. The author gives no clear answer. But by the end of the novel, Hester’s “A” seems to symbolize the sinfulness of all people. 75 ContinueCharacter List:Arthur DimmesdaleHester PrynnePearlRoger Chillingworth76 N. Hawthorne is a typical romantic writer.•the use of symbols•revelation of characters’ psychology•the use of supernatural mixed with the actual•his stories are parable– to teach a lesson•use of ambiguity to keep the reader in the world of uncertaintyStyleExit77 ExitHerman Melville (1819--1891)Major WorksTypee(1846)Omoo (1847)Mardi (1849) Redburn (1849)White-Jacket (1850) Moby-Dick(1851)Billy Budd Sailor (1924 published)78 ExitThis work is Melville's masterpiece, which is the epic story of the whaling ship Pequod and its "ungodly, god-like man," Captain Ahab, whose obsessive quest for the white whale Moby-Dick leads the ship and its men to destruction. This work, a realistic adventure novel, contains a series of meditations on the human condition. Whaling, throughout the book, is a grand metaphor for the pursuit of knowledge. Realistic catalogues and descriptions of whales and the whaling industry punctuate the book, but these carry symbolic connotations. Although Melville's novel is philosophical, it is also tragic. Despite his heroism, Ahab is doomed and perhaps damned in the end. Nature, however beautiful, remains alien and potentially deadly. In Moby-Dick, Melville challenges Emerson's optimistic idea that humans can understand nature. Moby-Dick, the great white whale, is an inscrutable, cosmic existence that dominates the novel, just as he obsesses Ahab. Facts about the whale and whaling cannot explain Moby-Dick; on the contrary, the facts themselves tend to become symbols, and every fact is obscurely related in a cosmic web to every other fact. The novel is modern in its tendency to be self-referential. In other words, the novel often is about itself. 79 Romantic PoetsvWalt WhitmanvEmily DickinsonvComparison between Whitman and DickinsonExit80 Walt Whitman (1819-1892) LifeInfluenceExitMajor Work & StyleComments81 Life (1819-1892)v1. poor family; little schooling, but read voraciously . v2. odd jobs-a schoolteacher, an apprentice to a printer, and an editorv3. 1839 began literary career—writing poetry (which was conventional and undistinguished) and taking part in political activitiesv4. 1848 visited the Western frontier; poetry poured out---a turning point in his career, became a true artistv5. during the Civil War, supported the north firmly.v6. A paralytic attack in 1873 forced Whitman to give up his work. v7. last years in revising Leaves of Grass; died in 1892.Exit82 Major workLeaves of GrassIncluding:Song of MyselfI hear America singingO Captain! my Captain!When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d There Was a Child Went ForthCrossing Brooklyn FerryDemocratic VistasPassage to IndiaOut of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking ExitStyle: free verse83 Both the form and content of the poems in Leaves of Grass were revolutionary; Whitman’s sprawling lines and cataloguing technique, as well as his belief that poetry should include the lowly, the profane, even the obscene, have had enormous influence. His intention in writing Leaves of Grass, he said, was to create a truly American poem. But the poem goes beyond its specifically American subject to deal with the universal themes of nature, fertility, and mortality.ExitLeaves of Grass84 Song of MyselfI celebrate myself,And what I assume you shall assume,For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you. I loafe and invite my soul,I lean and loafe at my ease observing a spear of summer grass. My tongue, every atom of my blood, formed from this soil, this air,Born here of parents born here from parents the same, and their parents the same,I, now thirty seven years old in perfect health begin, Hoping to cease not till death. Creeds and schools in abeyance,Retiring back a while sufficed at what they are, but never forgotten,I harbor for good or bad, I permit to speak at every hazard,Nature without check with original energy.Continue85 Over 1300 lines long in its final version (1891-1892), it set forth the major themes of Whitman’s early work: the poet’s celebration of the self and of its relation to the common men and women for whom “leaves of grass” is a metaphor; the beauty and spiritual inheritance of the natural world; and the omnipresence and immortality of the cosmic “I” who “ sings” the poem. It is written in the long, free-verse lines that Whitman used for most of his poetry, and its endless catalogues –“ I will not have a single person slighted or left away. / the kept woman, sponger, thief, are hereby invited” attempt to take up into the poem the multiplicity of American life.Whitman’s voice electrifies even modern readers with his proclamation of the unity and vital force of all creation. He was enormously innovative. From him spring the poem as autobiography, the American Everyman as bard, the reader as creator, and the still-contemporary discovery of “experimental”, or organic form. Song of MyselfExit86 I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear,Those of mechanics, each one singing his as it should be blithe and strong,The carpenter singing his as he measures his plank or beam,The mason singing his as he makes ready for work, or leaves off work,The boatman singing what belongs to him in his boat, the deckhand singing on the steamboat deck,The shoemaker singing as he sits on his bench, the hatter singing as he stands,The wood-cutter's song, the ploughboy's on his way in the morning, or at noon intermission or at sundown,The delicious singing of the mother, or of the young wife at work, or of the girl sewing or washing,Each singing what belongs to him or her and to none else,I hear America singingContinue87 The day what belongs to the day--at night the party of young fellows, robust, friendly,Singing with open mouths their strong melodious songs. ExitThis poem underscores Whitman’s basic attitude toward America, which is part of his ideal of human life. The American nation has based its faith on the creativeness of labor, which Whitman glorifies in this poem.The catalog of craftsmen covers not only the length and breadth of the American continent but also the large and varied field of American achievement. This poem expresses Whitman’s love of America—its vitality, variety, and the massive achievement which is the outcome of the creative endeavor of all its people. It also illustrates Whitman’s technique of using catalogs consisting of a list of people.88 O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done, The ship has weather'd every rack, the prize we sought is won, The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting, While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring; But O heart! heart! heart! O Captain! my Captain!Continue89 O the bleeding drops of red, Where on the deck my Captain lies, Fallen cold and dead. O Captain! my Captain! rise up and hear the bells; Rise up- for you the flag is flung- for you the bugle trills,For you bouquets and ribbon'd wreaths- for you the shores a-crowding, For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning;Here Captain! dear father! This arm beneath your head! It is some dream that on the deck, You've fallen cold and dead.Continue90 My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still, My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will, The ship is anchor'd safe and sound, its voyage closed and done, From fearful trip the victor ship comes in with object won; Exult O shores, and ring O bells! But I with mournful tread, Walk the deck my Captain lies, Fallen cold and dead. Exit91 Through Whitman, American poems finally freed themselves from the old English traditions. He invented a completely new and completely American form of poetic expression. To him, message was always more important than form, and he was the first to explore fully the possibilities of free verse. In his poetry the lines are not usually organized into stanzas; they look more like ordinary sentences. Although he rarely uses rhyme or meter, we can still hear (or feel) a clear rhythm. This, along with the content, gives unity to his poetry. Whitman wrote without the usual poetic ornaments, in a plain style so that ordinary people could read him. ExitStyle92 More than any other writer, Whitman invented the myth of democratic America. “The Americans of all nations at any time upon the earth have probably the fullest poetical nature. The United States is essentially the greatest poem.” When Whitman wrote this, he daringly turned upside down the general opinion that America was too brash and new to be poetic. He invented a timeless America of the free imagination, peopled with pioneering spirits of all nations. CommentsExit93 Emily Dickinson (1830-1886) ExitLifestyleworks94 Life ExitEmily Dickinson was born in Amherst, Massachusetts, in 1830. She never married, and she led an unconventional life that was outwardly uneventful but was full of inner intensity. She loved nature and found deep inspiration in the birds, animals, plants, and changing seasons of the New England countryside. Because she was cut off from the outside world, she was able to create a very personal and pure kind of poetry. 95 My Life Closed Twice before Its CloseBecause I Can’t Stop for DeathI Heard a Fly Buzz – When I diedMine – by the Right of the White ElectionWild Nights – Wild NightsI'm Nobody! Who are you?PoemsExit96 1.poems without titles2.severe economy of expression3.directness, brevity4.musical device to create cadence (rhythm)5.capital letters – emphasis6.short poems, mainly two stanzas7.rhetoric techniques: personification – make some of abstract ideas vivid styleAll these have greatly influenced 20th century poets and contributed to Dickson’s reputation as one of the greatest and most innovative poets of 19th century American literature.Exit97 I heard a fly buzz when I died;The stillness round my formWas like the stillness in the airBetween the heaves of storm. The eyes beside had wrung them dry,And breaths were gathering sureFor that last onset, when the kingBe witnessed in his power. I willed my keepsakes, signed awayWhat portion of me ICould make assignable,—and thenThere interposed a fly, With blue, uncertain, stumbling buzz,Between the light and me;And then the windows failed, and then I could not see to see.I heard a fly buzz when I diedExit98 I'm Nobody! Who are you? (260)I'm Nobody! Who are you? Are you--Nobody--too? Then there's a pair of us? Don't tell! they'd advertise--you know! How dreary--to be--Somebody! How public--like a Frog -- To tell one's name--the livelong June– To an admiring Bog! Exit99 Similarities:1.Thematically, they both extolled, in their different ways, an emergent America, its expansion, its individualism and its Americanness, their poetry being part of “American Renaissance”.2.Technically, they both added to the literary independence of the new nation by breaking free of the convention of the iambic pentameter and exhibiting a freedom in form unknown before: they were pioneers in American poetry.Differences:1. Whitman seems to keep his eye on society at large; Dickinson explores the inner life of the individual.2. Whereas Whitman is “national” in his outlook, Dickinson is “regional”.3. Dickinson has the “catalogue technique” (direct, simple style) which Whitman doesn’t have.Comparison: Whitman vs. DickinsonComparison: Whitman vs. DickinsonExit100 Edgar Allen Poe (1809-1849)101 Edgar Allan PoeEdgar Allan PoeA. novelist, poet, critic;B. good at writing Gothic and detective fiction, father of western detective stories;C. father of psychoanalytic criticism;I. Life102 D. His aesthetics has influenced such French symbolists and advocates for “art for art’s sake” as Baudelaire; E. His writings have influenced such writers as H. G. Wells, T. S. Eliot and William Faulkner.103 II. Major Works: l Poetry: 1 The Raven (1844) 《《乌鸦乌鸦》》2 Annabel Lee 《《安娜贝尔丽安娜贝尔丽》》3 The Sleeper 《睡美人》4 A Dream Within a Dream 《梦中梦》5 Israfel 《伊斯拉菲尔》6 The Bells 《钟》7 Sonnet – To Science 《十四行诗--致科学》8 To Helen 《《献给海伦献给海伦》》9 The City in the Sea 《海中的城市》104 Short storiesl1 MS. Found in a Bottle (1833) 《瓶中手稿》l2 Tales of the Grotesque and the Arabesque (1839) 《荒诞奇异的故事》l3 The Murders in the Rue Morgue (1841) 《毛格街血案》l4 The Fall of the House of Usher 《厄舍古屋的倒塌》l5 The Cask of Amontillado 《一桶白葡萄酒》l6 Ligeia 《丽姬娅》l7 The Purloined Letter 《窃信案》105 l8 The Man of the Crowd 《人群中的人》l9 The Tell-Tale Heart 《泄密的心》l10 William Wilson 《威廉.威尔逊》l11 Black Cat 《黑猫》l12 The Imp of the Perverse 《变态的小鬼》l13 The Gold Bug 《金甲虫》l14 The Mystery of Marie Roger 《玛丽.罗热疑案》l15 The Masque of the Red Death 《红色死亡的化妆舞会》106 III. Gothic Novel The Gothic novel, or “Gothic romance” flourished through the early nineteenth century. Authors of such novels set their stories in the medieval period, often in a gloomy castle, and made plentiful use of ghosts, mysterious disappearances, and other sensational and supernatural occurrences; their principal aim was to evoke chilling terror by exploiting mystery, cruelty, and a variety of horrors. 107 The term “gothic” has also been extended to denote a type of fiction that a. develops an atmosphere of gloom or terror, b. represents events which are mysterious, horrible, or extremely violent, and c. often deals with abnormal psychological states. 108 IV. Writing Style: Poe’s style is traditional. It is much too rational, too ordinary to reflect the peculiarity of his theme. He is good at generalizing. He is not easy to read. He lays stress on brevity and imagination.109 V. Poe’s Theories for the Short Story: a. The short story should be so brief as to be read at one sitting. b. The first sentence ought to help to bring out the “single effect” of the story. c. No word should be used which does not contribute to the work. d. A tale should reveal some logical truth, and should end with the last sentence, leaving a sense of finality with the reader. 110 The Age of RealismTime: the latter half of the 19th century, esp. 1870s, 1880sEvents:(1)The Civil War (1860 – 1865)(2) Industrialization(3)Closing Frontier111 FeaturesnA. reaction against “the lie” of Romanticism (considering Romanticism made people escape from the social realities)nB. theme: the world of experience of the commonplace and the familiar and the lownC. style: genteel, graceful prose by Howells and Henry James; plain and rough by Mark Twain and some other local colorist writersnD. vivid description of details from observation of actual lifenE. trying to hold an objective view of human nature and society112 Representative writersnHenry James 113 Henry James (1843-1916)nnovelist, literary critic, playwright and essayist114 LifenA. born in a wealthy and cultured familyB. attended Harvard Law School but read literary works thereC. toured in Europe and met many famous writersD. wanted to be a critic in New York but could not endure the prevailing materialismE. 1876, left for England and became an English citizen in 1915115 Creative life——3 periodsn1. 1865-1882 period of “the international theme” (P125 to P126): the meeting of America and Europe, American innocence in contact and contrast with European decadence, and its moral and psychological complications. (Example: the plot of The Portrait of a Lady)2. 1882-1895 period of different themes and forms, focusing on inter-personal relationshipsn3. 1895-1905 a period of returning to “the international theme”116 WorksnDaisy Miller 1879nThe American 1877nThe Portrait of a Lady 1881nThe Wings of the Dove 1902nThe Ambassadors 1903nThe Golden Bowl 1904 n“The Art of Fiction”117 James’ contribution to literaturen● James’s fame generally rests upon his novels and stories with the international theme.n● He helped perfect the art of writing.n● He developed gradually from early evaluation in terms of stiff moral standards to inductive inquiry, flexibility, and a subtle perfection of aesthetic nuances. 118 James’ writing style n● James tried to be a recorder of the times. His realism, emphasizing the inner awareness and inward movements of his characters in face of outside occurrences, was called psychological realism. His literary techniques was mainly concerned with “point of view”, “limited omniscience”. n● James’ Language, exquisite and elaborate, is not so easy to understand. He is outstanding in American literary history for his minute, detailed, lengthy psychological analysis. He is often highly refined and insightful. He is always accurate in word selection, trying to find the best expression for his literary imagination. He is the most expert stylist of his time. 119 Chapter 9Chapter 9Local ColorismLocal Colorism• • Mark Twain Mark Twain120120 What is Local Colorism?vThe detailed representation in prose fiction of the setting, dialect, customs and ways of thinking and feeling which are distinctive of a particular region.121 Motivations for vogue of local colorismvSocially, the different regions of the United States felt the need to assert their cultural identity, seeking understanding and recognition by showing their local character.vCulturally, the frontier tall-tale tradition paves the way for the flourish of local colorism. 122 General Features of Local colorism vA tendency to glorify and idealize and have a nostalgic feeling to the pastvMinutely accurate descriptions of the life of the regions and truthful depiction of the common people.123 Some representative local coloristsvBret Harte (1836—1902), the first American writer of local color to achieve wide popularity. "The Luck of Roaring Camp", "Tennessee's Partner" vHarriet Beecher Stowe, Oldtown Folks, Uncle Tom's Cabin vHamlin Garland , Main-Traveled RoadsvSarah Orne Jewett, DeephavenvKate Chopin, The Awakening vMark Twain 124 Mark Twain (1836-1910) Samuel Langhorne Clemens“In my opinion, Mark Twain was the first truly American writer, and all of us since are his heirs, who descended from him.” (William Faulkner)125 Two periods of his writingsvThe Gilded Age (1873); The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876); The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884);The Prince and the Pauper (1882); Life on the Mississippi (1883), etc.vA Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court (1889); The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg (1900);The Mysterious Stranger(1916); Autobiography (1924), etc.126 Mark Twain as a Realist(1)vTwain was first and foremost known as a local colorist: 1) his theories of localism The life of the people and the soul of a nation will be represented by means of localism. 2) his works sum up the tradition of Western humor and frontier realism.127 Mark Twain as a Realist(2)vDifferences between Twain and Howells and Henry James: vThematically:James: upper class; Howells: middle class; Mark Twain: lower classTechnically:James: psychological realism; Howells: genteel realism; Mark Twain: local colorism and colloquial style128 Twain’s HumorvHis humor is characterized by practical jokes, comic details, witty remarks, puns, exaggeration, repetition, anti-climax, etc.129 “… From which all modern American literature comes”——(Ernest Hemingway)Plot：P135-136130 Themes of the novelvThe contrasts between innocence and experience, nature and culture, wilderness and civilization.vthe theme of self-realization and of seeking one's identity a journey of growth and maturity and about how Huck changed his prejudice against the Black people. vthe growth of a child and the relationship between human beings are universal theme: Humanism ultimately triumphs.131 Contributions of the bookvIt is Twain that made colloquial speech an accepted, respectable literary medium in the American literature.132 Mark Twain as a Social CriticvHis writings touch upon almost every issue of his time, expressing his hatred to tyranny and iniquity.vA friend of Chinese: “Disgraceful Persecution of a Boy”, “Goldsmith’s Friend Abroad Again”, “The Treaty with China”, “To the Person Sitting in Darkness”. “外国人不需要中国人，中国人也不需要外国人。
在这点上，我任何时候都是同义和团站在一起的…我也是义和团” （1900）133 。