English Literature I-Old and Middle English Periods - 1.pptVIP

Chaucer’s contributions to English Literature and Language a. the founder of realism b. founder of English literary language (Chaucer’s English: London dialect) c. Father of English poetry : heroic couplet (The heroic couplet is an iambic pentameter having the lines rhyming in pairs. the first occupant of the Poets’ Corner VII. Terms Couplet—a pair of successive lines that rhyme (aa, bb, cc, dd) Heroic coupletis a traditional form for English poetry, commonly used for epic and narrative poetry; it refers to a sequence of rhyming pairs of iambic pentameter lines. Iambic pentameter means a line consisting of five iambic feet, and one foot comprises of an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable. Romance—a popular literary form in the medieval period. It uses narrative verse or prose to sing knightly adventures or other heroic deeds. The hero is usually the knight, who sets out on a journey to accomplish some missions. There is often a liberal use of the improbable, sometimes even supernatural, things in romance. Romantic love is an important part of the plot in romance. Characterization is standardized. The structure is loose and episodic. The language is simple and straightforward. The importance of romance itself can be seen as a means of showing medieval aristocratic men and women in relation to their idealized view of the world. It reflects a chivalric age. Ballad– a short narrative poem in rhythmic verse, often sung by minstrels to the accompaniment of music of the exploits of warriors, the adventures of lovers, mysteries of fairyland, and various humorous incidents. Key words Old English Middle English Epic Romance Alliteration Kenning Understatement Heroic couplet Ballad adfegy * Troilus and Cressida 特洛伊人和希腊人的战争 特洛伊人就是今天的土耳其人。 troilus 是特洛伊国王的一个儿子，Criseyde也是特洛伊人，她的父亲能预见将来发生的事情，他知道将来特洛伊肯定要陷落，于是劝说女儿一起逃走，但女儿不愿意逃，因为她已经和troilus相爱了，她的父亲没有办法就自己逃到希腊联军那里去了，为希腊联军效力。troilus和criseyde很恩爱。后来一场战斗结束后，双方交换俘虏，战俘交换中有一条，就是criseyde要到希腊联军那里去，不去的话后果不可收拾，这样