美国殖民时期至自然主义文学.pptVIP

Chapter Two Revolutionary Period (1775-1783) In the 18th century, people believed in man’s own nature and the power of human reason. With Franklin as its spokesman, the 18th century America experienced an age of reason. Words had never been so useful and so important in human history. People wrote a lot of political writings. Numerous pamphlets and printings were published. These works agitated revolutionary people not only in America but also around the world. The 18th-century American Enlightenment was a movement marked by an emphasis on rationality rather than tradition, scientific inquiry instead of unquestioning religious dogma, and representative government in place of monarchy. Enlightenment thinkers and writers were devoted to the ideals of justice, liberty, and equality as the natural rights of man. The colonists who would form a new nation were firm believers in the power of reason; they were ambitious, inquisitive, optimistic, practical, politically astute, and self-reliant. 13 virtues: Temperance Silence Order Justice Resolution Cleanliness Frugality Humility Industry Chastity Sincerity Tranquility Moderation The Wild Honeysuckle In this short poem about a flower, the poet imbues his thoughts over some much more grand topics including life in general. The wild honey suckle is, in the poet’s eye, no longer a common flower. To some extent, Freneau’s poem is a longer expounding of William Blake’s poem: “ To see the world in a grain of sand,/And a heaven in a wild flower,/ Hold infinity in the paim of your hand,/ And Eternity in an hour.” Chapter Three A