英国文学整理.docxVIP

Chapter OneThe Northumbrian School Caedmon (the first Anglo-Saxon poet)--- he turns the stories in the Bible into verse form . the title of the work is Paraphrase Venerable Bede---- The Ecclesiatical History of the English People earned for him the title of “father of English history”the Song of Beowulf----England’s national epicEpicDefinition: An extended ‘narrative poem in ‘elevated(严肃的） or ‘dignified(尊严的，高贵的) language, celebrating the feats of a legendary or traditional hero.Features of An EpicThe hero is a figure of imposing(难忘的，壮丽的） stature, of national or international importance, and of great historical or legendary significance; The setting is vast in scope, covering great nations, the world, or the universe; The action consists of deeds of great valor (bravery) or requiring superhuman courage; Supernatural forces ---gods, angels, and demons--- interest themselves in (participate in) the action and inter‘vene from time to time; （Grendel)A style of sustained elevation (崇高，庄严） and grand simplicity is used; The epic poet recounts the deeds of the heroes with objectivity. Beowulfcreation time: written in 10-th century (p.6)plot and theme: fight with Grendel fight with Grendel’s mother fight with firedrake death and funeral (p.6-7)a Kenning is a metaphor usually composed of two words, which becomes the formula for a special object. For example, “helmet bearer” stands for “warrior”, “swan road” for “the sea”, “the world candle” for “the sun”.Alliteration.Alliteration is a form of initial rhyme, or “head rhyme”. It is the repetition of the same sound or sounds at the beginning of two or more words that are next to or close to each other. (Alliteration is a characteristic of Anglo-Saxon poetry, notably the epic Beowulf; it is still used, with modifications, by modern poets.) 押头韵的例子在诗歌里数见不鲜，比如：英国玄学派诗人约翰.邓恩（John Donne）的诗集Songs and Sonnets（《歌与十四行诗》），其题目本身就用了押头韵技巧。苏格兰诗人罗伯特.彭斯(Robert Burns )有一首名诗，题目就叫做“O My Luve ’s Like a Red Red Rose”（《我的爱像一朵红红的玫瑰》），The significance of