常耀信 英國文学简史笔记1-4章.docVIP

英国文学简史重点笔记(1-4章) （南开大学出版社 常耀信版） Chapter 1 The old English period Beowulf 作品特点及历史意义：1. The only organic whole poem to come out of the Anglo-Saxon period. 2. epic(史诗). 3. The story takes place in Scandinavia, there is no mention of England. 作品概述：two part narrative-Beowulf’s fight with the sea-monsters Grendel and his mother; his killing a fiery dragon and his death. 写作特点：1. Pagan story has an Christian overlay. 2. using of kenning(一种描写手法)。e.g.: sea is often “swan’s way” or “whale-path” 3.conspicious occurrence of alliteration(头韵). 4. story’s disgressive manner of narration. 5. elevated tone. Chapter 2 Chaucer. The pre-Elizabethan Period. More Geoffrey Chaucer 代表作：The Canterbury Tales 作家：1. first preeminent English poet. 2. Chaucer was the first most significant poet in English literary history to write in Middle English. 3. a master of realism. 作品：Canterbury Tales:主要内容：a collection of 20-odd stories, 4 fragments. 作品特点：1. substance is from others, the telling is Chaucer’s own. 2. enormous sense of humor. 3.loyalty to reality. Offers such a panorama (全景)of social life. 4. infinite (无限的)sense if humanity. Thomas More 代表作：Utopia 作家：a humanist. He witnessed the evils of the future of the world and sought to help mend things. 作品：Utopia:主要内容：1. consist of two book with emphasis on book two in which the Utopian weal republic is described in detail. 2. book two has 9 sections: section 1: geographic contours. Section 2: city life. Section 3: administration of the country. Section4: lifestyle. Section5: family structure. Section6: utopia travel. Section 7: bondmen. Section 8: attitude towards war. Section 9: religion. 作品特点：1. nothing private in Utopia, no one has anything, yet every is rich. Offers best ideal social system possible. 2. some problems: strict adherence to conformity; slave system; super power politics; male-dominated. Chapter 3 The Elizabethan Age. Spenser. Sidney. Marlowe Edmund Spenser 代表作：The Faerie Queen