[文学]英国文学选读lecture1groffrey chaucer.ppt

What to know, what to learn Basic knowledge of English literary history (background, characteristics, values emphasized, literary criteria etc. for different periods ) Major writers, their important works and achievements Keys terms related to (English) literary study Appreciation of selected readings with a view to deepening your understanding of the above mentioned. cultivation of a sense of literary tradition in English literature * Course Requirements Attendance before class：preview (learn, read and think; make use of reference books) In class: note-taking, active participation After class: write book reports, or finish any written assignments seriously and earnestly. (抽查) * Lecture 1 Geoffrey Chaucer (1343 – 1400) A transitional figure between the Medieval period and the Renaissance period English Literary history * Old English period Medieval period 450 AD Anglo- Saxon Conquest 1066 AD Norman Conquest 1485 AD Accession of Henry VII Renaissance period * Background question 1: Old English period: 450 (Anglo-Saxon Conquest) — 1066 (Norman Conquest); Medieval period: 1066 — 1485 ( Accession of Henry VII and the printing of the first books in England) epic叙事诗；史诗 as the major literary form in the Old English Literature and romance in the Medieval English Literature epic A long narrative poem, on a grand style, about the deeds of warriors and heroes. One of the earliest literary genre. E.g. Homeric epics: Iliad, Odyssey; Beowulf—the English national epic, etc. romance A popular literary form in the medieval period. It uses narrative verse or prose to sing knightly adventures or other heroic deeds. It often has standardized plots and characters: knights+adventures+romantic love The most famous medieval English romance is “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.” * * * Background question 2: “heroic” for the Old English Period and “chivalric” for the Medieval English Period Heroic values held important by the ancient, pagan, warrior society: unknown destin