英美文学英国文学整理版.docVIP

文学史 What is literature? Literature refers to the practice and profession of writing. It comes from human interest in telling a story, in arranging words in artistic forms, in describing in words some aspects of human experiences. Literature shows us not only what a society is like in a certain age, but also what individual feel about it, what they hope from it, and how they can change it or escape from it. Britain : England Scotland Wales North Ireland Three Conquests Roman Conquest (54 B.C.- 410 A.D.) Julius Caesar English Conquest (about 449-1066) Teutonic(日耳曼 ) Tribes Norman Conquest (1066-1688) William the Conqueror/Duke of Normandy 中世纪文学（约五世纪--1485） Anglo-Saxon Period began with the Anglo-Saxon settlement in England. The study of it usually begins with the Anglo-Saxon epic poem Beowulf. The Anglo-Saxons first brought to England the Germanic language and culture. Anglo-Norman Period Norman Conquest in 1066, the Normans bought to England a fresh wave of Mediterranean civilization, which includes Greek culture, Roman law, and the Christian religion. It is the cultural influences of these conquests that provide the source for the rise and growth of English literature. The English at that time was called Old English, which is quite hard to recognize today. Middle English Literature Medieval RomanceRomance which uses narrative verse or prose to sing of knightly adventures or other heroic deeds is a popular literary form in the Middle Ages. 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. 1. the Hundred Years War (1337 ?1453) : awake national consciousness in England. French was gradually replaced by English native tongue. 2. The Black Death(1348-1350) killed 30% to 60% of Europes population 3. the peasant uprising of 1381: the conflict between the peasants and feudal lords. 4.1360-1400 the summit of Middle English Literature. 文艺复兴时期文学（