英国文学史及选读-第一节课-Introduction.pptVIP

History and Anthology of British Literature Today’s Schedule Introduction Why do we study British literature? What is literature? What are we going to know in this course? Unit 1: The Anglo-Saxon Period Why study literature? It improves your language proficiency. It enriches your knowledge about the English culture. It helps you explore the nature of human beings. It gives you spiritual and psychological relief. 1.1 Nature of literature 1 Introduction to literature What is literature? There have been various attempts to define literature. Many books have been written about introduction to literature, and there have been many answers to the question what is literature. 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 individuals feel about it, what they hope from it, and how they can change it or escape from it. → In the widest sense literature is just about anything written. → But in the more specialized sense of the word, literature is the art that uses language as a medium. As Robert Frost says, literature is a performance in words. It is the work of men who are specially sensitive to the language of their time and who use the skill of language to make their vision of life. What is Literature? Literature is – Writings that are valued as works of art, esp. fiction, drama and poetry – Composition that tells a story, dramatizes a situation, expresses emotions, analyzes and advocates ideas – Helps us grow personally and intellectually – Provides an objective base for knowledge and understanding – Shapes our goals and values by clarifying our own identities, both positively and negatively – Literature makes us human. 1.2 Function and significance of literature a. Reading f