《英美文学选读》应用.docx

《英美文学选读》应用.docx

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《英美文学选读》应用

《英美文学选读》应用

EnglishLiterature

ChapterOneTheRenaissancePeriod

I.Shakespeare’ssonnets

1.Withafewexceptions,ShakespearewriteshissonnetsinthepopularEnglishformofthreequatrainsandacouplet.Thecoupletusuallytiesthesonnettooneofthegeneralthemes,leavingthequatrainsfreetodevelopthepoeticintensity.

2.Thesonnet’smostcommonthemesconcernthedestructiveeffectsoftime,thequicknessofphysicaldecay,andthelossofbeauty,vigor,andlove.Althoughthepoemscelebratelife,theyarealwayswithakeenawarenessofdeath.

3.Hissonnet18expressesthatbeautifulthingscanrelyontheforceofliteraturetoreacheternity.Literatureiscreatedbyman,thusitdeclaresman’seternity.Thepoemshowsthemightyself-confidenceofthenewlyclass.Thevivid,variableandrichimagesreflectthelivelyandadventurousspiritsofthosewhowereopeningnewworld.

II.Shakespeare’sAMerchantofVenice

1.Theme

（1）Justicevs.mercy:

Shakespearesuggeststhatallmenshouldbemerciful.Thereisafurtheraspectofjustice—theinjusticerevealedintheChristians’treatmentoftheJews.

（2）Appearancevs.reality:

e.g.superficialorexternalbeautyvs.moralorspiritualbeautyortruth（inthecaseofthreecaskets）;thelettersoflawvs.thespiritofthelaw.

（3）Commercialormaterialvaluesvs.love:

Trueloveismuchmoreworthwhilethanmoneyandmaterialvalues.AntonioepitomizestrueloveinhisfriendshipforBassanio.

2.ThecharacteranalysisofShylock

ShylockisaJewishusurer,andheisatragic-comiccharacter.

Heiscomicbecausehefinallybecomestheonepunishedbyhisownevildeed.Heisavaricious.Heaccumulatesasmuchwealthashecanandheevenequateshislostdaughterwithhislostmoney.Heisalsocruel.Inordertorevenge,hewouldratherclaimapoundoffleshfromhisenemyAntoniothangetbackhisloan.

Heistragic,becauseheisthevictimofthesociety.AsaJew,heisnottreatedequallybythesociety.Thelawisharshtohim.Hehastomakeasmuchmoneyashecaninordertoprotecthim.HeisabusedbyAntonio,sohewantstogetrevenge.

III.ThecharacteranalysisofHamlet

Hamletisascholarandawarrior.Hisfatherhasbeenkilledbyhisuncle,Claudius,whothentakethethroneandmarrieshismother.Hamletisinformedbytheghostofhisfathertotakerevenge,buttheweaknessofindecisivenessorindeterminationinhischaracteralwaysdelayhisaction,andfinallyleadstohistragicfallofdeath.Hamletisnotamanofaction,butamanofthinkingatfirst.Hehesitatesatsomecrucialmoments.Atlastwhenheisforcedtotakesomeactions,hedoeskillClaudiusgloriously,buthealsosacrificeshisownlife.

IV.Donneandhis“TheSunRising”

1.Metaphysicalpoet:

Hewrotepoemsbyusingunconventionalandsurprisingconceitsandfullofwitandhumor,butsometimesthelogicargumentandconceitsbecomepervasive.Thelanguageiscolloquialbutpowerful,creatingunorthodoximagesonthereader’smind.

2.His“TheSunRising”:

Inthispoem,thelove’sweddingroomhasbeenintrudedbysunandthemantakesoffenceattheintrusion.Heattackthesunasanunrulyservant,andfinallyheallowthesuntoentertheirchamberandwarmthem.Thepoem’struesubjectisthelady—histrueemotionallove.Everyinsulttothesunisacomplimenttothelady.

V.Milton’sParadiseLost:

1.Structure:

ThestoryistakenfromtheOldTestament.ItextendschronologicallyfromtheexaltationofChristbeforethecreatureofuniversetothesecondcomingofChrist.Geographically,itrangesovertheentireworld.

2.ThecharacteranalysisofSatan:

Hehasthestrength,thecourageandthecapacityforleadership,buthedevotedallthosequalitiestoevil.HisdefianceofGodshowshisegoisticpride,hisfalseconceptionoffreedom,andhisalienationfromallgood.Hisownevilanddamnationgivehimpotentiallytragicdimensions.Therefore,SatanisenvelopedindramaticironybecausehefightinignoranceoftheunshakablepowerofGodandgoodness.

3.Features:

Parallelandcontrast

Thecentralconflictandcontrastbetweengoodandevilareintensifiedbythecontrastbetweenheavenandhell,lightanddarkness,loveandhate,reasonandpassion,etc.

ChapterTwoTheNeo-classicalPeriod

I.Theallegoricalmeaningof“TheVanityFair”inJohnBunyan’sThePilgrim’sProgress

TheVanityFairreferstotherealworldwherepeoplehavebecomesodegeneratedthatalltheyareconcernedistobuyandselleverythingtheycan.Itallegoricallyrepresentsvanitybothinthesocietyandinpeople’sheart,sopeoplearespirituallylost.However,thepilgrimsrefusetobuyanyofthethingsintheVanityFair.ItspurposeistourgepeopletoabidebyChristiandoctrinesandseeksalvationthroughconstantstrugglewiththeirownweaknessandsocialevils.Christians’refusalshowsthattheyareonestepnearertheCelestialCity.

II.Pope’spointofviewonpoetrycriticismandthecharacteristicsofhisownpoetry

1.Pope’spointofviewonpoetrycriticismisbestshowninhisAnEssaysonCriticism.Heemphasizingthatliteraryworksshouldbejudgedbyclassicalrulesoforder,reason,logic,restrainedemotionandgoodtaste.HecallsonpeopletoturntotheoldGreekandRomanwritersforguidance.Headvisesthecriticsnottostresstoomuchtheartificialuseofconceitortheexternalbeautyoflanguage,buttopayspecialattentiontotruewitwhichisbestsetinaplainstyle.

2.Pope’spoemstrictlyfollowshisideaofneoclassicism.Hedevelopedasatiric,concise,smooth,gracefulandwell-balancedstyle,andfinallybroughttoitslastperfectionoftheheroiccouplet.

III.ThesocialsatireofJonathanSwift’sGulliver’sTravels

TheaccountofLilliputianlife,especiallythegamesforpeopleatcourt,alludestothesimilarridiculouspracticesortricksintheEnglishgovernment.ThedescriptionofthecompetitioninthegamesbeforetheroyalmembersleadstothefactthatthesuccessofthosegovernmentofficialssuchasthePrimeMinisterliesnotintheirbeinganywiserorbetterbutintheirbeingmoredexterousinthegame.ThisalludestothepracticesinEngland.AndthepompouswordssingingoftheLilliputianemperorridiculethearistocraticarroganceandvanity.

IV.HenryFieldingandhisTomJones

Itisagoodexampleof“comicepicinprose”.FieldingdescribesthefightbetweenMollyandthevillagersandherfistfightwithGoodyBrowninthegrandstyleoftheHomericepic.HefirstofallcallsontheMusestoassisthiminrecountingthefightasifitwereofgreathistoricalimportance.LikeHomerwhowouldlistnamesofgodsinvolvedinthebattle,heliststhenamesofthevillagers.HetreatsMollyasagreatheroatbattle,an“Amazonianheroine”.Besides,heusesamock-epictoneandseemsverysolemnaboutwhatheisdescribing.Heusesformalwordsandrefinedlanguage.Finally,hemakesuseofdifferentfiguresofspeech,particularly,ironyandhyperbole.

V.ThomasGrayandhis“ElegyWritteninaCountyChurch”

Inthepoem,Graypresentsapictureofthequietandsolitarycountyatduskthroughthesoundingofthecurfew,thehome-comingplowman,thetinklingofbellsunderthenecksofthecattle,themopingowl,thenarrowcell（grave）,etc..Hebemoansthefateofthosecommonlaborerswhoarenowburiedinthegraves,triestoimaginehowtheyhadlivedaslovingparentsandhardworkingpeople,andpraisetheirhomelyjoys.Hethenexpresshiscontemptforthosenoblemenwhooncelivedapompouslife,anddespisedthepoor,buthaveendedupinawaynobetterthantheordinaryfolk.WecanseeGray’ssympathyforthepoorandcontemptfortherich.

ChapterThreeTheRomanticPeriod

I.Wordsworthandhis“Iwanderedlonelyasacloud”

Thepoemiscrystalclearandlucid.Belowtheimmediatesurface,wefindthatalltherealisticdetailsoftheflowers,thetrees,thewaves,thewind,andalltherealisticdetailsoftheactivejoy,areabsorbedintoanover-allconcretemetaphor,therecurrentimageofthedance.Theflowers,thestars,thewavesareunitsinthisdancingpatternoforderindiversity,oflinkedeternalharmonyandvitality.Throughtherevelationandrecognitionofhiskinshipwithnature,thepoethimselfbecomesasitwereapartofthewholecosmicdance.

II.Shelleyandhis“OdetotheWestWind”

Inthepoem,Shelleyeulogizesthewestwindasapowerfulphenomenonofnaturethatisbothdestroyerandpreserver.Thewindenjoysboundlessfreedomandhasthepowertospreadmessagesfarandwide.ThekeynoteinthepoemisShelley’sever-presentwishforhimselfandhisfellowmentosharethefreedomofthewestwind,rememberingmeanwhilehisownandcommonhumanmiseries.Andthedominantmoodisthatofhoperatherthandespair,asthepoetishopingfortherealizationofthefreedomandjoy.Theoptimismexpressedinthelasttwolinesshowthepoet’scriticalattitudetowardtheuglysocialrealityandhisfaithinabrightfutureforhumanity.

III.JohnKeatsandhis“OdeonaGrecianUrn”

InthepoemKeatsshowsthecontrastbetweenthepermanenceofartandthetransienceofhumanpassion.ThepoethasabsorbedhimselfintothetimelessbeautifulsceneryontheGrecianurn:

thelovers,musiciansandworshipperscarvedontheurn,andtheireverlastingjoys.Theyareunaffectedbytime,stilledinexpectation.Thisisthegloryandthelimitationoftheworldconjuredupbyandobjectofart.Theurncelebratesbutsimplifiesintuitionsofjoybydefyingourpainandsuffering.Butatlast,theurnpresentshisambivalenceabouttimeandthenatureofbeauty.

IV.ThecharacteranalysisofElizabethinJaneAusten’sPrideandPrejudice

Elizabethisabea