英国文学简史问答题期末考试复习提纲.doc

英国文学简史问答题期末考试复习提纲.doc

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1.How muchdoyouknowabout theEnglishliteratureintheRomanticAge?

TheRomanticAgeinEnglandwasliketheElizabethanAge,distinctivelyanageofpoetry.ItwasregardedasthesecondgreatageinEnglishliteraryhistory;forpoetryisthehighestformofliteraryexpression,andseemstohavebeenmostinharmonywiththenoblestpowersoftheEnglishgenius.ThegloryoftheageisinthepoetryofScott,Wordsworth,Coleridge,Byron,Shelly,Keats,Moore,andSouthey；

‚Womennovelistsappearedinthisage.Itwasduringthisperiodthatwomenassumedforthefirsttime,animportantplaceinEnglishliterature.Mrs.AnneRadcliffwasoneofthemostsuccessfulwritersoftheschoolofexaggeratedromance.JaneAustenofferedushercharmingdescriptionsofeverydaylifeinherenduringworkhermasterpiece----PrideandPrejudice;

ƒThegreatesthistoricalnovelistWalterScottalsoappearedinthisperiod.Hishistoricalnovelscombinearomanticatmospherewitharealisticdescriptionofhistoricalbackgroundandcommonpeoplelife.Scottmarkedthetransitionfromromanticismtotheperiodofrealismwhichfollowedit;

„RomanticprosewasrepresentedbyLamb,Hazlitt,DeQuinceyandHume.Lambwasthebestessayist,whosefamiliaressaysareveryfamous.

3.WhatarethemajorfeaturesofDickens’novels?

Dickens’novelsofferamostcompleteandrealisticpictureoftheEnglishbourgeoissocietyofhisage.Hisnovelstellmuchoftheunhappyexperiencesofhisownchildhood.Theyreflecttheprotestofthepeopleagainstcapitalistexploitation,andcriticizethevicesofcapitalistsociety.

‚ThesuccessofDickensnovelsalsoliesinhischaracter-portrayal.Notonlyarethemajorcharactersinhisnovelsverycarefullydelineatedandgivendistinctiveindividualcharacteristicsbutalsohisminorfigurescreateinthereaders’mindstrongimpressionsoftheirpersonalities.SomeofDickens’charactersarereallysuch“typicalcharactersundertypicalcircumstances”thattheybecomeproverbialorarerepresentativeofawholegroupofsimilarpersons.

ƒDickensisagreathumoristandsatirist.Hisnovelsarefullofhumorandsatire

„Dickensisnotespeciallyknownfortheconstructionofplotinhisnovels.Thereisinhisnovelsoftenmorethanoneminorthreadofstorybesidethemajorone,andthesethreadsaregenerallyverylooselywoventogether.Heseemstoloveacomplicatedandinvolvedplot.

…InalmosteveryoneofDickens’novelsthereisahappyending,whichpointstotheauthor’soptimismwhichisanadmirablethingforacriticalrealistbecausethatmeanshisstillhashishopesafterseeingthegloomyworldallaroundhimandonehand,andasapetty-bourgeoisintellectual,couldnotoverstepthelimitsofhisclassontheotherhand.

 ⑥AnotherfeatureinDickens’novelsishisadroituseoflanguage.OnthewholeDickenshasarichnessofexpressionsandgenerallysucceedsinusingtherightwordsandphrasesattherightmomentsfortherightcharacterstoattaintherighteffects.

12.Whatare thecharacteristicsofDickens’novels?

（同第三题）

2.Whatarethechiefcharacteristicsofthe18th –centuryliteratureinEngland?

Themainliterarystreamofthe18thcenturywasrealism.Whatthewritersdescribedintheirworksweresocialrealities.Themaincharacterswereusuallycommonmen.Mostofthewritersconcentratedtheirattentionondailylife;

‚The18thcenturywasanageofprose.Agroupofexcellentprosewriters,suchasAddison,Steele,Swift,Fieldingwereproduced;

ƒNovelwritingmadeabigadvanceonthiscentury.Themaincharactersinthenovelswerenolongerkingsandnoblesbutthecommonpeople;

„Inthisagesatirewasmuchusedinwriting.Sincetherewasfiercestrifeofthepoliticalpartiesinsociety,nearlyeverywriterofthecenturywasemployedandrewardedbyWhigsorToriesforsatirizingtheirenemies.Englishliteratureofthisageproducedsomeexcellentsatirists,suchasPope,SwiftandFielding.

14.Whatare thechiefcharacteristicsofthe18th –centuryliteratureinEngland?

同第二题 

4.WhatarethemajorfeaturesofShakespeare’sdramaticworks?

Shakespeareisarealist.HeisoneofthefoundersofrealisminEnglishliterature.Hisplaysaremirrorsofhisage.Hedescribedthedecayingofthefeudalsocietyandtherisingofthebourgeoisspirit.Hiscomediesreflectlivesoftheyoungmenandwomenwhojustfreedthemselvesfromthefettersoffeudalismandwhowerestrivingforindividualemancipation.Hiscomedieslayemphasisonemancipationofwomen.InhistragediesShakespearedepictedthelifeanddeathstrugglebetweenthehumanists——thenewlyemergingforcesandthecorruptedkingandhisfeudalfollowers——thedarkpowerofthetown,andalsothecontradictionsbetweentherichandpoor.

‚ThestoriesofShakespeare’splaysoftentookplaceinothercountriesorinthepastinsteadofinEnglandorinhisownage.YetthethoughtandthefeelingsofhischaractersandtheirattitudestowardlifebelongtotheageofShakespeare.Infact,hischaractersarerepresentativesofthepeopleofhistime.

ƒShakespeare’smaincharactersaredepictedintypicalsituation.Theyaretypicalcharacters.Theirfundamentaltraitsarereveledintheirconflictswiththeirsurroundings,intheirrelationswiththeirfellowmen.Eachofhischaractersisarepresentativeofagroupofmen.

„Shakespeare’sdramaticformfitsthecontentofhisplaysverywell.Hisplaysarenotcontrolledbytherolesoftheclassicalunitiesoftime,playsandaction.

… ShakespearewasagreatmasterofEnglishlanguage.Thelanguageofeachofhischaractersfitshispositioninsocietyandrevelsthepeculiaritiesofhischaracter.

⑥Blankverseistheprincipleformofhisdramas.

⑦OneverystrikingphenomenoninconnectionwithShakespearecharacter-portrayalishisemphasisonthepsychologicalmake-upofhismajorcharacters.

6.WhatarethemajorfeaturesofDickens’novels?

（ 同第三题）

5.HowmuchdoyouknowaboutMilton’s ParadiseLost?

 ParadiseLostisthegreatestEnglishepic,consistingof12booksanddoneinblankwords.ThestoriesweretakenfromtheOldTestament:

TheCreation;therebellioninHeavenofSatanandhisfellow-angles;theirdefeatandexpulsionfromHeaven;thecreationoftheearthandofAdamandEve;thefallenanglesinhellplottingagainstGod;Satan’stemptationofEve;andthedepartureofAdamandEvefromEden.

‚ThemainideaofthepoemistheheroicrevoltagainstGod’sauthority.

ƒAdamandEveembodyMilton’sbeliefinpowersofmantheircavingforknowledgeaddsaparticularsignificancetotheircharacter.Itisthislongingforknowledgethatopensbeforemankindawideroadtoanintelligentandactivelife.ThepictureofGodsurroundedbyhisanglesresemblesthecourtofanabsolutemonarchy,whileSatanandhisfollowersbearresemblancetoarepublicanparliament.ThisaloneissufficienttoprovethatMilton’srevolutionaryfeelingsmadehimforgetreligiousorthodoxy.

„Satanistherealheroofthepoem,andrepresentsthespiritofrebellionagainstanunjustauthority.

13.HowmuchdoyouknowaboutMilton’s ParadiseLost?

（同第五题）

7.Howmuchdoyou know aboutWordsworth?

 WordsworthwastherepresentativeofthefirstgenerationofRomanticpoets,whoexpressedthedeepestaspirationsofEnglishRomanticism.Hesawnatureandmenwithneweyes.Hiswholeworkisanattempttocommunicatethatnewvision.

‚Hispoetryisdistinguishedbythesimplicityandpurityofhislanguage.Itwashistheorythatthelanguagespokenbythepeasantswhenpurifiedfromitsdefectswasthebestofall.

ƒHistheoryandpracticeinpoeticalcreationstartedfromadissatisfactionwithsocialrealityundercapitalism,andhintedatthethoughtof“backtonature”and“backtothepatriarchalsystemoftheoldtime”.

„Nearlyallofhisgoodpoetrywaswrittenduringthefirstdecadeofhisliterarycareer（1798-1807）.

…Hislaterwritingswerefullofmysticismandmanyofthemunreadable.

⑥LYRICALBALLADS——thejointworkofWordsworthandhisfriendsColeridge,markingthebeginningoftheRomanticMovementinEngland;themajorityofthepoemswrittenbyWordsworthandColeridge’scontributionbeinghismasterpiece“TheRimeoftheAncientMariner”;thepoemscharacterizedbyasympathywiththepoor,simplepeasants,apassionateloveofnatureandthesimplicityandpurityofthelanguage.

⑦Wordsworthwasathisbestindescriptionsofmountainsandrivers,flowersandbirds,childrenandpeasants,andreminiscencesofhischildhoodandyouth.He,asagreatpoetofnature,wasthefirsttofindwordsforthemostelementarysensationsofmanfacetofacewithnaturalphenomenon.

⑧SomeofWordsworth’sPRINCIPLEPOEMSareLinesComposedaFewMilesAboveTinternAbbey（1798）,ThePrelude（1805-1806）,TheExcursion（1814）,andmiscellaneoussonnets（writtenatdifferentperiodsofhislife）.

8.WhatarethemajorfeaturesofMilton’spoetry?

 Miltonisagreatrevolutionarypoetofthe17thcentury.HeisalsoanoutstandingpoliticalpamphleteeroftheRevolutionPeriod.Hededicatedhimselftotherevolutionarycause.

‚Miltonisagreatstylist.Hispoetryhasagrandstyle.Hispoetryisnotedforsublimityofthoughtandmajestyofexpression.

ƒ Miltonisagreatmaterofblankverse.Heisthegloriouspioneertointroduceblankverseintonon-dramaticpoetry.HehasuseitasthemaintoolinhismasterpieceParadiseLost.Hisblankverseisrichineverypoeticqualityandnevermonotonous.

11.Whatare thecharacteristicsofMilton’spoetry?

（同第八题）

9.WhatarethemajorfeaturesofChaucer’swriting?

 Chaucer’smajorcontributiontotheEnglishpoetryisthattheintroducedfromFrancetherhymedcoupletofiambicpentametertoE