英美文学常识

1、.英美文学英国文学1. William ShakespeareShakespeare was born in Stratford-on-Avon in 1564. When he was about 14 years old, he had to leave school to help support his family. In 1582, he married Anne Hathaway, who was 8 years older than him. Later he went to London and became an actor and writer. In 1612 he r

2、etired from the stage and returned to his hometown and died in 1616. During the 22 years of his literary career, he produced 37 plays, 154 sonnets (十四行诗)and some long poems.Shakespeare produced 16 comedies. His main comedies are: A Midsummer Nights Dream（仲夏夜之梦）, As You Like It（皆大欢喜）, Merchant of Ven

3、ice（威尼斯商人）, The Twelfth Night（第十二夜）Merchant of Venice The story tells us that Shylock, the moneylender of Jew, is disliked by all good men, especially by Antonio, a young merchant of Venice, Bassano, the friend of his friend for help. Antonio has no money and goes to Shylock , who pretends to be kin

4、d, but asks Antonio to sign a bond. When the day to pay the debts comes, Antonio cannot pay the money and the Jew demands the pound of flesh as said in the bond. In court, a young doctor, Portia in disguise saves Antonia.Shakespeare wrote 11 tragedies, among which the most famous are: Romeo and Juli

5、et（罗密欧与朱丽叶）, Hamlet（哈姆雷特）, Othello（奥赛罗）, King Lear（李尔王）, Macbeth（麦克白）, The Tempest（暴风雨）.HamletThe whole play shows how Hamlet, who represents good and justice, fights against his uncle in whom all the evil things can be seen. This play is regarded as the summit of Shakespeares art.The famous line in

6、 the play “to be , or not to be” by Hamlet is often quoted by people.OthelloThe story took place in Venice and Cyprus. The hero Othello is a splendid general. Iago, a very bad man envies Othellos happiness. He tells Othello that his wife betrayed hi. Othello strangles his wife and later kills himsel

7、f.King LearKing Lear, one of the British kings, wants to divide his kingdom into three parts and bestows each daughter a part. The first two daughters tell him that they love him more than words could express, while the youngest daughter refuses to flatter him. The old king, angry with the youngest

8、daughter, divides the kingdom into two parts and the elder daughters get them. Later, the old king is treated badly and driven out of the two elder daughters houses. The youngest daughter comes to fight her sisters but is killed. At last, the king dies of grief and sorrow. Some critics have said tha

9、t King Lear is Shakespeares greatest achievement, which is the most complex in plot and most painful.Among Shakespeares 10 historical plays, Henry IV and Henry V are two remarkable ones. Besides the 37 plays, Shakespeare wrote some long poems and 154 sonnets.He was one of the founders of realism in

10、English literature. His plays are mirrors of his age.2. John Milton Milton is the greatest writer of the 17th century. In his life and literary career the two dominant historical movements of Renaissance and Refo0rmation combine and receive their most intense and intelligent expression. He towers ov

11、er his age just as Shakespeare towers over the Elizabethan age and Chaucer over the Medieval Age.Milton was born in London. He went to Cambridge University and got B.A. and M.A. there. Milton was married to Mary Powell in 1642 but she left him six weeks later. After the Restoration of the Monarchy i

12、n 1660, Milton began his masterpiece Paradise Lost（失乐园）. Before his death, he published two other works Paradise Regained （复乐园）and Samson Agonists（力士参孙）, but neither is successful as Paradise Lost.Paradise Lost Paradise Lost is Miltons masterpiece and the greatest English epic. In the poem, God is n

13、o better than a selfish despot, who is cruel and unjust in punishing Satan（撒旦）, the rebel. Adam and Eve embody Miltons belief in the powers of man. Satan is the real hero of the poem.3. Daniel DefoeDefoe was a novelist who has been regarded as the discoverer of the modern novel. His strong creative

14、spirit in novel writing won him the title “Father of English and European Novels”.Defoe was the son of a London butcher. When he was nearly 60 years old, he returned to writing novels. His first novel The Life and Strange Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe was a great success and Defoe became

15、a well-known writer all over Europe.Robinson CrusoeThe story is told in the first person singular. At the beginning, we see Crusoes career as a sailor, a merchant and a slave owner. On the voyage to Africa, he met a shipwreck and found himself cast by the sea weaves upon the shore of an uninhabited

16、island. He managed the livelihood there by himself. He built a shelter, grew barley and rice and fought against savages. Later he rescued one savage and named him Friday, who became his faithful servant. Finally an English ship came and took him to Europe, thus Crusoe ended his 28-year life on the i

17、sland. Afterwards, he returned to England and got married. At last, he ailed back to the island and established a colony there.Crusoe represented the English bourgeoisie at the early stage of its development.4. Jonathan SwiftSwift was born in Dublin. After graduation from Dublin University, he went

18、to England and became the secretary to Sir William Temple who treated him badly. During this period, he began to write. Later, in order to join the struggle of the Irish people against their English oppressors, he wrote some pamphlets concerning Ireland. In A Modest Proposal, with bitter irony, Swif

19、t suggested that the poor Irish peasants fatten their one-year-old children and sell them as food to the rich, which is a most powerful blow at the English government.In the period when he was closely linked with the Irish people, he wrote his masterpiece Gullivers Travels(格列佛游记). Gullivers Travels(

20、1726, amended 1735), is a novel byIrishwriter and clergymanJonathan Swiftthat is both asatireon human nature and aparodyof the travellers tales literary sub-genre. It is Swifts best known full-length work, and a classic ofEnglish literature.5. William Blake Blakes main works includes: Songs of Innoc

21、ence（天真之歌）: This collection contains poems written for children of which the best-known poem is The Lamb（羊羔）.Songs of Experience（经验之歌）: This collection is much mature and is Blakes most important work. The best-known poems in this collection are The Tiger（老虎）, London （伦敦）and The Chimney-Sweeper（扫烟囱的

22、孩子）. This poem in this collection shows that the poets eyes are open to the evils and vices of the world.6. Robert BurnsRobert Burns poetry falls into several groups according to the subject matter.Most of Burns poems are lyrics on love and friendship. They have a great charm of simplicity. They are

23、 very musical and can be sung. His best known lyrics are A Red, Red Rose（红红的玫瑰）, Auld Lang Syne（旧日美好时光）.Burns wrote some poems to express his hatred for the oppression of the ruling class and his love for freedom. Burns is the greatest songwriter in the world. He is the national poet of Scotland. Mo

24、st of his poems and songs were written in Scotch dialects. He was the peoples poet.7. William WordsworthWilliam Wordsworth was born and grew up in the Lake District. The natural beauty and grandeur of this area was a major source of inspiration for Wordsworth throughout his life. In 1787, he attende

25、d Cambridge University. In 1797, he was introduced to Samuel Taylor Coleridge and became close friends. Their friendship is one of the most important and fruitful friendships in English literature. Later, he accepted the office of a distributor of stamps and was made “Poet Laureate”(桂冠诗人). He died i

26、n 1850 when he was 80 years old.8. George Gordon ByronByron was educated in Cambridge University, where he led an unbalanced life. In 1815, Byron married Annabella but quarreled with her bitterly. After the birth of their daughter, she left him. Byron left England in 1816 due to the scandals and nev

27、er returned. In 1824, Byron died of fever in Greece.Byron wrote a lot of lyrical poems. They deal with nature and love. The best-known pieces are She Walks in Beauty（她走在美的光影里）, When We Two Parted（昔日依依别） and Hebrew Melodies（希伯来歌曲）. Byron is chiefly known for his two long poems, one is Childe Harolds

28、Pilgrimage(恰尔德哈罗尔德游记), the other is Don Juan which is his masterpiece.The story of the poem takes place in the latter part of the 18th century. Don Juan （唐璜）is a Spanish youth of aristocratic birth. The long poem describes Don Juans adventures in may countries.Byron is one of the most excellent repr

29、esentatives of English Romanticism. His literary career was closely associated with the struggle and progressive movement of his age. His poems are favorites of the British workers.9. Percy Bysshe ShelleyShelley went to Oxford University but was expelled after six months .expelled after six months.

30、He had two marriages and the second one was happy. Later his first wife died and Byron was compelled to leave England in 1818 and spent all the rest of his life in Italy, where he met. Byron. In 1822, he was drowned.Prometheus Unbound (解放的普罗米修斯) is Shellys masterpiece. The story is taken from Greek

31、mythology. According to Greek myth, Prometheus steals fire from Heaven and is punished by Zeus , who chains him to a rock. Finally Zeus is overthrown and Hercules sets Prometheus free.Shellys short poems on nature and love form an important part of his literary output. His best love lyrics: Ode to t

32、he West Wind （西风颂）and Ode To a Skylark（云雀颂）. “If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?” is a famous line in Ode to the West Wind.Shelly loved the people and hated their oppressors and exploiters. Byron called him “the best and least selfish man I ever knew”.10. John Keats Keats was of very humble

33、origin. In 1817, he published his first volume of poems and in 1818 appeared his second volume. Keats personal life was quite unhappy. He died in Rome at the age of 26.His famous works are Ode to a Nightingale（夜莺颂）, Ode on a Grecian Urn （希腊古瓮颂）and Ode to Autumn（秋颂）. Therefore, ode is his main form o

34、f poetry,Keats sought to express beauty in all his poems. His leading principle is “Beauty is truth, truth beauty”. His poetry is distinguished by sensuousness and the perfection of form.11. Charles DickensCharles Dickens was the son of a navy clerk. When he was fifteen, he left school and entered a

35、 lawyers office. In 1834, his lifework of writing began. The novel Pickwick Papers（匹克维克外传） brought him into the first rank of the most popular novelists of his day. The rest of his life was work without rest.His main novels in his life are:Pickwick Papers,Oliver Twist（雾都孤儿）,The Old Curiosity Shop （老

36、古玩店）Dombey and Son （董贝父子）,David Copperfield （大卫科波菲尔）Great Expectations （远大前程）,A tale of Two Cities （双城记）12. The Bronte SistersThe Bronte Sisters are Charlotte Bronte, Emily Bronte and Anne Bronte. They were all talented writers and all of them died young. They were all lovers of literature and read

37、a lot.Charlotte Brontes Masterpiece Jane EyreThis novel tells the story of and orphan girl called Jane Eyre. Maltreated by her aunt Mrs. Wood, she goes to a charity school named Lowood. Later, Jane becomes a governess in the family of a squire Mr. Rochester. The squire falls in love with her, howeve

38、r, before their wedding, Jane learns that Rochester has got a mad wife. Shocked by the news, Jane flees from the house and stays in a parsons house. A great misfortune befalls Rochester, whose house is destroyed in a fire and he becomes blind. Hearing this Jane hurries back and becomes his wife.In t

39、he novel, Jane Eyre maintains that women should have equal rights with men. Charlotte also aims to criticize the bourgeoisie educational system.Emily Brontes Masterpiece Wuthering HeightsThe novel deals with the story of the hero Heathcliff who is gipsy. He is picked up by Mr. Earnshaw and brought u

40、p together with his children. Heathcliff and the daughter of the family Miss Catherine have loved each since their childhood. But the love is crushed by Catherines brother, Hindley. Unable to bear Hindleys insult, Heathcliff joins the army. Three years later he becomes a rich man, but finds that his

41、 sweetheart has already been married to another man. Later, Heathcliff becomes the master of the family and takes revenge upon the next generation. He treats Hindleys son Hareton very cruelly and compels Catherines daughter Cathy to marry his own sick child. Finally, he sees the futility of revenge

42、and Hareton and Cathy are married. Wuthering Heights is a powerful attack on the bourgeoisie marriage system.Agnes Grey is the masterpiece by Anne Bronte.13. Thomas Hardy Hardy was born in Dorset, which he called Wessex in his novels. His principle novels are the Wessex novels. Among his famous nove

43、ls, the best-known are Tess of the DUrbervilles and Jude the Obscure（无名的裘德）.Tess of the DUrbervilles（德伯家的苔丝） The heroine Tess is a poor dairymaid who has been seduced by Alex DUrbervilles, a wealthy villain, and gives birth to a child. Later she falls in love with a man called Angel Clare. On their

44、wedding night, the honest girl confesses to her husband that she has been seduced and given birth to a child. Her husband cannot accept the fact and goes abroad. Some years later, her husband returns and wants her to come back to him. Tess murders her seducer and is thus arrested and hanged. The tra

45、gedy of Tess is an exposure of the wicked oppressors represented by Alex.14. Jane Austen Jane Austen was the first English woman novelist. Austen was born in Hampshire, a small town in southwest England. She was educated at home and led a quiet life. Austen wrote altogether 6 novels, among which the

46、 important ones are Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility and Emma.Jane Austen was popular all through the 19th century. She died in 1817 at the age of 42.Pride and PrejudiceThe novel is Jane Austens masterpiece. The central character of the novel is Elizabeth Bennet, one of the daughters in th

47、e Bennets.Elizabeth meets a young man Darcy and has prejudice against him because he has nothing but pride. After may twists and turns, misunderstanding disappear and they are happily united.The plot is very simple, but Austen has woven vivid pictures of everyday life of English country society. Her

48、 novels show a wealth of humor, wit and delicate satire. Her dialogues are admirably true to life.15. Oscar WildeOscar Wilde is the representative among the writers of aestheticism and decadence.The Picture of Dorian Grey （多利安格雷的小巷）is a typical decadent novel describing the authors aesthetic view an

49、d immorality. It tells the story of a handsome but immoral young man whose immorality leaves no trace in his own appearance but is reflected in his portrait, which becomes more and more ugly. Happy Prince （快乐王子）is another important work by Wilde.16. William Butler YeatsYeats was an Irishman whose fa

50、ther was a painter. By the time he moved to London in 1887, his goals as an artist were fixed. In 1903, due to disappointment in love, he was resolved to make great poetry. In 1921, Yeats became a senator in the Irish Free State. In 1923, he was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature. His major poem

51、s include Sailing to Byzantium（驶向拜占庭）, the Second Coming （基督再临）and Leda and the Swan（丽达与天鹅）.17. Alexander PopePope was the representative writer of the neo-classical school. He was a master in satire and heroic couplet. His major works included An Essay on Criticism, The Rape of the Lock（夺发记）, Essay

52、 on Man（论人类）. Pope exerted much influence upon the other writers of the age. He occupied a prominent place in the literary world of his time. The early period of the 18th century has often been named after him as the “Age of Pope”. His influence on Bryon was great.美国文学1. Benjamin FranklinBenjamin Fr

53、anklin was one of the most important American thinkers during the revolutionary period. he stood as the epitome of the Enlightenment and as the versatile embodiment of rational man of the period. Franklin was born in Boston. At the age of 12, he became an apprentice to his brother James, a printer.

54、In 1722, at only 16, he became the editor of a newspaper. In 1723, he went Philadelphia where he rose to prominence. The outbreak of the Revolution called him to attend the Second Continental Congress, then to be chosen a member of the committee to draft the Declaration of IndependenceIn his lifetim

55、e, Franklin was well known principally as an accomplished scientist , natural philosopher, statesman and literary man. His reputation as a great man of letters rested chiefly upon his two masterpiece: Poor Richards Almanac（穷查理历书） and Autobiography（自传）.2. Walt WhitmanWalt Whitman is a great democrati

56、c poet. He is the first great American poet to use free verse in poetry. Whitman was born on a farm in Long Island, New York. In 1838, he began editing his own weekly newspaper, the Long Islander. From that time on, he was principally a newspaperman in several cities. The publication of Leaves of Gr

57、ass in 1855 marked the birth of truly American poetry, which changed Whitman from a conventional, undistinguished man into one of Americas greatest and most original poets. Whitmans great contribution to American literature is his use of free verse. He developed a poetic style of originality, which

58、was devoid of conventional rhyme and meter（韵律）. Not only the form of his free verse but also his thought of democracy have been influential in world literature.Leaves of Grass（草叶集）Leaves of Grass has attained almost universal acceptance as Americas greatest book of poems. It has been praised as “Democratic Bible” and as American Epic. It is the lifelong work of Whitman and its themes are multiple. The ideas Whitman expresses in his Leaves of Grass are democratic ones besides his singi