第七讲 美国浪漫主义时期

1、The Romantic PeriodoThe Romantic Period, one of the most important periods in the history of American literature, stretches from the end of the _18th century_ to the outbreak of _the Civil War_. It started with the publication of _The Sketch Book_ and ended with _Leaves of Grass_. It is also called

2、the American Renaissance.Characteristics of RomanticismA.英、美浪漫主义的相同点 The Romantic movement which had flourished earlier in the century both in England and Europe proved to be a decisive influence without which the upsurge of American Romanticism would hardly have been possible.ofrequently shared cer

3、tain general characteristics： moral enthusiasm, faith in the value of individualism and intuitive perception, and a presumption that nature was a source of beauty and mans societies a source of corruption.浪漫主义之间大部分是相通的，都注重道德，强调个人主义价值观和直觉感受，并且认为自然是美的源头，人类社会是腐败之源。 美国浪漫主义的本土特点B. Although foreign influe

4、nces were strong, American romanticism, exhibited from the very outset distinct features of its own. American romanticism was in essence the expression of “a real new experience” and contained “an alien quality”.e.g. pioneering to the westC. Puritan influence over American romanticism was conspicuou

5、sly noticeable. Calvinistic view of original sin and the mystery of evil marked the works of Hawthorne and Melville.D. The most clearly defined Romantic literary movement in the period is New England Transcendentalism.What is Transcendentalism?a) as a moral philosophy, transcendentalism was neither

6、logical nor systematized. It exalted feeling over reason, individual expression over the restraints of law and custom. 不讲逻辑，不讲系统，只强调超越理性的感受，超越法律和世俗束缚的个人表达。 b) they spoke for cultural rejuvenation and against the materialism of American society.呼吁文化复兴，反对美国社会的拜金主义。 oC）they believed in the transcendenc

7、e of “Oversoul,” an all-pervading power for goodness from which all things come and of which all things are a part.相信精神上的超越，相信无所不能的善的力量，强调善为万物之源。d) it could exercise a healthy and restorative influence on the human mind. “Go back to nature, sink yourself back into its influence and youll become spir

8、itually whole again.” The natural implication of all this was, of course, that things in nature tended to become symbolic, and the physical world was a symbol of the spiritual. This in turn added to the tradition of literary symbolism in American literature. e) representatives：Emerson爱默生，believed th

9、at man was a part of absolute good。人性本善 Thoreau 梭 罗，beheld divinity in the “unspotted innocence” of nature. 自然才是神圣的“洁白无瑕” oRepresentatives:Irving:_Emerson:_Hawthorne:_Whitman:_Melville:_ Nathaniel Hawthorne(纳撒尼尔 霍桑)一. The thoughts:1. The view of sin:oA. According to Hawthorne , There is evil in ever

10、y human heart . A piece of literary work should show how we are all wronged and wrongers , and avenge one another . So in almost every book he wrote , Hawthorne discusses sin and evil . oB. One source of evil that Hawthorne is concerned most is overreaching intellect . They are usually villains, dre

11、adful because they are devoid of warmth and feeling.oE.g. Chillingworth in The Scarlet Lettero Dr. Rappaccini in Rappaccinis Daughter2. The Puritanism :oA. Hawthorne s view of man and human history originates, to a great extent , in Puritanism. He believed that the wrong doing of one generation live

12、s into the successive ones.oB. In many of Hawthorne s stories and novels , the Puritan concept of life is condemned , or the Puritan past is shown in an almost totally negative light , especially in his The House of the Seven Gables and The Scarlet Letter. 二. The masterpiece: The Scarlet Letter1.The

13、 theme:oIn this particular novel , Hawthorne does not intend to tell a love story nor a story of sin , but focuses his attention on the moral , emotional , and psychological effects or consequences of the sin on the people in general and those main characters in particular , so as to show us the ten

14、sion between society and individuals . 2.The imagery : The Custom -House to The Scarlet Letter proves fruitful to Hawthrone s imagination. By relating a piece of red cloth shaped like A , Hawthorne succeeds in giving his tale a sense of historical reality and an air of authenticity. 三. The artistic

15、features :1.The structure:oThe structure and the form of his writings are always carefully worked out to cater for the thematic concern.2. Psychological conflicts and mental activities3.The allegory:oHawthorne is also a great allegorist and almost every story can be read allegorically , as is the ca

16、se in Young Goodman Brown.4.The symbolism:oHawthorne is a master of symbolism . The symbol can be found everywhere in his writing . By using Pearl as thematic symbol ,Hawthorne emphasizes the consequence the sin of adultery has brought to the community and people living in that community . Letter A

17、also has different meanings.5.The ambiguity:oAnd the ambiguity is one of the salient characteristics of Hawthornes art . Symbolic meanings of Letter AoThe Letter A takes on different layers of symbolic meanings as the plot develops.oAadulteryoAalienationoAangelambiguityo“Had goodman Brown fallen asl

18、eep in the forest, and only dreamed a wild dream of a witch-meeting?”oA. Maybe the terrible experience was only a dream that Goodman Brown made when he slept in the forest. It makes sense if you think that way. But after that Brown became a sad and distrustful man.oB. The author did not allow himsel

19、f to decide whether the events of that night happened in a dream or in reality. This ambiguity is central to understand the theme of the story. This kind of writing is typical of Hawthorne, who tends to put everything ambiguous in his work and leave readers in doubts.真题采撷o30In many of Hawthornes sto

20、ries and novels, the Puritan concept of life is condemned, or the Puritan past is shown in an almost totally negative light, especially in his _ and The Scarlet Letter.ATwice-Told TalesBThe Blithedale RomanceCThe Marble FaunDThe House of the Seven Gables （08）0850“ My faith is gone! cried he（Goodman

21、Brown）,after one stupefied moment. There is no good on earth; and sin is but a name. Come, devil! For to thee is this world given. ”（from Nathaniel Hawthornes “Young Goodman Brown”） Make a comment on this passage.07o29Nathaniel Hawthorne held an unceasing interest in the “interior of the heart ”of m

22、ans being. So in almost every book he wrote, Hawthorne discusses_.Alove and hatred Bsin and evilCfrustration and selfdenialDbalance and selfdiscipline30In Young Goodman Brown by Hawthorne, the name of Goodman Browns wife is _, which also contains many symbolic meanings.ARuth BHesterCFaith DMaryoThe

23、Birthmark drives home symbolically Hawthornes point that “_” is mans birthmark, something he is born with.oA. goodness oB. gratefulnessoC. evil oD. bitternessWhich of the following statement about Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter is true?oA. Hawthorne intended to tell a love story in this novel.oB. Haw

24、thorne intended to tell a story of sin.oC. Hawthorne intended to reveal the human psyche after they sinned, so as to show the tension between society and individuals.oD. Hawthorne focused his attention on consequences of the sin on people in general, so as to call the readers back to the conventiona

25、l Puritan way of living.05o24.The American novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne is known for his “black vision.” The term “black vision” refers to（）.A. Hawthornes observation that every man faces a black wallB. Hawthornes belief that all men are by nature evilC. that Hawthorne employed a dream vision to tel

26、l his storyD. that Puritans of Hawthornes time usually wore black clothes08o28Hawthorne intended to _ in The Scarlet Letter.oAtell a story of parental loveoBtell a story of sin and bloody violenceoCcall the readers back to the plantation way of livingoDreveal the human psyche after they sinnedo36.He

27、ster Prynne, Dimmesdale, Chillingworth and Pearl are most likely characters in（）.A. The House of the Seven GablesB. The Scarlet LetterC. The Portrait of a LadyD. The Pioneers43.“Faith! Faith! cried the husband. Look up to Heaven, and resist the Wicked One.”Questions:Identify the work and the author.

28、What idea does the quoted sentence express?04o29. Which of the following works best illustrates the Calvinistic view of original sin?A. Stowes Uncle Toms CabinB. Jamess The Portrait of a Lady.C. Hemingways A Farewell to ArmsD. Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter.39.After his experiences in the forest, You

29、ng Goodman Brown returns to Salem _.A. desperate and gloomy B. renewed in his faithC. wearing a black veilD. unaware of his own sin50. “My faith is gone!” cried he (Goodman Brown), after one stupefied moment. “There is no good on earth; and sin is but a name. Come, devil! For to thee is this world g

30、iven.”Comment on this passage from Hawthornes “Young Goodman Brown”.oA. Goodman Brown utters this cry when he finds his wife Faith, together with lots of prominent people of the village and the church, attending a witches Sabbath in the woods.oB. His cry shows his great surprise and disillusionment.

31、 Thereafter, he becomes distrustful and doubtful. Here the author makes a pun of the word “faith”. Brown not only loses his wife Faith, but also loses faith in religion and life.oC. Hawthorne is a great master of allegory and symbolism. The story itself is an allegory and is full of symbols such as

32、the forest, the night, the snake.重点o结合作品分析霍桑作品中的主题思想。o红字的主题及象征手法。oYoung Goodman Brown赏析。Walt Whitman一. The works -Leaves of Grass :o1.Leaves of Grass has always been considered a monumental work which commands great attention . o2.The work has nine editions and the first edition was published in 185

33、5. 二. the thoughts :1. The nationalism:oAs Whitman saw it , poetry could play a vital part in the process of creating a new nation . The abundance of themes in his poetry voices freshness. He shows concern for the whole hardworking people and the burgeoning life of cities . 2. The individual value:o

34、The realization of the individual value also found a tough position in Whitmans poems in a particular way . Pursuit of love and happiness is approved of repeatedly and affectionately in his lines . 3.The political thoughts:oSome of Whitmans poems are politically committed , Such as a collection unde

35、r the title of Drum Taps , Cavalry Crossing a Ford . And When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom d .三.The artistic features:1. The brand-new means: Whitman employed brand-new means in his poetry. oA. Whitmans poetic style is marked , first of all , by the use of the poetic I.oB. Usually , the relatio

36、nship Whitman is dramatizing is a triangular one :I the poet, the subject in the poem , and you the reader. oC. What he prefers for his new subject and new poetic feeling is free verse ,that is , poetry without a fixed beat or regular rhyme scheme . However , there is still a strong sense of the poe

37、ms being rhythmical. 2. The imagery :oA. Unifying images of the body , the crowd , the sexuality are pervasive in his poems . oB. One of the most often-used methods in Whitmans poems is to make colors and images fleet past the minds eye of the reader . 3. The Language:oA. Another characteristic in W

38、hitmans language is his strong tendency to use oral English . oB. Whitmans vocabulary is amazing . He would use powerful , colorful , as well as rarely-used words , words of foreign origin and sometimes even wrong words . 真题采撷o 37As _ saw it, poetry could play a vital part in the process of creating

39、 a new nation. It could enable Americans to celebrate their release from the Old World and the colonial rule.AWordsworth LongfellowBWilliam BryantCWalt Whitman DRobert Frosto38Walt Whitman is a poet with a strong sense of mission, having devoted all his life to the creation of the “single” poem, _.A

40、The Love Song of JAlfred PrufrockBThe Waste LandCMurder in the Cathedral DLeaves of Grass （08）08o44“I celebrate myself, and sing myself,And what I assume you shall assume, For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you.I loafe and invite my soul, learn and loafe at my ease observing a spear o

41、f summer grass.”(from Walt Whitmans “Song of Myself”)Questions:AWhom does “myself” refer to?BHow do you understand the line “I loafe and invite my soul”?CWhat does “a spear of summer grass” indicate?oA. the poet himself, the reader, every American in general.oB. The two lines show the relationship b

42、etween the soul and body. The two separate and finally get unified with each other.oC. A spear of summer grass means a leaf of grass, because a grass leaf looks like a spear. The author emphasizes summer grass because grass grows well in summer. So it stands for life and power.07o23Walt Whitman, who

43、se _ established him as the most popular American poet of the 19th century.oALeaves of GrassoBGo Down, MosesoCThe Marble FaunoDAs I Lay Dying07o31Which of the following statements might be true of the theme of Song of Myself by Whitman? oAThis poem describes the growth of a child who learned about t

44、he world around him and improved himself accordingly.oBThis poem shows the authors cynical sentiments against the American Civil War.oCThis poem reflects the authors belief in Unitarianism or Deism.oDThis poem reflects the authors belief in the singularity and equality of all beings in value.o“Caval

45、ry Crossing a Ford” by Whitman reminds its readers of a picture or a photo of a scene of_.oA. the American War of IndependenceoB. the Westward MovementoC. the U.S.-Spanish WaroD. the American Civil Waro47. Whitman is one of the representative poets in America. He employs brand-new means in his poetr

46、y. What are the features of his poetry?04o26. Whitmans poems are characterized by all the following features EXCEPT _ .A. the strict poetic form B. the free and natural rhythmC. the easy flow of feelingsD. the simple and conversational language重点oWhitman 诗歌的艺术特色。o选读诗歌赏析。Herman Melville（赫曼梅尔维尔）一. The

47、 literary creation:Melvilles writings can be well divided into two groups.1.The early period: His early works were written after he was back from the sea. oA. Among them are Typee, Omoo, and Mardi, which drew from his adventures. oB. Redburn is semi-autobiographical novel .oC. In White Jacket Melvil

48、le relates his life on a United States man-of-war. oD. Moby-Dick proves to be the best. 2. The later period :With the publication of Pierre ,Melvilles public fame was on the decline. oA. Among them are Bartleby , the Scrivener, Benito Cereno, The Confidence -Man. oB. Bill Budd again deals with the s

49、ea and sailors and the theme of a conflict between innocence and corruption. 3.The themes respectively :oA. In the early ones , Melville is more enthusiastic about setting out on a quest for the meaning of the universe , hence they are more metaphysical and the main characters are ardent and self-dr

50、amatizing I, defying God , as best reflected in Moby-Dick .oB. In the late works , Melville becomes more reconciled with the world of man. He admits that one must live by the rules. 二. The Masterpiece -Moby -Dick:1.The literary status : Moby-Dick is regarded as the first American prose epic. 2. The

51、features :oIt is difficult to read because much of the talk in the novel is sailors talk and much of the language is purposely old-fashioned and Elizabethan . 3. The outline :oThe story is not complicated , dealing with Ahab , a man with an overwhelming obsession to kill the whale which has crippled him , on board his ship Pequod in the chase of the whale . 4.The symbolism :oIt turns out to be a symbolic voyage of the mind in quest