英美文学欣赏考题整理及答案

1、Part One：English Poetry 1.William Shakespeare Sonnet 18Why does the poet compare thee to a summers day? And who could thee be?Because summers day and thee both represent beauty . thee could be beauty, love.What picture have you got of English summer, and could you explain why? Warm, beautiful, sunsh

2、ine. Because summer is the best season of a year ,the most beautiful season. It is like our May.How does the poet answer the question he puts forth in the first line? Thee is more beautiful than summer.What makes the poet think that “thou” can be more fair than summer and immortal? Because humanism

3、is more eternal than summer and immortal.What figures of speech are used in this poem? Simile, metaphor, personification, oxymoron and so on .What is the theme of the poem?Love conquers all, Beauty lives on.2. Thomas Nashe SpringRead the poem carefully, pay attention to those image- bearing words, a

4、nd see how many images the poet created in the poem and what sense impressions you can get from those images.There is “Blooms each thing, maids dance in a ring, the pretty birds do sing, the palm and may make country houses gay, Lambs frisk and play, the shepherds pipe all day, And we hear aye birds

5、 tune this merry lay, The fields breathe sweet, the daisies kiss our feet, Young lovers meet, old wives a-sunning sit, In every street these tunes bur ears do greet!”The “Young lovers meet, old wives a-sunning sit，” impressions me most because of the harmony of the peoples relationship.Can you point

6、 out and explain the sound and their musical effect in the poem?In the Poem, each section has four lines, each line has ten syllables ( five tone step ) . In order to give the reader a spring breeze , streams , flowers , winding , Song Xin texture of sound and light flavor, Naixi greater uses Englis

7、h word S , z , f , V , R , L , and consonants means. In Naixis poem, the use of phonological is also very harmonious, very smooth , very mellow. Section I of the poetry has Three pairs ing , section II of the poem has three pairs ei and the third quarter has three pairs i : .3.John Donne A Valedicti

8、on: Forbidding MourningWhat is a “valediction” any way? Is the speaker in the poem about to die? Why does the speaker forbid mourning?No, it is about the lovers separation. As the poem metaphors, the poet believed he and his wifes love is sacred, he didnt hope they cry when separation comes, let the

9、ir love be stained by the ordinary and mundane.2. Explain the metaphors in the poem.In the first verse, the poet used virtuous mens death metaphor for lovers separation, in the third verse he used “moving of the earth” and “trepidation of the spheres” metaphor for lovers separation and the result of

10、 separation, in the last three verse he used stiff twin compasses two legs metaphor for poet himself and his wife. All these metaphors show poet opinion that he will separate from his wife in peace, their love is a scared love, when they away from each other, they will not be hurt by the pain of the

11、 separation. He and his wife will not really separate. They care about each other and listen to the other ones heart, their trust and loyalty makes their love perfect like the circle made by a twin compasses.4.William Blake The TigerWhat is the symbolic meaning of the tiger?The symbol of the Tiger i

12、s unclear what it exactly symbolizes, but scholars have hypothesized that the Tiger could be inspiration, the divine, artistic creation, history, the sublime, or vision itself. The list is almost infinite. The point is, the Tiger is important, and Blakes poem barely limits the possibilities. Here ar

13、e two major symbolisms: The tiger is the embodiment of Gods power in creation.The tiger shows the force of French Revolution.What paradox can you find in the poem?Did he who made the Lamb make thee? It challenges the one-track religious views of the 18s century. The view only concluded that god crea

14、te the lame, he is so kind a father. But it didnt know god also create the tough tiger. He can also be very serious. The god is someone who cant be truly understood by human beings.5.Robert Burns A Red, Red RoseHow dose the narrator in the love song express his love?In stanza 1, the narrator present

15、s two similes, the first comparing his love to a rose and the second comparing his love to a melody.In stanza 2, the narrator addresses the young lady as bonnie. In the last line of the stanza, he presents hyperbole, a figure of speech that exaggerates.In stanza 3, the man promises eternal love for

16、her.In stanza 4, the poet vows to love her however far he may go. Why is this poem so touching to the readers? Because this poem professes the poets true love for his beloved girl, and uses the mentioned above to touch the readers.6.William Wordsw orth I Wandered Lonely as a CloudWhat does the poet

17、see?He sees some daffodils.What is the poets mood before he sees the daffodils? Vacant and pensive.What is the poets mood after he sees the daffodils? He is very pleasant.How does the magical change occur? Those daffodils show a fantastic picture to the poet, and the poet has been deeply affected by

18、 the scene, and his mood changes.What is the theme of the poem? Or what does the poet want to tell you?It shows the beauty of nature, and the natures beauty uplifts the human spirit, and the harmony between human and nature.7.Robert Browning My Last Duchess1. In this poem, who and on what occasion i

19、s speaking to whom? The Duke is the speaker of the poem, and tells us he is entertaining an emissary who has come to negotiate the Dukes marriage (he has recently been widowed) to the daughter of another powerful family.What sort of person is the Dukes last Duchess?She is kind, easy-going, innocent

20、and lively. And what became of her in the end?She became very upset and worrying. The duchess died under suspicious circumstances on April 21, 1561, just two years after he married her. She may have been poisoned.2. What sort of person is the Duke?He is outrageously arrogant, narrow-minded, selfish,

21、 hypocritical, cold-blooded, crucial, greedy and treacherous.8.Walt Whitman O Captain! My Captain!Q:Walt Whitmans poem “O Captain! My Captain!” is written in the form of an allegory. What is the overall connotative meaning in the poem?A: Ships implied meaning is America; My captain implied meaning i

22、s Abraham Lincoln who leaded America to triumph in American Civil War then; our fearful trips implied meaning is American Civil War after which Lincoln was assassinated. In this poem author spoken HYPERLINK app:ds:highly highly HYPERLINK app:ds:of of Lincoln contribution and expressed his sorrow for

23、 Lincoln death.9.Emily Dickinson (1)Success is counted sweetest (67)According to the poem, who can understand success most? Do you agree or not with the poets view that “Success is counted sweetest by those who neer succeed”?The person who best understands the meaning of success is the person who fa

24、ilsWhat sort of feelings does the poet show toward the victor and the defeated?The poet shows her awareness of the complicated truths of human desire. Success can be comprehended by someone who need it; the defeated, dying man understand victory more clearly than the victorious army does. (2)Because

25、 I could not stop for Death (712)How many people are there in the carriage? And where are they going right now? There are three in the carriage, the Poet, Death, and Immortality.Where did they pass? What can these places remind us of?They passed the school, the fields of Gazing grain, the Setting Su

26、n. It reminds us of childhood, maturity and old age, the children are evident symbols of the beginning of things, the grain rip of the adulthood, and the sun setting of the rest of the days.What is the poets attitude toward death and life implied in the poem?The poets attitude is that death is nothi

27、ng to be forced since it is natural part of the endless cycle of nature, its only the beginning ;to die is to go on another journey, although death takes one away from the earthy world ;there is still something to look forward to when one dies, death means eternity.10.Robert Frost Stopping by Woods

28、on a Snowy EveningWhy did the speaker stop?Literally he was fascinated by the beautiful night scene and stoped his horse to watch the woods fill up with the snow,it was also a little break for the long travel. But in fact,its symbolism,the woods stands for the nature,the village stands for the human

29、 world, horse for the animal world. The poem represents a moment of relaxation from the burdensome journey of life, an almost aesthetic enjoyment and appreciation of natural beauty which is wholesome and restorative against the chaotic existence of modern man. Why did he later decide to go?As the la

30、st sentence said But I have promises to keep,And miles to go before I sleep.His horse shake the bell to ask if they should go,which is actually a symbol of vitality, urges him to go. He lives in the real life, and he has his own obligation promise to keep,he hasnt achieve it, so he must go on his tr

31、ip,leave the beautiful scene.Though the scene is so amazing,he has to have the real life. Though the real life is so hard,he must back to it,and reach his goal. One leaves no regrets after he dies, as long as one has reached his goal.What is your understanding of “promises to keep”?“The promise” cou

32、ld be an obligation or a goal. One cannot die before fulfilling ones dream. The poet uses “sleep” to represent death, just as we usually do. People have their own dream or goal,its also the duty for us to finish, we live for ourselves and we make life wonderful by keeping on reaching our goal,no reg

33、rets leaves as long as we have reached our goals.11. Ezra Pound In a Station of the MetroPart Two: English Fiction12. Jonathan Swift Gullivers TravelsIn this chapter, Swift describes the smallness of the Lilliputians. What does this “smallness” imply in the authors satire of the aristocratic bourgeo

34、is society of the time?Key: The Lilliput scene depicted in the first volume of the novel is a microcosm of the British Empire. The perennial endless struggle between UK Tories and Whigs and external war are essentially just politicians intrigue in the section has nothing to do with the national econ

35、omy and the peoples livelihood. The “smallness” imply that What is the cause of the civil strife and war between Lilliput and the neighbouring empire of Blefuscu? What is the target of the authors satire?Key: The parties are divided as high-heeled party and low-heeled party according to the height o

36、f the heel. The relationship between parties is irreconcilable; Neighboring countries not only want to conquer and enslave the other, but also argue about trifles such as which head we should knock when we will eat eggs .(2) Key: The author uses irony and innuendo tactics to reflect the British soci

37、al contradictions among first half of the 18th century, to criticize the British parliamentary politics and reactionary religious forces, to expose the corruption and evil of the ruling clique, and to criticize the hazards of a war of aggression and colonialism.13Jane Austen Pride and PrejudiceDo yo

38、u agree with the statement “it is truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife”? What is the relationship between money and marriage?Key: (1) I agree with this statement. In my view, a bachelor who has lots of money is supposed to have a

39、wife to company him. The amount of money demonstrates the ability of a person. The beauties and the wits should come together.(2) First, the relationship between marriage and money is very close; we can say that the money is the basis of marriage. This is just from the material conditions of life. H

40、owever, the amount of money cant measure the quality of marriage. A determinant of marriage is the couples feelings, and if the lack of the feelings, life is not a happy marriage even though has more money.What do you think of Mrs. Bennet? How can you characterize her?Key: (1) Mrs. Bennet - a foolis

41、h, noisy woman whose only goal in life is to see her daughters married. Because of her low breeding and often unbecoming behavior, Mrs. Bennet often repels the very suitors whom she tries to attract for her daughters. (2) Mrs. Bennet is a miraculously tiresome character, who is noisy and foolish. An

42、d Mrs. Bennet is totally obedient and submissive in her marriage. Mrs. Bennet is a self-centered woman with the attitude that what is good enough for her is good enough for her children.14. Emily Bronte Wuthering HeightsWhat is the main plot of the whole novel? What causes the tragic ending of the l

43、ove between Heathcliff and Catherine? Would it have been possible, under the circumstances, for the victimized lovers to find a way out?Key: Novels theme is vengeance. Katherines character flaws is the root causes of the tragedy, Heathcliff to lost love human distortion conducted a series of revenge

44、 activities, the capitalist society for the generation of tragedy provides fertile soil. If Heathcliff get marry with Katherine, theyll be happiness.Is Heathcliffs revenge upon the Earnshaw and Linton families justifiable? What is the authors attitude toward Heathcliff, judging from the final futili

45、ty of the revenge?Key: For the vengeance of the people is right .but its wrong in law. Its love, but Heathcliffs love is crazy.15. Kate Chopin The Story of an HourWhat kind of character is Louise Mallard?Key: Mrs. Mallard is a sympathetic character with strength and insight. What are the themes of t

46、his short story?Key: Its mainly about the awakening of feminine awareness and the fruitless struggle of women for freedom in a man-centered world. It is about marriage bondages and celibacy freedom. What do “heart trouble” and “the open window” symbolize?Key: (1) heart trouble symbolizes (2) the ope

47、n window symbolizes 16. Earnest Hemingway Hills like White Elephants1. What is a “white elephant ” according to the dictionary definition? What does a “white elephant” symbolize in the story?(1) Key: a: a property requiring much care and expense and yielding little profitb : an object no longer of v

48、alue to its owner but of value to othersc : something of little or no value(2)Key: The woman is pregnant, and the White Elephant is a hint of the body of the women. The fact that the two. This matter becomes a heavy burden for the two people.2. List the evidence that tells what kind of operation Jig

49、 is confronting. How risky is it physically and emotionally?(1) evidence: 1. Its really an awfully simple operation, Jig, the man said. Its not really an operation at all. 2. I know you wouldnt mind it, Jig. Its really not anything. Its just to let the air in. 3. They just let the air in and then it

50、s all perfectly natural. 4. I know we will. Yon dont have to be afraid. Ive known lots of people that have done it. 5. But I know its perfectly simple.(2) Key: 1. Do affect her health, result that the body is badly weakened and be reduced immunity in the aspect of physical.2. Do be Frustrated, empty

51、 and depressed mood which leads to that she can not be quiet in the aspect of emotion. 3. Has Jig made up her mind to do the operation?Key: The question about whether to do an abortion, the article comes a stop suddenly at the end. So we cant make sure whether Jig has made up her mind to do the oper

52、ation.4. If the operation is something already decided on, then what upsets Jig? What is the real conflict between the couple? Key: (1) She worries that she could not get happiness as before with the man. She upsets that he would leave her for ever. (2) The real conflict between the couple is that w

53、hether the man likes the women from the deep heart and their attitudes towards life.5. What kind of girl is Jig? How is their relation like? Does the American love Jig?Key: (1) She is restless and confused and longing for the deeper love from the man.(2) There could be many situations: first, a marr

54、ied man compels his lover to have a abortion; second, as a bachelor, he worries the baby would make his life be complex and so on. (3) Because of the various situations, we could not make an accurate conclusion that the man loves Jig. However, on some degree the man loves the woman by analyzing the

55、conversation between them.6. What is Hemingways style?Key: Hemingways style is laconic. The characteristic is reflected in that When writing, he is very clear what kind of content could pit one against ten. It is both an immediate situation and also containing other deeper meanings, which can be inf

56、ormed in the way of exploring something by the readers.17.William Faulkner A Rose for Emily 1. What is the meaning of the title?Key: A rose is a funeral flower. Its authors tribute to Emily, and also to south, Emily is the symbol. And it has an ironic meaning to this story.2. What kind of woman is M

57、iss Emily? Key: She is embodiment of south, the old and traditional, also obstinate, resists to change anything ,a determined，dignified, valiant and literate woman.3. How did the townspeople think of her?Key: The townspeople had mixed feelings she was “dear inescapable, impervious, tranquil”, and pe

58、rverse. Also she was always expected to bring honor to the town and set a good example for the young.4. What is the symbolic meaning of Emilys house?Key: Emilys house, like Emily herself, is a monument, the only remaining emblem of a dying world of southern aristocracy, also represents alienation an

59、d death.5. What is special about the narration of this story?Key: The writing style of the novel is using flashbacks and narration interspersed with flashbacks. The author let us know the independent but closely related events skillfully under the premise of being not exposed the true intentions, wh

60、ich makes us draw attention to the development of the plot without boring.Part Three: English Drama18. William Shakespeare Hamlet, Prince of Denmark1. Why does sleep appear to be so fearful for Hamlet even though it can put an end to the numerous headaches in our life?Key: As described in the text,