英国文学史考试内容

BeowulfistheoldestpoemintheEnglishlanguage,andalsotheoldestsurvivingepicintheEnglishlanguage.ChaucercomposedalongnarrativepoemnamedTroilusandGressiebasedonBoccaccio'spoemFilostrato.TheCanterburyTalescontainsthegeneralprologueand24hours,twoofwhichleftunfinished.ChauceremployedtheheroiccoupletinwritinghisgreatestworkTheCanterburyTales.RomanceisthemostprevailingliteraryformintheMiddleAge.WhataretheChaucer'scontributionstoEnglishliterature?①Chaucer,forthefirsttimeinEnglishliterature,presentstothereadersacomprehensiverealisticpictureoftheEnglishsocietyofhistimeanddescribesaseriesofvividcharactersfromallwalksoflifeinTheCanterburyTales.②ChaucerintroducesfromFrancetherhymedstanzasofvarioustypestoEnglishpoetrytoreplacetheoldEnglishalliterativeverse.Heisthefirsttousetherhymedcoupletsofiambicpentameter,whichistobecalledtheheroiccouplet.③Chauceraffirmsmen'sandwomen'srighttopursueearthlyhappinessandopposedasceticism(avoidingphysicalpleasuresandcomforts).Hepraisesman'senergy,intellect,quickwitandloveoflifeandheexposesandsatirizesthesocialvices,includingthecorruptionoftheChurch.④ChauceristhefirstgreatpoetwhowroteinthecurrentEnglish.HisproductionofsomuchexcellentpoetryisanimportantfactorinestablishingEnglishastheliterarylanguageofthecountry.ChaucerusesLondondialectinhiswritingsandthecontributestomakingitthefoundationformodernEnglishspeech.WhataretheessentialfeaturesofromanceinthemedievalEnglishliterature?TheromancewastheprevailingformofliteratureintheMiddleAges.Itwasalongcomposition,sometimesinverse,sometimesinprose,describingthelifeandadventuresofanoblehero,Itsessentialfeaturesare:①.itlacksgeneralresemblancetotruthorreality.②Itexaggeratesthevicesofhumannatureandidealizesthevirtues.③.Itcontainsperilousadventuresmoreorlessremotefromordinarylife.④.Itlaysemphasisonsupremedevotiontoafairlady.⑤.Thecentralcharacteroftheromanceistheknight,amanofnoblebirthskilledintheuseofweapons.Heiscommonlydescribedasridingforthtoseekadventures,takingpartintournaments,orfightingforhislordinbattle.Heisdevotedtothechurchandtheking.4.WhatisthesignificanceofTheCanterburyTales?①InhismasterpieceTheCanterburyTales,Chaucergivesusafaithfulpictureofthesocietyofhistime,②Takingthestandardoftherisingbourgeoisie,heaffirmsmenandopposesthedogmaofasceticismpreachedbytheChurch.③Asaforerunnerofhumanism,hepraiseman'senergy,intellect,quickwitandloveoflife.Histalesexposeandsatirizetheevilsofhistime.Theyattackthedegenerationofthenoble,theheartlessnessofthejudge,andthecorruptionoftheChurch.ThefirsttopresentacomprehensiveandrealisticpictureoftheEnglishsocietyofhistimeandcreatedawholegalleryofvividcharactersfromallwalksoflife.Bacon'sstylehasthreeprominentquOiles:__directness.,tersenessandforcefulness.Hamlet,Othello,KingandMacbetharegenerallyregardedasShakespeare'sfourgreattragedies.HumanismistheessenceoftheRenaissance.Sonnet:Alyricpoemconsistingofasinglestanzaoffourteeniambicpentameterlineslinkedbyanintricaterhymescheme.TherearetwomajorpatternsofrhymeinsonnetswrittenintheEnglishlanguage:(1)TheItalianorPetrarchansonnetfallsintotwomainparts:anoctaverhymingabbaabbafollowedbyasestetrhymingcdecdeorsomevariant,suchascdccdc.(2)TheEarlofSurreyandotherEnglishexperimentersinthe16thcenturyalsodevelopedastanzaformcalledtheEnglishsonnet,orelsetheShakespeareansonnet.Thissonnetfallsintothreequatrainsandaconcludingcouplet:ababcdcdefefgg.Therewasonenotablevariant,theSpenseriansonnet,inwhichEdmundSpenserlinkedeachquatraintothenextbyacontinuingrhyme:ababbcbccdcdee.EnglishRenaissance:TheRenaissancereferstothetransitionalperiodfromthemedievaltothemodernworld.ItfirststartedinItalyinthe14thcentury.TheRenaissancemeansrebirthorrevival.Itwasstimulatedbyaseriesofhistoricalevents,suchastherediscoveryofancientRomanandGreekclassics,thenewdiscoveriesingeographyandastrology,thereligiousreformation,andtheeconomicexpansion.HumanismistheessenceofRenaissance.TheEnglishRenaissancedidnotbeginuntilthereignofHenryVIII.ItwasregardedasEngland'sGoldenAge,especiallyinliterature.TherealmainstreamoftheEnglishRenaissanceistheElizabethandrama.ThisperiodproducedsuchliterarygiantsasShakespeare,Spenser,Marlowe,Bacon,etc.5.GiveabriefanalysisofShylock,acharacterinShakespeare'splay,TheMerchantofVenice.ShylockisaJewishusurer,andheisatragic-comiccharacterintheplay.①Heiscomicbecausehefinallybecomestheonepunishedbyhisownevildeed.Heisatypicalmerchanttobemadefunof.Heisavaricious.Heaccumulatesasmuchwealthashecanandheevenequateshislostdaughterwithhislostmoney.Heisalsocruel.Inordertorevenge,hewouldratherclaimapoundoffleshfromhisenemyAntoniothangetbackhisloan.②Ontheotherhand,Shylockisalsoatragicfigure.Heisthevictimofthesociety.HeisaJew.Asaminornationality,heisnottreatedequallybythesociety.Thelawisharshtohim.Hehastomakeasmuchmoneyashecaninordertoprotecthimself.HeisabusedbyAntonio,andtherefore,hewantstogetrevenge.In1637MiltonwrotethefinestpastoralelegyinEnglish,Lycidas,tomemorizethetragicdeathofaCambridgefriend.__JohnBunyanwrotehismasterpiecePilgrim'sProgressduringhissecondimprisonmentanditisthemostsuccessfulreligiousallegoryintheEnglishlanguage.JohnDonneisthefounderoftheschoolof_metaphysicalpoetry.Hisworksarecharacterizedbymysticismincontentandfantasticallyinform.Passage1Oneshortsleeppast,wewakeeternallyAnddeathshallbenomore;Death,thoushaltdieIdentifythepoetandthepoem_JohnDonneDeath,BeNotProudB.Whatdoesthephraseoneshortsleep'mean?deathC.Whatideadothesetwolinesexpress?ItrevealsDonne'sbeliefinlifeafterdeath.Heredeathiscomparedtorestorsleep.Deathisbutmomentarilywhilehappinessafterdeathiseternal.Passage2.“Towagebyforceorguileeternalwar,IrreconcilabletoourgrandFor.”BywhatmeanswereSatanandhisfollowerstowagethiswaragainstGod?DA.byplantingatreeofknowledgeintheGardenofEden.byturningintopoisonoussnakestothreatenmanlife.'sbyremovingGodfromhisthronebycorruptingmanandwomancreatedbyGodPassage3.Butthyeternalsummershallnotfade,Norlosepossessionofthatfairthouow'st;NorshallDeathbragthouwander'stinhisshade,Whenineternallinestotimethougrow'st:Solongasmencanbreathe,oreyescansee,SolonglivesthisandthisgiveslifetotheeIdentifythepoemandthepoet.Whatdoestheword"this"refto?thepoetryWhatideadoesthisstanzaexpress?Anicesummersdayisusuallytransient,butthebeautyinpoetrycanlastforever.Shakespearehasafaithinthepermanenceofpoetry2.TheEnlightenmentwasaprogressiveintellectualmovementthroughoutWesternEuropeinthe18thcentury.4.Ofallthe18thcenturynovelists,HenryFieldingwasthefirsttosetoutintheoryandpractice,towritespeciallyacomicepicinprose,"andthefirsttogivethemodernnovelitsstructureandstyle.6.Inwritingplaystheneo-classicalwritersusedheroiccoupletinsteadofblankverse.Theyobservedthethreeunitiesoftime,placeandaction.TheTalterandTheSpectator,wereRichardSteeleandJosephAddison'schiefcontributiontoEnglishliterature.Pamelaisthefirstepistolary,novelinEnglishliterature.ThemorenotableoftheGothicnovelsareTheCastleofOtranto(1765)byHoraceWalpoleandTheMysteriesofUdolphobyAnnRadcliff.ThemysteriouselementplaysanenormousroleintheGothicnovel;itissorepletewithbloodcurdlingscenesandunaturalfeelingsthatitisjustlycalledanovelofhorrors_SamuelJohnsonistheauthorofthefirstEnglishdictionarybyanEnglishman——DictionaryoftheEnglishlanguage,whichhadbecomethefoundationofallsubsequentEnglishdictionaries.PassageoneTheboastofheraldry,thepompofpoer,Andallthatbeauty,allthatwealthe'ergave,Awaitsaliketheinevitablehour.Thepathsofgloryleadbuttothegrave.”Questions:Identifytheauthorandthetitleofthepoemwhichthispassageistaken.ElegyWritteninaCountryChurchyardThomasGrayWhatdoesthephrase“inevitableiour"mean?deathWriteoutthemainideaofthepassageinplainEnglish.Thepassageisaboutman'sinevitabledeath.Nomatterwhatfamilyyouarefrom,Wipoweryouhavegot,whatbeautyandwealthyouhavepossessed,youshouldfeelconceitedorself-important.Forsoonerorlateryouwillhavetoleavethesematerialthingsbehind;youcannotbringthemallintotheotherworldwhenyoudie.Sincedeathawaitseveryoneandyourgloriouslifeleadsyouonlytothegrave,whatistheuseoffightingforallthosematerialinterests?Passage2MostmightyEmperorofLilliput,delightandterrorofheuniverse,whosedominionsextendfivethousandblustrugs(abouttwelvemilesincircumference)totheextremitiesoftheglobe;Monarchofallmonarchs;tallerthanthesonsofmen;whosefeetpressdowntothecenter,andwhoseheadstrikesagainstthesun;atwhosenodtheprincesoftheearthshaketheirknees;pleasantasspring,comfortableassummer,fruitfulasautumn,dreadfulaswinter.”Questions:IdentifytheworkandtheauthorJonathanSwift;Gulliver'sTravelsWhatisthetoneoftheauthor?SatiricalWhatdoestheauthorparodyhere?BypresentingtheLilliputian'sexaggeratedcomplimentstotheirking,SwiftparodiesabsurdlyanarrogantstyleoftheEnglishmen(ortheEuropeans)intheirspeechestotheirGodortheirmonarchs.Satire:Satireisgenerallyconsideredasaliteraryforminwhichhumor,exaggerationorridiculeisusedtobringtotheforefrontanindividualorsocietalvice,folly,abuseorshortcoming.Itspurpose,ideally,althoughhumorousandentertaining,istoshinealightonthesubjectandinvokechange.28.Commentonthefeaturesoftheneoclassicalliterature.①Inthefieldofliterature,theEnlightenmentMovementbroughtaboutarevivalofinterestintheoldclassicalworks.Thistendencyisknownasneoclassicism.②Accordingtotheneoclassicists,allformsofliteratureweremodeledaftertheclassicalworksoftheancientGreekandRomanwritersandthoseofthecontemporaryFrenchones.③Neoclassicistshadsomefixedlawsandrulesforalmosteverygenreofliterature.Proseshouldbeprecise,direct,smoothandflexible.Poetryshouldbelyrical,epical,didactic,satireordramatic,andeachclassshouldbeguidedbyitsownprinciples.DramashouldbewrittenintheHeroicCouplets(iambicpentameterrhymedintwolines);thethreeunitiesoftime,spaceandactionshouldbestrictlyobserved;regularityinconstructionshouldbeandadheredto,andtypecharactersratherthanindividualsshouldberepresented.Besidestheelegantpoeticstructureanddiction,theneoclassicalpoetrywasalsonotedforitsseriousnessandearnestnessintoneandconstantdidacticism.④Mockepic,romance,satireandepigramwerepopularformsadoptedbypoetsofthetime.Asanageofromanticenthusiasm,theRomanticAgebeganin1798whenWordsworthandColeridgepublishedLyricalBalladsandendedin1832whenWalterScottdied.RomanticismwasineffectarevoltoftheEnglish__imaginationagainsttheneoclassicalreasonChildeHarold'Pslgrimagecontainsfourcantos,whichiswrittenintheSpenserianstanza.ItteemswithallkindsofrecognizablefeaturesofRomanticpoetry.OdetoaNightingaleexpressesthecontrastbetweenthehappyworldofnaturallovelinessandhumanworldofagony.OdeonaGrecianUrnshowsthecontrastbetweenthepermanenceofartandthe_transienceofhumanpassion.9.WaltScottisconsideredas“theatherofthehistoricalnovel"whichopensuptofictiontherichandlivelyrealmofhistory.Themainidearunni