英国文学史选读The-Anglo-Saxon-PeriodPPT课件

PartIITheAnglo-SaxonPeriod(449A.D.-1066A.D.)本章任务让学生了解并掌握以下几个知识点：1.英国盎格鲁-撒克逊时期的文学概况；2.古英语诗歌的分类及特征；3.史诗《贝奥武甫》赏析；4.英语修辞手法头韵、抑言陈述。ContentsII.CharacteristicsofAnglo-SaxonLiteratureAnglo-SaxonPoetryIII.IV.Anglo-SaxonProseV.AssignmentsTheHistoricalBackgroundI.Themakingofthenation: fromthefollowingformula,wecanknowthattheEnglishpeopleare ofamixedblood:      BritonsNormansDanesEnglishAnglesSaxonsJutesI.HistoricalBackgroundThreefamousconquestsTherearethreefamousconquestsintheBritishhistorywhichhaveenormousimpactonBritishliterature.(1)TheRomanConquest(55B.C-410A.D.)(2)TheAnglo-SaxonConquest(449-1066)(3)TheNormanConquest(1066-1485)Ⅱ.CharacteristicsofAnglo-SaxonLiteratureThereweretwoliterarydivisions:onewaspaganandtheotherwasreligious.Andthemainliteraryformsarepoetryandprose,andpoetrywasinoralform.Threecharacteristics:1.  Anglo-Saxonliteratureisalmostaverseliteratureinoralform.Itwasonlygivenawrittenformlongafteritscomposition.2. TherearetwogroupsofEnglishpoetryinAnglo-Saxonperiod—pagan(世俗诗)andreligious（宗教诗）poetry.Paganpoetrywas representedbyBeowulfwhilereligiouspoetrywasrepresentedbytheworksofCaedmon（凯德蒙）andCynewulf(塞内武甫）.3.  Inthe8thcentury,Anglo-Saxonproseappeared.ThefamousprosewritersofthatperiodwereVenerableBede（比德）andAlfredtheGreat（阿尔弗烈德大王）.Ⅲ.Anglo-SaxonPoetry1.PaganPoetry（世俗诗）Thepaganpoetry,alsocalledsecularpoetry,doesnotcontainanyspecificChristiandoctrineandemphasizesontheharshnessofcircumstanceandthehelplessnessofhumansbeforethepoweroffate.Beowulfistherepresentative.2.ReligiousPoetry（宗教诗）ThereligiouspoetryisalsocalledChristianpoetry.Itismainlyonbiblicalstoriesandsaints’lives.ButsometimesthereisamixtureofChristianandpaganideasinthesepoems.ItisrepresentedbyCaedmonandCynewulf.1.ThePaganPoetry:TheSongofBeowulf《贝奥武甫之歌》i.Introductionii.Significanceof“Beowulf”iii.PoeticFormandFeaturesof“Beowulf”iv.Whatisanepic?TheSongofBeowulfi.IntroductionItscharacters: Beowulf:nephewofHygelacHygelac:kingofYeatsinJutland  Hrothgar:kingoftheDanesGrendel:amonsterGrendel’smother:she-monsterIntroduction2.Itsplot:Beowulf’sfightwiththemonsterGrendelinHrothgar’shall(Heorot)2)Beowulf’sslayingofGrendel’smotherinherlair3)Beowulf’sreturntohisuncle,andhissuccessiontothethrone.     4)Beowulf’svictoryindeath,fiftyyearslater,overthefiredragonTheStoryofBeowulfillustratedbythefollowing14pictures: Hrothgar,kingoftheDanesHeorot(Themeadhall)Grendel,themonsterBeowulfwenttohelpHrothgarThequeenfilledBeowulf'sCupBeowulftoreoffGrendel’sarmandshoulder…Theshe-monsteralmostkilledBeowulf.Beowulffinallysucceeded.Beowulfruledthecountryforabout50years…TheFireDragonguardedthetreasure.Arunawayslavestolethetreasure…BeowulfwenttofightwiththeFireDragon.BeowulffoughtagainsttheFireDragon.Beowulfwaswoundedanddied.Theykilledthedragonandgotthetreasure…ii．Significanceof“Beowulf”Itisthelongest&finestofextantoldEnglishpoems&thenationalepicoftheEnglishpeople.Itsingsoftheexcitingadventuresofagreatlegendaryherowhosephysicalstrengthdemonstrateshishighspiritualqualities,i.e.hisresolutiontoservehiscountry&kinsfolk,histruecourage,courteousconduct,andhisloveofhonor.Inthepoem,Beowulfisstrong,courageous,selfless,andreadytoriskhislifeinordertoridhispeopleofevilmonsters.(Thematically,thispoemshowshowtheprimitivepeoplefightagainsttheforcesofthenaturalworldunderawise&mightyleader.)iii.PoeticFormandFeaturesof“Beowulf”Form:Beowulfwaswritteninalliterativeverse(头韵).Features:(1)Theuseofalliterationisoneofitsmoststrikingfeatures.(Inalliterativeverse,certainstressedwordsinalinebeginwiththesameconsonantsound.Thereare4stressesinalinegenerally,threeortwoofwhichshowalliteration,ascanbeseenfromthelinesfromtheendofthepoem:“ThusmadetheirmourningthemenofGreatland,Fortheirhero’spassing,hishearth-companionsQuoththatofallthekingsofearth,Ofmenhewasthemildestandmostbeloved,Tohiskinthekindest,keenesttopraise.”(Inmoderntranslation)Featuresof“Beowulf”(2)Theuseofcompound-words(kennings)toserveasmetaphors:“Ring-giver”isusedforking,“hearth-companion”forhisattendantwarriors,“swan’sbath”or“whale’sroad”forsea,“sea-wood”forship,thesoldiersarecalled"shield-men";thechieftainsarecalledthe"treasurekeepers";human-bodyisreferredtoas"thebone-house";Godiscalled"wonder-wielder";monsterisreferredtoas"soul-destroyer"，“bird’sjoy”referstothewing,“sky’scandle”referstothesun,etc.(Suchmetaphorsoccuringreatnumbers.)(3)Theuseofunderstatements(抑言陈述)oreuphemism(委婉语)Theuseofunderstatementsgivesanimpressionofreserve,andattimes,atingeofironicalhumor.ThisqualityisoftenregardedasapermanentcharacteristicofEnglish.e.g“nottroublesome”forverywelcome,“neednotpraise”forarighttocondemn,“sword-play”forfighting,“sleeping”or“leavinglife’sfeast”fordeath,etc.（4）ItisnotaChristianbutapaganpoem,despitetheChristianflavorgiventoitbythemonasteryscribe.Itistheproductofalladvancedpagancivilization.Thewholepoempresentsusanall-roundpictureofthetribalsocietyandChristianculture.Thesocialconditionsandcustomscanbeseeninit.Sothepoemhasagreatsocialsignificance.iv.Whatisanepic(史诗)?epic(heroicpoem):anextendednarrativepoeminelevatedordignifiedlanguage,likeHomer’sIliad&Odyssey.Itusuallycelebratesthefeatsofoneormorelegendaryortraditionalheroes.2.TheReligiousPoetryThereligiouspoetryisalsocalledChristianpoetry.Itismainlyonbiblicalstoriesandsaints’lives.ButsometimesthereisamixtureofChristianandpaganideasinthesepoems.ItisrepresentedbyCaedmon（凯德蒙）andCynewulf（塞内武甫）.(1)Caedmon(610-680)CaedmonisthefirstknownreligiouspoetofEngland.HeisknownasthefatherofEnglishsong.HislifestoryisvividlydescribedinBede’sHistoricEcclesiastical（英格兰人教会史）.HisfirstpoemiscalledTheHymnofPraise(赞美诗）.Lateron,Caedmoncomposedmanyotherpoemsbyusingthebiblicalmaterials.(2)Cynewulf(early9thCentury)Cynewulflivedintheearly9thcentury.ExcepttheunknowncomposerofBeowulf,heisregardedasthegreatestAnglo-Saxonpoet.Ofhislifeweknowverylittle.Hewasprobablyanecclesiastic牧师andascholar.Hisnameremainedunknownuntil1840.Cynewulftookhissubjectmatterpartlyfromthechurchliturgy,morelargelyfromthehomiliesofGregorytheGreat.Throughoutthepoem,adeeploveforChristandreverenceforVirginMaryareexpressed.Ⅳ.Anglo-SaxonProseProseliteraturedidnotshowitsappearanceuntilthe8thcentury.Thereweretwofamousprosewriters:VenerableBede,AlfredtheGreat.(1)VenerableBede(673-735)ThemostimportantofhisworksisTheEcclesiasticalHistoryoftheEnglishPeople（英格兰人教会史）.ThebooknotonlytellsushowreligionwasintroducedandspreadinEnglandbutalsorecountssomehistoricaleventsofthatperiodandAnglo-Saxonmythologicallegends.(2)AlfredtheGreat(871-901)AlfredtheGreat,kingofWessexkingdom,isanotherimportantfigureinprosewritingofAnglo-Saxonperiod.Duringhisreign,hetriedeverymeanstoimprovethestateofeducation,suchasfoundingcolleges,andimportingteachersfromEurope.Hewasawell-knowntranslator.HetranslatedsomeimportantLatinworksintoEnglish.Butofhisworks,themostimportantisTheAnglo-SaxonChronicles（盎格鲁-撒克逊编年史）.ThisbookrecordsthemainhappeningsoftheAnglo-Saxonperiod.ItisthebestmonumentoftheOldEnglishprose.V.Assignments1.HowmanygroupsdoestheOldEnglishpoetryfallinto?Whatarethey?2.WhatfeaturesdoesBeowulfhaveinwriting?3.WhatarethemaincharacteristicsofAnglo-Saxonliterature?4.WhatisAlfred’smostimportantcontributiontoBritishliterature?参考文献1.李赋宁、何其莘.英国中古时期文学史[M].外语教学与研究出版社，2006.2.王守仁.英国文学选读[M].高等教育出版社，2003.3.刘炳善.英国文学简史[M].河南人民出版社，1993年.4.陈嘉.英国文学史（第一卷）[M].商务印书馆，1998.5.张伯香.英国文学教程（上册）[M].武汉大学出版社，2006.6.吴伟仁，印兵.英国文学史及选读（学习指南）（第一册）[M].中央民族大学出版社，2002.7.陆如刚.英语诗歌欣赏[M].外语教学与研究出版社，2007.