英美文学名词解释

TermsDefinition01.Romanticism(P211)EnglishRomanticismisgenerallydefinedtobeginin1798withthepublicationofWilliamWordsworthandSamuelTaylorColeridge’sLyricalBalladsandendin1832withWalterScott’sdeath.Romanticistsplacetheindividualatthecenterofartandmakeliteraturemostvaluableasanexpressionofhisorheruniquefeelingsandparticularattitudesandmakeitsaccuracyaportrayingtheindividual’sexperiences.02.Aestheticism(P367)AestheticismbegantoprevailinEuropeatthemiddleofthe19thcentury.Thetheoryof“artforart’ssake”wasfirstputforwardbytheFrenchpoetTheophileGautier(1811-1872).Aestheticism,aculturalphenomenonof“findesiele”inEurope,wasakindofescapisminessence.ThetwomostimportantrepresentativesofaestheticistsinEnglishliteratureareWalterPaterandOscarWilde.03.Neo-Romanticism(P365)Neo-Romanticism,asaliterarytrend,prevailedattheendofthe19thcentury.Dissatisfiedwiththedrabanduglysocialrealityandyettryingtoavoidthepositivesolutionoftheacutesocialcontradictions,somewritersadoptedthisnewtrendwhichlaidemphasisupontheinventionofexcitingadventuresandfascinatingstoriestoentertainthereadingpublic.Stevensonwasarepresentativeofneo-romanticisminEnglishliterature.04.Naturalism(P364)NaturalismisaliterarytrendprevailinginEurope,especiallyinFranceandGermany,inthesecondhalfofthe19thcentury.Accordingtothetheoryofnaturalism,literaturemustbe“truetolife”andexactlyreproducereallife,includingallitsdetailswithoutanyselection.Naturalistwritersusuallywriteaboutthelivesofthepoorandoppressed,orthe“slumlife”,butbygivingallthedetailsoflifewithoutdiscrimination,theycanonlyrepresenttheexternalappearanceinsteadoftheinneressenceofreallife.05.Spenserianstanza(P226P43)Spenserianstanza,a9-linestanzarhymedɑbɑbbcbcc,inwhichthefirsteightlinesareiniambicpentameterwhiletheninthlineiniambichexameterthatisalsocalledanalexandrine.ItcanbeshowninByron’sChildeHarold’sPilgrimage,EdmundSpenser’sTheFaerieQueene,andRobert Burns’sThe Cotter's Saturday Night.06.Byronicheroes(P224)Byronicheroesaremenwhohavefierypassionsandunbendingwillandexpressthepoet’sownidealoffreedom.Theseheroesriseagainsttyrannyandinjustice,buttheyaremerelylonefightersstrivingforpersonalfreedomandsomeindividualisticends.07.CriticalRealism(P276)Englishcriticalrealismflourishedinthefortiesandintheearlyfiftiesofthe19thcentury.ThecriticalrealistsdescribedwithmuchvividnessandgreatartisticskillthechieftraitsoftheEnglishsocietyandcriticizedthecapitalistsystemfromademocraticviewpoint.Theynotonlygaveasatiricalportrayalofthebourgeoisieandalltherulingclasses,butalsoshowedprofoundsympathyforthecommonpeople.Buttheydidn’tfindawaytoeradicatesocialevilsanddidn’trealizethenecessityofchangingthebourgeoissociety.08.TheChartistMovement(P272)TheChartistMovementappearedfirstinLondonandthenspreadtotheindustrialNorthduringthelatethirtiesofthe19thcentury.Theworkersdecidedtostartgreatdemonstrations,evenageneralstrikeafterthePetitionwasrejectedbyEnglishgovernment,afterthat,whosenttroopstoforcethestrikerstowork.Thoughitfailed,ChartismsignifiedthefirstgreatpoliticalmovementoftheproletariatinEnglishhistory.TheChartistpoetry,heroicandrevolutionary,playedanimportantroleinthedevelopmentofEnglishprogressiveliteratureinconnectionwiththeworkingclassmovement.