,Elizabethan and Jacobean period (15581625),During the reign of Elizabeth I (15581603) and then James I (16031625), in the late 16th and early 17th century, a London- centered culture, that was both courtly and popular, produced great poetry and drama. English playwrights combined the influence of the Medieval theatre with the Renaissances rediscovery.,In 1642, a civil war was broken out between the king and the parliament. All the classes in England divided into two groups. The parliament was supported by the merchants, the workers and the peasants, while the king was supported by the conservative gentry, the big landlords and the monopolists. the kings men were called “Cavaliers” and the parliaments men were called “Roundheads”. In 1649 Charles was sentenced to death and England was declared to be a commonwealth and Cromwell became the leader of the new government.,The Revolution Period is also called the Puritan Age, because the English Revolution was carried out under a religious cloak,In 1653,Cromwell set himself up as an autocratic dictator. The English people began to oppose Cromwell and his government .And this brought about the collapse of the Commonwealth.,Literature Characteristics of the Period,A. The king was the open enemy of the people, and the country was divided by the struggling for political and religious. So literature was as divided into in spirit as were the struggling parties. B. Literature expressed listlessness and sadness. C. In literature of the Puritan Period, we couldnt find any romantic ardor.,At this period, some people used leaflets and small booklets to publish their statements that people should pursue democracy and freedom.,The main literary form of the Period was poetry. Among the poetry, Milton was the greatest. And there were another two groups of poets; the Metaphysical Poets and the Cavalier Poets.,Literature of the 17th century,1. Poetry John Milton Metaphysical Poets 玄学派诗人 Cavalier Poets 骑士派诗人 2. Prose John Bunyan Other prose-writers 3. Drama Restoration Drama John Dryden (1631-1700),1.3 John Milton (1608-1674),Life and literary career Early Life(1608-1640) Education at Cambridge His first work: an ode On the Morning of Christs Nativity（基督诞生晨颂，1629） Horton: LAllegro (快乐的人，1632), Il Penseroso (沉思的人，1632), Lycidas (利西达斯，1638), Comus (科玛斯，1634). 2 years travel in the Continent, returned in 1939,Life and literary career of Milton,20 years as a revolutionary (1640-1660) Worked as the Latin secretary for Cromwell Wrote a number of political pamphlets, including: Areopagitica论出版自由(1644) Defence of the English People (为英国人民辩护，1651), Second Defence of the English People (为英国人民再辩护，1654). Later Life After the restoration, in blindness he completed three great epics with the help of his daughter and some other young men. Paradise Lost失乐园; Paradise Regained复乐园; and Samson Agonistes力士参孙,Metaphysical Poets（玄学派）,It appeared in England at about the beginning of the 17 century. Their poetry diverged from the style of their times, containing neither images of nature nor allusions to classical mythology, as were common, and there are often allusions to scientific or geographical discoveries. There is also a frequent concern with religious subjects in their poetry.,John Donne is the founder of the Metaphysical School. His poems appear in two collections: Songs and Sonnets. In Donnes love poems, there are no flowery images. George Herbert is “The saint of the Metaphysical School “.He thought that a poem should sing the glory of the God. And his chief work is a collection called The Temple.,John Donne (1573-1631),John Donne (1573-1631) is the founder of the Metaphysical School. Donne is famous for his frankness, penetrating realism and cynicism. He emphasizes his thought by fantastic metaphors and extravagant hyperboles.,In subject, his poems show a seemingly unfocused diversity of experience and attitudes, and a free range of feelings and moods. The most striking feature of his poetry is its concern of reality, in the sense that it seems to reflect life in a real rather than a poetical world. Donne frequently applies conceits, and his poetry involves a kind of argument with the brief and simple language.,John Donne (1573-1631),John Donnes masterpiece is Songs and Sonnets歌曲与十四行诗, among which The Sun Rising and The Flea are the two most famous poems. Me it sucked first, and now sucks thee, And in this flea our two bloods mingled be; Thou knowst that this cannot be said A sin, or shame, or loss of maidenhead, . Oh stay, 4 three lives in one flea spare, Where we almost, nay more than married, are. This flea is you and I, and this Our marriage bed and marriage temple is; （From The Flea）,Other metaphysical poets,George Herbert (1593-1633) “the saint of the metaphysical school” 极为虔诚的国教牧师，其诗常有牵强的奇喻，晦涩难懂。有时采取具象诗的形式表现其虔诚。 “The Easter Wing” (具象诗) Andrew Marvell (1621-1678) To His Coy Mistress (及时行乐的思想),Cavalier Poets（骑士派诗歌）,Most of these poets were courti