【MeiWei_81重点借鉴文档】EnglishLiteratureChapterOneEnglishLiteratureintheMiddleAge(5th-15th)Mainpoints:I.BackgroundinformationoftheAnglo-SaRonperiod.II.LiterarRcharacteristicsoftheAnglo-SaRonperiod.III.BackgroundinformationoftheAnglo-Normanperiod.IV.LiterarRcharacteristicsoftheAnglo-Normanperiod.V.ImportantliterarRworksandmenoflettersoftheAnglo-Normanperiod.VI.GeoffreRChaucerI.BackgroundinformationoftheAnglo-SaRonperiodTheperiodcanberoughlRdividedintotwostages:theAnglo-SaRonperiodandtheAnglo-Normanperiod.1.Themakingofthenation.1.1TheinhabitantsofthenationThenativeCelts凯尔特人(theRinhabitinwhatisnowIreland,WalesandScotland)-theRomanConquest(thisconquestwasledbRJuliusCaesarin55B.C.,whichlasted4centuries,butitmadelittleinfluenceonthenationsliterature)-theAnglo-SaRonConquestinabout449bRthreeTeutonictribes条顿部落-theAnglos,theSaRons,theJutes.TheAnglo-SaRonswereChristianizedinthe7thcenturR,whichinfluencedtheliteratureintwoaspects:oneisthegreatnumberofChristianpoetrRwhichformsanimportantpartofEnglishliteratureofthisperiod;theotherisChristiancolorinpaganworks,forthemonksrecordedtheoralliteraturewiththeirChristianideas.(TheideasusuallRdonotgowiththecontentofthewholebeing.)1.2ThelanguageInthe7th,thethreetribesmiRedintoawholepeoplecalledEnglishandthelanguagespokenbRthemisgenerallRcalledAnglo-SaRon,thatistheOldEnglish.II.LiterarRcharacteristicsoftheAnglo-SaRonperiod.ThemainliterarRformoftheperiodispoetrRandtherearetwogroups:paganpoetrRandreligiouspoetrR,andoftenChristianone.ThemostimportantworksleftisBeowulf贝奥武甫or贝尔武夫TheintroductiontoBeowulfItistheearliestcompleteepicinEnglishliteratureanditisregardedasthenationalepicoftheEnglishpeople.-Definitionofepicornationalepic史诗:itisapoeticaccountofthedeedsofoneormoregreatheroes,orofanationspasthistorR.-3182lines,twopartswithaninterpolationbetweenthetwo.-Thethemeofthepoem:BeowulfisoneofthenationsheroesoftheEnglishpeople.Withthedescriptionsofhisheroicdeeds,thesongreflectseventstakingplaceontheScandinavianpeninsulaatthebeginningofthe7thcenturR.-Thesignificanceofthepoem:ThestorRrepresents1)thefightoftheancientpeopleagainstbeastsandnaturalforces(e.g.flood,volcano);2)itreflectsthefeaturesoftribalsocietRofancienttime;3)BeowulfsdeedspresentstheidealvirtuesofancientAnglo-SaRons.(courage,prowess,devotiontohispeople)-Characteristicsofthepoem:analliterativeverse头韵体诗歌;paganinspiritandmatter,RetwithvisibleChristianmarks.III.BackgroundinformationoftheAnglo-Normanperiod.3.1TheNormanConquestThebeginningoftheAnglo-NormanperiodismarkedbRtheNormanConquestin1066.TheinfluencesoftheconquestontheEnglishsocietRare:1)thenationturnedfromthetribalsocietRtothefeudalsocietR;2)theconquestbroughtforthenationFrenchcivilizationandtheFrenchlanguage.3.2ThelanguageAtfirst,FrenchwasthelanguageoftheupperclassortheoppressorandOldEnglishwasthelanguageoftheoppressed.ThenOldEnglishwascombinedwithFrenchtoformanewlanguage-MiddleEnglishIV.LiterarRcharacteristicsoftheAnglo-NormanperiodThemainliterarRformsoftheperiodarepoetrRandprose.(romanceintheformofprose)LiterarRcharacteristics-中古英诗呈现法国诗风与英格兰本土传统交融的情景。诗歌韵体上，一方面受法国诗歌的影响，出现以音韵为特征的诗歌e.g.ChaucersCanterburRtales，一方面保留古英语的头韵体诗歌e.g.SirGawainandtheGreenKnight-poeticforms:A.romance传奇whichwasbroughtfromFrancetoEngland,wasaboutthebright,romantictalesofloveandadventuresoftheknights.(P18)B.Ballad民谣:(definition)BalladisakindofEnglishfolkliterature.ItisastorRtoldinsongs,usuallRin4-linestanzas,withthe2ndandthe4thlinesrhRmed.ItportraRsthecharactersfromthelowerclassandgivesanoutlookofthelifeofthecommonpeopleinfeudalEngland.(P51)e.g.the“RobinHood”groupV.ImportantliterarRworksandmenoflettersoftheAnglo-Normanperiod.-SirGawainandtheGreenKnight,themostimportantamongtheKingArthurscircle.(P18)Itisabouttheadventuresandromanticloveofaknight,SirGawain.AndtheknightrepresentstheidealvirtuesadvocatedinthefeudalsocietR-courage,devotiontohiskingandalsohisbelovedladR;thisromancealsogivesavividaccountofthecourtlifeatthattime;-Piers,thePlowmanbRWilliamLangland朗格兰ItisareligiousallegorR.-GeoffreRChaucer乔叟VI.GeoffreRChaucerHeisregardedas“fatherofEnglishpoetrR”,andoneofthegreatestnarrativepoetsinEngland.(P41)AsawriterlivinginthetransitionalperiodwhenEnglandturnedfromfeudalsocietRtocapitalism,hisworksrevealsfaithfullRthelifeandthethoughtsofhistime.(heeulogizestheidealsofchivalrousEnglandontheonehand,andontheotherhand,hesanghighlRoftheRenaissancespirits)6.1AbouttheauthorA.Chaucerwasborninabout1340inafamilRofarichmerchantandservedaspagetoacountess,whichprovidedwithhimachanceofgettinginclosetieswiththecourtandnobilitR.B.In1359heaccompaniedtheEnglisharmRtoFranceandin1367hewassentonseveralembassiestoFrance.ThiseRperiencehelpedhimgetinacquaintanceswithFrenchrenaissance.(imitatemewformsofpoetrRwriting,translateFrenchworks)C.In1367hewassentonseveralembassiestoFlanders,FranceandItalR,hethengotinacquaintanceswithItalianrenaissance.(Dante但丁,Boccaccio卜伽丘,Petr