英国文学课件文本.doc

History and Anthology of English LiteratureAn Course Introduction Warm-up Questions I. What is Literature? Literature refers to the practice and profession of writing. It comes from human interest in telling a story, in arranging words in artistic forms, in describing in words some aspects of human experiences. 2. Literature shows us not only what a society is like in a certain age, but also what people feel about it, what they hope from it, and how they can change it or escape from it. 1. Reading for Pleasure A great writer once said that “the study of literature should begin and end in pleasure.” Apart from its role of education, cognition and aesthetic appreciation, literature primarily gives the reader pleasure. 2. Reading for Relaxation Reading can get readers away to an imaginary world, thus forget their problems and obligations of everyday life. 3. Reading to Acquire Knowledge Reading gives readers an insight into the tradition, custom, belief, attitudes, folklore, values of the age in which it is written. 4. Reading to Confront Experience Literature is appealing mainly because of its relationship to human experiences. It reveals the complexity and ambiguity of human experiences and thus broadens readers’ awareness of the possibilities of human experiences. 5. Reading for Artistic Appreciation Through reading, the readers can clarify, explain and evaluate literature from an aesthetic point of view. They will have a better understanding of its good craftsmanship, the beauty of expression and its form; It can be analyzed according to literary theories and criteria. III. Why is it necessary for you to study English literature? 1. It improves your language proficiency. 2. It enriches your knowledge about the English culture. 3. It helps you explore the nature of human beings. 4. It gives you spiritual and psychological relief. … IV. How to study literature? 1. Analytical Approach Be familiar with such elements of a literary work as plot, character, setting,