英国文学脉络(北大笔记).doc

English Literature the Middle Ages (medieval period) to 1485 The Old English (to 1066) The Middle English (to 1485) From the collapse of the Roman empire to the Renaissance A period of enormous historical, social and linguistic change. In fact, art and literature flourished during the Middle Ages, rooted in the Christian culture that preserved , transmitted, and transformed classical tradition. The Old English Poetry The bulk of old English literature deals with religious subjects and is mostly drawn from Latin resources. A small amount of secular poetry, including epic poems like Beowulf. The subject matter of his verse is sometimes of great antiquity, concerning the legendary or historical figure who lived before the Anglo-Saxon conquest of England. (e.g. Pagan, Hellenic heroic world) Thus, the heroic world was remote from the Christian world of Anglo-Saxon England. Moreover, the heroic code is difficult to reconcile with christian doctrines such as forgive those that trespass against us. and all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword The poetry is predominantly harsh (e.g struggle in battles) Grave, decorous(serious and polite and elegant) 古英语时期，文学语言很高雅，庄重，远离现实，这不同于中世纪。 文学主题，主要是与宗教题材有关，但也有少量关于世俗生活的。 Not romantic!! P3 (kinship) 思考：最初的国家是以血缘为联结的，看重宗族传承。 The Middle English Period A diversified picture ( language, subject matter, styles, tones) A lighter kind of humor is apt to flash everywhere. The legend of king Arthur 亚瑟王传奇很流行 Romance, like epic, often involves a large amount of fighting against men and monsters; it made liberal use of the improbable, often the supernatural. Unlike epic, romance usually also deals with romantic love; indeed, the themes of love and war are often connected, the heros martial exploits have a direct influence on his love affair. 与史诗相比，“romance”会包含爱情，往往与英勇的行为交织。 (aristocratic and popular) The ethos of many romances, involves the proving of a knights worthiness through noble character and deeds rather th