英美文学讲座(南开版).ppt

English and American Literature What is Literature? Literature is literally a body of work about a particular subject. ?? What we mean in this case is, “a body of work about what it means to be human.” That is, the specific subject is the human condition. 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. Literature shows us not only what a society is like in a certain age, but also what individuals feel about it, what they hope from it, and how they can change it or escape from it. What are the differences between literary language and non-literary language? (1) Non-literary language is usually “denotative”(直指式的）, it aims at a one-to-one correspondence between sign(符号)and referent(指称对象) or between signifier(能指)and signified(所指) . It aims to meet a practical need of communication, or provide information and findings accurately. What are the differences between literary language and non-literary language? (2) While literary language is highly “connotative”(内涵的）. It is far from merely referential. It is expressive, conveying writer’s feelings, attitudes and tone between the lines; it is ambiguous(多歧义的）, the interpretation varies with context and reader. Four Genres of Literature – Fiction Myths, parables, romances, novels, short stories – Poetry Open form and closed form Relies on imagery, figurative language, sound – Drama Made up of dialogue and set direction Designed to be performed – Prose News reports, feature articles, essays, editorials, textbooks, historical and biographical works An Outline of English Literature I. Old English, or Anglo—Saxon, Era (450-1066) II. Middle English Period (1066-1485) III. The Renaissance Period (1485-early 17th century) IV. The 17th Century V. The 18th Century. VI. The Romantic Age(1789-1837) VII. Englis