欧美文学欣赏a.doc

古代和中世纪的英国文学 Literature of the Anglo-Saxon period —“Beowulf”(贝奥武夫) English literature began with the Anglo-Saxon settlement in England. “Beowulf” is the national epic （史诗 ）of the English people. The whole epic consists of over 3000 lines. It describes the deeds of the Teutonic hero Beowulf. The poem reflects the feature of the tribal society of ancient times. Features of “Beowulf”: the use of alliteration, metaphors and understatements. The Romance（传奇文学） The romance was most prevailing kind of literature in feudal England. It was a long composition, in verse（诗） or prose（散文）, describing the life and adventures of the knight. The theme of loyalty to king and lord was repeatedly emphasized in romances. The romance of King Arthur（亚瑟王 ）is important in the history of English literature. Geoffrey Chaucer (杰弗里. 乔叟） 1、Life ： He was born in 1343 in London.He died in 1400 and was buried in Westminster Abbey（威斯敏斯特教堂 ）, thus founding the “Poets Corner”（诗人角） 2、“Troilus and Criseyde”（特洛伊罗斯与克瑞西达)： It is Chaucer’s longest complete poem (about 8000 lines).The story is taken from a poem by Boccacio (薄伽丘). (法国诗人) “The Canterbury Tales” (1387-1400)(坎特伯雷故事集) It is Chaucer’s masterpiece and one of the monumental works in English literature. Outline of the Story——On a spring evening, the poet, moved by the passion for wandering, drops himself at the Tabard Inn （小旅馆）at the south end of London Bridge. Here he meets 29 pilgrims（朝圣者 ） ready for a journey of 60 miles on horseback to Canterbury. He joins this company. At the suggestion of the host of the inn, they agree to beguile the journey by story-telling. Each to tell 2 stories going and 2 returning. The best story-teller will be treated with a fine supper at the general expense at the end. The host is to be the judge of the contest The Prologue序——The prologue provides a framework for the tales. It contains a group of vivid sketches of typical medieval figures. It provides a miniature缩影of the English society of Chaucer’s time. The Tale