英国文学名词解释大全

《英国文学名词解释大全》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《英国文学名词解释大全（14页珍藏版）》请在装配图网上搜索。

1、名词解释1. Epic (史诗)（appeared in the the Anglo-Saxon Period ）It is a narrative of heroic action, often with a principal hero, usually mythical in its content, grand in its style, offering inspiration and ennoblement within a particular culture or national tradition. A long narrative poem telling about t

2、he deeds of great hero and reflecting the values of the society from which it originated. Epic is an extended narrative poem in elevated or dignified language, like Homers Iliad & Odyssey. It usually celebrates the feats of one or more legendary or traditional heroes. The action is simple, but full

3、of magnificence. Today, some long narrative works, like novels that reveal an age & its people, are also called epic. E.g. Beowulf （ the pagan（异教徒），secular(非宗教旳) poetry） Iliad 伊利亚特，Odyssey奥德赛 Paradise Lost 失乐园，The Divine Comedy神曲2. Romance （传奇）(Anglo-Norman feudal England) Romance is any imaginative

4、 literature that is set in an idealized world and that deals with heroic adventures and battles between good characters and villains or monsters. Originally, the term referred to a medieval (中世纪) tale dealing with the love and adventures of kings, queens, knights, and ladies, and including supernatu

5、ral happenings. Form: long composition, in verse, in proseContent: description of life and adventures of a noble heroCharacter: a knight, a man of noble birth, skilled in the use of weapons; often described as riding forth to seek adventures, taking part in tournaments(骑士比武), or fighting for his lor

6、d in battles; devoted to the church and the king Romance lacks general resemblance to truth or reality. It exaggerates the vices of human nature and idealizes the virtues. It contains perilous (dangerous) adventures more or less remote from ordinary life. It lays emphasis on supreme devotion to a fa

7、ir lady.The Romance Cycles/Groups/DivisionsThree Groupsl matters of Britain Adventures of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table （亚瑟王和他旳圆桌骑士）l matters of France Emperor Charlemagne and his peers l matters of Rome Alexander the Great and the attacks of TroyLe Morte DArthur （亚瑟王之死）Class Nature

8、 (阶级性) of the RomanceLoyalty to king and lord was the theme of the romances, as loyalty was the corner-stone（the most important part基石）of feudal morality.The romances were composed not for the common but for the noble, of the noble, and by the poets patronized（supported 庇护,保护） by the noble.3. Allite

9、ration（押头韵）: a repeated initial(开头旳) consonant(协调,一致) to successive(持续旳) words. e.g. 1.To his kin the kindest, keenest for praise. 2.Sing a song of southern singer4. Understatement（低调陈述）（for ironical humor）not troublesome: very welcomeneed not praise: a right to condemn5. Chronicle编年史（a monument of

10、Old English prose）6. Ballads （民谣）（The most important department of English folk literature ）Definition: A ballad is a narrative poem that tells a story, and is usually meant to be sung or recited in musical form.An important stream of the Medieval folk literatureFeatures of English Ballads1. The bal

11、lads are in various English and Scottish dialects.2. They were created collectively and revised when handed down from mouth to mouth.3. They are mainly the literature of the peasants, and give an outlook of the English common people in feudal society.Stylistic （风格上） Features of the Ballads1. Compose

12、d in couplets （相连并押韵旳两行诗,对句） or in quatrains （四行诗） known as the ballad stanza （民谣诗节 ）, rhyming abab or abcb, with the first and third lines carrying 4 accented syllables （重读音节） and the second and fourth carrying 3. 2. Simple, plain language or dialect （方言，土语） of the common people with colloquial （口语

13、旳，会话旳）, vivid and, sometimes, idiomatic （符合本地语言习惯旳） expressions3. Telling a good story with a vivid presentation around the central plot.4. Using a high proportion of dialogue with a romantic or tragic dimension （方面） to achieve dramatic effect. Subjects of English Ballads1. struggle of young lovers2

14、. conflict between love and wealth3. cruelty of jealousy4. criticism of the civil war5. matters of class struggle7. Heroic couplet （英雄双韵体）（introduced by Geoffrey Chaucer）Definition: the rhymed couplet of iambic pentameter; a verse form in epic poetry, with lines of ten syllables and five stresses, i

15、n rhyming pairs. 英雄诗体/英雄双韵体：用于史诗或叙事诗，每行十个音节，五个音部，每两行押韵。8. couplet（两行诗，对句）: Two consecutive lines of poetry that rhyme.A heroic couplet is an iambic pentameter couplet. During the Restoration period and the 18th C. it was a popular verse form. 9. iambic pentameter: A poetic line consisting of five Ve

16、rse feet (penta- is from a Greek word meaning “five”), with each foot an iamb- that is, an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable.10. Rhyme（韵，押韵）: the repetition (反复) of sounds in two or more words or phrases that appear close to each other in a poem. E .g . river/shiver, song/long11. m

17、eter (格律) （属于Prosody prsd（韵文学;诗体学；(某语言旳)韵律(学)）: A generally regular pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables（音节） in poetry. The meters with two-syllable feet are:Iambic (x /)（抑扬格）: That time of year thou mayst in me beholdTrochaic (/ x)（扬抑格）: Tell me not in mournful numbersSpondaic (/ /)（扬扬格）: B

18、reak, break, break/ On thy cold gray stones, O Sea!The meters with three-syllable feet are:anapestic (x x /)（抑抑扬格）: And the sound of a voice that is stilldactylic (/ x x)（强弱格，长短格，扬抑抑格）: This is the forest primeval, the murmuring pines and the hemlock (a trochee replaces the final dactyl)12. Rhythm（节

19、奏，韵律）（属于Prosody prsd（韵文学;诗体学；(某语言旳)韵律(学)）： refers to the regular recurrence（反复，重现） of the accent（重读） or stress in poem or song. e.g. the rhythm of day and night, the seasonal rhythm of the year, the beat of our hearts, and the rise and fall of sea tides, etc.basic patterns of rhythmsa)Iambic foot (i

20、ambaimb)（抑扬格）: an unstressed syllable followed by an stressed one as in the word “prevent” or “about” Its time the children went to bed. Well learn a poem by Keats.b)Trochaic trukeiik foot (trochee truki:)（扬抑格）: a stressed syllable followed by an unstressed one as in “football”, “never”, “happy” or

21、“English” William Morris taught him English. Double, double, toil and trouble. Fire burns and cauldron bubble.c)Anapestic foot (anapest npi:st)（抑抑扬格）: two unstressed syllables followed by a stressed one as in “comprehend” or “intervene” Ive been working in China for forty years.d)Dactylic foot (dact

22、yl)（强弱格，长短格，扬抑抑格）: a stressed syllable followed by two unstressed ones as in “dangerous”, “cheerfully”, “yesterday” or “merrily” 13Common line lengths:number of feet per line one foot monometer mnmit (rare)（单音部） two feet dimeter dimit (二步) three feet trimester trimit(三步) four feet tetrameter tetrmit

23、(四步) five feet pentameter pentmit(五步) six feet hexameter heksmit seven feetheptameter heptmit (rare) eight feetoctameter ktmit (rare)14Line patterns: Couplet（相连并押韵旳两行诗,对句）: 2 lines rhyming with each other A heroic couplet is an iambic pentameter couplet.Tercet t:sit（三行押韵诗句,三拍子）: 3 lines, terza rima

24、(aba, bcb, cdc, ded)Quatrain kwtrein（四行诗）: 4 lines, ballad stanza (abcb)Octave ktv, -,tev（八行诗）: 8 lines, ottava rima (abababcc)Spenserian stanza （斯宾塞诗节）: 9 lines (ababbcbcc) （The Faerie Queene（仙后）Sonnet （十四行诗）: 14 lines (Shakespearean: ababcdcdefefgg)l Example: She walks in beauty, like the night of

25、 cloudless climes and starry skies; And all thats best of dark and bright Meet in her aspect and her eyes: Thus mellowd to that tender light Which heaven to gaudy day denies1. Foot and length: Iambic tetrameter2. Rhyme (scheme): ababab15Humanism1) Humanism is the essence of the Renaissance. Accordin

26、g to humanists, human beings were glorious creatures capable of individual development in the direction of perfection and the world can be questioned, explored and enjoyed. 2) By emphasizing the dignity of human beings and the importance of the present life, in contrast to the medieval emphasis on G

27、od and contempt for the things of this world, they voiced their beliefs that man did not only have the right to pursue happiness of this life, but had the ability to perfect himself and to perform wanders. 16. Drama1. Definition Drama is “a composition in prose or verse, adapted to be acted upon a s

28、tage, in which a story is related by means of dialogue and action, and is represented with accompanying gesture, costume, and scenery, as in real life.”2. The Development of Drama1. Religious Period 1) Mystery plays presented stories from the Old and New Testament of the Bible. Creation of the World

29、, the Fall, the Great Flood, Redemption, Final Judgment, etc. The birth of the Christchild symbolized hope in the darkness of winter; Christs resurrection（复活） accorded with the earths renewal in spring, and the promise of harvest at midsummer. 2) Miracle plays （奇迹剧） Dramatizing（将-改编成剧本） the lives an

30、d miracles of saints, or divine intervention (神旳干预，介入) in human affairs, that is, stories from the lives of saints. Often focused on blessed virgin Mary3) Morality plays （道德剧） Presenting stories containing abstract（抽象旳） virtues and vices （美德和恶习）as characters. They were plays which had a moral messag

31、e: Good and Evil fight for domination（统治） of the human soul. Everyman, the best example, is the story of a character representing mankind. 2. Artistic Period The first Comedy, Ralph Roister Doister拉尔夫罗伊斯特多伊斯特written by the schoolmaster, Nicholas Udall between 1550 and 1553 The first English tragedy,

32、 Gorboduc written in 1561 by Thomas Sackville and Thomas Norton 3. Elements of drama 1. Plot (情节) The structure of a plays action, the order of the incidents, their arrangement and form.2. Character(人物): the vital center of a play How they look, what they say and in what manners they say; what they

33、do and how their actions reveal who they are and what they represent The human qualities are the most engaging feature. 3. Dialogue(对白) Drama is described as “persons moving about on stage using words.” Major functions of Dialogue: to advance the plot, to establish setting, and to reveal character.4

34、. Staging(舞台设计) Things like positions of actors, nonverbal gestures and movements, scenic background, props and costumes, lighting and sound effects5. Theme(主题): the central idea of the play.4. Dramatic Terms 1. Script(脚本): the written work from which a drama isproduced. It contains stage directions

35、 and Dialogue2. Stage Directions(舞台指引): notes provided by the playwright to describe how something should be presented or performed on stage3. Monologue(独白): a long speech given by an actor4. Soliloquy(独白): a speech given by a character who is alone (or thinks he is alone) on stage5. Aside(旁白): a st

36、atement intended to be heard by the audience or by a single other character but not by all the other characters on stage 6. Act(幕): a major division of a drama7. Scene(场): a division of an act. A scene typically begins with the entrance of one or more characters and ends with the exit of one or more

37、 characters.17. Comedy(喜剧)（Drama form）A play written chiefly to amuse its audience by appealing to a sense of superiority over the characters depicted. A comedy will normally be closer to everyday life than a tragedy, and will explore common human failings rather than tragedys disastrous crimes. Its

38、 ending will usually be happy for the leading characters. E.g. （莎士比亚）Romantic Comedies（the overcoming the obstacle of love）: As You Like It(皆大欢喜), A Midsummer Nights Dream, The Twelfth Night, & The Merchant of Venice（威尼斯商人）18. Tragedy（Drama form） A serious play or novel representing the disastrous d

39、ownfall of a central character, the protagonist. According to Aristotle, the purpose is to achieve a catharsis through incidents arousing pity and terror. The tragic effect usually depends on our awareness of admirable qualities in he protagonist, which are wasted terribly in the fated disaster. E.g

40、. （莎士比亚）Great Tragedies（四大悲剧）（explores the faults/weaknesses of humans）: Hamlet, Othello, King Lear& Macbeth19. dramatic Romance (tragi-comedy)（悲喜剧）（莎士比亚）（Drama form）: Romances focus on the separation and reunion of families rather than love and marriage. Endings were characterized by homecoming, re

41、cognition, reconciliation, and forgiveness. The romances are set in mythical worlds where supernatural and magic and unlikely coincidences are commonplace.E.g. Pericles波里克利斯, Cymbeline辛柏林, The Winters Tale冬天旳故事, The Tempest暴风雨20. Monologue（长篇独白） An extended speech uttered by one speaker, either to o

42、thers or alone. Significant varieties include the dramatic monologue (a kind of poem in which the speaker is imagined to be addressing a silent audience), and the soliloquy (in which the speaker is supposed to be “overheard（偷听，无意中听到）” while alone).21. Soliloquy A dramatic speech delivered by one cha

43、racter speaking aloud while under the impression of being alone. The soliloquist thus reveals his or her inner thoughts and feelings to the audience, either in supposed self-communion（自我反省） or in a consciously direct address（演说，演讲）. It is also known as interior monologue.内心独白22. The basic plot of th

44、e play ( Freytags pyramid ) 1. Exposition (论述，解说，阐明): provides the background information needed to properly understand the story, such as the protagonist, the antagonist, the basic conflict, and the setting. 2. Rising action（发展）: during rising action, the basic internal（内部） conflict is complicated（

45、复杂） by the introduction of related secondary conflicts, including various obstacles that frustrate the protagonists attempt to reach his goal. 3. Climax（高潮）: the turning point, which marks a change, for the better or the worse, in the protagonists affairs. If the story is a comedy, things will have

46、gone badly for the protagonist up to this point; now, the tide, so to speak, will turn, and things will begin to go well for him or her. If the story is a tragedy, the opposite state of affairs will ensue, with things going from good to bad for the protagonist.4. Falling action: during the falling a

47、ction, or resolution, which is the moment of reversal（反向，倒转，转变，颠倒） after the climax, the conflict between the protagonist and the antagonist unravels, with the protagonist winning or losing against the antagonist. The falling action might contain a moment of final suspense, during which the final ou

48、tcome of the conflict is in doubt. 5. Dnouement, resolution, or catastrophe: comprises events between the falling action and the actual end of the drama or narrative and thus serves as the conclusion of the story. Conflicts are resolved, creating normality for the characters and a sense of catharsis

49、, or release of tension and anxiety, for the reader.The comedy ends with a dnouement (a conclusion) in which the protagonist is better off than at the storys outset. The tragedy ends with a catastrophe in which the protagonist is worse off than at the beginning of the narrative. In Shakespeares trag

50、edies, the dnouement is usually the death of one or more characters. 23. Dramatic irony (戏剧性挖苦) Dramatic irony: the words or acts of a character may carry a meaning unperceived by the character but under-stood by the audience. Examples of dramatic irony in Romeo and Juliet Before Romeo drinks the po

51、ison, he observes that Juliet looks as though she were alive. Romeo is cheerful because of a dream, but his hopes are quickly dashed by Balthasars news of Juliets death.24. Blank Verse （无韵诗） Unrhymed lines of iambic pentameter. It is a very flexible English verse form which can attain rhetorical gra

52、ndeur（雄伟，壮观） while echoing the natural rhythms of speech. It was first used by Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, and soon became a popular form for narrative and dramatic poetry. Marlowe, Shakespeare, Milton, Wordsworth, Tennyson, Stevens and Robert Frost are fond of this form.25. SonnetA sonnet is a ly

53、ric poem comprising 14 rhyming lines of equal length: iambic pentameter in English, hendecasyllables hen,deksilbl（十一音节） in Italian, and alexandrines.liz:ndrain（亚历山大诗行） in French. 1. The Italian/Petrarchan（彼得拉克） sonnet It is named after Francesco Petrarch (1304-1374), the Italian poet. The 14 lines b

54、reak into an octave (or octet) of 2 quatrains, rhymed abbaabba (rhymed sometimes abbacddc or even abababab); and a sestet, usually rhymed cdecde or cdcdcd. 2. The English/Shakespearean sonnet It was introduced into English poetry in the early 16th century by Sir Thomas Wyatt (1503-1542). It consists

55、 of 3 quatrains and a final couplet, rhyming abab cdcd efef gg. An important variant is the Spenserian sonnet,which links the 3 quatrains by rhyme, rhyming abab bcbc cdcd ee. （quatrain: 四行诗 (每节四行,韵律一般为abab或abba)）26. Allegory（寓言） A story with a double meaning: a primary or surface meaning, and a seco

56、ndary or under-the-surface meaning A story that can be read, understood and interpreted at two levels Two levels of allegory One level examines the moral, philosophical and religious values and is represented by the Red Cross Knight, who stands for all Christians. The second level is the particular,

57、 which focuses on the political, social, and religious conflicts in the then English society. 27. Types of poetry1) Narrative poetry epic, romance, and balladThe stress is on action, e.g. to tell stories and describe actions;2) Lyric poetryElegies eldi:（挽歌）, odes（颂诗，颂歌）, sonnets, epigraphs epir:f （铭

58、文, 碑文）, etc.To combine speech and song to express feelings in varying degrees of verbal（口头旳，言语旳） music.28. essay（散文，随笔）As a form of literature, the essay is a composition of moderate length, usually in prose, which deals in an easy way with the external conditions of a subject, and, in strictness, w

59、ith that subject, only as it affects the writer.1. Purpose: Essays is intended for the ambitious Elizabethan and Jacobean youth of upper class, to tell them how to be efficient and make their way in public life.2. Writing style: four prominent qualities: preciseness, directness, tenseness, forcefuln

60、ess3. Bacons essays Bacon offers his views on a whole smorgasbord of topics ranging from Truth, Death, Adversity, Marriage & the Single Life, Love, Boldness, Superstition, Friendship, Health, Ambition, Youth, Beauty to Anger & Fame. 4. Features of Bacons essays Bacons essays are the first example of

61、 that genre in English literature and have been recognized as an important landmark in the development of English prose. The essays are famous for the pithy aphoristic style, which he had defended in principle in The Advancement of Learning as proper for the expression of tentative opinions. E.g. Es

62、says 培根论文集 “Of Studies” “Of Wisdom” “Of Death” “Of Friendship” “Of Travel”, etc.29. Metaphysical(形而上学，超自然，纯哲学) PoetsMETAPHYSICAL POETS refer to a school of poets at the beginning of the 17th century England who wrote under the influence of John Donne. The works of the Metaphysical poets are characterized, generally speaking, by mysticism in content and fantasticality in form. The most eminent poets are John Donne, George Herbert & Andrew Marwell.30. Metaphysical