2012英美文学史复习备考资料.docVIP

Literature is the art of language, whose major genres are poetry, fiction, and drama. Literature is closely connected with history. If we know nothing of history, it is impossible for us really to understand a literary work.(1) It can reflect life, society, and humanity. It can sing the praises of the true, the good. (2) Literature can expose the dark side of the society, the wickedness of humanity, and the corruption of human civilization. (3) Foreign literature can provide us with knowledge of foreign countries, enlarge our range of knowledge, and enrich our culture. (4) Literature can provide us with delight, and bring us artistic and spiritual enjoyment. (5) Literature can help us solve problems. (6) Literature can improve our humane accomplishments, and make us humane. 1. Old and Medieval English Literature (约5世纪—1485) 2. The English Renaissance (15世纪后期—17世纪初) 3. The 17th Century English Literature 4. The English Enlightenment Literature (17世纪后期—18世纪中期) 5. The Age of Romanticism (1798-1832) 6. The Age of Realism (19世纪30年代—1918) 7. Modern English Literature (1918-1945) 8. Contemporary English Literature (1945- ) A Survey of Old and Medieval Literature (约5世纪—1485) The Making of the Nation The early inhabitants---Britons, a tribe of Celts. mixed blood. “Britain”, the land of Britons. I. Old English Period (also called Anglo-Saxon Period, 450-1066)1. Roman Conquest (前55年-410年） From 55 B. C. to 410 A.D. the British isles were under the rule of Roman empire. Julius Caesar (102-44 B.C.) crossed the Dover Strait in 55 B. C., but Caesar himself only stayed there for a few weeks. Though the Romans built temples, roads, walls, and military camps, they made little influence on the cultural life of Celts. 2. English Conquest (450-1066) About 450 A.D., Angles, Saxons, and Jutes invaded the British Isles. They settled in England, and drove the Celts into Wales, Scotland, and Ireland. The three tribes had mixed into a whole people called English, and the three dialect