发布时间 : 星期三 文章英国文学史及选读复习资料更新完毕开始阅读1a5b864633687e21af45a913
– Areopagitica (Freedom of Press)
? Paradise Lost is Milton‘s masterpiece, and the greatest English epic. It is a long epic in
12 books, written in blank verse. The stories were taken from the Old Testament: the creation, the rebellion in Heaven of Satan and his fellow-angels, their defeat and expulsion from Heaven, the creation of the earth and of Adam and Eve, the fallen angels in hell plotting against God, Satan‘s temptation of Eve and the departure of Adam and Eve from Eden.
? Led by freedom-loving Satan, the rebellious angels rise against God, but in the battle with
the hosts of angels that remain loyal to God they are finally defeated .Satan and his followers are banished from Heaven and driven into hell. But Satan and his adherents are not discouraged. The epic opens with the description of a meeting of the fallen angels in hell. Satan's proud spirit is unyielding. He fearlessly withstands all agonies and passionately strives for revenge and victory.
? Satan chooses for his battlefield the most perfect of spots ever created by God the Garden
of Eden, where live the first man and woman, Adam and Eve, who are allowed by God to enjoy the supreme beauties and bounties of paradises provided that they do not eat the fruit on the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Satan desires to tear them away from the influence of God and make them tools in his struggle against God's authority. ? God learns of his intention, however, and sends the. Arch-angle Raphael to warn Adam
and Eve of Satan's plan. The Archangel reminds them of their vow of obedience and gives a detailed account of Satan's rebellion. Raphael goes on to relate God's creation of heaven and earth, and all living creatures. But on Adam's request for an explanation of the rotation of the celestial bodies ( an echo of Galileo' s sermons), Raphael advises him not to inquire into matters which are irrelevant to him and then leaves the Garden.
? No sooner is Raphael gone than Satan assumes the shape of a serpent and appears before
Eve. He persuades her to break God's command, Eve eats an apple from the forbidden tree and plucks another one for Adam. God sees all this, and Adam and Eve, husband and wife, are both deprived of immortality, exiled from Paradise and doomed to an earthly life full of hardships and sufferings, to eat bread by ―the sweat of the brow\
Features of Milton’s Poetry
? A. Milton is a great revolutionary poet of the 17th century. He is also an outstanding
political pamphleteer of the Revolution period. He dedicated himself to the revolutionary cause. He made a strong influence on the later English poetry. Every progressive English poet since Milton has drawn inspiration from him.
? B. Milton is a great stylist. His poetry has a grand style. That is because he made a
life-long study of classical and Biblical literature. His poetry is noted for sublimity of thought and majesty of expression.
? C. Milton is a great master of blank verse. He is the glorious pioneer to introduce blank
verse into non-dramatic poetry. He has used it as the main tool in his masterpiece Paradise Lost. His blank verse is rich in every poetic quality and never monotonous.
? D. Milton wrote the greatest epic in English literature. He made a strong influence on
later English poetry.
Exercises
1. In the Civil War in England, John Milton ________.
A. lived in France
B. stood on the side of the King
C. worked for the Parliamentary and Puritan causes D. devoted himself to writing poetry
2. The Bible stories were used as source material for the following except ________. A. Paradise Lost B. Paradise Regained C. Samson Agonistes D. Lycidas
3. In Paradise Lost, Milton was unconsciously in sympathy with ________. A. God B. Satan C. Adam D. Eve
大约九天九夜，那是根据人间的计算， 他和他那一伙可怕的徒众， 虽属不死之身，却与死者无异， 沉沦辗转在烈火的深渊中；
这个刑罚却反激起他更深的愤怒，
既失去了幸福，又饱受无尽痛苦的折磨。 当他抬起忧虑的双眼，环顾四周， 伴随他的是莫大的隐忧和烦恼， 交织着顽固的傲气和难消的仇恨。 霎时间，他竭尽天使的目力，
望断天涯，但见悲风弥漫，缥纱无垠， 可怕的地牢从四面八方围着他 像一个洪炉的烈火四射，
但那火焰只是朦朦胧胧的一片，并不发光， 但能辨认出那儿的苦难情景， 悲惨的境地和凄怆的暗影。 和平和安息从不在此驻扎，
希望无所不到，这里却是个例外。 只有无穷无尽的苦难步步相跟 永燃的硫磺不断地添注，
不灭的火焰有如洪水向他们滚滚逼来。
正义之神为那些叛逆者准备的，正是这个地方。 这个在天外的冥荒中为他们设置的牢狱。 那个地方远离天神和天界的亮光， 相当于天极到中心的三倍那么远。 啊，这里和他所从坠落的地方 简直有天壤之别呀！ 和他一起坠落的伙伴们
淹没在烈火的洪流和旋风之中，
他依稀可辨，在他近旁挣扎的， 论权力和罪行都仅次于他的神魔， 后来在巴勒斯坦得知他名叫别西卜。 这个在天上叫做撒旦的首要神敌， 以豪壮的言语打破可怕的沉寂， 这样向他的伙伴说道：
“是你啊；这是何等的坠落！ 何等的变化呀！
你原来住在光明的乐土， 浑身披盖着无比的光辉，
胜过群星的璀璨你曾和我结盟，
同仇敌忾，搏击于光荣的大事业之中。 现在，我们是从高高在上的天界上， 沉沦到了不可测的深渊呀！ 他握有雷霆，确实强大，
谁知道这凶恶的武器竟威力无比呢？ 可是，那强有力的威力，
那胜利者的狂暴，都不能叫我沮丧， 或者叫我改变初衷， 虽然外表的光环消失了，
但不移的信念和岸然的骄矜决不转变； 武力的受损，激动了我，
决心率领无数天军投入剧烈的战斗， 和强权一决高低，
他们都厌恶天神的统治而来拥护我， 拼尽全力同至高的权力抗衡
在天界疆场上做一次冒险的战斗， 震撼了他的宝座。我们损失了什么？ 并不是一无所剩：
坚定的意志、热切的复仇心、不灭的憎恨， 以及永不屈服、永不退让的勇气， 难道还有比这些更难战胜的吗？ 我这份光荣绝不能被夺走， 不管是他的暴怒，还是威力。 经过这一次惨烈的战争， 好容易才使他的政权动摇； 若是这时还要卑躬屈膝，
向他乞求哀怜，拜倒在他的权力之下， 那才真正是卑鄙、可耻， 比这次的沉沦还要卑贱。
因为我们具有与生俱来的神力， 赋有轻清的灵质，不能朽坏， 还因这次事件的教训， 我们要准备更优良的武器，
更高明的远见，更有成功的希望， 以暴力或智力向我们的大敌 挑起不可调解的持久战争。
他现在正沉湎于成功，得意忘形， 独揽大权，在天上掌握虐政呢。”
Lecture 6 18th Century Literature
An Introduction
? Enlightenment Movement ? Neoclassicism
? The Rise of the Novel ? Sentimentalist Enlightenment Movement
The eighteenth century Europe has witnessed one of the greatest events in human civilization---the Enlightenment. The Enlightenment Movement was a progressive intellectual movement that flourished in France and swept though the whole Western Europe at that time. Its purpose was to enlighten the whole world with the light of modern philosophical and artistic ideas. The enlighteners celebrated reason of rationality, equality and science. They also advocated universal education Neoclassicism
The Enlightenment brought about a revival of interest in the old classical works. This tendency is known as neoclassicism. According to neoclassicists, all forms of literature were to be modeled after the works of ancient Greek and Roman writers and those of contemporary French ones. They believed that artistic ideals should be order, logic, restrained emotion and accuracy, and that literature should be judged in terms of its service to humanity. Neoclassicists had fixed laws and rules for almost every genre of literature. Representative Writers of Neoclassical School
? John Dryden was an advocate of Neoclassicism in the late 17th century.
? Alexander Pope was the representative poet of neoclassical school in the early 18th
century.
? Samuel Johnson was the last advocate of Neoclassicism Realistic Fiction
? The summit of eighteenth century English literature is fiction. England produces three
greatest realistic novelists: Daniel Defoe, father of modern novel and the author of Robinson Crusoe; Jonathan Swift, the greatest English satirist and the author of Gulliver’s Travels; and Henry Fielding, the author of Tom Jones.
Sentimentalist Fiction
? Sentimentalist fiction was engraved on psychoanalysis of human mind.
? The representative writers are: Samuel Richardson, the author of Pamela; Laurence
Stern, the author of Tristram Shandy and Oliver Goldsmith, the author of The Vicar of Wakefield.
Sentimentalist poetry
? In the middle of the 18th century, sentimentalism made its appearance. Sentimentalism