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 History and Anthology of English Literature Book 1
Teaching Notes
Lecture One
1. What is literature? In English, we use the word in at least two different senses: Very often it simply means anything that is written: timetables, catalogues, text-books, travel brochures (booklet/ pamphlet). In this broad sense, an account of yesterday’s football match or an advertisement of soap powder, is as much literature as the Dialogues of Plato or the novels of D. H. Lawrence. But when we talk about English literature as we do in this course, we are using the word in a different, and perhaps more serious sense. Here we may agree that literature is writing which expresses & communicates thoughts, feelings & attitudes towards life. But someone may ask: what about advertisements, travel booklets, etc? They certainly seem to be expressing thoughts & feelings & attitudes, yet they are not literature in the sense in which we have how decided to use the word. This is because they lack one of the qualities that make serious literature so different from advertising or journalism. The quality, I have in mind, is permanence. Such things as journalism, advertising, & even works of information are “here today & gone tomorrow”, but literature is intended to last. To summarize what has been said, we may now say that literature is a permanent expression in words of some thoughts or feelings or ideas about life & the world.
2. What is the usefulness of studying (English) Literature?
(1) Increasing one’s knowledge English literature is a mirror to the social life at different stages of English history. It is a general expression of the ideas, feelings & aesthetic judgments of writers from different social classes. It is also a direct or indirect & vivid expression of the relationship among people of different social classes, between people & society, people & nature, and the spirit & psychological state of people themselves. Therefore studying English literature, is one of the best ways for us to get a good command of English knowledge. (2) Improving one’s language ability. Generally speaking, all that is best in a language finds expression in its literature. Dictionaries tell us about the spellings, pronunciations & definitions of words. The commonest way to learn the meaning of a word is to look it up in a dictionary. But dictionaries cannot show all the subtle shades of meaning of a word. The best way to study the meaning of a word is that of learning it between the lines in the works of major writers. For an intimate understanding of the language , we need to read literary works and to think about what we read. An author may contribute in various ways to the enrichment of the language he writes. He may do so directly by introducing new words or new usages of words, or indirectly by bringing those existing forms of expression into a general use among people. Now, let’s take a few examples to show what English writers do for the language. First, the English Bible. Among the literary works that have contributed to the formation of modern English, an important place must be given to the English Bible. The translation of the English Bible lasted for 300 years & resulted in the monumental work of the Authorized Version (A.V.) or King James Version in 1611. The translators of the Bible have given to the English language many beautiful words or word-combinations, such as “helpmate”, “peace-maker”, “tender mercy”, “loving kindness” & “long suffering”. Even the indispensable word “beautiful” is brought into general use by a translator of the Bible in the early 16th century. Mary Bible phrases have become English idioms which are often used with no knowledge of their origin, such as “to cast pearls before swine”, “a labour of love”, “the shadow of death”, “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth” , “(at) the eleventh hour”, etc.. William Shakespeare also has had a very great influence on the English language. He has not only added a large number of new words to the literary vocabulary of the English language, but also woven a great amount of phrases into the texture of the whole English literature & daily speech. A multitude of Shakespearean usages & expressions, such as “a heaven-kissing hill”, “one’s pound of flesh”, and “to wear one’s heart on one’s sleeve”, etc. may be regarded as “household words” of the English language. One Shakespearean phrase, “to out-Herod Herod”, has not only become the model after which a large number of other expressions have been formed to express the notion of surpassing or exceeding somebody in something.” To out-Milton Milton” and “to out-Darwin Darwin” are two of the well-known examples. The English Bible & Shakespeare are the two most notable examples to show the great influence of English literature on the English language. Almost the same thing has been done by such great writers as Milton, Swift, Defoe, Dickens & Bernard Shaw. That is why we cannot study the English language without learning English literature which has woven itself into the whole texture of the English tongue. The literature of a nation always shows best what its language can do when it is well used. In learning a language, we should cultivate a feeling for good language. Such a feeling can best be trained by the reading of literature that matters. (3) Training one’s thinking. (4) Fostering one’s connoisseurship (the ability to appreciate a work of art) (5) Exerting a favorable influence on a person’s feeling or character (or making us be better people; in other words., English literature is something from which we get moral education) (6) Enjoying oneself. (7) Enabling one to get more education or to appear well educated. etc.
3. The Objectives of this course
(1)Enable the students to get a general idea about the development or history of English literature; (2) Enable the students to get a general idea about the major genres of English literature in different times, and also the major works of major authors; (3) Cultivate the literary taste of the students. (4) Enrich the students’ knowledge. (5)Foster the students’ abilities of study. 4. Requirements for the students to take this course. (1) Get the following books as your supplementary readings: Liu Binshan eds.A Short History of English Literature (New Revised Edition), Henan People's Press，1993. Chen Jia eds. Selected Reading in English Literature (In Three Volumes), The Commercial Press, 1984. ChenJia eds. A History of English Literature (In Four Volumes), The Commercial Press, 1984. Wang Shouren eds. Selected Readings in British Literature, The Higher Education Press, 2001. 杨岂深、孙铢主编：《英国文学选读》（1-3册），上海译文出版社，1981-1983年。 罗经国编著《新编英国文学选读》（上、下），北京大学出版社，1996年5月第一版。 李公昭主编《新编英国文学教程》（上、下）世界图书出版公司，北京公司，1998年1月第1版。 张伯香主编《英国文学教程》（修订版上、下），武汉大学出版社，2006年5月。 常耀信著《英国文学简史》（英文版）南开大学出版社，2006年1月第一版。 (2) Read the untaught texts in the textbooks by yourself. (for we have only two periods of class for this course each week , it’s impossible for us to study all the texts in these 2 volumes in the limited class time). (3) Preview each chapter or unit carefully & make sure that you have been familiar with the introductory part of the chapter or unit to be discussed before you come to the class (For usually, we don’t go over the introductory words in the text in class. Instead, I usually supply you with more information on the topic to be discussed. This doing is based on the supposition that you are familiar with the text. If you are not familiar with the information given in the text, you can’t follow me) (4) Prepare a notebook & take notes in class. (5) Be attentive & responsive in class. (6) Review after class what you have learnt in class & try to find relevant books or magazines to read, so that you may have a better understanding of the text or the studied authors. (7) Try to read in the original. (8) Mind your attendance in class (your showing & exercises-oral & written-, will account 30% of your final score of this course) (9) Self-study some books about literature & get some common sense about literature. This will help you get a better understanding of the text. (10) Last, but not the least, find your favorite author or authors & have a special study of them. This is helpful for your future study (also for your graduation thesis).
The Divisions of the History of English Literature
Old English Period (449/600-1066) Middle English Period (1066-1476) Anglo-Norman Age (1476-1340) Age of Chaucer (1340-1400) Fifteenth century (1400-1476) The Period of the Renaissance (1476-1660) Period of Experiment (1476-1579) Age of Shakespeare (1579-1616) Puritan Age (1616-1660) Period of Neo-Classicism (1660-1798) The Romantic Period (1798-1837) The Victorian Period (1837-1901) The Twentieth Century (Roughly speaking, the development of English literature in the 20th century can be divided into 2 stages, that is, literature between the two world wars, and literature after World War II. Three main trends of English literature are worth our attention. They are: Modernism, The Angry Young Men, The Theatre of the Absurd ) [The Angry Young Men: It is a term referring to a group of English young novelists & playwrights with lower-middle-class or working-class background in the mid-1950s & early 1960s. They demonstrated particular disillusionment over the depressing situation in Britain & launched a bitter protest against the outmoded social & political values in their society. They portrayed unadorned working class life in their novels with great freshness & vigor of the working-class language. The term “The Angry Young Men” Came to be widely used only after the publication of John Osborne’s play Look Back in Anger. ]
Lecture Two
The Anglo-Saxon Period 1. About the history: (1) The early inhabitants on the island we now called England were Britons (a tribe of Celts). From the Britons, the island got its name Britain (the land of Britons). The Britons were a primitive people living in the tribal society. (2) In the middle of the 1st century B.C., Roman troops led by Julius Caesar invaded Britain. Then Britain became a Roman province for nearly 400 years. After the fall of the Roman Empire in 410 A.D., the Roman troops withdrew from Britain. About 449, the Teutonic (n.- Teutons ) tribes of Angles, Saxons & Jutes migrated to England from the European Continent, or more specifically from western Denmark & the northwest coast of Germany. They settled down there & soon ruled over the whole of England, enslaving some of the native Celts while driving the others to the hills north & west, to Wales & Scotland & even Ireland across the sea. Thus began the Anglo-Saxon period in English history. (3) The Angles, an important Teutonic tribe, named the new land as Angle-land, afterward shortened into England.
2. Beowulf: the poem and the story The Poem: Beowulf is the greatest Old English poem. It belongs to the 7th century. The poem consists of 3182 lines and is the lst English epic. The name of its author is unknown. Since only a few people (specialists) could read Old English, the poem has been translated into modern English. The prose form of this poem in modern English consists of 43 sections. The division into sections headed by roman numerals is that of the original manuscript, which makes, however, no provision for Section 30 (XXX). In our textbook, 5 sections in modern prose translation are given: I,II, X, XI, XII. The Story: Beowulf, the story of the poem, is not about England, but about Hrothgar, the King of the Danes, and about a brave young man, Beowulf, from southern Sweden, who goes to help the King. Hrothger is in trouble. His great hall, called Heorot, is visited at night by a terrible creature, Grendel, which lives in a lake and comes to kill and eat Hrothgar’s men. One night, Beowulf waits secretly for this thing, attacks it, and in a fierce fight pulls its arm off. It manages to reach the lake again, but dies there. Then its mother comes to the hall in search of revenge, and the attacks begin again. Beowulf follows her to the bottom of the lake and kills her there. It is there, too that he finds the dead body of Grendel. He cuts off the heads of the two monsters and brings the two hairy heads as trophies back to the Danish hall. The triumph is celebrated in feasting and song. Then Beowulf goes home and becomes the king and reigns over his people for 50 years. Then he has to defend his country against a fire-breathing creature (fire dragon). He kills the animal but is badly wounded in the fight, and dies. The poem ends with a sorrowful description of Beowulf’s funeral fire.
4. Significance of Beowulf It is the longest & finest of extant old English poems & the national epic of the English people. It sings of the exciting adventures of a great legendary hero whose physical strength demonstrates his high spiritual qualities, i.e. his resolution to serve his country & kinsfolk, his true courage, courteous conduct, and his love of honour. In the poem, Beowulf is strong, courageous, selfless, and ready to risk his life in order to rid his people of evil monsters. (Thematically, this poem shows how the primitive people fight against the forces of the natural world under a wise & mighty leader)
5. Poetic Form and Features of Beowulf Form: Beowulf was written in alliterative verse. Features: (1) The use of alliteration is one of its most striking features. (In alliterative verse, certain stressed words in a line begin with the same consonant sound. There are 4 stresses in a line generally, three or two of which show alliteration, as can be seen from the lines from the end of the poem (In modern translation): (see example at PP. 6-7 in Book I) (2)The use of compound-words (kennings) to serve as metaphors:
(3) The use of understatements or euphemism The use of understatements gives an impression of reserve, and at times, a tinge of ironical humour. This quality is often regarded as a permanent characteristic of English.
6.What is epic? Epic is an extended narrative poem in elevated or dignified language, like Homer’s Iliad & Odyssey. It usually celebrates the feats of one or more legendary or traditional heroes. The action is simple, but full of magnificence. Today, some long narrative works, like novels that reveal an age & its people, are also called epic. 7.What are the main characteristics of Anglo-Saxon literature? Anglo-Saxon literature or the Old English literature is almost exclusively a verse literature in oral form. It could be passed down by word of mouth from generation to generation. It’s creators for the most part are unknown. It was only given a written form long after its composition. There are two groups of English poetry in Anglo—Saxon period. The first group was the pagan poetry represented by Beowulf. It is the oldest poem in the English language, and the most important specimen of Anglo-Saxon literature, and also the oldest surviving epic in the English language. The second group was the religious poetry represented by the works of Caedmon & Cynewulf. In the 8th century, Anglo-Saxon prose appeared. The famous prose writers of that period were Venerable Bede & Alfred the Great. |
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