englishliterature改进版.doc

British Literature
I. Old and Medieval English Literature
II. The Renaissance Period
III. The 17th century English Literature
IV. The Enlightenment Period
V. The Romantic Period
VI. The Victorian Period
VII. The Modern Period
I. Old and Medieval Period(449-1485)
Anglo-Saxon Period (5th century – 1066, the year of the Norman conquest of English )
Beowulf :It is the first long poem in English, which is considered the national epic of the English people. Although Beowulf is a national epic of the English people, but it is a story of the Scandinavians
Anglo – Norman Period (1066-1350)
The most prevailing of literature in the feudal England is Romance.
Romance is a literature form in middle English literature means a position in verse or prose form dealing with the life and adventures of a noble hero, generally a knight. The knights are unfailingly devoted to the king and the church. They monly described as riding forth to seek adventures, involving in a large amount of fighting for their lords and always encountering romantic love affairs. In romances, loyalty to king and lord is repeatedly emphasized. Romance as a form of literature, is the upper class literature.
1).Geoffrey Chaucer(1340-1400) –“the father of English poetry” and “the father of English fiction"
His masterpiece – Canterbury Tale is regarded as one of the monumental works in English literature.
A. Briefly introduce the significance of Chaucer in his Canterbury Tale.
a. His contribution to English literature can be seen in two aspects:
①. Realism:
All kinds of people except the highest (king and the top nobility) and the lowest (the very poor laboring people) are represented by these 30 pilgrims. Besides being the typical representative of her or his own class, each character has her or his own individual qualities. Therefore it gives a true picture of Chaucer’s time.
②. Humanism:
He highly praises man’s energy, quick wit and love of life, thus he reveals his id