英国文学问答练习题
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英国文学问答练习题: Part One
Old and Middle English Literature
I.
Summarize Chaucer's literary career and the representative works of each period。 His literary career is usually divided into three periods: the French period, the Italian period and the English period.
The French period refers to the period of French influence (1359—1372）。 During the period Chaucer wrote his earliest works： The Romaunt of the Rose, a free translation of a French poem and his first important original work： The Book of the Duchess。
The Italian period refers to the period of Italian Influence（1372-1386）， especially of Dante and Bocaacio。 During this period, he mainly wrote three longer poems using the heroic stanza of seven lines: The House of Fame， Troilus and Crisyede， The Legend of Good Women.
The English period is his mature period, during which time his masterpiece The Canterbury was produced in which the heroic couplet was used。
II.
Answer the question according to the following passage
When April with its sweet-smelling showers Has pierced the drought of March to the root,
And bathed every vein （of the plants） in such liquid By which power the flower is created;
When the West Wind also with its sweet breath,
In every wood and field has breathed life into The tender new leaves, and the young sun Has run half its course in Aries, And small fowls make melody,
Those that sleep all the night with open eyes （So Nature incites them in their hearts）, Then folk long to go on pilgrimages，
And professional pilgrims to seek foreign shores， To distant shrines, known in various lands； And specially from every shire’s end Of England to Canterbury they travel, To seek the holy blessed martyr, Who helped them when they were sick。
Questions:
1. What is expressed in these opening lines of The Canterbury Tales？ 2. How does the author emphasize the transition from nature to divinity？ 3. Comment on Chaucer’s contribution of rhymed stanzas。
Answers:
1. This part is a superb expression of a double view of the Canterbury pilgrimage。 The first 11 lines are a chant of welcome to the spring with its harmonious marriage between heaven and earth which produces vegetations, pricks fouls and stirs the heart of man with e renewing power of nature。 Thus， the pilgrimage is an event in the calendar of nature， an aspect of springtime surge of human energy which wakens man’s love of nature。 But spring is also the season of Easter and is
allegorically regarded as the time of the Redemption through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ with its connotations of religious rebirth which wakens man’s love of God. Therefore, the pilgrimage is also an event in the calendar of divinity, an aspect of religious piety which draws pilgrims to holy places.
2。 The transition from nature to divinity is emphasized by contrast between the physical vitality which conditions the pilgrimage and the spiritual sickness which occasions the pilgrimage。 As well as by parallelism between the renewal power of nature and the restorative power of supernature.
3。 He introduced various rhymed stanzas to English poetry to replace the Old English alliterative verse。 He first introduced into English octasyllabic couplet and then the heroic couplet。。
III.
What is the function of the General Prologue to The Canterbury Tales？
The General Prologue is usually regarded as the greatest portrait gallery in English literature。 It is largely composed of a series of sketches differing widely in length and method, and blending the individual and the typical in varying degrees。 The purpose of the General Prologue is not only to present a vivid collection of character sketches, but also to reveal the author’s intention in bringing together a great variety of people and narrative materials engaged in a common endeavor， to set the tone for the story telling—-- one of jollity which accords with the tone of the whole work: that of grateful acceptance of life, to make clear the plan for the tales, to motivate the telling of tales and to introduce the pilgrims and the time and occasion of the pilgrimage。 The pilgrims are people from various parts of England. They serve as the representatives of various sides of life and social groups。 Each of the pilgrims or narrators is presented vividly in the prologue. Ranging in status from a knight to
a humble plowman， the pilgrims are a microcosm of 14 century English society。 On the other hand， there is also an intimate connection between the tales and the Prologue， both completing each other. The Prologue provides a framework for the tales.
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Part Two
English Literature in the Renaissance Period
I.
How many periods does Shakespeare’s dramatic career fall into？
Roughly four periods： (1） the early histories of the 1590s; （2）the romantic comedies around the turn of the century， roughly from 1594—1600； （3） the great tragedies of the early 1600s， from 1600 to 1608; （4） the romances of the 1610s.
II.
What are the unique features of Shakespeare’s sonnets?
Two features: (1） the principle person addressed by the poet is not a woman but a young man and a mysterious dark lady. (2） the structure of three quatrains and a concluding couplet is typically Shakespearean.
III.
In Hamlet's soliloquy “ to be, or not to be”， there are these words: “and the native hue of resolution / Is sicklied o’er with the pale cast of thought。” What does the “native hue of resolution” mean？ What does the “pale cast of thought\" stand for? What idea do the two lines express?
The “native hue of resolution” means the natural color of resolution； The “pale cast of thought\" stands for Hamlet's anxiety and melancholy; In these lines， the ruddy color is associated with the sad temperament and the pale look of melancholy。 They express hamlet’s anxiety and hesitation before he takes the firm resolution to revenge at the critical moment.
Part Three
English Literature in the 17th Century
I.
Give supporting reasons for the statement： Samson in Samson Agonistes is John Milton the author himself.
Samson Agonistes is a poetical drama modeled on the Greek tragedies. It deals
with the story of Samson from the “Book of Judges”in the Old Testament。 Samson is an athlete of the Israelites。 He stands as the champion fighting for the freedom of his country. But he is betrayed by his wife Dalilah and blinded by his enemies the Philistines。 Led into the temple to make them sport, he wreaks his vengeance upon his enemies by pulling down the temple upon them and upon himself in a common ruin.
There is much in common between Samson and John Milton。 Like Samson, Milton had also been embittered by an unwise marriage, persecuted by his enemies， and suffered from blindness。 And yet he was unconquerable。
Samson's miserable blind servitude among his enemies, his agonizing longing for sight and freedom， and the last terrible triumph all strongly suggest Milton’s passionate longing that he too could bring destruction down upon the enemy at the cost of his own life。 Therefore Samson in the drama is Milton himself in life.
II.
Analyze the character of Satan in John Milton's Paradise Lost.
Satan， a conquered and banished giant, remains obeyed and admired by those who follow him down to hell。 He is firmer than the rest of the angels。 It is he,
passing the guarded gates， makes man revolt against God。
Satan is the spirit of questioning the authority of God. When he gets to the Garden of Eden, he believes in no reason why Adam and Eve should not taste the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge。
Though defeated， Satan prevails, since he has won from God a third part of his angels。 Though wounded, he triumphs， for the thunder which hits upon his head leaves his heart invincible. Though feebler in force, he remains superior in nobility， since he prefers independence to happy servility。 He welcomes his defeat and his torments as a glory, a liberty and a joy。
Part Four
18th Century Literature
I.
Comment on William Blake’s Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience。
Songs of Innocence is a lovely volume of poems, presenting a happy and innocent
world, though not without its evils and sufferings. Using a language which even babies can learn by heart， Blake expresses his delight in the sun， the hills, the streams, the insects and the flowers， in the innocence of the child and of the lamb。 Here everything seems to be in harmony.
Songs of Experience pains a different world, a world of misery， poverty，
disease， war， and repression with a melancholy tone. The poet’s eyes are opened to the evils and vices of the world。 A number of poems are pervaded with the atmosphere of intense sorrow and sadness， especially for children.
A number of poems in Songs of Innocence are either rewritten or revised in Songs of Experience, with the result that the joyful atmosphere or the harmonious
ending is in each case changed into a bitter mood or a sad story. For example, the two “The Chimney Sweepers”.
II.
What does Robert Burns’ poetry mainly deal with?
1. The themes of love and friendship。
2. Scottish life, especially the rural life of the Scottish peasants。（“My Heart’s
in the Highlands”）
3. Attitudes towards political liberty and social equality, especially those under
the influence of the French Revolution.( “For A’ That and A’ That”）。
4. Satirical verse， exposing the hypocrisy of the rich, the bigotry of the church
and other evils.
III.
Why is Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe regarded as one of the forerunners of the English realistic novel？
Crusoe’s stories are all real concerns of its author’s time: people in their
struggle to overcome the natural or social environment。 The novel has a very strong verisimilitude. To convince the reader of the truth of his story， Defoe adopts the autobiographical form and makes full use of his long trained journalistic skill by describing things in great detail and by using specific time and space。
IV.
Analyze Gulliver’s Travels to illustrate the use of satire in it。
It is a satire on the whole English society of the early 18 century， touching
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upon the political, religious， legal, military， scientific, philosophical as well as literary institutions， about almost every aspect of the society. It brings to light the wickedness of the then English society, with its tyranny， its political intrigues and corruption， its aggressive wars and colonialism etc。
For example， in Chapter four， Gulliver is in a country where horses are possessed of reason, and are the governing class, while Yahoos, though in the shape of men, are brute beast with such vices as stealing and lying. This part involves the ruthless moral exposure of humanity and the bitter satire of the English society。
Part Five
Romantic Literature
I.
State briefly the artistic features of Jane Austen。
1. Her main concern is about human beings in their personal relations, especially
the relationship between men and women.
2. She writes within a narrow sphere. The subject matter, the character range, the
settings and plots are all restricted to the provincial or village life of the 19 century England。
3. Her novels are surprisingly realistic, with keen observation and penetrating
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analysis。
4. She uses dialogues to reveal the personalities of her characters。
5. Her language, which is of typical neoclassicism, is simple, easy, lucid and
economical。
II.
Tell about the theme of Keats’ “Ode on a Grecian Urn”.
The poet has absorbed himself into the timeless beautiful scenery on the antique
Grecian urn： the loves, musicians and worshippers carved on the urn exist simultaneously and forever in their intensity of joy。 They are unaffected by time， stilled in expectation. This is at once the glory and the limitation of the world
conjured up by an object of art. The urn celebrates intuitions of ecstasy by denying our painful knowledge of transience and suffering。
Keats shows the contrast between the permanence of art and the transience of human passion。
III.
Name five of Keats’ immortal odes.
“Ode to a nightingale”， To Autumn”， “Ode on Melancholy”, “Ode on a Grecian
Urn”, “Ode on Indolence”。
IV.
Tell the theme of “Ode to the West Wind”.
1. It expresses Shelley’s optimistic belief that old world must go, a new world
must come with the spring.
2. The poet asks the wind to work in him， restoring him to spiritual health and
creative vigor.
V.
What is the symbolic meaning of “the west wind\"？
1. It symbolizes regeneration which follows the destruction and death of winter。 2. Personally， Shelley sees it as a force that will reinvigorate him.
3. Socially and politically， the wind represents the destructive and revolutionary
energies.
4. It is the spirit within nature， a driving force behind the turning wheel of
the seasons and the cycles of life and death。
VI.
Tell about Coleridge’s artistic ideas.
1. His poetic themes range from the supernatural to the domestic。
2. Coleridge is one of the first critics to give close critical attention to
language, maintaining that the true end of poetry is to give pleasure “through the medium of beauty”.
3. He thinks that art is the medium between man and nature。 Imagination is the
means to unite the thoughts and passions。 Art is the only permanent revelation of the nature of reality.
VII.
Tell about Wordsworth’s contribution to poetry。
1. He has started the modern poetry, the poetry of the growing inner self。 2. he has changed the course of English poetry by using ordinary speech of the
language and by advocating a return of nature.
Part Six
19th century Literature
I.
Tell about Robert Browning’s principle achievement in English poetry。
His principle achievement lies in his introducing to English poetry the dramatic monologue。
II.
1. The story opens with the titular heroine, Jane Eyre, a plain little orphan。 2. it sharply criticizes the existing society, e。g， the religious hypocrisy of
Why is Jane Eyre a successful novel?
charity institutions such as Lowood School where poor girls are trained.
3. It introduced the first governess to English novel。 III.
1. The agricultural region of the southern counties of England as the setting for
Tell about the theme of Hardy’s Wessex novels。
his novels.
2. Depiction of the impoverishment and decay of small farmers.
3. Growing pessimistic to show that mankind is subjected to the rule of some hostile
and mysterious fate, which brings misfortune to human life。
IV.
Talk briefly about the symbols and images in Great Expectations。
The notable images are the graveyard which symbolizes the underworld with its violence and threat and danger， the huge rotten wedding cake of Miss Havisham’s, which is the symbol of the corrupted and corrupting society， and the journeys Pip makes from the country to Miss Havisham’s and then London, and his return to the country and the ruined site of Satis House， and finally his meeting Estella there. The journeys indicate his way of growth and his inability to stay in the country gives the final touch to the realistic depiction of the author： innocence once lost is forever lost. Paradise lost is never to be regained。
The names are symbolic。 The name of Estella suggests an ideal as well as
something beautiful and always visible but never to be gotten. The name of Havisham gives am impression that what she wishes for or what she has is sham, false and illusory. The name of the criminal Magwich indicates a mysterious magician capable of witchcraft. The name of the hero Pip carries the implication of trivialness and humbleness of his origin and foretells his final disappointment in his great expectations。
V.
Comment briefly on the fate of Tess in Tess of the D'Urbervilles。
Tess is actually a victim of her society. Hardy created the heroine Tess just to criticize the society in his time. Tess is a tragic person simply because she
is not accepted by the society in which agriculture is menaced by the forces of invading capitalism. So in a way， Tess’ fate is decided by her society.
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