5.Terms:
1.What is critical realism ?
English critical realism of the 19th century flourished in the forties and in the early fifties. The critical realists described with much vividness and great artistic skill the chief traits of the English society and criticized the capitalist system from a democratic viewpoint. They create pictures of bourgeois civilization, describing the misery and sufferings of the common people. They also showed profound sympathy for the common people.
In their best works, the greed and hypocrisy of the upper classes are contrasted with the honesty of the obscure ?simple people” of the low classes. Through the sketches of various negative characters, critical realism reveals the corrupting influence of the rule of cash upon human nature. Here lies the root of the democratic and humanistic character of the critical realism of the 19th century . 2.The Metaphysical poets(玄学派诗人)
About the beginning of the 17th century, there appeared in England a school of poets called \poets tried to break away from the conventional fashion of the Elizabethan love poetry. The diction is simple as compared with that of the Elizabethan or the Neoclassic periods and echoes the words and cadences of common speech. The imagery is drawn from the actual life. The form is frequently that of an argument with the poet's beloved, with God, or with himself. The representatives are John Donne and John Dryden
Features of Metaphysical Poetry
1. The excessive use of figures of speech are used.
2. It was a poetry of the library, poetry for the few. It is hard for the later generations to imitate.
3.Romanticism: it is a literary trend. It prevailed in England during the period of 1798-1832. Romanticists were discontent with and opposed to the development of capitalism.
Romanticism is characterized by the 5 “I”s:
1.Imagination 2.Intuition 3.Idealism 4.Inspiration 5.Individuality 4.Shakespearian sonnet
Also known as the English Sonnet, consists of three quatrains followed by a couplet. The rhyme scheme is abab cdcd efef gg.
A theme is developed & elaborated in the quatrains, & a concluding thought is presented in the couplet.. 7.Essay questions
一、Gulliver?s Travels 《格列佛游记》 Gulliver’s Travel, his masterpiece
小说通过Gulliver到小人国、大人国、飞岛、巫人岛、马岛等虚构国度离奇旅行和遭遇，集中反映了十八世纪英国社会的各种矛盾，极其尖锐地讽刺和批判了英国君主制度的腐败和丑恶，勇敢揭露了宫廷、议会、军界、司法、文化、宗教等各领域的黑暗和罪恶，狠狠地鞭打了英国统治者所推行的对外疯狂掠夺、对内残酷剥削的血腥政策。
Swift’s novel gives an unparalleled satirical depiction of the vices of his age Major themes(主要主题)
1.The first voyage（航行、旅行） has been interpreted（解释） as an allegorical(讽喻的) satire[?s?tai?]（讽刺作品） of the political events of the early eighteenth century, a commentary（评论） on the moral state of England.
2.The war with the tiny neighboring island represents England‘s rivalry（对抗） between Whigs（辉格党） and Tories（托利党）.
3.The voyage to Laputa is a scathing（尖刻的） attack upon science in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries and reveals Swift‘s contempt and disdain for abstract theory and ideology（思想） that is not of practical service to human.
4.The final voyage reveals Swift‘s ultimate satiric object—man’s inability to come to terms with his true nature. The Yahoos as a satiric representation of debased(品质恶劣的) humanity, while taking the Houyhnhnms as representatives of Swift‘s ideals of rationality and order. Artistic features of Jonathan Swift 1.Satire
His satire is usually masked by an outward gravity and an apparent earnestness which renders his satire all the more powerful. 2.Simplicity and Directness
Swift is always most unsurpassed in the writing style of simple, direct, precise prose. He defined a good style as “proper words in proper places.” Clear, simple, concrete diction, uncomplicated sentence structure, economic and conciseness of language mark all his writings—essays, poems and novels Swift’s Style
1.One of the greatest masters of English prose;
2.simple, clear, vigorous language; 3.simple, direct and precise prose; 4.a master satirist;
5.deadly(非常有效的) irony; 6.powerful satire.