英国文学复习(I,II).doc

Part I The Anglo-Saxon period（449-1066） 1. The historical background 1.1 Anglo-Saxon period English literature begins with Anglo-Saxon period extending from about 450 to 1066, the year of the Norman-French conquest of England. The Germanic tribes from Europe who overran England in the 5th century, after the Roman withdrawal, brought with them the Old English, or Anglo-Saxon language, which is the basis of Modern English. They brought also a specific poetic tradition, the formal character of which remained surprisingly constant until the termination of their rule by the Norman-French invaders six centuries later. 1.2 Background: three conquests, namely, Roman conquest, English conquest and Norman Conquest 2. The literature 2.1 The general introduction: Pagan and Christian 2.2 Main literary works Poetry: Beowulf Waldere Brunanburge The Seafarer The Wanderer The Lover’s Message Prose: Anglo-saxon Chronicle (1154, Alfred the Great) 2.3 Beowulf Beowulf is the most remarkable literary work in old English that has been preserved. Existing at first in the oral tradition, the poem was sung probably at the end of the 6th century and the beginning of the 7th. About a century later, it was first written down as an epic. The manuscript preserved today belongs to the tenth century, consisting altogether of 3182 lines of alliterative verse in old English. 2.3.1 The story 2.3.2 The structure According to the contents of the story, the poem can be divided into three parts: Part I: the fight against Grendel Part II: the fight against Grendel’s mother Part III: the fight against the Fire Dragon 2.3.3 Heroic ideal 2.3.4 The themes 2.4 The artistic features of old English poetry Alliteration, metaphor, understatement, vivid poetic diction and parallel expressions for a single idea Part II The Anglo—Norman Period （1066—1350） 1. The historical background: The Norman Conquest and its consequence 1.1 The Norman Conquest The French speaking Normans und