英国文学史时间轴Old and Middle English Literature

这是一篇关于英国文学史时间轴Old and Middle English Literature的思维导图，It gives us an interesting picture of life in those old days. It tells us of fierce fights and brave deeds of the leader and the sufferings of his men.

英国文学史时间轴

• Old English Literature(449-1066)
  • Historical Background
    • The early inhabitants:Celts
    • England was conquered by the Jutes, Angles, and Saxons (different tribes of Teutons)
    • Angle-land: shortened into England
    • The Old English language: also called Anglo-Saxon or Saxon which was spoken from A.D. 600 to about 1100.
  • Epic
    • A long narrative poem that records the adventures of a hero, whose exploits are important to the history of a nation.
    • Characteristics of the epic poem
      • (1) Great hero
      • (2) Vast setting
      • (3) Action of great deeds
      • (4) Supernatural forces
      • (5) Grand style
      • (6) Objectivity
  • Beowulf
    • Brief introduction
      • Form：poetry
      • Author: anonymous
      • Type: English epic
      • Time: about 6th -7th century
      • Place: in Denmark
      • Setting: Scandinavia 斯堪的纳维亚（半岛）
      • Main Characters:
        • Beowulf: the hero
        • Hrothgar: King of the Danes
      • Story or Plot: 3182 lines, 3 parts
        • The poem can be divided into three parts:
          • The fight against Grendel
          • The fight against Grendel's mother
          • The fight against the Dragon
    • Artistic features
      • Sound: no end rhyme, but alliteration
      • Tone: originally in an oral form, sung by the bards.
      • Figure of speech: Alliteration , Understatement and Metaphor
    • The Theme, Character, Features
      • It gives us an interesting picture of life in those old days. It tells us of fierce fights and brave deeds of the leader and the sufferings of his men. It has praised the bravery, keeping promise, and loyalty.
      • In the poem, Beowulf is strong, courageous, and selfless, ready to risk his life in order to rid his people of evil monsters.
      • It is a valuable narrative poem, which records the valuable custom of that time. It is mainly about his three major adventures.
• Middle English Literature (1066--1510)(Medieval Literature)
  • Historical Background
    • The Norman Conquest
      • Battle of Hastings (1066)
      • Co-existed three languages: French, Latin, Old English
    • The greatest poet of this time: Geoffrey Chaucer
  • Medieval English Literature
    • Medieval Romance
      • Concept: a long composition, sometimes in verse, sometimes in prose, describing the life and adventures of a noble hero.
      • Three subjects of English romances: 1) the 'matter' of Rome 2) the 'matter' of France 3) the 'matter' of Britain
      • the Gawain-poet
      • Features -- to sing knightly adventures or other heroic deeds in verse or prose --The poems tell us the motifs of the quest, challenge, test, and meeting with the evil giant. --The hero is the knight, setting out on a journey to accomplish some goal. --to protect the church and the poor, to attack infidelity, to rescue a maiden, to meet a challenge, or to obey a knightly command. --mysteries and fantasies(improbable, supernatural) -- romantic love -- standardized characterization --The language and style are simple and straightforward. --The romance reflects a chivalric age.
      • King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
        • Form: poetry
        • Author: anonymous
        • Type: romance of knights
        • Time: about 6th century
        • Place: in England
        • Main Characters:
          • Gawain, one of the knights of the round table
          • the Green Knight
        • Plot 1) Green Knight challenges and Sir Gawain accepts the challenge. 2) Gawain looks for the Green Chapel and live in the castle. 3) the life in the castle: three days, three gifts, and the green girdle 4) Gawain is brought into the Green Chapel and is wounded by the Green Knight.
        • Artistic features 1) the symbols 2) the effective patterning, and wonderful detailing 3) use of alliteration
        • Theme: Its theme is a series of tests on faith, courage, purity and human weakness for self-preservation (自卫本能).
          • By placing self-protection before honor, and deceit before his trust in the love of God, Gawain has sinned and fallen and become an image of Adam. Human excellence is marred by original sin and courtly values alone are no protection.
          • The theme of loyalty to king and lord was repeatedly emphasized in romances, as loyalty was the corner-stone of feudal morality, without which the whole structure of feudalism would collapse.
  • Geoffrey Chaucer(1340—1400）
    • His Life
      • 1340-1400, in London, the son of a wine merchant who had connections with the Court knowledge of Latin, French and Italian. at 19 -- France, the Hundred Years' War, prisoner. On his return, he married Philippa, a maid of honor to the queen. Diplomatic missions: Continent, Italy. controller of customs at London
      • died in 1400, buried in Westminster Abbey, thus founding the“Poets' Corner”
    • background
      • During the Middle Ages : a society in transition（过渡，变革，转型） (1) The Church: a major part of society --Dedication to a Christian value of faith, hope, and charity (2) The rise of the middle class --the emphasis of individualism --a personal desire for money and the fine things money can buy
    • His Contributions and his Literary Position
      • The Father of English Poetry
        • He is the greatest poet in the middle English literature.
        • He introduced heroic couplet to English poetry: Poetic lines of iambic pentameter in rhyming couplet.
      • The Founder of English Realism
        • The First Realistic Writer
        • He presented to us a comprehensive realistic picture of the English society of his time and created a whole gallery of vivid characters in The Canterbury Tales
      • Messenger of Humanism
        • forerunner of humanism
        • Chaucer praises human being. He praises man's energy, intellect, quick wit and love of life.
        • His tales expose and satirize the evils of his time. They attack the degeneration of the noble, the heartlessness of the judge, the corruption of the Church and so on.
      • The Master of English Language
        • the dialect of London
          • Chaucer is the first great poet who wrote in the current English. His English was the London dialect and did much in making it the foundation for modern English speech.
        • Weak points
          • rough joke, pictures of sexual life
    • His Literary Career: three periods and his works
      • Period of French influence (1359-1372)
        • Translated French works into English：
          • The Romance of the Rose; other poems.
        • The first original work：
          • The Book of the Duchess
      • Period of Italian influence (1372-1386)
        • Troilus and Criseyde (1372-7); The Legend of Good Women (1385); The House of Fame; The Parliament of Fowls
      • Period of So-called Realism(1386-1400)
        • His Representative:
          • The Canterbury Tales
• Canterbury Tales is a document in the history of the social great changes of the Fourteenth Century.