1、1. Poor Richards Almanac is an annual collection of proverbs written by Benjamin Franklin. 2. Philip Freneau developed a natural, simple, and concrete diction, best illustrated in such nature lyrics as The Wild Honey Suckle and The Indian Burying Ground. 3. Philip Freneau has been called the Father
2、of American Poetry. 4. In Washington Irvings Sketch Book appeared the first modern short stories and the first great American juvenile literature. 5. To a Waterfowl is perhaps the peak of William Cullen Bryants wok. 6. Thanatopsis, William Cullen Bryants best-known poem, consists of four stanzas in
3、iambic tetrameter abab. The title means view of death. 7. Edgar Allan Poe is considered father of American detective stories and American gothic stories. 8. Emerson believed above all in individualism, independence of mind, and self-reliance. 9. In Walden, Thoreau thought it better for a man to work
4、 one day a week and rest six, and the rest of the time could be devoted to thought. 10. Hawthornes stories touch the deepest roots of mans moral nature. 11. After his death, Longfellow became the only American to be honored with a bust in the Poets Corner of Westminster Abbey. 12. The poetic style W
5、alt Whitman devised is now called free verse. 13. Henry James is famous for his international theme of the tradition less American confronting the complexity of European life. 14. Jack London believed in the inevitable triumph of the strongest individuals. Terms 1. Transcendentalism 2. Naturalism 3.
6、 The Lost Generation 5. Modernism 6. Romanticism 7. Puritanism Identify the fragments. 2. From morning suns and evening dews At first thy little being came; If nothing once, you nothing lose, For when you die you are the same; The space between, is but an hour, The frail duration of a flower. (1) Wh
7、o is the writer of these verses? (2) What is the title of this poem? (3) Give a brief comment on this poems. Answer: (1) Philip Freneau (2) The Wild Honeysuckle (3) Here Freneau offers a version of an abundant America with potential for providing a good life for all. The poem is also an indication o
8、f his dedication to American subject matter as he examined peculiarly American characteristics of the countryside. 3. From the listless repose of the place, and the peculiar character of its inhabitants, who are descendants from the original Dutch settlers, this sequestered glen has long been known
9、by the name of SLEEPY HOLLOW, and its rustic lads are called the Sleepy Hollow Boys throughout all the neighboring country. Drowsy and dreamy influence seems to hang over the land, and to pervade the very atmosphere. Some say that the place was bewitched by a high German doctor, during the early day
10、s of the settlement; others, that an old Indian chief, the prophet or wizard of his tribe, held his powwows there before the country was discovered by Master Hendrick Hudson. Question: (1) Who is the writer of this short story from which the passage is taken? (2) What is the title of this short stor
11、y? (3) Give a definition of short story? Answer: (1) Washington Irving (2) The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (3) A short story is a brief prose fiction, usually one that can be read in a single sitting. It generally contains the six major elements of fiction characterization, setting, theme, plot, point o
12、f view and style. 5. To go into solitude, a man needs to retire as much from his chamber as from society. I am not solitary whilst I read and write, though nobody is with me. But if a man would be alone, let him look at the stars. The rays that come from those heavenly worlds, will separate between
13、him and vulgar things. One might think the atmosphere was made transparent with this design, to give man, in the heavenly bodies, the perpetual presence of the sublime. Seen in the streets of cities, how great they are! If the stars should appear one night in a thousand years, how would men believe
14、and adore; and preserve for many generation the remembrance of the city of God which had been shown! But every night come out these preachers of beauty, and light the universe with their admonishing smile. Question: (1)This paragraph is taken from a famous essay. What is the essay? (2)Who is the aut
15、hor? (3)What does the author say would happen if the stars appeared one night in a thousand years? (4)Give a peculiar term to cover the authors belief. Answer: (1) Nature (2) Ralph Waldo Emerson (3)Then, the men cannot believe and adore the God, cannot preserve the remembrance of the city of God whi
16、ch had been shown. (4)Transcendentalism 6. Isabel always felt an impulse to pull out the pins; not that she imagined the y inflicted any damage on the tough old parchment, but because it seemed to her aunt might make better use of her sharpness. She was very critical herself-it was incidental to her
17、 sex, and her nationality but she was very sentimental as well, and there was something in Mrs. Touchetts dryness that set her own moral fountains flowing. Questions: (1) This passage is taken from a well-known novel. What is the name of the novel? (2) Who is the author of this novel? (3) Make a bri
18、ef comment on the heroine of this novel? (4) What is theme of the author? Tell something about it. Answer: (1) The Portrait of a Lady (2) Henry James (3) She is one of the Jamesian American girls. She arrives in Europe, full of hope, and with a will to live a free and noble life, but in fact, she on
19、ly falls prey to the sinister designs of two vulgar and unscrupulous expatriates, Madam Merle and Gilbert Osmond. (4) Jamesian theme refers to Henry Jamess handling of his major fictional theme, the international theme: the meeting of America and Europe, American innocence in contact and contrast wi
20、th European decadence and the moral and Psychological complications arising there from. Give brief answers to the following questions. 1. Comment briefly on Emily Dickinsons themes? (1) By far the largest portion of Dickinsons poetry concerns death and immortality, theme which lie at the centre of D
21、ickinsons world. (2) Dickinsons nature poems are also great in number and rich in matter. Natural phenomena, changes of seasons, heavenly bodies, animals, birds and insects, flowers of various kinds, and many other subjects related to nature find her way into her poetry. (3) Dickinson also wrote som
22、e poems about love. Like her death and nature poems, her love poems were original. (4) Besides deaths and immortality, nature and love, Dickinsons poems are concerned about ethics, with respect to which, she emphasizes free will and human responsibility. 4 Henry James is a great realistic writer. Na
23、me two of his major works. Do you know anything about his narrative point of view? What is it for? How does James employ it in his works? Briefly discuss this question. (1) Henry Jamess major works include Daisy Miller and The Portrait of a Lady, etc. (2) One of Henry James literary techniques is hi
24、s narrative point of view. As the author, James avoids the authorial omniscience as much as possible and makes his characters reveal themselves with his minimal intervention. So it is often the case that in his novels we usually learn the main story by reading through one or several minds and share
25、their perspectives. This narrative method proves to be successful in bringing out his themes. 6. Tell the differences between Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman (1) Emily Dickinson expresses the inner life of individuals, while Walt Whitman keeps his eyes on the society at large. (2) Emily Dickinson i
26、s regional, while Walt Whitman is national in his outlook. (3) Formally, Emily Dickinson uses concise, simple dictions and syntax, while Walt Whitman uses endless, all-inclusive catalogs. 9. Jack Londons themes (1) London was logically inconsistent in his viewpoint. On the one hand, he took faith in
27、 Darwins survival of the fittest, evolutionary concept of progress, and on the other hand, he embraced the socialists doctrines of Marx. (2) London wrote on many subjects and themes which centered around primitive violence, Anglo-Saxon supremacy(至上 ), biological evolution, class warfare, and mechani
28、stic determinism. His heroes are physically robust and rugged but often psychologically harried( 苦恼 ). His heroines are athletic, daring, yet intensely feminine. They are mans intellectual equal and his emotional superior. History And Anthology of American Literature (Volume ) 美国文学史及选读 1 Part The Li
29、terature of Colonial America 殖民主义时期的文学 1. 17 世纪早期 English and European explorers 开始登陆美洲。在他们之前 100 多年 Caribbean Islands, Mexico and other Parts of South America 已被 the Spanish 占领。 2. 17th 早期 English settlements in Virginia and Massachusetts(弗吉尼亚和马萨诸塞 )开始了美国历史 3. 美国最早殖民者 (earliest settlers)included Du
30、tch ,Swedes ,Germans ,Freunch ,Spaniards ,Italians and Portugueses (荷兰人，瑞典人，德国人，法国人，西班牙人，意大利人及葡萄牙人等 )。 4. 美国早期文学主要为 the narratives and journals of these settlements 采用 in diaries and in journals(日记和日志 )，他们写关于 the land with dense forests and deep-blue lakes and rich soil. 5. 第 一 批 美 国 永 久 居 民 ： the f
31、irst permanent English settlement in North America was established at Jamestown,Virginia in 1607(北美弗吉尼亚詹姆斯顿 )。 6. 船长约 翰 史密斯 Captain John Smith 他的作品 (reports of exploration)17th 早期出版 ，被认为是美国第一部真正意义上的文学作品 in the early 1600s,have been described as the first distinctly American literature written in Eng
32、lish.他讲述了 filled with themes, myths, images, scenes, character and events,吸引了朝圣者和清教 徒前往 lure the Pilgrims and the Puritans. 7. 美国第一位作家： 1608 年 Captain John Smith 写了封信自殖民地第一次在弗吉尼亚垦荒以来发生的各种事件的真实介绍“ A True Relation of Such Occurrences and Accidents of Note as Hath Happened in Virginia Since the First P
33、lanting of That Colony” . 8. 他的第二本书 1612 年弗吉尼亚地图，附：一 个乡村的描述“ A Map of Virginia: with a Description of the Country” . 9. 他一共出版了八本书，其中有关于新英格兰的历史及描述。其破产后做为向导 sought a post as guide to the Pilgrims.他 1624 年弗吉尼亚通史“ General History of Virginia” ,讲述了传奇故事 how the Indian princess Pocahontas( 波卡洪特斯 )saved him
34、. 10. 他保存了殖民者在 Jamestown 早期开荒史及 explored the rivers and bays around the Chesapeake region(切萨皮克地区 )，最重要的是 he saw from the beginning what was eventually to be a basic principle of American history, the need of “ workers” instead of “ gentlemen” for the tough job of planting colonies and pushing the fr
35、ontiers westward. 11. 早期新英格兰文学主要关于 theological, moral, historical and political. 12. 清教徒坚韧耐劳，严格遵守教义 the Puritans in New England embraced hardships, together with the discipline of a harsh church 想建立神权社会 found a theocracy,他们生活简朴，意志坚定，我行我素，不屈不挠地斗争 they had toughness, purpose and character, they grappl
36、ed strongly with challenges they set themselves.他们的基本价值观；注重勤劳，节俭，虔诚和节制 hard work, thrift, piety and sobriety 这些也成了早期美国作品主导思想。 一、 William Bradford and John Winthrop 威廉 布拉德福德和约翰温思罗普 普利茅斯第一任首长： William Bradford; 波斯顿第一任 首长 ： John Winthrop. 1 William Bradford: 普利茅斯开发历史 “ The History of Plymouth Plantatio
37、n文章从 1630 年开始写起 an account of the small group of Puritans who migrated from England to Amsterdam and then to the New Wold.文字简洁，认真负责，直接叙述，可读性强 simplicity and earnestness of the book, with its direct reporting, make it readable and moving.1637 年他用简单的律诗对自己一生写了个总结，后来科登 马瑟写道：他是众人之福，也是众人之父a common blessin
38、g and father to them all 2 John Winthrop:新英格兰历史“ The History of New England.1630 年登上“阿贝亚”（ Arbella） to Massachusetts并开始写日记 keep a journal and to the rest of his life.1826 年正式出版 is notable for its candid simplicity and honesty. 3 他们并不出于创作需要而是记录历史，但却运用了直接生动的散文格式使文章成为了好的文学作品 the need to record importan
39、t events in permanent form. Yet, through a direct and vigorous prose style, each account literary excellence. 4 清教徒（ Puritan） :就是要净化他们的宗教信仰和行为方式，要纯洁自己信仰的人 Puritans wanted to make pure their religious beliefs and practices, The Puritan was Would-be purifier. 总认为自己是上帝选民 looked upon themselves as a cho
40、sen people.对他们的生活方式提出异议就是反对上帝旨意 anyone who challenged their way of life was opposing Gods Will and was not to be accepted.对自己的信仰视之如命，对别人信仰不能容忍 they were zealous in defense of their own beliefs but often intolerant of the beliefs of others. 制定法律限制个人生活行为made laws about private morality as well as publ
41、ic behavior 霍桑称 他们为“黑眉毛的古板的清教徒”“ stern and black-browed Puritans. 二 、 John Cotton and Roger Williams 约翰 科登和罗杰威廉姆斯 1 John Cotton 第一批知识分子代言人，称为“新英格兰教父” the Patriarch of New England. 1633 年到 Boston开始一直是这社区精神导师，他所宣讲的由宗教来统治国家的神权思想直接影响了当时人们的行为 he was the teacher(spiritual leader) of the community and its
42、guiding influence toward the ideal of theocracy(a state ruled by the church)他的影响主要通过教堂讲坛来完成 his primary influence was through the pulpit. 听 众对他深信不疑。他们清教徒强调权威，忽视民主 they were much more concerned with authority than with democracy. 2 Roger Williams:1631 年 came to the Massachusetts 后被放逐到现罗德岛 Rhode Islan
43、d。对不同意见者并不赞同对其迫害而是屈服与容忍，他认为行为上的德，信仰上的诚并没有给任何人强迫别人该如何行事的权力，没有任何政治秩序和教会体制能够直接体现神本身的意旨 the idea that simply to be virtuous in conduct and devout in belief did not give anyone the right to force belief on others. He also felt that no political order or church system could identify itself directly with G
44、od. 他对印第安语言非常感兴趣 Indian language.他写过开启美国语言的钥匙或也叫做美洲新英格兰部分土著居民语言指南“ A Key into the Language of America or A Help to the language of the Natives in That Part of America Called New England 三、 Anne Bradstreet and Edward Taylor 安妮 布莱德斯特和爱德华泰勒 这两位清教徒写的诗达到相当高水平，真正能称得上是诗作。 1 Anne Dudley Bradstreet 是 早期诗人中最风
45、趣的诗人之一 one of the most interesting of the early poets. 1630 年乘“ Arbella到 Massachusetts.她的文学创作在抚养八个子女家庭劳作繁重劳动下进行的。 2 她的第一部作品由她的姐夫交给伦敦出版商， the title of this collection of poems, in classical allusion(用比喻的方法 )即在美洲诞生的第十个谬斯“ The Tenth Muse Lately Sprung Up in America诗歌中传奇故事有点言过其实，但对日常琐事叙述相当高超 poetic vent
46、ures were overambitious but wrote well when dealt with the simple events of her daily life. 3 Edward Taylor:清教徒诗人中最杰出的一位 the best of the Puritan poets 他的作品遵循了十七世纪中期一些杰出诗人风格和形式 his work followed they style and forms of the leading English poets of the mid-seventeenth century。他大部分作品关于宗教的，大部分诗歌直接以赞美诗为基
47、础进行创作的 most of Taylors work treated religious themes, with many poems based directly on the Psalms. 在世时没出版过作品， 1937 年发现手稿， 1960 年泰勒诗歌全集。 Part The Literature of Reason And Revolution 理性和革命时期文学 1 托马斯 佩因常识 Thomas Paines Common Sense; 托马斯 杰弗逊独立宣言 Thomas Jefferson Declaration of Independence 2 在经济方面，英国要求
48、美出口原材料，后从英国购回高成本的机器 they hampered colonial economy by requiring Americans to ship raw materials abroad and to import finished goods at prices higher than the cost of making them in this country. 3 在政治方面，要求他们归英国政府统一管理，交各种税收但在议会中却没有代表 by ruling the colonies from overseas and by taxing the colonies wit
49、hout giving them representation in Parliament. 4 美独立战争持续了八年（ 1776-1783） The War for Independence. 诺亚 韦伯斯特（ Noah Webster）说：文化上的独立，艺术上的著名。 5文学上独立的代表作： 1785 年杰弗逊：弗吉尼亚洲的声明 Jeffersons Notes on the State of Virginia; 1791 年巴特姆：旅行笔记 Travels by Bartram 一、 Benjamin Franklin 本杰明 富兰克林 1706-1790 殖民地时期作家。独立战争前惟一的杰出的美国作家 in the colonial period, the only good American author before the Revolutionary War. 1
