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1、ABriefIntroductiontoLiterature1.Definition①inletters(liter-:aLatinroot,meaningletter)eitherbewrittendownorbepassedfrommouthtomouthwritten/oralliterature②ofartisticvalue2.4GenresinLiterature①Poetry(theoldestgenre)Comparison:poetry:rhymed+image/implication(meanin
2、gful)verse:inrhymedlanguageOldEnglishPoetry:Beowulf(anepic,containing3182lines)(epic→nottherecordofhistory;alongnarrativepoem；dealwithlegendaryorhistoricaleventsofsignificance;containahero)MedievalEnglishPoetry:GeoffreyChaucer,TheCanterburyTales②Drama(the2ndgen
3、re)3kindsofdramas:comedy(optimistic),tragedy(pessimistic),tragi-comedycomedy→aimtoamuse&endhappilytragedy→concernedwithharshness&injusticeoflifetragi-comedy→blend,usu.aseriousstorywithahappyending③Essay(the3rdgenre)Comparison:essay:literarygenreprose:language→n
4、otrhymed/rhymeless4kindsofessaysaccordingtothepurposeandmethodinturningoutanEnglishessay:Narration,Description,Exposition,Argumentation④Fiction(theyoungestgenre)Ⅰ.OldEnglishLiterature(450-1066A.D.)1.HistoryBeforeenteringuponthestudyofEnglishliterature,itisneces
5、sarytoknowsomethingabout9theEnglishpeople.TheEnglishpeopleareofamixedblood.TheearlyinhabitantswereBritons,atribeofCelts.ItwasfromtheBritonsthattheislandgotitsnameofBritain,thelandofBritons.SincehistoricaltimesEnglandhasbeenconqueredthreetimes.Itwasconqueredresp
6、ectivelybytheRomans,theEnglish,andtheNormans.3Conquests:①theRomanConquestTheRomanshadruledEnglandforalmost4centuries,buttheyhadleftnotsomuchinfluence.WhentheRomanEmpiredeclined,itstroopsleftEnglandandthusendedtheRomanoccupationinBritain.②theEnglishConquestBrita
7、inwasinvadedbyswarmsofpirates.Theywere3tribesfromNorthernEurope:theAngles,theSaxons,andtheJutes.The3tribesmixedintoawholepeoplecalledEnglish,andthe3dialectsspokenbythemnaturallygrewintoasinglelanguagewhichiscalledAnglo-Saxon,orOldEnglish,whichisquitedifferentfr
8、omtheEnglishweknowtoday.→theOldEnglishPeriod③theNormanConquestTheFrench-speakingNormanscamein1066.WilliamwascrownedaskingofEngland.（William,theConqueror）Aftertheconquest,3la
