英国文学名词解释

英国文学名词解释1.Epic:Alongnarrativepoemtellingaboutthedeedsofagreatheroandreflectionthevaluesofthesocietywhichitoriginated.2.Romance:Romanceisanyimaginativeliteraturethatissetinanidealizedworldandthatdealswithheroicadventuresandbattlesbetweengoodcharactersandvillainsormonsters.(ItisthemostpopularformofliteratureintheAnglo-Normanperiod.)3.TheRenaissance:ThegreatintellectualandculturalmovementoftherevivalofinterestinclassicalGreekandRomanlearningandculturethatoccurredinEuropeinthe14th,15th,16thandearly17thcenturies,--aperiodwhichsawthetransitionfromtheMiddleAgetomoderntimes.4.Humanism:HumanismistheessenceoftheRenaissance.It’safundamentalintellectualcurrentintheRenaissance,anditoriginatedinthestudyofclassicalcultureandemphasizedthedignityandworthoftheindividualincontrasttothemedievalemphasisonGodandcontemptforthethingsofthisworld.5.Soliloquy:Adramaticconventionbymeansofwhich,acharacter,eitheraloneonthestageorunheardbyothercharacters,uttershisorherownthoughtsaloud.6.Conceit:Aconceitisafigureofspeechwhichmakesanunusualandsometimeselaboratelysustainedcomparisonbetweentwodissimilarthings.7.Metaphysicalpoets:AgroupofEnglishlyricpoetsofthe17thcenturycharacterizedbytheirmetaphysicalconceit(afigureofspeechthatemploysunusualandparadoxicalimages),arelianceonintellectualwit,learnedimagery,andsubtleargument.ThemostimportantmetaphysicalpoetsareJohnDonne,GeorgeHerbertandAndrewMarvell. 8.Allegory:Anarrativeinproseorversethatconveysasymbolicmeaningthatliesoutsidethenarrativeitself.Theunderlyingmeaninghasmoral,social,religiousorpoliticalsignificanceandcharactersareoftenpersonificationsofabstractideas.(Relatedformsarefableandtheparable,whicharedidactic,comparativelyshortandsimpleallegories. 9.Enlightenment:AnintellectualmovementthatdevelopedinEuropeinthe17thcenturyandreacheditsheightinthe18th.TheEnlightenersfoughtagainstclassinequality,stagnation,prejudicesandothersurvivalsoffeudalism.TheEnlightenmentcelebratedreason,equality,scienceandhumanbeing’sabilitytoperfectthemselvesandtheirsociety.10.Sentimentalism:ThenameofSentimentalismcamefromLaurenceSterne’snovelSentimentalJourneythroughFranceandItaly.Sentimentalismappearedinthelatterpartofthe18thcentury,asarevoltagainstthecoldrationalismandstrictneo-classicism.Dissatisfiedwiththesocialrealitiesofthetime,sentimentalistsfocusedontherevealingofemotions,expressionoffeelings,individualityandpersonalspirituallifeandtheycravedforsomethingmorenaturalandspontaneousinthoughtandlanguage.11.PicaresqueNovel:Abasicallyrealisticandoftensatiricworkoffictionchroniclingthecareerofanengaging/attractive,low-classrogue-hero,whotakestotheroadforaseriesofloose,episodicadventures,sometimeswithacompanion.12.VerbalIrony:Astatementinwhichthemeaningthataspeakerimpliesdifferssharplyfromthemeaningthatisostensiblyexpressed.(oracontrastbetweenwhatisliterallysaidandwhatisactuallymeant.)13.Character-sketch:Abriefnarrativethatrevealsafictionalcharacter’straitsorpersonality.14.EpistolaryNovel:Atypeofnovelinwhichthenarrativeiscarriedonbymeansofseriesofletters.15.Romanticism:Anartisticintellectualmovementofthelate18thandearly19thcenturiesinWesternEuropethatrejectedtherulesoforder,balance,andrationalitythattypifiedClassicismandNeoclassicism,andreactedagainsttheEnlightenmentand18th—centuryrationalism.Romanticismemphasizedtheindividual,theirrational,theimaginative,thespontaneousandtheemotional.