西方文学史：英国文学简史完全笔记(3)
Chapter 4 English Literature of the 17th Century I.A Historical Background
II.The Overview of the Literature （1640-1688）
1. The revolution period
（1） The metaphysical poets;
（2） The Cavalier poets.来源:YouTheme网
（3） Milton: the literary and philosophical heritage of the Renaissance merged with Protestant political and moral conviction
2. The restoration period.
（1） The restoration of Charles II ushered in a literature characterized by reason, moderation, good taste, deft management, and simplicity. （school of Ben Jonson）
（2） The ideals of impartial investigation and scientific experimentation promoted by the newly founded Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge （1662） were influential in the development of clear and simple prose as an instrument of rational communication.
（3） The great philosophical and political treatises of the time emphasize rationalism.
（4） The restoration drama.
（5） The Age of Dryden.
III.John Milton
1. Life: educated at Cambridge—visiting the continent—involved into the revolution—persecuted—writing epics.
2. Literary career.
（1） The 1st period was up to 1641, during which time he is to be seen chiefly as a son of the humanists and Elizabethans, although his Puritanism is not absent. L'Allegre and IL Pens eroso （1632） are his early masterpieces, in which we find Milton a true offspring of the Renaissance, a scholar of exquisite taste and rare culture. Next came Comus, a masque. The greatest of early creations was Lycidas, a pastoral elegy on the death of a college mate, Edward King.
（2） The second period is from 1641 to 1654, when the Puritan was in such complete ascendancy that he wrote almost no poetry. In 1641, he began a long period of pamphleteering for the puritan cause. For some 15 years, the Puritan in him alone ruled his writing. He sacrificed his poetic ambition to the call of the liberty for which Puritans were fighting.
（3） The third period is from 1655 to 1671, when humanist and Puritan have been fused into an exalted entity. This period is the greatest in his literary life, epics and some famous sonnets. The three long poems are the fruit of the long contest within Milton of Renaissance tradition and his Puritan faith. They form the greatest accomplishments of any English poet except Shakespeare. In Milton alone, it would seem, Puritanism could not extinguish the lover of beauty. In these works we find humanism and Puritanism merged in magnificence.
3. Major Works
（1） Paradise Lost
a. the plot.来源：www.qiewo.com
b. characters.
c. theme: justify the ways of God to man.
（2） Paradise Regained.
（3） Samson Agonistes.
4. Features of Milton's works.
（1） Milton is one of the very few truly great English writers who is also a prominent figure in politics, and who is both a great poet and an important prose writer. The two most essential things to be remembered about him are his Puritanism and his republicanism.
（2） Milton wrote many different types of poetry. He is especially a great master of blank verse. He learned much from Shakespeare and first used blank verse in non-dramatic works.
（3） Milton is a great stylist. He is famous for his grand style noted for its dignity and polish, which is the result of his life-long classical and biblical study.
（4） Milton has always been admired for his sublimity of thought and majesty of expression.
IV.John Bunyan
1. life:
（1） puritan age;
（2） poor family;
（3） parliamentary army;
（4） Baptist society, preacher;
（5） prison, writing the book.
2. The Pilgrim Progress
（1） The allegory in dream form.
（2） the plot.
（3） the theme.
