1 Features of Scott’s historical novels

1.Scott has on outstanding gift of vivifying the past his novels, which combine historical fact with romantic imagination, give a picturesque representation of various historical personage and events. He was especially versed in portraying Scottish history and Scottish characters, but he also was a successful writer on the history of other countries.

2.In his novels, historical events are closely interwoven with the fares of individual life. Besides, the nominal heroes of Scott’s novels, usually young men of noble birth are thrown into close companionship with ordinary. People and go through a serious of hardships and adventures. This arrangement is convenient to the novelist in depicting characters from various social strata and their fates in historical events. But not a few of these novels are pale figures.

3.When Scott describes historical events, he is concerned not only with the lives and deeds of kings, Statesmen and other historical figures, but is always mindful of the fates of the ordinary people. Hence the numerous pen-portraits of the people from various social positions, which constitute an important characteristic in Scott’s novels.

4.Scott is a romantic. But, besides romantic imagination, he also relies upon careful studies and investigations into the details of historical life.

5.Scott’s historical novels paved the way for the development of the realistic novel of the 19th century. In fact, Scott’s literary career marks the transition from romantic to realism in English literature of the 19th century.

2Talk about Samuel Johnson’s Dictionary in your own words

1.Some of the definitions in the dictionary are often, quoted to illustrate. Johnson’s personality prejudice. 2.But the dictionary as a whole was a great work of scholarship. Johnson’s purpose was to make a dictionary by means of which the pronunciation of our language may be fixed, and its attainment facilitated; by which its purity may be preserved, its use ascertained and its duration lengthened. 3.Though the dictionary has been displaced by latter ones, it worked an epoch in the study of the English language. 4.His Dictionary also worked the end of English writer’s reliance on the patronage of noblemen for support.

3The features of the works of romanticist 1.The general feature of the works of the romanticists is dissatisfaction with the bourgeois society, which finals expression in a revolt against or an escape from the prosaic life. Their writing is filled with strong willed heroes. Formidable, events, tragic, situations, powerful, Conflicting Passions, and exotic pictures. 2.Sometimes they resort to symbolic methods. 3.The romanticists paid great attention to the spiritual and emotional life of man, Nature often personified, also plays important role in their works. 4.Poetry of course is the best medium to express all these sentiments. In fact, all the romanticists mentioned above were poets. The Romantic Period was one of poetical revival.

4What’s Byronic hero? Byronic hero who are men with fiery passions and unbending will and express the poet’s own ideal of freedom. These heroes rise against tyranny and injustice, but they are merely love fighters striving for personal freedom and some individualistic ends

5Prometheus Unbound 1.Shelley’s masterpiece is Prometheus Unbound a lyrical drama in if acts. 2.According to Greek myth, Prometheus stole fire from heaven and taught men how to use it. The figure of Prometheus has been symbolic of those noble-hearted revolutionaries who devote themselves to the just cause of the people and suffer, great pains at the hands of tyrants. 3.The plot of Shelley’s drama is borrowed from Prometheus Bound a play of the Greek tragedian

Aeschylus 4.But Shelly give the myth his own interpretation 5.In this poem Prometheus represents mankind itself. And Zeus, a symbol of all reactionary institutions. To Shelly, the image of Prometheus unites four no use qualities: man’s shaping intellect, his heroic endurance the definition against tyranny and the love of mankind mother Earth gives him strength to endure all suffering and sends the spirits of heroes and martyrs to cheer him. His bride Asia the spirit of love and goodness awaits him in the distance Prometheus is released by Herlus the hero of great strength. 6.Prometheus bound becomes Prometheus Unbound. This symbolizes the victory for mains struggle against tyranny and oppression.

6Why did Chaucer become the founder of English poetry? 1 Chaucer’s learning was wide in scope 2he obtained good knowledge of Latin, French 3then his dilomatic missions to Italy enables him to study the poems of dunte, Petrarch and Boccaccio, famous Italian writers of the renaissance period, which were later to have profound influence upon his writing. 4besides, he was an ardent admirer of Latin outhors, having studded many of the philosophical works prevailing in the Middle Ages 5 he also has knowledge of astronomy, Chaucer acquired an abundant knowledge of the world, which is essential for a writer, so no man of his day could have been better equipped, socially and intellectually, to be the founder of English poetry

7 Comment on Chaucer’s literary career 1 it is interesting to find that his literary career can also be divided into three periods, corresponding with the stages of his life 2 the first period consist of works translated from French, as The Romaunt of the Rose 3 the second consist of works adapted from the Italian, as Troilus and Criseyde 4the third includes The Canterbury Tales, which is purely English. 5in the French period, the author is trying his hand on meter, on language, on subject 6 In the Italian period, the poet’s own creativeness shows itself through borrowed themes 7 in the third period, the poet is no longer the mere interpreter of other poets 8he has his own choice if subject, his own grasp of character and his own diction and plot 8How did Chaucer link the tales together? 1 various in kind as these stones are the poet succeeded in linking them together through two ways. 2the personality of the host affords a clear string of connection from the first to the last tale, he gives a unity to the whole work, inviting, critizing, admiring, denouncing, but always keeping himself in evidence. 3 then there is an intimate connection between the tales and the prologue, both of which complement each other. It is of greast importance to read the corresponding portion of full dramatic, narrative and pictorial effect of work 9 Talk about Chaucer’s achievement in English literature 1 Chaucer’s contribution to English poetry lies chiefly in the fact that he introduced from France the rhymed stanza of various types. especially the rhymed couplet of 5 accents in iambic meter to English poetry , instead of the old Anglo-Saxon alliterative verse 2 he is the first great poet who wrote in the English language. His production of so much excellent poetry was an important factor in establishing English as the literary language of the country, the spoken English of the time , consisted of several dialects, and Chaucer did much in making the dialect of London the standard for the modern English speech. 10 Analyze the image of henry V in your own words 1 henry V is the symbol of Shakespeare’s ideal kingship he represents the up surging patriotism of the time , in depicting henry V as a prince and as a man Shakespeare looks deep into the personality of his hero and shows a profound understanding of politics and social life of the time 2 henry V describes prince Hal as a budding statesman, At the outset, he is shown to be a prodigal son. Keeping company with sir John Falstaff, and other disreputable person and enjoying a low, riotous with them 3 though

leading a riotous life , Henry is cool—headed and has a strong will, He keeps half an eye on the chance of political success, when he is called by his father to lead the army, he enlists Falstaff as a companion in arms 4 after the battle, prince henry resume his old ways of life again 5 on his father’s advice, henry V makes war with France in order to prevent his nobles from making trouble. But before the war, he sees to it that everything goes well at home, he crushes a conspiracy of some noble lords to assassinate him and

11 Why is Shakespeare one of the founders of realism in world literature? 1Shakespeare is one of the founders of realism in world literature, he insists on principle of realism. Shakespeare faithfully characters in his plays, the major social contradictions of his time 2thus, his historical plays describe the decaying of the old feudal nobility and rising of the new Tudor monarchy which represented teeth interests of English merchants and well-to-do citizens 3his comedies paint, in bright colors, the life and love of the young men and women just freed from the features of feudalism 4meanwhile, his great tragedies, in the main, depict the life –and-death struggle between the humanists and the dark power of the time

12 Shakespeare has been universally acknowledged to be the summit of the English renaissance, and one of the great ?.why? 1shakespeare is one of the founders of realism in world literature and he insists on the principle of realism 2 though his character are often clothed in old, foreign dresses, their thoughts and feelings belong to Shakespeare’s own time, and so his drama becomes a monument of the English renaissance , Shakespeare wrote about his own people and for his own time. 3shakespeare’s long experience with the stage and his intimate knowledge of dramatic art thus acquired make him a master hand for playwriting, under his hand drama becomes very elastic, in order to reproduce the various aspects of real life, Shakespeare often combines the majestic with the funny, the poetic with the prosaic, and the tragic with the comic, his character also bear this manifold quality 4 Shakespeare was skilled in many poetic forms .the Song the sonnet the couplet and the dramatic blank verse, in his hand, it becomes a most flexible means of expression to utter all the possible thoughts, and feelings of his 5 Shakespeare was a great master of the English language. He commanded a vocabulary larger than any other English writer , Shakespeare and the authorized version of the English Bible are the two great treasuries of the English renaissance, and one of the greatest writers the world over.

13 Talk about Shakespeare’s sonnets in gaur own words 1 in 1609 appeared Shakespeare’s sonnets, never before imprinted, the collection contains 154 sonnets 2 they may be roughly divided into three groups, numbers 1-17 are variations on one theme, a handsome young man is being persuaded to many and beget offspring who will preserve his beauty in a new generation, though he himself will lose it as he grows old, gradually this theme gives place to the ideal that the beloved youth will survive through the poet’s verse. 3 numbers 18-126 are on a variety of themes, associated with a handsome young

man, the poet enjoys his friendship and is full of admiration promising to bestow immortality on the young man by the poems he writes in his honors 4then begins a new series, principally about a married woman with dark hair and complexion , the so – called “dark lady of the sonnets” 5 for all that ,all critics unite in praising these sonnets for a variety of virtues , they express strong feeling , they have a density of thought and imagery that makes them seem the quiet essence of the poetical experience, they delight by a felicity of phrase and verse movement,