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1、Part The Literature of RomanticismThe origin of Romantic American literature The Romantic Period,one of the most important periods in thehistory of American literature,stretches from the end of the 18th century to the outbreak（战争的）爆发 of the Civil War.It started with the publication of Washington Irv
2、ings The Sketch Book and ended with Whitmans Leaves of Grass.The American Renaissance or New England RenaissanceThe American Renaissance or New England Renaissance The American Renaissance or New England The American Renaissance or New England Renaissance isRenaissance is a period of the great flowe
3、ring of American a period of the great flowering of American literature,from the i830s roughlyliterature,from the i830s roughly粗糙地；概略地粗糙地；概略地 until the until the end of the American Civil War.It came of age as an end of the American Civil War.It came of age as an expression of a national spirit.One
4、of the most important expression of a national spirit.One of the most important influences in the period was that of the Transcendentalistsinfluences in the period was that of the Transcendentalists超越论者，先验论者超越论者，先验论者 ,including Ralph Waldo Emerson,including Ralph Waldo Emerson,Henry David Thoreau.Th
5、e Transcendentalists contributed to Henry David Thoreau.The Transcendentalists contributed to the founding of a new national culture based on native the founding of a new national culture based on native elements.Apart from the Transcendentalists,there emerged elements.Apart from the Transcendentali
6、sts,there emerged during this period great imaginative writers-Nathaniel during this period great imaginative writers-Nathaniel Hawthorne,Herman Melville,and Walt Whitman-whose Hawthorne,Herman Melville,and Walt Whitman-whose novels and poetry left a permanent imprintnovels and poetry left a permane
7、nt imprint印记；痕迹印记；痕迹 on on American literature.American literature.Its social historical and cultural backgroundIts social historical and cultural backgroundThe development of the American society nurturedThe development of the American society nurtured养育；鼓励；养育；鼓励；培植培植 the literature of a great nati
8、on.America was flourishing the literature of a great nation.America was flourishing into a politically,economically and culturally independent into a politically,economically and culturally independent country.country.HistoricallyHistorically,it was the time of westward expansion,it was the time of
9、westward expansion in America;in America;economicallyeconomically,the whole nation was experiencing,the whole nation was experiencing an industrial transformation;Politically,democracy and an industrial transformation;Politically,democracy and equality became the ideal of the new nation,and the two-
10、party equality became the ideal of the new nation,and the two-party system came into being.Worthy of mention is system came into being.Worthy of mention is the literary and the literary and cultural life cultural life of the country.With the founding of the American of the country.With the founding
11、of the American Independent Government,the nation felt an urge to have its Independent Government,the nation felt an urge to have its own literary expression,to make known its new experience own literary expression,to make known its new experience that other nations did not have:the early Puritan se
12、ttlement,that other nations did not have:the early Puritan settlement,the confrontation with the Indians,the frontiersmens life,and the confrontation with the Indians,the frontiersmens life,and the wild west.Besides,the nations literary milieu was ready the wild west.Besides,the nations literary mil
13、ieu was ready for the Romantic movement as well.Thus,with a strong sense for the Romantic movement as well.Thus,with a strong sense of optimism,a spectacular outburst of romantic feeling was of optimism,a spectacular outburst of romantic feeling was brought about in the first half of the 19th centur
14、y.brought about in the first half of the 19th century.Major writers of this period There emerged a great host of men of letters during this There emerged a great host of men of letters during this period,among whom the better-known are poets such as period,among whom the better-known are poets such
15、as Philip Freneau,William Cullen Bryant,Henry Wordsworth Philip Freneau,William Cullen Bryant,Henry Wordsworth Long Fellow,James Long Fellow,James RusselRussel Lowell,John Greenleaf Lowell,John Greenleaf WhitterWhitter,Edgar Ellen Poe,and,especially,Walt Whitman,whose Edgar Ellen Poe,and,especially,
16、Walt Whitman,whose Leaves Of GrassLeaves Of Grass established him as the most popular established him as the most popular American poet of the 19th century.American poet of the 19th century.The fiction of the The fiction of the American Romantic period is an original and diverse American Romantic pe
17、riod is an original and diverse body of work.It ranges from the comic fables of body of work.It ranges from the comic fables of Washington Irving to the Washington Irving to the TheThe Gothic tales of Edgar Allen Gothic tales of Edgar Allen Poe,from the frontier adventures of James Poe,from the fron
18、tier adventures of James FenimoreFenimore Cooper to the narrative quests of Herman Melville,from Cooper to the narrative quests of Herman Melville,from the psychological romances of Nathaniel Hawthorne to the psychological romances of Nathaniel Hawthorne to the social realism of Rebecca Harding Davi
19、s.the social realism of Rebecca Harding Davis.The impact of European Romanticism on American Romanticism EmphasisingEmphasising the imaginative and emotional the imaginative and emotional qualities of literaturequalities of literature To put emphasis on the free expression of To put emphasis on the
20、free expression of emotions and displayed an increasing attention emotions and displayed an increasing attention to the psychic states of their characters.to the psychic states of their characters.To exalt the individual and the common manTo exalt the individual and the common man The literary use o
21、f the more colorful aspects of The literary use of the more colorful aspects of the past was also to be found in Irvings effort to the past was also to be found in Irvings effort to exploit the legends of the Hudson River region,exploit the legends of the Hudson River region,and in Coopers long seri
22、es of historical tales.and in Coopers long series of historical tales.American Romanticism is,in a certain way,American Romanticism is,in a certain way,derivative.derivative.The unique characteristics of American RomanticismThe unique characteristics of American Romanticismthe American national expe
23、rience of the American national experience of pioneering into the pioneering into the west proved to be a rich sourcewest proved to be a rich source of materialof material for American for American writers to draw upon.writers to draw upon.The wilderness came to function The wilderness came to funct
24、ion almost as a dramatic character that symbolized moral almost as a dramatic character that symbolized moral lawlaw The desire for an escape from society and a return to The desire for an escape from society and a return to nature became a permanent convention of American nature became a permanent
25、convention of American literature.literature.American character types speaking local dialects American character types speaking local dialects appeared in poetry and fiction with increasing frequency.appeared in poetry and fiction with increasing frequency.Then the American PuritanismThen the Americ
26、an Puritanism as a cultural heritage as a cultural heritage exerted great influences over American moral values and exerted great influences over American moral values and American Romanticism.American Romanticism.Besides,a preoccupation with Besides,a preoccupation with the Calvinistic view of the
27、Calvinistic view of original sin and the mystery of eviloriginal sin and the mystery of evil marked the works of marked the works of Hawthorne,Melville and a host of lesser writers.Hawthorne,Melville and a host of lesser writers.American Romanticists differed in their American Romanticists differed
28、in their understanding of human natureunderstanding of human nature To the transcendentalists such as Emerson and Thoreau,man is divine in nature and therefore forever perfectible;but to Hawthorne and Melville,everybody is potentially a sinner,and great moral courage is therefore indispensab1e for t
29、he improvement of human nature,as is shown in Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter.Washington Irving(1783-l859)Irvings position in American literatureWashington Irving was one of the first American writers to earn an international reputation,and regarded as an early Romantic writer in the merican literary
30、history and Father of the American short stories.He was also called as“the American goldsmith”.His major works A History Of New York from the Beginning Of the World to the End of the Dutch Dynasty The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon,Gent.Rip Van Winkle The Legend of Sleepy Hollow The Life of George W
31、ashington Irvings unique contribution to American literatureIrvings unique contribution to American literature Irvings contribution to American literature is unique in more Irvings contribution to American literature is unique in more than one way.He was the first American writer of imaginative than
32、 one way.He was the first American writer of imaginative literature to gain international fame.Although greatly influenced literature to gain international fame.Although greatly influenced by European literature,Irving gave his works distinctive by European literature,Irving gave his works distincti
33、ve American flavor.Rip Van Winkle or The Legend of Sleepy American flavor.Rip Van Winkle or The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,however exotic these stories are,are among Hollow,however exotic these stories are,are among the the treasures of the American language and culture.treasures of the American langua
34、ge and culture.These two These two stories easily trigger off American imagination with their focus stories easily trigger off American imagination with their focus on American subjects,American landscape,and,in Irvings on American subjects,American landscape,and,in Irvings case,the legends of the H
35、udson River region of the fresh case,the legends of the Hudson River region of the fresh young land.young land.It is not the sketches about the Old World but It is not the sketches about the Old World but the tales about America that made Washington Irving a the tales about America that made Washing
36、ton Irving a household word and his fame enduring.household word and his fame enduring.He was father of He was father of American short stories.And later in the hands of Hawthorne American short stories.And later in the hands of Hawthorne and Melville the short story attained a degree of perfection.
37、and Melville the short story attained a degree of perfection.Ralph Waldo Emerson 1803-1882Ralph Waldo EmersonRalph Waldo Emerson is the chief spokesman of New England Transcendentalism,which is unanimously agreed to be the summit of the Romantic period in the history of American literature.His major
38、 works Nature The American Scholar Self Reliance The Over Soul Emersonian Transcendentalism EmersonianEmersonian Transcendentalism is actual1y a philosophical Transcendentalism is actual1y a philosophical school which absorbed some ideological concerns of school which absorbed some ideological conce
39、rns of American Puritanism and European Romanticism,with its American Puritanism and European Romanticism,with its focus on the intuitive knowledge of human beings to grasp focus on the intuitive knowledge of human beings to grasp the absolute in the universe and the divinity of man.In his the absol
40、ute in the universe and the divinity of man.In his essays,Emerson put forward his philosophy of the over-essays,Emerson put forward his philosophy of the over-soul,the importance of the Individual,and Nature.soul,the importance of the Individual,and Nature.(1)Emersons philosophy of(1)Emersons philos
41、ophy of the over-soul the over-soul(2)(2)Emersons philosophy of Emersons philosophy of the importance of the Individualthe importance of the Individual (3)Emersons view(3)Emersons view on natureon nature EmersonianEmersonian Transcendentalism inspired a whole generation Transcendentalism inspired a
42、whole generation of famous American authors like Thoreau,Whitman,and of famous American authors like Thoreau,Whitman,and Dickinson.Dickinson.Thoreaus Transcendentalism Walden Walden(1854)not only fully demonstrates(1854)not only fully demonstrates EmersonianEmersonian ideas ideas of self-reliance bu
43、t also develops and tests of self-reliance but also develops and tests Thoreaus own Thoreaus own transcendental philosophy.transcendental philosophy.(1)For Thoreau,(1)For Thoreau,nature is not merely symbolic,but divine in nature is not merely symbolic,but divine in itself and human beings can recei
44、ve precise itself and human beings can receive precise communicationcommunication from the natural world by way of pure sensesfrom the natural world by way of pure senses.(2)Thoreau strongly believed in(2)Thoreau strongly believed in self-culture self-culture and was eager to and was eager to identi
45、fy himselfidentify himself with the with the Transcendental Transcendental image of the image of the self-reliant self-reliant man.man.(3)His(3)His positivenesspositiveness about about the importance of individual the importance of individual conscience conscience was such that he even considered th
46、e society was such that he even considered the society fetters of the freedom of individuals.fetters of the freedom of individuals.Though Thoreau became more than Emersons disciple Though Thoreau became more than Emersons disciple eventually,his indebtedness to Nature and its author has never eventu
47、ally,his indebtedness to Nature and its author has never been overlooked.been overlooked.The style of Emersons essaysEmersons essays often have a Emersons essays often have a casualcasual style,for most style,for most of them were derived from his journals or lectures.of them were derived from his j
48、ournals or lectures.They are usually characterized byThey are usually characterized by a series of short a series of short,declarative sentencesdeclarative sentences,which are not quite logically,which are not quite logically connected but will flower out connected but will flower out into illustrat
49、iveinto illustrative statements statements of truth and of truth and thoughts.Emersonsthoughts.Emersons philosophical discussion philosophical discussion is sometimes difficult to understand but he is sometimes difficult to understand but he uses uses comparisons and metaphors comparisons and metaph
50、ors to make the general to make the general idea of his work clearly expressed.Well-read in the idea of his work clearly expressed.Well-read in the classics of classics of Western EuropeanWestern European literature,Emerson often literature,Emerson often employed these literary sources to make and e