I. Historical Situation
In about BC 600, Celts started to migrate to the British Isles. Later, troops led by Julius Caesar of the Roman Empire invaded the British Isles, defeated the Celts and ruled there from BC 55 to AD 407.
After the Romans, the Teutonic or Germanic tribes of Angles, Saxons and Jutes moved to live in the British Isles. This happened in about AD 450 Starting from the late 8th century, the Danes from Scandinavia came plundering the Isles.
The greatest historical event that followed was the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Normans came from Normandy in northern France to attack England and won a decisive victory at the battle of Hastings under the leadership of the Duke of Normandy, usually known as William the Conqueror.
Ⅱ.Literary Achievements
1. Old English Poetry
The settlement of Anglo-Saxons in England marked the beginning of English literature. The early English literature mainly consisted of the Anglo-Saxon poetry, which was sung by the minstrels to the chiefs and warriors in praising of the old heroes’ deeds in the feasting hall. The Old English regularly used alliterations and rhymes, at the same time, metaphors and understatements were also put into the poetry. Beowulf is the most widely spread early poem.
III. Literary Terms
1. Anglo-Saxon poetry
Poems or, songs by the Anglo-Saxon minstrels who sang of the heroic deeds of old time to the chiefs and warriors in the feasting-hall. The typical work of Anglo-Saxon is Beowulf.
2.Alliteration
It means the repetition of the initial consonant sounds in poetry. There are generally 4 accents in a line, three of which show alliteration. There is an obvious use of alliteration in Beowulf.
3. Epic (or Heroic Poetry)
It is an oral narrative poem, majestic both in theme and style. Epics deal with legendary or historical events of national or universal significance, involving action of broad sweep and grandeur. Epic poems are not merely entertaining stories of legendary or historical heroes; they summarize and express the nature or ideals of an entire nation at a significant or crucial period of its history.
Ⅳ.Major Writers and Works
◆Beowulf
English literature began with the Anglo-Saxon settlement. Beowulf is an Anglo-Saxon poetry and the national epic of the English people.
1.The Story of Beowulf
Beowulf tells a story of Beowulf fighting against monsters Grendel and his mother, winning the battle and protecting his people.
2. Analysis of Its Content
Beowulf is a folk legend brought to England by Anglo-Saxons from their continental homes. Its main stories are folk legends of primitive Northern tribes.
Beowulf is a brave hero whose spirit and deeds reflect the life of tribal society on the continent. The historical significance of Beowulf lies in reflecting the features of the tribal society of ancient times.
3. Artistic Features of Beowulf
(1)The most noticeable artistic feature of Beowulf is alliteration.
(2)Another peculiar feature is the frequent use of kennings, For example, the sun is called “the world’s great candle”.
(3)The general mood is both solemn and animated.
(4)Other noticeable stylistic points include the use of similes, the elevated diction, good use of balance and parallelism, etc.
| 一、背景知识——英国的形成
1．盎格鲁-撒克逊征服
（1）简介
当罗马人撤离不列颠时，大群海盗入侵岛内。他们是来自北欧的三支部落：盎格鲁，撒克逊和朱特。征服之前，他们仍旧过着部落生活。
到7世纪，一个统一的王国—英国成立了，也被称作盎格鲁人之国。
（2）影响
①这三支部落发展成一个统一的民族称为英国人。三种方言逐渐成为一种单一的语言，称为盎格鲁—撒克逊语言，即古英语。
②不列颠人经历了从原始部落社会向封建社会过渡的时期。
③盎格鲁—撒克逊人是无神论民族，相信古老的北欧神话，但后来在7世纪被基督教化了。
二、早期英国文学的特征
英国文学始于盎格鲁-撒克逊人在英国定居时期。古英国文学中所保留的作品多为诗歌或者盎格鲁—撒克逊游吟诗人所唱的歌曲，这些游吟诗人在宴会大厅里为那些首领和勇士歌唱古时的英雄事迹。古英语中有规律地运用了头韵和韵律，同时也用到了比喻和轻描淡写手法。流传最广的早期英语诗歌是《贝奥武甫》。
三、文学术语
1．盎格鲁-撒克逊诗歌
是由盎格鲁—撒克逊游吟诗人吟唱的古代英雄事迹的诗歌或者歌曲。这些诗歌或者歌曲主要是在宴会厅唱给首领或者武士们。代表诗作是《贝奥武甫》。
2．头韵
就是诗歌里开头辅音字母的重复。一行诗歌里一般有4个音节，三个音节能够显示出头韵的效果。在《贝奥武甫》里对头韵有明显的运用。
3．史诗
古代民间文学的一种体裁，通常指以传说或重大历史事件为题材的古代长篇民间叙事诗。史诗主要歌颂每个民族在其形成和发展过程中战胜所经历的各种艰难险阻、克服自然灾害、抵御外侮的斗争及其英雄业绩。
四、英国早期主要作家及作品
◆《贝奥武甫》
英国文学始于盎格鲁—撒克逊人的定居。《贝奥武甫》是一首盎格鲁—撒克逊诗歌，同时也是一首英国人民的国家史诗。
1．《贝奥武甫》主要情节
该书讲述了贝奥武甫这位英勇的武士与怪物格兰戴和他母亲斗争取得胜利并保护了他的人民的故事。
2．《贝奥武甫》内容评析
《贝奥武甫》是一部民间传说，由盎格鲁—撒克逊人从他们本土带到英格兰。它的主要故事情节来源于原始北欧部落的民间传说。
贝奥武甫是一个英雄，他的精神和行为都反映了当时的部落生活。它的历史意义在于反映了古代部落社会的特征。
3．《贝奥武甫》的文学特征
（1）头韵的使用是《贝奥武甫》最为显著的文学特征。
（2）多用隐喻语，如把太阳称为“世界的蜡烛”。
（3）基调既庄重又活泼。
（4）其他值得注意的特征包括明喻、用词考究、排比等。
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