The Seventeenth Century (1603-1660)
1. The accession of the first Stuart King, James I in 1603 to the
Restoration of the third( Charles II) in 1660.
2. the central event: Puritan Revolution(1640-1660)
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3.The Civil War (1641-1649):execution of King Charles I.
The Seventeenth Century
The Puritan revolution (1640-1660)
• The Civil War (1641-1649): Puritan revolution, execution of King
Charles I.
• Restoration of the Stuarts in 1660 French style in living and literature
• The Stuart: James first (1603— 1625) his son Charles I (1625—
1649)
• protectorate led by Oliver Cromwell (1649——1660)
金瓶酶• Charles II, the son of Charles I (1660——1665)
• James II, the brother of Charles II (1665——1688)
I. The Puritan Revolution
1. James I’s divine-right theory: King, God’s lieutenant on earth.
2. Charles I dissolved the Parliament in 1629.
3. The puritans and the parliament stood for the new-born capitalist class.
4. Conflict between feudal system and bourgeoisie
The first two Stuart kings had no Elizabeth’s ruling skills to rule
the country and the conflicts between the Parliament and the
bourgeoisie, between the Anglican church and the protestant
琅读音emerged. Puritans felt unsatisfied with the monarch’s policies
and were afraid of percution, which led to the founding of
the ttlement in the Plymouth in North American by the first
English pilgrims.With the accession of Charles I relation
between the parliament and the monarch became wor. One
reason was that the monarch didn’t allow free trade which the
burgher class wanted so much. Another was the percution of the
Puritans.
The breaking out of the bourgeois revolution in 1642 becau the
king rejected the Grand Remonstrance.
The nature of the Lord Protector
The restoration of the monarch means the return of the old king
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and the old church
The Glorious Revolution in 1688 and the establishment of the
constitutional monarchy.
The Puritans were Christians who wanted to make reforms in the Anglican Church.
They were oppod to Charles I.
They did away with the elaborate ceremonies.
They demanded a simple religious belief.
They demanded a simple manner of worship.
a simple manner of church organization
They interpreted the Bible in a new way.
They argued that the Bible encouraged trade and individual
freedom.
II. Great Changes Brought by the the Revolution
1. The change of Value-structure of English society
A. The court was no longer the center of intellectual and literary
塔纳湖influence. London and Parliament.
B.A society organized around honour changed into one
organized around interest.
C. Religious tolerance: Anglican church ---more religious cts.
2. Changes in literature
Characteristics of literature under Elizabeth:
* typical forms -- courtly sonnet quence, pastoral romance,
epic, chivalric allegory, learned rmon, erotic idyll, the masque;
风俗习惯作文* patronage – the only way for a man to live on writing. Literature after the Revolution
1. It has no unity of spirit in the days of Elizabeth.
2. Much of the literature of this period is somber in character.
3. It has lost the romantic impul of youth and become critical
and intellectual: causing to think rather than to feel;
new poetic forms: heroic couplet, satire, pamphlet, ode, burlesque. III. The Metaphysical and the Cavalier Poets
Two groups of writers: puritans and non-puritans.
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the Puritans’ mistrust in literature – allurements &enticings of the
nsual world – closure of theatres in 1642 – decline of English
drama.
John Milton (poetry), John Bunyan (pro), & Andrew Marvell
(mild Puritanism) – the only Puritans who contributed to the 17th
century English literature.
The Metaphysical poets
A term that is now applied to a group of 17th-century poets who, whether or not directly influenced by
John Donne, employ similar poetic procedures and imagery, both in cular poetry and in religious poetry.
Donne t the metaphysical mode by writing against the late
Elizabethan poetry of idealized view of human nature and
superficially melodious and smooth style. Metaphysical poetry is
usu. characterized by its subtle philosophical reasoning, ironic
and sometimes cynical tone, colloquial speech, startling similes
and metaphors (called the metaphysical conceit).
Metaphysical poetry is a direct influence on the modernist poetry
of the 20th-century English literature.
2. John Dryden, “ that Donne affected too much the metaphysics.”
3. meaning Donne’s poetry was too labored and intellectual and obscure, concerned too much about with philosophy.
Major Metaphysical poets
John Donne
George Herbert
Andrew Marvell
Richard Crashaw
Henry Vaughan
John Cleveland
Abraham Cowley
The Cavalier Poets
1. courtiers; king’s side.
2. influenced by Ben Jonson
3.form: short songs; madrigals; love fancies
4.style: polished; elegant; amorous; superficial.
5. lightness of heart and morals
Chief reprentative poets
Robert Herrick
Thomas Carew
Sir John Suckling
Richard Lovelace
Ben Jonson
IV. John Donne(1573-1631)
1. life background:
Roman Catholic family; Oxford and Cambridge; Lincoln's Inn.
Dean of St. Pauls.
2. major works: love lyrics; sacred or religious ver.
Donne’s poetry: two groups
a. youthful love poems– “Songs and Sonnets”, (publication in
1633 after his death)
b. sacred vers– “Devotion upon emergent Occasions” (1624); Features of Donne’s poetry:
1.sharp break with the conventional poetic style （flexibility of
rhythm, meter, complex themes）.
2.Emphasis on intellectual power and complexity of thoughts
3.full of original images and conceits, wit, dexterous u of
colloquial speech; caustic humor; harsh and rigid expression. Donne’s status in various ages
a. Ben Jonson (his contemporary): “Donne should be hanged for
roughness of his scansion”;
b. the 18th C.: rational “civilizing” of ver under the dominion
of pro values– Donne neglected;
c. the 19th C.: Donne being praid by Coleridge & Lamb, but
Spenr & Milton were preferred –more musical & rapturous;
d. the 20th C.: T.S. Eliot highly praid and imitated Donne’s
poetry, raising his status to that of a master.(Eliot thought that
Donne showed unifie nsibility – the combination of passion &
thought,
reprenting the mainstream of English poetry(bridging the early Italian poetry [through the Elizabethans] and the modern English poetry). There appeared the dissociation of nsibility in the English poetry after the 17th C. The greatness of Milton & Dryden furthered the trend.
Selected readings
1.Donne: “A Valediction : Forbidding Mourning” “flea”
2. Andrew Marvell: “To His Coy Mistress”
3. Robert Herrick: “To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time”
A Valediction : Forbidding Mourning
A Farewell: Don’t grieve over my leavetaking. 离别辞：莫
悲伤
a. deep love;
b. restrained, aloof & proud;
c. colloquial speech;
d. philosophical reasoning;
e. integration of scientific knowledge;
f. full of original images and conceits.
To His Coy Mistress
Andrew Marvell
a. call for worldly love – different from Marlowe: no pastoral love,
no adoration of the love; emingly nsual & frantic love, but
hinting more: time vs space, death vs love;
b. much wider vision of the world;
c. n of the flying time: no more the eternity & renity in the
pastorals
d. syllogistic structure;
e. iambic tetrameter.
“a tough reasonableness beneath the slight lyric grace” (T.S.柑橘的拼音
Eliot:) – the poem is as smooth running as that of Marlowe or
Herrick: Marvell is considered as unincluded member of the
Cavaliers (also influenced by John Donne). In musicality & tone,
Cavaliers are similar to the Elizabethans.
To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time （Robert Herrick)
a. typical of Cavalier lyrics: smooth, tuneful, & using conventional
images, similar to the
Elizabethan lyrics;
b. n of flying time – no more renity & eternity.
