The History of English Literature,

YK, 2005/2006
1
History of
English
Literature
Week XIII
EarIy 20
th
Century Period
(I 00 - 0)
The History of English Literature,
YK, 2005/2006
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Materialism
Middle-level society
enjoyed more prosperity
Several parties were not
satisfied with the condition
Carlyle, Ruskin and Arnold
criticized the society
Satires toward
'Victorianism' Samuel
Butler Yeats' satires, then
followed by George
Bernard Shaw
The History of English Literature,
YK, 2005/2006
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Wold War
The war brought great impacts:
solving many problems but
creating more problems.
Disappearance of patriotism
and idealism during the war, the
emergence of cynical and
sceptic attitudes, doubted
towards social and ethics before
war.
The youths blamed the elders
for the disaster happened.
Following World War , by the
end of 1920s, catastrophic
economic crisis, burdened with
Fascism and Nazism.
Because of the threads,
solidarity was regained
The History of English Literature,
YK, 2005/2006
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Literature
Development
Literature development followed the flow of
the history
The increasing number of varieties in both
the forms and the contents of literature
Poetry
Gradually shifted by novel
Poets were divided into two: a) those still
loyal to the old values (pre-WW ) and b)
the young poets tend to see 'present' than
'past', neglecting 'poetic language', rhythm
and rhyme, but unconventional,
experimental, and daring
#udyard KipIing imperialism poet
looking imperialism as civilizing force. n his
works, he stressed on the 'mission' of
British as imperialists.
Most of his works were like ballads: The
White Man's Burden, Departmental Ditties,
Barrack-Room Ballads telling about British
troops in ndia. The Seven Seas and The
Five Nations imperialism poems. For All
We Have and Are. Kipling was also well
known as short stories writer.
The History of English Literature,
YK, 2005/2006
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More about the
poets..
#obert Bridges. Consistent in traditional literary
values. He disagreed with those against literary norms.
His biggest work: The Testament of Beauty (1929)
about his life philosophy.
ohn MasefieId: The Everlasting Mercy, The Widow in
the Bye Street, and Dauber
Before WW occurred, patriotism overwhelmed the
whole Britain. t inspired #upert Brooke to write
sonnets about patriotism and idealism. Brooke saw the
was as romantic experience, and being killed in the war
was a heroic act. His works: !oems, Other !oems.
Ifred Edward Housman, a professor on classic
literature. His poems were simple but clear. He knew
ancient Greek lyrics very much. Three characteristics
he took from ancient Greek lyrics: simplicity, clarity and
harmony. His works: A Shropshire Lad, Last !oems,
and More !oems.
%wo major poets: WiIIiam ButIer Yeats and %homas
Stearns (%S) EIiot
Yeats' works: The Wanderings of Oisin based on
ancient Celtic romance. The Lake Isle of Innisfree, The
White Swans at Coole, A Vision (system of symbols he
learned from various believes. The Tower, The Winding
Stair.
%S EIiot's works: The Love Song of J. Alfred
!rufrock, !ortrait of a Lady, The Waste Land based on
the Middle Age romance, Ash Wednesday, Family
Reuinion.
The History of English Literature,
YK, 2005/2006
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Prose
New development in prose writing technique
E.g.: H.G. Wells expanded the scope of his
stories to fantasies about scientific inventions.
John Galsworthy, wrote about top middle-
class society. n the writing technique, most of
their novels were still similar to those in the
19th century.
Three techniques in writing novel: a) letter , b)
autobiography, c) god-eye
A group of novelists were not satisfied with the
techniques. They assumed that they only put
forward themselves and lack of close contact
with readers. Therefore, they proposed a new
technique to cover the weaknesses laid in the
old techniques. They told the story from the
point of view of the characters in the novel. t
was later called: 'Stream of Consciousness'
technique or 'nterior Monologue'. They were:
Dorothy Richardson, James Joyce, and
Virginia Woolf.
Chronological structure was not used. E.g.: in
Sterne's Tristram Shandy.
ther great novelists: #udyard KipIing: !lain
Tales from the Hills, Soldiers Three, The
!hantom Rickshaw, Captain Courageous,
Kim, Jungle Brooks, oseph Conrad, Herbert
George WeIIs
The emergence of scientific romance,
contributed by H.G. Wells and John
Galsworthy.
The History of English Literature,
YK, 2005/2006
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Drama
George Bernard Shaw: John Bull's
Other Island, Arms and the Man, The
Man of Destiny, You Never Can Tell,
Man and Superman, The Doctor's
Dillema, Getting Married, Fanny's First
!lay, Androcles and the Lion, Buoyant
Billions, !ygmalion.
ohn GaIsworthy: The Silver Box,
Strife, Justice, Loyalties, Forsyte Saga
ames Matthew Barrie: !eter !an,
The Admirable Crichton, Dear Brutus, A
Well Remembered Voice
Sean O'Casey: The Shadow of
Gunman, Juno and the !aycock, The
!lough and the Stars, The Silver Tassie
%S EIiot: Murder in the Cathedral, The
Family Reunion, The Cocktail !arty,
The Confidential Clerk, The Elder
Statesman