【正文】 signicance. Drama of the 18th century 1. The decline of the drama 2. Richard Brinsley Sheriden A. life. B. works: Rivals, The School for Scandals. C. significance of his plays. a. The Rivals and The School for Scandal are generally regarded as important links between the masterpieces of Shakespeare and those of Bernard Shaw, and as true classics in English edy. b. In his plays, morality is the constant theme. He is much concerned with the current moral issues and lashes harshly at the social vices of the day. c. Sheridan39。 miserable life。 。 writer. （ 2） Pamela, Virtue Rewarded. story significance Pamela was a new thing in these ways: a） It discarded the ―improbable and marvelous‖ acplishments of the former heroic romances, and pictured the life and love of ordinary people. b） Its intension was to afford not merely entertainment but also moral instruction. c） It described not only the sayings and doings of characters but their also their secret thoughts and feelings. It was, in fact, the first English psychoanalytical novel. 3. Oliver Goldsmith—poet and novelist. A. Life: in Ireland。 : Tom, Blifil, Sophia。 career。 career。s Travels. Part I. Satire—the Whig and the Tories, Anglican Church and Catholic Church. Part II. Satire—the legal system。s in Dublin. 2. Works: The Battle of Books, A Tale of a Tub, A Modest Proposal, Gulliver39。 （ 4） the chief editor of The Examiner。 （ 2） studies at Trinity College。 criticism （ The Lives of great Poets） 。 a living by writing and translating。 of two epics. （ 3） His contribution: heroic couplet—finish, elegance, wit, pointedness。 of Addison, Steele and Swift. （ 2） three groups of poems: Essay on Criticism （ manifesto of neoclassicism） 。 health。 （ 5） prison, writing the book. 2. The Pilgrim Progress （ 1） The allegory in dream form. （ 2） the plot. （ 3） the theme. V. Metaphysical Poets and Cavalier Poets. 1. Metaphysical Poets The term ―metaphysical poetry‖ is monly used to designate the works of the 17th century writers who wrote under the influence of John Donne. Pressured by the harsh, unfortable and curious age, the metaphysical poets sought to shatter myths and replace them with new philosophies, new sciences, new words and new poetry. They tried to break away from the conventional fashion of Elizabethan love poetry, and favoured in poetry for a more colloquial language and tone, a tightness of expression and the singleminded working out of a theme or argument. 2. Cavalier Poets The other group prevailing in this period was that of Cavalier poets. They were often courtiers who stood on the side of the king, and called themselves ―sons‖ of Ben Jonson. The Cavalier poets wrote light poetry, polished and elegant, amorous and gay, but often superficial. Most of their verses were short songs, pretty madrigals, love fancies characterized by lightness of heart and of morals. Cavalier poems have the limpidity of the Elizabethan lyric without its imaginative flights. They are lighter and neater but less fresh than the Elizabethan39。 （ 3） parliamentary army。s works. （ 1） Milton is one of the very few truly great English writers who is also a prominent figure in politics, and who is both a great poet and an important prose writer. The two most essential things to be remembered about him are his Puritanism and his republicanism. （ 2） Milton wrote many different types of poetry. He is especially a great master of blank verse. He learned much from Shakespeare and first used blank verse in nondramatic works. （ 3） Milton is a great stylist. He is famous for his grand style noted for its dignity and polish, which is the result of his lifelong classical and biblical study. （ 4） Milton has always been admired for his sublimity of thought and majesty of expression. Bunyan 1. life: （ 1） puritan age。 （ 2） The Cavalier poets. （ 3） Milton: the literary and philosophical heritage of the Renaissance merged with Protestant political and moral conviction 2. The restoration period. （ 1） The restoration of Charles II ushered in a literature characterized by reason, moderation, good taste, deft management, and simplicity. （ school of Ben Jonson） （ 2） The ideals of impartial investigation and scientific experimentation promoted by the newly founded Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge （ 1662） were influential in the development of clear and simple prose as an instrument of rational munication. （ 3） The great philosophical and political treatises of the time emphasize rationalism. （ 4） The restoration drama. （ 5） The Age of Dryden. Milton 1. Life: educated at Cambridge—visiting the continent—involved into the revolution—persecuted—writing epics. 2. Literary career. （ 1） The 1st period was up to 1641, during which time he is to be seen chiefly as a son of the humanists and Elizabethans, although his Puritanism is not absent. L39。 a lady in dark plexion. c. the form: three quatrains and a couplet. d. the rhyme scheme: abab, cdcd, efef, gg. Jonson 1. life: poet, dramatist, a Latin and Greek scholar, the ―literary king‖ （ Sons of Ben） : （ 1） the idea of ―humour‖. （ 2） an advocate of classical drama and a forerunner of classicism in English literature. 3. Major plays （ 1） Everyone in His Humour—―humour‖。 reality and illusion. 3. Nondramatic poetry （ 1） Venus and Adonis。 （ 7） Retired, son—Ham。 （ 5） London, the Globe Theatre: small part and proprietor。 （ 3） Queen visit to Castle。 c. The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus. （ 3） The significance o