【正文】 se of Grendel, he cuts off his head and brings it back in triumph. The Danes award him many treasures, and Beowulf returns to his uncle. Later on, Beowulf bees king of the Geats and reigns over his people for 50 years. Then a firespewing dragon begins to devastate the land of his kingdom, because somebody has stolen a cup from the immense gold, which the dragon has guarded for 30 years. Therefore the angry dragon determines to punish the people of the kingdom. With 11 chosen thanes the aged king goes to the dragon‘s barrow to fight with it. As a result, the dragon is killed, but Beowulf is severely wounded during the fight. He dies a heroic death. The poem ends with the funeral of the hero. Comments on Beowulf 1. Beowulf is a grand hero. He is so, simply by his deeds. He is faithful to his people. He dies a heroic death for his people. 2. It is not Christian but a pagan poem, despite the Christian flavor given to it by the monastery scribe. It is the product of an advanced pagan civilization. The whole poem presents us an allround picture of the tribal society. The social conditions and customs can be seen in it. So the poem also has a great social significance. 3. The use of alliteration is another notable feature. In alliterative verse, certain accented words in a line begin with the same consonant sound. The following stanza serves as a good example. Thus made their mourning the man of Geatland For their hero’s passing, his hearthpanions Quoth that of all the kings of earth, Of men he was the mildest and most beloved, To his kin the kindest, keenest to praise. 4. A lot of metaphors and understatements are used in the poem. For example, the sea is called the whaleroad or the swanroad。 the chieftains are called the treasurekeeper。 God is called wonderwielder。 chivalry, art amp。 law were borrowed into English language. Three languages existed at that time. The Normans spoke French, the lower class spoke English, and the scholars and clergyman used Latin. The literature was varied in interest and extensive in range. The Normans began to write histories or chronicles. Most of them were written in Latin or French. The prevailing form of literature in feudal England was the romance. 3. Romance in AngloNorman Period Essential features of the romance The romance was the prevailing form of literature in the Middle Ages. It was a long position, either in verse or in prose, describing the life and adventures of a noble hero. Its essential features are: a. It lacks general resemblance to truth or reality b. It exaggerates the vices of human nature and idealizes the virtues. c. It contains perilous adventures more or less remote from ordinary life. d. It lays supreme devotion to a fair lady. e. The central figure of the romance is the knight, a man of noble birth skilled in the use of weapons. He is monly described as riding forth to seek adventures, taking part in tournaments, or fighting for his lord in battles. He is devoted to the church and the king. From the romance we can have a epitome of the Middle Ages. The romance prospered for about 3 centuries (12001500). It was written for the nobility. It had nothing to do with ordinary people. Romance cycles The romance falls into 3 cycles or categories: matters of Britain, matters of France and matters of Rome. a. The matters of France deal with the exploits of Charlemagne, known as Charles the Great, King of Frank and Emperor of the West Empire. The famous romance in this group is Charson de Roland. b. The matters of Rome deal with tales from Greek and Roman sources. Alexander the Great (.—.), king of Macedonia and conqueror of Greece, Egypt, India and Persian Empire is the major hero of this group. Besides this, Trojan War is a hot topic in this group. c. The matters of Britain deal with the exploits of King Arthur and his knights of Round Table. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight heads the list of Arthurian romances. GEOFFREY CHAUCER (13401400) 1. Literary career Chaucer lived in the 14th century. In this century, England produced 5 major writers: Langland, Wycliff, Gower, Mandeville and Chaucer. Chaucer was the greatest writer in this century and the 14th century is usually known as Age of Chaucer. Chaucer is acclaimed as ―father of English poetry‖. He is the first poet to be buried in Poet‘s Corner in Westminster Abbey. We are indebted to him for his most vivid description of the fourteenthcentury England. Chaucer‘s whole life can be divided into three periods. The first period, lasting about 30 years, is the period of French influence. His major works in this period were translations from French. The Romaunt of the Rose, the most popular poem of the Middle Ages, was translated into English by Chaucer. The second period, about 15 years, covers Chaucer‘s active life as diplomat and man of affairs. In this period, Italian influe nce seemed stronger than French influence. Chaucer produced works adapted from Italian writers. His chief work of this period was Troilus and Criseyde. The third period, including his last 15 years, is the English period. His masterpiece, The Canterbury Tales, was produced in the third period. 2. Brief introduction to The Canterbury Tales The Canterbury Tales total about 17000 linesabout half of Chaucer‘s entire literary production. The whole poem is a collection of tales and stories strung together according to a simple plan, which shows the influence of Boccaccio‘s Decameron. One spring day, the poet is in the Tabard Inn in Southwark at the south end of London Bridge .He joins the other pilgrims bound for Canterbury. The host of the inn suggests that they tell stories to kill time during the journey. All agree .The host acts as the judge. Each is to te