A History of English Literature

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21. Milton. Above, pp. 164-170. Every one should be familiar with all the poems of Milton mentioned in the text. Suggested assignments: One day. The shorter poems. In the 'Nativity Hymn,' 'L'Allegro,' and 'Il Penseroso' note appeals to sight (especially light and color), sound, and general physical sensation, and cases of onomatopoeia or especial adaptation of metrical movement to the sense. Of Lycidas write a summary outline, indicating thought-divisions by line numbers; state the theme; and consider Unity. Does the conventional pastoralism render the poem artificial or insincere? Respective elements of Classicism and Romanticism in the shorter poems? Questions on 'Paradise Lost' are included in the present author's 'Principles of Composition and Literature,' Part II, pages 204 ff. Perhaps the most important Books are I, II, IV, and VI. One of the most suggestive essays on Milton is that of Walter Bagehot. 22. Bunyan and 'Pilgrim's Progress.' Above, pages 171-174. Many students will have read 'Pilgrim's Progress' as children, but most will gain by critical study of it. Perhaps two days may be devoted to Part I. Subjects for discussion, in addition to those above suggested: 1. The allegory. Compare with that of 'The Faerie Queene.' 2. The style. Compare with the Bible and note words or expressions not derived from it. 3. Bunyan's religion--how far spiritual, how far materialistic? 4. His personal qualities--sympathy, humor, etc. 5. His descriptions. Does he care for external Nature? Any influence from the Bible? 23. THE RESTORATION PERIOD AND DRYDEN, Above, Chapter VIII. One day. 24. DRYDEN'S 'ALEXANDER'S FEAST' AND ABSALOM AND ACHITOPHEL,' Part I. How does the lyric quality of 'Alexander's Feast' compare with that of the best lyrics of more Romantic periods? Compare 'Absalom and Achitophel' with the source in II Samuel, Chapter XIII, verse 23, to Chapter XVIII. 1. How cleverly is the ancient story applied to the modern facts? (The comparison of Charles II to David was not original with Dryden, but was a commonplace of the Court party. Of the minor characters: Ishbosheth, line 58, is Richard Cromwell; Zimri, 544 ff., the Duke of Buckingham; Corah, 632 ff., Titus Dates; Bathsheba, 710, the Duchess of Portsmouth; Barzillai, 817, the Duke of Ormond; Zadoc, 864, Archbishop Bancroft. The 'progress' of 729 ff. is that which Monmouth made in 1680 through the West of England. Who or what are the Jebusites, Egypt, Pharoah, and Saul?) 2. Power as a satire? 3. Qualities and effectiveness of the verse, as you see it. How regularly are the couplets end-stopped? 4. Is it real poetry? 25. THE PSEUDO-CLASSIC PERIOD AND DANIEL DEFOE, with study of Part I of 'Robinson Crusoe.' Three days. Above, pages 189-195, and in 'Robinson Crusoe' as much as time allows. Better begin with Robinson's fourth voyage (in the 'Everyman' edition, page 27). Consider such matters as: 1. The sources of interest. Does the book make as strong appeal to grown persons as to children, and to all classes of persons? 2. The use of details. Are there too many? Is there skilful choice? Try to discover some of the numerous inconsistencies which resulted from Defoe's haste and general manner of composition, and cases in which he attempts to correct them by supplementary statements. 3. The motivation. Is it always satisfactory? 4. Characterize Robinson. The nature of his religion? How far is his character like that of Defoe himself? 5. Success of the characterization of the other persons, especially Friday? Does Defoe understand savages? 6. Narrative
qualities. How far has the book a plot? Value of the first-personal method of narration? 7. The Setting. Has Defoe any feeling for Nature, or does he describe merely for expository purposes? 8. The style. 9. Defoe's nature as the book shows it. His sense of humor, pathos, etc. 10. Has the book a definite theme? 26. JONATHAN SWIFT. Two days. Above, pages 195-202. In the reading, a little of Swift's poetry should be included, especially a part of 'On the Death of Dr. Swift'; and of the prose 'A Modest Proposal,' perhaps the 'Journal to Stella' (in brief selections), 'A Tale of a Tub,' and 'Gulliver's Travels.' Of course each student should center attention on the works with which he has no adequate previous acquaintance. In 'The Tale of a Tub' better omit the digressions; read the Author's Preface (not the Apology), which explains the name, and sections 2, 4, 6, and 11. Subjects for discussion should readily suggest themselves. 27. STEELE AND ADDISON AND THE 'SPECTATOR' PAPERS. Two days. Above, pages 202-208. Read a dozen or more of the 'Spectator' papers, from the De Coverly papers if you are not already familiar with them, otherwise others. Subjects: 1. The style. What gives it its smoothness-balance of clauses, the choice of words for their sound, or etc.? The relation of long and short sentences. 2. The moral instruction. How pervasive is it? How agreeable? Things chiefly attacked? 3. Customs and manners as indicated in the essays-entertainments, modes of traveling, social conventions, etc. 4. Social and moral standards of the time, especially their defects, as attacked in the papers. 5. The use of humor. 6. Characterization in the De Coverly papers. Is the method general or detailed? Is there much description of personal appearance? Is characterization mostly by exposition, action or conversation? How clear are the characters? 7. Is Sir Roger real or 'idealized'? 8. General narrative skill (not merely in the De Coverly papers). 9. How near do the De Coverly papers come to making a modern story? Consider the relative proportions of characterization, action, and setting. 10. Compare the 'Spectator' essays with any others with which you are familiar. 28. ALEXANDER POPE. The number of exercises may depend on circumstances. Above, pages 190-191 and 208-215. As many as possible of the poems named in the text (except 'The Dunciad') should be read, in whole or in part. 'An Essay on Criticism': (By 'Nature' Pope means actual reality in anything, not merely external Nature.) Note with examples the pseudo-classical qualities in: 1. Subject-matter. 2. The relation of intellectual and emotional elements. 3. The vocabulary and expression. 4. How deep is Pope's feeling for external Nature? 5. State his ideas on the relation of 'Nature,' the ancients, and modern poets; also on authority and originality. 6. In relation to his capacity for clear thought note in how many different senses he uses the word 'wit.' 'The Rape of the Lock': Note the attitude toward women. Your opinion of its success? How far is it like, how far unlike, the 'Essay on Criticism'? Was the introduction of the sylphs fortunate? Pope took them from current notions--books had been written which asserted that there was a fantastic sect, the Rosicrucians, who believed that the air was full of them. 'Eloisa to Abelard': (Abelard was a very famous unorthodox philosopher of the twelfth century who loved Heloise and was barbarously parted from her. Becoming Abbot of a monastery, he had her made Abbess of a convent. From one of the passionate letters which later passed between them and which it is interesting to read in comparison Pope takes the idea and something of the substance of the poem.) In your opinion does it show that Pope had real poetic emotion? Does the rimed pentameter couplet prove itself a possible poetic vehicle for such emotion? The translation of 'The Iliad': Compare with corresponding
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A History of English Literature Rob
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I. PERIOD I. THE BRITONS AND THE AN
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Sympathy of the author for his char
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story; (3) a Rising Action; (4) a M
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is no proper connection either in s
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THE NOVEL. 'Sir Roger de Coverly,'
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CHAPTER I PERIOD I. THE BRITONS AND
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points on the eastern and southern
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may be mostly performed all at once
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Northumbria (Yorkshire and Southern
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CHAPTER II PERIOD II. THE NORMAN-FR
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and Anglo-Saxon were spoken separat
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eality the men of the Middle Ages w
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now. The next is the first stanza o
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northern Scots and Picts, and how t
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artist, who lived a century and mor
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'MANDEVILLE'S VOYAGE.' One of the e
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of prose tales, 'The Decameron' (Te
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sometimes even with the minuteness
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cherished by the Protestants for it
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transmitted, portions, as it were,
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full health in a later book a knigh
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emote spots down almost to the pres
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guild (though sometimes two or thre
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man. It shows how he yields to temp
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applications. Scientific investigat
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Lollardism, which had nearly been c
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Tyndale, a zealous Protestant contr
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5. Still another, minor, innovation
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later Renaissance craze, then rampa
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Ireland, where in satirical poems h
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inharmonious element in the otherwi
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authors so marked; almost every wri
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verse as ruggedly condensed (often
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to be reabsorbed into tragedy, of w
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zest for the beautiful. It is rich
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just to the north of the 'city,' on
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playwright and a good, though not a
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sure, with an unconventionality, ma
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BEN JONSON. The second place among
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3. Jonson's self-satisfaction and h
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alone or to Fletcher and other coll
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his personal ambition was often str
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market-place, due to mistaken relia
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of somewhat artificial courtliness
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The life of Henry Vaughan [Footnote
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the English Church might not have b
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through the medium of the secular e
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higher ... but I dare not. God did
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the demonstrable. Hence the charact
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of the times. Aside from the fact t
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or at least the couplets, generally
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consists throughout partly in the c
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definiteness and significant meanin
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collection of moralizings, is today
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'lived a double life' between the t
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their interests; the superior skill
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The few remaining years of Addison'
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Rosicrucian sylphs. In its adaptati
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than Christian [Footnote: The name
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vain man's boast.' 'Wind the shrill
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in 1762, when the ministers, decidi
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lack of sympathy for the romantic r
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anywhere, before Gibbon, since clas
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which statesmen and orators deal ar
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warmth of sympathetic imagination w
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triumph of Pseudo-classicism, as a
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interpretation which characterizes
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published two years later. Meanwhil
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of Macpherson's native Highlands--v
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his life had combined 'the cheerles
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and some recognition of its educati
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would render impossible at the pres
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Allworthy, intended as an example o
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followed Miss Burney, writing of th
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Charles Lamb, where Coleridge appea
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from eighteenth century tradition b
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Nature, especially inanimate Nature
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and prose who from his friendship w
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and so nearly attained his object t
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and Tennyson were to be among his s
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no comment. Whatever allowances cha
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poetry, was of the highest value to
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A History of English Literature

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