110 年 國立臺灣大學外文學系碩士班《英國文學史》
第 1 題20 分
- Passage Analysis (20%)
Please identify the text of the following passage, conduct a close textual analysis, and discuss its significance in relation to the concerns and ideologies of its own time.
Passage:
"It happened long ago-I remember it still-
I was hewn down at the holt's end
stirred from my stock. Strong foes seized me there,
worked in me an awful spectacle, ordered me to heave up their criminals.
Those warriors bore me on their shoulders
until they set me down upon a mountain.
Enemies enough fastened me there.
I saw then the Lord of Mankind
hasten with much courage, willing to mount up upon me. (28-34)
“There I dared not go beyond the Lord's word
to bow or burst apart-then I saw the corners of the earth
tremor-I could have felled all those foemen,
nevertheless I stood fast. (35-38)
“The young warrior stripped himself then-that was God Almighty-
strong and firm of purpose-he climbed up onto the high gallows,
magnificent in the sight of many. Then he wished to redeem mankind.
I quaked when the warrior embraced me-
yet I dared not bow to the ground, collapse
to earthly regions, but I had to stand there firm.
The rood was reared. I heaved the mighty king,
the Lord of Heaven-I dared not topple or reel. (39-45)
“They skewered me with dark nails, wounds easily seen upon me,
treacherous strokes yawning open. I dared injure none of them.
They shamed us both together. I was besplattered with blood,
sluicing out from the man's side, after launching forth his soul. (46-49)
“Many vicious deeds have I endured on that hill-
I saw the God of Hosts racked in agony.
Darkness had covered over with clouds
the corpse of the Sovereign, shadows oppressed
the brightest splendor, black under breakers.
All of creation wept, mourning the king's fall-
Christ was upon the cross. (50-56)
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這是一道文本分析題,要求考生辨識出引文的出處,並進行細讀分析,探討其與時代關懷及思想的關聯。
核心觀念:
此題旨在測驗考生對英國文學經典文本的熟悉度,以及文本細讀(close reading)與歷史脈絡連結的能力。
解題步驟:
-
辨識文本出處:
這段引文出自古英語史詩《詩歌中的夢》(The Dream of the Rood)。詩歌以第一人稱「我」的視角,講述了「我」——也就是十字架——的經歷。詩中的「我」被砍伐、雕琢,最終承載了基督的身體,經歷了釘刑的痛苦,並見證了基督的犧牲。 -
文本細讀分析 (Close Textual Analysis):
- 「我」的身份與經歷: 詩歌開頭,十字架(「我」)回憶起自己的起源("hewn down at the holt's end, stirred from my stock"),以及被敵人("Strong foes")用來運載罪犯的屈辱經歷("heave up their criminals")。這暗示了其被使用的非神聖性開端。
- 基督的到來與犧牲: 詩歌重點描寫了基督("the Lord of Mankind", "the young warrior", "the mighty king, the Lord of Heaven")來到十字架上。十字架描述了基督的英勇("hasten with much courage", "strong and firm of purpose")、犧牲("climbed up onto the high gallows"),以及對人類的救贖意圖("wished to redeem mankind")。
- 十字架的感知與忍耐: 十字架本身感受到了巨大的痛苦("I quaked when the warrior embraced me", "They skewered me with dark nails, wounds easily seen upon me"),但它為了履行神聖的使命,堅定不移("I dared not bow to the ground, collapse... but I had to stand there firm", "I dared not topple or reel")。詩歌強調了十字架在基督犧牲中的共同承受與見證。
- 情感與象徵: 詩歌中充滿了強烈的情感,如痛苦("wounds yawning open", "racked in agony")、羞辱("shamed us both together")、悲傷("All of creation wept"),以及神聖的莊嚴("magnificent in the sight of many")。
第 2 題30 分
- Essay (30%)
English literature has been known to interact with history. Choose ONE historical event from the following list and discuss how this historical event shaped the literature produced in its aftermath or how literature responded to the event. Discuss the relationship between history and literature. Demonstrate how an understanding of historical contexts assists the reading of texts. You must discuss at least TWO primary texts written by British authors. Organize your essay in a well-written manner. In addition to an introduction and a conclusion, your essay should contain at least two body paragraphs, each controlled by a topic sentence. Please pay attention to grammar, diction, sentence construction, and the legibility of your handwriting. To ensure utmost fairness, if you write more than ONE essay or choose more than ONE historical event, only the first will be graded.
A. The Reformation
B. The Union of the Crowns, 1603
C. The English Civil Wars
D. The Popish Plot and the Exclusion Crisis
E. The Restoration, 1660
F. The Glorious Revolution, 1688/9
G. War of the Spanish Succession, 1701-1714
H. The worsening economic conditions in Ireland in the 1720s
I. The French Revolution, 1789
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這是一篇 essay 寫作題,要求考生選擇一個歷史事件,探討該事件如何塑造了其後的文學,或文學如何回應該事件,並闡述歷史與文學的關係。考生需要引用至少兩篇英國作家創作的文學作品,並以結構清晰、論述嚴謹的方式呈現。
核心觀念:
此題旨在測驗考生對英國文學史重要歷史事件的理解,以及分析文學作品如何與歷史互動、受歷史影響,或反過來影響歷史的綜合能力。同時也考察考生的寫作組織、論證和文本引用的能力。
解題方向與建議:
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選擇歷史事件: 考生應選擇自己最熟悉、有足夠文學作品可供討論的事件。例如:
- A. The Reformation (宗教改革): 這對英國文學影響深遠,從宗教戲劇的衰落到新教思想的傳播,再到彌爾頓《失樂園》等作品的出現。
- C. The English Civil Wars (英國內戰): 影響了 17 世紀中葉的文學,如清教徒文學、奧利弗·克倫威爾時代的政治諷刺詩,以及內戰後的懷舊或批判性作品。
- E. The Restoration (王朝復辟): 復辟時期的文學,如喜劇、英雄詩、以及對查理二世宮廷生活的描寫。
- I. The French Revolution (法國大革命): 啟發了浪漫主義詩人,如布萊克、華茲華斯、柯勒律治等,他們對革命的理想、幻滅與影響有深刻的描寫。
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確立論點 (Thesis Statement): 在引言中,明確指出所選歷史事件與文學之間的關係,以及你將如何論證。例如,如果選擇「英國內戰」,論點可以是:「英國內戰及其後的清教徒統治,極大地改變了英國文學的風貌,從對君權神授的質疑,到清教徒的道德說教,再到復辟時期對前朝的批判與反思,文學始終是歷史變遷的鏡子與記錄者。」
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組織文章結構:
- 引言 (Introduction):
- 背景介紹:簡述所選歷史事件及其重要性。
- 提出論點 (Thesis Statement):明確指出歷史事件如何影響文學,或文學如何回應歷史。
- 預告本文結構(例如,將討論哪些文本,從哪些角度切入)。
- 主體段落 (Body Paragraphs, 至少兩段):
- 主題句 (Topic Sentence): 每段開頭應有一個清晰的主題句,概括該段的論點,並與總體論點相關。
- 證據與分析:
- 引用至少兩篇英國作家的主要文本 (primary texts)。
- 引言 (Introduction):
第 3 題25 分
- Answer the following questions about the poem below. (25%)
I met a traveller from an antique land,
Who said, "Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed;
And on the pedestal these words appear:
'My name is Ozymandias, king of kings;
Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!'
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away."
(a) Identify the full name of the poem's author.
(b) Explain precisely what lines 6-8 mean: "its sculptor well those passions read / Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things, / The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed." Be sure to clarify the relationships among all the elements.
(c) Write a textual interpretation in which you analyze the narrative structure, formal characteristics, major themes, and other significant features of the poem.
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這是一道關於詩歌的分析題,包含辨識作者、解釋詩句含義,以及進行文本詮釋三個部分。
核心觀念:
此題旨在測驗考生對著名詩歌的辨識能力、詩句的細讀理解能力,以及對詩歌結構、形式、主題、意象等進行綜合分析的能力。
解題步驟:
(a) 辨識作者全名
- 詩歌辨識: 這首詩是 Percy Bysshe Shelley 的著名詩作 "Ozymandias"。
- 作者全名: Percy Bysshe Shelley。
(b) 解釋詩句 (lines 6-8)
- 詩句原文:
"its sculptor well those passions read / Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things, / The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed;" - 逐句解釋:
- "its sculptor well those passions read":這裡的 "sculptor" 指的是雕刻奧茲曼迪亞斯雕像的工匠。這句話的意思是,雕刻家非常精準地「讀懂」或「理解」了奧茲曼迪亞斯(Ozymandias)的性格特質和情感,並將這些特質「刻劃」或「表現」在了雕像上。
- "Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things":"Which" 指代前面提到的 "passions" (激情、情感、性情)。這些由雕刻家所理解和表現出來的「激情」,至今仍然「殘存」著,被「銘刻」(stamped)在這冰冷、無生命的石頭("lifeless things")上,也就是那破碎的頭顱。
- "The hand that mocked them, and the heart that fed;":這句是進一步解釋「激情」的來源和表現。
- "The hand that mocked them":這裡的 "hand" 指的是奧茲曼迪亞斯的手,而 "mocked" 則有「嘲弄」、「輕蔑」之意。這象徵著奧茲曼迪亞斯傲慢、殘暴、輕視他人(包括他的臣民、藝術家,甚至可能的神祇)的態度和權力。他的權力之手,曾用力地去「嘲弄」或壓制一切。
- "and the heart that fed":"heart" 指的是奧茲曼迪亞斯的心,而 "fed" 則意指「滋養」、「餵養」。這顆心,滋養著他的傲慢、野心、權慾,以及那些「激情」。這顆心是所有野心和傲慢的根源。
- 整體關係:
這三句詩共同說明了:雕刻家不僅僅是複製了奧茲曼迪亞斯的形象,更是深刻地洞察了他的靈魂——他那充滿傲慢、殘暴、野心與權慾的「激情」。這些由奧茲曼迪亞斯一手造成、並被其野心所滋養的「性情」,即使在雕像破碎、人物已逝的今天,依然透過雕像上殘存的表情("frown", "wrinkled lip", "sneer of cold command")被生動地展現出來。詩人藉此讚美了雕刻家的藝術洞察力,同時也反襯出奧茲曼迪亞斯雖然肉體毀滅,但其性格中的負面特質卻以另一種形式(藝術品)「永存」了下來。
(c) 文本詮釋:敘事結構、形式特徵、主題、重要特色
- 核心觀念: 詩歌透過一個「故事中的故事」結構,探討了權力、傲慢、時間的無情以及藝術的相對永恆性。
- 敘事結構 (Narrative Structure):
- 框架敘事 (Frame Narrative): 詩歌採用了雙層敘事結構。
- 外層敘事: 「我」(詩人)在一個「古老的國度」遇到一位「旅人」。
- 內層敘事: 旅人講述了他所見的奧茲曼迪亞斯雕像的景象,以及雕像上的銘文。
- 作用: 這種結構增加了詩歌的距離感和客觀性,彷彿是聽聞了一個古老的傳說,讓奧茲曼迪亞斯這個曾經的「萬王之王」顯得更加遙遠和渺小。詩人本人並未直接見到雕像,而是透過轉述,突顯了「故事」的傳播性與時間的流逝。
- 框架敘事 (Frame Narrative): 詩歌採用了雙層敘事結構。
- 形式特徵 (Formal Characteristics):
第 4 題25 分
- Write an essay on the subject below. (25%)
The modernist scholar Daniel Albright makes the following observation on William Butler Yeats and his successors:
Yeats reminded [Auden and Eliot] that poetry is incantation, spell, charm—an art dedicated not to correctness but to power. Auden and Eliot were suspicious of the poet's archaic and magical aspect—Auden once wrote that the purpose of poetry is "by telling the truth, to disenchant and disintoxicate." But it is impossible to disenchant without some prior enchantment... The long tradition of British poets, from the savage bards who could make trees walk by casting spells, to the refined sorcery of Yeats, may find its complement and antidote in the later Modernism of Eliot and Auden.
Write an essay in which you apply Albright's critical insights to the work of W. B. Yeats, W. H. Auden, and T. S. Eliot. Other figures in the British modernist period may also be considered, though not required. Provide specific examples from specific texts to illustrate your points.
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這是一篇針對現代主義詩歌的比較與分析 essay,要求考生運用 Daniel Albright 的觀點,探討 W. B. Yeats、W. H. Auden 和 T. S. Eliot 三位詩人的作品,並分析他們如何體現或回應詩歌的「魔力」與「祛魅」之間的關係。
核心觀念:
此題旨在測驗考生對現代主義詩歌(特別是 Yeats, Auden, Eliot)的理解,以及分析不同詩人如何處理詩歌的「魔幻性」(incantation, spell, charm, enchantment)與「理性/現實性」(correctness, truth, disenchant, disintoxicate)之間的張力。考生需要對 Albright 的觀點有深入理解,並能結合具體的文學文本進行論證。
解題方向與建議:
-
理解 Albright 的觀點:
- Yeats 的詩歌: Albright 認為 Yeats 繼承了英國詩歌的古老傳統,將詩歌視為一種「咒語」、「魔法」(incantation, spell, charm),強調其「力量」(power),而非僅僅是「正確性」(correctness)。這意味著 Yeats 的詩歌可能帶有神秘主義、象徵主義、以及一種超驗的、影響現實的力量。
- Auden 和 Eliot 的詩歌: 相較之下,Auden 和 Eliot 對詩歌的「古老和魔法面向」持懷疑態度(suspicious)。Auden 認為詩歌的目的是「透過說真話來祛魅和解毒」("by telling the truth, to disenchant and disintoxicate")。這表明他們的詩歌更傾向於關注現實、理性、社會批判,試圖揭示真相,解除迷思。
- 「祛魅」與「魅惑」的辯證關係: Albright 指出,"it is impossible to disenchant without some prior enchantment..."。這句話是關鍵。即使 Auden 和 Eliot 追求「祛魅」,但他們的作品本身也可能在某種程度上承載了「魅惑」的遺產,或者說,他們試圖「祛魅」的對象,本身就是一種「魅惑」。反之,Yeats 的「魅惑」之中,也可能隱含著對現實的深刻洞察。
- 傳統與現代的對比: Albright 將 Yeats 的「精煉的魔法」(refined sorcery)與「野蠻的吟遊詩人」(savage bards)聯繫起來,認為 Auden 和 Eliot 的現代主義代表了對這種傳統的一種「補充」(complement)和「解毒劑」(antidote)。
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文章結構建議:
- 引言 (Introduction):
- 簡述 Albright 的觀點,即詩歌在「魅惑」與「祛魅」之間的張力。
- 提出你的論點:例如,Yeats 傾向於「魅惑」並運用其力量,而 Auden 和 Eliot 則更側重於「祛魅」和揭示真相,但這種劃分並非絕對,他們之間存在複雜的互動與辯證。
- 預告將如何分析 Yeats、Auden 和 Eliot 的作品。
- 主體段落 (Body Paragraphs):
- 段落一:W. B. Yeats 的「魅惑」與「力量」
- 討論 Yeats 如何將詩歌視為一種魔法或咒語,強調其影響現實的力量。
- 引用具體作品,例如:
- 《循環的節奏》(The Winding Stair) 或《意識形態》(The Tower) 中的象徵主義、神秘主義元素。
- 他對象徵、神話、個人神話的運用,如何創造一種獨特的「魅惑」氛圍。
- 他對政治和社會的干預,是否體現了詩歌的「力量」。
- 段落二:T. S. Eliot 的「祛魅」與「真相」
- 段落一:W. B. Yeats 的「魅惑」與「力量」
- 引言 (Introduction):