12/15/2016 Western Literature (week14)

12/15/2016 Western Literature (week14)

   晚上10:04       Unknown

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※Poetics(Aristotle)

Aristotle's Poetics is the earliest surviving work of dramatic theory and the first extant philosophical treatise to focus on literary theory. This has been the traditional view for centuries. However, recent work is now challenging whether Aristotle focuses on literary theory per se (given that not one poem exists in the treatise) or whether he focuses instead on dramatic musical theory that only has language as one of the elements.

※Aristotle’s Unites

Aristotle dealt with the unity of action in some detail, under the general subject of "definition of tragedy"

   Classical Unites

The classical unities, Aristotelian unities, or three unities are rules for drama derived from a passage in Aristotle's Poetics. In their neoclassical form they are as follows:

1. unity of action: a play should have one action that it follows, with minimal subplots.

2. unity of time: the action in a play should occur over a period of no more than 24 hours.

3. unity of place: a play should exist in a single physical space and should not attempt to compress geography, nor should the stage represent more than one place.

 

※Dramatic Irony

This type of irony is the device of giving the spectator an item of information that at least one of the characters in the narrative is unaware of (at least consciously), thus placing the spectator a step ahead of at least one of the characters. It was originally pioneered by Connop Thirlwall in his 1833 article On the Irony of Sophocles. The OED defines this as:

the incongruity created when the (tragic) significance of a character's speech or actions is revealed to the audience but unknown to the character concerned; the literary device so used, orig. in Greek tragedy.

 

※Mimesis

Mimesis, "to imitate," is a critical and philosophical term that carries a wide range of meanings, which include imitation, representation, mimicry, imitatio, receptivity, nonsensuous similarity, the act of resembling, the act of expression, and the presentation of the self

※Catharsis

Catharsis is the purification and purgation of emotions—especially pity and fear—through art or any extreme change in emotion that results in renewal and restoration. It is a metaphor originally used by Aristotle in the Poetics, comparing the effects of tragedy on the mind of a spectator to the effect of a cathartic on the body.

※Jason

Jason was an ancient Greek mythological hero who was famous for his role as the leader of the Argonauts and their quest for the Golden Fleece. He was the son of Aeson, the rightful king of Iolcos. He was married to the sorceress Medea. He was also the great-grandson of the messenger god Hermes, through his mother's side.

※Argonauts

The Argonauts were a band of heroes in Greek mythology, who in the years before the Trojan War, around 1300 BC, accompanied Jason to Colchis in his quest to find the Golden Fleece. Their name comes from their ship, Argo, named after its builder, Argus. "Argonauts" literally means "Argo sailors". They were sometimes called Minyans, after a prehistoric tribe in the area.

※Riddle Sphinx

A sphinx is a mythical creature with the head of a human and the body of a lion. In Greek tradition, it has the head of a human, the haunches of a lion, and sometimes the wings of a bird. It is mythicised as treacherous and merciless. Those who cannot answer its riddle suffer a fate typical in such mythological stories, as they are killed and eaten by this ravenous monster.

※Biblical Magi

The Magi (/ˈmædʒaɪ/^[1] or /ˈmeɪdʒaɪ/; singular: magus; Greek: μάγοι, magoi), also referred to as the (Three) Wise Men or (Three) Kings, were, in the Gospel of Matthew and Christian tradition, a group of distinguished foreigners who visited Jesus after his birth, bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. They are regular figures in traditional accounts of the nativity celebrations of Christmas and are an important part of Christian tradition.

 

※It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

It's the most wonderful time of the year.
With the kids jinglebelling.
And everyone telling you
Be of good cheer.
It's the most wonderful time of the year

It's the hap-happiest season of all.
With those holiday greetings and gay happy meetings.
When friends come to call
It's the hap-happiest season of all

There'll be parties for hosting.
Marshmallows for toasting
And carolling out in the snow.
There'll be scary ghost stories and tales of the glories of Christmases long, long ago

It's the most wonderful time of the year.
There'll be much mistletoe-ing
And hearts will be glowing.
When loved ones are near
It's the most wonderful time of the year

It's the most wonderful time of the year.
There'll be much mistletoe-ing
And hearts will be glowing.
When loved ones are near
It's the most wonderful time.
It's the most wonderful time.
It's the most wonderful time of the year

By Edward Pola/George Wyle

※What Child Is This

What child is this,
Who, laid to rest,
On Mary's lap is sleeping?
Whom angels greet with anthem sweet,
While shepherds watch are keeping?

This, this is Christ the King,

Whom shepherds guard and angels sing:
This, this is Christ the King,
The Babe, the Son of Mary.

Why lies He in such mean estate

Where ox and lamb are feeding?
Good Christian, fear: for sinners here
The silent Word is pleading.

This, this is Christ the King, etc.

So bring Him incense, gold and myrrh,

Come, peasant, kin to own Him;
The King of kings salvation brings
Let loving hearts enthrone Him.

This this is Christ the King...etc

By Dix/Traditional

 

 

 

※The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

By ROBERT FROST

 

※While You Were Sleeping

While You Were Sleeping is a 1995 romantic comedy film directed by Jon Turteltaub and written by Daniel G. Sullivan and Fredric Lebow. It stars Sandra Bullock as Lucy, a Chicago Transit Authority token collector, and Bill Pullman as Jack, the brother of a man whose life she saves, along with Peter Gallagher as Peter, the man who is saved, Peter Boyle and Glynis Johns as members of Peter's family, and Jack Warden as longtime family friend and neighbor.