English Literature in the Second Half of the 19th century 2 страница

In 1881 he went to America to lecture on the "aesthetic move­ment" in England. His lecture tours were triumphantly success­ful. The next ten years saw the appearance of all his main works. In 1881 Oscar Wilde published his Poems. The beautiful fairy­tales The Happy Prince and Other Tales appeared in 1888, his only novel The Picture of Dorian Gray [ 'do:mn] (1891). Oscar Wilde won his fame as a dramatist. The most significant of his comedies are: Lady Windermere's Fan (1892); A Woman of No Importance (1899); An Ideal Husband (1895); The Importance of Being Earnest ['3:mst] (1895). Oscar Wilde's sparkling comedies of fashionable life still attract many theatre-goers. They reveal the selfishness, vanity and corruption of English higher society

in a playful manner. The plays are notable for their brilliant dia­logues, witty paradoxes and entertaining plots. Wilde also wrote poems, essays, reviews, political tracts, letters on every subjecthe con­sidered worthy of attention — history, drama, painting and others — some serious, some satirical. At home and abroad Wilde attracted the attention of his audience by the brilliance of his conversation, the scope of his knowledge, and the force of his personality.

At the height of his popular success tragedy struck. He was accused of immorality and sentenced to two years' imprisonment. In prison Oscar Wilde wrote his powerful poem The Ballad of Reading Gaol [' redin * cfceil] (1898). The hero of The Ballad of Read ing Gaol is a young man who has killed his unfaithful sweetheart. The ballad tells of cruelty, injustice, corruption. When released from prison Oscar Wilde went to France. He died in Paris on November 30, 1900 and is buried there.

Vocabulary

scope[sksup] n широта significant [sig'mfikant]а важный sincere [sm'sis]а искренний surgeon['s3:d39n] n хирург sweetheart['swi:tha:t] n возлюбленная triumphantly [trai'Amfantli] adv триум­фально unfaithful[An'feiGful] а занимательный vanity['vseniti] n тщеславие

apostle [a'posl] n проповедник brilliance ['bnljsns] n великолепие considerable [ksn'sidarsbl] о большой entertaining [^ents'temirj] a занима­тельный gift [gift] n способность humanity [hju:'maeniti] n человечество hypocrisy [hi'pnkresi] n лицемерие notable ['nautabl] а выдающийся paradox ['paerectoks] n парадокс

Oscar Wilde's Literary Work The Picture of Dorian Gray

The Picture of Dorian Gray describes the life of a young man, Dorian Gray. The author touches on many important problems of contemporary life: morality, art and beauty in particular.

At the beginning of the novel we see an inexperienced youth, a kind and innocent young man.

"... he was certainly wonderfuly handsome, with his finely-curved scarlet lips, his frank blue eyes, his crisp gold hair. There was something in his face that made one trust him at once. All the candour of youth was there, as well as all youth's passionate purity."

Dorian is influenced by two men with sharply contrasting characters: Basil Hallward ['baezl 'ho:lwo:d] and Lord Henry Wotton. The three principal characters — Dorian Gray, the painter Basil Hallward and the cynical Lord Henry — discuss the problems of art and reality, beauty and morality.

Basil is an artist to the core. He paints Dorian Gray and puts his whole soul into the work. To Basil beauty is a source of inspiration and creative work. His portrait of Dorian Gray is a masterpiece. He worships Dorian's beauty. On seeing the picture Dorian exclaims: "I shall grow old and horrible and dreadful. But the picture will remain young. If it were only the other way! I would give my soul for that. Youth is the only thing worth having."

Dorian Gray meets Lord Henry Wotton, a typical aesthete admiring only beauty. He is handsome, pleasant to listen to. But at the same time he is heartless, cynical and immoral.

Lord Henry and Basil struggle for the soul of Dorian and Lord Henry is victorious. Influenced by Lord Henry Dorian tries to satisfy his wishes at any cost. He becomes a selfish and cruel dandy who commits terrible crimes. Years pass, his face remains young and beautiful, but the portrait changes. Dorian's picture is the reflection of his soul. His face there becomes wrinkled, old, ugly and vicious. The portrait shows a cynical, aged and corrupted man.

Wishing to do away with his former life and being disgusted with the ugliness of his portrait, the only evidence left against him, Dorian decides to get rid of it and stabs the picture with a knife. That is the last of his crimes. He falls down on the floor, with a knife in his heart, "withered, wrinkled and loathsome of visage". But on the wall is again hanging a splendid portrait in all its original beauty.

An immoral life leads Dorian to catastrophe. Though the novel presents Oscar Wilde's aesthetic theory in which he glorifies beauty and conveys the idea that it is not at all necessary that books should be realistic and teach morality, it is only fair to state that Oscar Wilde is not always consistent. The end of the book is a contradiction of Wilde's decadent theory. The fact that the portrait acquired its former beauty and Dorian Gray lay withered and wrinkled on the floor, shows the triumph of real beauty — a piece of art created by an artist, a unity of beautiful form and content. Besides that, it conveys the idea that real beauty cannot be part of an immoral life. Dorian Gray's portrait is symbolic. It shows not only a handsome young man, but also the inner world of the artist who created it, and the spiritual life of the sitter.

Vocabulary

acquire [a'kwais] v приобретать adjoining [a'cfeomrrj] а соседний agony ['эедэш] п агония candour ['kasnda] n искренность catastrophe [kg'tsestrefi] n катастрофа consistent [кэп 'sistsnt] а последова­тельный conveu [ksn'vei] v передавать core [ко:] л суть

to the core до мозга костей creep [kri:p] v (crept) ползать crept past и р. р. от creep crisp [knsp] а кудрявый curve [k3:v] v изгибать cynical ['smiksl] а циничный disgust [dis'gASt] v внушать отвраще­ние evidence ['evidans] n доказательство exquisite ['ekskwizit] а изысканный fair [fea] а справедливый frank [fraerjk] а откровенный glisten ['glisn] v сверкать

innocent ['inssnt] а невинный

inspiration Lmspa'reifsn] n вдохнове­ние

loathsome ['tau6s3m] а отвратитель­ный

mere [гшэ] а настоящий

portico ['poitiksu] n портик

purity ['pjuanti] n чистота

rid [rid] v (rid) избавлять to get rid of избавлять

scarlet ['ska:ht] о ярко-красный

scope [sksup] n широта

sitter ['sits] n натурщик

source ['so:s] n источник

spiritual [spi'ntjiral] а духовный

stab [staeb] v вонзать

vicious [vi'Jgs] а порочный

visage [vizidj] n лицо

withered ['widsd] а высохший

worship ['\V3:Jip] v преклоняться

wrinkled ['nrjkld] а морщинистый

Oscar Wilde's Tales

Though Oscar Wilde rejects realism and considers that art exists apart from reality in some of his tales, The Happy Prince, The Selfish Giant, The Devoted Friend, The Nightingale and the Rose he introduces social motives. The reader feels a humanist behind every tale.

In these tales Oscar Wilde sings the beauty of the human heart and the ability of common people to show great and selfless love. The secret of life is to be helpful and good to others. He admires unselfishness, kindness and generosity (The Nightingale and the Rose), he shows deep sympathy for the poor (The Devoted Friend) and despises egoism and greed (The Selfish Giant).

Oscar Wilde's tales are like poems in prose, lyrical, vivid and graceful. His vocabulary is rich. His tales are admired by both children and adults.

Oscar Wilde's greatest merit is his beautiful style: laconic, exact, expressive and colourful; it has enriched the English language. His great gift lies in his ability to express the contradictions of life in paradoxes. This, as well as Wilde's outstanding knowledge of language and a gift for dialogue, make his works sparkle with wit.

Here are some of Oscar Wilde's paradoxes and witty sayings from his plays.

♦ A moment may ruin a life. ("Lady Windermere's Fan")

♦ Don't use big words. They mean so little. ("An Ideal Husband")

♦ Duty is what one expects from others, it is not what one does oneself. ("A Woman of No Importance")

♦ Experience is the name every one gives to their mistakes.
, ("Lady Windermere's Fan")

♦ In this world there are only two tragedies. One is not get­ting what one wants, and the other is getting it. ("Lady Winder­mere's Fan")

♦ It is always worth while asking a question though it is not always worth while answering one. "(An Ideal Husband")

♦ Little things are so very difficult to do. ("An Ideal Husband")

♦ Memory is the diary that we all carry about with us. ("The Importance of Being Earnest")

♦ Nothing is so dangerous as being too modern. One is apt to grow old-fashioned quite suddenly. ("An Ideal Husband")

♦ Questions are never indiscreet. Answers sometimes are. ("An Ideal Husband")

♦ Sooner or later we have all to pay for what we do. ("An Ideal Husband")

♦ There is nothing like youth. Youth is the Lord of life. ("A Woman of No Importance")

♦ What a pity that in life we only get our lessons when they are no use to us! ("Lady Windermere's Fan")

♦ Youth is the time for success. ("An Ideal Husband")

Vocabulary

ability [a'biliti] n способность apart [a'pa:t] adv отдельно apt [aept] а склонный confirm [кэпТз:т] v подтверждать

despise [dis'paiz] v презирать indiscreet [,mdis'kri:t] а нескромный quotation [kwau'teifn] n цитата sparkle ['spa:kl] v сверкать

Questions and Tasks

1. Relate the main facts of Oscar Wilde's life.

2. What genres does the author use in his works?

3. Name the most significant of his comedies.

4. Why do Oscar Wilde's sparkling comedies still attract many theatre-goers?

5. What themes did Oscar Wilde touch on in his novel The Picture of
Dorian Gray?

6. Relate briefly the contents of The Picture of Dorian Gray.

7. Does Oscar Wilde's novel The Picture of Dorian Gray confirm the deca­dent motto "art for art's sake", or does it disprove this theory?

8. Compare Basil Hallward and Lord Henry Wotton as portrayed by Oscar Wilde and comment on their influence on Dorian Gray.

9. What part of the novel is a contradiction of Oscar Wilde's decadent theory?

10. Name the most popular of Oscar Wilde's tales.

11. What social motives does he introduce in his tales?

12. What does Oscar Wilde sing in the tales?

13. Why are the tales admired by both children and adults?

14. Comment on Oscar Wilde's language and style.

15. What quotations from Oscar Wilde's plays do you know?

16. What is the contribution of Oscar Wilde to the development of English literature?

Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936)

Rudyard Kipling f adjad'kiplirj] was born in Bombay, on December 30, 1865. His parents were English. His father was an artist, professor at the Bombay school of Art and curator of the Government Museum. tkjv»r&rf&

Rudyard spent his early childhood in Lahore. The Hindoo servants loved himvery"much. They taught him tales and songs of Indian folklore. I^ftndog was the first language Rudyard spoke. ^^^ At six young Kipling went to England

and was educated at an English school. There he was editor-in-chief of the school paper The Chronicle. The boy had inherited some of his father's artistic talent and showed a literary interest. He wrote his first book Schoolboy Lyrics at the age of sixteen. His first working home was India, where, from 1882 till 1889 he was engaged in journalistic work for various periodicals.

At twenty-one he published first volume Departmental Ditties, a small book of verse. This book was followed by Barrack Room Ballads (1892), The Seven Seas (1896) and The Five Nations (1903). All of them deal with the British in India and glorify the English nation. The verses of Kipling are devoted to universal human values-man's courage, energy, patience and self-possession. One of his best poems //was devoted to his son.

If...

If you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,

If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, But make allowance for their doubting too;

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, Or being lied about don't deal in lies,

Maugham and many others. He was exceedingly popular in the late 19th century. In 1907 Kipling was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature. He was the first writer and the first Englishman to whom this prize was given. The reason of his popularity lies in the interesting plots, the variety of characters and the force of narration.

1. Relate the main facts of Rudyard Kipling's life. 2. When did he publish his first book of verse? 3. What were his verses devoted to? 4. What were his most popular works? 5. Why was Kipling very popular with the readers? 6. Comment on his well-known animal stories The Jungle Book. 7. What can you say about the plots and the characters of Kipling's books?

Or being hated don't give way to hating,

And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise...

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,

Or walk with Kings — nor lose the common touch, If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,

If all men count with you, but none too much, If you can fill the unforgiving minute

With sixty seconds' worth of distance run, Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,

And — which is more, —you'll be a Man, my son!

Rudyard Kipling was a poet, a novelist ad a short-story writer. When he was twenty-four he had published his six small collections of stories. Among these early works some of the best are Soldiers Three, The Phantom Rickshaw and Wee Willie Winkie. These and the stories which followed were recognized in India and then in England.

Kipling was a born storyteller. Between 1887 and 1899 he travelled around the world. He was in China, Japan and America. During this period he wrote some of his very popular works. These were his stories for children The Jungle Books (1894), Captains Courageous (1897) and Just 5b Stories (1902).

Kipling knew how to keep the story moving, how to bring it to its culmination and give it point. His two Jungle Books and Just So Stories have been translated into dozens of languages and are still read all over the world.

In his well-known animal stories The Jungle Book he described how the child Mowgli [ 'maugli] was brought up by wolves and taught by them and the black panther, the law of the jungle, and how Mowgli became the master of the beasts. Kipling had seen India as a child, and this helped him to give his descriptions a unique quality.

In 1936 Kipling worked on autobiographical notes when he died on January 17. In a year there appeared Something of Myself, a collection of notes containing memoirs.

Rudyard Kipling was very popular among ordinary people as well as by well-known writers such as Oscar Wilde, Somerset

Vocabulary

allowance [э 'lauans] n принятие во внимание

culmination [^kAlmi'neifsn] n кульмина­ционный пункт

doubt [daut] v сомневаться

editor-in-chief ['editarm'tffcf] n главный редактор

exceedingly [ik'si:dirjli] adv чрезвычайно

foe [fbu] n враг

glorify ['glo:nfai] v прославлять

Questions and Tasks

memoir ['memwa:] л мемуары moving ['mu:virj] а волнующий narration [пге'гы/эп] п повествование panther ['рэепбэ] л пантера patience fpeijbns] л терпение point [point] n суть, смысл self-possession ['selfpg'zejm] л само­обладание universal [ Ju:nf V3:ssl] о всеобщий

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Maugham and many others. He was exceedingly popular in the late 19th century. In 1907 Kipling was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature. He was the first writer and the first Englishman to whom this prize was given. The reason of his popularity lies in the interesting plots, the variety of characters and the force of narration.

1. Relate the main facts of Rudyard Kipling's life. 2. When did he publish his first book of verse? 3. What were his verses devoted to? 4. What were his most popular works? 5. Why was Kipling very popular with the readers? 6. Comment on his well-known animal stories The Jungle Book. 7. What can you say about the plots and the characters of Kipling's books?

Or being hated don't give way to hating,

And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise...

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,

Or walk with Kings — nor lose the common touch, If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,

If all men count with you, but none too much, If you can fill the unforgiving minute

With sixty seconds' worth of distance run, Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,

And — which is more, — you'll be a Man, my son!

Rudyard Kipling was a poet, a novelist ad a short-story writer. When he was twenty-four he had published his six small collections of stories. Among these early works some of the best are Soldiers Three, The Phantom Rickshaw and Wee Willie Winkie. These and the stories which followed were recognized in India and then in England.

Kipling was a born storyteller. Between 1887 and 1899 he travelled around the world. He was in China, Japan and America. During this period he wrote some of his very popular works. These were his stories for children The Jungle Books (1894), Captains Courageous (1897) and Just St) Stories (1902).

Kipling knew how to keep the story moving, how to bring it to its culmination and give it point. His two Jungle Books and Just So Stories have been translated into dozens of languages and are still read all over the world.

In his well-known animal stories The Jungle Book he described how the child Mowgli [ 'maugli] was brought up by wolves and taught by them and the black panther, the law of the jungle, and how Mowgli became the master of the beasts. Kipling had seen India as a child, and this helped him to give his descriptions a unique quality.

In 1936 Kipling worked on autobiographical notes when he died on January 17. In a year there appeared Something of Myself, a collection of notes containing memoirs.

Rudyard Kipling was very popular among ordinary people as well as by well-known writers such as Oscar Wilde, Somerset

Vocabulary

allowance [э 'laugns] n принятие во внимание

culmination [^kAlmi'neiJbn] n кульмина­ционный пункт

doubt [daut] v сомневаться

editor-in-chief ['edit3rm'tji:f| n главный редактор

exceedingly [ik'si:dir)h] adv чрезвычайно

foe [Гэи] п враг

glorify ['gb:nfai] v прославлять

Questions and Tasks

memoir ['memwa:] л мемуары moving ['mu:vii)] а волнующий narration [nas'reifan] л повествование panther ['ргепбэ] п пантера patience ['peijans] n терпение point [point] n суть, смысл self-possession ['selfpg'zefan] л само­обладание universal [ Ju:m'v3:s3l] а всеобщий

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