Contemporary British literature

The most prestigious award in the British literature how is the Booker Prize which is given annually to the best novel published in Britain. The novels that can get it must be written in English by a citizen of Britain, the Commonwealth or the Republic of Ireland. The winner of the Booker Prize in 1997 was Arundhati Roy for her novel «The God of Small Things». Another Booker Prize winner is Bernice Rubens, who got it for her book «The Elected Member». The leading contemporary Scottish writer is Glasgow-born James Kelman whose book «A Disaffection)) was shortlisted for the Booker Prize.

The most read British poets are the Welshman Dylan Thomas, whose best-known work is the play «Under Milk Wood», Ted Hughes, who was made Poet Laureate in 1984 and whose duty was to compose odes in celebration of state occasions, and the Northern Ireland poet Seamus Heaney, whose poems give a vivid and beautiful picture of Irish rural life and work.

Activity. Fill in the blanks in the following story and find out some interesting facts about Robert Burns. Bear in mind that more than one variant is possible.

Robert Burns was a son of a poor farmer and himself a______(1) labourer until he was 27, when he became__(2) after publication of his first book of poems. The book ___(3) mostly songs and narrative poems about common people, their life and work. Burns' countrymen _____ (4) his poetry, and the poet himself for his jolly and friendly character. Here is one of the numerous ___(5) told about the poet.

One day Robert was in the docks ___ (6) the sea and heard a cry for help. He saw a drowning man and ran _(7) the water. At the same moment he heard a splash of water and _ (8) a sailor jump into the water from the nearest boat that stood at the dock and ____(9) towards the man who was calling for help. In several _(10) the sailor returned with the rescued man. By that time a crowd of people had ____ (11) on the shore, and they cheered the brave sailor. The rescued man turned out to _____ (12) a rich merchant. When he came to himself, he thanked the sailor and_: (13) him one shilling as gratitude for what he had done. The crowd was indignant. They started to ______ (14) loudly and demand that the merchant should give more money to the sailor who had _____(15) his own life while saving the ungrateful merchant. At that moment Burns stopped the shouting ___(16) and said, «Leave him alone. The gentleman is, of course, the best judge of what his life is worth!».

Painting

Do you like painting?

Who was a "Comic History Painter"?

Who is your favourite painter?

William hogarth

William Hogarth /1697-1764/ was die dominant artistic personality in England in the "18^th century. He set up as an independent engraver in 1720. By 1729 he had achieved a major success with a painting of The Beggar's Opera. He established a new genre of "Modern Moral Subject. The series of satirical engravings, made after his paintings, include "The Har­lot's Progress" /1732/, a tragic story of a country girl in a series of 6 paintings /now lost/ and "The Rake's Progress" /1735/, portraying the seamier side of London with stark realism.

Hogarth made paintings of London life in the Four Times of Day. He also painted portraits culminating in the spectacular one of Captain Coram /1740/. His decorative paintings were made in the manner of Thornhill /1676-1734/, English baroque painter.

He proclaimed himself a "Comic History Painter", and the result was the most accomplished of his moral cycles. In "Marriage a la Mode" /1745/ he makes savage sport of London high society.

Other series were directed towards cruelty and the effects of gin. In the 1750 he became the target of caricature himself and attacks on satire in general. His response was depression and feelings of national decline. Yet his paintings became more sensuous than ever. He had shown that a painter could be a man of intellect and wit. Hogarth had no pupils, but almost all art in England bears the mark of his personality.