（英语语言文学专业论文）生态理念的诗话阐释——弗罗斯特是个剖析.pdf

vi 生态理念的诗化阐释 弗罗斯特诗歌剖析 摘要 作为一种文学和文化批评倾向的“生态批评”兴起于 2 0 世纪 9 0 年代中期，探讨 的是文学和自然环境的关系。其最基本的特征是： “通过文学来重审人类文化，来 进行文化批判探索人类思想、文化、社会发展模式如何影响、甚至决定了人 类对自然的态度和行为，如何导致环境的恶化和生态的危机。 ” 以“生态批评” 为理论基石但视野更为开阔的“绿色解读”为文学作品欣赏提供了一种新鲜的视 角，从而让读者在作品赏析中获得一种清新的、充满生态智慧光辉的认知体验和 审美体验。弗罗斯特一直被冠以“新英格兰田园诗人” ，其自然诗的主题一直是诸 多评论家的关注的焦点。但从文学和文化批评倾向的视角对弗罗斯特的诗歌进行 系统的、深入的“绿色解读”却鲜有人为之。本文依托生态批评理论为基石，采 取跨学科、诗歌文本细读和西方经典文学评论（诸如新批评、结构主义和解构主 义）相结合的研究方法来阐释弗罗斯特诗歌中深刻的生态哲学理念、生态诗学和 生态美学价值。论文由五部分组成。 引言部分首先对弗氏诗歌进行了简要的概述， 然后简要评述了国内外对其诗歌 中自然主题的探讨进而引出对其诗歌文本“绿色解读”的概念。 第一章主要探讨了弗氏诗歌中所构建的生态哲学命题。 其中包括对传统的二元 对立自然观的解构、对生态伦理观的建构、从文化视角对人类中心主义的解构以 及对生态女性主义的建构。 第二章主要探讨了弗氏诗歌中所构建的生态诗学命题。诗意栖居的命题在弗氏 诗歌中主要体现在其自然书写、自然乐律以及精神家园的构筑并升华为深邃的生 态智慧。 第三章主要阐释了弗氏诗歌中所构建的生态美学命题, 体现了自然、 整体以及和 谐的生态美学原则。弗氏诗歌中的自然蕴含着令人肃然起敬神秘之美、精神之美 和模糊之美。 vii 结语提出了本论文的主要观点，即弗罗斯特朴素的诗歌文本阐释了深刻的大 地伦理命题、哲学命题、信仰命题、美学命题及诗学问题；绿色解读的使命是陶 冶情操，营造生态文化和树立生态整体主义的信仰。 关键词：弗氏诗歌，绿色解读, 生态批评，生态哲学，生态诗学，生态美学 iv the poetical interpretation of eco- critical values a study on frost s poetry abstract t h e t e n d ency of “ eco- criticism” as a cultural and literary review began to thrive in the middle of the twentieth century with its focus on the relationship between man and nature. its fundamental feature is: “ through literature review to re- evaluate the human culture so as to conduct cultural criticism - - to explore how human s thought, culture and social development modes influence or even determine the nature of human attitudes and behavior, leading to the deterioration of the environment and ecological crisis.” “ the green interpretation” with broader horizon which takes “ eco- criticism” as its theoretical base provides readers with a new perspective in appreciating literary works so as to help readers gain a new and fresh cognitive and aesthetic experience filled with the splendor of ecological wisdom. frost has been well- renowned as the “ new england pastoral poet” and his subject of nature poetry has been the focus of attention to many critics. however, few people have conducted a systematic and in- depth “ green interpretation” of frost s poetry from the perspective of literary and cultural criticism tendency. this dissertation, based on eco- criticism as the cornerstone theory, attempts to demonstrate the in- depth eco- critical values in frost s poetry by adopting an integrated approach of interdisciplinary studies, close textual reading of frost s poetry and the classic western literary theories. the whole dissertation is composed of an introduction, 3 chapters and a conclusion. the introduction part firstly introduces popular remarks about frost s poetry and then briefly comments on nature theme of frost s poetry at home and abroad and finally introduces the concept of “ green interpretation of poetry texts” . chapter one primarily explores the eco- philosophical propositions constructed i n v frost s poetry which include deconstruction of the traditional dualism, construction of eco- ethical concepts, deconstruction of anthropocentrism from the cultural perspective and construction of eco- feminism. chapter two primarily discusses eco- poetical proposition constructed in frost s poetry. the proposition of poetical dwelling in frost s poetry is mainly embodied in nature writing, natural musicality and construction of spiritual home. chapter three primarily discusses the aesthetical proposition constructed in frost s poetry which not only reveals the principles of being natural, being holistic and being harmonious in eco- aesthetics but also endows readers with the aesthetical senses of being mysterious and awe- inspiring, spiritual beauty as well as hazy beauty. the conclusion puts forward the main viewpoints of this dissertation, that is, frosts plain poetry explains the profound earth ethical proposition, philosophical proposition, the faith proposition, poetry and the aesthetic proposition issues and the mission of green interpretation is to cultivate readers mind, create an eco- culture and an eco- faith. key words: frost s poetry, eco- criticism, green interpretation, eco- philosophy, eco- poetics, eco- aesthetics ii 独 创 性 声 明 本人声明所呈交的学位论文是本人在导师指导下进行的研究工作及取 得的研究成果。据我所知，除了文中特别加以标志和致谢的地方外，论文 中不包含其他人已经发表或撰写过的研究成果，也不包含为获得 合肥工 业大学 或其他教育机构的学位或证书而使用过的材料。 与我一同工作的 同志对本研究所做的任何贡献均已在论文中作了明确的说明并表示谢意。 学位论文作者签字： 签字日期： 姚健 2010 年 04 月 27 日 学位论文版权使用授权书 本学位论文作者完全了解 合肥工业大学 有关保留、使用学位论文 的规定，有权保留并向国家有关部门或机构送交论文的复印件和磁盘，允 许论文被查阅或借阅。本人授权 合肥工业大学 可以将学位论文的全部 或部分论文内容编入有关数据库进行检索，可以采用影印、缩印或扫描等 复制手段保存、汇编学位论文。 （保密的学位论文在解密后适用本授权书） 学位论文者签名： 姚健 导师签名：林玉鹏 签字日期：2010 年 04 月 27 日 签字日期：2010 年 04 月 27 日 学位论文作者毕业后去向： 工作单位： 电话： 通讯地址： 邮编： iii acknowledgements in the course of composing this thesis, i have been greatly ind ebted to my kindhearted and learned supervisor, professor lin yupeng, who has given me a lot of encouragement and specific, highly instructive guidance in the thesis selection, the research methodology, the focus of research as well as the thesis structure. i benefited a lot from his wonderful lectures on literary critical theories, his insight on poetry, his intelligent talks about robert frost and his invaluable advice on my writing. professor lin also pointed out the various deficiencies and irregularities in the first draft of the thesis and put forward concrete and constructive requirements for the improvement. but for his patient guidance and encouragement, it would have been impossible for me to complete the difficult task. i would also like to thank professor ren jingsheng and professor han jianghong who have helped me to develop the fundamental and essential academic competence. my sincere appreciation also goes to associate professor wang hua for his lectures on general linguistics and applied linguistics, associate professor zhao sumei and associate professor wang wenling as well as professor hu zuoyou for their insightful lectures on different topics. their profound knowledge, remarkable expertise and intellectual ingenuity will be of everlasting significance to my future research. i also acknowledge my sincere thanks to all my classmates and friends who have participated in this study with great cooperation. lastly, i would like very much to express my thanks to my wife, lou min who supported me lovingly. 1 introduction 1. popular remarks about frost s poetry robert lee frost was a distinguished american poet. he is highly canonized for his realistic depictions of rural life and his dexterous command of american colloquial speech. his work frequently derives themes from the early 1900s rural life in new england, using the setting to examine complex social and philosophical themes. as a popular and often- quoted poet, frost was honored frequently during his lifetime, receiving four pulitzer prizes. as one of the most talented poets in american literature, frost has an impressive collection of poetry matched by equally impressive accolades for his arts. his main collections of poetry are listed as follows: a boy s will(1912), north of boston(1914), mountain interval(1916), new hampshire(1923), west- running brook(1928), a further range(1936), a witness s tree(1942), steeple bush(1947), a masque of mercy(1947), in the clearing(1962). the titles of his poetry collections convince many readers that robert frost should be labeled as a well- renowned new england pastoral poet. however, frost is hard to be classified into the group of the old or the group of the new because ostensibly, unlike his contemporaries in the early 20th century, he didn t draw a clear distinction with the poetic tradition nor made any innovative attempt on poetic form. instead, he adhered to the poetic tradition of romanticism, especially the well- informed nature poetry and classical pastoral poetry, and transformed the colloquial new england speech into a pervasive poetic expression. however, robert fagan held the opposite opinion arguing that “ frost, the greatest innovator in blank verse after milton and browning, cultivated an ingeniously sophisticated use of colloquial speech, giving new 2 life to the ancient tradition of pastoral poetry. and few poets have encompassed the realms of religion, science, politics, and philosophy with such unassuming subtlety.” (fagan 2) a poem so contemplated usually serves as an emblem or a metaphor, a watchful, caring and insightful exploration of reality, in frost s own version, “ a momentary stay against confusion.” (cox 159- 175) many of his poems are scented with natural flavor. images and metaphors in his poems are frequently derived from the austere and rustic country life and the idyllic landscape that can be readily comprehended- - mowing, scything, winds rustling in the woods, birds chirping, as well as ponds, roads, the cycles of the seasons, and the alternation of night and day. in consideration of the fact that the materials for constructing frost s poetic world originate from the rural territory, the plain country life, the villatic landscape, many readers mistakenly imagine that frost s poetry is by no means difficult to comprehend, which is really misleading. it is true that most of frosts poems are characterized by the modest simplicity in the way that they are dramatic soliloquies or dialogues which are easily acceptable to readers, they are brief and straight- forward on the informational level, and they have seemingly dry and simple diction without any elegant wording. however, profound and insightful notions are conveyed under the pretence of the deceptive plainness of language and the ostensible simplicity of the poetic form. the motivation for frost s poetry composing might be anticipated that he derives simple and commonplace symbols from limited human world and the pastoral landscape to refer to the greater world beyond the rustic scene, displaying his favorite poetic theory of “ the pleasure of ulteriority” and “ a clarification of life.” these thematic concerns include the terror and tragedy in nature in that “ frost s poems are critiqued in the anthology of modern american poetry, published by oxford university press, where it is mentioned that behind their sometimes charmingly familiar and rural fa ade, frequently lie pessimistic and menacing undertones which are not often analyzed or recognized” ( frost/biography/) as well as its beauty, and the loneliness and poverty of the isolated human being. but first and foremost frost expressed his concerns with his affection to life and his faith in serenity that only descending from laboring usefully, which he exercised himself through his life. by 3 adopting simple colloquial language and conversational rhythms, frost achieved an effortless elegance in his style. he integrated conventional poetic forms- - the sonnet, rhyming couplets, blank verse- - with a distinctive american native speech rhythm，the utterance of the new england farmers with its idiosyncratic diction and syntax. in poetry he was classified, frost composed in both the metrical forms and the free verse, and sometimes he composed in a form that loans at liberty from the strengths of the both, in a form that might be defined as semi- free or semi- conventional. 2. critical status of nature theme at home and abroad numerous poetry reviews and essays from varied and colorful perspectives both at home and abroad have been dedicated to the study of robert frost s poetry. generally, the study of frost s poetry can be classified into 3 categories. first, collections of frost s biographical materials reveal frost s valuable life experiences, which are really helpful to appreciate his poetry. second, most articles explore the art, techniques such as poetical expression in colloquial language, sound effect, meter, rhyming scheme and etc as well as the themes of his poetry such as the theme of nature, death, men and women, melancholy and etc in a diverse and comprehensive way. third, still some others focus on the criticism of frost s poetry, which contributes cherishable methodologies to the study of his poetry. since the influence of frost s personal experiences on his poetry and craftsmanship of his poetry are not the focuses of my attention in this dissertation, i d like not to comb the critical status of them in detail. instead, i will concentrate my attention on the critical status about the theme of nature. home studies about the nature theme: the theme of “ relationship between man and nature” in frost s poetry as well as his poetics never escapes the attention of many critics. zhang cha, an associate professor from sichuan normal university in his discussion of nature and life categorizes the nature in frost s poetry into 8 types, namely, aesthetically beautiful nature, mysterious and fearful nature, alienation- producing nature, alienation- dispelling nature, metaphorical and symbolic nature, nature in contrast of nature, nature arousing creative inspiration and nature of 4 religious color.(zhang cha 49- 54) zhang min in her graduate thesis believes that the nature in frost s poetry is a metaphor and a symbol, illuminating three aspects of the subject, namely, the relationship between man and nature, the relationship between human beings and the inspiration of nature to life.(zhang min 3) hong qi from central china normal university argues that frost attempts to explore a way how to be compliant with nature and society, a way how to release from self- restrained state of individuals, the effect of which can be clarified just as what frost himself says, “ a momentary stay against confusion.” (hong qi 164) and natural beauty bears the quality of stirring people s mind. liu qiya in her graduate thesis states that modernistic concepts of frost s view of nature are reflected in 4 aspects: duality of nature, nature being bright and benevolent on the one side and dark and alien on the other side; opposition between man and nature; tragic implication of nature; irony used in expression of his view of nature. (liu qiya 3) although papers at home probing the nature theme and the style of his poems are numerous, yet they share some apparently unfavorable features which can be generally listed as follows: fragmented, a lack of being systematic and sometimes paradoxical; despite the new ways of expression, they are more or less of the same point of view, lacking in depth and creativity and originality. although the theme of “ relationship between man and nature” in frost s poetry is occasionally escalated to a high degree of eco- critical interpretation, yet upon a close reading, the author has found that those focuses of attention seem to remain the same, a replica of the argument. the author believes that eco- criticism is in no way confined to the “ relationship between man and nature” , and it calls for the continuation of its vision to build a large multi- dimensional ecological thinking. studies of nature theme abroad: in contrast to the heated discussion at home, yet it is quite strange that there are few full- length essays about the nature theme in frost s poetry abroad upon the careful retrieval of the research materials about frost, that is, few critics focus their attention on the theme of “ relationship between man and nature” . 5 in my wild guess, maybe they reckon that the theme of nature is too “ superficial” and not worth investigation. therefore, it is necessary to sort out and comb the profound eco- critical concepts in frosts poetry systematically. even so, there are still some papers touching upon the topic. for instance, george w. nitchie in his human values in the poetry of robert frost believes that frost s central theme is the man- nature relationship and argues that frost deliberately avoids the deep exploration into the complex topic and that frost restricts himself instead to the simpler, easier task of describing human reactions to the natural phenomena. additionally, the prospect that the nature around us may be discovered to possess some final and illuminating “ meaning” is intentionally avoided by frost in favor of treating nature as an incomprehensible force.(nitchie 3- 50 ) john f. lynen in the pastoral art of robert frost argues that frost is a sophisticated artist who consciously adopts the pastoral mode and who uses rural new england symbolically, making it a metaphor through which the problems confronting man may be approached, albeit obliquely.(lynen 140- 161) reuben a. brower in the poetry of robert frost argues that frost s major themes are concerned about nature and his approach to these themes is magnificently influenced by the two poets, wordsworth and emerson.(brower 246) frank lentricchia in robert frost: modern poetics and the landscapes of self identifies frost as a man ever aware of the “ struggle between the fiction- making imagination and the antifictive of the given environment, social and natural.” ( lentricchia 18 ). robert w. french puts it that “ if frost s poetry insists on anything it insists on the impenetrable barriers between man and nature: we live in a world that we can not know for it will not reveal itself; and yet we yearn for some sort of communion.” (gerber 159) lawrence thompson believes that “ there are nice differences between the emersonian desire to interpret harmonies as proofs of human divinity, and the frostian desire to make poetry a clarification of life.” (thompson 33) the differences between frost s outlook on nature and that of emerson s are further clarified by john f. lynen s remarks that “ in pastorals t