The West Land 荒原（课堂PPT）

英国文学,Unit15TheWasteLand,1,IntroductiontoEliot,ThomasStearnsEliotOM(26September18884January1965)wasanessayist,publisher,playwright,literaryandsocialcriticandoneofthetwentiethcenturysmajorpoets.BorninSt.Louis,MissouriintheUnitedStates,hemovedtotheUnitedKingdomin1914(atage25)andwasnaturalizedasaBritishsubjectin1927atage39.EliotattractedwidespreadattentionforhispoemTheLoveSongofJ.AlfredPrufrock(1915),whichisseenasamasterpieceoftheModernistmovement.,Itwasfollowedbysomeofthebest-knownpoemsintheEnglishlanguage,includingTheWasteLand(1922),TheHollowMen(1925),AshWednesday(1930)andFourQuartets(1945).2Heisalsoknownforhissevenplays,particularlyMurderintheCathedral(1935).,2,InOctober1922,EliotpublishedTheWasteLandinTheCriterion.Eliotsdedicationtoillmigliorfabbro(thebettercraftsman)referstoEzraPoundssignificanthandineditingandreshapingthepoemfromalongerEliotmanuscripttotheshortenedversionthatappearsinpublication.ItwascomposedduringaperiodofpersonaldifficultyforEliothismarriagewasfailing,andbothheandVivienneweresufferingfromnervousdisorders.Thepoemisoftenreadasarepresentationofthedisillusionmentofthepost-wargeneration.BeforethepoemspublicationasabookinDecember1922,Eliotdistancedhimselffromitsvisionofdespair.On15November1922,hewrotetoRichardAldington,saying,AsforTheWasteLand,thatisathingofthepastsofarasIamconcernedandIamnowfeelingtowardanewformandstyle.Thepoemisknownforitsobscurenatureitsslippagebetweensatireandprophesy;itsabruptchangesofspeaker,location,andtime.Despitethis,ithasbecomeatouchstoneofmodernliterature,apoeticcounterparttoanovelpublishedinthesameyear,JamesJoycesUlysses.Amongitsbest-knownphrasesareAprilisthecruelestmonth,IwillshowyoufearinahandfulofdustandShantihshantihshantih.TheSanskritmantraendsthepoem.,3,SummaryofTheWasteLand,TheWasteLandbeginswithasectionentitledTheBurialoftheDead.Init,thenarrator-perhapsarepresentationofEliothimself-describestheseasons.Springbringsmemoryanddesire,andsothenarratorsmemorydriftsbacktotimesinMunich,tochildhoodsledrides,andtoapossibleromancewithahyacinthgirl.Thememoriesonlygosofar,however.Thenarratorisnowsurroundedbyadesolatelandfullofstonyrubbish.,Heremembersafortune-tellernamedMadameSosostriswhosaidhewasthedrownedPhoenicianSailorandthatheshouldfeardeathbywater.NexthefindshimselfonLondonBridge,surroundedbyacrowdofpeople.Hespotsafriendofhisfromwartime,andcallsouttohim.,4,UnderthebrownfogofawinterdawnAcrowdflowedoverLondonbridge,somany一群人流过伦敦桥，呵，这么多我没有想到死亡毁灭了这么多人,5,Thenextsection,AGameofChess,transportsthereaderabruptlyfromthestreetsofLondontoagildeddrawingroom,inwhichsitsarich,jewel-bedeckedladywhocomplainsabouthernervesandwonderswhattodo.Thepoemdriftsagain,thistimetoapubatclosingtimeinwhichtwoCockneywomengossip.Withinafewstanzas,wehavemovedfromtheuppercrustofsocietytoLondonslow-life.TheFireSermonopenswithanimageofariver.Thenarratorsitsonthebanksandmusesonthedeplorablestateoftheworld.AsTiresias,heseesayoungcarbuncularmanhopintobedwithalonelyfemaletypist,onlytoaggressivelymakelovetoherandthenleavewithouthesitation.Thepoemreturnstotheriver,wheremaidenssingasongoflament,oneofthemcryingoverherlossofinnocencetoasimilarlylustfulman.,6,DeathbyWater,thefourthsectionofthepoem,describesadeadPhoenicianlyinginthewater-perhapsthesamedrownedsailorofwhomMadameSosostrisspoke.WhattheThunderSaidshiftslocalesfromtheseatorocksandmountains.Thenarratorcriesforrain,anditfinallycomes.Thethunderthataccompaniesitushersinthethree-prongeddictumsprungfromtheBrihadaranyakaUpanishad:Datta,dayadhvam,damyata:togive,tosympathize,tocontrol.Withthesecommandments,benedictionispossible,despitethecollapseofcivilizationthatisunderway-Londonbridgeisfallingdownfallingdownfallingdown.,7,TranslationofTheWasteLand,TheBurialofTheDeadAprilisthecruelestmonth,breedingLilacsoutofthedeadland,mixingMemoryanddesire,stirringDullrootswithspringrain.Winterkeptuswarm,coveringEarthinforgetfulsnow,feedingAlittlelifewithdriedtubers.,死者的葬礼四月最残忍，从死了的土地滋生丁香，混杂着回忆和欲望，让春雨挑动着呆钝的根。冬天保我们温暖，把大地埋在忘怀的雪里，使干了的,8,FallingtowersJerusalemAthensAlexandriaViennaLondonunreal倒下的楼阁呵耶路撒冷、雅典、亚历山大、维也纳、伦敦呵，不真实的,9,AnanalysisofTheWasteLand,Eliotsopeningquotationsetsthetoneforthepoemasawhole.SibylisamythologicalfigurewhoaskedApollo“forasmanyyearsoflifeastherearegrainsinahandfulofsand”(North,3).Unfortunately,shedidnotthinktoaskforeverlastingyouth.Asaresult,sheisdoomedtodecayforyearsandyears,andpreservesherselfwithinajar.Havingaskedforsomethingakintoeternallife,shefindsthatwhatshemostwantsisdeath.Deathaloneoffersescape;deathalonepromisestheend,andthereforeanewbeginning.,10,ThusdoesEliotbeginhismagisterialpoem,labelinghisfirstsection“TheBurialoftheDead,”atitlepulledfromtheAnglicanBookofCommonPrayer.Hehasbeencarefultolayouthiscentralthemebeforethefirststanzahasevenbegun:deathandlifeareeasilyblurred;fromdeathcanspringlife,andlifeinturnnecessitatesdeath.CleanthBrooks,Jr.,in“TheWasteLand:AnAnalysis,”seesthepoemsengineasaparadox:“Lifedevoidofmeaningisdeath;sacrifice,eventhesacrificialdeath,maybelife-giving,anawakingtolife.Eliotsvisionisofadecrepitlandinhabitedbypersonswholanguishinanin-betweenstate,perhapsakintothatofDantesLimbo:theylive,butinsofarastheyseemtofeelnothingandaspiretonothing,theyaredead.EliotoncearticulatedhisphilosophyconcerningthesemattersinapieceofcriticismonBaudelaire,oneofhischiefpoeticinfluences:init,Eliotintimatedthatitmaybebettertodoevilthantodonothingatall-thatatleastsomeformofactionmeansthatoneexists.Thiscriterionforexistence,perhapsanantecedenttoExistentialism,holdsactionasinherentlymeaningful.Inactionisequatedwithwaste.ThekeyimageinTheWasteLandmaythenbeSosostrissvisionof“crowdsofpeople,walkingroundinaring.”Theywalkandwalk,butgonowhere.Likewise,theinhabitantsofmodernLondonkeeptheireyesfixedtotheirfeet;theirdestinationmatterslittletothemandtheyflowasanunthinkingmass,bedeckingthemetropolisinapathy.,11,Fromthisthicketofmalaise,thenarratorclingstomemoriesthatwouldseemtosuggestlifeinallitsvibrancyandwonder:summerraininMunich,coffeeinaGermanpark,agirlwearingflowers.Whatiscrucialtothepoemssensibility,however,istherecognitionthateventhesetripstothepast,eventheseattemptstoregainhappiness,mustendinfailureorconfusion.Identitiesareinflux.TheHofgartenmemoryprecipitatesaflurryofGerman:“BingarkeineRussin,stammausLitauen,echtdeutsch.”Translated,thislinereadsroughlyas:“ImnotRussianatall;IcomefromLithuania,atrueGerman.”Itisnotclearwhothespeakeris,butwhateverthecasethelineisnonsensical;threedistinctregionsofEuropearementioned,thoughLithuaniaarguablyhasfarmoretodowithRussiathanwithGermany.Thesentenceitselfdependsonanonsequitur,anticipatingbyalmostacenturyEuropescurrentcrisisofidentity,withindividualnationsslowlylosinggroundtoacollectiveunion.InEliotstime,thatcontinentwasjustemergingfromthewreckageofWorldWarI,asplinteredentityteeteringonchaos;Germany,inparticular,sufferedfromasevereidentitydilemma,withvariousfactionscompetingforauthority,classesthatweredistrustfulofoneanother,andtheoldbreedofmilitarystrong-menitchingtorenewitselffortheblood-drencheddecadestocome.,12,Thehistoricalconsiderationswillonlygosofar.Biographicalinterpretationisaslipperyslope,butitshouldnonethelessbenotedthatEliotwas,atthetimeofthepoemscomposition,sufferingfromacutenervousailments,chiefamongthemsevereanxiety.ItwasduringhistimeofrecuperationthathewasabletowritemuchofTheWasteLand,buthisconflictedfeelingsabouthiswife,Vivienne,didnotmuchhelphisstateofmind.Theambiguityoflove,thepotentialofthatemotiontocausebothgreatjoyandgreatsorrow,informsthepassageinvolvingthehyacinthgirlanotherfailedmemory,asitwere.Inthiscase,EliotdescribesavisionofyouthfulbeautyinapieceofwritingthatseemsatfirsttostemmorefromEnglishRomanticismthanfromthearidmodernworldoftherestofthepoem:“Yourarmsfull,andyourhairwet.”Water,socherishedanelementandsolackinginthisdesolatewasteland,herebringsforthflowersandhyacinthgirls,andthepossibilityofhappiness,howeverfleeting.Thatveryvision,however,causesEliotseyestofail,hisspeechtoforsakehim;,13,overendershimimpotent,andheisleft“neitherlivingnordead”muchliketheaforementionedresidentsofLimbo.Theparadoxisthatsuchjoyandhumanwarmthmightelicitsuchpainandcoldness.Eliotsumsitupwiththeline:“Lookingintotheheartoflight,thesilence.”UsingWagnersTristanundIsoldeasabook-enddevice-thefirstsuchquotationalludingtothebeginningsoflove,theseconddescribingthetragedyofalovelost-Eliottracesaswiftpassagefromlighttodarkness,soundtosilence,movementtostasis.(Tristanbeginsonaboat,withthewindfreshlyblowing,andendsontheshoreline,awaitingaboatthatnevercomes.),14,Itisappropriate,then,thatthenarratorshouldturnnexttoaclairvoyant;aftergazinguponthepast,henowseekstointothefuture.Water,giveroflife,becomesatokenofdeath:thenarratorisnoneotherthanthedrownedPhoenicianSailor,andhemust“feardeathbywater.”ThisrealizationpavesthewayforthefamousLondonBridgeimage.EliotdoesnotevendescribethewateroftheThames;hesaveshisverseforthefogthatfloatsoverhead,forthequalityofthedawn-litsky,andforthefacelessmassofmenswarmingthroughthedeadcity.BorrowingheavilyfromBaudelairesvisionsofParis,EliotpaintsaportraitofLondonasahaunted(orhaunting)specter,wheretheonlysoundis“dead”andnomandaresevenlookbeyondtheconfinesofhisfeet.,15,WhenthenarratorseesStetson,wereturntotheprospectofhistory.WorldWarIisreplacedbythePunicWar;withthisoddchoice,Eliotseemstobearguingthatallwarsarethesame,justashesuggeststhatallmenarethesameinthestanzasfinalline:“You!hypocritelecteur!monsemblable,monfrre!”:“Hypocritereader!mylikeness,mybrother!”WeareallStetson;Eliotisspeakingdirectlytous.Individualfacesblurintotheill-definedmassofhumanityastheburialprocessioninexorablyproceeds.,16,Naturalism,Naturalismwasaliterarymovementtakingplacefromthe1880sto1940sthatuseddetailedrealismtosuggestthatsocialconditions,heredity,andenvironmenthad