庞德与中国诗歌

1、Pound and Chinese Classic Poems1. The coming of image and Chinesepoemsinfluence on Pound1.1 The social and literature backgroundAt the end of the 19th century and the beginning of 20th century, the west world is changing dramatically. The United States becomes richer and richer, and the social revol

2、ution is going on. Old moral codes were breaking down. “Meanwhile, the loss of faith, which began noticeably with Darwin stheories of evolution and was intensified by the development of modern science, continued with a greater intensity in to this cen tury.I n short, people found themselves livi ng

3、in a spiritual wastela nd, as T. S. Eliots epochal poem suggests, where life was a meaningless and futile affair and man felt homeless, estranged and haunted by a sense of do.o”m1“The traditional English poetics with its iambic pentameter, its verbosity, and extra-poetic padding can not meet the nee

4、d of expressing the temper of the a”g2e. In order to change this situation, a small group of English and American poets, such as T. E. Hulme and Ezra pound, came together in the first years of this century to work out some new way of writing poetry. Imagists proposed, “somethinglike an imagist manif

5、esto in 1912 in which Pound and Flint laid down three imagist poetic principles: (1) Direct treatment of “thing”,whether subjective or objective: (2) to use absolutely no word that does not contribute to the presentation; (3) as regarding rhythm, to compose in the sequenceof the musical phrase, not

6、in the sequence of a metronome”.31.2 Chinese poemsinfluence on Pound“In 1913 he (Pound) became the literary executor of Ernest Fenollosa, the noted American Orientalist, and began his fruitful study of the Chinese language and ancient Chinese culture.”4In Fenollosas work, Pound found that “Chinesepo

7、em is, by virtue of the ideographic and pictographic nature of Chinese language, essentially imagistic poetry. The Chinese language is concrete and direct and metaphorical, and Chinese poem is noted for its virile laconism and austere pregnancy (which also characterize imagist poetry). The history o

8、f Chinese writing conditioned Chinese literature to its concisenessand precision. To make fewer words do more was the cherished aim of literary training in ancient china. Since images need fewer connectives and convey more, it is only natural that they are built into the very texture of classical Ch

9、inese poetry. They either juxtapose with, or superimpose or melt into each other, and often form clusters of fused ideas impregnated with power and5 energy.” It is no wonder that Ezra Pound found a “New Greece in the culture of Chi na, and a model to recreate to emulate and to surpass. In spired by

10、the Classical poems Chinese Poetry，Pound found a way to break away from“the poetics of motional slither”,to mold a brand new kind of poetry ，and to launch an American cultural revolution. 6 ”One points should be pointed out is that some scholars over emphasized Chinese classical poems sinfluence on

11、Pound and imagism. According to the study of Yuan Xin, the ideas of imagism of Pound has already set up before he started to study Chinese classical poems s and Chinese literature“. Iits Pounds principle of imagism that caused him to be interested in acquiring, understanding and translating Chinese

12、classical poems s, and Chinese classical poems s enhanced his belief in imagis”m7.Imagist poems inherit some ideas from Chinese classical poetry, bu“tthe imagist movement drew from a variety of poetic traditions. Greek, Provencal, and Japanese poem are among the many acknowledged sources of imagism

13、and Pounsdpoetry.”8It is at this point that Chinese classical poem can be compared with imagist poems.2. A comparative study of Image between Chinese classical poems s and pounds poemsIn this section, the key idea of imagist movementImage will be discussed to show the common ground and difference be

14、tween Chinese classical poems s and poundspoems 2.1the common ground of Chinese classical poems s and pounsdpoems2.1.1 the ideas about imageAs the name of the movement-Imagism shows, Image is the core of the movement. “T. E. Hulme said that the image must enable one “to dwell and linger upon a point

15、 of excitement, to achieve the impossible and covert a point into a line”. 9 Pound defined an image as that which presents an intellectual and emotional complex in an instant of time, and later he extended this definition when he stated that an image was“a vortex or cluster of fused ideas”“endowed w

16、ith energy.”10 In Chinese classical poems s, Image also plays an important role for a very long time. The images in the Chinese classical poems express the“subtlemomentary felling ” and “a complex felling ”11 or “Image is pure sensatory. it is the concretion of felling. ”Or “image is the impression

17、of the things left in the mind. ”12 So it is easy to found that the west and east have something in common to some extent.2.1.2 The presentation of image.In this section, the method of presentation, like direct treatment, and superposition, used both in Chinese classical poems s and Poundpoems will

18、be discussed.2.1.2.1 Direct treatmentThe first principle of Imagist, “with its emphasis on direct treatment, indicates a desire to make the expression resemble the“object”as closely as art can make it. By “ direc,”t Pound means no fuss, frill, or ornament.”13 In his work “Osiris”, Pound explained th

19、is principle. He holds that modern poems should be “ closer to the thnig; beauty of the thing should replace rhetoric and frilled paper decoration”.The language used in the poems should be harder, nearer the bone, and like granite”. 14 That requires poets do not use ornament or emotion to decorate t

20、he thing but present the thing before the reader, just like present a sculpture before a visitor. Pound found that “ Chinesepoets have been content to set forth their matter without moralizing and without comment”15 He wrote in his works: If you want some European to give a definition of something,

21、the definition they gives will deviate from the simple thing and move to a remote place where nobody knows. If you ask him what red is, he will definite it as a kind of color. If you ask him what color is, He will tell you it is a kind of libration or refraction of light, or the separation of spectr

22、um. While Chinese defines red in another way: “red: cherry, rust or flamingo. ”That means Chinese treat things directly without any ornament.162.1.2.2 Juxtaposition of imagesOne of the characteristics in classical poems Chinese poem is the juxtaposition used especially in ” jue ju(quatrain) and”Lu s

23、hi(eight- line verse). The following is17 one example:月落乌啼霜满天 江枫渔火对愁眠The moon goes down,Crows caw， frost takes the sky, Sleepy gloom weaves,River maples and fishing lanterns.In the original poem, the images-moon, Crows, frost, River maples, fishing lanterns-are presented one after another. All these

24、 images are juxtaposed. Pound named this kind of technique as“ superapnodsihtieonused”it a lot in his writing.One does not have to search far for an apparent example of this sort in Pounds famous imagistic couplet, In a Station of the Metro which immediately shows similarity in technique to the abov

25、e classical poems couplet.The apparition of these faces in the crowd1;8 Petals on a wet, black bough.The images “apparition of these faces”and “Petals on a wet, black bough”arejuxtaposed too.The Superposition of images has created a special effect-cinematic montage effect. Autumn Thoughtsby Ma Zhiyu

26、an(1260-1341 A. D.) might serve to illustrate: 天净沙秋思19 枯藤老树昏鸦 , 小桥流水人家 , 古道西风瘦马。夕阳西下 ,断肠人在天涯。Autumn ThoughtsWithered vinesOld treesEvening crows，Tiny bridgeSluggish creekScattered house，sAncient roadsWesterly windA lean horse.The sun setting，A tired man traveli ngFar from homeThe successive shots-vi

27、nes, trees, bridge, roads, horse, sun setting- here present us with coexisting images，like those in a film. It is no longer one picture plus another, it produced something like“1+12”.Pound also intended to juxtapose the images for visuality like Chinese classical poems s. Some sentence fromCantos49

28、might serve to illustrate:Rain; empty river，a voyage,20 Fire from frozen cloud，heavy rain in the twilight Under the cabin roof was one lantern.The reeds are heavy; bent;And the bamboos speak as if weeping.Pounds successful application of montage in his poems, a case in point is the skill of superpos

29、ition and juxtaposition, is something common between Pounds poems and Chinese classical poems.2.2 the differences between Ezra Pounds poems and the Chinese classical poems s in imageThe presentation of imagein Ezra Pou n ds poe ms and the Chinese classical poems s are alike on the surface, but there

30、 are some great differences between this two.2.2.1 different quantity of imagePound strongly advocates “superposition”, but it is a little impossible for imagist poets to create as many images as Chinese classical poets.Take In a Station of the Metro as an example, there are only two images“:apparit

31、ion of these faces”and “Petals on a wet, black bough”. Take William Carols Williams “The Red Wheelbarrow”for example:21So much depends upon a red wheel barrow glazed with rain water beside the whitechickens.There are only three images-“-wheel, rain, chickens”. But in Chinese classical poems s, image

32、s appear one after another. TakWeang zhihuans liangzhuoci for example: 黄河远上白云间 , 一片孤城万仞山。 羌笛何须怨杨柳 , 春风不渡玉门关 Liangzhuoci22Yellow river up to the white cloudLonely castle in the mountainsQiang flute should not censure the willowThe spring wind never travel across YumenguanThere are eight images-“yello

33、w river, white clouds, mountains, castle, flute, willow, Yumenguan”and we can recite the“ Autumn Thoughts by Ma Zhiyuan, there are 12 images in this 28-word poems. The quantity of images presented in Pounds poem cannot compare with that of Chinese classical poems.2.2.2 different inner structureAntit

34、heses are often used in Chinese classical poems poems. Usupoemsly in Chinese classical poems s, two compared images belong to one prototype. For example, liu zongyuans poemsnow:江雪千山鸟飞绝， 万径人踪灭。 孤舟蓑笠翁 .独钓寒江雪。Snow23No birds fly in the mountainsNo people walk in the pathWearing coir rain coat and bamboo

35、 hatAn old in lonely boat fishingNothing but snowIn this poem, 千山，万径； 鸟，人；孤舟，独钓”compare with each other. But in EzraPound and other imagists poems, this kind of structure cannot be found.2.2.3 different viewpointLike Chinese painting, Chinese classical poems s do not focus on one object or image. Ju

36、st like painters can put the Yellow river in one painting, Chinese classical poets can put all kind of images together, such as the example mentioned above-千山，万径 ”.All these images are equal and they will be un ited by the key sentence of the poem. But while Pound deal with his poems, the method he

37、adopted just like the western painters-focus on one point. So in his poemIn a Station of the Metro, the center image of“face”is emphasized.2.2.4 different theoretical base and its resultThe theoretical base of Chinese classical poems is意境说 ”(artistic conception). According to this theory, the “idea”

38、and the “image”should be unified together. “Idear”efers to the feelings and emotion of the poet. “Image”refers to the scenery described in the poem. Idea and image should be coherent one-express the feelings and emotions through the scenery. In these two, the“idea”is the center of the poem. In one p

39、oem, usually there is one key sentence to illustrate the feelings or emotions of the poet. For example, in “AutumnThoughts by Ma Zhiyuan(1260-1341 A. D.), “Witheredvines, Old trees, evening crows，tiny bridge, sluggish creek, scattered houses, ancient roads, westerly wind, a lean horse, the setting s

40、u”nhas already create a sad situation, but the last sentence“A tired man travelingfar from home ”unit the whole poem. The whole poem was under an unbearable sadness.But the theoretical base of imagist poet is different. One of the leading imagist-Hulme suggests “that modern art deals with expression

41、 and communication of momentary phases in the poets mind. Poetic techniques, he goes on to state, should become subtle enough to record exactly the momentary impressions. The key word here is “momentary.”The most effective means to express these momentary impression s is through the use of one domin

42、ant image.”Each sentence should be a lump, a piece of clay, a vision seen.”24. And pound also emphasized that poem is image: image is poem. Imagists pay attention on the viauality of the image. They want to reflect the pure felling or experience of themselves instead of combine the image and emotion

43、 together. They want the reader to share the“momentary”impression of them. The purpose of their poem is to present one or a cluster of “images”and let readers to appreciate the poem without any hint. . For example, in Pounds famous In a Station of the Metro, only the image“apparition of these faces”

44、and “petals on a wet, black bough”are presented. But if Pound did not explain, it is difficult for others to understand.3. Economy of expressionPound advocates using “absolutely no word that does not contribute to the presentation. It stress economy of expression, a reaction to the nineteenth-centur

45、y tendency of philosophical “padding”of extra-poetic matter, or “emotionasllither.”To Ezra Pound and unnecessaryword represents a loss of precision and a moral and25artistic defection.” 25 Take his In The Station of the Metro for example: “Pound was once in a Paris subway station and was struck by t

46、he sight of the faces of a few pretty women and children in a crowd hurrying out of a dim, damp, and somber station.”26 At first he wrote a 30-line poem, but after one and a half year resfinement, at last it becomes a two-line poem.At this point, Chinese classical poets can be treated as models. We

47、can get some ideas from Dupuspoem “it cost me three years to make two l i n e，s /I cry when I recite them ”27 . Chinese classical poems express the most by using the most succinct word. Pound appreciate this point of Chinese classical poems s very much, especially Libsa The Jewel Stairs Grievance.28

48、玉阶怨The Jewel Stairs Grievance玉阶生白露The jeweled steps are already quite white with dew.夜久侵罗袜It is so late that the dew soaks my gauze stockings, 却下水晶帘And I let down the crystal curtain 玲珑望秋月And watch the moon through the clear autumn.In order to achieve the effect of Chinese classical poems s, Pound e

49、ve“ninvented the syntactical break”. We can found that in Cantos 49, Pound tried his best to short his poem by trying using only the content word, but it is impossible for Imagist to produce poems as Chinese classical poets. That is becauseChinese and English, as two languages, are dislike. Chinese

50、is a language largely depends on the meaning and form of the words, but English is a language depends on grammar and structure. So Chinese poets “therefore enjoy great freedom from the linguistic bounds of tense ， case，and voice to achieve a laconic style by concentrating on words which show only ob

51、jects or images without regard to the use connective，sprepositions，or auxiliaries;” 29 but while Imagist poets do their works, they must use connective，s prepositions， or auxiliaries.There is also another great difference. Although Chinese classical poems are very short, it is easy to understand. Ta

52、ke Bai juyi for example: once he wrote a poem, he read it to old ladies and children to see whether they understand his poem. But imagist poems are hard to understand because they are too concise- there is not enough explanation and hint for readers to understand.4. relation between music and verseT

53、o Pound, Imagism was not only an attitude toward the nature and function of poetry; it was also a matter of technique in conflict with the style and technique of Victorian poetry. The break from the conventional in content was accompanied with a breakthrough in prosody. Poundsadvocates the use of fr

54、ee verse and the interrelationship between music and verse. He tried to combine the music and poem together. He holds that the beauty of music lies in the up and down of the words and sentences rather than the repeating rhyme. He thinks the rhyme of the poems should be varied and every emotion shoul

55、d have its own thyme. A poet should create rhythm by using the musical short sentence instead of using the repeating rhyme. So he thinks the traditional prosody is the obstacle of the poems development. He used free verse to replace the traditional prosody and adapted the poems from“the old styled music” to “the natural flexib