经典著作导读sonnet 18

英语经典著作导读—PoetrySonnet18by郭珊ContentsWilliamShakespeareSonnet18Linestructure&rhymeschemeAclosereadingofthepoemAnalysisofthethemeWilliamShakespeareWilliamShakespeare(1564—1616),thefamousdramatistandpoetofEnglishRenaissance,wasborninStratford-on-Avon,Warwickshire.Hiscompleteworksinclude37plays,2narrativepoemsand154sonnets.Sonnet18ShallIcomparetheetoasummer’sday?Thouartmorelovelyandmoretemperate;Roughwinddoshakethedarlingbudsofmay,Andsummer’sleasehathalltooshortadate;Sometimetoohottheeyeofheavenshines,Andoftenishisgoldcomplexiondimm’d;Andeveryfairfromfairsometimedeclines,Bychanceornature’schangingcourseuntrimmed;Butthyeternalsummershallnotfade,Norlosepossessionofthatfairthouow’st;NorshallDeathbragthouwander’stinhisshade,Whenineternallinestotimethougrow’st:Solongasmencanbreatheoreyescansee,Solonglivesthis,andthisgiveslifetothee.Linestructure&rhymeschemeWhat’sthelinestructureofthispoem?IambicpentameterWhat’stherhymeschemeofthispoem?It’safourteen-linepoem,rhymingABABCDCDEFEFGG.ClosereadingofthepoemShakespeareansonnetshavetheirrigidpattern,withthefirst12linesofeachpiecedividedinto3quatrainsandthelast2linesacouplet,rhymingABABCDCDEFEFGG.ThefirstquatrainShallIcomparetheetoasummer’sday?Thouartmorelovelyandmoretemperate;Roughwinddoshakethedarlingbudsofmay,Andsummer’sleasehathalltooshortadate;theeArchaicversionof“you(宾格)”thou=you(主格);thy=your;thine=yours“ShallIcomparetheetoasummer’sday?”Figureofspeech:RhetoricalquestionSimile“Andsummer’sleasehathalltooshortadate”Meaning“summerhastooshortatime”What’sexpressedinthefirstquatrain?Inthefirstquatrainthepoetpraisesthebeautyofthelady(orayoungmanassomecriticshaveinsisted)headdressesas“thee”bycomparingherwith“asummer’sday.”ThesecondquatrainSometimetoohottheeyeofheavenshines,Andoftenishisgoldcomplexiondimm’d;Andeveryfairfromfairsometimedeclines,Bychanceornature’schangingcourseuntrimmed;“theeyeofheaven”Figureofspeech:Meaning“sun”metaphor“Andeveryfairfromfairsometimedeclines”Thefirst“fair”means“fairlady”Thesecond“fair”means“fairness”“untrimmed”Meaning“strippedofbeauty”What’sthepoet’sviewson“beauty”inthesecondquatrain?Inthesecondquatrainthepoetexpresseshisregretaboutbeautydoomedtodeclinewiththechangingofnature,thatis,beauty’smortalityinnature.ThethirdquatrainButthyeternalsummershallnotfade,Norlosepossessionofthatfairthouow’st;NorshallDeathbragthouwander’stinhisshade,Whenineternallinestotimethougrow’st:“eternalsummer”Figureofspeech:Meaning:enduranceofbeautymetaphor“ow’st”ow’st=ownest，省略字母“ne”是出于诗行格律的考虑，使原本两个音节的单词变成一个音节。“NorshallDeathbragthouwander’stinhisshade”Meaning“Norwillyoudieandloseyourbeauty”“eternallines”Meaning“thispoemwhichiseternal.”Isthelady’sbeautymortalorimmortaltothepoet?Why?Inthethirdquatrainthepoetdeclarestheimmoralityofhislady’sbeauty,forthathehasrecordeditinhiseternalpoems.ThelastcoupletSolongasmencanbreatheoreyescansee,Solonglivesthis,andthisgiveslifetothee.Howdoyouunderstandthelasttwolinesofthispoem?Thelastcoupletisapraiseoftheeternityofart(literature).InShakespeare’sopinion,thispoemiseternalonlyifit’sreadbygenerationsofpeople,hencegivinglifetothelady’sbeautyrecordedinitforever.ThemeInthispoem,Shakespearepraiseshislover’sbeauty.Atthesametime,Shakespearealsopraisesliterature(or,artasawhole)aseternal,whichmustbeadeeperandmoreresoundingthemeofthisfamouspoem.译文两则我欲将君比夏昼，君更娇艳更媚柔。疾风吹摇五月蕾，夏日苦短行矣休。时或骄阳何炎炎，常见金乌遭遮掩。美人之美易消逝，偶失天夺亦可怜。君之长夏永不逝，君之花容能永驻。阎罗终未拘君去，不朽君因不朽句。世间有人人能看，我诗长存君并存。（佚名）或许我可用夏日将你作比方，但你比夏日更可爱也更