普鲁弗洛克的情歌课件

ModernliteratureT.S.Eliot(1888-1965)ApoetAdramatistAliterarycriticANobelPrizewinnerModernLiterature:Overview

ModernistliteratureattemptedtomovefromthebondsofRealistliteratureandintroduceconceptssuchasdisjointedtimelines.Modernistliteratureoftenfeaturesamarkedpessimism,aclearrejectionoftheoptimismapparentinVictorianliterature.Infact,"acommonmotifinModernistfictionisthatofanalienatedindividual--adysfunctionalindividualtryinginvaintomakesenseofapredominantlyurbanandfragmentedsociety".However,manyModernistworkslikeT.S.Eliot'sTheWasteLandaremarkedbytheabsenceofacentral,heroicfigure;inrejectingthesolipsismofRomanticslikeShelleyandByron,theseworksrejectthesubjectofCartesiandualismandcollapsenarrativeandnarratorintoacollectionofdisjointedfragmentsandoverlappingvoices.ModernistliteraturetranscendsthelimitationsoftheRealistnovelwithitsconcernforlargerfactorssuchassocialorhistoricalchange;thisislargelydemonstratedin"streamofconsciousness"writing.ExamplescanbeseeninVirginiaWoolf'sMrsDalloway,JamesJoyce'sPortraitoftheArtistasaYoungManandUlysses,KatherinePorter'sFloweringJudas,WilliamFaulkner'sTheSoundandtheFury,andothers.ModernistliteratureisdefinedbyitsmoveawayfromRomanticism,venturingintosubjectmatterthatistraditionallymundane--aprimeexamplebeingTheLoveSongofJ.AlfredPrufrockbyT.S.Eliot.Modernismasaliterarymovementisseen,inlargepart,asareactiontotheemergenceofcitylifeasacentralforceinsociety.

Formalcharacteristics

OpenFormFreeverse

DiscontinuousnarrativeJuxtaposition

Intertextuality

ClassicalallusionsBorrowingsfromotherculturesandlanguagesUnconventionaluseofmetaphorMetanarrative

FragmentationMultiplenarrativepointsofview(parallax)Thematiccharacteristics

BreakdownofsocialnormsandculturalsuretiesDislocationofmeaningandsensefromitsnormalcontextValorizationofthedespairingindividualinthefaceofanunmanageablefutureDisillusionment

Rejectionofhistoryandthesubstitutionofamythicalpast,borrowedwithoutchronologyProductofthemetropolis,ofcitiesandurbanscapesStreamofconsciousness

Freeindirectdiscourse

Overwhelmingtechnologicalchangesofthe20thCenturyThomasStearnsEliot

(26September

1888–4January

1965)

Eliotwasapoet,dramatist,andliterarycritic.HereceivedtheNobelPrizeinLiteraturein1948.HewrotethepoemsTheLoveSongofJ.AlfredPrufrock,TheWasteLand,TheHollowMen,AshWednesday,andFourQuartets;theplaysMurderintheCathedralandTheCocktailParty;andtheessay"TraditionandtheIndividualTalent."TheLoveSongofJ.AlfredPrufrock

"Prufrock"isavariationonthedramaticmonologueTherhymeschemeofthispoemisirregularbutnotrandom.

Oneofthemostprominentformalcharacteristicsofthisworkistheuseofrefrains.Prufrock'scontinualreturntothe"women[who]comeandgo/TalkingofMichelangelo"andhisrecurrentquestionings("howshouldIpresume?")andpessimisticappraisals("Thatisnotit,atall.")bothreferenceanearlierpoetictraditionandhelpEliotdescribetheconsciousnessofamodern,neuroticindividual.Thepoemthenfollowstheconsciousexperienceofaman,Prufrock(relayedinthe"streamofconsciousness"formindicativeoftheModernists),lamentinghisphysicalandintellectualinertia,thelostopportunitiesinhislifeandlackofspiritualprogress,withtherecurrentthemeofcarnalloveunattained.TheLoveSongofJ.AlfredPrufrockEpigraphS'io

credessi

che

mia

rispostafosseapersonache

mai

tomassealmundo,questa

fiamma

staria

senza

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che

giammai

di

questo

fondo

nontornovivoalcun,s'i'odo

il

vero,senza

tema

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rispondo.

LETusgothen,youandI,WhentheeveningisspreadoutagainsttheskyLikeapatientetheriseduponatable;Letusgo,throughcertainhalf-desertedstreets,ThemutteringretreatsOfrestlessnightsinone-nightcheaphotelsAndsawdustrestaurantswithoyster-shells:StreetsthatfollowlikeatediousargumentOfinsidiousintentToleadyoutoanoverwhelmingquestion...Oh,donotask,'Whatisit?'Letusgoandmakeourvisit.IntheroomthewomencomeandgoTalkingofMichelangelo.

Theyellowfogthatrubsitsbackuponthewindow-panes,

Theyellowsmokethatrubsitsmuzzleonthewindow-panes

Lickeditstongueintothecornersoftheevening,

Lingereduponthepoolsthatstandindrains,

Letfalluponitsbackthesootthatfallsfromchimneys,

Slippedbytheterrace,madeasuddenleap,

AndseeingthatitwasasoftOctobernight,

Curledonceaboutthehouse,andfellasleep.

Andindeedtherewillbetime

Fortheyellowsmokethatslidesalongthestreet,

Rubbingitsbackuponthewindow-panes;

Therewillbetime,therewillbetime

Toprepareafacetomeetthefacesthatyoumeet;

Therewillbetimetomurderandcreate,

Andtimeforalltheworksanddaysofhands

Thatliftanddropaquestiononyourplate;

Timeforyouandtimeforme,

Andtimeyetforahundredindecisions,

Andforahundredvisionsandrevisions,

Beforethetakingofatoastandtea.

In"Timeforalltheworksanddaysofhands"(29)thephrase'worksanddays'isthetitleofalongpoem-adescriptionofagriculturallifeandacalltotoil-bytheearlyGreekpoetHesiod.Intheroomthewomencomeandgo

TalkingofMichelangelo.

Andindeedtherewillbetime

Towonder,"DoIdare?"and,"DoIdare?"

Timetoturnbackanddescendthestair,

Withabaldspotinthemiddleofmyhair--

[Theywillsay:"Howhishairisgrowingthin!"]

Mymorningcoat,mycollarmountingfirmlytothechin,

Mynecktierichandmodest,butassertedbyasimplepin--

[Theywillsay:"Buthowhisarmsandlegsarethin!"]

DoIdare

Disturbtheuniverse?

Inaminutethereistime

Fordecisionsandrevisionswhichaminutewillreverse.

ForIhaveknownthemallalready,knownthemall:--

Haveknowntheevenings,mornings,afternoons,

Ihavemeasuredoutmylifewithcoffeespoons;

Iknowthevoicesdyingwithadyingfall

Beneaththemusicfromafartherroom.

SohowshouldIpresume?

"Iknowthevoicesdyingwithadyingfall"(52)echoestheopeninglinesofShakespeare'sTwelfthNight.AndIhaveknowntheeyesalready,knownthemall--

Theeyesthatfixyouinaformulatedphrase,

AndwhenIamformulated,sprawlingonapin,

WhenIampinnedandwrigglingonthewall,

ThenhowshouldIbegin

Tospitoutallthebutt-endsofmydaysandways?

AndhowshouldIpresume?

AndIhaveknownthearmsalready,knownthemall--

Armsthatarebraceletedandwhiteandbare

[Butinthelamplight,downedwithlightbrownhair!]

Isitperfumefromadress

Thatmakesmesodigress?

Armsthatliealongatable,orwrapaboutashawl.

AndshouldIthenpresume?

AndhowshouldIbegin?

.....

ShallIsay,Ihavegoneatduskthroughnarrowstreets

Andwatchedthesmokethatrisesfromthepipes

Oflonelymeninshirt-sleeves,leaningoutofwindows?...

Ishouldhavebeenapairofraggedclaws

Scuttlingacrossthefloorsofsilentseas.

.....

Andtheafternoon,theevening,sleepssopeacefully!

Smoothedbylongfingers,

Asleep...tired...oritmalingers,

Stretchedonthefloor,herebesideyouandme.

ShouldI,afterteaandcakesandices,Havethestrengthtoforcethemomenttoitscrisis?

ButthoughIhaveweptandfasted,weptandprayed,

ThoughIhaveseenmyhead[grownslightlybald]broughtinuponaplatter,Iamnoprophet--andhere'snogreatmatter;

Ihaveseenthemomentofmygreatnessflicker,

AndIhaveseentheeternalFootmanholdmycoat,andsnicker,

Andinshort,Iwasafraid.

Theprophetof"ThoughIhaveseenmyhead(grownslightlybald)broughtinuponaplatter/Iamnoprophet-andhere'snogreatmatter"(81-2)isJohntheBaptist,whoseheadwasdeliveredtoSalomebyHerodasarewardforherdancing(Matthew14:1-11,andOscarWilde'splaySalome).Andwouldithavebeenworthit,afterall,

Afterthecups,themarmalade,thetea,

Amongtheporcelain,amongsometalkofyouandme,

Wouldithavebeenworthwhile,

Tohavebittenoffthematterwithasmile,

Tohavesqueezedtheuniverseintoaball

Torollittowardsomeoverwhelmingquestion,

Tosay:"IamLazarus,(7)comefromthedead

Comebacktotellyouall,Ishalltellyouall"--

Ifone,settlingapillowbyherhead,

Shouldsay:"ThatisnotwhatImeantatall.

Thatisnotit,atall."

"Tohavesqueezedtheuniverseintoaball"(92)echoestheclosinglinesofMarvell's'ToHisCoyMistress'."'IamLazarus,comefromthedead'"(94)maybeeitherthebeggarLazarus(ofLuke16)whowasnotpermittedtoreturnfromthedeadtowarnthebrothersofarichmanaboutHellortheLazarus(ofJohn11)whomChristraisedfromthedead,orboth.Andwouldithavebeenworthit,afterall,

Wouldithavebeenworthwhile,

Afterthesunsetsandthedooryardsandthesprinkledstreets,

Afterthenovels,aftertheteacups,aftertheskirtsthattrailalongthe

floor--

Andthis,andsomuchmore?--

ItisimpossibletosayjustwhatImean!

Butasifamagiclantern(8)threwthenervesinpatternsonascreen:

Wouldithavebeenworthwhile

Ifone,settlingapilloworthrowingoffashawl,

Andturningtowardthewindow,shouldsay:

"Thatisnotitatall,

ThatisnotwhatImeant,atall."

.....

No!IamnotPrinceHamlet,(9)norwasmeanttobe;

Amanattendantlord,onethatwilldo

Toswellaprogress,startasceneortwo,

Advisetheprince;nodoubt,aneasytool,

Deferential,gladtobeofuse,

Politic,cautious,andmeticulous;

Fullofhighsentence,butabitobtuse

Attimes,indeed,almostridiculous--

Almost,attimes,theFool.

Inthefinalsectionofthepoem,PrufrockrejectstheideathatheisPrinceHamletsuggestingthatheismerely"anattendantlord"(112)whosepurposeisto"advisetheprince"(114),alikelyallusiontoPolonius.PrufrockalsobringsinacommonShakespeareanelementoftheFool,asheclaimsheisalso"Almost,attimes,theFool."Igrowold...Igrowold