美国文学史-知识点梳理

(完整版)美国文学史-知识点梳理

PartITheLiteratureofColonialAmerica

I.HistoricalIntroduction

Thecolonialperiodstretchedroughlyfromthesettlementof

Americaintheearly17thcenturythroughtheendofthe18th.

ThefirstpermanentsettlementinAmericawasestablishedby

Englishin1607.(AgroupofpeoplewassentbytheEnglishKing

JamesItohuntforgold.TheyarrivedatVirginiain1607.They

namedtheJamesRiverandbuildtheJamestown.)

II.Thepre-revolutionarywritinginthecolonieswas

essentiallyoftwokinds:

1)Practicalmatter-of-factaccountsoffarming,hunting,

travel,etc.designedtoinformpeople"athome"whatlifewaslike

inthenewworld,and,often,toinducetheirimmigration

2)Highlytheoretical,generallypolemical,discussionsof

religiousquestions.Ill.TheFirstAmericanWriter

ThefirstwritingsthatwecallAmericanwerethenarratives

andjournalsofthesesettlements.Theywroteabouttheirvoyage

tothenewland,theirlivesinthenewland,theirdealingswith

Indians.

CaptainJohnSmithisthefirstAmericanwriter.

ATrueRelationofsuchOccurrencesandAccidentsofNote

asHathHappenedinVirginiaSincetheFirstPlantingofThat

Colony(1608)

AMapofVirginia:ADescriptionoftheCountry(1612)

GeneralHistoryofVirginia(1624):theIndianprincess

Pocahontas

CaptainJohnSmithwasoneofthefirstearly17th-century

BritishsettlersinNorthAmerica.Hewasoneofthefoundersof

thecolonyofJamestown,Virginia.HiswritingsaboutNorth

AmericabecamethesourceofinformationabouttheNewWorld

forlatersettlers.

Oneofthethingshewroteaboutthathasbecomean

AmericanlegendwashiscapturebytheIndiansandhisrescue

bythefamousIndianPrincess,Pocahontas.IV.EarlyNew

EnglandLiterature

WilliamBradfordandJohnWinthrop

JohnCottonandRogerWilliams

AnneBradstreetandEdwardTaylor

V.PuritanThoughts

1.Theoriginofpuritan

InthemediaevalEurope,therewaswidespreadreligious

revolution.Inthe16thCentury,theEnglishKingHenryVIII(At

thattime,theCatholicswerenotallowedtodivorceunlessthey

havethePope'spermission.HenryVIIIwantedtodivorcehis

wifebecauseshecouldn'tbearhimason.ButthePopedidn't

allowhimtodivorce,sohe)brokeawayfromtheRomanCatholic

Church&establishedtheChurchof

England.Buttherewasnoradicaldifferencebetweenthe

doctrinesoftheChurchofEnglandandtheCatholicChurch.A

groupofpeoplethoughttheChurchofEnglandwastooCatholic

andwantedtopurifythechurch.ThencamethenamePuritans.

2.Puritanism—basedonCalvinism

(1)predestination:God'select

Puritansbelievedtheyarepredestinedbeforetheywereborn.

Nothingornogoodworkcanchangetheirfate.

Theybelievedthesuccessofone'sbusinessisthesignto

showheistheGod'select.SothePuritansworksveryhard,spend

verylittleandinvestmoreforthefuturebusiness.Theyliveda

veryfrugallife.Thisistheirethics.

(2)Origianlsinandtotaldepravity

Manisbornsinful.Thisdeterminessomepuritanspessimistic

attitudetowardslife.

(3)Limitedatonement(thesalvationofaselectedfew)

(4)theocracy

Theycombinedstatewithreligion.Theirgovernmentisat

leastnotaliberalone.

ThePuritansestablishedAmericantradition—intolerant

moralism.Theystrictlypunisheddrunks,adultery&heretics.

Puritanschangedgraduallyduetotheseverityoffrontier

environment

3.InfluenceonAmericanLiterature

(1)Itsoptimism

Americanliteraturewasfromtheoutsetconditionedbythe

Puritanheritage.ItcanbesaidAmericanliteratureisbasedon

theBiblicalmythoftheGardenofEden.Afterthat,manhavean

illusiontorestoretheparadise.Thepuritans,afterarrivingat

America,believingthatGodmusthavesentthemtothisnew

landtorestorethelostparadise,tobuildthewildernessintoa

newGardenofEden.Firedwithsuchastrongsenseofmission,

theytreatedlifewithatremendousamountofoptimism.The

optimisticPuritanhasexertedagreatinfluenceonAmerican

literature.

(2)Puritan'smetaphoricalmodeofperceptionchanged

graduallyintoaliterarysymbolism.

PartIITheLiteratureofReasonAndRevolution

I.HistoricalIntroduction

Withthegrowth,especiallyofindustry,thereappearedthe

intensestrainwithEngland.TheBritishgovernmentdidnotwant

colonialindustriescompetingwiththoseinEngland.TheBritish

wantedthecoloniestoremainpoliticallyandeconomically

dependentonthemothercountry.Theytookaseriesof

measurestoinsurethisdependence.Theypreventedcolonial

economybyrequiringAmericanstoshiprawmaterialsabroad

andtoimportfinishedgoodsatpriceshigherthanthecostof

makingtheminthiscountry.Politically,theBritishgovernment

forceddependence

byrulingthecoloniesfromoverseasandbytaxingthe

colonieswithoutgivingthemrepresentationinParliament.

However,bythemid-eighteenthcentury,freedomwaswon

asmuchbythefieryrhetoricofThomasPaine'sCommonSense

andtheeloquenceoftheDeclarationofIndependenceasbythe

weaponsofWashington.Intheseventiesofthe18thcentury,the

EnglishcoloniesinNorthAmericaroseinarmsagainsttheir

mothercountry.TheWarforIndependencelastedfor8years

(1776-1783)andendedintheformationofafederative

bourgeoisdemocraticrepublic--theUnitedStatesofAmerica.

II.AmericanEnlightenment

Itwassupportedbyallprogressiveforcesofthecountry

whichopposedthemselvestotheoldcolonialorderandreligious

obscurantism.

Itdealtadecisiveblowuponthepuritantraditionsand

broughttolifeseculareducationandliterature.Thespirituallife

duringthatperiodwastoagreatdegreemouldedbyit.

Therepresentativessetthemselvesthetaskofdisseminating

knowledgeamongthepeopleandadvocatingrevolutionary

ideas.

ThewritersinjectedaninvigoratingveinintotheEnglish

languageinAmericaastheyaimedatclarityandprecisionof

theirwritings.

Attheinitialperiodthespreadoftheideasofthe

Enlightenmentwaslargelyduetojournalism.WritingsofEurope

werewidelyreadinAmerica.ThesecularidealsoftheAmerican

Enlightenmentwereexemplifiedinthelifeandcareerof

BenjaminFranklin.

Ill.BenjaminFranklin(1706-1790)

TheAutobiography

PoorRichard'sAlmanac

Life

BenjaminFranklincamefromaCalvinistbackground.

Hewasbornintoapoorcandle-maker'sfamily.Hehadvery

littleeducation.Helearnedinschoolonlyfortwoyears,buthe

wasavoraciousreader.

At12,hewasapprenticedtohiselderhalf-brother,aprinter.

At16,hebegantopublishessaysunderthepseudonym

"SilenceDogood”.

At17,heranawaytoPhiladelphiatomakehisownfortune.

Hesethimselfupasanindependentprinterandpublisher.

In1727hefoundedtheJuntoclub.

Multipleidentities:

aprinter

aleadingauthor

apolitician

ascientist

ainventor

adiplomat

acivicactivist

Franklin,sContributionstoSociety

HehelpedfoundthePennsylvaniaHospital.

HefoundedanacademywhichledtotheUniversityof

Pennsylvania.

AndhehelpedfoundtheAmericanPhilosophicalSociety.

Franklin,sContributionstoScience

Hewasalsorememberedforvolunteerfiredepartments,

effectivestreetlighting,theFranklinstove,bifocalglassesand

efficientheatingdevices.

Andforhislightning-rod,hewascalled"thenew

Prometheuswhohadstolenfirefromheaven/

Franklin1sContributionstotheU.S.

HewastheonlyAmericantosignthefourdocumentsthat

createdtheUnitedStates:

TheDeclarationofIndependence,

TheTreatyofAlliancewithFrance,

TheTreatyofPeacewithEngland,

TheConstitution

TheAutobiography

TheAutobiographyofBenjaminFranklinwasprobablythe

firstofitskindinliterature.Itisthesimpleyetimmensely

fascinatingrecordofamanrisingtowealthandfamefromastate

ofpovertyandobscurityintowhichhewasborn,thefaithful

accountofthecolorfulcareerofAmerica'sfirstself-mademan.

TheAutobiographyis,firstofall,aPuritandocument.Itis

Puritanbecauseitisarecordofself-examinationandself­

improvement.Themeticulouschartof13virtueshesetfor

himselftocultivatetocombatthetemptingvices,the

stupendousefforthemadetoimprovehisownperson,thebelief

thatGodhelpsthosewhohelpsthemselvesandthateverycalling

isaservicetoGod-alltheseindicatethatFranklinwasintensely

Puritan.Then,thebookisalsoaconvincingillustrationofthe

Puritanethicthat,inordertogetonintheworld,onehastobe

industrious,frugal,andprudent.

TheAutobiographyisalsoaneloquentelucidationofthefact

thatFranklinwasspokesmanfortheneworderofeighteenth­

centuryenlightenment,andthatherepresentedinAmericaallits

ideas,thatmanisbasicallygoodandfreebynature,endowedby

Godwithcertaininalienablerightsoflibertyandthepursuitof

happiness.

AlookatthestyleofTheAutobiographywillreadilyreveal

thatitisthepatternofPuritansimplicity,directnessandconcision.

Theplainnessofitsstyle,thehomelinessofimagery,the

simplicityofdiction,syntaxandexpressionaresomeofthe

salientfeatureswecannotmistake.Thelucidityofthenarrative,

theabsenceof

ornamentsinwordingandofcomplex,involvedstructuresin

syntax,andthePuritanabhorrenceofparadoxareallgraphically

demonstratedinthewholeofthebook.Takenasawhole,itis

safetosaythatthebookisanexemplaryillustrationofthe

Americanstyleofwriting.

IV.ThomasPaine(1737-1809)

CommonSense

AmericanCrisis

V.ThomasJefferson(1743-1826)

TheDeclarationofIndependence

VI.PhilipFreneau(1752-1832)

"PoetoftheAmericanRevolution”

"FatherofAmericanPoetry"

"PioneeroftheNewRomanticism”

“Agiftedandversatilelyricpoet”

Works

"TheWildHoneySuckle"

"TheIndianBuryingGround"

"ToaCaty-DidH

FreneauasFatherofAmericanPoetry:Hismajorthemesare

death,nature,transition,andthehumaninnature.Allofthese

themesbecomeimportantin19thcenturywriting.

LifeExperience

HewasborninNewYork.

At16,heenteredtheCollegeofNewJersey(nowPrinceton

University).Hedecidedtodoapostgraduatestudyintheology.

Buttwoyearslaterhegaveitup.Whilestillanundergraduate,he

wroteincollaborationwithoneofhisfriends(H.H.Brackenridge)

apoementitled"TheRisingGloryofAmerica".

LaterheattendedtheWarofIndependence,andhewas

capturedbyBritisharmyin1780.

Afterbeingreleased,hepublished"TheBritishPrisonShip"

in1781.

Inthesameyear,hepublished"TotheMemoryoftheBrave

Americans".

Afterwar,hesupportedJefferson,andcontributedgreatlyto

Americangovernment.

Butafter50yearsold,helivedinpoverty.Andatlasthedied

inablizzard.

MainWorks

"TheRisingGloryofAmerica"(1772)《美洲光辉的兴起》

nTheHouseofNight"(1779,1786)《夜之屋》

"TheBritishPrisonShip"(1781)《英国囚船》

"TotheMemoryoftheBraveAmericans"(1781)《纪念美

国勇士》?""TheWildHoneySuckle"(1786)《野忍冬花》

"TheIndianBuryingGround"(1788)《印第安人墓地》

野忍冬花

（黄杲所译）

美好的花呀，你长得：这么秀丽，却藏身在这僻静沉闷的地方一

甜美的花儿开了却没人亲昵，

招展的小小枝梢也没人观赏；

没游来荡去的脚来把你踩碎，

没东攀西摘的手来催你落泪。

大自然把你打扮得一身洁白，

她叫你避开庸俗粗鄙的目光，

她布置下树荫把你护卫起来，

又让潺潺的柔波淌过你身旁；

你的夏天就这样静静地消逝，

这时候你日见萎蕉终将安息。？那些难免消逝的美使我销魂，想起

你未来的结局我就心疼，

别的那些花儿也不比你幸运——虽开放在伊甸园中也已凋零，无

情的寒霜再加秋风的威力，

会叫这花朵消失得一无踪迹。？朝阳和晚露当初曾把你养育，让你

这小小的生命来到世上，

原来若乌有，就没什么可失去，因为你的死让你同先前一样；

这来去之间不过是一个钟点——这就是脆弱的花享有的天年。

Thispoemisdividedintofourstanzas.Eachstanzaconsists

ofsixlines,rhyming"ababcc",andsoundsjustlikemusic.

Inthefirsttwostanzas,Freneaudevotedmoreattentionto

theenvironmentoftheflowerinwhichhefounditthantothe

appearanceoftheflower.Heconmentedonthesecludednature

oftheplacewherethehoneysucklegrew,drawingaconclusion

thatitwasduetonature'sprotectivenessthattheflowerwasable

toleadapeacefullifefreefrommen,sdisturbanceand

destruction.

Butthenextstanzaimmediatelychangedthetonefrom

silentadmirationandappreciationtooutrightlamentationover

the"future'sdoom"oftheflower一evennaturewasunable

tosavetheflowerfromitsdeath.

Andthen,Freneausaid,"ifnothingonce,younothinglose.”

Itistrueinpeople'sexistence.Thereisfateforthelifeanddeath.

Afterone'sdeath,theonlythinghecantakeawayiswhathe

broughtwhenhegavebirthtothisworld.

PartIIITheLiteratureofRomanticism

I.HistoricalIntroduction

fromearly19thcenturythroughtheoutbreakoftheCivilWar

1.nativefactors

ItisaperiodfollowingAmericanIndependence.Inthis

period,democracyandpoliticalequalitybecametheidealsofthe

newnation.Americawasinaneconomicboom.Thereisa

tremendoussenseofoptimismandhopeamongthepeople.The

spiritofthetimeis,insomemeasure,responsibleforthe

outburstofromanticfeeling.

2.foreigninfluence

RomanticismemergedinEnglandfrom1798to1832.It

addedimpetustothegrowthofRomanticisminAmerica.In

Englandthegeneralfeaturesoftheworksoftheromanticsisa

dissatisfactionwiththebourgeoissociety.BritishRomanticism

inspiredtheAmericanimagination.ThusAmericanRomanticism

wasinawayderivative.II.AmericanRomanticism:American

Renaissance

Romanticism(appearedinEnglandinthelastyearsofthe

18thcenturyandspreadtocontinentalEuropeandthen)came

toAmericaearlyinthe19thcentury.Itwaspluralistic;its

manifestationswereasvaried,asindividualistic,andas

conflictingastheculturesandtheintellectsfromwhichitsprang.

Yetromanticsfrequentlysharedcertaingeneralcharacteristics:

moralenthusiasm,faithinthevalueofindividualismandintuitive

perception,andapresumptionthatthenaturalworldwasa

sourceofgoodnessandman'ssocietiesasourceofcorruption.

Itexaltedtheindividual,whichsuitedthenation's

revolutionaryheritageanditsfrontieregalitarianism.Itrevolted

againsttraditionalartforms,whichgratifiedthosecrampedby

thestrictlimitsofneoclassicliterature,painting,andarchitecture.

Itrejectedrationalism,whichgladdenedthosewhowere

opposedtocool,intellectualreligiouswrappedwiththe

remnantsofCalvinism.

Romanticwritersplacedincreasingvalueonthefree

expressionofemotionanddisplayincreasingattentiontothe

spiritualstatesoftheircharacters.Heroesandheroinesexhibited

extremesofsensitivityandexcitement.Thenovelofterror

becametheprofitableliterarystaplethatitremainstoday.

Writersofgothicnovelssoughttoarouseintheirreadersa

turbulentsenseoftheremote,thesupernatural,andthe

terrifyingbydescribingcastlesandlandscapesilluminatedby

moonlightandhauntedbyghosts.Apreoccupationwiththe

demonicandthemysteryofevilmarkedbytheworksofPoe,

Hawthorne,Melville,andahostoflesserwriters.

EarlyAmericanromanticismwasbestrepresentedbyNew

EnglandpoetsWilliamCullenBryant(1794-1878)andHenry

WadsworthLongfellow(1807-1882)inpoetry,andJames

FenimoreCooper(1789-1851)andWashingtonIrving(1783-

1859)infiction.

Thelater/peakperiodisrepresentedbyRalphWaldo

Emerson(1803-1882)andHenryDavidThoreau(1817-1862).

Ill.WashingtonIrving

1.RipVanWinkle

Thestory,writtenwhileIrvingwasstayingwithhissister

SarahandherhusbandHenryvanWartinBirmingham,England,

issetintheyearsbeforeandaftertheAmericanRevolutionary

War.AvillagerofDutchdescentescapeshisnaggingwifeby

wanderingupKaaterskillClovenearhishometownofPalenville,

NewYorkin

theCatskillMountains.Aftervariousadventures(inone

versionofthetale,heencountersthespiritsofHenryHudson

andhiscrewplayingninepinsatthetopofKaaterskillFalls),he

settlesdownunderashadytreeandfallsasleep.Hewakesup20

yearslaterandreturnstohisvillage.Hefindsoutthathiswifeis

deadandhisclosefriendshavediedinawarorgonesomewhere

else.Heimmediatelygetsintotroublewhenhehailshimselfa

loyalsubjectofGeorgeIII,notknowingthatinthemeantimethe

AmericanRevolutionhastakenplaceandheisnotsupposedto

bealoyalsubjectofanyHanoveriananylonger.

Thestoryhasbecomeapartofculturalmythology:evenfor

thosewhohaveneverreadtheoriginalstory,"RipVanWinkle"

meanseitherapersonwhosleepsforalongperiodoftime,or

onewhoisinexplicably(perhapsevenblissfully)unawareof

currentevents.

RipVanWinklehasbeenseenasasymbolofseveralaspects

ofAmerica.Rip,likeAmerica,isimmature,self-centered,careless,

anti-intellectual,imaginative,andjollyastheovergrownchild.

ThetownitselfsymbolizesAmerica-foreverandrapidly

changing.WashingtonIrvinghasRipsleepthroughhisown

country,shistory,throughwhatwemightcallthebirthpangs

ofAmerica,andreturntothe"busy,bustling,disputatious"

self-consciouslyadultUnitedStatesofAmerica.Hisconflictsand

dreamsarethoseofthenation-theconflictofinnocenceand

experience,workandleisure,theoldandthenew,theheadand

theheart.

2.TheLegendofSleepyHollow

Thestoryissetcirca1790intheDutchsettlementofTarry

Town,inasecludedglencalledSleepyHollow.Ittellsthestoryof

IchabodCrane,asycophantic,lean,lanky,andextremely

superstitiousschoolmasterfromConnecticut,whocompetes

withAbraham"BromBones"VanBrunt,thetownrowdy,forthe

handof18-year-oldKatrinaVanTassel,thedaughterandsole

childofawealthyfarmer,BaltusVanTassel.AsCraneleavesa

partyheattendedattheVanTasselhomeonanautumnnight,

heispursuedbytheHeadlessHorseman,whoissupposedlythe

ghostofaHessiantrooperwhohadhisheadshotoffbyastray

cannonballduring"somenamelessbattle"oftheAmerican

RevolutionaryWar,andwho"ridesforthtothesceneofbattlein

nightlyquestofhishead".Ichabodmysteriouslydisappearsfrom

town,leavingKatrinatomarryBromBones,whowas"tolook

exceedinglyknowingwheneverthestoryofIchabodwasrelated".

AlthoughthenatureoftheHeadlessHorsemanisleftopento

interpretation,thestoryimpliesthattheHorsemanwasreally

BromBonesindisguise.

Thecreationofarchetypesisaparticularlysubtlefeatof

Irving'sconsummatecraftsmanship.WemayseeinIchabod

Craneaprecocious,effectNewEnglander,shrewd,commercial,a

city-slicker,whoisratheraninterloper,asomewhatdestructive

force,andwhocomesalongtoswindlethevillagers.Hisbook

learningturnsonhim,andheisdrivenawayfromwherehedoes

notbelong,sothattheserenevillageremainspermanentlygood

andhappy.

BromBones,ontheotherhand,isofaHuckFinn-typeof

countrybumpkin,rough,vigorous,boisterousbutinwardlyvery

good,afrontiertypeputouttheretoshiftfor

himself.

Thus,therivalryinlovebetweenIchabodandBrom,viewed

inthisway,suddenlyassumesthedimensionsoftwoethical

groupslockedinakindofhistoriccontest.Astothestyleofthe

piece,itrepresentsIrvingathisbest.Theassociationbetweena

certainlocalandtheinwardmovementofacharacter,the

emotionalloadingofalmosteverylineofthestory,theireffect

onthefivesenseofthereaderwhoseattentionissofully

engagedandwhofeelssomuchinvolvedinwhatishappening-

allthesehaveplacedthisandotherIrvingstoriesamongthebest

ofAmericanshortstories.

3.Irving1sStyle

(1)Irvingavoidsmoralizingasmuchaspossible.Hewrites

simplytoentertainrathertoenlighten.

(2)Heisgoodatsettinghisstoriesinamagicandfantastic

atmosphere.Therichnessoftheatmospherecompensatesfor

theslimnessofhisplot.

(3)Hischaractersarevividandtruetolife.Theytendtolinger

inthemindofthereader.

(4)Hiswritingisfullofhumorandsatire.

(5)twoimportantthemes,i.e.thethemesofchangeand

searchforidentify.ThesethemescapturethespiritofIrving,s

timesandreflecthisphilosophicalthinkingoncontemporary

Americansociallife.

IV.JamesFenimoreCooper詹姆斯费尼莫尔库珀Q789--1851)

—launchedtwokindsofimmenselypopularstories-thesea

adventuretaleandthefrontiersaga

TheLeatherstockingTales《皮袜子故事集》，regardas"the

nearestapproachyettoanAmericanepic."(开创了美国文学的

一个重要主题一文明的发展对大自然和它代表的崇高品德的摧残与破

坏)Itscentralfigureinthenovels,NattyBumppo(美国文学的一

个重要的原型人物一独立不羁、逃避社会、在大自然中需求完美精神

世界的班波).

Cooper1sWorks

(1)Precaution(1820,hisfirstnovel,imitatingAusten,sPride

andPrejudice)

(2)TheSpy(hissecondnovelandgreatsuccess)

(3)LeatherstockingTales(hismasterpiece,aseriesoffive

novels)

TheDeerslayer,TheLastoftheMohicans,ThePathfinder;The

Pioneer,ThePrairieCooper'sStyle

(1)highlyimaginative

(2)goodatinventingtales

(3)goodatlandscapedescription

(4)conservative

(5)characterizationwoodenandlackinginprobability

(6)languageanduseofdialectnotauthentic

LiteraryAchievements

Hecreatedamythabouttheformativeperiodofthe

Americannation.Ifthehistory

oftheUnitedStatesis,inasense,theprocessofthe

AmericansettlersexploringandpushingtheAmericanfrontier

foreverwestward,thenCooper'sLeatherstockingTales

effectivelyapproximatestheAmericannationalexperienceof

adventureintotheWest.

Heturnedthewestandfrontierasauseablepastandhe

helpedtointroducewesterntraditiontoAmericanliterature.

V.WilliamCullenBryant威廉卡伦布赖恩特(1794-1878)--the

firstAmericantogainthestatureofamajorpoet.

ToaWaterfowl《致水鸟》

TheYellowViolet《黄色的堇香花》

VI.EdgarAllenPoe(1809-1849)

Americanwriter,knownasapoetandcriticbutmostfamous

asthefirstmasteroftheshort-storyform,especiallytalesofthe

mysteriousandmacabre.TheliterarymeritsofPoe'swritings

havebeendebatedsincehisdeath,buthisworkshaveremained

popularandmanymajorAmericanandEuropeanwritershave

professedtheirartisticdebttohim.

ForalongtimeafterhisdeathPoeremainedprobablythe

mostcontroversialandmostmisunderstoodliteraryfigureinthe

historyofAmericanliterature.

Emersondismissedhiminthreewords,y/thejingleman.”

MarkTwaindeclaredhisprosetobeunreadable.

HenryJamesmadetheruthlessstatementthat”an

enthusiasmforPoeisthemarkofadecidedlyprimitivestateof

development/

Whitman,whowastheonlyfamousliteraryfigurepresentat

thePoeMemorialCeremonyinBaltimorein1875,hadmixedfe

elingsabouthim:hedidadmitPoe'sgenius,butitwas”its

narrowrangeandunhealthy,luridquality"thatmostimpressed

him.

T.S.Eliotproclaimedhimacriticofthefirstrank,butcharged

himwith"slipshodwriting/

Poe'sWorks

Poetry:TheRaven《乌鸦》

HorrorFiction:TheFalloftheHouseofUsher《厄舍大厦的倒

塌》

Whodunit:MurdersintheRueMorgue《莫格街谋杀案》

致海伦

海伦，你的美在我的眼里，有如往日尼西亚的三桅船船行在飘香

的海上，悠悠地把已倦于漂泊的困乏船员送回他故乡的海岸。

早已习惯于在怒海上飘荡，你典雅的脸庞，你的鬟发，你水神般

的风姿带我返航，返回那往时的希腊和罗马，返回那往时的壮丽和辉

煌。

看哪！壁龛似的明亮窗户里，我看见你站着，多像尊雕像，一盏

玛瑙的灯你拿在手上！塞姬女神哪，神圣的土地

才是你家乡！

Inthefirststanza,Helen,sbeautyissoothing.Itprovides

securityandsafety.Perhapsthereaderisexpectedtoassociate

Marlowe/sfamousline:"Wasthisthefacethatlauncheda

thousandships"toHelen'sbeauty,forherbeautyisas

hypnoticforthespeakerasweretheshipsthattransported

anotherwanderer-Ulysses-homefromTroy.

Throughoutthepoem,Poeusesallusionstoclassicalnames

andplaces,aswellascertainkindsofimagestocreatethe

impressionofafar-offidealized,unrealwoman,likeaGreek

statue.Wordsthatsupporttheimageofanidealwomanare

"hyacinth"and"classic"(line7),"Naiadairs"(line8),and

“statue-like”(line12).Helenstands,notlikearealwornan,but

likeasaintina“window-niche”(line11).Shebecomesa

symbolbothofbeautyandoffrustration,aromanticallyidealized,

yetinaccessibleimageoftheheart1sdesire.

乌鸦

从前一个阴郁的子夜，我独自沉思，慵懒疲竭，

沉思许多古怪而离奇、早已被人遗忘的传闻——

当我开始打盹，几乎入睡，突然传来一阵轻擂，

仿佛有人在轻轻叩击，轻轻叩击我的房门。

"有人来了，"我轻声嘟喃，"正在叩击我的房门

唯此而已，别无他般。"

哦，我清楚地记得那是在萧瑟的十二月；

每一团奄奄一息的余烬都形成阴影伏在地板。

我当时真盼望翌日；——因为我已经枉费心机

想用书来消除悲哀——消除因失去丽诺尔的悲叹一

因那被天使叫作丽诺尔的少女，她美丽娇艳——

在这儿却默默无闻，直至永远。

那柔软、暗淡、飒飒飘动的每一块紫色窗布

使我心中充满前所未有的恐怖——我毛骨惊然;

为平息我心儿停跳.我站起身反复叨念

"这是有人想进屋，在叩我的房门——O

更深夜半有人想进屋，在叩我的房门；——

唯此而已，别无他般。”

很快我的心变得坚强；不再犹疑，不再彷徨，

"先生，"我说，"或夫人，我求你多多包涵；

刚才我正睡意昏昏，而你来敲门又那么轻，

你来敲门又那么轻，轻轻叩击我的房门，

我差点以为没听见你"一说着我拉开门扇;——

唯有黑夜，别无他般。

凝视着夜色幽幽，我站在门边惊惧良久，

疑惑中似乎梦见从前没人敢梦见的梦幻；

可那未被打破的寂静，没显示任何迹象。

"丽诺尔？"便是我嗫嚅念叨的唯一字眼，

我念叨"丽诺尔！"，回声把这名字轻轻送还，

唯此而已，别无他般。

我转身回到房中，我的整个心烧灼般疼痛，

很快我又听到叩击声，比刚才听起来明显。

"肯定，"我说，"肯定有什么在我的窗根；

让我瞧瞧是什么在那里，去把那秘密发现——

让我的心先镇静一会儿，去把那秘密发现；——

那不过是风，别无他般！"

我猛然推开窗户，。心儿扑扑直跳就像打鼓，

一只神圣往昔的健壮乌鸦慢慢走进我房间；

它既没向我致意问候；也没有片刻的停留；

而以绅士淑女的风度，栖在我房门的上面——

栖在我房门上方一尊帕拉斯半身雕像上面——

栖坐在那儿，仅如此这般。

于是这只黑鸟把我悲伤的幻觉哄骗成微笑，

以它那老成持重一本正经温文尔雅的容颜，

"虽然冠毛被剪除，"我说，"但你肯定不是懦夫，你这幽灵般

可怕的古鸦，漂泊夜的彼岸——

请告诉我你尊姓大名，在黑沉沉的冥府阴间！"

乌鸦答日"永不复述。”

听见如此直率的回答，我惊叹这丑陋的乌鸦，

虽说它的回答不着边际——与提问几乎无关；

因为我们不得不承认，从来没有活着的世人

曾如此有幸地看见一只鸟栖在他房门的面——

鸟或兽栖在他房间门上方的半身雕像上面，

有这种名字"永不复还。"

但那只独栖于肃穆的半身雕像上的乌鸦只说了

这一句话，仿佛它倾泻灵魂就用那一个字眼。

然后它便一声不吭——也不把它的羽毛拍动——

直到我几乎是哺哺自语"其他朋友早已消散——

明晨它也将离我而去——如同我的希望已消散。"这时那鸟说

"永不复还。"

惊异于那死寂漠漠被如此恰当的回话打破，

“肯定，"我说，"这句话是它唯一的本钱，

从它不幸动主人那儿学未。一连串无情飞灾

曾接踵而至，直到它主人的歌中有了这字眼——

直到他希望的挽歌中有了这个忧伤的字眼

‘永不复还，永不复还。’"

但那只乌鸦仍然把我悲伤的幻觉哄骗成微笑，

我即刻拖了张软椅到门旁雕像下那只鸟跟前；

然后坐在天鹅绒椅垫上，我开始冥思苦想，

浮想连着浮想，猜度这不祥的古鸟何出此言——

这只狰狞丑陋可怕不吉不祥的古鸟何出此言，

为何聒噪’永不复还。"

我坐着猜想那意见但没对那鸟说片语只言。

此时，它