|
|
|
中文摘要
爱米莉•狄金森自然诗歌中的矛盾情感
【摘 要】 爱米莉•狄金森被认为是19世纪美国文坛最伟大的诗人之一。其生前只以匿名的形式发表了七首诗，而诗作也几乎全部是在她死后才得以公开发表。在狄金森的1775首诗中,自然是其中一个重要的主题。事实上，其中大约有三分之一的诗与自然有关。其自然诗歌清新质朴，却又充满着诗人的感性、智慧以及敏锐的观察。尽管有不少评论家与学者研究狄金森的自然诗，然而在关于其自然诗歌中的矛盾情感的研究中却还不够全面。本论文试图通过分析当时的文化背景，以及狄金森的生活经历，同时对诗人具有代表性的自然诗歌进行解读，力图全面理解诗人在看待自然本身，以及自然与人类关系的矛盾情感。
【关键词】 爱米莉•狄金森；自然诗歌；矛盾情感
Paradoxical Feelings in Emily Dickinson’s Nature Poetry
[Abstract] Nature is an important theme in Emily Dickinson’s 1775 poems. As a matter of fact, approximately one-third of her poetry deals with nature. Paradox which is a significant trait of her character can also be found in her nature poetry. Many critics have studied her nature poetry. However, few studies have covered the entire scope of the paradoxical feelings in her nature poetry. This paper attempts to interpret Dickinson’s paradoxical feelings toward nature and the relationship between nature and the human race through analyzing the cultural background at that time and Dickinson’s life experiences, as well as construing some of her representative nature poems.
[Key Words] Emily Dickinson; nature poetry; paradoxical feelings
1.Introduction
Emily Dickinson (1830-1886), “the belle of Amherst” (the Massachusetts town where she spent her entire life), was born in a Calvinist family of Amherst. She settled down to a normal New England village life, reading and writing and baking for the family. She read the Bible, Shakespeare, and Keats, among others, and was greatly influenced (Chang Yaoxin, 2006: 96). During her life time, she wrote altogether 1775 poems, but only seven were published. However, her posthumous success is enormous. By the 1920s she had been considered as one of the greatest women poets in English language. Nature is one of her favorite subjects, on which she wrote about 500 poems.
In fact, by 1860, nature as a literary subject had been a favorite among poets for more than a hundred years, and nearly every possible idea concerning nature had been expressed. At her worst, Dickinson is subject to this decadence (Ferlazzo, 1976: par6). Dickinson searched in several ways owing to nature’s diverse traits and its abilities. She also made enthusiastic efforts to comprehend the meaning of nature. At all events, her search led her to a unique understanding of nature and its relationship with human beings.
This kind of understanding is full of paradoxes which also constitute the characteristic of her nature poems. On the whole, there are four categories of attitude in her nature poetry. First, she shared with her contemporaries that nature was beautiful and wonderful. Second, she declared that nature was a dangerous and frightful master. Third, she was influenced by Emerson and believed that human beings could get along well with nature. Fourth, in her late poems, she held skeptical feeling toward transcendentalism, and she expressed the idea that there was a separation existing between man and nature and that nature was in essence indifferent toward the life and interests of mankind.
2. Paradoxical feelings toward Nature
2.1 Nature is beautiful and marvelous
In her early years, Emily Dickinson saw that nature was beautiful and harmonious. It was an imaginary place for so many attractive creatures and fascinating natural sceneries and phenomena. Bird songs, crickets, frost and winter winds, even the toad and snake, mushrooms and bats, have an indescribable charm for her (Todd, 2003: xii). To acquire a general understanding of Emily Dickinson’s love in nature, it is necessary to mention her birth place--Amherst. With the lovely and unspoiled countryside stretching around it, Amherst is greatly admired by tourist sand considered to be one of the most impressive and delightful spectacled that United States offered (Lu Xiaoxiang, 1994:10). From above description, it is not hard to note that, even though Dickinson lived in a time of rapid economic growth, Amherst was still an agricultural district and maintained its simplicity. And this provided her a close connection with nature. Moreover, her nature poems break the common concept, and are reflections of her own unique expression that differed from traditional poems (Sun Yehong, 2006: 53).
The purpose of art is to reflect life as it should be, and Dickinson’s nature poems are the best examples to illustrate this.
318
I'll tell you how the Sun rose --
A Ribbon at a time --
The Steeples swam in Amethyst --
The news, like Squirrels, ran --
The Hills untied their Bonnets --
The Bobolinks -- begun --
Then I said softly to myself --
\"That must have been the Sun\"!
But how he set -- I know not --
There seemed a purple stile
That little Yellow boys and girls
Were climbing all the while --
Till when they reached the other side,
A Dominie in Gray --
Put gently up the evening Bars --
And led the flock away
(Johnson, 1982:150)
The colorful imageries in this poem present us a vivid description of the sun rising and setting. The kernel of this part is the world’s reactions to the sunrise, including the coming of pink clouds, the disappearance of mist and the singing of birds, which show that the whole world is immersed into happiness and reverence. What is more, the morning’s beauty not only lies in its vitality, but also in its beautiful melody. The Birds begun at Four o'clock --/Their period for Dawn --/A Music numerous as space --/But neighboring as Noon (Johnson, 1982:381).
Like the cycle of sunrise and sunset, the larger cycles of the year became the subject of her poetry. Dickinson liked spring most, and it always gave her an excitement and a sense of hope hidden in all things. Dear March -- Come in --/How glad I am --/I hoped for you before (Johnson, 1982: 572). This fragment clear shows the poet's eager love and excitement for the coming of spring.
There are also several poems on the autumn which are pleasant and picturesque scene of the local scenery. One of the most engaging is an early poem which displays a sense of humor toward the season:
12
The morns are meeker than they were --
The nuts are getting brown --
The berry’s cheek is plumper --
The Rose is out of town.
The Maple wears a gayer scarf --
The field a scarlet gown --
Lest I should be old fashioned
I'll put a trinket on.
(Johnson, 1982:11)
Here, morning, nuts, berry, rose and maple are all personated. And in acoustic aspect, Dickinson uses “brown”, “gayer” and “scarlet” to show readers a colorful autumn. Moreover, the autumn is depicted as a charming and mature woman by using adjectives such as “meeker” and “plumper”. In this beautiful scenery, the poet is so deeply influenced that she gets herself a special “trinket” which is probably a fresh flower.
What is more, in Dickinson’s mind ordinary things and occurrences of nature are filled with magical charm. As mentioned above, her poems on the living creatures of birds, insects and the natural sceneries are quite striking. However, in her early age, she was also tender toward such negligible creatures as bats, flies, and mice, etc. She wrote, “The Rat is the concisest Tenant. /He pays no Rent. /Repudiates the Obligation - /On Schemes intent” (Johnson, 1982:585). Moreover, in poem 1275, The Spider as an Artist/Has never been employed --/Though his surpassing Merit/Is freely certified (Johnson, 1982:557). The rat becomes a bright “Tenant” and the spider an “Artist”, the integral parts of nature.
2.2 Nature is dangerous and frightful
Although nature is a source of joy and beauty, Dickinson sees another aspect of nature in her late poems, which without warning and without obvious cause can become threatening and dangerous (Xiao Zhifang, 2005:30). In these poems, Dickinson described the indifferent and destructive power of nature. She sensitively learned that nature was capricious and cruel. Apparently with no surprise is an example of this kind:
1624
Apparently with no surprise
To any happy Flower
The Frost beheads it at its play --
In accidental power --
The blonde Assassin passes on --
The Sun proceeds unmoved
To measure off another Day
For an Approving God.
(Johnson, 1982:667-668)
A murder is described in this poem, and everyone involved in it--the victim, the assassin, and the witness are completely unconcerned about it. Without intent to kill, the frost, beheads a beautiful and fragile flower, and then simply continues on its own way. Watching from above, the sun continues his daily course uninterested in what happens below. In fact, the cruel incident is the epitome of the cruel nature which is full of apparent conspiracy and indifference.
The fearfulness of nature is also embodied in the poems that reflect winter scenery. Winter for Dickinson is the season that forces reality and strips all hope. It is a season of death and a metaphor for death. (Folsom, 1975:363). Look at the following poem regarding winter:
258
There's a certain Slant of light,
Winter Afternoons --
That oppresses, like the Heft
Of Cathedral Tunes --
Heavenly Hurt, it gives us --
We can find no scar,
But internal difference,
Where the Meanings, are --
None may teach it -- Any --
'Tis the Seal Despair --
An imperial affliction
Sent us of the Air --
When it comes, the Landscape listens --
Shadows -- hold their breath --
When it goes, ‘tis like the Distance
On the look of Death
(Johnson, 1982:118)
The first stanza settles the keynote of this poem: the oppressive feeling. The winter's sunshine is not only cold but also oppressive just like the heavy melody in the church. What is more, to show the dismal and hopelessness of winter, Dickinson chose some gloomy words like “oppresses”, “heft”, “hurt”, “scar”, “seal despair”, “affliction” and “the look of death”(Liu Shoulan, 2006:195). In poem 1252, the description of winter is even more concrete and vivid. Like Brooms of Steel/The Snow and Wind/Had swept the Winter Street -- (Johnson, 1982: 548). The wind of winter is compared to powerful “bloom of steel” which gives one a shudder with fear.
What is more, fearfulness toward creatures in nature is also depicted incisively in some of Dickinson’s nature poetry. The last stanza of poem 986 is a good example of this kind. She wrote, But never met this Fellow/Attended, or alone/without a tighter breathing/And Zero at the Bone--(Johnson, 1982:459-460).This stanza renders a feeling of absolute horror and terror when the poet met a snake by accident, and it also inspires the bated breath and numb chill.
3. Paradoxical feelings toward the relationship between nature and human beings
3.1 Nature and Human Can Coexist Harmoniously
In 1837, Emerson's Nature was published. This booklet caused a tremendous impact on the intellectual life of the New England. In this book, Emerson viewed that mankind was supposed to establish an interdependent relationship with nature, for the mission of nature was to symbolize spirit, which shaped the feature of the transcendental literary movement.
Before Emily Dickinson was 20, she had begun to read Emerson’s work. Emersion was an enduring favorite and a palpable presence, although she did not go next door to meet him when he stayed at Evergreens on a lecture tour in 1857(Baym, 1998:2488). Dickinson liked to reveal the mysteries of the universe and human beings. It should be noticed that it was this deep and complex meditation that inspired the poet to sing for nature with great enthusiasm and passion. In this respect, Dickinson was influenced by Emerson, since Emerson once put it that nature could not only present its principles but also provide man with spiritual instruction and moral truth (Wang Xiue, 2003:11). Moreover, Emerson’s conviction that great art is made in isolation and silence undoubtedly helped to convince Dickinson in a way of life to which she was personally drawn (Farr, 1992:46).
The poem 19 can be seen as a piece of work that is influenced by transcendentalism.
19
A sepal, petal, and a thorn
Upon a common summer's morn --
A flask of Dew -- A Bee or two --
A Breeze -- a caper in the trees --
And I'm a Rose!
(Johnson, 1982:15)
At the beginning of this poem, Dickinson points out the three most important parts of a rose: sepal, petal, and thorn. They are just like the “trinity” of Christianity. All of these are similar to the spirit of transcendentalism that divinity manifests and exists in nature. And the last sentence can be seen as her declaration that her hope to become a part of nature.
In Dickinson’s early poems, she used intuition as the sources of writing inspiration. She compared nature to paradise, and extols its harmony:
668
“Nature” is what we see --
The Hill -- the Afternoon --
Squirrel -- Eclipse -- the Bumble bee --
Nay -- Nature is Heaven --
Nature is what we hear --
The Bobolink -- the Sea --
Thunder -- the Cricket --
Nay -- Nature is Harmony --
Nature is what we know --
Yet have no art to say --
So impotent Our Wisdom is
To her Simplicity.
(Johnson, 1982:332)
In this poem, nature is described as “heaven”, which reminds readers of “Eden”. The use of “Heaven” is perhaps meant to suggest that nature is not only beautiful to look at but is also the source of divine inspiration. The word “Harmony” not only means the affinity between creatures and sounds in nature, but also nature and the human beings. Such an indication of topic is in agreement with Emerson's views of nature that man can get inspirations about morality and wisdom from it, and nature and human race can coexist harmoniously.
In another poem, the poet uses her own experience to illustrate that human beings can get along well with nature.
111
The Bee is not afraid of me.
I know the Butterfly.
The pretty people in the Woods
Receive me cordially --
The Brooks laugh louder when I come --
The Breezes madder play;
Wherefore mine eye thy silver mists,
Wherefore, Oh Summer's Day?
(Johnson, 1982:53)
Here, Dickinson compares the bee to a friend, and she marvels at the butterfly’s elegance. On the other hand, nature seems to welcome the poet’s visit, for “the brooks laugh louder” and “the breezes play more madly”. This poem reveals the poet’s hope of being one part of nature again. She wants to be the same as bees and butterflies, and all are the appreciators and beneficiaries of nature. Notice how in the poem she gives nature its own personality--hospitable, easygoing and lovely. Nature is not alone, for it has a cordial friend, which is called as human beings.
3.2 The Irreversible Separation between Nature and Human beings
As we know, the 19th century witnessed great reform and rapid progress of both social and natural science. Especially the publication of Darwin's The Origin of Species in 1859 changed people’s belief toward nature. People began to doubt the divine function of nature in connecting human beings with God, for it seemed to be the result of evolution rather than the creation of God. What is more, Dickinson suffered the pain of bereavement one after another, and then she began to doubt her previous unfounded optimism. It is this doubt that shakes her belief toward nature (Jiang Xiying, 2005:467). Combined with the unceasing understanding of nature, Dickinson changes her thought about the relationship between nature and human beings. Nature has become a sanctimonious enemy of human beings, and if one wants to reveal its mysterious veil he has to conquer this oppositional power firstly (Liu Shoulan, 2006:48). At the end of poem 1400, she even declared this kind of alienation by affirming that “nature is a stranger”.
One of her famous poems--A Bird came down the Walk further focuses on the separation between the worlds of man and nature:
328
A Bird came down the Walk--
He did not know I saw --
He bit an Angleworm in halves
And ate the fellow, raw,
And then he drank a Dew
From a convenient Grass --
And then hopped sidewise to the Wall
To let a Beetle pass --
He glanced with rapid eyes
That hurried all around --
They looked like frightened Beads, I thought --
He stirred his Velvet Head
Like one in danger, Cautious,
I offered him a Crumb
And he unrolled his feathers
And rowed him softer home --
Than Oars divide the Ocean,
Too silver for a seam --
Or Butterflies, off Banks of Noon
(Johnson, 1982:156)
The bird's morning meal of worm and dew is quite normal. However, when the stress placed upon “raw” by setting “raw” off with commas, the poet draws concentration on the unpleasantness of the feeding habits of a creature, which is customarily pictured as harmless. In stanzas three and four the bird’s mood of fear and danger is increased, when the poet reveals herself and tries to participate in the life of the bird. At last, the bird flies away, and the poet fails to make connection with the bird. This poem vividly depicts nature’s cold response toward man’s kindness and its indifference to ordinary mankind.
In another poem--Dew is the Freshet in the Grass, this kind of estrangement is portrayed to the acme:
1097
Dew -- is the Freshet in the Grass --
‘Tis many a tiny Mill
Turns unperceived beneath our feet
And Artisan lies still --
We spy the Forests and the Hills
The Tents to Nature's Show
Mistake the Outside for the in
And mention what we saw.
Could Commentators on the Sign
Of Nature's Caravan
Obtain \"Admission\" as a Child
Some Wednesday Afternoon.
(Johnson, 1982:495)
In this poem, nature is compared to a mobile circus. Human beings are like the children who are eager for the performance. They experience the excitement of watching nature scenery. However, they do not know that the real show –the secret of nature is unconsciously underneath our feet. Here, Dickinson reemphasizes that man can only be the spectators of nature. Man could observe nature, experience nature and even admire nature, however, man could never reveal the mystery of nature, let alone be part of nature.
In the above poems, which demonstrate Dickinson’s dubious attitudes the relationship between man and nature, the poet also expressed her suspicious attitude toward man’s capability to bridge the gap between man and nature. To her, Man is part of nature, yet more than nature. But “more than nature” is also a severance from nature. Man is part of nature, and also something apart from nature (Stocks, 1988:26). In this sense, Dickinson negates Emerson’s optimism and idealism, and forms her own viewpoint toward nature, which is a little negative and pessimistic.
4. Conclusion
In more than 20 years’ reclusive life, Dickinson maintains the precious things in her heart, which are perfectly expressed in her poems without omission (Liu Shoulan, 2006:25). Dickinson regards nature as the combination of truth and beauty, looking for the harmony of nature and human beings. At the same time, she considers nature as a dangerous master and points out that man and nature exist independently.
In a word, Dickinson's nature poetry is the reflection of her inner feelings toward nature, and reveals her attitude toward life and the universe. It is not only a record of the relationship between her and nature, but also a representation of the relationship between human beings and nature.
References
Baym, Nina, ed. 1998.The Norton Anthology of American Literature. New York: NORTON Company.
Farr, Judith. 1992. The Passion of Emily Dickinson. Harvard University Press.
Folsom, L.Edwin. 1975. Winter in the poetry of Emily Dickinson. American Literature 47, 3:361-376.
Ferlazzo, Paul J.1976. Emily Dickinson. Retrieved August 2, 2007, from
http://galenet.galegroup.com.ezp ... on&bConts=16303 1976: part6.htm.
Johnson, Thomas H. 1982. The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson. London: Faber and Faber Limited.
Stocks, Kenneth. 1988. Emily Dickinson and the Modern Consciousness: a poet of our time. Macmillan Press.
Todd, Mabel Loomis, ed. 2003. The Letters of Emily Dickinson. New York: Courier Dover Publications.
Chang Yaoxin[常耀信]. 2006. A Survey of American Literature. 2nd ed. Tianjin: Nankai University Press.
Jiang Xiying[姜希颖]，2005，从艾米莉•狄金森的自然诗歌看她的信仰追求。载郭继德主编，《美国文学研究第二辑》，济南：山东大学出版社，464-469。
Liu Shoulan[刘守兰]，2006，《狄金森研究》。上海：上海外语教育出版社。
Lu Xiaoxiang[卢小香]，1994，《爱米莉•狄金森：爱与死亡》。硕士论文，福建师范大学。
Sun Yehong[孙叶红]，2006，《论爱米莉•狄金森诗歌主题》。硕士论文，山东大学。
Wang Xiue [王秀娥]，2003，《爱米莉•狄金森诗歌中的超验主义倾向》。硕士论文，福建师范大学。
Xiao Zhifang[肖之芳]，2005，《矛盾的灵魂，叛逆的精灵—艾米莉•狄金森诗歌解读》。硕士论文，山东师范大学。 |
|
发表于 2008-6-13 12:38:23
发表于 2008-6-14 01:28:09
, 白马兄所指出的主观性太强，以及对诗歌格律知识的一知半解正是我担心的，感谢白马兄指点。