英国文学史Alfred Tennyson(21)

英国文学史及选读History&AnthologyofEnglishLiterature(Lecture21)AlfredTennyson(1809-1892)SpokesmanforVictorianpoetsAlfredTennysonin1844AlfredTennysonphotographedin1851I.Life1.RelationshipwithArthurHallam2.Itwasin1850thatTennysonreachedthepinnacleofhiscareer,finallypublishinghismasterpiece,InMemoriam,dedicatedtoHallam.LaterthesameyearhewasappointedPoetLaureateinsuccessiontoWilliamWordsworth.II.MajorWorks1.ThePrincess---amedley(杂集)2.Maud----monodrama(单人剧)3.InMemoriam-----acollectionofelegieswrittenindifferentperiodstorecordthepoet’sfeelingsandmoodsrelatedtothedeathofhisbestfriendHallam.Asawhole,itisarepresentationofthepoet’sthoughtsontheproblemsoflife,deathandimmortality,anelaborateandpowerfulexpressionofAlfredTennyson’sphilosophicalandreligiousthoughtsonlifeanddeath.4.LdyllsoftheKing---anepicbuiltonthestoriesofKingArthur,representingacyclichistoryofwesterncivilization,which,inTennyson’smind,isgoingonaspiritualdeclineandwillendindestruction.III.StyleofTennyson’spoetryRichinpoeticimages(visualpictures)andmelodiouslanguage(musicalexpressions),notedforitslyricalbeautyandmetricalcharm----HehasperfectcontrolofthesoundofEnglish,hasasensitiveear,anexcellentchoiceandtasteofwordsRichinfeelingsIV.READING•1.Break,Break,Break•2.CrossingtheBar•3.ULyssesBreak,Break,Break----inmemoryofthedeathofhisbestfriend(ArthurHenryHallam.Hallamdiedofastrokein1833whenhewasonly22.),hissadnessarecontrastedwiththecarefree,innocentjoysofthechildrenandtheunfeelingmovementoftheshipandtheseawavesThemeThemainthemeofthispoemisbereavement,heartache,emptiness.Apartfromthesemainthemeswefind:preciousnessofyouthandindifferenceofnature.CrossingtheBar-----wecanfeelhisfearlessnesstowardsdeath,hisfaithinGodandanafterlife.'Crossingthebar'meansleavingthisworldandenteringthenextworldUlysses----Ulyssescannotendurethepeacefulcommonplaceeverydaylife,oldasheis,hepersuadeshisoldfollowerstogowithhimandtosetsailagaintopursueanewworldandnewknowledge,writtenintheformofdramaticmonologueRobertBrowning(1812-1889)themostoriginalpoet,notedforhismasteryofdramaticmonologue,whoimproveandmaturethedramaticmonologueI.Life1.borninCamberwell,southLondon,inawealthyfamily.HisfatherwasanofficerintheBankofEngland.2.Browningreceivedscantformaleducation.However,hisfatherencouragedhimtoreadandhehadaccesstohislarge(6,000vols)libraryatthefamily'shouse3..HisfirstpoemsBrowningwroteundertheinfluenceofShelley,whoalsoinspiredhimtoadoptatheistprinciplesforatime.In1833Browningbegantopublishpoeticalworksandversedrama4.In1846BrowningmarriedthepoetElizabethBarrett(1806-1861),andsettledwithherinFlorenceHemadethepoeticform“dramaticmonologue”reachitsmaturityandperfection.II.MajorWorksDramaticLyrics(戏剧抒情诗)DramaticRomances（戏剧诺曼司）MenandWomen（男人与女人）DramatisPersonae（戏剧人生）TheRingandtheBook(指环与书)-----hismasterpiece,alongpoeticdrama(overtwentythousandlines)whichiscomposedof12longdramaticmonologuesspokenbythevariouscharactersinthestory.Thestoryofthepoemisbasedonamurder-trialin17thcenturyItaly.Publishedseparatelyinfourvolumesfrom1868throughto1869,thepoemwasahugesuccessbothcommerciallyandcritically,andfinallybroughtBrowningthefamehehadsoughtanddeserved.Thesemonologuesgreatlyinfluencedmanylaterpoets,includingT.S.EliotandEzraPound,MyLastDuchess(我已故的公爵夫人)----RobertBrowning’sbest-knowndramaticmonologue.themostfrequentlycitedexampleofthepoet'sdramaticmonologueform,III.Browning’sPoeticStyleBrowning’sstyleseemsmodernandexperimentaltoVictorianreaders;Browning’sfametodayrestsmainlyonhisdramaticmonologues,inwhichthewordsnotonlyconveysettingandactionbutalsorevealthespeaker’scharacter,exploringhumanpsychology.DramaticMonologueBydramaticmonologue,alsoknownasapersonapoem,itismeantthatapoetchoosesadramaticmomentoracrisis,inwhichhischaractersaremadetotalkabouttheirlives,&abouttheirminds&hearts.Inlisteningtothoseone-sidedtalks,readerscanformtheirownopinions&judgmentsaboutthespeaker'spersonality&aboutwhathasreallyhappened.(Thereaderwillgetaclearideaofthewholestoryaswellasthepersonalityandinnermostsoulofeachcharacterbyhearingthemonologuesspokenbyallthecharactersthroughtotheend.)Sothebest-knownattributeofthedramaticmonologueisthatitisspokenbyapersonotherthanthepoethimself,thatitshouldembodysomerevelationofcharacter,andthatitshouldbepresentedwithadramaticsituation.ThoughthepoeticformisevidentinmanyancientGreekdramas,itwasbroughttoaveryhighlevelbyRobertBrowning.MyLastDuchesshasbecomethemodeloftheform.Inthetwentiethcentury,theinfluenceofBrowning’smonologuescanbeseenintheworkofEzraPoundandT.S.Eliot.InEliot’sTheLoveSongofJ.AlfredPrufrock,readersfindthevoiceofthepoetcloakedinamask,atechniquethatEliotmasteredinhiscareerUnlikeasoliloquy,themeaninginaBrowningdramaticmonologueisnotwhatthespeakerdirectlyrevealsbutwhatheinadvertentlygivesawayabouthimselfintheprocessofrationalizingpastactions,orspecial-pleadinghiscasetoasilentauditorinthepoem.Ratherthanthinkingoutloud,thecharactercomposesaself-defensewhichthereader,asjuror,ischallengedtoseethrough.IV.MyLastDuchessTheduchess,welearn,wasmurderednotbecauseofinfidelity,notbe