Week 13 Alfred Lord Tennyson

AlfredLordTennyson(1809-1892)I.Life&LiteraryCareerII.AnalysisofTwoPoemsLordTennysonLifeTennyson,BrowningandArnoldaregenerallycalled“TheBigThree”ofVictorianpoets.Amongthem,Tennysonwasthemostpopularandgainedthetitleof“PoetofthePeople”.Hisreputationremainedhighuntilhisdeath,declinedintheearly20thcentury,andisrightlyveryhightoday.Tennysonwasbornintothefamilyofacountryclergyman,andeducatedatTrinityCollege,Cambridge,wherehegottoknowArthurHenryHallam.ThefriendshipbetweenthemwasthemostimportantexperienceinTennyson’slife.Hallam’ssuddendeathin1833wasahardblowtohisfriend.Inspiredbyadeepgrief,hewroteInMemoriam(1850),whichtheVictoriansconsideredtobehisgreatestwork.NotonlyInMemoriam,butmanyofhisotherpoemsareelegiacinnature,andthesubjectofthesenseoflossisalwaysHallam.LiterarycareerWithInMemoriam(《悼念集》）,publishedin1850,TennysonattainedfullcriticalrecognitionandpopularityunequalledbyotherEnglishpoetinhisownlifetime.InthesameyearhesucceededWordsworthasPoetLaureateandin1884wasmadeabaron,sohassincebeencalledLordTennyson.In1892,TennysondiedquietlyonhisestateandwasburiedinthePoets’CornerinWestminsterAbbey.LiterarycareerTennyson’searliestpublicationwasPoemsbyTwoBrothers《兄弟诗集》,incollaborationwithhisbrotherCharles.TheseriesofelegiesinInMemoriam,embodyingthepoet’sreflectionsonman’srelationtoGodandtonature,aregenerallyconsideredtobehismasterpiece,whichledQueenVictoriatosaythepoet,“NexttotheBible,InMemoriamismycomfort.”IdyllsoftheKing(1859)andMaud(1855)arethemostcelebratedofhislongerpoems.Ofhisshortlyrics“CrossingtheBar”isperhapsthemostfamousandthebest.LiterarycareerTheinfluenceofByronwasevidentinTennyson’searlypoems,butgreaterinfluencecameformKeatswhosediscipleheremainedallhislife.LikeKeatshesoughtfortheperfectionofpoeticform.Hewasskillfulatlinkingscenerytostatesofmind.Acommonfeatureofallhispoemsisthecaressingmusicofmelodyandaccuratefacilityinthemetricaltranslationoffeelings,thefreshnessandyouthfulnessofspiritandanastonishingoriginalityandvigor.LikeWordsworth,Tennysonhadagreatfollowing,notonlyasapoet,butasaphilosopherandateacher.FeaturesofTennyson’sPoetry1.resorttotheworldofromances:classical,medievalandEnglish(TheIdyllsoftheKing).2.skilledinthelyric,thedramaticmonologue;3.perfectcontrolofthesoundofEnglishandconsummatechoiceandtasteinwords.Break,Break,Break(1834)Break,break,break,Onthycoldgraystones,OSea!AndIwouldthatmytonguecouldutterThethoughtsthatariseinme.O,wellforthefisherman'sboy,Thatheshoutswithhissisteratplay!O,wellforthesailorlad,Thathesingsinhisboatonthebay!AndthestatelyshipsgoonTotheirhavenunderthehill;ButOforthetouchofavanishedhand,Andthesoundofavoicethatisstill!Break,break,break,Atthefootofthecrags,OSea!butthetendergraceofadaythatisdeadWillnevercomebacktome.GlossaryBreak:连续使用该词，模拟惊涛拍岸的声音，而且用以抒发海浪激荡令人心碎的情感。Iwould:IwishAvanishedhand:referringtothehandofthepoet’sdeadfriendArthurHallam.avoicethatisstill:referringtothevoiceofthepoet’sdeadfriendArthurHallam.Owellfor:OitwouldbewellforButOfor:ButhowIwishforTendergrace:theblissfullifeofyouthIllustrationforTennyson's'Break,Break,Break'拍击，拍击，拍击拍击，拍击，拍击向着你冰冷灰暗的礁石，噢大海！多希望我的唇齿能够倾吐郁积在心中的阴霾噢，那个渔夫家的孩子依旧，他叫喊着和妹妹嬉戏玩耍；噢，那个年轻的水手依旧，他唱着歌儿将船向着港里划生命之舟永远庄严的驶向高山下避风的港口多希望再听到那归于永寂的声音再握紧那已然消逝的手拍击，拍击，拍击在你巍峨峭壁的脚下，噢，大海！那温馨优雅的日子已逝它一去不会再来Questions(1)voiceofthe“first-person”speaker:Female/male?(2)Whomdoyouthinkwasthepoemwrittento?(3)Whatisthethemeofthispoem?AnalysisThispoemisinmemoryofTennyson'sbestfriend,ArthurHallam,whoseearlydeathbringspoet'slife-longsadness.Theinnerdeepsadnesscontrastswiththehappyboy,singingsailorladandtheemotionlessmovementoftheship.Themostemotionalandfurious'Break'isnotonlyfromtheseabutalsofromtheheartofthepoet,wecanfeelthatclearly.AnalysisTheme:themissingofdeadfriend—ArthurHallam.Thisshortlyriccontainsfourquatrains,withcombinediambicandanapaesticfeet.Theusuallengthofalineisthreefeet,withvariations.Therimesfallonthesecondandthefourthlinesofeachstanza.AnalysisThefirstlinesinthefirstandlaststanzacontainonlyonesyllableeach:”Break,break,break,”buteachofthesethreewords,readwithmuchfeelingandpoignancy,easilyfillsthenormaltempoofametricalfoot.Thethirdlinesinthethirdandfourthstanzasarealsodeviationsfromthenormandcontainfourfeeteach.Artisticfeatures1.alyriconthelossofyouth,innocenceandhappiness;2.deepgrief,sincerefeelings;3.smoothnessofrhythm,musicaleffect;4.imagesandsymbols;5.sounddevices:longvowels,metricalfeatures(anapestic+iambic+spondaic);6.translationsofthetitleAppreciation该诗以生动欢乐的环境—渔民之子的天真欢呼与船舰入港时的波涛起伏为背景，用以衬托诗人怀念亡友的悲痛心情。这种对比在诗歌速度的缓急、音律的升降中得到恰当的表达。诗行长短不整齐，其长度决定于强调词语的数目；大部分诗行每行三音步，主要用抑抑扬格，间用抑扬格，其中有一些次重音；第11行与第15行各增加一重音；首尾两节第1行的三个单音节音步读起来缓慢，表达诗人的悲痛心情。Crossingthebar(1889)Sunsetandeveningstar,Andoneclearcallforme!Andmaytherebenomoaningofthebar,WhenIputouttosea.Butsuchatideasmovingseemsasleep,Toofullforsoundandfoam,WhenthatwhichdrewfromouttheboundlessdeepTurnsagainhome.Twilightandeveningbell,Andafterthatthedark!Andmaytherebenosadnessoffarewell,WhenIembark;ForthoughfromoutourbourneofTimeandPlaceThefloodmaybearhomefar,Ihopet