WallaceStevens(1879-1955)华莱士·史蒂文斯WallaceStevens(1879-1955)Life•AnAmericanModernistpoet•BorninReading(雷丁),Pennsylvania•EducatedatHarvardandthenNewYorkLawSchool•SpentmostofhislifeworkingasalawyerfortheHartfordinsurancecompanyinConnecticut(康涅狄格).•Lateinstartinghisliterarycareer•HereceivedtheNationalBookAwardin1951and1955.•WonthePulitzerPrizeforPoetryin1955.Works:Stevens‘sfirstpublishedworkHarmoniumappearedin1914inPoetrymagazine.Harmonium(1923)washisfirstcollectionofverse.Itcontainssomeofhisbestknownpoems:•LeMonocledeMonOncle(我叔叔的单片眼镜)•TheEmperorofIceCream(冰激凌皇帝)•SundayMorning(礼拜天早晨)•AnecdoteoftheJar(坛子的轶事)•PeterQuinceattheClavier(大键琴上的彼得·昆)•ThirteenWaysofLookingataBlackbird(观赏乌鸫的十三种方式)Laterworksofpoetryincluded:•IdeasofOrder(秩序观念)(1935)•Owl'sClover(1936)•TheManwiththeBlueGuitar(拿蓝色吉它的人)(1937)•NotesTowardaSupremeFiction(关于最高虚构的札记)whichisoftenconsideredhismasterpiece.(1942)•PartsofaWorld(1942)•TransporttoSummer(1947)•TheAurorasofAutumn(秋天的晨曦)(1950)•CollectedPoems(诗集)(1954)wonthePulitzerPrizeandtheNationalBookAwardinpoetryin1955.Prose:ThenecessaryAngle(必要的天使)(1951):manyofStevens’scriticalessaysareincluded.Posthumouscollections:•OpusPosthumous(遗作集)(1957)•LettersofWallaceJamesStevens,editedbyHollyStevens(1966)•ThePalmattheEndoftheMind(1972)Stevens’PhilosophicalThoughtsandWritingStyle1.Maintopic:therelationshipbetweenrealityandpoetry,natureandimagination2.2kindsofreality:a.Theobjectivereality:theperceptionsbythefivesensesb.Thesubjectivereality:mentalworlddominatedbyimagination(toarrangethechaoticinformationfromthesensualperception)3.Hedonism:thesignificanceontheenjoymentofsensualemotions4.Poetryofstatement:anactoffaithinthesenseof“nothingness”inreality5.Simplelines:anemphasisonvocabularyandimageryratherthanprosody6.Thefaithinpoetry:whennoonebelievesinGod,itisnecessarytobelieveinsomethingelse,suchaspoetry,athingcreatedbyimaginationTheSnowMan•OnemusthaveamindofwinterToregardthefrostandtheboughsOfthepine-treescrustedwithsnow;•AndhavebeencoldalongtimeTobeholdthejunipersshaggedwithice,Thesprucesroughinthedistantglitter若想敬仰松树枝干层层为霜雪覆盖,你得具备冬天的头脑。在寒冷中持久凝视,那冰雪蓬松的刺柏丛林,那闪烁在远处•OftheJanuarysun;andnottothinkOfanymiseryinthesoundofthewindInthesoundofafewleaves,WhichisthesoundofthelandFullofthesamewindThatisblowinginthesamebareplaceForthelistener,wholistensinthesnowAnd,nothinghimself,beholdsNothingthatisnotthereandthenothingthatis.腊月阳光下的迷漫云杉。不要去想那风声和树叶夹带着的凄凉。这声音是风地里的声音,这风是为在空地上的你而吹。在雪里聆听的人儿啊,听着与己无关的事儿,那儿不存在的东西看见,眼里只有现存的一片空旷。•TheSnowManisapoemfromWallaceStevens'sfirstbookofpoetry,Harmonium.Itwasfirstpublishedin1921andisthereforeinthepublicdomain.•ThepoemisanexpressionofStevens'perspectives,leadingfromarelativelyobjectivedescriptionofawinterscenetoarelativelysubjectiveemotionalresponse(thinkingofmiseryinthesoundofthewind),tothefinalideathatthelistenerandtheworlditselfarenothingapartfromtheseperspectives.AnecdoteoftheJar•IplacedajarinTennessee,•Androunditwas,uponahill.•Itmadetheslovenlywilderness•Surroundthathill.•Thewildernessroseuptoit,•Andsprawledaround,nolongerwild.•Thejarwasroundupontheground•Andtallandofaportinair.•Ittookdominioneverywhere.•Thejarwasgrayandbare.•Itdidnotgiveofbirdorbush,•LikenothingelseinTennessee.在田纳西,我把一个广口瓶,圆形的,放在一座小山上。那些散漫不羁的荒野由此就环绕在这小山旁。荒野高高地向它隆起,在它四周爬行,不再荒凉。地上的广口瓶,圆圆的,高高的,好似一个空港。统领着各处的疆土,广口瓶自身灰暗空荡。它的所予,不像鸟,不像树,和田纳西所有的一切完全不一样。•Actuallythispoemexplainstherelationshipbetweenartandthenaturalworld.Thejarchangeshowweperceivenature.•ThisisaboutthewhitemancomingtoTennesseeandstickingoutlikeajaronahill,buthavingdominionoverthewildnativesandplantsandcreatures,andtamingthem.Likethejar,thewhitemanputhimselfabovenature,anddidn'tgiveback.赏析:本诗的前两句对坛子和其摆放位置进行描写,想象奇特,令人惊诧!假如出于想象之中,必然是假设给读者一种重要事件的发生。接着,散乱的荒野有了中心,并被赋予了生命,一切全都向坛子涌来,秩序形成。换言之,坛子为荒野带来形式,秩序和意义。诗人可能在说,人所见的秩序是自己造就,他所生活的世界大多也是自己造就;好象又认为,“坛子”与周围的一切有所不同,它能发挥作用,但周围的事物对它有限制力。有人认为:坛子可能是艺术和想象力的象征,田纳西荒野是自然界的象征。其实又何止于此……读者尽可以去想象。但是,联系他的诗学主张,起码我们应该想到这象征了人类所有的重要思想观念。人类用自己的思想观念解释世界,诉诸组织形式,达成一定的社会形态并进而改造世界。须知:秩序、和谐是他的毕生所思所求!Reputationandinfluence:•Stevens'spoemscelebratethenaturalworldandviewthepoetastheonewhodiscoversharmonyintheworld'schaos.Inthiscelebration,muchofStevens’spoetryhasastrongsenseofnaturalelementsandprocesses.•AccordingtoStevens,thenaturalworld—howeverharshandconstrainingitcanbe—ishumankind’sonlysourceofcertainty,evenabovereligion.•InStevens’sview,theworldoutsideisinevitablytransformedwithineachperson’smindintosomethingapartfromtherealworld,intosomethingdifferentfrom“thingsastheyare.”•Theimagination‘srecompositionof“theeye'splainversion”ofthingsthenbecomeseachperson’sversionoftherealworld.•Stevensisquitepossiblythegreatestpoetofthe20thcentury.Hisneologistic(新词的使用者)andbeautifulwordsdefythelimitationsoftheconcreteworldandexploresthedepthsoftheimagination.•Andthefactthatheledaveryquiet,uneventfullifeinCT,whilecreatinghisgorgeouspoetrymakeshimevenmorefascinating.Ithinkhisreclusivelifestrengthenedhiswork,intensifiedit.Ifnotthegreatestpoetofthemall,hewascertainlythepurest.Hisinfluencewillforeverbefelt.