ThomasGray解读

Sentimentalism(感伤主义)OneofthesignificantandpopulartrendsinEnglishliteratureinthesecondhalfofthe18thcentury.Sentimentalismmeansoverindulgenceinone’semotionforthesakeofhisoverwhelmingdiscontenttowardsthesocialreality,andpessimisticbeliefandemphasisuponthevirtueofman.HistoricalBackground•Continuous,large-scaleenclosuresoflandcausedthebankruptcyoftheruraleconomyaswellasthemountingpovertyandmiseryoftheexploitedandunemployedlabouringmassesinthecities,whichnaturallyledtoskepticismanddisbeliefinthemythaboutthebourgeoissocietyasthebestofallpossibleworlds.•TheWalpolegovernmentwassocorruptthatthePrimeMinisterwasfiercelyattackedbymanyliterarymenatthattime.•AllthesemadeitincreasinglydifficultfortheenlightenerstojustifywhatPopesaid“whateveris,isright.”IntellectualBackground•Theenlightenersbelievedinreason,butnowtheyfoundthatthepowerofreasonwasinsufficient,andthatdespiteallreasoning,socialinjusticestillheldstrong.•Theythenappealedtosentimentasameansofachievinghappinessandsocialjustice,becausethephilosophyoftheenlighteners,thoughrationalandmaterialisticinitsessence,didnotexcludesenses,orsentiments,asameansofperceptionandlearning.•Withsomewriterstheexcessofsentimentservedasakindofmildbutunmistakableprotestagainstthesocialinjustices.Hencesentimentalisminliterature.SentimentalismLeslieStephen:–Sentimentalismcouldbedefinedtobeindulgenceinemotionforitsownsake.Thesentimentalistdoesnotweepbecausepainfulthoughtsareforceduponhimbutbecausehefindsweepingpleasantinitself.–Heappreciatestheluxuryofgrief…butthegeneralsensethatsomethingisnotinorderinthegeneralstateofthings,withoutasyetanydefiniteaimforthevaguediscontentwassharedbythetruesentimentalist.”SentimentalistLiteraturePoetry:EdwardYoung‘scelebratedblank-versedramaticrhapsodyNightThoughts《夜思》(1742)andThomasGray'sAnElegyWritteninaCountryChurchYard《墓畔哀歌》.Drama:RichardBrinsleySheridanandhisTheRivals《情敌》(1775)andTheSchoolforScandal《造谣学堂》,afinecomedyofmanners(风尚喜剧),wasstagedin1777.Fiction:OliverGoldsmith’sTheVicarofWakefield(1776)《威克菲尔德牧师传》TheDesertedVillage《荒凉的村庄》;LawrenceSterne’sTristramShandy《项迪传》(1760-1767),SentimentalJourney《伤感旅行》.ThomasGray(1716-1771)thedominantpoeticfigureinthemid-18thcenturyandaprecursoroftheRomanticMovement.GrayhadbeguntowriteEnglishpoems,amongwhichsomeofthebestwere“OdeontheSpring,”“SonnetontheDeathofMr.RichardWest,”“HymntoAdversity,”and“OdeonaDistantProspectofEtonCollege.”Thesepoemsrevealedhismaturity,easeandfelicityofexpression,wistfulmelancholy,andtheabilitytophrasetruismsinstriking,quotablelines,suchas“whereignoranceisbliss,’Tisfollytobewise.”ThomasGrayIt’snotuntil“AnElegyWritteninaCountryChurchYard”waspublishedin1751thatGraywasrecognized.Graydiedat55,buriedinthecountrychurchyardcelebratedinhis“Elegy.”Elegy(悼亡诗，挽歌)InclassicaltimesandintheRenaissance:lovepoetrywrittenwithaspecificmeter,Sincethe17thcentury:aformalpoemoflamentandconsolationconcerningaparticularperson'sdeath,orreflectionondeathingeneral.Milton‘s“Lycidas”(1638)isanexampleofthepastoralelegy(田园挽歌),inwhichthespeakerandthepersonmournedareshepherds.Dirge(挽歌)：Alessformalandlengthyformofelegy.Usuallysung.AnElegyWritteninaCountryChurchYardapoemof128lines,moreorlessconnectedwiththemelancholyeventofthedeathofRichardWest,whowasclosesttoGrayatEton;Publishedin1751,aninstantaneousandoverwhelmingsuccess.Oftendescribedas“thebestknownpoemintheEnglishlanguage”.Itmarksallearlyromanticpoetry.thebeginningandrepresentativeof“literatureofmelancholy”.TheGraveyardSchool(墓地派)agroupofC18poetswhosewritingsfrequentlytouchedonthemesofdeath,mortality,religion,andmelancholy.OftentakenasprecursorsoftheRomanticinterestinthecommonplace.Departurefromconsiderationsofhumanlifetothoseofdeath,andshiftsfromthoughtsofhumannaturetothoseofwildnatureOftenelegiacintone(andtitle)frequentuseoffunerealorgloomyimageryofnight,death,andgloominspiritualcontemplationsofhumanmortalityandourrelationtothedivine.AnimportantfactorinthedevelopmentoftheGothicnovelEdwardYoungandThomasGrayarefamouspoetsofthegraveyardschool.ElegyWritteninaCountryChurchYard墓畔哀歌Theme:reflectionsondeath,thesorrowsandthemysteriesofhumanlifewithatouchofhispersonalmelancholy.Thesurecontroloflanguage,imagery,rhythm,aswellashissubtlemoderationofstyleandtonegivethepoemauniquecharmofitsown.Thewell-conceivedstructureandthemetricalbeautyofthepoemwonGraythefameasoneofthemasterpoetsofthe18thcentury,andthepoemhasbeenconsideredasoneofthebestshortpoemsinEnglishliterature.Stanza1Thecurfewtollstheknellofpartingday;Thelowingherdwindslowlyo'erthelea;Theploughmanhomewardplodshiswearyway,Andleavestheworldtodarknessandtome.晚钟响起来一阵阵给白昼报丧，牛群在草原上迂回，吼声起落，耕地人累了，回家走，脚步踉跄，把整个世界留给了黄昏与我。Nowfadestheglimmeringlandscapeonthesight,Andalltheairasolemnstillnessholds,Savewherethebeetlewheelshisdroningflight,Anddrowsytinklingslullthedistantfolds;苍茫的景色逐渐从眼前消退，一片肃穆的寂静盖遍了尘寰，只听见嗡嗡的甲虫转圈子纷飞，昏沉的铃声催眠着远处的羊栏。Stanza2Stanza3Savethat,fromyonderivy-mantledtower,ThemopingowldoestothemooncomplainOfsuchas,wanderingnearhersecretbower,Molestherancientsolitaryreign.只听见常春藤披裹的塔顶底下一只阴郁的柢枭向月亮诉苦，怪人家无端走进它秘密的住家，搅扰它这个悠久而僻静的领土。FormIambicpentame