ToaWaterfowl致水鸟

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1、William Cullen Bryant 1794-18781794-1878 The American WordsworthBrief Introduction of William Cullen BryantWilliam Cullen Bryant was an American romantic poet, journalist, and long-time editor of the New York Evening PostBryant was born on November 3, 1794.Bryant and his family moved to a new home w

2、hen he was two years old. His father Dr. Peter Bryant was active in politicsBryant developed an interest in poetry early in life. Influenced by his father, he imitated the writing style of Alexander Pope and other Neo-Classic British poets.Bryant demonstrated that American poetry was ready to demand

3、 serious attention. He was the first American to gain the stature of a major poetByrant supportedsuchcausesasfreespeech,freetrade,andtheabolitionofslavery. Bryants abhorrence of slavery made him a fervent Republican and a devout supporter of Lincoln, although he wished Lincoln was more radical on ab

4、olition.Bryant had a huge influence in American literature.In 1884, New York Citys Reservoir Square was renamed Bryant Park in his honor. The city later named a public high school in Long Island City, Queens in his honor, the William Cullen Bryant High School, or Bryant High School for short.The Wil

5、liam Cullen Bryant Homestead, his boyhood home, is now a museum.Brief Introduction of William Cullen BryantWilliam Cullen Bryant is one of Americas earliest naturalist poets.The theme of his poems are:The beauty and harmony of nature as a source of solace, joy, and escape.The dignity of humanityThe

6、scaredness of human freedomThe power and beneficence of GodCareerCareerIn 1815 Bryant passed his bar exam and became a lawyer. Later his law practice became successfulAfter 1821,his public life became popular as a lecturer and poet as well as a lawyerIn 1825, Bryant went to New York, the literary ca

7、pital of the period, and served as assistant editor of the New York Evening Post, a position providing more opportunities for him to display his dynamic force in American cultural and political lifeThe year 1829saw that Bryant became editor in chief of the paper, one of the first great national news

8、paper in America, and from this time onward he grew to ba a dominant leader in America literature and public causescontribution Bryant was the first American national poet He provided what the nation needed at a time of national self-consciousness He made American subjects worthy of celebrationMajor

9、 WorksThe finest of Bryants poems were written in his youth.In 1821, first collection Poems appeared in Boston, consisting of eight of his poems, such as his most famous poems “To a Waterfowl”, “Thanatopsis” and “The Yellow Violet”, thereafter established his position in the history of American lite

10、rature.Bryant continued to write poetry throughout much of his life, publishing a number of volumes, such asThe Fountain(温泉),The White-Footed Dear(白蹄鹿),The Flood of Years(似水流年), andA Forest Hymn(森林吟唱).Among his most important later works are his translation of the Iliad and the Odyssey into Engligh

11、blank verse.To a Waterfowl “The most perfect brief poem in the language”，called by Matthew Arnold. “Americas first flawless poem”, described by Richard Wilbur.To a Waterfowl To a Waterfowl By William Cullen BryantWhither, midst falling dew, While glow the heavens with the last steps of day, Far, thr

12、ough their rosy depths, dost thou pursue Thy solitary way? Vainly the fowlers eye Might mark thy distant flight to do thee wrong, As, darkly painted on the crimson sky, Thy figure floats along. Seekst thou the plashy brink Of weedy lake, or marge of river wide, Or where the rocking billows rise and

13、sink On the chafed ocean side? There is a Power whose care Teaches thy way along that pathless coast,- The desert and illimitable air,- Lone wandering, but not lost. All day thy wings have fannd At that far height, the cold thin atmosphere: Yet stoop not, weary, to the welcome land, Though the dark

14、night is near. And soon that toil shall end, Soon shalt thou find a summer home, and rest, And scream among thy fellows; reeds shall bend Soon oer thy sheltered nest. Thourt gone, the abyss of heaven Hath swallowed up thy form; yet, on my heart Deeply hath sunk the lesson thou hast given, And shall

15、not soon depart. He, who, from zone to zone, Guides through the boundless sky thy certain flight, In the long way that I must tread alone, Will lead my steps aright. 译作赏析译作赏析致水鸟 吕志鲁译披着滴落的露珠， 天空灿烂，白日的行程就要结束； 穿过玫瑰色的遥远空际， 你往何方把孤单的前程追逐？ 看你远远飞翔而无计可施， 捕鸟人的眼光徒劳眷顾； 满天红霞把你映衬， 暗黑的身影飘飘飞舞。 你是在寻找开阔的大河之滨， 还是波浪拍岸的

16、水草之湖？ 或者潮水冲刷的海滩， 那里的巨浪奔腾起伏？ 有上苍把你关照， 在无路的海岸为你指路 在荒漠和无边的空际， 你孤单的飘荡不致迷途。 你成天翕动翅膀， 任空气稀薄暴寒冷，飞在高处， 疲乏中你不肯降落舒适的大地， 即使黑夜即将紧闭它的帷幕。 你很快就会结束这样的劳苦， 你即将找到你夏天的住处； 休息中呼唤自己的伙伴， 芦苇也会躬身把你的窝巢遮护。 你的身躯全被吞没， 天堂深渊里，你踪影全无； 然而你的启迪深深留在我的心底， 我将久久地久久地把它记住砖 从一地又到一地， 天空无垠，你的飞翔从无迟误； 愿引领你的向导把我引领， 孤单的长路中迈开永不偏离的脚步。Composition and

17、publication historyComposition and publication history The inspiration for the poem occurred in December 1815 when Bryant, then 21, was walking from Cummington to Plainfield to look for a place to settle as a lawyer. The duck, flying across the sunset, seemed to Bryant as solitary a soul as himself,

18、 inspiring him to write the poem that evening. To a Waterfowl was first published in the North American Review in Volume 6, Issue 18, March 1818. It was later published in the collection Poems in 1821. Stanza 1Stanza 1Whither, midst falling dew, While glow the heavens with the last steps of day, Far

19、, through their rosy depths, dost thou pursue Thy solitary way?Summary As the dew falls and the sun sets in the rosy depths of the heavens, I wonder where you (waterfowl) are going? 本诗第一节就以整节的篇幅描绘一只水鸟孤独地飞在天中的画面背景：傍晚，落日，绯红的天边，一只水鸟将飞向何方？falling dew, last steps of day点明时间。step一词给时间的逝去一种不紧不慢的动感，写出诗人看着日落

20、时的无奈。far, depths两词点出空间的广阔，和一只水鸟“弱小”的形象形成非常强的反差。Stanza 2Stanza 2Vainly the fowlers eye Might mark thy distant flight to do thee wrong, As, darkly seen against the crimson sky, Thy figure floats along. Summary Without success, a hunter (fowler) might try to bring you down as you float in silhouette ag

21、ainst the crimson evening sky. 第二节里，诗人就把水鸟塑造成一个坚定的形象：猎鸟人算计着你的飞行轨迹，要将你猎下，却无能为力。这里有一种人和自然的对比：在自然的面前，人显得无力，尽管拥有更高的智慧，但自然却丝毫不受影响，一如既往地运行着，就连一只孤独的水鸟都具有这非凡的魄力。Stanza 3 Stanza 4Stanza 3 Stanza 4Seekst thou the plashy brink Of weedy lake, or marge of river wide, Or where the rocking billows rise and sink On

22、 the chafed ocean-side? Summary Are you looking for the marshy edge of a lake, the bank of a river, or the shore of the ocean? There is a Power whose care Teaches thy way along that pathless coast The desert and illimitable air Lone wandering, but not lost. Summary There is a Power that leads you on

23、 your way across deserts and through unlimited expanses of air. You may be wandering and alone, but you are not lost. 第三、四节讲水鸟将如何到达自己的目的地。一切都像浑然天成，不论是在无形海岸还是在无尽的天空，都有一种神秘的“力”作为它的向导；它虽独行，却不会迷失；而它要回去的地方也是自然。这种“力”是什么，诗人没有说明。我们也可以把它想成无论什么东西，上帝也好，自然也好，在年轻的布莱恩特的眼中，这种“力”也许没有具体的形象，只是冥冥中的一个向导而已。Stanza 5Stanz

24、a 5All day thy wings have fanned, At that far height, the cold thin atmosphere; Yet stoop not, weary, to the welcome land, Though the dark night is near. Summary You have been flapping your wings all day high in the sky, yet you continue on even though night is near and land beckons beneath you. 从第五

25、节开始，全诗的象 征意味显明起来。凉夜将 降，水鸟飞行终日，疲惫 不堪，诗人却不希望它降 临福地。这里的“福地”指 什么？是水鸟长途跋涉的 终点，还是它生命的终点 ？“暗夜”究竟是指真正的 夜，还是指生命息止之时 ？Stanza 6Stanza 6And soon that toil shall end; Soon, shalt thou find a summer home, and rest, And scream among thy fellows; reeds shall bend Soon oer thy sheltered nest. Summary Soon your journ

26、ey will end. Soon you will descend to your summer home. There, you will scream among others of your kind and find secure shelter among the tall grasses.第六节，这种象征意味更加明显。虽然描写得非常具象：水鸟熬过暗夜，结束旅程，迁徙至温暖的家。但此时它的同伴们却“尖叫”起来，而芦苇也长过它憩息的地方。如此一联系，原诗中的rest也许不是单指休息，而是水鸟在长途跋涉之后西去了。诗至此，一反第二节的坚强形象，一种宿命感突现出来。归途：回到哪里？ st

27、anza 7 Stanza 8 stanza 7 Stanza 8Thou rt gone, the abyss of heaven Hath swallowed up thy form; yet, on my heart Deeply hath sunk the lesson thou hast given, And shall not soon depart. Summary I can no longer see you, but I will never forget the lesson you taught me. He who, from zone to zone, Guides

28、 through the boundless sky thy certain flight, In the long way that I must tread alone, Will lead my steps aright. Summary God, who guides you from one place to another, will also guide me through life, leading me on the right path. 第七、八节是诗人的借景抒情。他从水鸟身上学到了许多，因而坚定起来。“lesson”指什么，“He”又是谁，诗人没有作出明确的答复。自然

29、是如此强大，离群的水鸟终究逃不过一命。而作为孤独的人，是否也该遵从自然的安排呢？这样想，他便坦然了。Summary 1 Bryant is acknowledged as skillful at depicting American scenery but his natural details are often combined with a universal moral, as in To a Waterfowl. The poem represents early stages of American Romanticism through celebration of Nature

30、 and Gods presence within Nature.Summary 2The narrator questions where the waterfowl is going. He questions his motives for flying. He warns the waterfowl that he could possibly find danger, traveling alone. But, this waterfowl is not alone. He knows that the waterfowl is being led by some Power（神秘主

31、义mysticism）. As the waterfowl reaches out of the narrators sight, the narrator reflects on Gods guidance in his own life. The narrator is sure that God has led this waterfowl, and that the waterfowl had faith in the narrator. Now, the narrators faith is strengthened. He knows that God is guiding him

32、 as well. As the narrator sees God directing the waterfowl, the narrator is reminded of Gods guidance in his own life. Through his observance in nature, the narrator is reconnected with his faith in God. Theme Theme Just as God guides the waterfowl to its summer home, so too He guides the speaker of

33、 the poem through life to his ultimate destination, heaven. In the end, one will be able to say about the speaker what the speaker says about the waterfowl: the abyss of heaven / Hath swallowed up thy form (lines 25-26). The poem is, in essence, a profession of faith in God. Examples of Figures of S

34、peech Examples of Figures of Speech alliteration: While, Whither (lines 1-2); depths, dost (line 3); their, thou, thy (lines 3-4); distant, do, darkly (lines 6-7) metaphor: last steps of day (comparison of the day to a creature that walks). personification: The speaker addresses the waterfowl as if

35、it were a person, saying it has taught a lesson; he also refers to other waterfowls as fellows (line 23). metaphor: on my heart / deeply hath sunk the lesson (comparison of the heart to the intellect) Anastrophe(inversion of the normal word order)as in While glow the heavens (line 2) and river wide (line 10). Thank you for watching 制作人：程杨，杜夏楠，丰治国，高燕，郭娟