美国文学课件11The Literature of the Modernist Period

美国文学课件11TheLiteratureoftheModernistPeriod1.HistoricalBackgroundWWIandthesenseoflifebeingdislocatedandfragmentedBertrandRussell:tofacelifewith“adespairingcourage”2.Whatismodernism?Thetermmodernismiswidelyusedtoidentifynewanddistinctivefeaturesinthesubjects,forms,concepts,andstylesofliteratureandtheotherartsintheearlydecadesofthe20thcentury,butespeciallyafterWorldWar(1914-1918).Modernisminvolvessuddenandunexpectedbreakswithtraditionalwaysofviewingandinteractingwiththeworld.Perceptionoflanguagechanges:Languageis“thick”withmultiplemeaningsandvariedconnotativeforces.Streamofconsciousness—portrayingthecharacter’sinnermonologue3.Imagism意象主义(1912-1917)Namegiventoamovementinpoetry,originatingin1912andrepresentedbyEzraPound,AmyLowell,andothers,aimingatclarityofexpressionthroughtheuseofprecisevisualimages.

Whatisanimage?EzraPound:Animageis“anintellectualandemotionalcomplexinaninstantoftime”.(一刹那间思想和情感的复合体)Thesunlightinalemon

makesmewince.T.E.Hulme:“Theimagemustenableone“todwellandlingeruponapointofexcitement,toachievetheimpossibleandconvertapointintoaline”.RichardAldington:“Theexactwordmustbringtheeffectoftheobjectbeforethereaderasithadpresenteditselftothepoet’smindatthetimeofwriting.ThreeprinciplesofImagismDirecttreatmentofsubjectsorobjects;Eliminationofmerelyornamentalorsuperfluouswords;Asregardingrhythm,tocomposeinthesequenceofthemusicalphrase,notinthesequenceofametronome.(直接处理主客观事物，删除一切无助于“表现”的词语，以口语节奏代替传统格律)

LiterarySourcesofImagismTheImagistMovementdrewfromavarietyofpoetictraditions—Greek,Provencal,JapaneseandChinesepoetry.TheideographicandpictographicnatureofChineselanguage,andvirilelaconismandausterepregnancywhichcharacterizeancientChinesepoetryfascinatedtheImagists.AChineseimagisticpoetry:

AutumnThought(CyrilBirch译)

Dryvine,oldtree,crowsatdusk.

Lowbridge,streamrunning,cottages,

Ancientroad,westwind,leannag,

Thesunwestering

Andonewithbreakingheartatthesky’sedge.《天净沙·秋思》马致远枯藤老树昏鸦，

小桥流水人家，古道西风瘦马，夕阳西下，断肠人在天涯。4.EzraPound(1885-1972)Apoet,critic,translator,andliteraryforceofthemodernisteraCantos

《诗章》(1948),atotalof117poemsCathay

《华夏集》,acollectionofChinesetranslationsInaStationoftheMetroAnexampleofPound’sartistictheoryofImagismPound:“Threeyearsago[1911]inParisIgotoutofa"metro"train,andsawsuddenlyabeautifulface,andthenanotherandanother,andthenabeautifulchild’sface,andthenanotherbeautifulwoman,andItriedallthatdaytofindwordsforwhatthishadmeanttome,andIcouldnotfindanywordsthatseemedtomeworthy,oraslovelyasthatsuddenemotion.Iwroteathirty-linepoemanddestroyedit.SixmonthslaterImadeapoemhalfthatlength;ayearlaterImadethefollowingsentence”:InaStationoftheMetroTheapparitionofthesefacesinthecrowd;Petalsonawet,blackbough.apparition:appearance,somethingwhichshowsup;somethingwhichisnotrealandwhichcannotbeclearlyobserved显露;幻影petal:花瓣bough:alargebranchofatree大树枝StudyQuestions(page170)1.Whattwoimagesarejuxtaposed,orplacednexttoeachother,inthepoem?2.WhydoesPoundusetheword“apparition”insteadof“appearance”inthispoem?3.WhatisPoundtryingtosayaboutthepeopleinthestation?Apoemofthissort"istryingtorecordthepreciseinstantwhenathingoutwardandobjectivetransformsitself,ordartsintoathinginwardandsubjective."—Pound人群中这些面庞的闪现；湿漉的黑树干上的花瓣。（赵毅衡）这几张脸在人群中幻影般闪现；湿漉漉的黑树枝上花瓣数点。（飞白）人群中，这些面孔的鬼影；潮湿的黑树枝上的花瓣。（余光中）这些面孔浮现于人群；花瓣潮湿的黑树枝。（颜元叔）

APact(1913)Inhis1909essay"WhatIFeelAboutWaltWhitman,"PounddistastedforWhitman’sexpansiveself-singingstruggleswithanevenmorepowerfulconvictionthatWhitman"isAmerica....Hedoes‘chantthecrucialstage’andheisthe‘voicetriumphant.’"Intheend,PoundsubordinatesthesuperficialquarrelwithWhitman’spoeticmeanstotheprofoundbondoftheircommonoriginandmessage.“IhonourhimforheprophesiedmewhileIcanonlyrecognisehimasaforebearofwhomIoughttobeproud”.“Thevitalpartofmymessage,takenfromthesapandfibreofAmerica,isthesameashis“.

APact(1913)Imakeapactwithyou,WaltWhitman—Ihavedetestedyoulongenough.IcometoyouasagrownchildWhohashadapig-headedfather;Iamoldenoughnowtomakefriends.Itwasyouthatbrokethenewwood,Nowisatimeforcarving.Wehaveonesapandoneroot—Lettherebecommercebetweenus.StudyQuestions1.WhatattitudesdoesthepoetholdtowardWaltWhitman?2.Whatdoesthep