EmilyDickinson艾米丽迪金森

EmilyDickinson

(1830–1886)EmilyDickinson

(1830–1886)(1)LifeA.ShewasborninaPuritan’sfamily.Herfatherwasafamouslawyer.B.Shereceivedcollegeeducation.C.Shelivedaleisureandsimplelifeandkeptsingleallherlife.Sheenjoyedgardeningandwritingandtriedtoavoidvisitors.(HerlifestyleissimilarwithJaneAusten’s.)D.Shewrote1775poems,butonlysevenofthempublishedinherlifetime.E.Beforeherdeath,sheaskedhersistertoburnallherpoems.However,hersisterpublishedthosebeautifulpoems.(2)Herlifestory

EmilyDickinson,borninAmherst,MassachusettsonDec.10,1830,wasthebestpoetessAmericanevercreated.Shewasadaughterofaprominentlawyerandpolitician.Shedidnotreceivemuchformaleducationbutreadwidelyathome.Actually,duringthenarrowspanofherlifetime,shekeptstayingathomeexceptforafewshorttripstoBostonorPhiladelphia.EmilyDickinsonwasawittywoman,sensitive,fullofhumanityandwithageniusforpoetry.Whileshewaslivinginalmosttotalseclusion,shewroteinsecretwhatevershewasabletofeel,tosee,tohearandwhatevershewasabletoimagine.Shewrotewheneverandwherever.Althoughsheguardedherpoemsevenfromherfamily,1775poemswerediscoveredandpublishedafterherdeath.However,astheonlynoteworthywomanpoetinAmericanliteratureofthe19thcentury,shehadonlysevenofherpoemspublishedduringherlifetime,anditwasnotuntilthebeginningofthe20thcenturythathergeniuswaswidelyrecognized.(3)AnalysisofHerA.StronginfluenceofPuritanismonherthought(pessimismandtragictoneofherpoems)B.Careaboutdeathandimmortality(1/3ofallherpoemstalkedaboutthesetwothemes.)C.exploringhuman’sinnerworld(psychologydescriptioninherpoems)D.severeeconomyofexpressionE.originalimagesF.directandplainlanguageG.greatinfluenceontheImagistMovementinthe20thcentury(4)FeaturesofHerPoems1.InsubjectmatterEmilyDickinsonwasverysimilartothegreatromanticpoetsofhertime.Herpoemsareshort,manyofthembeingbasedonasingleimageorsymbol.Butwithinherlittlelyricsshewroteaboutsomeofthemostimportantthingsinlife:love,nature,moralityandimmortality.Shewroteaboutsuccess,whichshethoughtsheneverachieved;andshewroteaboutfailure,whichsheconsideredherconstantcompanion.ShewroteofthesethingssobrilliantlythatsheisnowrankedasoneofAmerican’sgreatestpoets.(4)FeaturesofHerPoems2.PoetryisforDickinsonameanstoattainpleasure,awaytopreachherdoctrine,andamediumtoexpressherworldoutlook,anoutletforherdespairandaremedytopacifyhersoul.Herlifeexperiencefosteredherbeliefasanexistentialistaswellasagreatpoet.(4)FeaturesofHerPoems3.Despiteherseclusionoflife,EmilyDickinsoncoveredawiderangeofsubjectsinpoetry.Herfavoritesubjectsarelove,deathornaturalbeauty.Inherwritingshewroteaboutlifeanddeath,expectingtounderstandthemeaningoflifebyunderstandingthemeaningofdeath.(4)FeaturesofHerPoems4.Livinginthe19thcentury,acomparativelyreligiousera,shedidnotbelongtoanyorganizedreligion.However,shewroteofGod,manandnature;sheprobedintothespiritualunrestofmanandoftendoubtedabouttheexistenceandbenevolenceofGod,becauseshefeltthatwildnaturewasherchurchandshewasabletoconversedirectlywithGodthere.(4)FeaturesofHerPoems5.EmilyDickinsonwasapoetwhocouldexpressfeelingsofdeepestpoignancyintermsofthetrueandwidesaying,ofteninanaphoristcstyle.Hergemlikepoemsareallveryshort,butfreshandoriginal,markedbythevigorofherimages,thedaringofherthoughtandthebeautyofherexpression.(4)FeaturesofHerPoems6.EmilyDickinsonwroteintheconventionalmetricalform,thoughshedidnotalwaysstrictlyobservestherulesofversification.

(4)FeaturesofHerPoems7.EmilyDickinsondefamiliarisedconventionalpoeticform,deliberatelyoverusingcapitalizationanddeahes,tomakeherpoemslookingstrange.Insomeway,sheisverymuchsimilartothestyleofJohnDonne.(5)SelectedPoems:BecauseICouldNotStopforDeath

IHeardaFlyBuzz---WhenIDiedMyLifeClosedTwicebeforeItsCloseAsImperceptiblyasGriefMine---bytheRightoftheWhiteElectionWildNights---WildNightsANarrowFellowintheGrassApparentlywithNoSurpriseIDiedforBeauty---butWasScarceTellAlltheTruthbutTellItSlantILiketoSeeItLaptheMilesTheBrain---IsWiderthantheSkyBecauseICouldNotStopforDeath

Stanza1:Theangelofdeath,intheimageofakindperson,comesinacarriageforthesakeofImmortalityandthepoet.Stanza2:Toshowmypolitenesstogodofdeath,Igaveupmyworkandmyenjoymentoflifeaswell;Igiveupmylife.Stanza3:Thejourneyofourcarriageimpliedtheexperienceofhumanlife;schoolimpliestimeofchildhood;thefieldsofgazinggrain,foryouthandadulthood;whilethesettingsun,foroldage.Stanza4:Probablywemaysaythesunsetsbeforewereachthedestination---thenightfalls,deatharrives.Ifeltafearandchillyafterdeath,formyshroudisthinandmyscarftoolight.Despitethedescriptionof“death”,theusualgloomyandhorrifyingatmosphereislightenedbythepoetesswiththeelegantlyflutteringclothingshedescribes.Stanza5.Severalcenturieshadpassedsincethearrivealofdeathuponme.However,Ifeltitisshorterthanaday.OnthatdayIsuddenlyrealizedthatdeathisthestartingpointforeternity,andthecarriageisheadingtowardsit.CommentonthepoemThepoemisdiscussingdeath,averygloomysubject,butitisdonewitharatherlighttone.Thetoneislightjustbecausetheauthordoesnottakedeathasacatastrophe;instead,shetreatstheangelofdeathasaverypolitegentleman,asalong-missingguest,givingupherworkandleisure,puttingonherfinesilkydresses,sheaccompaniesdeathinthesamecarriagetoeternity.Allthebeautyofthisworkliesinthepoetess’open-mindedattitudetowardsdeath.IHeardaFlyBuzz---WhenIDiedStanza1:WhenIwasdying,Iheardthebuzzofaflywhichremindedmeofthestillnessintheair.Stanza2:Beforetheabsolutepowerofdeath,Iwashelpless,soweremyrelativesandfriends.Theycoulddonothingmorethangatheringaroundme,tearlessandbreathless,andwatchingthearrivalofdeathtome.Stanza3:WhenIwasabandoningthismaterialworld,aflycomestome.CommentonthepoemThispoemisthedescriptionofthemomentofdeath.Thepoetessmadeuseofaverystrangeimageofaflytosymbolizeherlasttouchwiththehumanworldand,moreover,theperspectiveofadecayingcorpse.Theflyappearedassomethingwhichisabletoflybetweenthetwoworldsoflifeanddeath.Besides,theword“fly”isverycleverlyusedinthework.Ontheonehand,itreferstothatinsect;ontheotherhand,itmayindicate“freeflying”.Beforedeath,the“fly”wasbuzzingaround,Ihearit;afterdeath,itmayleadmetogofarandforever,Iamflying.Theflyisinconsequently,oflittleimportance---implyingperhapsthatdeathisthesame.BecauseICouldNotStopforDeath

Stanza1:Theangelofdeath,intheimageofakindperson,comesinacarriageforthesakeofImmortalityandthepoet.Stanza2:Toshowmypolitenesstogodofdeath,Igaveupmyworkandmyenjoymentoflifeaswell;Igiveupmylife.Stanza3:Thejourneyofourcarriageimpliedtheexperienceofhumanlife;schoolimpliestimeofchildhood;thefieldsofgazinggrain,foryouthandadulthood;whilethesettingsun,foroldage.Stanza4:Probablywemaysaythesunsetsbeforewereachthedestination---thenightfalls,deatharrives.Ifeltafearandchillyafterdeath,formyshroudisthinandmyscarftoolight.