矛盾意象-解读艾米丽狄金森的死亡诗歌

矛盾意象——解读艾米丽狄金森的死亡诗歌本科毕业论文设计题目ContradictoryImages―InterpretationofEmilyDickinson’sDeath-ThemedPoems院系ContradictoryImages―InterpretationofEmilyDickinson’sDeath-ThemedPoemsAthesissubmittedinpartialfulfillmentoftherequirementsforthedegreeofBachelorofArtsintheSchoolofForeignLanguagesandLiteraturesChongqingUniversityofEducationSchool: SchoolofForeignLanguages&LiteraturesMajor: EnglishClass: 4Name: StudentNo.: Supervisor: Date: May10th,7>2013

重庆第二师范学院本科毕业论文（设计）原创性声明本人郑重声明：所呈交的论文是本人在导师的指导下独立进行研究所取得的成果。除了文中特别加以标注引用的内容外，本论文不包含任何其他个人或集体已经发表或未发表的研究成果。本人完全意识到本声明的法律后果由本人承担。作者签名：年月日

AcknowledgmentsFirstandforemost,I’dliketopresentmysincerethanksandgreatappreciationtomysupervisor,TangHongbo.Itisagreatprivilegeaswellaspleasuretoworkonthethesisunderhisguidance.Whathegivesmeisnotonlyinsightfulsuggestionsandinvaluablecomments,butalsounfailingencouragement.Withouthisconsistentandilluminatinginstruction,thisthesiscouldnothavereacheditspresentform.Second,IwouldliketoexpressmyheartfeltgratitudetotheprofessorsandteachersattheDepartmentofEnglish,forexample,ZhangXiaoqingandXiaoKunxuewhohaveinstructedandhelpedmealotduringmythesiswriting.Atlast,Isincerelyextendthankstomyparents,myfriendsandmyroommatesfortheircare,supportandencouragement.Theyarethesourcesofconfidenceandstrengthformetoovercomeallthedifficultiesinlifeandstudy.Withoutthem,theaccomplishmentofthethesiswillbeimpossible.Abstract：tinthehistoryofAmericanliterature,whoseworksstillarousegreatinterestinmoderncritics.Dickinson’spoetryisfamousforitssplendidyetdeath-themedpoems.ThispaperattemptstoconductastudyonthecontradictoryimagesinDickinson’sdeath-themedpoetryforthepurposeofunveilingthetrueessenceofherpoems.Atfirst,theauthorofthispaperanalyzestheimagesinseveraldeath-themedpoems,andtriestorevealthecontradictoryimagesinthepoems.Then,theauthorbuildsupaconnectionbetweenthecontradictoryimagesandemotionalexperiencesofthepoet.Accordingtothemajorinfluencesofcontradictoryimagesdiscussedinthispaper,thereasonofusingcontradictoryimageswouldbedividedintotwocategoriesanddiscussedmoredetailedlythroughspecificexamples.Atlast,theauthorwouldtrytodiscussthemajorrhetoricaldevicesofthecontradictoryimagesinDickinson’spoems.Adoptingthemethodofclosereading,thispaperconcentratesontheimpactofDickinson’slifeexperiencesonherwritingandtriestoexploretheinnerworldofthepoetandthemeaningbehindtheverses.TheauthorofthispaperbelievesthatallthecontradictoryimagesinDickinson’spoemsarenotcreatedbyaccidentormerelyoutofintuition.Instead,theyaredeeplyrootedinhereverydaylifeexperiencesandherownexplorationoflifeanddeath.Keywords：deathimage;religion;contradictory摘要：艾米丽?迪金森（1830-1886）是19世纪与惠特曼齐名的著名诗人。她是美国文学史上最具影响力的诗人之一，至今她的诗歌仍能激起现代评论家的兴趣。其中,以死亡为主题的诗歌更富盛名。为了揭示她死亡诗歌的精髓，本文尝试研究矛盾意象在迪金森的诗歌中的体现。首先，作者分析了几首死亡诗歌中的意象，进而揭示矛盾意象。然后，让矛盾意象和诗人的情感经历相联系。文中通过讨论矛盾意象的主要影响，其产生原因分为两个部分,本文将用具体例子进一步进行论证。最后，作者尝试讨论了在死亡诗中，矛盾意象的主要修辞手法。本文主要采用了文本细读的方法，着重于诗人的生活经历对其创作产生的影响，继而深入探究诗人的内心世界，挖掘意象以及诗歌背后的内涵。作者认为，狄金森诗歌中的矛盾意象并非凭空创造出来或是未经思考的，而是来源于诗人的生活经历及其对生命、死亡等问题的自我探索。关键词：死亡;意象;宗教;矛盾

ThesisStatementThispaperresearchescontradictoryimagesinEmilyDickinson’sdeath-themedpoemsfromaspectsof:images,contradictoryimages,andrhetoricdevices.Contents1.Inroduction 11.1Theintroductionofthepoet 11.2MasterpiecesofEmily 11.3Death-themedPoemsofEmily 22.LiteratureReview 22.1ForeignstudyonEmily’sdeath-themedpoems 22.2DomesticstudyonEmily’sdeath-themedpoems 23.ImagesinEmily’sPoems 43.1ImagesofadyingeyeinI’veSeenaDyingEye 43.2ImagesofaflyinIHeardaFlyBuzz―WhenIDied 53.3ImagesofajourneyinBecauseICouldNotStopforDeath 74.ContradictoryImagesinEmily’sDeath-ThemedPoems 84.1Contradictoryinherpoems 84.2ContradictoryimagesinEmily’spoems 94.3Reasonsofcontradictoryimages 9DeathandGod 9Dickinson’sparadoxinreligionfaith 105.RhetoricalDevicesUsedtoExpressContradictoryImages 115.1Rhyme 115.2Firstpersoninthepoem 125.3Ellipsisinthepoem 12Conclusion 14Bibliography 15

Introduction1.1IntroductionofthepoetEmilyDickinson1830-1886wasoneofthegreatestfemalepoetsintheAmericanhistory.ShewasregardedasoneofthelegendfemalepoetsofAmerica.Dickinsonnevermarriedandshelivedinalmosttotalseclusionforthelasttwenty-fiveyears.ObviouslyDickinsonbelongstoathinker,andsheisaprivatepoet.Livingareclusivelife,foralongtimecutofffromthesociety,shemainlywrotepoemsfortheneedofherself.Therefore,Dickinsonfoundpoeticfreedominheruniquewaysofpoetrycomposing,whichtooktimeforthecriticsandreadersofherpoemstoadaptthemselvestoherunconventionalsyntax.However,sadly,Dickinsongainedherstatusasaprestigiouspoetposthumously.Atherdeath,sheleftcloseto1800poems,butonlyfewerthanadozenofthemwerepublished.Dickinsonleftbehindherhugechaoticmassofmanuscriptsofpoems,somecarefullyrevised,otherscarelesslyjotteddownonoddscrapsofpaper.1.2MasterpiecesofEmilySincetheappearanceofthe1890volumeofPoemsbyEmilyDickinson,furtherpublicationssuchasPoemsbyEmilyDickinson1981,LettersofEmilyDickinson1894,andPoemsbyEmilyDickinson1896attractedalotofreadersattheendofthenineteenthcentury.Literarycriticsshowedtheircomplexattitudesandexpressedtheircommentsonthis“new-born”literarystar,whichcanbeseenfromEmilyDickinson’sReceptioninthe1890:ADocumentaryHistory.Afterthepublicationofherpoems,peoplebegantodoresearchonher,poetrylifeexperiences,andspecialattitudestotheworld.Scholarsandcriticsdividedherpoetryintodifferentgroupsaccordingtothethemes,suchaslove,nature,religionanddeath.Amongmorethan1880poemscreatedbyEmilyDickinson,wearefamiliarwithsomeofthem,suchasASepal,Petal,andAThon,IlostAWorld-theOtherWord,DyingAtMyMusic,TheNatureSmile-TheMotherMust.Butherdeath-relatedpoemsaremorefamous.1.3Death-themedpoemsofEmilyAlthoughneverlefthome,therefewlivinglikeshedidknowloveanddeath.Somecriticsregardherworksasgift!Onmodernpoetryview:“poetryisaconversationbetweenpoetandself”.Dickinson,inallherlifeagainandagainthoughtlife,death,eternallife,religiousdisciplineandnaturalmeaning.Inhernearlyonethousandeighthundredpoems,600ofthemareaboutthedeaththeme,suchasIdieforbeauty,I’veseenadyingeye,IHeardaFlyBuzz-WhenIDied,BecauseIcouldnotstopforDeath.Thedeath-themedpoemswhichshewritesarefulloflifeartisticconception,andpeculiar,andsignificantmeaning.Manyabstractobjectsarereplacedbycontradictoryimages.LiteratureReview2.1ForeignstudyonEmily’sdeath-themedpoemsThefirstphaseofEmilyDickinson’sCriticismbeganwiththeToddandHigginson’sco-efforttopublishherfirstseriesofpoemsin1924,withanunsatisfactoryresponsethatshewasappealedtoreadersmoreasanelusivefigurethanasasuccessfulpoet.ItwasnotuntilthepublicationofRebeccaPatterson’sTheRiddleofEmilyDickinsonthatthecriticalpracticescametoabloomingstageofsignificantresearch.AllenTatewasamongthefirstcriticswhotookEmilyDickinsonseriouslyasapoet,andhisappealforaserioustextualstudyofherdeathpoetrywassignificantlyrewarded,withapioneeringeffortofDonaldThackreyandHenryWells’textualcriticism.Recently,AmericanscholarspaymuchattentiontothelanguagestylesofDickinson’spoetryandtrytouseBakhtin,MiehelFoueaultandJ.JacquesDerrida’screativetheoriesoffictiontodiscusslanguageartofDickinson’sdeath-themedpoems.Atthesametime,researcherstrytoreevaluateDickinson’sstatusinliteraryhistory.2.2DomesticstudyonEmily’sdeath-themedpoemsInrecentyears,thereareover70papersofdomesticstudyonEmilyDickinson.Theseresearchesmainlyfocusonthefollowingaspects:EmilyDickinsoninsolitude,notmarryinherlife,herparadoxinreligionfaith,EmilyDickinson’spoetrytheme,artisticstyle.Thefollowingaresomedomesticstudies.RongrongXueinRuminatingoverDeath―EmilyDickinsonhassaid,forlivinginthesecularworld,sheisalreadydead.Sheputsalltheenergyarecollectedintoaspiritualworldthatbelongstoherselfcompletely,andpondersthelife,deathandlife,letsherownartaccomplishmentincalmandmaturesublimating.GuohuaSuninDeathandlifeDeathThemes―EmilyDickinson’sPoetryResearchpointsout,fromtheattitudetotheconceptofdeath,shedoesnotstayinthefearofdeathandhelplessoftheemotionalexpression,butthroughtheconstructingtheuniqueartisticconceptionopenupanewperspectiveofthinkingaboutlifeanddeath,theessenceoflife.ZhifangXiao,alsoinContradictorySoul―InterpretationofEmilyDickinsonstudiesDickinson’sDeathPoemswhichhasthefeatureofduality,pointsnotonlytheruthlessofdeath,butalsodeathbringstheliberationandcalm.JuSuninDeathEqualsImmortalityandDeathDoesnotEqualImmortalitydiscussesDickinson’sconversionofbeliefindeathpoems.Dickinson’slifecausedbythespecialhistoricalenvironmentandpersonallifeoffaith,deathpoetrycreationinthecontradictionbetweendeathandlifejourneyistheresultofEmilyDickinsonearlyChristianfaithandfaithconsciousnessofbeliefformationprocess,infactitalsoreflectstheperiodoftheAmericanpeoplebeliefchange.Atthesametime,YanQuinthearticlePassioninEmilyDickinson’sPoems―ontheMotivesofNature,LoveandDeathhasalsosaidthatalthoughwecan’tignoreDickinson’sfearofdeath,herfocusonthedeatharebecauseshelovesthelifesomuch.DianhongYanginLove,DeathandEternity:InterpretationofEmilyDickinson’sPoems,thinksthatEmilyDickinsonpoems’contentisrich,andherpoetryshouldnotsimplybeclassifiedbecauseherlovepoemsarecloselyrelatedtoculture,andreligious,deathpoetrycloselylinkstotheeternal,death-themed.Thispaperisunderthehelpofpreviousresearches,comprehensiveanalysisDickinsondeaththemepoems.Re-acknowledgeofEmilyDickinsonconcernsaboutlifeanddeaththeme.Makingherpoemshavemorestrongsensebeyondthesignificanceandthemorestrongsenseofultimateconcern.EmilyDickinsonhasnotstoppedresearchonthemeaningofdeath.Therefore,authorputsthepoetrycontradictoryimagesandthefateofthepoettogethertoresearch,whichcanachieveasignificantunderstandingaboutEmilyDickinson’spoem.3.DeathImagesinEmily’sPoemsEmilyusesimagesinherpoems,andthatiswhywecanfollowherfootprinttoappreciatethedeathjourney.Deathinherpoem’simageisimmortalityreality.Usingdifferentperspectivestoreadherpoemscanachieveincessantnewrecognition.Fromstrongfearofdeathatherearlierage,tilltocreateimaginationofdeathattheendofherlife,poemsmanifestsDickinsontranscendentlife.Dickinsonfindsherownidentityondeathimagination,andsheselectslonelywaytolive.Shecanunderstandherinnerworldbetter,therefore,shecreatesmagicalpoems.Nowthispaperwilltalkaboutsomeimagesin3death-themedpoems.3.1ImagesofadyingeyeinI’veSeenaDyingEyeI’veseenadyingeye,Runroundandroundaroom,Insearchofsomething,asitseemed,Thencloudierbecome,Andthen,obscurewithfog,Andthenbesoldereddown,Withoutdisclosingwhatitbe,‘Twereblessedtohaveseen.ThepoemI’veseenaDyingEyeis,likethefollowingpoemIHeardAbuzzWhenIDied,apoemconcernedwiththeexperienceofadyingperson.Therearetwodifferentobservationstakingplaceinthepoem,onefromthedyingeyeandtheotherfromthenarrator.Theobservationfromthedyingeyeis,itisclear,thesearchforsomethingjustbeforethesightisobscuredbydeath.Thesearch,then,isinfactbeingmadebythepoetwho,inthepresenceofdeath,hopestofindananswertotheriddleofdeath.Death,asthepoemgoes,presentsitsuncertaintyanduncontrollability.Thefirstlineindicatesdirectlywhatthesubjectofthepoemis,andthenfollowsthedescriptionofthesubjectinthesecondline.Thesimilarpronunciationsofrunandroundshowasenseofuncertainty.Theeyesaresearchingforsomething,andnooneelseexceptthedyingpersonhimselfcanknowwhatexactlyitis.Theword“seemed”,plusthedashfollowingit,suggeststhenarrator’ssuspectoftheavailabilityoftheobjecttheeyesaresearchingfor.Asdeathapproaches,theeyesbecome“cloudier”,whichindicatestheendofthesearchisalsobeingcloser.“Obscurewithfog”isthefollowingstateoftheeyes’vision,andthenfinallycomesthelaststate―“besoldereddown”,whichmeansthatthechannelofvisionistotallyshut.Thenarratorwitnessesthewholeprocess,butsheyetcannotprovidetheexactresultofthedyingeye’ssearching.Thequestionofwhatthedyinghasseenatthemomentofdeathisstillunanswered,butthenarrationofdeathandnarrator’spotentialsuggestionencourageonetoimagineandtoproducehisownversionofanswersthroughhisimagination.3.2ImagesofaflyinIHeardaFlyBuzz―WhenIDiedHercontinuousthinkingofdeathresultsinherimaginationasthedead.Inmanyofherpoetry,sheexpressesherwonderingthoughtsaboutdeath.Shebelievesinimmortality,butsheisalsocuriousaboutwhathappensafterdeath.Withherwriting,Dickinsonmanagestodescribetheprocessofdeathbysensingtheconversionoftheprocessfromlifetodeath.Actually,thepoetbecomessoinvolvedinthedetaileddescriptionofthatprocessthatthereaderscandiscoverquiteafewpoems,bywhichDickinsoninterpretsherdeeplyideaoflifeanddeath.IheardaflybuzzwhenIdied,ThestillnessroundmyformWaslikethestillnessintheairBetweentheheavesofstorm.Theeyesbesidehadwrungthemdry,AndbreathsweregatheringsureForthatlastonset,whenthekingBewitnessedinhispower.Iwilledmykeepsakes,signedawayWhatportionofmeICouldmakeassignable,andthenThereinterposedafly,Withblue,uncertain,stumblingbuzz,Betweenthelightandme,Andthenthewindowsfailed,andthenIcouldnotseetosee.IHeardaFlyBuzz―WhenIDied,whichisremarkableforitsvirtuosity,showsherimagined“experienceofthedead”.Inthispoem,Dickinsonplacesherselfinthemindofawomanwhoisdied.Sherelivesthemomentofdeath,andthehopeforimmortalitythatshouldpursue.Withfamilyandfriendsgatheredaround,herheightenedsensereportsthecrisisinflatdomesticterms.Thebereavedfamilyatthebedsideisfulloftears,forthemomentofdeatharriving,astillnesssuchas“betweentheheavenofstorm”preparesthereaderphysicallytohearthefinialagonizinggaspofthedying.Inanatmosphereofcalminnerandquietoutward,thedyingpersoncollectedlyproceedstobequeathhisorherworldlypossessions,andwhileengagedinthisactivityof“willing”,discoverhisattentionwithdrawbyafly’sbuzzing.Itisthesamemomentofdeath,anditisthesamecomparisonofquietandmove.Whatthedifferenceisanimportantimagewhichtheauthoraddedinthispoem―afly.Thisflyinthesilentroomishummingbuzzatbegin,andattheend,theinstabilityoftheintermittentcryuncertainstumblingbuzz,tillthedisappearanceofthevoice.Theauthor’sdescriptioninthispoemaimsatreflectinghowtheherointhepoemisundergoingfromconscious,perceptualstate,intotheunconsciousinsensiblestate.Theroomisquietuntilitisbrokenbytheflyhum,whichmeansdeathisreallyapproaching.Then,thehero’sawarenessandconsciousnessgraduallydecline,andthefly’svoice,shapeandcolorvanishinthehero’seyes.Inthewholeprocessdescribed,thepoetalwaysremainsastateofobjectiveandcalm,andbringsexperienceofreasondeathtoreaders.3.3ImagesofajourneyinBecauseICouldNotStopforDeathBecauseIcouldnotstopforDeath,Hekindlystoppedforme,ThecarriageheldbutjustourselvesAndImmortality.Weslowlydrove,heknewnohaste,AndIhadputawayMylabor,andmyleisuretoo,Forhiscivility.Wepassedtheschoolwherechildrenplayed,Theirlessonsscarcelydone,Wepassedthefieldsofgazinggrain,Wepassedthesettingsun.WepausedbeforeahousethatseemedAswellingoftheground,Theroofwasscarcelyvisible,Thecornicebutamound.Sincethenitiscenturies,buteachFeelsshorterthanthedayIfirstsurmisedthehorses’headsWeretowardeternity.EachpoemofDickinsonmanifeststhedignityofdeath,thenitwidenstoimmortalityandtheeternity.Thispoemisnotanexceptionalwhichhasaddedmorejoysonthewaytodeathwhichisastrangewaytoappreciate.Thepoemstartswithaleisurelyimage.Atthebeginning,thespeakerfeelstotallyateaseandthefrighteningdeathisdescribedasafamiliarfriend,gentleandpolite.Continuingly,thepoemgoesuponabasicmetaphorthatlifeisajourney.Itistrulyratheranoldcomparison,butDickinsonenrichesitwithhercreativityandimagination:“School,wherechildrenstrove”―childhood,“FieldsofGazingGrain”―maturity,and“SettingSun”―oldage.Then“theDewsdrewquiveringandchill”makesthespeakersfeelterriblycold,whichperhapsmeansthattheyaregettingnearerandnearertothetomb.Nevertheless,atlast,hercompanions,immortalityanddeath,finallydesertherandleaveheralonetowardeternity.Soitseemsthatthoughdeathcheatsherandatthesametimedesertsher,theexperienceofdeathitselfisnotpainful.EmilyDickinson’spoemsjustillustratethisclassofessenceoflife,whichthenleadustoaworldofimaginationandthinking.BecauseICouldNotStopforDeathistheinterpretationofmortalexperiencefromthestandpointofimmortality.Athemestemmingfromthatisthedefinitionofeternityastimelessness.Thepoetrunsthesethemesofmortality,immortality,andeternity,intermsofajourneyimage.Theimageplayssuccessfulroleinherpoem,whichisusedtounitetheframeofthepoem.Thepoemperfectlyrepresentssorrow,solitary.Emilyplacestheconflictsoflifeanddeathintheparticularatmosphere,sothatwhenhumanfacedeath,thedeathroad,colorthecomplicatedmentalityisnecessarytoeternallife.4.ContradictoryImagesinEmily’sDeath-ThemedPoemsContradictoryandimagearetwomaincluesinEmily’sdeath-relatedpoems.Sothefollowingtextsfocusonthecontradictoryimagesinpoems,andanalysisthereasonsthatEmilyputssomanycontradictoryimagesinherdeath-themedpoems.4.1ContradictoryinherpoemsInthepoemIheardaFlyBuzz―whenIDied,therelationshipbetweenthesettingandthespeakerisshowninaflashback,andthesceneislaidnotinthepresent,butitisinthepast,althoughthevoiceofthenarratorspeaksfromthepresent.Itisunderstandablethatthedyingperson’sinnerviolentcommotionofthefeelingsatthetimeofdepartureiscomparedtoastrongoutbreakofstorm,whereastheserenemomentsoftheoutersettingarecontrastedwithwhatseemedchaosatthetimeofdying.Theoveralltoneofthenarratorisoneofcalmcomposure.4.2ContradictoryimagesinEmily’sPoemsInIheardaFlybuzz―whenIdied,thepoemstartswithimageofafly,andthenotherimagesfollowin.Aflyintervenes,thesceneshutsitselfofffromtheperceptionofthenarrator,andvoicewehearintheopeningstanzaisthatofadeceasedperson.Herobsessionswiththeflyisneithermentalnoroutwardly,buthassomereligiousovertones.Thepoembeginswithadirectpresentationofthesituation:“Icouldnotseetosee”.Thestatement“Iheardaflybuzz―whenIdied―”isfollowedbyadescriptionofthesetting.Thepoetisworkingdeliberatelytoshapesuchanatmosphere,onefilledwithprofoundsilence.“Stillness”contrastssharplywithitscuriouslyopposite“HeavensofStorm”.4.3ReasonsofcontradictoryimagesWehaveanalyzedthecontradictoryimagesinherdeathpoemsabove,butwestilldonotknowthereasons.WhatledEmilytowritedeathpoems,andwhatledEmilytoputcontradictoryimagesinherpoetry.Thefollowingtextswillgivereasonsfromtwoaspects:thedistrustofGod,andherparadoxinreligionfaith.DeathandGodEmilyDickinsonhopestohaveapathwhichleadstotheeternallife,butshewitnessesthespreadofdiseaseandthedisasterofdeath.Ononehand,shehasdeepfaithingod.Ontheotherhand,sheisdeepmiseryforgodweaknessandindifference.Thisambivalenceisthesourceofherlonelinessinallthelife.Therefore,shehasrefusedtojointhechurch,buthadareclusivelife.Thiskindofemotionalvoiceshowsherloveandcaretohuman,whichletpeopleadmireherbecauseinthatmomentrarelypeopledaretochallengethechurch,themoraleandcourage.ShequestionsagainandagainintheBibleaboutdeathexplanation,shecannotacceptthatthealmightygodtookawaywhatpeoplelove.Underthebackgroundofgod,intheeternaldeaththemepoetry,Emilyhadwrittenhersuspiciousaboutgod,thechallengetothechurch,andthesuspiciousofeternallifeandherinnercontradictionsandpain.Thepoem“IknowthatHeexists”isapoemofthefirstcategory.Afterreadingit,readerswillnoticethatthetoneofthepoemisironic.Atthebeginning,thepersonaofthepoemisawareoftheexistenceofGod.Forhim,Godis“SomewhereinSilence”,because“Hehashidhisrarelife/Fromourgrosseyes”.AlthoughthepersonacannotseetheGod,hestilltriestoseekpleasureinthedailyexploration.SheregardsGod’sconcealmentas“afondAmbush”.Shethinksitis“Bliss”andpeoplecanearntheirown“surprise”iftheycanfindthehiddenGod.However,abigchangetakesplaceasthepoemcontinues.Thecontentofthepoemsuddenlychangesfromageneraldiscussion