The-Raven中英文賞析

1、哥特式文學(xué)首先盛行于18，19世紀(jì)的西方世界，旨在描述發(fā)生在充滿神秘與恐怖氛圍中的傳奇經(jīng)歷。許多學(xué)者認(rèn)為，“哥特元素大都運(yùn)用于小說創(chuàng)作，而詩歌則由于受到情節(jié)、節(jié)奏與韻律的限制而缺少敘述哥特故事的基礎(chǔ)條件” (Tzvetan 25-26)。但部分學(xué)者則堅(jiān)信“哥特元素不僅存在于小說中，在詩歌當(dāng)中亦可以分外活躍”（劉守蘭：55）。作為美國(guó)哥特文學(xué)大師與先驅(qū)，埃德加·愛倫坡的短篇小說以及他的詩作都充滿了哥特式的神奇色彩。但是大多數(shù)學(xué)者僅將研究聚焦于其短篇小說中的哥特研究，而忽視了該元素在其詩歌中也存在的現(xiàn)實(shí)。一、愛倫坡所持的哥特式文學(xué)理論愛倫坡對(duì)美好事物的凋零有著強(qiáng)烈的迷戀。追根究底，這還源

2、于他兒時(shí)的喪親之痛，與中年的喪妻之痛。而已逝女子的影子常在他腦海里盤旋，引領(lǐng)他在詩歌王國(guó)里翱翔。哥特式風(fēng)格又恰如其分地被其用于詮釋他心底深處的恐懼與壓抑。眾多作家在描寫恐怖情節(jié)時(shí)，常對(duì)外部環(huán)境進(jìn)行大力渲染，而他則更注重對(duì)人內(nèi)心世界的雕琢。他深信“詩歌的最好主題是死亡，尤其是美麗尤物的死亡，將毫無疑問是世界上最具詩意的主題（Poe：133-140）”。他用詩歌踐行了自己的寫作原則，并將一生都奉獻(xiàn)給了這種哀傷的美麗。為更清晰地展現(xiàn)愛倫坡的哥特式寫作風(fēng)格，本文將以烏鴉為例并詮釋其中所蘊(yùn)含的死亡之美與哥特式元素。二、意象塑造1、人與物的塑造烏鴉塑造了兩個(gè)重要形象：年輕男子與烏鴉。悲傷的男子剛失去他最愛

3、的女子，他企圖沉浸于書以忘卻傷痛，但一切都是徒勞，他越看書，越被寂寞與悲痛侵蝕；而象征死亡與不祥的烏鴉卻在午夜，飛入這間男子曾常與故去情人蕾諾相會(huì)的小屋。此外，詩人還塑造了兩個(gè)對(duì)詩的主旨起重要作用的意象。其一為黑色，“純色調(diào)可使人產(chǎn)生快樂或抑郁之感”（朱立元：489-490）。詩中所連續(xù)采用的黑色背景，可使讀者感到壓抑，從而感受男子心底的恐懼與悲痛。詩中反復(fù)出現(xiàn)的“永遠(yuǎn)不再”亦可看作一種特殊形象。除該詞的原意外，它還具有象征意義。在烏鴉出場(chǎng)時(shí)，悲傷的男子問它叫什么名字，烏鴉的回答就是“永遠(yuǎn)不再”，但當(dāng)主人翁向?yàn)貘f詢問是否有良藥以消除他心中對(duì)蕾諾的思念時(shí)，當(dāng)他想知道是否能與蕾諾在遙遠(yuǎn)的天堂再次相

4、會(huì)時(shí)，以及最后要求烏鴉離開小屋時(shí)，烏鴉都是通過“永遠(yuǎn)不再”作答，也正是這個(gè)詞，使得男子陷入永恒的悲痛深淵。2、場(chǎng)景設(shè)置讀者可在開篇看到一幅夜半三更的凄厲畫卷：陰森的氣氛，令人毛骨悚然的場(chǎng)景，神秘而憂郁的男子,不祥的烏鴉在陰郁而寒冷的午夜，除寒風(fēng)的呼嘯聲與男子翻動(dòng)書頁的聲音，周圍的一切均可謂萬籟俱寂，屋外的世界在夜的面紗籠罩之下，而屋內(nèi)的狹小空間在昏暗的光線下顯得忽明忽暗，突然一陣短暫的敲門聲在他房門上叩響，但當(dāng)他打開房門查看時(shí)，卻不見敲門人，只有無情的黑夜與肆虐的狂風(fēng)。然而，當(dāng)他回到屋內(nèi)，之前的敲門聲卻再次響起，烏鴉在這時(shí)飛入他的房間，并棲息于他房門之上。但為何選擇午夜作為故事發(fā)生的時(shí)間？午夜

5、意味著恐怖與神秘，各種幽靈與魔鬼總在此時(shí)出沒。這種令人發(fā)怵的氛圍，為烏鴉的出場(chǎng)奠定了基調(diào)。詩人將故事設(shè)置在一所幽僻而狹小的屋子里也是別有一番用心。首先，狹小而封閉的空間對(duì)構(gòu)建孤僻而隔世的哥特式恐怖氣氛有著絕對(duì)的幫輔作用。第二，小屋正是兩位情侶的愛巢，這個(gè)屋子依舊如此，然而曾經(jīng)的歡笑卻隨著女主人的香消玉殞而一去不返。男子守著物是人非的屋子，睹物思人，是何等的悲傷。如此設(shè)置場(chǎng)景會(huì)在讀者心中引起共鳴，使讀者對(duì)男子的同情之心油然而生。烏鴉,作為一首以抑揚(yáng)格八音部構(gòu)建下完成的敘事體詩歌,讀起來朗朗上口,具有極強(qiáng)的音感。全詩在愛倫坡極具個(gè)性的語言風(fēng)格營(yíng)造中,描繪出一個(gè)非現(xiàn)實(shí)環(huán)境下的超自然氛圍。它講述的是一

6、個(gè)關(guān)于男主人翁痛失所愛的故事。一個(gè)會(huì)說人類語言的烏鴉,來到一個(gè)剛剛失去心上致愛的男子身邊。男子正竭盡全力使自己走出這情感的陰霾,但烏鴉的到來卻更加加重了男子的無限傷感。任憑男子一再地反復(fù)詢問,烏鴉的回復(fù)冷酷而讓人絕望:永不復(fù)焉。 烏鴉（英語：The Raven，又譯渡鴉），是美國(guó)作家埃德加·愛倫·坡所著的一首敘事詩，于1845年1月首次出版。它的音調(diào)優(yōu)美，措辭獨(dú)具風(fēng)格，詩句并有著超自然的氛圍。它講述了一只會(huì)說話的渡鴉對(duì)一名發(fā)狂的戀人的神秘拜訪，描繪了這個(gè)男人緩慢陷入瘋狂的過程。這名戀人，普遍被認(rèn)為是一名學(xué)生12，因失去他的所愛麗諾爾而深感悲痛。渡鴉坐在帕拉斯胸像上

7、，似乎在進(jìn)一步煽動(dòng)著他的憂傷，不斷重復(fù)著話語：“永不復(fù)焉?！贝嗽娮鞑⑹褂昧吮姸嗝耖g與古典的文獻(xiàn)。愛倫·坡自認(rèn)此詩寫得十分有邏輯與條理。他的目的是創(chuàng)作一首能皆在評(píng)論與大眾兩方引起共鳴的詩，同他在他1846年的后續(xù)評(píng)論創(chuàng)作哲學(xué)中所解釋的。此詩說話渡鴉的部分的靈感來自于查爾斯·狄更斯的巴納比·拉奇：八零年代暴動(dòng)的故事3。愛倫·坡亦模仿了勃朗寧的詩作杰拉丁女士的求婚的復(fù)雜節(jié)奏與韻律。全詩并使用句中韻以及頭韻法。烏鴉于1845年1月29日進(jìn)行首次印刷，由紐約鏡像晚報(bào)發(fā)行。它的出版使得愛倫·坡終身受到歡迎，盡管這并沒有為他帶來巨大的財(cái)富。此詩不久后便再版、

8、受諧仿及加上插圖。盡管評(píng)論對(duì)其地位的見解并不一致，它仍是史上最著名的詩作之一。"The Raven" is a narrative poem by American writer Edgar Allan Poe. First published in January 1845, the poem is often noted for its musicality, stylized language, and supernatural atmosphere. It tells of a talking r

9、aven's mysterious visit to a distraught lover, tracing the man's slow descent into madness. The lover, often identified as being a student,12 is lamenting the loss of his love, Lenore. Sitting on a bust of Pallas, the raven seems to further instigate his distress with its constant

10、repetition of the word "Nevermore". The poem makes use of a number of folk and classical references.Poe claimed to have written the poem very logically and methodically, intending to create a poem that would appeal to both critical and popular tastes, as he explained in

11、 his 1846 follow-up essay "The Philosophy of Composition". The poem was inspired in part by a talking raven in the novel Barnaby Rudge: A Tale of the Riots of 'Eighty by Charles Dickens.3 Poe borrows the complex rhythm and meter of Elizabeth Barrett's 

12、poem "Lady Geraldine's Courtship", and makes use of internal rhyme as well as alliterationthroughout."The Raven" was first attributed to Poe in print in the New York Evening Mirror on January 29, 1845. Its publication made Poe widely popular in his li

13、fetime, although it did not bring him much financial success. Soon reprinted, parodied, and illustrated, critical opinion is divided as to the poem's status, but it nevertheless remains one of the most famous poems ever written.4Synopsis"The Raven" follows an unnamed narrator on a

14、 night in December who sits reading "forgotten lore"6 as a method to forget the loss of his love, Lenore. A "rapping at his chamber door"6 reveals nothing, but excites his soul to "burning".7 A similar rapping, slightly louder, is heard at his window. Whe

15、n he goes to investigate, a raven steps into his chamber. Paying no attention to the man, the raven perches on a bust of Pallas.Amused by the raven's comically serious disposition, the man demands that the bird tell him its name. The raven's only answer is "Nevermore"

16、;.7 The narrator is surprised that the raven can talk, though at this point it has said nothing further. The narrator remarks to himself that his "friend" the raven will soon fly out of his life, just as "other friends have flown before"7 along with his previous hopes.

17、As if answering, the raven responds again with "Nevermore".7 The narrator reasons that the bird learned the word "Nevermore" from some "unhappy master" and that it is the only word it knows.7Even so, the narrator pulls his chair directly in front of the raven, dete

18、rmined to learn more about it. He thinks for a moment, not saying anything, but his mind wanders back to his lost Lenore. He thinks the air grows denser and feels the presence of angels. Confused by the association of the angels with the bird, the narrator becomes angry, calling the raven a "th

19、ing of evil" and a "prophet". As he yells at the raven it only responds, "Nevermore".8 Finally, he asks the raven whether he will be reunited with Lenore in Heaven. When the raven responds with its typical "Nevermore", he shrieks and commands the raven to retu

20、rn to the "Plutonian shore",8 though it never moves. Presumably at the time of the poem's recitation by the narrator, the raven "still is sitting"8 on the bust of Pallas. The narrator's final admission is that his soul is trapped beneath the raven's shadow a

21、nd shall be lifted "Nevermore".8AnalysisPoe wrote the poem as a narrative, without intentionally creating an allegory or falling into didacticism.2 The main theme of the poem is one of undying devotion.9 The narrator experiences a perverse conflict betwee

22、n desire to forget and desire to remember. He seems to get some pleasure from focusing on loss.10The narrator assumes that the word "Nevermore" is the raven's "only stock and store", and, yet, he continues to ask it questions, knowing what the answer will be. His questions, t

23、hen, are purposely self-deprecating and further incite his feelings of loss.11 Poe leaves it unclear if the raven actually knows what it is saying or if it really intends to cause a reaction in the poem's narrator.12 The narrator begins as weak and weary, becomes regretful and grief-st

24、ricken, before passing into a frenzy and, finally, madness.13 Christopher F. S. Maligec suggests the poem is a type of elegiac paraclausithyron, an ancient Greek and Roman poetic form consisting of the lament of an excluded, locked-out lover at the sealed door of his beloved.14Allusio

25、nsPoe says that the narrator is a young scholar.15 Though this is not explicitly stated in the poem, it is mentioned in "The Philosophy of Composition". It is also suggested by the narrator reading books of "lore" as well as by the bust of Pallas Athena, goddess of wisd

26、om.1He is reading "many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore".6 Similar to the studies suggested in Poe's short story "Ligeia", this lore may be about the occult or black magic. This is also emphasized in the author's choice to set the poem in

27、 December, a month which is traditionally associated with the forces of darkness. The use of the raven  the "devil bird"  also suggests this.16 This devil image is emphasized by the narrator's belief that the raven is "from the Night's Plutonian shore", or

28、a messenger from the afterlife, referring to Pluto, the Roman god of the underworld10 (also known as Hades in Greek mythology).Poe chose a raven as the central symbol in the story because he wanted a "non-reasoning" creature capable of speech. He dec

29、ided on a raven, which he considered "equally capable of speech" as a parrot, because it matched the intended tone of the poem.17 Poe said the raven is meant to symbolize "Mournful and Never-ending Remembrance".18 He was also inspired by Grip, the raven inBarnaby Rudge:

30、 A Tale of the Riots of 'Eighty by Charles Dickens.19 One scene in particular bears a resemblance to "The Raven": at the end of the fifth chapter of Dickens's novel, Grip makes a noise and someone says, "What was that  him tapping at the door?" The res

31、ponse is, "'Tis someone knocking softly at the shutter."20 Dickens's raven could speak many words and had many comic turns, including the popping of a champagne cork, but Poe emphasized the bird's more dramatic qualities. Poe had written a review of Barnaby Rudge 

32、;for Graham's Magazine saying, among other things, that the raven should have served a more symbolic, prophetic purpose.20 The similarity did not go unnoticed: James Russell Lowell in his A Fable for Critics wrote the verse, "Here comes Poe with his raven,

33、 like Barnaby Rudge / Three-fifths of him genius and two-fifths sheer fudge."21Poe may also have been drawing upon various references to ravens in mythology and folklore. In Norse mythology, Odin possessed two ravens named Huginn and Muninn, represen

34、ting thought and memory.22 According to Hebrew folklore, Noah sends a white raven to check conditions while on the ark.17 It learns that the floodwaters are beginning to dissipate, but it does not immediately return with the news. It is punished by being turned bla

35、ck and being forced to feed on carrion forever.22 In Ovid'sMetamorphoses, a raven also begins as white before Apollo punishes it by turning it black for delivering a message of a lover's unfaithfulness. The raven's role as a messenger in Poe's poem may d

36、raw from those stories.22Poe also mentions the Balm of Gilead, a reference to the Book of Jeremiah (8:22) in the Bible: "Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there? why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?"23 In that context, the B

37、alm of Gilead is a resin used for medicinal purposes (suggesting, perhaps, that the narrator needs to be healed after the loss of Lenore). He also refers to "Aidenn", another word for the Garden of Eden, though Poe uses it to ask if Lenore has been accepted into Heaven.

38、 At another point, the narrator imagines that Seraphim (a type of angel) have entered the room. The narrator thinks they are trying to take his memories of Lenore away from him using nepenthe, a drug mentioned in Homer's Odyssey to induce forgetfulness.Poetic s

39、tructureThe poem is made up of 18 stanzas of six lines each. Generally, the meter is trochaic octameter  eight trochaic feet per line, each foot having one stressed syllable followed by one unstressed syllable.3 The first line, for example (with / representing stre

40、ssed syllables and x representing unstressed):Syllabic structure of a verse6Stress/x/x/x/x/x/x/x/xSyllableOnceup-onamid-nightdrear-y,whileIpon-deredweakandwear-yEdgar Allan Poe, however, claimed the poem was a combination of octameter acatalectic, heptameter catalectic, and