Miniver-Cheevy赏析

米尼弗.契维，傲世的青年，日瘦一日，因为他愤世嫉俗，他痛哭，为什么降生人间，他理由十足。米尼弗爱的是上古旧世，那时有骏骥奔腾，剑光闪耀，他一想到武士的纠纠雄姿就手舞足蹈。米尼弗叹息的是盛世难逢，一日劳作之余，颠倒梦魂，他梦到梯比斯城，卡美洛宫，普里安的邻人。米尼弗古人声望显隆，使那么多名字百世遗芳，而如今罗曼斯乞讨为生，艺术颠沛流浪。米尼弗倾心的是美第齐家族，虽然他从来没有见过一个人。要是他成了一个美第齐，定会做恶无穷。米尼弗诅咒芸芸众生，瞅着军装他心里难受他向往中世纪的铁衣甲胄，多潇洒风流。米尼弗瞧不起他追求的金子，没金子又叫他耿耿于怀，米尼弗冥思苦想，苦想冥思，成天想不开。米尼弗.契维生不逢时，整日价搔脑袋想个不休。他咳嗽，却自认命该如此，只好借酒浇愁。E.A.Robinson的又一首小城人物肖像诗。作者忠于生活的本来面目，再现了破落青年充满怨恨的心灵。生活是复杂的，人的感情也是复杂的。诗中青年Cheevy正是如此。MiniverCheevy生活在19世纪后半叶拜金主义猖獗的美国，他一方面贪恋金钱和物质，另一方面又向往古人的高尚精神。他是在浑浑噩噩中尚有独清独醒特点的美国人的典型。Cheevy抱怨自己生不逢时，在苦酒中寻求慰藉。他前途未卜，走的似乎是一条通向失败的黑暗道路，但他具备一种“绝望中的勇气”，他虽借酒浇愁，却仍在思索着寻找出路。他的生活无疑是失意的，但那似乎是一种让人尊敬和惋惜的失意。Robinson力求在诗中表达这种失意的神秘性。MiniverCheevyismarkedbyabroad,hyperbolic夸张的humor.Thecharacterthatthepoemdisplaysisafigureoffun.However,thehumoriswry扭曲的;wecanlaughatthedrunkardwhodrinkstoescape,onlyaslongasweignorehisplight.Thereismorethanahimofself-portraitureinMiniver'sdeludedenchantmentwithapastthatneverwas.Thepoemsuggests,inacomicway,whatEugeneO'NeillportraysinTheIcemanCometh;thesurvivalvaluefortheunsuccessfulofdelusionplusdrink;forthosewho,likeCory,faceuptothetruthofthings,abulletmaybeinevitable.TypeofWorkEdwinArlingtonRobinson's“MiniverCheevy”isadramaticlyricpoemcenteringonatwentieth-centurymisfitwhodreamsoflivingintheheroicageofswordandhorse.CharlesScribner’sSonspublisheditin1910aspartofacollectionentitledTownDowntheRiver.SettingAlthoughthepoemmentionsnospecificlocale,readersofRobinson’spoetryknowthatMiniverCheevylivesinfictionalTown,acommunitymodeledonRobinson’shometownofGardiner,Maine.GardinerisontheKennebecRiverinMaineafewmilessouthofthestatecapital,Augusta.RobinsonusedTilburyTownasthesettingofmanyofhispoems,includingthehighlypopularRichardCory,althoughhispoemsseldommentionthetownbyname.TitleMeaning“MiniverCheevy”isanunusualbutaptnameforthepoemanditsmisfitdreamer.ConsiderthatMiniveristhenameofawhiteorgrayfurusedinearliertimestotrimtheceremonialrobesofroyalsandnobles.Inhisdreamsaboutthepast,Mr.Cheevyperhapsseeshimselfinsuchfinerobesasanimportantpersonatthecourtofaking—orasthekinghimself.Consider,too,thatCheevyresembleswordsderivedfromtheFrenchnouncheval(horse)toidentifygallantknightsandtheircodeofhonor(chivalry).ThenameofgamelandsneartheborderofScotlandandEnglandwasChevyChase(orChace)torefertohuntstherebynoblesonhorseback.Afamouspoem,TheBalladofChevyChase,centersonastoried1388battleatthesitebetweenEnglishmenandScotsafterthelattermistookanEnglishhuntingpartyforaninvasionforce.Ofcourse,MiniverCheevycanalsobeacoinagederivedfromthetermminimumachiever,alabelthatsumsupMr.Cheevy’smeagerabilitiesinthemodernworkadayworld.StructureThestructureofMiniverCheevyisneatlysymmetrical对称性,containingeightfour-linestanzas(quatrains).Thefirstandthirdlinesofeachstanzahavemasculineendrhyme,andthesecondandfourthlineshavefeminineendrhyme.Masculinerhymeoccurswhenthefinalsyllableofalinerhymeswiththefinalsyllableofanotherline.Femininerhymeoccurswhenthefinaltwosyllablesofalinerhymewiththefinaltwosyllablesofanotherline.RobinsonbeginsthefirstlineofeachstanzawithMiniverandthethirdlineofeachstanzawitheitherheorMiniver.Healsolengthensthesecondlineofeachstanzaandshortensthelastlineofeachstanza,enablinghimtopresentthelongandtheshortofMiniver'smisery.Inaddition,herhetoricallyparallelstheopeningsofthesecond,third,andfourthstanzaswiththeopeningsofthefifth,sixth,andseventhstanzas.Theopeninglineoftheeighthstanzathenrhetoricallyparallelstheopeninglineofthefirststanza.Followingisanillustrationofthispattern:Stanza1,line1:MiniverCheevy,childofscorn,Stanza8,line1:MiniverCheevy,borntoolate,Comment:Noticethatlines1and8resembleeachothergrammatically:Ineachcase,apropernounisfollowedbyaparentheticalexpression.NoticealsothatthesearetheonlytwolinesinthepoemthatbeginwiththefirstandlastnamesofCheevy.Stanza2,line1:MiniverlovedthedaysofoldStanza3,line1:MiniversighedforwhatwasnotStanza4,line1:MinivermournedtheriperenownStanza5,line1:MiniverlovedtheMediciStanza6,line1:MinivercursedthecommonplaceStanza7,line1:MiniverscornedthegoldhesoughtComment:Noticethepattern:(1)Miniverloved,Miniversighed,Minivermourned;(2)Miniverloved,Minivercursed,Miniverscorned...Miniver'sFixationWhataccountsforMiniverCheevy’sfixationonthepast?Mr.Cheevywouldtellyouthathecannotabidetheworkadayworldaroundhim,foritishumdrumandbourgeois,lackingtheheroicspiritandaesthetictasteofagespast.Miniverhimselfhastherequiredgallantryandrefinement,hewouldassureyou,butcannotusethesequalitiesbecausehewasborninthewrongcenturyinthewrongplace.Ifhecouldgobackintime—toArthur’sCamelot,forexample—whatwondershewouldwork.Ridingahorseandwieldingasword,hewouldleadknightsinacharge,laysiegetocastles,andcarryhomevasttreasures.Minstrelswouldsingofhisvalor;fairmaidenswouldswoonathissmile.WhatMiniverwouldnottellyou,however,isthetruthabouthisownpast.Earlyinlife,hewasa“childofscorn”(line1)becausehisparentsandthecommunityinwhichheliveddidnotaccepthimforwhathewas.Washedisfigured,awkward,peevish,incorrigible–orperhapsillegitimate?Itdoesnotmatter.Whatmattersisthatheprotectedhimselfbyescapingintobooksandlivingvicariouslyintheirstories.Heb