A Psalm of life 赏析

APsalmOfLifeHenryWadsworthLongfellowContents1Thebriefintroductionoftheauthorandhisworks2Thebackgroundofthepoem3Poemappreciation5Poeticform,structureandtheme6Briefanalysistothepoem7AnswerstothequestionsThebriefintroductionoftheauthorandhisworksHenryWadsworthLongfellow(1807–1882)wasbornin1807,thesonofStephenandZilpah(Wadsworth)Longfellow.Hewasthesecondofsevenchildren.HewasAmerica'smostbelovednineteenth-centurypoet,rivalinginpopularitythecontemporaryEnglishpoetAlfredLordTennyson.InfluencedbytheromanticnovelistsJamesFenimoreCooperandWashingtonIrving,LongfellowhelpedtofashionanationalliteraturebasedonAmericanmyths,history,andlandscapesinpoemssuchasTheSongofHiawatha”.Longfellowwrotepredominantlylyricpoems,knownfortheirmusicalityandoftenpresentingstoriesofmythologyandlegend.HebecamethemostpopularAmericanpoetofhisdayandalsohadsuccessoverseas.Hehasbeencriticized,however,forimitatingEuropeanstylesandwritingspecificallyforthemasses.LongfellowfamilyfaithwasUnitarian.LongfellowwasinfluencedbyhisUnitarianbeliefs,hisassociationwithNewEnglandTranscendentalists,andtheRomanticliterarymovementheencounteredinEurope.HebelievedthatthevitalityandoriginalityofAmericanliteraturemustdependuponthenation'snaturalenvironmentanddistincthistory,asopposedtothelong-standingculturalandsocialtraditionsthatinformedEuropeanliterature.Longfellow'spoetryfelloutofcriticalfavoratthebeginningofthetwentiethcenturywiththeriseofliterarymodernismanditspreoccupationwithpsychology,socialdislocation,andpoliticalideology.Despitehisoften-sentimentaltone,LongfellowremainspopularforhisevocationofavanishingAmerica,itslandscapesandoccupations,andhissimpleaffectionforhumanity.LongfellowwasawardedhonorarydoctoraldegreesfromOxfordandCambridgeuniversities,andafterhisdeathwasthefirstAmericantobeincludedinPoets'CornerofWestminsterAbbeyinLondon.Works1)VoicesoftheNight(1839)«夜吟»hisfirstcollectionofpoems2)BalladsandOtherPoems(1841)«歌谣及其他»BalladsandOtherPoemcontains:(1TheVillageBlacksmith《乡村铁匠》(2APsalmofLife《人生礼赞》(3TheSkeletoninAromor《铠甲骷髅》3)Evangeline«伊凡吉林»4)Hiawatha,basedonAmericanIndianlegends.«海华沙之歌»5)TalesofaWaysideInn«路畔旅舍的故事»6)HistranslationofDivineComedy《神曲》ofDanteThebackgroundofthepoemLongfellow’sfirstwifediedwhenhewastravelingaroundEuropeforstudying.Asaresult,hesufferedfromhypochondria(忧郁症).Whenhewrotethispoem,hewasstillstrugglingwiththeillness.•Butthepoemexpressedanimpassionedandoptimisticfeelingtothelife.ItalsoshowedthebeginningofAmerican’sextensiontothewest.•Sinceitsinspiringinfluencestopeople,thispoemhandeddowntogenerations.PoemappreciationTellmenotinmournfulnumbers请别用哀伤的诗句对我讲；Lifeisbutanemptydream!人生呵，无非是虚梦一场！Forthesoulisdeadthatslumbers因为沉睡的灵魂如死一般，Andthingsarenotwhattheyseem.事物的表里并不一样。Lifeisreal!Lifeisearnest!人生是实在的！人生是热烈的！Andthegraveisnotitsgoal;人生的目标决不是坟墓；Dustthouart,todustreturnest,你是尘土，应归于尘土。Wasnotspokenofthesoul.此话指的并不是我们的精神。APsalmOfLifeHenryWadsworthLongfellowNotenjoyment,andnotsorrow,我们的归宿并不是快乐，也不是悲伤，Isourdestinedandourway;实干才是我们的道路，Buttoact,thatmuchto-morrow.Findusfartherthanto-day.每天不断前进，蒸蒸蒸日上Artislong,andtimeisfleeting.光阴易逝，而艺海无涯，Andourhearts,thoughstoutandbrave.我们的心哪——虽然勇敢坚强，Still,likemuffleddrums,arebeating却像被布蒙住的铜鼓，Funeralmarchestothegrave常把殡葬的哀乐擂响。Intheworld’sbroadfieldofbattle,在这人生的宿营地，InthebivouacofLife,在这辽阔的世界战场，Benotlikedumb,drivencattle!别做无言的牲畜任人驱赶，Beaherointhestrife!做一名英雄好汉立马横枪！Trustnofuture.howe’erpleasant!别相信未来，哪怕未来多么欢乐！LetthedeadPastburyitsdead!让死去的往昔将死亡一切埋葬！Act—actinthegloriousPresent!Heartwithin,andGodO’erhead!上帝在上，我们胸怀勇气，行动吧———趁现在活着的好时光！Livesofgreatmenallremindus伟人的生平使我们想起，Wecanmakeourlivessublime,我们能使自己的一生变得高尚！And,departing,leavebehindus当我们辞别人间，Footstepsonthesandsoftime;能把足迹留在时间的流沙上，Footsteps,that,perhapsanother,也许有个遭了船灾的苦难弟兄，Sailingo’erlifesolemnmain,他曾在庄严的人生大海中飘航Aforlornandshipwreckedbrother,见到我们的脚印，Seeing,shalltakeheartagain,又会满怀信心Letusthenbeupanddoing,让我们起来干吧，Withaheartforanyfate;下定决心，不管遭遇怎样；Stillachieving,stillpursuing不断胜利，不断追求，Learntolaborandtowait.要学会苦干和耐心等待PoeticformandstructureItconsistsofninequatrains,rhymedabab,cdcd,efefItcanbedividedintofourpartspartone:(stanza1-3)Parttwo:(stanza4-6)partthree:(stanza7-8)Partfour:(stanza9)ThemeThepoemremindsusthatlifeisnotadream,butveryreal,andurgesustoliveittothefullandnotsitaroundwaitingfordeath.Itsaysthatthepurposeoflifeisnottohavefunorindeedtosufferbuttodosomething.Italsoremindsusthatalthoughmankindhaslivedalongtimeourownindividualtimeonearthislimitedandwillpassveryquickly,witheachheartbeatafurthersteptowardsthegrave.Sotry,likegreatmenofthepast,tomakesomethingofyourselfinyourshorttimeonearthandleavebehindsomethingbywhichtoberememberedBriefanalysistothepoemInseveralofhispoems,thereaderwillfindexamplesoflife,love,death,contemplation,andinspiration.HenryWadsworthLongfellowbeginshispoemAPsalmofLifewithenthusiasmthatcontinuesthroughmostofthepoem.Forexample,hethinkslifecanonlybelivedtrulyifonebelievesthatthesoulwillcontinuetolivelongafterthebodydies.ThesecondstanzaLongfellowstatesthisclearlybywriting,Andthegraveisnotitsgoal.Meaningthat,lifedoesn'tendforpeoplesimplybec