Stopping-by-Woods-on-a-Snowy-Evening

“StoppingbyWoodsonaSnowyEvening”《雪夜林边小驻》byRobertFrostRobertFrost(1874-1963)AfamousAmericanmodernistpoetThewinnerof4PulitzerPrizes(普利策奖)ApoetoftheNewEnglandcountrysideABoy’sWill（1913）《一个男孩的意愿》NorthofBoston（1914）《波士顿以北》NewHampshire（1923）《新罕布什尔》CollectionofpoemsPoemsStoppingbyWoodsonaSnowyEvening《雪夜林边小驻》TheRoadNotTaken《未选择的路》AfterApple-Picking《摘罢苹果》LiteraryStyleProfoundmeaningsarehiddenunderneaththeplainlanguageandsimpleform.(1)Hewroteaboutthenaturalworldandrurallife,especiallytheNewEnglandlandscape.(2)Heoftenusedsimplelanguage,agracefulstyleandtraditionalformsinhispoems.(3)Symbolism(theimages—woods,starsandhousesaretakenfromeverydaylifetoexpressprofoundideas)WhosewoodstheseareIthinkIknow.Hishouseisinthevillagethough;林主的庄宅就在邻村；想来我认识这座森林，IthinkIknowwhosewoodstheseareAnalysisofthePoemwoods象征着大自然，而village象征着人类社会Hewillnotseemestoppinghere,Towatchhiswoodsfillupwithsnow.凝视他的林子雪花纷飞。他不会看到我停留于此，这里，我们不妨把未露面的树林主人及其房屋村落看作是诗人精心设计的一个象征，其含义是现实世界和人群。而诗歌中的旅行者显然独自一人伫立于代表大自然的树林和代表现实世界的村落之间，思索自己的选择和方向。TheownerofthewoodsMylittlehorsemustthinkitqueer，Tostopwithoutafarmhousenear，Betweenthewoodsandfrozenlake，Thedarkesteveningoftheyear.我那马儿一定以我为怪，在这一年中最黑之夜，湖面冰封，近无人家，林雪覆盖，停伫在此是何原因？奇怪的原因使读者看到大雪纷飞的同时，更感觉到一阵刺骨的寒冷。Hegiveshisharnessbellsashake，Toaskifthereissomemistake.主人你停在这里，是否有错？马儿轻摇铃具，似乎在问：诗人借助马儿的铃声在这洁白寂静的世界中加入了声响，马儿似乎以铃声来责怪主人的奇怪选择。1）Myhorse2）Personification拟人Theonlyothersound’sthesweep,Ofeasywindanddownyflake.只有清风徐来，雪花飘落。此外别无他声，1)Alliteration头韵2)连续的[s]音另人似乎耳闻风吹树林的嗖嗖声和雪飘的簌簌声Lightandgentlesoftandfeathery绒毛般的薄片，这里指雪花Thewoodsarelovely,darkanddeep,ButIhavepromisestokeep,不过，我有约要赴，树林幽深，景色迷人，诗人来自社会，尽管大自然的魅力使他流连忘返，但他最终决定回归社会。社会职责和义务1）Alliteration头韵2）强调树林的幽暗和深邃AndmilestogobeforeIsleep,AndmilestogobeforeIsleep.须行完路程才能安眠。须行完路程才能安眠，采用重叠句的形式以强调肩负责任之重大。诗人承担起自己所应担负的社会责任，寻求自己人生的真正意义。WritingSkills(1)RhythmandRhyme(格律)：thispoemiswritteninIambictetrameter(四步抑扬格),therhymeschemeisAABA,BBCB,CCDC,DDDD,whichiscalledinterlockingenclosedrhyme.Withinthefourlinesofeachstanza,thefirst,second,andfourthlinesrhyme.Thethirdlinedoesnot,butitsetsuptherhymesforthenextstanza.Forexample,inthethirdstanza,“queer”,”near“,and“year”allrhyme,but“lake”rhymeswith“shake”,”mistake“,and”flake“inthefollowingstanza.这种韵式叫连锁抱韵即每一诗节的第1,2,4行押韵，第3行的尾韵成为下一诗节的韵脚。(oldfashionedortraditionalform)(2)RhetoricalDevice(修辞)：Alliteration(头韵)sound&sleep;dark&deepPersonification(拟人)“he”—horse“Mylittlehorsemustthinkitqueer.”“Toaskifthereissomemistake.”Repetition(重复)“andmilestogobeforeIsleep,andmilestogobeforeIsleep.”Superficialmeaning:thereisstillalongdistancebeforethespeakerarrivesathomeandsleeps.Impliedmeaning:therearestillnumerousresponsibilitiesbeforethespeaker’slifecomestoanend.(3)Images/Symbolism(意象/象征)Woods--Themysteryofnature;thetemptationsinourlifeVillage&He(theownerofthewoods)—Humanworld&societySnow--SomethingofpurityPromises--Theunavoidableresponsibilities&obligationsMiles--Longdistance;theheavydutyoflifeSleep--Restduringnight;theendoflife(death)Iamonmyway--ThejourneyoflifeSummaryStanza1WhosewoodstheseareIthinkIknow,AHishouseisinthevillagethough,AHewillnotseemestoppinghere,BTowatchhiswoodsfillupwithsnow.AThefirststanzatellsusthatthemanisstoppinginfrontofthewoodsownedbyanotherpersoninthevillage--thevillageandtheownercanbothrepresenthumansociety.Onlythemaniswatchingthewoodsbeingfilledupwithsnow.Thewoodsandsnowcanbothhintatnaturaloccurrences.Stanza2Mylittlehorsemustthinkitqueer,BTostopwithoutafarmhousenear,BBetweenthewoodsandfrozenlake,CThedarkesteveningoftheyear.BThisstanzasaysthelocationisfarfromcivilization(farmhouse),light(darkestevening)andwarmth(frozenlake)thateventhehorsewouldthinkthemanisqueertostopthere.Stanza3Hegiveshisharnessbellsashake,CToaskifthereissomemistake.CTheonlyothersound’sthesweep,DOfeasywindanddownyflake.CTheclimaxofthewholepoemiswhenthemaniswokenupbyhishorseandstepsoutoffantasybuthefindshimselfinacontradictionbetweenrealityandfantasy.Stanza4Thewoodsarelovely,dark,anddeep,DButIhavepromisestokeep,DAndmilestogobeforeIsleep,DAndmilestogobeforeIsleep.DThisstanzarevealsthewoods’attractiontowardsthemanasitis“lovely,darkanddeep”.Italsoshowstheman’sdeterminationtobreakawayfromsuchaesthetictemptationbecausehehastotakeonworldlyburdensandresponsibilities(“promises”).ThemeThispoemstressesacentralconflictbetweenman'senjoymentofnaturalbeautyandhisresponsibilityinsociety.Thisshowsaman'sdespairingcouragetoseekoutthemeaningoflife.Questions:1.Whydid“I”stopbywoods?2.Whatmademegoonwithmyjourney?Answers:1.“I”wasintriguedbythebeauty,mysteryanddepthofthewoods.2.“Promises”;obligations;thecalloflife.