美国文学简史常耀信版讲义10.docx
- 文档编号:23819726
- 上传时间:2023-05-21
- 格式:DOCX
- 页数:12
- 大小:23.73KB
美国文学简史常耀信版讲义10.docx
《美国文学简史常耀信版讲义10.docx》由会员分享,可在线阅读,更多相关《美国文学简史常耀信版讲义10.docx(12页珍藏版)》请在冰豆网上搜索。
美国文学简史常耀信版讲义10
ChapterTen
Poetryfrom1900throughthe1930s
SocialBackgroundofThisPeriod
Therewereatleasttwoimportantfactorsthatmadethisperioddifferentfrombothprecedingandfollowingit:
theFirstWorldWar,andthesenseoflifebeingdislocatedandfragmentedwhichwasmorekeenlyfeltinthefirstyearofthepresentcentury.Thewarwasthebiggesteventthathadaprofoundimpactontheperiod.Meanwhile,thelossoffaith,whichbegannoticeablywithDarwin’stheoriesofevolutionandwasintensifiedbythedevelopmentofmodernscience,continuedwithagreaterintensityintothiscentury.
Intheearlytwentiethcentury,Americanpoetrybeganexperimentingwithnewformsandcontent.Thenewagedemandedproperliteraryexpression.Between1912and1922therecameagreatpoetryboominwhichabout1000poetspublishedover1000volumesofpoetry.Indeed,toexpressthemodernspirit,thesenseoffragmentationanddislocation,wasinlargemeasuretheaimofquiteafewmodernliterarymovements.
Mostofthefirstmodernistsbecame,evenearlierthanthenovelistsofthetwenties,expatriates,andallweremoreinfluencedbytheFrenchsymbolistsandthegreatItalianpoetDante,thanbyEnglishorAmericanforebears.ThoselivinginEurope,likePoundandT.S.Eliot,werenaturallymoreimmediatelyaffectedbythepostwardisillusionmentandlossoffaiththanwerethepoetsathome.TherewasamongtheAmericansnothinglikethelyricaloutpouringofpersonallossandanguishofsuchEnglishsoldier-poets—manyofthemthemselveskilledbeforethearmistice—asEdmundBlunt,WilfredOwenandSiegfriedSassoon.Butthelesspersonal,morepolitical,linksthemeaninglessdestructionofyounglivesinthewarwiththebankruptcyoftherottencivilizationitwassupposedtodefend.
TheMajorWriters
RobertFrost(1874-1963)
CarlSandburg(1878-1967)
GertrudeStein(1874-1946)
T.S.Eliot(1888-1965)
EzraPound(1885-1972)
WilliamCarlosWilliams(1883-1963)
RobertFrost(1874-1963)
LifeandCareer:
FrostwasborninSanFrancisco,hedidnotmoveEastwithhiswindowedmotheruntilhewaseleven,andhespentmostofhisadolescenceinLawrence.Between1892and1900hemarriedElinorMiriamWhiteandbeganraisinghisfamilywhileheworkedinmills,taughtschool,andattendedDartmouthCollegeandHarvardUniversity.
In1900hemovedtoafarminDerry,NewHampshire.AtDerry,Frostwasapart-timefarmerandhetaughtEnglishataprivateschool,thePinkertonAcademy,from1906to1911.HesoldtheDerryfarmin1911andmovedwithhisfamilytoEnglandthefollowingyearwherehemettheEnglishGeorgianpoetsWilfredGibson,LascellesAbercrombie,andEdwardThomasandbeganwritingpoetryfull-time.BythenFrosthadadoptedruralNewEnglandlifeashisspecialsubjectmatter,yethisfirsttwobooks,ABoy’sWill(1913)andNorthofBoston(1914),werepublishedinLondonbeforetheyappearedintheUnitedStates.FrostwasawardedthePulitzerPrizeforPoetryin1924,1931,1937,and1943.
TheUnitedStatesSenateextendeditsfelicitationstohimonhisbirthdayin1950;amountaininVermontwasnamedafterhimin1955;theStateDepartmentsenthimtoSouthAmerica,England,andRussiaongood-willmissionsin1954,1957,and1962;andin1961hewasinvitedtoreadapoemasJohnF.Kennedy’sinauguralceremonies.
TheRoadNotTaken
Tworoadsdivergedinayellowwood,
AndsorryIcouldnottravelboth
Andbeonetraveler,longIstood
AndlookeddownoneasfarasIcould
Towhereitbentintheundergrowth;
Thentooktheother,asjustasfair,
Andhavingperhapsthebetterclaim,
Becauseitwasgrassyandwantedwear;
Thoughasforthatthepassingthere
Hadwornthemreallyaboutthesame,
Andaboutthatmorningequallylay
Inleavesnostephadtroddenblack,
Oh,Ikeptthefirstforanotherday!
Yetknowinghowwayleadsontoway,
IdoubtedifIshouldevercomeback.
Ishallbetellingthiswithasigh
Somewhereagesandageshence:
Tworoadsdivergedinawood,andI—
Itooktheonelesstraveledby,
Andthathasmadeallthedifference.ASimpleAnalysis:
TheinspirationforTheRoadNotTakencamefromFrost’samusementoverafamiliarmannerismofhisclosestfriendinEngland,EdwardThomas.WhilelivinginGloucestershirein1914,FrostfrequentlytooklongwalkswithThomasthroughthecountryside.RepeatedlyThomaswouldchoosearoutewhichmightenablehimtoshowhisAmericanfriendarareplantoraspecialvista;butitoftenhappenedthatbeforetheendofsuchawalkThomaswouldregretthechoicehehadmadeandwouldsighoverwhathemighthaveshownFrostiftheyhadtakenabetterdirection.Morethanonce,onsuchoccasions,theNewEnglanderhadteasedhisWelsh-Englishfriendforthosewastedregrets.
Disciplinedbytheausterebiblicalnotionthataman,havingputhishandtotheplow,shouldnotlookback,Frostfoundsomethingquaintlyromanticinsighingoverwhatmighthavebeen.SuchacourseofactionwasaroadnevertakenbyFrost,aroadhehadbeentaughttoavoid.Inareminiscentmood,notverylongafterhisreturntoAmericaasasuccessful,newlydiscoveredpoet,FrostpretendedtocarryhimselfinthemannerofEdwardThomasjustlongenoughtowrite"TheRoadNotTaken".Immediately,hesentamanuscriptcopyofthepoemtoThomas,withoutcomment,andyetwiththeexpectationthathisfriendwouldnoticehowthepoempivotsironicallyontheun-Frostianphase,
Ashorttimelater,when"TheRoadNotTaken"waspublishedintheAtlanticMonthlyforAugust1915,FrosthopedthatsomeofhisAmericanreaderswouldrecognizethepivotalironyofthepoem;butagainhewasdisappointed.Neverdidheadmitthathecarriedhimselfandhisironies
toosubtlyinthatpoem,butthecircumstancesareworthrememberinghereasanillustration.
CarlSandburg(1878-1967)
LifeandCareer
CarlSandburgwasborninGalesburg,IllinoisonJanuary6,1878.Aftertheageofthirteen,hedroppedoutofschoolandbecameadaylaborer.Hisnumerousoddjobshelpedhimgainexperienceasawriterandpoet.HethenservedinPuertoRicointheSpanish-Americanwar.Afterthewar,hepracticallyforcedhimselfthroughLombardCollege,nowknownasKnoxCollege.Sandburgworkedhiswaythroughschool,whereheattractedtheattentionofProfessorPhilipGreenWrightIn1908,hemarriedLilian
SteichenandsettledinMilwaukee,Wisconsin.HeestablishedhisreputationwithChicagoPoems(1916),andthenCornhuskers(1918).SoonafterthepublicationofthesevolumesSandburgwroteSmokeandSteel(1920),hisfirstprolongedattempttofindbeautyinmodernindustrialism.
HisfameasahistorianbeganwhenhewrotehisgreatsixvolumebiographyonAbrahamLincoln.HebelievedthatpreviousbiographieshadidealizedLincolntoomuch.ForthesehereceivedthePulitzerPrize.HecollectedhisfavoritesongsinTheAmericanSongbag.Healsocreatedcountlessmorenovelsandpoemsthroughouthislifetime.Hiscollectedletterswerepublishedin1968.HewasalsoamemberoftheAmericanAcademyofArtsandLettersandreceiveditagoldmedalforhistoryin1952andlaterpoetryin1953.HewasalsoawardedthePresidentialMedalofFreedomin1964.ThisgreatnovelistandpoetdiedonJuly22,1967.
Chicago
HOGButcherfortheWorld,
ToolMaker,StackerofWheat,
PlayerwithRailroadsandtheNation'sFreightHandler;Stormy,husky,brawling,
CityoftheBigShoulders:
TheytellmeyouarewickedandIbelievethem,forIhaveseenyourpaintedwomenunderthegaslampsluringthefarmboys.
AndtheytellmeyouarecrookedandIanswer:
Yes,it
istrueIhaveseenthegunmankillandgofreeto killagain.
Andtheytellmeyouarebrutalandmyreplyis:
OnthefacesofwomenandchildrenIhaveseenthemarks ofwantonhunger.
Introduction:
CarlSandburg'sfirstmajorvolumeofpoems,ChicagoPoems,publishedin1916,offeredthepoem"Chicago,"whichwouldgoontobeoneofthemostfamouspoemsthatSandburgwrote.Itisaclassicexampleofhisformandsubjectasitusesfreeversetoreveal,explore,andcelebratethelivesofcommonpeople.Thethemesofhardwork,suffering,andsurvivalarepresentedalongsidethoseoflaughterandyouthwithanalmostbrutalhonestythatSandburgextractedfromtheeverydaylanguagehelistenedtosocloselythroughouthislife.Theopeninglinessetthepoemapartfrommuchofthepoetryofthetimewith"HogButcheroftheWorld,"andthelistofepithetsthatfollow.Sandburg'spoetryreliedonthemesofcommon,dailylifeinthesamewaythatthepoemsofWaltWhitmanhad.Usingamajorurbanlandscapeasafocus,thespeakergoesontomentiontheharshyetvibrantaspectsofAmericanprogress.Thereisviolenceandhungerinthecity,andalsotheprideofacitysoalive.Thepoemthenoffersanotherlist,descriptionsofworkactions.Thepoemfinisheswithadefiniteemphasisontheexperienceoflaughter,whichoffersanothersideofAmericaoftenfoundinSandburg'spoetry,thatofacountryworthyofjoyouscelebrationandlivelihoodinthefaceofhardshipandprogress.
GertrudeStein(1874-1946)
LifeandCareer
BornintoaGerman-JewishimmigrantfamilyinAllegheny,PennsylvaniaattheheightoftheVictorianera,shelivedinGemundenandVienna,Austria;Passy,France;Baltimore,Maryland;OaklandandSanFrancisco,California;Cambridge,Massachusetts;andLondon,England,beforesettlinginParisin1903.
Inthe1890sshestudiedphilosophyandpsychologyatHarvardUniversitywithWilliamJames,GeorgeHerbertPalmer,GeorgeSantayana,andHugoMunsterberg,andthenwentontomedicalschoolattheJohnsHopkinsUniversity.InitiallyGertrudeandLeoSteinsharedthe
- 配套讲稿:
如PPT文件的首页显示word图标,表示该PPT已包含配套word讲稿。双击word图标可打开word文档。
- 特殊限制:
部分文档作品中含有的国旗、国徽等图片,仅作为作品整体效果示例展示,禁止商用。设计者仅对作品中独创性部分享有著作权。
- 关 键 词:
- 美国 文学 简史 常耀信版 讲义 10