外文翻译 外文文献 英文文献 诗歌的原则.docx

外文翻译 外文文献 英文文献 诗歌的原则.docx

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外文翻译外文文献英文文献诗歌的原则

ThePoeticalPrinciple

INSPEAKINGofthePoeticalPrinciple，Ihavenodesigntobeeitherthoroughorprofound.

Whilediscussing,verymuchatrandom,theessentialityofwhatwecallPoetical,myprinciplepurposewillbetociteforconsideration,somefewofthoseminorEnglishorAmericanpoemswhichbestsuitmyowntaste,orwhich,uponmyownfancy,haveleftthemostdefiniteimpression.By“minorpoems”Imean,ofcourse,poemsoflittlelength.Andhere,inthebeginning,permitmetosayafewwordsinregardtoasomewhatpeculiarprinciple,which,whetherrightfulorwrongfully,hasalwayshaditinfluenceinmyowncriticalestimateofthepoem.Iholdthatalongpoemdoesnotexist.Imaintainthatthephrase,“alongpoem,”issimpleaflatcontradictioninterms.

Ineedscarcelyobservethatapoemdeservesitstitleonlyinasmuchasitexcites,byelevatingthesoul.Thevalueofthepoemistheratioofthiselevatingexcitement.Butallexcitementare,throughapsychalnecessity,transient.Thedegreeofexcitementwhichwouldentitleapoemtobesocalledatall,cannotbesustainedthroughoutacompositionofanygreatlength.Afterthelapseofhalfanhour,attheveryutmost,itflags---fails---arevulsionensues---andthenthepoemis,ineffect,andinfact,nolongersuch.

Thereare,nodoubt,manywhohavefounddifficultinreconcilingthecriticaldictumthatthe“ParadiseLost”istobedevoutlyadmiredthroughout,withtheabsoluteimpossibilityformaintainingforit,duringperusal,theamountofenthusiasmwhichthatcriticaldictumwoulddemand.Thisgreatwork,infact,istoberegardedpoetical,onlywhen,losingsightofthatvitalrequisiteinallworksofArt,Unity,weviewitmerelyasaseriesofminorpoems.If,topreserveitsUnity---itstotalityofeffectorimpression---wereadit（aswouldbenecessary）atasinglesitting,theresultisbutaconstantalternationofexcitementanddepression.Afterapassageofwhatwefeeltobetruepoetry,therefollows,inevitably,apassageofplatitudewhichnocriticalpre-judgmentcanforceustoadmire;butif,uponcompletingthework,wereaditagain;omittingthefirstwork---thatistosay,commencingwithsecond---weshallbesurprisedatnowfindingthatadmirablewhichwebeforecondemned---thedamnablewhichwehadpreviouslysomuchadmired.Itfollowsfromallthisthattheultimate,aggregate,orabsoluteeffectofeventhebestepicunderthesun,isanullity:

---bandthispreciselythefact.

InregardtotheIliad,wehave,ifnotpossibleproof,atleastverygoodreason,foritintendedasaseriesoflyrics;but,grantingtheepicintention,Icansayonlythattheworkisbasedinanimperfectsenseofart.Themodernepicis,ofthesuppositiousancientmodel,butaninconsiderateandblindfoldimitation.Butthedayoftheseanomaliesisover.If,atanytime,anyverylongpoemwerepopularreality,whichIdoubt,itisatleastclearthatnoverylongpoemwilleverbepopularagain.

Thatextentofapoeticalworkis,ceterisparibus,themeasureofitsmerit,seemsundoubted,whenwethusstateit,apropositionsufficientlyabsurd---yetweareindebtedforittotheQuarterlyReviews.Surelytherecanbenothinginmeresize,abstractlyconsidered---therecanbenothinginbulk,sofarasavolumeisconcerned,whichhadsocontinuouslyelicitedadmirationfromthesesaturninepamphlets!

Amountain,tobesure,bythemeresentimentofphysicalmagnitudewhichitconveys,doesimpressuswithasenseofthesublime---butnomanisimpressedafterthisfashionbymaterialgrandeurofeven“TheColumbiad.”EventheQuarterlieshavenotinstructedustobesoimpressedbyit.Asyet,theyhavenotinsistedonourestimatingLamartinebythecubicfoot,orPollokbythepound---butwhatelsearewetoinferfromtheircontinualpratingabout“sustainedeffort?

”If,by“sustainedeffort,”anylittlegentlemenhasaccomplishedanepic,letusfranklycommendhimfortheeffort---ifthisindeedbeathingcommendable---butletusforbearpraisingtheepicontheeffort’saccount.Itistobehopedthatcommonsense,inthetimetocome,willpreferdecidinguponaworkofart,ratherbytheimpressionitmakes,bytheamountof“sustainedeffort”whichhadbeenfoundnecessaryineffectingtheimpression.Thefactis,thatperseveranceisonething,andgeniusquiteanther---norcanalltheQuarterliesinChristendomconfoundthem.By–and-by,thisproposition,withmanywhichIhavebeenjusturging,willbereceivedasself-evident.Inthemeantime,bybeinggenerallycondemnedasfalsities,theywillnotbeessentiallydamagedastruths.

Ontheotherhand,itisclearthatapoemmaybeimproperlybrief.Unduebrevitydegeneratesintomereepigrammatism.Averyshortpoem,whilenowandthenproducingabrilliantorvivid,neverp