雪夜林边小驻
《雪夜林边小驻》(英語:Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening)是罗伯特·弗罗斯特于1922年创作的一首诗,收录在他1923年的《新罕布什尔》诗集中。该作品使用了意象、转化、重复等修辞手法。在写给路易斯·安特迈耶的信中,佛洛斯特称这首诗是“我最好的纪念品”。[2]
羅伯特·佛洛斯特的作品 | |
写作日期 | 1922 |
---|---|
韵律 | 四步抑揚格 |
押韵 | AABA BBCB CCDC DDDD |
出版日期 | 1923 首次出版:《新罕布什尔》 |
全文阅读 | |
英語维基文库中的《Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening》 |
Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.
He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.[1]
分析
诗文描述了一个车夫(叙述者)在雪夜途径树林,他在此短暂停留,观看雪花飘落林间。在诗歌末尾,他提醒自己不应迷恋这美好景色,因为“我还有诺言须遵守,/睡前还有许多路要走。”
创作背景
这首诗是佛洛斯特居住在佛蒙特州沙夫茨伯里时写成。当时他通宵创作长诗《新罕布什尔》,写完时已是第二天清晨。佛洛斯特走出居所,在观看日出时获得了《雪夜林边小驻》的灵感。[2] 佛洛斯特自述“在几分钟内”写下了这首“有关雪夜和小马”的新诗。[3]
结构与风格
诗歌韵律为四步抑揚格,该韵律来自爱德华·菲茨杰拉德改编自12世纪波斯诗人和数学家欧玛尔·海亚姆的鲁拜诗节。每一诗节(除了最后一节)遵循 AABA 韵法,并且每个B韵又与下一诗节的A韵一致,由此构成鏈韻。对整首诗而言,韵法为 AABA BBCB CCDC DDDD。
诗歌以叙述者的思考开篇,因而多用到柔和的“w”和“th”音节,以及两个“ll”音节。在诗歌第二节,生硬的音节开始出现,例如“k”和“qu”,它们打破了先前的寂静气氛。然后,随着叙述者的思考被小马铃铛声响打断,更加生硬音节“g”出现。[4]
逗号的故事
有个广为流传的说法,称佛洛斯特写下此诗最后一节首行“树林可爱、黑暗深沉(The woods are lovely, dark and deep)”时并未使用牛津逗號,但编辑或排版员自作主张为这句诗加上了逗号,使之变为了“树林可爱、黑暗、深沉(The woods are lovely, dark, and deep)”。显然可以看出(并且也正如许多英语文学教师强调的那样),逗号显著改变了这句诗的意涵,将佛洛斯特的原意“树林的可爱来自它的黑暗深沉”变为了“树林可爱、黑暗又深沉。”[5] 据称在佛洛斯特的要求下,逗号被移除。[6] 但在他死后,另一个编辑又加回了这个逗号。[7]
知名引用
1963年11月23日早晨,西屋广播通讯员席德·戴维斯(Sid Davis)报道约翰·肯尼迪的棺材运抵白宫。佛洛斯特是肯尼迪总统最喜爱的诗人之一,因此戴维斯在报道中引用了《雪夜林边小驻》的诗句,但在结尾时仍因情绪激动,止不住哽咽。[8][9]
2003年10月3日加拿大前总理皮埃尔·特鲁多的葬礼上,贾斯汀·杜鲁多引用此诗表达他对自己父亲的赞扬“树林可爱、黑暗幽深。他遵守诺言,获得长眠。”[10]
印度前总理贾瓦哈拉尔·尼赫鲁晚年时总是随身携带佛洛斯特的诗集,甚至也将它放在了临终时的床头柜上。在这本诗集中,《雪夜林边小驻》最后四行加了下划线。[11]
流行文化
参考
- ^ Robert Frost: "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening". Poetry Foundation. Poetry Foundation. [January 6, 2019]. (原始内容存档于2020-11-06).
- ^ 2.0 2.1 Tuten, Nancy Lewis; Zubizarreta, John. The Robert Frost Encyclopedia. Greenwood Publishing. 2001: 347 [December 9, 2011]. ISBN 0-313-29464-X. (原始内容存档于2024-02-15).
- ^ Frost, Carol. Sincerity and Inventions: On Robert Frost. Academy of American Poets. [March 4, 2010]. (原始内容存档于June 15, 2010).
- ^ Oliver, Mary. A poetry handbook. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 1994 [2022-09-08]. ISBN 978-0-15-672400-5. OCLC 29635959. (原始内容存档于2024-02-15).
- ^ Poirier, Richard. Robert Frost: The Work of Knowing. London: Oxford University Press. 1977: 181 [2022-09-07]. ISBN 0-19-502216-5. (原始内容存档于2024-02-15).
事实上,此诗第十三行并非像Lathem版本那样,仅仅是“可爱、黑暗、深沉(lovely, dark, and deep)”。相反,正如佛洛斯特在他监督的版本中有意写成的,这行应当是“可爱,[即]黑暗和深沉(lovely, [i.e.] dark and deep)”,也就是说树林可爱的原因与它的黑暗深沉密不可分。
- ^ Alicia Rasley, "The Oxford Comma, Robert Frost, and Comma Suicide (页面存档备份,存于互联网档案馆)", The Story Journey; accessed 2020.05.19.
- ^ Nancy Tuten, "Oxford (or Serial) Commas: Using a Comma before AND in a List (页面存档备份,存于互联网档案馆)", Get It Write, revised Aug. 6, 2020; accessed 2022.05.19. See also Donald Hall, "Robert Frost Corrupted" in Breakfast Served Any Time All Day, University of Michigan Press, Ann Arbor, 2004, pp. 81-99.
- ^ My Brush with History - "We Heard the Shots …": Aboard the Press Bus in Dallas 40 Years Ago (PDF). med.navy.mil. [June 30, 2013]. (原始内容 (PDF)存档于September 26, 2012).
- ^ Davis, Sid; Bennett, Susan; Trost, Catherine ‘Cathy’; Rather, Daniel ‘Dan’ Irvin Jr. Return To The White House. President Kennedy Has Been Shot: Experience The Moment-to-Moment Account of The Four Days That Changed America. Newseum illustrated. Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks. 2004: 173 [December 10, 2011]. ISBN 1-4022-0317-9 –通过Google Books.[失效連結]
- ^ Justin Trudeau's eulogy. On This Day. Toronto, Ontario, Canada: CBC Radio. October 3, 2000 [December 10, 2011]. (原始内容存档于2013-05-01).
- ^ And miles to go before I sleep. October 9, 2011 [2022-09-08]. (原始内容存档于2020-11-06).
- ^ Music, Sound and Filmmakers: Sonic Style in Cinema. : 172.
- ^ The Sopranos on the Couch: Analyzing Television's Greatest Series. : 132.
- ^ After Life season 2 review - Did we really need another series?. Digital Spy. April 14, 2020 [2022-09-08]. (原始内容存档于2022-08-13).