詩歌選讀周玄學派

SelectedReadingsof

British&AmericanPoetryLecture3:MetaphysicalPoetryRepresentativeJohnDonne(1572-1631)FounderoftheMetaphysicalschoolofpoetry/receivededucationatOxfordandCambridgeandlaterstudieslawMetaphysicalschoolofpoetry:Theuseofconceit(markedbyboldandingeniousconceits,incongruousimagery,complexityofthoughts,frequentuseofparadox)ConversationalstyleWork:“theFlea”

TheFlea

MARKbutthisflea,andmarkinthis,

Howlittlethatwhichthoudeniestmeis;

Itsuck'dmefirst,andnowsucksthee,

Andinthisfleaourtwobloodsmingledbe.

Thouknow'stthatthiscannotbesaid

Asin,norshame,norlossofmaidenhead;

Yetthisenjoysbeforeitwoo,

Andpamper'dswellswithonebloodmadeoftwo;

Andthis,alas!ismorethanwewoulddo.

Ostay,threelivesinonefleaspare,

Wherewealmost,yea,morethanmarriedare.

ThisfleaisyouandI,andthis

Ourmarriagebed,andmarriagetempleis.

Thoughparentsgrudge,andyou,we'remet,

Andcloister'dintheselivingwallsofjet.

Thoughusemakeyouapttokillme,

Letnottothatself-murderaddedbe,

Andsacrilege,threesinsinkillingthree.

Cruelandsudden,hastthousince

Purpledthynailinbloodofinnocence?

Whereincouldthisfleaguiltybe,

Exceptinthatdropwhichitsuck'dfromthee?

Yetthoutriumph'st,andsay'stthatthou

Find'stnotthyselfnormetheweakernow.

'Tistrue;thenlearnhowfalsefearsbe;

Justsomuchhonour,whenthouyield'sttome,

Willwaste,asthisflea'sdeathtooklifefromthee.

metaphysical

meansdealingwiththerelationshipbetweenspirittomatterortheultimatenatureofreality.TheMetaphysicalpoetsareobviouslynottheonlypoetstodealwiththissubjectmatter,sothereareanumberofotherqualitiesinvolvedaswell:

Useofordinaryspeechmixedwithpuns,paradoxesandconceits(aparadoxicalmetaphorcausingashocktothereaderbythestrangenessoftheobjectscompared;someexamples:loversandacompass,thesoulandtimber,thebodyandmind)Theexaltationofwit,whichinthe17thcenturymeantanimblenessofthought;asenseoffancy(imaginationofafantasticorwhimsicalnature);andoriginalityinfiguresofspeechAbstruseterminologyoftendrawnfromscienceorlaw

Oftenpoemsarepresentedintheformofanargument

Inlovepoetry,themetaphysicalpoetsoftendrawonideasfromRenaissanceNeo-Platonismtoshowtherelationshipbetweenthesoulandbodyandtheunionoflovers'soulsTheyalsotrytoshowapsychologicalrealismwhendescribingthetensionsoflove.Questions

1.Inthispoem,thespeakertriestopersuadehismistresstogotobedwithhimandtodemonstratethatthereasonsforresistancearetrivial.Howisthefleausedinhispersuasion?2.Itmayhelpyoutounderstandthispoemtorealizethatduringtheseventeenthcenturyitwasbelievedthatwomenbecamepregnantwhenthebloodoftheman(presentinhissemen)mixedwithherbloodduringsexualintercourse.Withthisinmind,whatdothefirstsixlinesofthesecondstanzameantoyou?Questions3.Howisthefleainthispoemanexampleofaconceit?

Isthepoetcontradictoryincomparingthefleafirsttowhattheladydenieshim,toanimpregnatedbeing,andthentothehonorwhichmightbelostifthelady"yields"tohim?.4.Whydoesthespeakersaythattokillthefleawouldbe"threesi