Edgar Allan Poe
(1809-1849) Rainy
Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849)
• I. Literary Status
• Pioneer of American Horror Tales, American Detective Tales, American Southern writings, American PsychoAnalytic fiction • Editor, Poet and Professional literary critic
• Poe was a fascinating man of imagination. Poe was sensitive enough to feel the pressure of a world where science and reason reign supreme, where “there is neither joy, nor love, nor light, nor certitude, nor peace, nor help from pain.”
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Science! true daughter of Old Time thou art! Who alterest all things with thy peering eyes. Why preyest thou thus upon the poet's heart, Vulture, whose wings are dull realities? How should he love thee? or how deem thee wise? Who wouldst not leave him in his wandering To seek for treasure in the jewelled skies, Albeit he soared with an undaunted wing? Hast thou not dragged Diana from her car? And driven the Hamadryad from the wood To seek a shelter in some happier star? Hast thou not torn the Naiad from her flood, The Elfin from the green grass, and from me The summer dream beneath the tamarind tree?
Science’s crime of destroying these beautiful myths is made all the worse by the poem’s harsh language. The vulture has not just nudged the mythical figures out of the picture, but has “dragged Diana from her car” and “torn the Naiad from her flood.”
III. Poe’s Major Works
• • Tales • The Black Cat《黑猫》 • • The拉多的酒》 • • The Gold-Bug 《金甲虫》 • • Ligeia 《莉姬亚》 • • Purloined Letter 《失窃的 • 信》 • The Murders in the Rue • Morgue 《莫格街谋杀案》 • Other works • The Poetic Principle《诗歌 原理》 • The Philosophy of Composition《创作哲学》 Poetry
• II. Life and Career
• Born in an actor and actress’s family – his parents died when he was very young –adopted by a Virginia rich businessman John Allan – entered the Virginia University at 17 – West Point where he began to write poetry – then tales – editor of magazines. • at 27 he married his 13-year-old cousin Virginia who died very young in 1947
• IV. Poe’s aesthetics
• • • • • • • • • • • 1. Aesthetic writings: The Philosophy of Composition The Poetic Principle 2. Aesthetic ideas: A. Brevity: the poem should be short, readable at one sitting B. Beauty: the chief aim is beauty, namely to produce a feeling of beauty in the minds of the reader The melancholy is the most legitimate of all poetic tones; the death of a beautiful woman is the most poetic topic in the world. C. Purity: Poe is opposed to the heresy of the didactic and called for pure poetry. Besides, he stresses rhythm, defines true poetry as “the rhythmical creation of beauty” and declares that “music is the perfection of the soul, or ideas, of poetry.”
十四行诗——致科学 科学哟！你是时间忠实的女儿！ 你变更一切，用你眼睛的凝视。 为何要这样蹂躏诗人的心坎儿， 兀鹰，你的翅膀是阴暗的现实？ 他何以爱你？何以认为你深奥， 你总是不愿任凭他去漂泊游荡， 不愿他去镶满钻石的天空觅宝， 纵令他展开无畏的翅翼去翱翔？ 你不是已把狄安娜拖下了马车？ 不是已把山林仙子逐离了森林， 让她去某颗幸运的星躲灾避祸？ 你不是已从水中撵走水泽女神， 把小精灵赶出绿茵，然后又从 凤眼果树下驱散我夏日的美梦？
The Raven 《乌鸦》 Annabel Lee《安娜贝尔·李》 To Helen 《致海伦》 The Bells《钟声》 Tamerlane 《帖木尔》 A Dream Within A Dream 《梦
中之梦》
The Haunted Palace《闹鬼的
宫殿》
Sonnet: To Science