名人教英文：分析诗词之要点 the essentials in poetry analysis
poetry analysis is often like solving a mystery. the reader solves the mystery from the clues and prompts given in the words, symbolism or imagery used in the poem. in analysing a poem, one is expected to examine the poem line by line, even word by word. one is very much in the diagnostic mode: that is to say, one picks the poem apart to find clues and to understand the poem better. one reads the poem carefully, aloud if necessary, so as to hear the music of the words and see the picture developing in the mind's eye.
in poetry appreciation, one is often invited to respond to a poem and analyse it by answering questions relating to the poem:
‧what is the theme? (1a)
‧what does the poet achieve by using the literary trope? (此文学之词采有何作用？)
‧what is the poet's attitude towards the motif ? (1b)
‧can you hear the music in the words and visualise the picture as drawn in words by the poet?
‧what is the scansion? that is to say, how do you analyse the metre and rhyme of the poem (即是如何分析韵律).
or any number of questions, in a number of ways, relating to the five vital areas of poetry appreciation.
to put it simply, in poetry appreciation and analysis, one asks oneself questions of who, what, why, when and how:
1 who is the poet?
knowledge about the poet could give clues to the style and the theme of the poem itself. for example, edmund blunden, a leading poet of the 20th century, who taught for many years at the hong kong university, wrote often with oriental imagery.
"the tiny carved bird, the bony bough,
start sharp into life for me."
from the chinese paper knife
2 what is the theme of the poem? what is the poem about? is it about love, war, or what?
3 why is the poem written? the theme, motif, trope (比喻) and symbolism in the poem provide clues.
4 when is the poem written? this often provides clues to the style, structure and form, and the metrical pattern of the poem.
5 how is the poem written? examine the figures of speech, the various images and symbolism, if any, in the poem. they will give clues as to how the poet approaches the theme of the poem.
in poetry analysis, the reader usually forms his own opinion based on factual evidence from the words in the poem. every clue he picks up is based on the words and phrases of the poet.
■passage of the week
the importance of quotations
in poetry appreciation, particularly in writing a critique (评论) on a given poem, it is important for the reader to use his own words to respond to the poem. to support the reader's opinion on a piece of poem, it is important to quote from the poem.
to quote is like presenting witnesses to prove a point of view. quotations also support the clues suggested in the poem. from these clues the reader can infer (2a) the true meaning of the poem.
to know a poem well is to be able to quote from it. suitable quotes from the poem support the reader's analysis of the poem. quotations are inferential (2b) : that is to say, one may infer from the quotations the poet's implied (2c) meaning of the poem. so do quote from the poem.
■footnotes 批注
1a, 1b. themes (主题) and motifs (重复语句)
by the word "theme" it is meant "the storyline of the poem". the word "motif", however, refers to the pattern of words used in the poem.
these words echo one another. every poem has its own theme and motifs. when one reads a poem, one should be aware of thematic lines and connecting or echoing words. these words focus on the central point of the poem and carry figures of speech.
2a, 2b, 2c. infer (推测), inferential, imply (暗示)
to infer means to deduce from evidence given. the adjective of "to infer" is "inferential".
to imply is to suggest something.