欧美文学留学生dissertation—雪莱《西风颂》意象解读
07-29, 2014
霍舍姆雪莱的孙子是苏塞克斯男爵的后裔，在他十八岁之前他发表了两首关于爱情的诗，他赞颂自由、暴露政治的腐败、同情被压迫者。1810年,他进入牛津大学，在那里他制作了一本小册子，名叫“无神论的必要性”，1811年，他与朋友托马斯·杰斐逊霍格声称上帝无法用实验来证明存在，因此被驱逐出去。当年，他被一个16岁的漂亮女孩吸引。珀西·比西·雪莱是英国著名的浪漫主义诗人。雪莱在自然，爱情和政治自由方面的短诗是他文学作品中的一个重要部分,他擅长通过各种自然意象来表达他的感情。《西风颂》是他最经典的代表作品之一，这首诗的感想来自于他在树林里散步时，突然狂风大作，暴风雨夹杂着冰雹倾盆而下，在这样的情景下，诗人将西风与社会问题联想到了一块。于是在这样的氛围下，他创作了这首《西风颂》。本文通过对诗中的落叶、乌云、西风、地中海和大西洋等自然意象的解读来剖析诗人当时的感情。
Abstract
Born in Field Place, near Horsham, Shelley was the grandson of a baronet and the descendant of Sussex squires. Before he was eighteen years old, he had written two romances and published a collection of poems, in which he glorified freedom, exposed tyranny and expressed sympathy for the oppressed. In 1810 he entered Oxford University. There, he produced a pamphlet, “The Necessity of Atheism,” with his friend Thomas Jefferson Hogg in 1811, which claimed that God’s existence couldn’t be proved on experimental grounds and thus caused the expulsion of both. In the same year, Shelley was attracted by a pretty girl of sixteen, daughter of a retired coffee house keeper named Harriet Westbrook,.Percy Bysshe Shelley is one of the famous English romantic poets. Shelley’s short poems on nature, love, and political freedom form an important part of his literary output. He is skillful at expressing his emotion through the description of all kinds of natural phenomena. “Ode to the West Wind” is one of the most classical works of Shelley. The poet came up with the thought when he was walking in a forest and a strong storm seemed to come soon. And the storm came together with wind and hails. In such condition Shelley came up with social problems and reality. Under this atmosphere he wrote this poem “Ode to the West Wind”. In this paper, the author will use the fallen leaves, west wind, the Mediterranean and the Atlantic and other natural image to analyses the poet’s feelings, to see how the poet expressed his hate to the old forces, his waiting for the new force and yearn for the revolution through the different natural scenes.
Keywords: Shelley·West Wind· Image
Contents
摘要.............................................................................................................................. i#p#分页标题#e#
Abstract...................................................................................................................... ii
Contents.................................................................................................................... iii
Introduction………………………………...…………………………………………………1
0.1 Shelley’s Life and Achievements...................................................................... 1
0.2 The Story of “Ode to the West Wind”……………………………………………......2
Chapter One The Leaves and Clouds: the Old Word............................ 3
1.1 Ugly Image........................................................................................................ 3
1.2Untenable Condition.......................................................................................... 3
Chapter Two The West Wind: Revolutionary Force............................... 5
2.1 Impetuous West Wind....................................................................................... 5
2.2 Wild West Wind................................................................................................ 5
2.3 Vernal West Wind.............................................................................................. 7
2.4 Free West Wind................................................................................................. 7
Chapter Three Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic: rulers........................ 9
3.1 Revival of Rulers............................................................................................... 9
3.2 Hate towards Rulers.......................................................................................... 9
Conclusion............................................................................................................... 11
References................................................................................................................ 12
Acknowledgement................................................................................................ 13
Introduction
0.1 Shelley’s Life and Achievements
Born in Field Place, near Horsham, Shelley was the grandson of a baronet and the descendant of Sussex squires. Before he was eighteen years old, he had written two romances and published a collection of poems, in which he glorified freedom, exposed tyranny and expressed sympathy for the oppressed. In 1810 he entered Oxford University. There, he produced a pamphlet, “The Necessity of Atheism,” with his friend Thomas Jefferson Hogg in 1811, which claimed that God’s existence couldn’t be proved on experimental grounds and thus caused the expulsion of both. In the same year, Shelley was attracted by a pretty girl of sixteen, daughter of a retired coffee house keeper named Harriet Westbrook,.#p#分页标题#e#
He sought the acquaintance of William Godwin, being attracted by his ethical determinism and political individualism. What’s a pity, things were not going well. Shelley’s marriage with Harriet had proved hasty because his wife could not live up to Shelley, and Shelley could not live down to her. The unwise union was dissolved in 1814. In 1816 Shelley married Mary Godwin. His second marriage was a wise one because Mary could understand and shared his ideals. But Shelley’s political enemies made a great scandal of the sudden death of his first wife who drowned herself in a fit of despair. In great anger and despair, Shelley left England in March 1818 and never returned.
On July 8, 1822, Shelley left Leghorn for Spezzia in his boat but he never arrived. No one knows what happened about him. His body was washed up several days later at Viareggio and was cremated on the shore in the presence of Byron and his other friends. His heart was snatched from the expiring flames and the other remains were gathered into a casket and buried by the wall of the old Protestant cemetery in Rome. The inscription on his tombstone reads: “Percy Bysshe Shelley, Cor Cordium” (The Heart of Hearts). After his death, his wife worked hard to collect and edit his poems. Her explanatory notes have been helpful to all editors and readers of Shelley’s works.
By 1818 Shelley had completed his important work, The Revolt of Islam. And in 1819 he wrote his famous allegorical poem Masque of Anarchy, his lyrical drama Prometheus Unbound and a historical tragedy on an Italian subject, The Cenci, as well as many other shorter poems. His other poems are also very famous, such as To A Skylark, Ode to the west wind, The Cloud and so on.
0.2 The Story of “Ode to the West Wind”
“Ode to the West Wind” is Shelley’s most famous lyric. The poet came up with the thought when he was walking in a forest and a strong storm seemed to come soon. And the storm came together with wind and hails. In such condition Shelley thought of social problems and reality. Under this atmosphere he wrote this poem “Ode to the West Wind”. In the poem, Shelley found the truth of life by catching the specific images and that enlighten people to fulfill regeneration and the bright future. It contains five sections. In the first three sections, it describes the great influence brought by west wind to earth, sky and ocean as a destroyer of old life and a preserver of new things to praise the overwhelming power of the west wind. In section four, Shelley expresses his strong determination and dream to mix with the west wind through some subjective sentences, such as “if I were a dead leaf thou highest bear…impulse of thy strength…” (Shelley, Ode to the west wind, 1819.). In the last section, Shelley shows his firm belief of revolution and the coming of bright future. And especially, the last line “if winter comes, can spring be far behind?” (Shelley, Ode to the west wind, 1819.). It as the trumpet of a prophet, gives people across the world a great amount of enlightenment and encouragement.#p#分页标题#e#
In the paper, I will analyses the poet’s feelings through the fallen leaves, west wind, the Mediterranean and the Atlantic and other natural images.
Chapter One the Leaves and Clouds: the Old Word
1.1 Ugly Image
Shelley’s “Ode to the West Wind” is a political lyric poetry, although the poem is not a word in writing revolution, but the whole poem that surrounding revolution to imagine.
The first part, the poet mainly descript the residual leaves are swept by the west wind, and the west wind send the seeds of life. The second part of the poet describes the west wind unsettled cloud of the heaven. The author seemed just writes about the scene when he had a walk in a forest of Florence Arnold Banks. On that day the temperature was vernal, pure and fresh, while at sunset, a strong wind was blowing, along with the kind of spectacular special lightning in west Sa Er Bin area, the hail pouring.
However the sight stirs up poet’s feeling, through the scene he associated all kinds of problems in the society. He used leaves, clouds and so on to stand for the reactionary forces.
“Yellow, and black, and pale, and hectic red”,
“Pestilence-stricken multitudes”
“Like a corpse within its grave
“Like a corpse within its grave”
(Shelley, Ode to the West Wind, 1819)
Shelley not only used words like the disgusted Pestilence-stricken multitudes and the off-putting corpse to describe the image of the fallen leaves, but also used different colors to describe the decay of leaves. The poet uses the image of fallen leaves stand for the darkness of the reactionary forces. Vivid description of the image is on behalf of the darkness of the forces of reaction, and expresses the suffering people’s abominations of under the reign in darkness, and they urgently want to get rid of dark rule.
1.2 Untenable Condition
Nature has regulations; the entire phenomenon in the world will inevitably follow the law of nature.
The withered leaves and the floating clouds in the sky certainly will be vulnerable under the violent attacks of west wind.
“Are driven, like ghosts from an enchanter fleeing”
“Mid the steep sky’s commotion”
“Loose clouds like earth’s decaying leaves are shed”
“Shook from the tangled boughs of Heaven and Ocean”
“Suddenly grow gray with fear,
“And tremble and despoil themselves”
(Shelley, Ode to the West Wind, 1819)
The violent attacks of the west wind’s coming, make the leaves like ghosts from an enchanter ,make the wind flutters around, and even when listen to its voice, suddenly grow gray with fear.#p#分页标题#e#
In the season of rotation, the nature has an irresistible force. In decline and prosperous cycle, it has national damage and the creation of passion. Coming events cast their shadows before them, whether it be calm before the storm, the darkness before dawn, or under the lake of dark hung, can be in close call time, in the eyepiece trend to break this calm, cause a stir. So after the attacks of west wind, the leaves and floating clouds appear so fragile and ever-changing immediately.
The fate of the fallen leaves and floating clouds presupposes the destiny of the reactionary forces. When a ruling class can not adapt to the continuous development of society, it will certainly be instead by new power.
Chapter Two The West Wind: Revolutionary Force
2.1 Impetuous West Wind
The image can also be called the “concept”, to describe the form level, to reach a image structure. West wind as a center image of the poem’s images was endowed with the wings of the imagination. Along with the west wind’s float in the sky, the artistic conception and emotion of this poem also work continue to expand the sublimation. We can say, the ungoverned wreak havoc and the power of the west wind is eager to pursue life. It also stand for that poet’s imprisoned life is strongly against. In this poem, the west wind is the appearance which Shelley catches the colorful and means deep suspicion of it. And this appearance is deep inner nature, thoughts, and it is the symbol of the will. With the aid of this appearance, through the rhetoric of metaphor and symbol, west wind becomes the poem’s center image.
The poem’s first quarter, the main image is the west wind and residue leaves in the forest, it describes the scene of that the west wind swept the forest leaf, waft the seeds of life. Here, metaphor and symbolism get vivid using. The poet compared “west wind” to the breath of Autumn’s being in the invincible nature, and compared the “spring breeze” (namely the west wind of spring ) to “thine azure sister of the Spring”. The poet use the dead leaves symbolize the British reactionary classes; Use “pestilence-stricken multitudes” to describe the reactionary class’s dying state. The west wind is “wild spirit”, it is not only the “destroyer” but also the “preserver”. The whole poem opens with west wind’s impetuous momentum, it can not only destroy the old world, but also can create new world.
2.2 Wild West Wind
In the poem’s second section, Shelley used these images of west wind, cloud, rain, electricity in the sky and so on; further described the momentum of the west wind’s crossing in the sky. Angels of rain and lightning are gathering to a group to control the forces of nature. Here the poet uses the personification to describe the west wind’s majestic momentum. It means that the west wind brings the revolution storm. Poet compared the tangled boughs of heaven and ocean to the fixed clouds in the heaven. Finally, in a double line sentence, the eruption of black rain, fire and hail incarnate the destructive force of the west wind. The poet use the scene of the west wind’s bluster in the air to implement the “destroy” in the first quarter of the poem: west wind will bring thunder, lightning, the anxious rain and hail. In the second quarter of the poem, the author’s field of vision change from the ground to high altitude, descript the scene of west wind’s crossing sky, shaking sea, and let the electricity fire and hail slide, make black rain pour down. In this section, the author announced the coming of the revolution storm that will destroy the old things.#p#分页标题#e#
In the third quarter of the poem, Shelley portrayed the scene that the west wind wipes out the old forces. The poet uses “crystalline streams” to descript the sea’s beautiful scenery, it is transparent as a mirror; use “coil” descript the voice of the low blows among the waves; use “so sweet” descript the fragrance of flowers. In this poem, “the blue Mediterranean” means the rulers of that time they have a deep sleep in the beautiful scenery, but the old tower and palace are trembling. Two scene in a static dynamic, combining static, form the fresh bright contrast, this is the symbol of the reactionary class status has been at risk. The Poet in this section of this poem describes the scene of the west wind’s spouting in the sea to continue carry out the first quarter of the said in “destroy”, in another word, west wind’s big power of damaging old thing. The central image in this section-west wind and sea water, huge waves, and the old Palace combine together to declared the west wind will split wave , sea and palace will be changed ghastly! It is the symbol of the reactionary forces will be crumbled, revolution storm will like a rising wind and scudding clouds coming, the dark, ugly, decayed old world is about to be broken. A bright future of the new world is about to be built.
In the fourth quarter of the poem, the poet uses several article virtual sentences. For example “If I were a dead leaf thou mightiest bear”, “If I were a swift cloud to fly with thee” (Shelley, 1819). In order to express he hope himself can be turned into leaves, floating clouds or waves, so that he can feel the pulse of the west wind, and make himself and west wind melt into an organic whole, to show his determination and desire of wiping up the decadent and corrupt reactionary force. “Lift me as a wave, a leaf, a cloud! I fall upon the thorns of life! I bleed!” (Shelley, 1819) The poet also uses this to explain his injury of heart in the life struggle. From this section begin, the poet implement the first quarter of what the “Protection”. The poet’s focused not only on the destructive force of the west wind above, but also emphasizes its protection force. The poet put himself into the center of the image -- the west wind, with heroic style expressed the hope to be like the billowing waves under the west wind, the dead leaves floating in the sky and the speeding clouds, because they fear neither bloodshed nor dark reactionary forces. Always fight the reactionary forces resolutely. In this section, the poet makes the overture of the whole poem’s theme-looking forward to combat.
2.3 Vernal West Wind
The poem’s last quarter continue to put the first quarter of what the “Protection”, it is the climax of the whole poem, further expounds the west wind’s power as a “guardian”. In the poem, poet uses “Make me thy lyre” to express the poet hope the west wind can refer him to the lyre, so that he can cast his power to spread the idea of revolution. “What if my leaves are falling like its own” express the poet’s strong determination of even sacrifice in the battle; he is still ready for the revolution.#p#分页标题#e#
In this section, the poet use subjunctive mood again to express his strong desire----“Be thou，Spirit fierce，My spirit! Be thou me，impetuous one!” (Shelley, 1819) The poem’s finally, Shelley use a double line sentence as the end of the poem’s sentence. This is one of the most famous sentences, its meaning is very deeply, and its artistic conception is very meaningful, thought-provoking, interesting, and inspired, it can make the frustrated people up. Especially the last line, hands down its name to posterity at the expression of faith in the future. “If Winter comes，can Spring be far behind?” In the end of the poem, poet generalized and summarized the results of the destroyer’s (winter is coming to an end) and protector’s (spring is coming) actions, and combine it with deep philosophy. It proclaims to people the end of the west wind’s damage and protection: the dark will pass by, sunshine is just ahead. In the last section of the whole poem, the author blowing the horn of battle, and combine himself and the center of the image west wind as a whole. Shout for revolution, make the sleeping people awaken, spread truth to the world, and encourage the people all around the world to fight the vile, and dark reactionary forces for freedom, happiness, and then lead us to victory. This fully embodies the poet’s faith of the revolution’s certain success and revolutionary spirit of optimism, this bring the valuable theme to the climax.
2.4 Free West Wind
Singing for freedom, expressing the warm desire and pursuit for freedom is the theme of the Shelley’s lyrics forever. In “Ode to the West Wind”, Shelley called west wind as “Wild Spirit”. He wrote “art moving everywhere; destroyer and preserver; hear, oh hear!” (Shelley, 1819) “Free” is the exalted word, the real freedom is never a moral corruption type follows one’s inclinations; it must be based on a noble ideal and good sentiment above. In “Ode to the West Wind”, we see Shelley’s life pursuit is very noble:
If I were a dead leaf thou mightiest bear;
If I were a swift cloud to fly with thee;
A wave to pant beneath thy power,
And share the impulse of thy strength, only less free…
(Shelley, Ode to the West Wind, 1819)
But it is not easy to get freedom, at Oxford University, Shelley was fired because his outspoken views about atheism, and later he forced to leave England forever in 1818. Because his long poem “Michael Cloth Queen” attacked oppression and power, and call for the reform of the reality which make the ruler upset. In his personal life, he also quest for freedom and equality love so that he broke with his family. In “Ode to the West Wind”, the poet appeal painfully and deeply the west wind to bring him freedom:#p#分页标题#e#
“Oh, lift me as a wave, a leaf, a cloud!
I fall upon the thorns of life! I bleed!
A heavy weight of hours has chain/d and bow/d.
One too like thee: tameless, and swift, and proud.”
(Shelley, Ode to the West Wind, 1819)
The meaning of life lies in freedom. Shelley’s life is always surrounded in a hostile environment and the misunderstood distortive state, this kind of boring life makes Shelley knew the value of freedom, makes his poems permeated with an ideal color. So “Ode to the West Wind” is the singing for dream and the call for freedom.
Chapter 3 Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic: Rulers
3.1 Revival of Rulers
When the poet described calm of the sea before the arrival of west wind, he imaged that it had a deep slumber for the whole summer. What’s more, it even dreamed about “old palaces and towers”. It seems that the readers can see the reflection of castles in clear water. Then, the sea also seems to have personality, when the west wind comes, it split initiative, exposed the plants deep in the bottom of the sea. The description is very peculiar, seems entirely from the poet’s grand imagination, but also accord with natural law. It is said that, the aquatic plants at the bottom of oceans, rivers, and lakes also like land plants, have the same reaction to the change of seasons, and they also of course have an impact at the arrival of the west wind.
At that time, the European had a workers’ movement and the revolutionary currents. British working class in order to fight for their right to live, is launched with the bourgeoisie struggle. The collapse of the French napoleon empire greatly contributed to the Spanish people against interracial oppression and the feudal autocratic revolutionary movement. Soon after “Ode to the West Wind” published, the two countries also broke out the armed uprising.
3.2 Hate towards Rulers
Shelley is a passionate romantic poet, and at the same time, he is a brave warrior of the revolution. He uses poetry as weapon, throw him into revolutionary movement, although suffered defeat and the setback, he also has a high fighting spirit. In his early years in Ireland, he took part in the national liberation struggle, and then when he came back to Britain, he continued to attack tyranny, call on revolution, and support workers’ movement. As a result, he got the persecution by the bourgeoisie of the reactionary government, and had to leave his country in anger. Then during the living in Italy, he associated close with Italy “Charcoal burner party” and Greek revolution person, supported their revolutionary activities. “Ode to the West Wind” is full of Shelley’s bumpy life road, expressed his indignation to reactionary rulers.
#p#分页标题#e#
At that time, many countries along the shore of the Mediterranean Sea are enslaved, be suppressed. The British Isles in the Atlantic Ocean and France are the countries who carried out the hegemony of colonial. The “lethargic Mediterranean sea” and “billowy Atlantic” reflect the poet’s care to the national liberation struggle and the hate to the ruler. “Ode to the West Wind” contained Shelley’s bumpy life road, was full of Shelley’s indignation to the reactionary rulers. And it is permeated with Shelley indomitable fighting spirit, expressed a strong desire of Shelley’s devotion.
Conclusion
“Ode to the West Wind” is one of the art treasures in the European poetry history. Viewed formally, each of the poem’s five chapters has complete rules, each can independent into an article; seeing from the content , they then melting as a whole, and throughout one central idea- the west wind’s “destructive power” to old things and the west wind’s strong “protective power” to new things. In this poem, Shelley modeled the image of west wind’s strong and powerful, not only deeply criticized the ugly social reality at that time, but also express the attic faith of dark reality will pass, better future will come.
We can get a further understanding of this from the description of his “A Defense of Poetry”. He said:
“The poet is a priest, who explains the inspiration can not be understood;
The poet is a mirror, reflect the shadow from future to now;
The poet is word, show the things which they don’t understand;
A poet is a trumpet, singing for the fight, but can not feel what is it encouraging for;
A poet is power, it promotes everything, but is not pushed by anything.”
(Shelley, A Defense of Poetry, 1821)
The poet is recognized as one of the lawmakers without accepted in the word. So certainly, “Ode to the West Wind” is Shelley’s thought and real emotion’s nature reveal, it shines beautiful and glaring full of wisdom and power, gives the reader endless thinking.
The poems of Shelley’s natural image has an important natural aesthetic value, let a person reflect on contemporary literature natural aesthetic dimension of loss. Shelley is the poet of singing for the future. In the contemporary context, accented Shelley’s poetry, grade fine the poems of the natural image will give us more profound inspiration.
References
[1] North rope Frye. Anatomy of Criticism [J]. Princeton University Press, 1957.
[2]Remain Donald H&F raistat Neil. (Ed.).Shelley Poetry and Prose [M].New York: Norton&Compan2001.
[3] Shelley. A Defense of Poetry [J]. 1821.#p#分页标题#e#
[4] Shelley. Ode to the West Wind [J]. 1819.
[5] 陆欣.西风颂的结构及其思想意义[J].吴中学刊 , 1997.
[6] 孟宪杰.西风颂文体特色赏析[J].内蒙古民族师院学报，1998.
[7] 王守仁.英国文学选读[M].高等教育出版社，2008.
[8] 王秀艳.试析西风颂中的浪漫主义诗风[J].现代企业教育，2006.
[9] 熊文莉.雪莱及其作品在20世纪初中国的译介和接受[M].理论界,2005.
[10] 曾令富.西风颂象征寓意的模糊性及其艺术魅力的普遍性[M].外国文学研究,1990.
[11] 郑静.从篇章语言学角度分析西风颂[J].重庆科技学院学报，2007.
[12] 顾嘉祖.Meanings and Stylistic Features of Ode to the West Wind [J].福建外语,1987.
Acknowledgement
My sincere thanks first go to my respected and beloved supervisor, Miss Tang. I’m grateful to her wise directions and suggestions, and to her generosity in spending her precious time revising the thesis. Her full devotion and endless pursuit in English teaching have inspired me a lot in the period of my undergraduate study. As my supervisor, she not only guides me in my academic study, but also cares me a lot about my college life. I would not have accomplished this thesis but for all her inspiration and instruction.
My genuine gratitude is also given to all the teachers who taught me during my undergraduate study in this university. From them I have learned both fundamental linguistic knowledge as well as rigorous study attitude as well. Here I can not list all of their names, but I’ll never forget their instruction and encouragement.
My heartfelt appreciation should also be expressed to my friends and classmates who have given me so much care, support and encouragement in my study.
Last but not least, I should especially give my gratitude to my family, thanks for their love, understanding and support in my study.
I am very lucky to have so many wonderful memories here, and I have reaped a lot during the stay. Thanks for all those who are always concerned about me so much.
Thank you all.
Abstract
Born in Field Place, near Horsham, Shelley was the grandson of a baronet and the descendant of Sussex squires. Before he was eighteen years old, he had written two romances and published a collection of poems, in which he glorified freedom, exposed tyranny and expressed sympathy for the oppressed. In 1810 he entered Oxford University. There, he produced a pamphlet, “The Necessity of Atheism,” with his friend Thomas Jefferson Hogg in 1811, which claimed that God’s existence couldn’t be proved on experimental grounds and thus caused the expulsion of both. In the same year, Shelley was attracted by a pretty girl of sixteen, daughter of a retired coffee house keeper named Harriet Westbrook,.Percy Bysshe Shelley is one of the famous English romantic poets. Shelley’s short poems on nature, love, and political freedom form an important part of his literary output. He is skillful at expressing his emotion through the description of all kinds of natural phenomena. “Ode to the West Wind” is one of the most classical works of Shelley. The poet came up with the thought when he was walking in a forest and a strong storm seemed to come soon. And the storm came together with wind and hails. In such condition Shelley came up with social problems and reality. Under this atmosphere he wrote this poem “Ode to the West Wind”. In this paper, the author will use the fallen leaves, west wind, the Mediterranean and the Atlantic and other natural image to analyses the poet’s feelings, to see how the poet expressed his hate to the old forces, his waiting for the new force and yearn for the revolution through the different natural scenes.
Keywords: Shelley·West Wind· Image
Contents
摘要.............................................................................................................................. i#p#分页标题#e#
Abstract...................................................................................................................... ii
Contents.................................................................................................................... iii
Introduction………………………………...…………………………………………………1
0.1 Shelley’s Life and Achievements...................................................................... 1
0.2 The Story of “Ode to the West Wind”……………………………………………......2
Chapter One The Leaves and Clouds: the Old Word............................ 3
1.1 Ugly Image........................................................................................................ 3
1.2Untenable Condition.......................................................................................... 3
Chapter Two The West Wind: Revolutionary Force............................... 5
2.1 Impetuous West Wind....................................................................................... 5
2.2 Wild West Wind................................................................................................ 5
2.3 Vernal West Wind.............................................................................................. 7
2.4 Free West Wind................................................................................................. 7
Chapter Three Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic: rulers........................ 9
3.1 Revival of Rulers............................................................................................... 9
3.2 Hate towards Rulers.......................................................................................... 9
Conclusion............................................................................................................... 11
References................................................................................................................ 12
Acknowledgement................................................................................................ 13
Introduction
0.1 Shelley’s Life and Achievements
Born in Field Place, near Horsham, Shelley was the grandson of a baronet and the descendant of Sussex squires. Before he was eighteen years old, he had written two romances and published a collection of poems, in which he glorified freedom, exposed tyranny and expressed sympathy for the oppressed. In 1810 he entered Oxford University. There, he produced a pamphlet, “The Necessity of Atheism,” with his friend Thomas Jefferson Hogg in 1811, which claimed that God’s existence couldn’t be proved on experimental grounds and thus caused the expulsion of both. In the same year, Shelley was attracted by a pretty girl of sixteen, daughter of a retired coffee house keeper named Harriet Westbrook,.#p#分页标题#e#
He sought the acquaintance of William Godwin, being attracted by his ethical determinism and political individualism. What’s a pity, things were not going well. Shelley’s marriage with Harriet had proved hasty because his wife could not live up to Shelley, and Shelley could not live down to her. The unwise union was dissolved in 1814. In 1816 Shelley married Mary Godwin. His second marriage was a wise one because Mary could understand and shared his ideals. But Shelley’s political enemies made a great scandal of the sudden death of his first wife who drowned herself in a fit of despair. In great anger and despair, Shelley left England in March 1818 and never returned.
On July 8, 1822, Shelley left Leghorn for Spezzia in his boat but he never arrived. No one knows what happened about him. His body was washed up several days later at Viareggio and was cremated on the shore in the presence of Byron and his other friends. His heart was snatched from the expiring flames and the other remains were gathered into a casket and buried by the wall of the old Protestant cemetery in Rome. The inscription on his tombstone reads: “Percy Bysshe Shelley, Cor Cordium” (The Heart of Hearts). After his death, his wife worked hard to collect and edit his poems. Her explanatory notes have been helpful to all editors and readers of Shelley’s works.
By 1818 Shelley had completed his important work, The Revolt of Islam. And in 1819 he wrote his famous allegorical poem Masque of Anarchy, his lyrical drama Prometheus Unbound and a historical tragedy on an Italian subject, The Cenci, as well as many other shorter poems. His other poems are also very famous, such as To A Skylark, Ode to the west wind, The Cloud and so on.
0.2 The Story of “Ode to the West Wind”
“Ode to the West Wind” is Shelley’s most famous lyric. The poet came up with the thought when he was walking in a forest and a strong storm seemed to come soon. And the storm came together with wind and hails. In such condition Shelley thought of social problems and reality. Under this atmosphere he wrote this poem “Ode to the West Wind”. In the poem, Shelley found the truth of life by catching the specific images and that enlighten people to fulfill regeneration and the bright future. It contains five sections. In the first three sections, it describes the great influence brought by west wind to earth, sky and ocean as a destroyer of old life and a preserver of new things to praise the overwhelming power of the west wind. In section four, Shelley expresses his strong determination and dream to mix with the west wind through some subjective sentences, such as “if I were a dead leaf thou highest bear…impulse of thy strength…” (Shelley, Ode to the west wind, 1819.). In the last section, Shelley shows his firm belief of revolution and the coming of bright future. And especially, the last line “if winter comes, can spring be far behind?” (Shelley, Ode to the west wind, 1819.). It as the trumpet of a prophet, gives people across the world a great amount of enlightenment and encouragement.#p#分页标题#e#
In the paper, I will analyses the poet’s feelings through the fallen leaves, west wind, the Mediterranean and the Atlantic and other natural images.
Chapter One the Leaves and Clouds: the Old Word
1.1 Ugly Image
Shelley’s “Ode to the West Wind” is a political lyric poetry, although the poem is not a word in writing revolution, but the whole poem that surrounding revolution to imagine.
The first part, the poet mainly descript the residual leaves are swept by the west wind, and the west wind send the seeds of life. The second part of the poet describes the west wind unsettled cloud of the heaven. The author seemed just writes about the scene when he had a walk in a forest of Florence Arnold Banks. On that day the temperature was vernal, pure and fresh, while at sunset, a strong wind was blowing, along with the kind of spectacular special lightning in west Sa Er Bin area, the hail pouring.
However the sight stirs up poet’s feeling, through the scene he associated all kinds of problems in the society. He used leaves, clouds and so on to stand for the reactionary forces.
“Yellow, and black, and pale, and hectic red”,
“Pestilence-stricken multitudes”
“Like a corpse within its grave
“Like a corpse within its grave”
(Shelley, Ode to the West Wind, 1819)
Shelley not only used words like the disgusted Pestilence-stricken multitudes and the off-putting corpse to describe the image of the fallen leaves, but also used different colors to describe the decay of leaves. The poet uses the image of fallen leaves stand for the darkness of the reactionary forces. Vivid description of the image is on behalf of the darkness of the forces of reaction, and expresses the suffering people’s abominations of under the reign in darkness, and they urgently want to get rid of dark rule.
1.2 Untenable Condition
Nature has regulations; the entire phenomenon in the world will inevitably follow the law of nature.
The withered leaves and the floating clouds in the sky certainly will be vulnerable under the violent attacks of west wind.
“Are driven, like ghosts from an enchanter fleeing”
“Mid the steep sky’s commotion”
“Loose clouds like earth’s decaying leaves are shed”
“Shook from the tangled boughs of Heaven and Ocean”
“Suddenly grow gray with fear,
“And tremble and despoil themselves”
(Shelley, Ode to the West Wind, 1819)
The violent attacks of the west wind’s coming, make the leaves like ghosts from an enchanter ,make the wind flutters around, and even when listen to its voice, suddenly grow gray with fear.#p#分页标题#e#
In the season of rotation, the nature has an irresistible force. In decline and prosperous cycle, it has national damage and the creation of passion. Coming events cast their shadows before them, whether it be calm before the storm, the darkness before dawn, or under the lake of dark hung, can be in close call time, in the eyepiece trend to break this calm, cause a stir. So after the attacks of west wind, the leaves and floating clouds appear so fragile and ever-changing immediately.
The fate of the fallen leaves and floating clouds presupposes the destiny of the reactionary forces. When a ruling class can not adapt to the continuous development of society, it will certainly be instead by new power.
Chapter Two The West Wind: Revolutionary Force
2.1 Impetuous West Wind
The image can also be called the “concept”, to describe the form level, to reach a image structure. West wind as a center image of the poem’s images was endowed with the wings of the imagination. Along with the west wind’s float in the sky, the artistic conception and emotion of this poem also work continue to expand the sublimation. We can say, the ungoverned wreak havoc and the power of the west wind is eager to pursue life. It also stand for that poet’s imprisoned life is strongly against. In this poem, the west wind is the appearance which Shelley catches the colorful and means deep suspicion of it. And this appearance is deep inner nature, thoughts, and it is the symbol of the will. With the aid of this appearance, through the rhetoric of metaphor and symbol, west wind becomes the poem’s center image.
The poem’s first quarter, the main image is the west wind and residue leaves in the forest, it describes the scene of that the west wind swept the forest leaf, waft the seeds of life. Here, metaphor and symbolism get vivid using. The poet compared “west wind” to the breath of Autumn’s being in the invincible nature, and compared the “spring breeze” (namely the west wind of spring ) to “thine azure sister of the Spring”. The poet use the dead leaves symbolize the British reactionary classes; Use “pestilence-stricken multitudes” to describe the reactionary class’s dying state. The west wind is “wild spirit”, it is not only the “destroyer” but also the “preserver”. The whole poem opens with west wind’s impetuous momentum, it can not only destroy the old world, but also can create new world.
2.2 Wild West Wind
In the poem’s second section, Shelley used these images of west wind, cloud, rain, electricity in the sky and so on; further described the momentum of the west wind’s crossing in the sky. Angels of rain and lightning are gathering to a group to control the forces of nature. Here the poet uses the personification to describe the west wind’s majestic momentum. It means that the west wind brings the revolution storm. Poet compared the tangled boughs of heaven and ocean to the fixed clouds in the heaven. Finally, in a double line sentence, the eruption of black rain, fire and hail incarnate the destructive force of the west wind. The poet use the scene of the west wind’s bluster in the air to implement the “destroy” in the first quarter of the poem: west wind will bring thunder, lightning, the anxious rain and hail. In the second quarter of the poem, the author’s field of vision change from the ground to high altitude, descript the scene of west wind’s crossing sky, shaking sea, and let the electricity fire and hail slide, make black rain pour down. In this section, the author announced the coming of the revolution storm that will destroy the old things.#p#分页标题#e#
In the third quarter of the poem, Shelley portrayed the scene that the west wind wipes out the old forces. The poet uses “crystalline streams” to descript the sea’s beautiful scenery, it is transparent as a mirror; use “coil” descript the voice of the low blows among the waves; use “so sweet” descript the fragrance of flowers. In this poem, “the blue Mediterranean” means the rulers of that time they have a deep sleep in the beautiful scenery, but the old tower and palace are trembling. Two scene in a static dynamic, combining static, form the fresh bright contrast, this is the symbol of the reactionary class status has been at risk. The Poet in this section of this poem describes the scene of the west wind’s spouting in the sea to continue carry out the first quarter of the said in “destroy”, in another word, west wind’s big power of damaging old thing. The central image in this section-west wind and sea water, huge waves, and the old Palace combine together to declared the west wind will split wave , sea and palace will be changed ghastly! It is the symbol of the reactionary forces will be crumbled, revolution storm will like a rising wind and scudding clouds coming, the dark, ugly, decayed old world is about to be broken. A bright future of the new world is about to be built.
In the fourth quarter of the poem, the poet uses several article virtual sentences. For example “If I were a dead leaf thou mightiest bear”, “If I were a swift cloud to fly with thee” (Shelley, 1819). In order to express he hope himself can be turned into leaves, floating clouds or waves, so that he can feel the pulse of the west wind, and make himself and west wind melt into an organic whole, to show his determination and desire of wiping up the decadent and corrupt reactionary force. “Lift me as a wave, a leaf, a cloud! I fall upon the thorns of life! I bleed!” (Shelley, 1819) The poet also uses this to explain his injury of heart in the life struggle. From this section begin, the poet implement the first quarter of what the “Protection”. The poet’s focused not only on the destructive force of the west wind above, but also emphasizes its protection force. The poet put himself into the center of the image -- the west wind, with heroic style expressed the hope to be like the billowing waves under the west wind, the dead leaves floating in the sky and the speeding clouds, because they fear neither bloodshed nor dark reactionary forces. Always fight the reactionary forces resolutely. In this section, the poet makes the overture of the whole poem’s theme-looking forward to combat.
2.3 Vernal West Wind
The poem’s last quarter continue to put the first quarter of what the “Protection”, it is the climax of the whole poem, further expounds the west wind’s power as a “guardian”. In the poem, poet uses “Make me thy lyre” to express the poet hope the west wind can refer him to the lyre, so that he can cast his power to spread the idea of revolution. “What if my leaves are falling like its own” express the poet’s strong determination of even sacrifice in the battle; he is still ready for the revolution.#p#分页标题#e#
In this section, the poet use subjunctive mood again to express his strong desire----“Be thou，Spirit fierce，My spirit! Be thou me，impetuous one!” (Shelley, 1819) The poem’s finally, Shelley use a double line sentence as the end of the poem’s sentence. This is one of the most famous sentences, its meaning is very deeply, and its artistic conception is very meaningful, thought-provoking, interesting, and inspired, it can make the frustrated people up. Especially the last line, hands down its name to posterity at the expression of faith in the future. “If Winter comes，can Spring be far behind?” In the end of the poem, poet generalized and summarized the results of the destroyer’s (winter is coming to an end) and protector’s (spring is coming) actions, and combine it with deep philosophy. It proclaims to people the end of the west wind’s damage and protection: the dark will pass by, sunshine is just ahead. In the last section of the whole poem, the author blowing the horn of battle, and combine himself and the center of the image west wind as a whole. Shout for revolution, make the sleeping people awaken, spread truth to the world, and encourage the people all around the world to fight the vile, and dark reactionary forces for freedom, happiness, and then lead us to victory. This fully embodies the poet’s faith of the revolution’s certain success and revolutionary spirit of optimism, this bring the valuable theme to the climax.
2.4 Free West Wind
Singing for freedom, expressing the warm desire and pursuit for freedom is the theme of the Shelley’s lyrics forever. In “Ode to the West Wind”, Shelley called west wind as “Wild Spirit”. He wrote “art moving everywhere; destroyer and preserver; hear, oh hear!” (Shelley, 1819) “Free” is the exalted word, the real freedom is never a moral corruption type follows one’s inclinations; it must be based on a noble ideal and good sentiment above. In “Ode to the West Wind”, we see Shelley’s life pursuit is very noble:
If I were a dead leaf thou mightiest bear;
If I were a swift cloud to fly with thee;
A wave to pant beneath thy power,
And share the impulse of thy strength, only less free…
(Shelley, Ode to the West Wind, 1819)
But it is not easy to get freedom, at Oxford University, Shelley was fired because his outspoken views about atheism, and later he forced to leave England forever in 1818. Because his long poem “Michael Cloth Queen” attacked oppression and power, and call for the reform of the reality which make the ruler upset. In his personal life, he also quest for freedom and equality love so that he broke with his family. In “Ode to the West Wind”, the poet appeal painfully and deeply the west wind to bring him freedom:#p#分页标题#e#
“Oh, lift me as a wave, a leaf, a cloud!
I fall upon the thorns of life! I bleed!
A heavy weight of hours has chain/d and bow/d.
One too like thee: tameless, and swift, and proud.”
(Shelley, Ode to the West Wind, 1819)
The meaning of life lies in freedom. Shelley’s life is always surrounded in a hostile environment and the misunderstood distortive state, this kind of boring life makes Shelley knew the value of freedom, makes his poems permeated with an ideal color. So “Ode to the West Wind” is the singing for dream and the call for freedom.
Chapter 3 Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic: Rulers
3.1 Revival of Rulers
When the poet described calm of the sea before the arrival of west wind, he imaged that it had a deep slumber for the whole summer. What’s more, it even dreamed about “old palaces and towers”. It seems that the readers can see the reflection of castles in clear water. Then, the sea also seems to have personality, when the west wind comes, it split initiative, exposed the plants deep in the bottom of the sea. The description is very peculiar, seems entirely from the poet’s grand imagination, but also accord with natural law. It is said that, the aquatic plants at the bottom of oceans, rivers, and lakes also like land plants, have the same reaction to the change of seasons, and they also of course have an impact at the arrival of the west wind.
At that time, the European had a workers’ movement and the revolutionary currents. British working class in order to fight for their right to live, is launched with the bourgeoisie struggle. The collapse of the French napoleon empire greatly contributed to the Spanish people against interracial oppression and the feudal autocratic revolutionary movement. Soon after “Ode to the West Wind” published, the two countries also broke out the armed uprising.
3.2 Hate towards Rulers
Shelley is a passionate romantic poet, and at the same time, he is a brave warrior of the revolution. He uses poetry as weapon, throw him into revolutionary movement, although suffered defeat and the setback, he also has a high fighting spirit. In his early years in Ireland, he took part in the national liberation struggle, and then when he came back to Britain, he continued to attack tyranny, call on revolution, and support workers’ movement. As a result, he got the persecution by the bourgeoisie of the reactionary government, and had to leave his country in anger. Then during the living in Italy, he associated close with Italy “Charcoal burner party” and Greek revolution person, supported their revolutionary activities. “Ode to the West Wind” is full of Shelley’s bumpy life road, expressed his indignation to reactionary rulers.
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At that time, many countries along the shore of the Mediterranean Sea are enslaved, be suppressed. The British Isles in the Atlantic Ocean and France are the countries who carried out the hegemony of colonial. The “lethargic Mediterranean sea” and “billowy Atlantic” reflect the poet’s care to the national liberation struggle and the hate to the ruler. “Ode to the West Wind” contained Shelley’s bumpy life road, was full of Shelley’s indignation to the reactionary rulers. And it is permeated with Shelley indomitable fighting spirit, expressed a strong desire of Shelley’s devotion.
Conclusion
“Ode to the West Wind” is one of the art treasures in the European poetry history. Viewed formally, each of the poem’s five chapters has complete rules, each can independent into an article; seeing from the content , they then melting as a whole, and throughout one central idea- the west wind’s “destructive power” to old things and the west wind’s strong “protective power” to new things. In this poem, Shelley modeled the image of west wind’s strong and powerful, not only deeply criticized the ugly social reality at that time, but also express the attic faith of dark reality will pass, better future will come.
We can get a further understanding of this from the description of his “A Defense of Poetry”. He said:
“The poet is a priest, who explains the inspiration can not be understood;
The poet is a mirror, reflect the shadow from future to now;
The poet is word, show the things which they don’t understand;
A poet is a trumpet, singing for the fight, but can not feel what is it encouraging for;
A poet is power, it promotes everything, but is not pushed by anything.”
(Shelley, A Defense of Poetry, 1821)
The poet is recognized as one of the lawmakers without accepted in the word. So certainly, “Ode to the West Wind” is Shelley’s thought and real emotion’s nature reveal, it shines beautiful and glaring full of wisdom and power, gives the reader endless thinking.
The poems of Shelley’s natural image has an important natural aesthetic value, let a person reflect on contemporary literature natural aesthetic dimension of loss. Shelley is the poet of singing for the future. In the contemporary context, accented Shelley’s poetry, grade fine the poems of the natural image will give us more profound inspiration.
References
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[2]Remain Donald H&F raistat Neil. (Ed.).Shelley Poetry and Prose [M].New York: Norton&Compan2001.
[3] Shelley. A Defense of Poetry [J]. 1821.#p#分页标题#e#
[4] Shelley. Ode to the West Wind [J]. 1819.
[5] 陆欣.西风颂的结构及其思想意义[J].吴中学刊 , 1997.
[6] 孟宪杰.西风颂文体特色赏析[J].内蒙古民族师院学报，1998.
[7] 王守仁.英国文学选读[M].高等教育出版社，2008.
[8] 王秀艳.试析西风颂中的浪漫主义诗风[J].现代企业教育，2006.
[9] 熊文莉.雪莱及其作品在20世纪初中国的译介和接受[M].理论界,2005.
[10] 曾令富.西风颂象征寓意的模糊性及其艺术魅力的普遍性[M].外国文学研究,1990.
[11] 郑静.从篇章语言学角度分析西风颂[J].重庆科技学院学报，2007.
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Acknowledgement
My sincere thanks first go to my respected and beloved supervisor, Miss Tang. I’m grateful to her wise directions and suggestions, and to her generosity in spending her precious time revising the thesis. Her full devotion and endless pursuit in English teaching have inspired me a lot in the period of my undergraduate study. As my supervisor, she not only guides me in my academic study, but also cares me a lot about my college life. I would not have accomplished this thesis but for all her inspiration and instruction.
My genuine gratitude is also given to all the teachers who taught me during my undergraduate study in this university. From them I have learned both fundamental linguistic knowledge as well as rigorous study attitude as well. Here I can not list all of their names, but I’ll never forget their instruction and encouragement.
My heartfelt appreciation should also be expressed to my friends and classmates who have given me so much care, support and encouragement in my study.
Last but not least, I should especially give my gratitude to my family, thanks for their love, understanding and support in my study.
I am very lucky to have so many wonderful memories here, and I have reaped a lot during the stay. Thanks for all those who are always concerned about me so much.
Thank you all.
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