http://s2/middle/4e4b902ah80bb1c0d44b1&690in English literature英国浪漫主义文学" TITLE="Romanticism in English literature英国浪漫主义文学" />

The literary works of Romanticism in English literature show the richness of the inner world of a person, his dreams and open the beautiful and mysterious aspects of one's soul, using literary methods of comparison and fantasy. The symbolism of these poems has a deep meaning and the way they are interpreted allows the reader to feel and experience those emotions and ideas that were the primary purpose of the author to be reflected in the works.
If to take the poems of two famous representatives of English Romanticism: Coleridge and Wordsworth we would definitely find out that under the beautiful and charming narration in their poems their personal life experience is hidden, or probably the works reflect the events that directly refer to their lives or occasions that happened to people they knew.

Being in friendly terms Coleridge and Wordthworth had close professional relations as well; they both mutually influenced their literary works. If to take poems: "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" by Coleridge and "The Torn" by Wordsworth we would find a lot of similarities in the works of them both. It's obvious because these works belong to the same epoch and were written by the influence of lyricism and romantic ballads style, with the origins that come back to the time of middle Ages.
Coleredge's poem "Rime of Ancient Mariner" was started together with Wordsworth, while they were traveling in 1797. As Wordsworth wrote later:
"Accordingly we set off and proceeded along the Quantock Hills towards Watchet, and in the course of this walk was planned the poem of the "Ancient Mariner", founded on a dream, as Mr. Coleridge said, of his friend, Mr. Cruikshank. Much the greatest part of the story was Mr. Coleridge's invention; but certain parts I myself suggested: -- for example, some crime was to be committed which should bring upon the old Navigator, as Coleridge afterwards delighted to call him, the spectral persecution, as a consequence of that crime, and his own wanderings. I had been reading in Shelvock's Voyages a day or two before that while doubling Cape Horn they frequently saw Albatrosses in that latitude, the largest sort of sea-fowl, some extending their wings twelve or fifteen feet. 'Suppose', said I, 'you represent him as having killed one of these birds on entering the South Sea, and that the tutelary Spirits of those regions take upon them to avenge the crime.' The incident was thought fit for the purpose and adopted accordingly."

Many critics consider "The Rime of Ancient Mariner" to be an autobiographical poem, arguing that it has a lot of mystic features that intercepted with strange and imaginary scenes in the plot of the story. Another evidence for this judgment is that he was very addicted to opium, when writing this poem, but nevertheless this poem takes one of the top places among the Romantic ballads of the eighteenth century.
Coleredge's method of narrating differs by the use of exotic and supernatural elements into the plot as well as by the use of modern English for narration in the form of archaic ballad. The scenes described in the poem are very vivid and believable: word-pictures are sometimes full of horror, unimaginable beauty that can be easily reproduced in one's imagination with all the variety of senses and emotions, as if they were experienced by the ready in reality.
But according to critics of Wordsworth on "The Rime of Ancient mariner" it had several weak points in its construction and the development of events. First as he mentions there, principal person doesn't have a distinct character neither as a sailor nor as a person. All actions of the hero are described from the perspective of the impressions that he got under the impression of supernatural events that took place on the ship. Wordsworth also mentions that the hero doesn't act in the development of the plot, as well as the events that are describes in the poem often have no connection with each other and happen separately. Also he criticizes the presence of the variety of scenes that are full of fantastic and mystic features. But also as he notices: "Yet the Poem contains many delicate touches of passion, and indeed the passion is every where true to nature; a great number of the stanzas present beautiful images, and are expressed with unusual felicity of language; and the versification, though the metre is itself unfit for long poems, is harmonious and artfully varied exhibiting the utmost powers of that metre, and every variety of which it is capable. It therefore appeared to me that these several merits (the first of which, namely that of the passion, is of the highest kind,) gave to the Poem a value which is not often possessed by better Poems"
The theme of the poem "Thorn" is also associated with symbolism and mysticism as the poem of Coleredge "The Rime the Ancient Mariner". It tells about unhappy love of a woman told in the fantastic and gothic manner, reflecting her grief and sorrow and making an analogy of her life with "old thorn". The theme of the thorn bush was probably borrowed from the episode in Bible, when Jesus Christ was "honored" with wreath made of thorn by Roman soldiers. The techniques that Wordsworth uses in the poem of nature description and making analogies between the thorn bush and a pond and the life of that woman help us to understand better her emotions and her tragedy in general. And the description of nature that Wordsworth uses in the poem is the best way to do it.
In difference from Colleredge's poem where the narration is made from the behalf of the first face and we may think that the Mariner is the author, "Thorn" is not told from the author's person, but the character that executes the role of narrator is shown later. As Wordsworth wrote about the poem:
"It was my wish in this poem to show the manner in which such men cleave to the same ideas; and to follow the turns of passion, always different, yet not palpably different, by which their conversation is swayed. I had two objects to attain; first, to represent a picture which should not be unimpressive yet consistent with the character that should describe it, secondly, while I adhered to the style in which such persons describe, to take care that words, which in their minds are impregnated with passion, should likewise convey passion to Readers who are not accustomed to sympathize with men feeling in that manner, or using such language. It seemed to me that this might be done by calling in the assistance of lyrical and rapid Metre. It was necessary that the Poem, to be natural, should in reality move slowly; yet I hoped, that, by the aid of the metre, to those who should at all enter into the spirit of the Poem, it would appear to move quickly. The Reader will have the kindness to excuse this note as I am sensible that an introductory poem is necessary to give this Poem its full effect."
The original way of narration and the influence of Medieval literature on the lyrical ballads of Wordsworth and Coleredge gives them a unique sound that combines the relatively modern literary methods (for eighteenth century) with Old English ballad's techniques. The scenes and themes that are touched in these poems unite human inner world with the world of fantasy and mystics, which is common for Romanticism and at the same time they open the internal sides of the human soul.

 

诗人简介

    塞缪尔•泰勒•柯勒律治（Samuel Taylor Coleridge，1772-1834年），英国诗人和评论家，他一生是在贫病交困和鸦片成瘾的阴影下度过的，诗歌作品相对较少。尽管存在这些不利因素，柯勒律治还是坚持创作，确立了其在幻想浪漫诗歌方面的主要浪漫派诗人地位。

柯勒律治生于德文郡，是一位农村牧师的小儿子，九岁时父亲去世。过了一年，柯勒律治被送到伦敦基督教医院的慈善学校，在那里度过了八个年头，期间他与查尔斯•兰姆建立了终生的友谊。

　　1791年，柯勒律治入读剑桥大学，他在那里过得并不开心，两年后参军入伍。然而他很快就被部队勒令退伍，又回到了剑桥大学。

　　1794年，他遇到了罗伯特•骚塞，他们俩计划在美国的萨斯奎哈纳河畔建一个理想社会，并且写了一部关于罗伯斯庇尔和法国革命的剧作。柯勒律治从剑桥大学肄业后与萨拉•弗里克结婚，她的妻妹后来嫁给了索西。

　　到了1797年夏，柯勒律治与威廉•华兹华斯及其妹妹桃乐茜成了亲密的朋友。柯勒律治用了不到一年的时间就创作完成了他的那些重要诗作。《古舟子咏》发表在《抒情歌谣集》（1798年）中，该卷诗集主要由华兹华斯撰写。也正是在这段时期，柯勒律治创作了他未完成的诗作《克里斯特贝尔》的第一部分、梦境般的片段《忽必烈汗》以及其它一些次要的诗作。

　　1798年柯勒律治与华兹华斯一同去了德国，在那里待了一年，向各派德国哲学家求教。

　　1800年，他迁居湖区的开士威克（Keswick），离索西和华兹华斯很近。这三人后来成为著名的“湖畔诗人”。他起初为了缓减自己的风湿病痛开始吸食鸦片，但后来越吸越多。他那感情不合的婚姻也以分居而告结，他妻子和子女的生活负担落到了索西的肩上。在马耳他和意大利经历两次戒除鸦片的徒劳尝试后，柯勒律治于1806年返回英格兰。

　　此后，柯勒律治主要居住在伦敦，讲授莎士比亚和英国诗歌。1813年他的悲剧作品《悔恨》（Remorse）在特鲁里街成功上演。1816年，詹姆士•吉尔曼医生给他提供了一处寄居所，并且帮助柯勒律治戒除毒瘾。他明智地接受了医生的照料，直到十八年后去世。在一部结构凌乱的文学杂记《文学传记》（1817年）中，他还纳入了自己关于诗歌的本质和文艺评论准则等一些有价值的片段。

　　柯勒律治的晚年生活是在撰写和讲授文学论题中度过的。《对沉思的援助》（1825年）是一篇关于哲学、文学和宗教的专题论文，意在调和正统基督教教义与德国先验哲学之间的关系，它对美国的先验论者有着特别的影响。《政教宪法》（The Constitution of Church and State）（1829年）是他最后的散文作品。

柯勒律治的名著《古舟子咏》是一首令人难以忘怀的音乐叙事诗，该诗简洁的结构和朴素的语言向人们讲述了一个生动的罪与赎罪的故事。在这首诗中，一位古代水手讲述了他在一次航海中故意杀死一只信天翁的故事（水手们认为它是象征好运的一种鸟）。这个水手经受了无数肉体和精神上的折磨后，才逐渐明白“人、鸟和兽类”作为上帝的创造物存在着超自然的联系。这首诗有许多超自然的人物和事件，充满激昂的语调，男主人公自我纠缠，所有这一切都构成了浪漫主义文学的标志。英国浪漫主义运动中，柯勒律治在诗歌和评论方面都占有重要地位。他认为莎士比亚是旷世奇才，并得到广泛认可。一生致力于把伊曼纽尔•康德以及其他德国哲学家的理论介绍给英国读者。

 

    威廉·华兹华斯，英国浪漫主义诗人。1770年4月7日生于北部昆布兰郡科克茅斯的一个律师之家，1850年4月23日卒于里多蒙特。8岁丧母。5年后，父亲又离开了他。亲友送他到家乡附近的寄宿学校读书。1787年进剑桥大学，曾在1790年、1791年两次访问法国。其间与法国姑娘阿内特·瓦隆恋爱，生有一女。1795年从一位朋友那里接受了一笔遗赠年金，他的生活有了保障，也有了实现回归大自然夙愿的可能，便同妹妹多萝西移居乡间。1797年同诗人柯尔律治相识，翌年两人共同出版《抒情歌谣集》。1798～1799年间与柯尔律治一同到德国游历，在那里创作了《采干果》、《露斯》和组诗《露西》，并开始创作自传体长诗《序曲》。1802年与玛丽·哈钦森结婚。此时开始关注人类精神在与大自然交流中得到的升华，并且发现这一主题与传统的宗教观实际上并行不悖，因此重新皈依宗教。同时，在政治上日渐保守。

　　华兹华斯诗歌创作的黄金时期在1797～1807年。随着声誉逐渐上升，他的创作逐渐走向衰退。到了1830年，他的成就已得到普遍承认，1843年被封为英国桂冠诗人。由于他与柯尔律治等诗人常居住在英国西北部多山的湖区，1807年10月的《爱丁堡评论》杂志称他们是湖畔派的代表诗人。18世纪末、19世纪初在英国西北部的湖畔有一些诗人聚集，其诗作多描写湖区，故称他们为“湖畔派”。

　　早期诗歌《晚步》和《素描集》中，对大自然的描写基本上未超出18世纪的传统。然而，从《抒情歌谣集》开始，一反18世纪的诗风，将一种崭新的风格带到诗歌创作中，开创了英国文学史上浪漫主义诗歌的新时代。他为《抒情歌谣集》的再版所写的序言被认为是浪漫主义文学的宣言。他的作品还有《不朽的征兆》以及由《序曲》和《漫游》两部分组成的哲理性长诗《隐者》等。

　　1770年4月7日，威廉·华兹华斯（William Wordsworth）出生在英国坎伯兰郡的考克茅斯。华兹华斯排行第二，上有一个哥哥，下有一个妹妹和两个弟弟。其父是个律师。华兹华斯8岁丧母，13岁丧父，少年时期一直在几家亲戚的监护之下，住在寄宿学校中，与兄弟姐妹们分开生活。五个孩子从父亲那里继承的遗产主要是对一位贵族的8500镑的债权。但这贵族在1802年去世之前，一直不愿偿还这笔钱，可以说，华兹华斯青少年时期的生活是十分贫寒的。但是他生活地区的美丽自然风光，疗救和补偿了他在物质与亲情上的缺失，因而华兹华斯的对早年的回忆并不觉得贫苦。他对自然有着“虔诚的爱”，将自然看成是自己的精神家园。受学校老师的影响，开始写诗。华兹华斯的第一首诗歌完成于1784年。

　　1787年他进入剑桥大学圣约翰学院学习，熟读了希腊拉丁文学，学习意大利文、法文和西班牙文。1790年和1791年两次赴法。当时正是法国大革命的年代，年轻的华兹华斯对革命深表同情与向往。回国后不久，局势剧变，华兹华斯对法国大革命感到失望。1795年，他和妹妹多萝茜以及诗人柯勒律治居住在北部山地的湖区，并在此消磨了一生。1798年华兹华斯与柯勒律治共同发表了《抒情歌谣集》，1800年这部诗集再版时华兹华斯写了序言。

　　《抒情歌谣集》出版时，华兹华斯并未受到重视，《序言》出版后，更遭到批评家的反对。1807年他的两卷集出版时仍受到批评界的攻击。但从19世纪初叶起，他在诗歌上的成就逐渐得到承认，激进派诗人如利·亨特也称他为颂扬大自然的新型诗歌的开创者和领袖，说他的诗取代了18世纪矫揉造作的诗风。人们认为《抒情歌谣集》宣告了浪漫主义新诗的诞生。在艺术上华兹华斯对雪莱、拜伦和济慈都有影响。1843年被封为英国“桂冠诗人”，为宫廷写了不少应景诗，艺术成就大不如前。1850 年4月23日去世。

 

原文欣赏 

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner 古舟子咏

PART I 第一章

An ancient Mariner meeteth three Gallants bidden to a wedding-feast, and detaineth one.

It is an ancient Mariner,
And he stoppeth one of three.
'By thy long beard and glittering eye,
Now wherefore stopp'st thou me?
他是一个年迈的水手，
从三个行人中他拦住一人，
“凭你的白须和闪亮的眼睛，
请问你为何阻拦我的路程？

The Bridegroom's doors are opened wide,
And I am next of kin;
The guests are met, the feast is set:
May'st hear the merry din.'
“新郎家的大门已经敞开，
而我是他的密友良朋，
宾客已到齐，宴席已摆好，
远远能听到笑语喧闹。”

He holds him with his skinny hand,
'There was a ship,' quoth he.
'Hold off! unhand me, grey-beard loon!'
Eftsoons his hand dropt he.
他枯瘦的手把行人抓住，
喃喃言道：”曾有一艘船。”
“走开，撒手，你这老疯子!”
他随即放手不再纠缠。

The Wedding-Guest is spell-bound by the eye of the old seafaring man, and constrained to hear his tale. He holds him with his glittering eye--
The Wedding-Guest stood still,
And listens like a three years' child:
The Mariner hath his will.
但他炯炯的目光将行人摄住——
使赴宴的客人停步不前，
像三岁的孩子听他讲述，
老水手实现了他的意愿。

The Wedding-Guest sat on a stone:
He cannot choose but hear;
And thus spake on that ancient man,
The bright-eyed Mariner.
赴宴的客人坐在石头上，
不由自主地听他把故事讲：
就这样老水手继续往下说，
两眼闪着奇异的光芒。

'The ship was cheered, the harbour cleared,
Merrily did we drop
Below the kirk, below the hill,
Below the lighthouse top.
“船在欢呼声中驶出海港，
乘着落潮我们愉快出航，
驶过教堂，驶过山岗，
最后连灯塔也消失在远方。

The Sun came up upon the left,
Out of the sea came he!
And he shone bright, and on the right
Went down into the sea.
“只见太阳从左边升起，
从那万顷碧波的汪洋里!
它终日在天空辉煌照耀，
然后从右边落进大海里。

Higher and higher every day,
Till over the mast at noon--'
The Wedding-Guest here beat his breast,
For he heard the loud bassoon.
“它每天升得越来越高，
正午时直射桅杆的顶极——”
赴宴的客人捶打着胸膛，
当听到巴松管嘹亮的乐曲。

The bride hath paced into the hall,
Red as a rose is she;
Nodding their heads before her goes
The merry minstrelsy.
这时新娘已跨进大门，
她如鲜红的玫瑰一样漂亮；
行吟诗人走在她前面，
摇头摆尾快乐地歌唱。

The Wedding-Guest he beat his breast,
Yet he cannot choose but hear;
And thus spake on that ancient man,
The bright-eyed Mariner.
赴宴的客人捶打着胸膛，
但不由自主地听他把故事讲；
就这样老水手继续往下说，
两眼闪烁着奇异的光芒。

'And now the STORM-BLAST came, and he
Was tyrannous and strong:
He struck with his o'ertaking wings,
And chased us south along.
“这时大海上刮起了风暴，
它来势凶猛更叫人胆寒；
它张开飞翅追击着船只，
不停地把我们向南驱赶。

With sloping masts and dipping prow,
As who pursued with yell and blow
Still treads the shadow of his foe,
And forward bends his head,
The ship drove fast, loud roared the blast,
The southward aye we fled.
“桅杆弓着身，船头淌着水，
像有人在背后追打叫喊，
却总是躲不开敌人的影子，
只好低着头任其摧残，
船儿在疾驶，狂风在呼啸，
我们一个劲儿往南逃窜。

And now there came both mist and snow,
And it grew wondrous cold:
And ice, mast-high, came floating by,
As green as emerald.
“接着出现了浓雾和冰雪，
天气奇寒，冻彻骨髓；
如樯的冰山从船旁漂过，
晶莹碧绿，色如翡翠。

And through the drifts the snowy clifts
Did send a dismal sheen:
Nor shapes of men nor beasts we ken--
The ice was all between.
“冰山射出惨淡的光芒，
在飘流的云雾中若明若灭：
四周既无人迹也无鸟兽——
只有一望无际的冰雪。

The ice was here, the ice was there,
The ice was all around:
It cracked and growled, and roared and howled,
Like noises in a swound!
“这儿是冰雪，那儿是冰雪，
到处都是冰雪茫茫；
冰雪在怒吼，冰雪在咆哮，
像人昏厥时听到隆隆巨响！

At length did cross an Albatross,
Thorough the fog it came;
As if it had been a Christian soul,
We hailed it in God's name.
“终于飞来了一头信天翁，
它穿过海上弥漫的云雾，
仿佛它也是一个基督徒，
我们以上帝的名义向它欢呼。

It ate the food it ne'er had eat,
And round and round it flew.
The ice did split with a thunder-fit;
The helmsman steered us through!
“它吃着丛未吃过的食物，
又绕着船儿盘旋飞舞。
坚冰霹雳一声突然裂开，
舵手把我们引上了新途！

And a good south wind sprung up behind;
The Albatross did follow,
And every day, for food or play,
Came to the mariner's hollo!
“南来的好风在船后吹送；
船旁紧跟着那头信天翁，
每天为了食物或玩耍，
水手们一招呼它就飞进船中！

In mist or cloud, on mast or shroud,
It perched for vespers nine;
Whiles all the night, through fog-smoke white,
Glimmered the white Moon-shine.'
“它在桅索上栖息了九夜；
无论是雾夜或满天阴云：
而一轮皎月透过白雾，
迷离闪烁，朦朦胧胧。”

'God save thee, ancient Mariner!
From the fiends, that plague thee thus!--
Why look'st thou so?'--With my cross-bow
I shot the ALBATROSS.
“上帝保佑你吧，老水手！
别让魔鬼把你缠住身！——
你怎么啦？”——”是我用弓箭，
射死了那头信天翁。”