The Lyricism in Longfellow"s Poetry

田寨耕

摘要 Longfellow is a great Romantic poet of the 19th century America and his poetry is full of lyricism. This paper attempts to illustrate the lyricism in his poetry through several examples.

關鍵詞 Longfellow Romanticism lyricism

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow （1807-1882） was born in Maine， but spent most of his time in Cambridge， a village near Boston. After graduating in 1826 from Bowdoin College， he went to study in Europe. Three years later， he returned to America and taught European languages， first at Bowdoin College and then at Harvard University. In the last years of his life， Longfellow received quite a few honors， including honorary degrees from Cambridge University and Oxford University in Britain. After he died， a bust of Longfellow was placed in the Poet's corner of Westminster Abbey --- the first of the Americans that have obtained the honor.

Longfellow did much for cultural exchanges between America and Europe. On one hand， he brought European culture to the attention of American people， and on the other， he spread American folklore in Europe. American readers liked Longfellow's lyrical style， which was influenced by the German Romantic poets. His subjects focused on home， family， nature and religion. Although his position as a major American poet has declined over the years， he was undoubtedly the most popular American poet in the late 19th century.

Longfellow is a great lyricist and lyricism exists everywhere in his poetry. Let's illustrate that by some examples. First， let's look at "Hymn to the Night". "I heard the trailing garments of the Night / Sweep through her marble halls！ / I saw her sable skirts all fringed with light / From the celestial walls！ // I felt her presence， by its spell of might， / Stoop o'er me from above； / The calm majestic presence of the Night， / As of the one I love. // I heard the sounds of sorrow and delight， / The manifold， soft chimes， / That fill the haunted chambers of the Night， / Like some old poet's rhymes. // From the cool cisterns of the midnight air / My spirit drank repose； / The fountain of perpetual peace flows there， --- / From those deep cisterns flows. // O holy Night！ From thee I learn to bear / What man has borne before！ / Thou layest thy finger on the lips of Care， / And they complain no more. // Peace！ Peace！ Orestes-like I breathe this prayer！ / Descend with broad-winged flight， / The welcome， the thrice-prayed for， the most fair， / The best-beloved Night！" In the poem， Longfellow compares night to a nice holy maiden in the trailing garment and sable skirt， whose presence is calm and majestic. She teaches the poet to bear what man has borne and brings peace to him. She is the welcome， the most fair and best-beloved maiden for the poet. The author uses eight exclamation marks in the poem. All these demonstrate that it is a strongly lyrical poem.endprint

Next， let's take "The Secret of the Sea" for example. "Ah！ What pleasant visions haunt me / As I gaze upon the sea！ / All the old romantic legends， / All my dreams， come back to me. // Sails of silk and ropes of sandal， / Such as gleam in ancient lore； / And the singing of the sailors， / And the answer from the shore！ // Most of all， the Spanish ballad / Haunts me oft， and tarries long， / Of the noble Count Arnaldos / And the sailor's mystic song. // ······ // "Wouldst thou，" --- so the helmsman answered， / "Learn the secret of the sea？ / Only those who brave its dangers / Comprehend its mystery！" // In each sail that skims the horizon， / In each landward-blowing breeze， / I behold that stately galley， / Hear those mournful melodies； // Till my soul is full of longing / For the secret of the sea， / And the heart of the great ocean / Sends a thrilling pulse through me." The poem begins with an exclamatory word， followed by an exclamatory sentence and an exclamation mark. The pleasant visions of the sea reminds Longfellow of a Spanish ballad telling of a Count named Arnaldos who saw a fair and stately galley and heard her helmsman singing a wild and clear song about the sea. The song was so charming that the Count asked the helmsman to teach him. At last those romantic legends leave the poet filled with longing for the secret of the sea. The poem is full of romance and lyricism.

Finally let's come to "Divina Commedia". "Oft have I seen at some cathedral door / A laborer， pausing in the dust and heat， / Lay down his burden， and with reverent feet / Enter， and cross himself， and on the floor / Kneel to repeat his paternoster o'er； / Far off the noises of the world retreat； / The loud vociferations of the street / Become an undistinguishable roar. / So， as I enter here from day to day， / And leave my burden at this minster gate， / Kneeling in prayer， and not ashamed to pray， / The tumult of the time disconsolate / To inarticulate murmurs dies away， / While the eternal ages watch and wait." At a cathedral door the poet has often seen a laborer， pausing in the dust and heat， lay down his burden， enter with reverent feet， cross himself and kneel on the floor to repeat his Lord's Prayer over. It can be seen that this is a very religious man and the poet is full of sympathy and esteem for his piety.

參考文獻

【1】Carl Bode. Highlights of American Literature （Book II）. Information Center Service， U.S. Information Agency. 1971endprint