英文诗歌的音律格律解析

要了解格律,首先要明了“音步”和“韵律”这两个概念。 1.音步(Foot): 英诗中重读与非重读音节的特殊性组合叫作音步。一个音步的音节数量可能为两个或三个音节,但不能少于两个或多于三个音节,而且其中只有一个必须重读。 分析英文诗歌的格律就是将它的句子划分成音步,并分清是何种音步及音步的数量。这个过程称为scansion。 如:诗句“From fairest creatures we desire increase” 要是分成音步的话,就变成了这个样子: Fro-m fai*re-st crea*ture-s we* de-sire* i-ncrea*se 上面“-”示它前面是轻读音节,而“*”则表示它前面是重读音节。我们于是看出:上面的句子共有五个音步,每个音步都是由前轻读后重读的两个音节组成,这样的音节被称为“抑扬格”。颇有点唐诗的“平仄”的味道,但又有本质上的不同。 Tips:一个音步不必等于一个单词。 根据音步的数量,每一行一个音步的称为“单音步”(monometer); 每一诗行有两个音步的,称“双音步”(dimeter); 三个音步的,称“三音步”(trimeter); 此外还有四音步(tetrameter)、五音步、(pentameter)、六音步(hexameter)、七音步(heptameter)、八音步(octometer)。 2.韵律(Metre): 韵律是指音步在朗读时的轻重长短的节奏或规律,这要依据音步所含音节的数量及重读音节的位置来区分。传统英诗的音步有六种, 即:抑扬格(Iambus) 扬抑格(Trochee) 抑抑扬格(Anapaest) 扬抑抑格(Dactyl) 抑扬抑格(Amphibrach) 扬抑扬格(Dactyl) “抑”为轻读音节,“扬”为重读音节。“扬抑格”即一个音步有两个音节,前面的音节重读,后面的轻读。同理,“扬抑扬格”即一个音步有三个音节,最前的音节重读,中轻读,后重读。 3. 英文诗歌的押韵: 3.1 就起押韵功能的单词而言,一是辅音也可入韵,二是押韵的音节可以选在单词的头,中间和尾(比较:每个汉字只有一个音节)。最常见的有3种, 即:头韵(Alliteration):是指单词开始的字母重复,如great和grew; 谐元韵(Assonance):是指单词中重读元音重复,如great和fail; 尾韵(Rhyme):则指单词结尾的字母重复,如great和bait。 3.2 而一行诗中也可能同时存在多种押韵形式, 如: The light that lies in women's eyes. 这行诗中有头韵light和lies,谐元韵light、lies、eyes,还有尾韵lies和eyes。 3.3 英语诗歌的行与行之间的押韵格式则被称为韵法(rhyming scheme)。常见的有4种, 即:两行转韵(AABB) 隔行押韵(ABCB) 隔行交互押韵(ABAB) 交错押韵(ABBA)等。 如这四行诗: From fairest creatures we desire increase, That thereby beauty's rose might never die, But as the riper should by time decease, His tender heir might bear his memory: 即为abab押韵格式,详细分解如下: From fairest creatures we desire incr(ease=a), That thereby beauty's rose might never d(ie=b), But as the riper should by time dec (ease=a), His tender heir might bear his memo(ry=b): 4. 英文诗歌的形式 4.1商籁诗(十四行诗- sonnet):商籁诗须遵守十四行,五音步,抑扬格这种形式。即全诗共十四行,每行五个音步,而音步的韵律是抑扬格。 这种形式首先出现在意大利,在十六世纪中传入英国,为伊丽莎白时代的文人所宠爱。诗人如莎士比亚、斯宾塞及西德尼都写下过很多著名的十四行诗。到十八世纪,十四行诗又受到冷落。后来才浪漫派诗人济慈、沃兹沃斯等人复兴。英文的商籁诗分为两种类型, 即:即意大利式(Petrarvhan)及莎士比业式(Shakesperoan),或称英国式。 (1)意大利式:由意大利诗人皮特拉克(Petrarch)所创,全诗分两部分:第一部分八行(The Octave),由两个四行诗体(Quatrains)组成,韵脚是abbaabba;第二部分有六行(The Sestet),韵脚可有不同形式。严格的意大利十四行诗,前八行结尾,诗意应告一段落,而后六行又转入新的诗意。 (2)莎士比亚式:全诗亦分为两个部分:第一部分是三个四行诗体组成,韵脚可交替进行。第二部分双行诗体。是最后是押韵的双行诗体。全诗韵脚是ababcdcdefefgg。莎士比亚式诗中意境一气呵成,直到最后双行诗体,为全诗高潮。 4.2. 打油诗(Limericks):通常是小笑话甚至是胡诌,一般没有标题也无作者姓名,含有幽默讽刺性,常运用双关,内韵等手法。每首诗五个诗行,押韵为aabba,格律以抑扬格和抑抑扬格为主。 1) There was a young lady of Nigger Who smiled as she rode on a tiger; They returned from the ride With the lady inside, And the smile on the face of the tiger. 2) A tutor who taught on the flute Tried to teach two tooters to toot, “Is it harder to toot, or Said the two to the tutor, To tutor two tooters to toot?” 4.3 无韵体(Blank Verse):五音步抑扬格,不押韵诗体。 Across the watery bale , and shout again, Responsive to his call, - with quivering peals, And long halloos, and screams, and echoes loud. Redoubled and redoubled:concourse wild Of jocund din!… William Wordsworth: There Was a Boy 4.4 自由诗(FreeVerse):现代诗中常见的体式,长短不同的诗行存在于同一首诗中,不讲究押韵与格律,只注重诗歌所表达的意象和传递的情感。美国诗人WaltWhitman的Leaves of Grass中,就采用此格式。 Song of Myself I celebrate myself, and sing myself, And what I assume you shall assume, For every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you. I loafe and invite my soul, I learn and loafe at my ease observing a spear of summer grass. My tongue, every atom of my blood, form‘d from this soil, this air, Born ere of parents born here from parents the same, and their parents the same, I, now thirty seven years old in perfect health begin, Hoping to cease not till death. Creeds and schools in abeyance, Retiring back a while sufficed at what they are,but never forgotten. I harbor for good or bad, I permit to speak at every hazard. Nature without check with original energy. 5、诗的评判 对一首诗,个人的感受会有不同。节奏流畅,语言精炼,联想新颖的诗可算是好诗。堆砌词藻,一味抒发感情而无实际内容的诗,只能是下乘的诗。 二十世纪英美诗歌大量采用自由诗体,接近口语,可谓大胆创新,大概也是诗歌发展的大势所趋。以下通过几首诗的分析看诗的评判。 5.1 That Time of Year That time of year thou may‘st in me behold When yellow leaves,or none,or few, do hang Upon those boughs which shake against the cold, Bare ruined choirs where late the sweet birds sang, In me thou see‘st the twi light of such day As after sunset fadeth in the west, When by and by black night doth take away, Death‘s second self, that seals up all in rest. In me thou see‘st the glowing of such fire, That on the ashes of his youth doth lie. As the deathbed whereon it must expire, Consumed with that which it was nourished by. This you perceivest, which makes thy love more strong, To love that well which thou must leave ere long. Notes:may‘st:may behold:see late:no long ago thou:you see’st:see fadeth:fades doth:does seals up all at rest:彻底埋葬 thy:your perceivest: perceive ere long: before long 此诗是莎士比亚(William Shakespeare, 1564-1616)的一首十四行诗。 此诗为五音步抑扬格,每个诗行格律为:?-/?-/?-/?-/?-/。 全诗涉及衰老、死亡及爱情问题。前十二行:通过描写深秋的树枝黄叶凋零,曾是百鸟争鸣的歌坛,联想到自身青春会如夕阳消逝在远方,被黑夜吞没;自身的青春会如将尽的柴火奄奄一息,被曾滋养过它的火焰焚化。其中choirs (歌坛),deathbed(灵床)使用暗喻手法,同时又用夕阳和柴火象征人的衰老死亡。最后两行:点题,人们对即将永别的东西会更珍惜。本文动词变化具有明显的伊利莎白时代的特点。 5.2 The Daffodils I wandered lonely as a cloud That floats on high o‘er vales and hills, When all at once I saw a crowd, A host of golden daffodils; Beside the lake, beneath the trees, Fluttering and dancing in the breeze. Continuous as the stars that shine And twinkle on the Milky Way, They stretched in never-ending line Along the margin of a bay: Ten thousand saw I at a glance, Tossing their heads in sprightly dance. The waves beside them danced; but they Outdid the sparkling waves in glee: A poet could not but be gay, In such a jocund company: I gazed - and gazed - but little thought What wealth the show to me had brought: For oft, when on my couch I lie In vacant or in pensive mood, They flash upon that inward eye Which is the bliss of solitude; Ans then my heart with pleasure fills, And dances with the daffodils. Notes: a crowd, a host of: many sprightly:happy glee:joy jocund:happy bliss:complete happiness pensive:sadly thoughtful 华兹华斯(WilliamWordsworth,1770-1850),十九世纪初英格兰北部湖区三大“湖畔派诗人”(浪漫主义)之一。此诗向我们描绘了一幅美好的自然景象,同时抒发作者对自然美景的喜欢。黄水仙据说是威尔士国花(1282年,威尔士归顺英格兰,被封公国),在英国广泛栽种,春季开花,花期不长。有许多关于黄水仙的诗歌,这首诗无疑是脱颖而出的。 全诗语言精炼,通俗易懂,四音步抑扬格,分四节(stanza),每节6行,每节押韵均为ababcc.第一节写诗人孤寂时外出散步,偶遇水仙;第二节写水仙争相开放,千姿百态;第三节,诗人看到这景象感到欣喜异常;第四节写诗人在日后忧郁时,回想当时情景,又让他心中充满了欢乐,随着水仙跳起舞来。 5.3 death be not proud Death, be not proud, though some have called thee Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so; For those whom thou think’st thou dost overthrow Die not, poor Death, nor yet canst thou kill me. From rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be, Much pleasure; then from thee much more must flow, And soonest our best men with thee do go, Rest of their bones, and soul’s delivery. Thou art slave to fate, chance, kings, and desperate men, And dost with poison, war, and sickness dwell, And poppy or charms can make us sleep as well And better than thy st roke; why swell’st thou then? One short sleep past, we wake eternally And death shall be no more; Death, thou shall die. 在感情的表达上,多恩的诗歌力求避免感伤情调,把感情容入“玄思”之中,因此,倍受英美现代派诗人的推崇。多恩写过一些宗教诗。在这些诗歌中,他探索自己的内心世界,表达他对宗教,乃至人生的看法。《死亡,不要骄傲》正是这类诗歌中的一首。这是一首意大利体的十四行诗。诗的起句突兀,表达了对死神的嘲笑和蔑视。死亡是人生的终结,许多人对死亡表现出极度的恐惧,把死亡同黑暗的地狱联系在一起。然而,在多恩看来,死亡并没有什么可怕之处。他把死亡看作睡眠,看作是通向“永远觉醒”的必经之路。死亡只是从有限的生命通向永恒的过程。这种思想并非多恩特有,因为在莎士比亚的《哈姆雷