Scorn Not the Sonnet
Scorn Not the Sonnet
by William Wordsworth
Scorn not the Sonnet; Critic, you have frowned,
Mindless of its just honours; with this key
Shakspeare unlocked his heart; the melody
Of this small lute gave ease to Petrarch's wound;
A thousand times this pipe did Tasso sound;
With it Camoens soothed an exile's grief;
The Sonnet glittered a gay myrtle leaf
Amid the cypress with which Dante crowned
His visionary brow: a glow-worm lamp,
It cheered mild Spenser, called from Faeryland
To struggle through dark ways; and, when a damp
Fell round the path of Milton, in his hand
The Thing became a trumpet; whence he blew
Soul-animating strains--alas, too few!
论十四行诗
屠岸 译
别轻视十四行诗,批评家!你冷若冰霜,
毫不关心它应有的荣誉;莎士比亚
用这把钥匙开启了心扉!这小琵琶
奏出的旋律医好了彼得拉克的创伤;
塔索把这支笛子千百遍吹响;
加莫恩斯用它减轻了放逐的哀愁!
但丁将柏冠戴上了沉思的额头——
十四行诗就是一叶华美的桃金娘
在那柏枝间发光;它是盏萤火灯,
使那温和的斯本塞从仙境里醒来
向黑暗斗争时感到愉快;而密尔顿
路遇漫天的大雾,十四行诗就在
他手中变成了号角,他用这乐器
吹出了动魄的歌曲——太少了,可惜!
诗歌赏析
华兹华斯的这首诗既表达了诗人对十四行诗的总体评价,也是对过去写作十四行诗的诗人给予独特的评价。华兹华斯在此诗中历数西方诗坛风流人物与十四行诗的不解之缘。他写道:莎士比亚用它作为钥匙(key)开启心扉;彼特拉克以它为提琴(lute),奏出的旋律抚慰创伤;意大利文艺复兴后期诗人塔索也以之为琴,奏出同样的曲调;十六世纪葡萄牙抒情诗人卡蒙斯用它减轻流放的悲痛;它成了装饰在但丁头上一片闪光的田园叶子(leaf);它是引领斯宾塞走在黑暗路上的一盏灯(lamp),它又是弥尔顿手里的一只号角(trumpet)。
全诗每行十个音节,分五个抑扬格韵步,前八行的韵式为abba abba,后六行韵式为cdc dee。其中后六行韵式与前一首又有所不同,即最后两行的押韵,类似莎士比亚体的最后两行韵式。这里又体现出华兹华斯对押韵格式所作的变化。
威廉•华兹华斯简介
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