A Comparison between Two Nature Poems 诗歌欣赏英语论文.doc

A Comparison between Two Nature PoemsAbstract: William Wordsworth, the representative of the romantic writers and great writers of nature. His great imagination, with the poets philosophical and somewhat mystical thought, is deeply rooted in the poetical creation. To Autumn” written by John Keats also is an excellent poem about nature. In “To Autumn”, a superficial reading would suggest that John Keats writes about a typical day of this season, describing all kind of colourful and detailed images. In this paper, the two representative poems are examined in terms of figures of speech, imagery skills and theme to appreciate the nature poems.Key words: William Wordsworth; daffodils; nature; to autumnNature poems are an important part of poetry. It chants all creatures great and small in the nature, such as four seasons, plants, animals, mountains and rivers and clouds and rains. Poem writers rooted their great imagination, philosophical and somewhat mystical thought in their creations. By analyzing nature poems, we can appreciate the beauty of poems.1. Figures of Speech Used in Daffodils Personification is successfully used in both poems. In the poem “I wandered lonely as a cloud”, the first line makes nice use of personification and simile. The poet assumes himself to be a cloud (simile) floating in the sky. When Wordsworth says in the second line 'I' (poet as a cloud) look down at the valleys and mountains and appreciate the daffodils; it's the personification, where an inanimate object (cloud) possesses the quality of a human enabling it to see the daffodils. The line "Ten thousand saw I at a glance" is an exaggeration and a hyperbole, describing the scene of ten thousand daffodils, all together. Alliteration is the repetition of similar sounds, is applied for the word 'h', in the words - high and hills. In “To Autumn” personification is wildly used. Take the second stanza for example, autumn personified as a harvester, crosses a brook and watches a cider press. Otherwise autumn is listless and even falls asleep. The furrow is "half-reap'd," the winnowed hair refers to ripe grain still standing, and apple cider is still being pressed. However, the end of the cycle is near. The press is squeezing out "the last oozings." Find other words that indicate slowing down. Notice that Keats describes a reaper who is not harvesting and who is not turning the press. Personification here is very successful. It gives autumn a personality and the autumn is no longer abstract.2. Imagery Skill The poem “In Daffodils” paints images of lakes, fields, trees, stars in Ullswater. Wordsworth continuously praises the daffodils, comparing them to the Milky Way galaxy (in the second stanza), their dance (in the third stanza) and in the concluding stanza, dreams to join the daffodils in their dance. John Keats's “Ode to Autumn” is replete with imagery, each eleven-line stanza of iambic pentameter emphasizing different types of images and different times of day and periods of the personified season. John Keats's “Ode to Autumn” is replete with imagery, each eleven-line stanza of iambic pentameter emphasizing different types of images and different times of day and periods of the personified season. Take stanza one for example, it abounds with visual images all of which suggest linked ideas of fullness and ripeness. To enumerate, the opening line concludes with "fruitfulness," which evokes images both of trees and other vegetation loaded and heavy with each's particular variety of produce. Readers also sense the juicy ripeness that fills and swells to bursting each different item of fruition. Vines are loaded and blessed with fruit; apple tree branches bend under the weight of fruit ready to be picked; gourds swell, hazel nuts are "plump" with developed kernels; beehives "o'erbrim" with the nectar of a riot of blossoms.3. Title and Theme The title, 'Daffodils' is a simple word that reminds us about the arrival of the spring season, when the field is full of daffodils. Daffodils are yellow flowers, having an amazing shape and beautiful fragrance. A bunch of daffodils symbolize the joys and happiness of life. The theme of the poem 'Daffodils' is a collection of human emotions inspired by nature that we may have neglected due to our busy lives. The daffodils imply rebirth, a new beginning for human beings, blessed with the grace of nature. The arrival of daffodils in the month of March is welcome and an enjoyable time to appreciate them! To Autumn has three stanzas. Each of three stanzas shows us different time of a day and different time of autumn. I thought this poem exhibited two kinds of progression of time. First is the time of day. The first stanza is the morning with the "mists". The second is late afternoon, when the hot sun is beating down and makes everyone drowsy. The third is at sunset with the "barred clouds" piercing the sky with its "rosy hue". In the poem “To Autumn”, it shows a progression in the season of autumn itself. The first stanza is early autumn because "summer has o'er brimmed. It shows the maturing of summers bounty. The second is mid-autumn, because it's time for harvest. The third is late autumn because the birds are headed south for winter. From the above, we can see the optimism in the poetry. “Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings: it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquility” (Shelley), Poetry teaches us music, metaphor, condensation and specificity. Though the analysis of the nature poems, we can see the beautiful of poems and root the fountain that forever overflowing with the waters of wisdom and delight in mind. Works CitedRoger Gilbert. The Walkers Literature Companion. New York: Breakwaw Books; 2000: 93.J O Hendry. Rhythm and muse : your friendly guide to English poetry. Johannesburg (56 Chaucer Rd., Lombardy East 2090): Wordsmiths Pub., 1998.R K Sadler; T A S Hayllar; C J Powell. Appreciating Poetry. South Melbourne: Macmillan Education, 1986. 李正栓;吴晓梅. 英美诗歌教程M. 北京: 清华大学出版社, 2004: 97-99,140-142孙华祥. 美国文学选读M. 北京: 中国社会科学出版社, 2010: 151-155.