雪莱诗作中的自然意象的描述
Contents
1. Introduction 1
2. General idea of image 2
2.1 Definition 2
2.2 Images’ functions in poems 2
3. Background of Shelly’s natural view 4
3.1 Family background 4
3.2 Social and political background 5
3.3 The Formation of Shelley’s natural view 6
4. Natural images in Shelly’s poems 8
4.1 The west wind – power 8
4.2 The skylark – freedom 9
4.3 The sensitive plant – love and beauty 11
5. Conclusion 14
Acknowledgements 15
References 16
1．Introduction
Image is to reflect mankind’s subjective feelings by making use of some objective image. Image is widely used in the poetry, because poets can express their strong emotions by describing some certain images. In the poetry, image usually refers to the natural images from the nature. Among the most famous poets, Percy Bysshe Shelley holds great enthusiasm in nature and is skilled at using natural images in his poems. Shelley also has shaped his own natural view. In his opinion, nature is the incarnation of beauty. It is always divine, like the light of heaven, pure and noble. In his natural lyrics, he regards natural objects as a symbol of freedom and liberty, happiness and power to inspire and motivate people as well as to express their strong emotions. He has written lots of natural kinds, such as wind, birds, rain, plants and so on. In his works, he observes them carefully, describes vividly, and also gives them vitality. When reading Shelley’s works, readers can find that natural image has become the most important point in his poems. This article chooses the most impressive natural images to analyze. They are the west wind in Ode to the West Wind, the skylark in To the Skylark, and the sensitive plant in The Sensitive Plant. Under Shelley’s words, the common images in the nature have colorful meanings and take with deep emotion.
In the following parts, this paper firstly studies on the definition and function of natural images. Then the paper will talk about how Shelley’s natural view coming into being, especially stressing on researching the family, social and political background. Finally this paper will specifically analyze the three natural images in each poem, and in turn prove Shelley’s natural view.
2. General idea of image
Jung Carl Gustav, the Swiss psychiatrist and founder of Analytical Psychology once said: “Every image in all is condensed some factors of human psychology and destiny. It is permeated with residue of joys and sorrows which repeatedly produced by our ancestors on the basis of the same way.”[1]18To human beings, the nature is the friendliest, the simplest to understand, and the easiest to cause imagination. So the combination between natural image description and man’s life experience has shaped the best understanding in poetry.
2.1 Definition
Image is that, the objective image through unique emotion activity of the creation subject creates a kind of artistic image. In other words, the image is to put the subjective feeling into the objective image. R. H. McKim, an expert on theory of vision said that, image should contain interactions of a few aspects, one is the objective and visible parts, namely the Vision, one is the virtual part, namely imagination, and the last one is the expressive and constitutive part, namely Composition. And Abrams.M.H, who is one of the famous romantic critics, concludes in Literary Term Assembly that, “Image refers to the specific image which can stimulate our feelings, namely, the specific frame or image to express rational and emotional experience.” [2]29In all ages, poets pay particular attention to the application of image in poetry.
Image has two classifications. One is the natural image, while the other is the objects or behaviors made by human. But in the poetry, image usually refers to the natural images taken from the nature. Natural image includes natural splendor (like moon, wind, stream, etc.), plants (like willow, pine, rose, etc.) and animals (like crow, goose, skylark, etc.). And when talk about the different emotions that the natural images may express, the classification can be divided into followings: images of farewell, images of homesickness, image of love, and so on.
2.2 Images’ functions in poems
Image is the focus of writing poetry. Abrams.M.H. writes in the preface of The Norton Anthology of English Literature that, at a glance of any romantic poetry collection, finding that poets generally take the natural attractions as the theme of their works. [3]8And also image is the elf of a poem. If there has no image, a poem will taste just like a cup of pure water, without any flavor. So a good poem can not be created without image.
Image is one of the important concepts in poetry fields. Poetry is usually visual and vivid, because image is widely applied in it. And the application of the image can in turn create a huge space for the expansion of
imagination. The poetic image is closely related with intuition, and it can produce insight by inducing intuition, break the barrier between consciousness and unconscious mind of readers, revive their unconscious experience which is usually hidden in deep heart, and then arouse emotional resonance.
The first function of image in the poem is to repose abstractly subjective feeling into a concrete object, making it become a visible and touchable artistic image, and getting vivid expression. Thus the reading process can be filled of joy. The second function is with the help of image's originality, to make the same or similar feeling get the unique artistic expression. Poets can use different images to express the some emotion, avoiding echoing what others said before. As in Shelley’s poems, he uses wind, lighting, even running water to represent the power. The third function is through image, to convey or share some meaning not fully expressible in words, then to produce some artistic effect which logic language cannot achieve. At this moment, because the theme of poem is uncertain and ambiguous, it provides readers with a broad space for imagination and aftertaste. The last one is to keep a certain distance with the political and social reality. In an era of having no free speech, poets want to pour out the social evils, but not want to be caught by the authority. So using image is a possible choice.
With the functions mentioned above, poets are willing to use images in their poems. Shelley is one of the poets who are good at making use of images, especially natural images. In his natural lyrics, he used natural objects as a symbol of freedom and liberty, happiness and power to inspire and motivate people as well as to express strong emotions.
3. Background of Shelly’s natural view
When studying on Shelly’s poem, one thing is indispensable, that is, the background of the author. As everyone knows, one’s growing background plays an important role for one’s future development. And Shelley’s growing circumstances had shaped his later characteristics even his writing style. Why was Shelley so addicted to describing the nature? How did Shelley shape his natural view? What did Shelley want to deliver through the natural images? From his growing background, maybe we’ll get a general idea.
3.1 Family background
Born on August 4, 1792 in Horsham, Sussex, Percy Bysshe Shelley was the eldest child among seven children of Elizabeth and Sir Timothy Shelley. He had 5 sisters and one brother. Because his grandfather, Sir Bysshe Shelley’s preference, Shelley was the prince of the family. Shelley’s father, Sir Timothy Shelley, was a congressman, a member of parliament for New Shoreham. He had a big residence in Field manor. It was a long white house with unique design. And it was embraced by a big garden and a vast forest. Living in those surroundings, Shelley became very interested in nature when he was young. He usually spent the whole day in the forest reading a book, or just lying in the lawn. Shelley was fond of making the quiet daily things full of mysterious color. In his childhood, he, together with his elder sister Elizabeth Shelley and the beautiful younger female cousin Harriet who were the most faithful followers got indulged in the arms of the nature.
When Shelley was 12 years old (in 1804), he was sent to Eton College. But at that time, the school advocated harsh education, even implemented corporal punishment. The government wanted schools to train young peoples to be violent, cold and detached. There, Shelley fared poorly, subjected to an almost daily mob torment his classmates called “Shelley-baits”. Being surrounded, the young Shelley would have his books torn from his hands and his clothes pulled at and torn until he cried out madly in his high-pitched “cracked soprano” of a voice.18
On 10 April, 1810, Shelley got the admission to University College, Oxford. During studying in Oxford, he showed great interest in natural science and philosophy. The works of Plato, Hume and the French enlightenment thinkers, and some philosophy theories of pantheism and deism had deep influence to him. In 1811, Shelley published a pamphlet called The Necessity of Atheism. This gained
the attention of the university administration. And his refusal to repudiate the authorship of the pamphlet resulted in his being sent down from Oxford on 25 March 1811. Because of this, he was also deprived of right of inheritance for family property by his father. But Shelley didn’t surrender, but still stuck to his own views.
3.2 Social and political background
Shelley lived in the early 19th century. During this period of Europe, not only in the literature, but also in the economy, politic and society, the prevalent thoughts had dramatically changed. In the economic aspect, as the further development of industrial revolution, the polarization between the rich and the poor become more aggravated. Politically, the capitalist inherent contradictory has been gradually sharpened, the spontaneous revolts which were initiated by the poor working people ascended to political struggle. Various workers’ movements and revolutionary movements rose in the Europe, like a rising wind and scudding clouds. In order to fight for the right to live, British working class launched a lot of struggles against the bourgeoisie, destroying machines and going on strikes. In the field of social thoughts, experience philosophy and continental rationalism theory continue to dominate the main stream, dialectics and historism still had influence, and the slogan of “liberty, equality and fraternity” still has a large force for mobilizing social strength. The thought of utopian socialism that stated by Marxism was also in the formation. Due to the differences between the ideal and political tendencies, the development of literature appeared various characteristics. The poets created their ages, and also reflected the characteristics of them.
In the 19 century, the British literature imbued with vibrant naturalism. British poets are all the observers, lovers and adorers of the nature. The deep reason is due to the various significant and almost ubiquitous British qualities. British people love villages and the sea, love animals and are familiar with them. The most outstanding poets of this country of this time were filled with a thick breath of naturalism. When transferred to social fields, naturalism became revolutionary. As a British man, Shelley finely succeeded to this quality. He loved nature, and admired the mighty power of the nature.
Born and grown up in the period when the French revolution developed like a raging fire, Shelley was affected profoundly by the thought of “liberty, equality and fraternity”. Most of his poems are sharply criticized the tyranny of the government, religion and traditional marriage. In his poems, everything of the nature is alive. Flowers and trees, rivers and seas, mountains and clouds were not only personated, but also endowed with inspiration and spirit. What’s more, the poet himself was blended with the surroundings. In his view, the nature’s power is just the human’s power.
3.3 The Formation of Shelley’s natural view
In Shelley’s short but splendid life, nature is his closest friend. Most of Shelley’s works are written in the open air, especially in the forest. He usually spends whole day in the forest to compose. He regards the open air as his own working office. The leaves are his books. One should not run after two horses at the same time. When writing, he hates to be disturbed by all kinds of noise made by other people. But in his own office, the chatter of the running water, the birds’ warble, all sorts of voice around the nature can soothe his heart, make him calm down. Shelley is immersed in his dream, forgetting the time, the real world, even the existence of himself. The only thing is to record the beautiful moment.
The same as the other romantic poets, Shelley prefers to describe the nature. But his attitude is different from the lake poets’ mysterious explanation for the nature, or from Keats’ aesthetic view. He loves nature, and he feels familiar and friendly with powerful but fantastic natural force. Different from Byron, who just admires the wild and violent nature, he also loves the simple but divine nature. In Shelley’s eyes, the nature always maintains clam when it sees human beings suffering fortune or misfortune, no matter their birth or the death. Shelley keeps extensive reading when exploring knowledge. Finally, he finds out that the real reality is the world of man and nature, not the Plato’s ideal world. In his contradictory and complex exploring process, Shelley finds the theory of pantheism, and takes it as his basis view for nature. Shelley believes the movement of the world and the nature is eternal. This belief is the foundation of his optimism on philosophy.
Shelley’s natural view is diametrically opposite to the ones of classicism which takes the dominant position at current. The naturalism of classicism bases on the philosophical tradition of
empiricism and classical mechanics, “taking the universe as a machine which operated by following the predictable objective rule” 10
4. Natural images in Shelly’s poems
In Shelley’s heart, natural phenomena are constant fresh through all the ages. He lives in them with a unique way. Shelley images to contact with various natural objects, and he would feel relaxed and happy because of their beauty and life. The nature in Shelley’ poem is a free space for imagination, and also a platform for mankind to seek after the ideal and self-examination.
4.1 The West Wind - Power
It is interesting that when our poet was alive, his works was not accepted by the society, because Shelley’s views were against with the current prevalent thought. But after Shelley pasted away, his poems are highly praised. Ode to the West Wind is worldly considered to reach the greatest heights. Zha Liangzheng, a celebrated poet believed that, “It will always be a bright pearl in world poetry.” [8]14 The west wind, which is the key point of the poem, has been widely investigated.
Ode to the West Wind was written in 1819. Shelley had the potential motive when wrote down this poem. On the one hand, after the failure of the French revolution, the revolutionary movement in Europe was in the lowest tide. But the poet was still one of the small numbers who was not discouraged for the failure of revolution. On the other hand, from Shelley’s personal life aspect, his first wife’s suicide and the affection with his second wife had been severely criticized by the common people. He was not frustrated, but used his powerful words to show his optimistic wish.
One day, Shelley was walking in a forest in Florence, Italy. Then with lightning flashing and thunder rumbling, a violent storm was coming. Inspiration suddenly came over on to the poet. When he was writing, he as if heard the trumpet of national movement in Italy and Greece, the gun voice of suppressing the British workers uprising by the reactionary authorities. With great passion, Shelley quickly wrote down this valuable works. Using fallen leaves in the forest, thick clouds in the sky, rough wave in the sea, Shelley expresses his strong feeling in the west.
The whole poem has five sections. In the first section, Shelley describes that the west wind begins to blow the horn (Thine azure sister of the spring shall blow her clarion……). In the second section, the west wind blows away thick clouds, when rain and lightning quickly spread. In the third section, with the stronger of the west wind, the bottom of the ocean became turbulent, moss and submarine plants wither and die down. In the forth and fifth sections, the poet expresses his strong admiration for the west wind. He wishes he could transmit his predictions for the future life to man as freely as the wind. He is eager for a free, fair, and real world, and will give his last measure of devotion to the new world. To the summary, in the former three sections, Shelley stresses on drawing the process of the west wind, describing its influence on the earth, sky and sea. While the main function of the next two sections is to show poet’s emotion. The poem is considered as with the scenery depicted and the emotions expressed in perfect onally, we also can see from this poem that Shelley observes the nature extremely carefully，and keeps close relation with it.
In the poem, the west wind is a colorful and meaningful presentation caught by Shelley. And this natural image is the very symbolization to represent inherent quality, thought, and will. Then through using figures of speech, such as metaphor and symbolism, the west wind becomes the center image of the whole poem. In the poem, Shelley compares the west wind as the “destroyer and preserver”. It destroys the old things, brings new seed of life to the land. Actually the poem is an ode to the forthcoming storm of revolution, and it predicts the destruction of the old world and coming of the new era. Here, the west wind has become a symbol, it is a kind of ubiquitously universal spirit, a spirit to break the old world and pursue for new one. One side, he saw the revolution is cleaning the old decaying world. On the other side, he encourages to create new life, and actively to set up a better world. Destroying the old society, creating a totally new society is Shelley’s str
ong desire. As a matter of fact, Shelley put his own life into singing the nature. His own personality is the soul of this natural image. He wishes he can arouse the people to conduct revolution bravely as the west wind does. In the end, the poet writes out his great prediction and the faith that the victory belongs to the revolution. “If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?” This not only summarizes a natural phenomenon, but also profoundly reveals the historical laws of human society, points out the bright prospect, that is, through hardships and setbacks the revolutionary struggle will finally win the victory.
4.2 The Skylark - Freedom
Among Shelley’s poems, To a Skylark also is mentioned repeatedly, partly maybe because it wonderfully presents a cheerful creature, and the positive states of mind. The skylark is a small passerine bird species. It likes to fly higher, and often rises up straightly to the sky with loud singing. Maybe for this unique behavior, it is often selected by poets to sing to praise. Wordsworth usually praises the skylarks for its loyalty while Shelley thinks highly of its spirit to fly higher and higher, pursuing freedom. Shelley compares skylarks to the nature, symbolizing joy, beauty, and happiness. The image of this little but happy creature is not pure skylark, but an image carrier which contains Shelley’s ideal self-image.
To a Skylark was written in 1920, when Shelley was in the creation peak. It depicts a good image during the romantic era. The spirit of the nature rushes up into the sky, and sings beautiful songs to the earth. This poem was recognized as the “good poem” of Shelley, even the most famous romantic poet Wordsworth thought highly of it. Wordsworth even thought his poem of the same name can not parallel with this one. [9]63
Shelley is the happiest poet. Because of his affection for the nature, in his words, readers can easily touch the vitality and happiness of the nature. He writes that, “Poetry is the record of the happiest and kindest moment in the happiest and kindest of heart.” [10]142 To a Skylark is a joyous song, and the whole poem runs over with unrestrained joy.
“Like all unbodied joy whose race is just begun．
That panted forth a flood of rapture so divine．
What objects are the fountains of thy happy strain?
With thy clear keen joyance Languor cannot be．
I know not how thy joy we ever should come near.”
The whole poem is filled with a positive and optimistic attitude.
In the poem, our poet describes the rising skylark “Like a cloud of fire; The blue deep thou wingest”, “Like an unbodied joy whose race is just begun”. When the skylark flies and sings in the sky, “like a star of Heaven in the broad daylight”. We can only hear its voice, but can not see its appearance. The poem writes that the “blithe Spirit” “Like a high-born maiden in a palace tower”, “Like a rose embowered in its own green leaves", "Like a glow-worm golden in a dell of dew”. In Shelley’s opinion, the skylark is the representation of all good things. The whole poem does not record the bird’s appearance and actions directly and concretely. But between the lines, the characteristics of the bird are shown incisively and vividly. The skylark here is a carrier for Shelley to pursue art. It fluttering and soaring higher reflects the poet’s persistent endeavor and cynical attitude. The skylark singing in the sky embodies that Shelley does not care for any wealth or fame, only for arousing love and sympathy among people. He once said, “My works is not written for making money or gaining fame. Writing poems and then publishing is just a method to convey the sympathy between me and the others, and this sympathy is the very emotion which my strong love for my fellows inspires me to fight for. ” [11]305The song of the bird is pure and fresh as well as Shelley’s works is also simple, unpretentious. In addition, Shelley further discusses profound meaning of the song. The song is sung to praise love, all good things in the world, especially freedom. It is clear that the spirit of the little skylark is the spirit of the poet. From this poem, we can hear Shelley’s own song. The power of the song comes from the great people and the great nature. We can see a great man, he’s full of confidence for a more bright future, and is devoting his efforts to the affair.
4.3 The Sensitive Plant - Love and Beauty
As to natural images Shelley has described, the sensitive plant is the least talked about. But Zha Liangzheng holds that the poem is more obscure. The Sensitive Plant was also written in 1920, the same year with To a Skylark. The Sensitive Plant was the first of the “other poems” in the Prometheus Unbound volume, perhaps because it is both the longest of these poems and a mythopoeia fable th
at harmonizes with Prometheus itself. 135
In the poem, Shelley describes the appearance or habit of the plant totally in accordance with the natural science. Let’s see the below lines:
“A Sensitive Plant in a garden grew,
And the young winds fed it with silver dew,
And it opened its fan-like leaves to the light.
And closed them beneath the kisses of Night.”
The above verse is the first paragraph of the poem. From this, readers can easily get the information of the plant’s habit, and the description is the same as the real process of this plant. It demonstrates the poet’s deep love and careful observation of the nature.
The poem has been regarded as “a historical story of a beautiful garden”. [13]7-9The whole poem has three parts and an epilogue. The four constitute a story. When the spring comes, all kinds of beautiful flowers in the garden begin to blossom. Among them, the sensitive plant feels the happiest. (This is the first part of the poem.) The reason why the plants in the garden can grow up well is because there is a gentle and soft woman who takes care of them very carefully. She looks after the flowers the whole summer, but she dies before autumn coming. (The second part of the poem) So the garden becomes ugly. The beautiful flowers begin to wither, while ugly plants, such as “and thistles, and nettles, and darnels”, “And agarics, and fungi, with mildew and mould” spread everywhere. Then winter makes the plants hide under the ground. But when spring comes again, the ugly plants pullulate once more. In the contrary, the sensitive plants will never wake up because of the coldness. (The third part) In the end, Shelley points out that everything in the life is a shadow of dream. It’s no use to be sorry for the death, because the death itself is also shadowy. But love and beauty will never die.
“For love, and beauty, and delight,
There is no death nor change: their might
Exceeds our organs, which endure
No light, being themselves obscure.”
Here the sensitive plant symbolizes Shelley himself. He is shy and sensitive just like the sensitive plant. But under the careful nursing of the beautiful woman who is the embodiment of the beauty, the poet once feels that he could touch love and beauty. “But in this life of error, ignorance, and strife” make his fancy world collapse. Although spring comes, the sensitive plant will not come back. But from the last four lines, Shelley’s natural view is well reflected once more. Love and beauty will never wither. Only the materials will die. In the former parts, we have talked that, Shelley’s natural view is on the basis of pantheism. Shelley believes the world and nature are in the eternal running. Engels once reveals the characteristics of Shelley's romantic view of the pantheism, namely personifying the whole movement of the universe, and turning it into an abstract “spirit of the nature”. [14]13
5．Conclusion
Poet is the son of nature. They have an instinct for worship and piety to the nature. Shelley thought, “Nature is the poet. Comparing with the most sacred poem, we'll be more easily amazed at its harmony.” Shelley considers that the nature is everlasting, powerful
and mysterious. Studying on the nature becomes an interesting job for him. He gets enlightenments from the spontaneous change of the nature.
All the natural images in the poem actually reflect a poet’s personality and spirit. They build up the poet’s self-disposition and mental state. From the former parts, we have talked about three natural images in Shelley’s poems. It is interesting to find that no matter the west wind, the skylark or the sensitive plant, they can all represent the poet himself. Shelley is as brave as the west wind, having the courage and power to fight with the old and ugly world. His works is his weapon. Shelley is the skylark, eager to fly higher, looking forward to the freedom and despising the dark power. In his own poetic kingdom, he is totally free. And he is also the sensitive plant. In his deep heart, he is shy and sensitive. Although the sensitive plant withers with the death of the beautiful woman, Shelley still believes that the real love and beauty of the nature will never disappear.
Acknowledgements
My initial thanks go to my supervisor Han Xiaoya, who patiently supervised my dissertation and was at times very willing to offer me illuminating advice or suggestions. Without her help, I could not have finished this dissertation.
I am also indebted to other teachers and my classmates who have not only offered me their warm encouragements but also shared with me their ideas and books. They are Feng Qiaoe, Yi Chenchen, and many others.
My greatest personal debt is to my grandparents and parents, who have cultivated a soul of sensitivity, hospitality, and honesty out of me, and offered a harbor of happiness and sweetness for me.
The remaining weakness and possible errors of the dissertation are entirely my own.
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