Literature Poetry William and Edgar Allan Poe

Poetry William Cullen Bryant (1794-1878)
Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1848)

1. •B. William Cullen Bryant (1794-1878)B. William Cullen Bryant (1794-1878)
1811 1811 Thanatopsis Thanatopsis
(graveyard poetry-iambic pentameter)(graveyard poetry-iambic pentameter)
To To ‘‘himhim who who ‘‘in the in the ‘‘love of love of ‘‘Nature Nature ‘‘holdsholds
Communion with her visible forms, Communion with her visible forms, she she speaksspeaks
A various languages, for his gayer hoursA various languages, for his gayer hours
She has a voice of gladness and a smileShe has a voice of gladness and a smile
And eloquence of beauty and she glidesAnd eloquence of beauty and she glides
Into his darker musings, with a mildInto his darker musings, with a mild
And heeling sympathy, that steals awayAnd heeling sympathy, that steals away
Their sharpness ere she is awareTheir sharpness ere she is aware
When thoughts of the last bitter hour come like a blightWhen thoughts of the last bitter hour come like a blight
Over thy spirit,Over thy spirit,……
Go forth, under the open sky and listGo forth, under the open sky and list
To NatureTo Nature’’s teachingss teachings……

2. a. Home-bound journeya. Home-bound journey
““ Earth, that nourish thee, shall claimEarth, that nourish thee, shall claim
Thy growth to be resolved to earth againThy growth to be resolved to earth again…”…”
b. Sublime entombingb. Sublime entombing
““ The hillsThe hills
Rock-ribbRock-ribb’’d and ancient as the sun,d and ancient as the sun,
……
the venerable woodsthe venerable woods——rivers that moverivers that move
In majestyIn majesty……
All but the solemn decorations allAll but the solemn decorations all
of the great tomb of man.of the great tomb of man.””

c. Greatest equalizerc. Greatest equalizer
““ Thou shalt lie downThou shalt lie down
With patriarchs of the infant world--with kingsWith patriarchs of the infant world--with kings
The powerful of the earthThe powerful of the earth——the wise, the good,the wise, the good,””

3. C. Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1848) C. Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1848)
From childhoodFrom childhood’’s hour I have not beens hour I have not been
As other wereAs other were——I have not seen I have not seen
As others sawAs others saw——I could not bring I could not bring
My passions from a common springMy passions from a common spring——
From the same source I have not takenFrom the same source I have not taken
My sorrowMy sorrow——I could not awakenI could not awaken
My heart to joy at the same toneMy heart to joy at the same tone——
And all I lovAnd all I lov’’d aloned alone——
ThenThen——in my childhoodin my childhood——in the dawnin the dawn
Of a stormy lifeOf a stormy life——was drawnwas drawn
From evFrom ev’’ry depth of good and illry depth of good and ill

The mystery which binds me stillThe mystery which binds me still——
From the torrent, of the fountainFrom the torrent, of the fountain——
From the red cliff of the mountainFrom the red cliff of the mountain——
From the sun that round me rollFrom the sun that round me roll’’dd
In its autumn tint of goldIn its autumn tint of gold––
From the lighting in the skyFrom the lighting in the sky
As it passAs it pass’’d me flying byd me flying by——
From the thunder, and the stormFrom the thunder, and the storm——
And the cloud that took the formAnd the cloud that took the form
(when the rest of Heaven was blue)(when the rest of Heaven was blue)
Of a demon in my viewOf a demon in my view——
----Alone----Alone

4. 1. Three types of short stories1. Three types of short stories
1) Gothic tales of horror-1) Gothic tales of horror- gloomy setting, evil villain, gloomy setting, evil villain,
virginal maidenvirginal maiden
LegeiaLegeia (1838) (1838)
The Fall of the House of Usher The Fall of the House of Usher (1839)(1839)
2) Psychological tales of morbidity- 2) Psychological tales of morbidity- sadism, masochismsadism, masochism
The Black Cat The Black Cat (1843)(1843)
The Tell-Tale HeartThe Tell-Tale Heart (1843) (1843)
Cruelty is one of the primitive impulses of human heart. And Cruelty is one of the primitive impulses of human heart. And
we respond to the promptings of the perverseness.we respond to the promptings of the perverseness.
3) Detective stories3) Detective stories
Murderers in the Rue MorgueMurderers in the Rue Morgue (1841) (1841)
The Purloined LetterThe Purloined Letter (1845) (1845)

5. An then came the spirit of PERVERSENESS. I am An then came the spirit of PERVERSENESS. I am
no more sure that my soul lives, than I am that no more sure that my soul lives, than I am that
perverseness is one of the primitive impulses of perverseness is one of the primitive impulses of
the human heartthe human heart—one of the indivisible primary —one of the indivisible primary
faculties, or sentiments, which give direction to faculties, or sentiments, which give direction to
the character of Man. Who has not, a hundred the character of Man. Who has not, a hundred
times, found himself committing a vile or a silly times, found himself committing a vile or a silly
action, for no other reason than because he action, for no other reason than because he
knows he should not? Have we not a perpetual knows he should not? Have we not a perpetual
inclination, in the teeth of our best judgment, to inclination, in the teeth of our best judgment, to
violate that which is Law, merely because we violate that which is Law, merely because we
understand it to be such?understand it to be such?
The Black CatThe Black Cat

6. 2. 2. Literary criticism & poetryLiterary criticism & poetry
The RavenThe Raven (1845) (1845)
The Philosophy of CompositionThe Philosophy of Composition (1846) (1846)
The Poetic PrincipleThe Poetic Principle (1851) (1851)

7. Effect TheoryEffect Theory
In In ““Reviews of HawthorneReviews of Hawthorne’’ss Twice-Told Tales Twice-Told Tales””,,
Poe said:Poe said:
““A skillful literary artist has constructed a tale. If wise, A skillful literary artist has constructed a tale. If wise,
he has not fashioned his thoughts to accommodate he has not fashioned his thoughts to accommodate
his incidents, but having conceived a certain unique his incidents, but having conceived a certain unique
or single or single effecteffect to be wrought out, he then invents to be wrought out, he then invents
such incidents and then combines such events as such incidents and then combines such events as
may best aid him in establishing this preconceived may best aid him in establishing this preconceived
effecteffect..””

8. ““The Philosophy of CompositionThe Philosophy of Composition””
(1846)(1846)
a.a.Unity of effect---elevating of the soulUnity of effect---elevating of the soul
b.b.Topic---beauty Topic---beauty
c.c.Tone---melancholyTone---melancholy
d.d.Poetical topic---deathPoetical topic---death
e.e.Qualified poet---bereaved loverQualified poet---bereaved lover
f.f.Artistic device---refrainArtistic device---refrain

9. BeautyBeauty
A) humble beautyA) humble beauty
B) ethical beautyB) ethical beauty
C) beauty of womanC) beauty of woman
蒹葭苍苍，白露为霜蒹葭苍苍，白露为霜
所谓伊人，在水一方，所谓伊人，在水一方，
溯回从之，道阻且长，溯回从之，道阻且长，
溯游从之，宛在水中央．溯游从之，宛在水中央．
－－《《诗经诗经》》

10. Man in natureMan in nature
A) Nature appeals to human sensesA) Nature appeals to human senses．．
　　　　关关雎鸠，在河之洲，窈窕淑女，君子好逑。关关雎鸠，在河之洲，窈窕淑女，君子好逑。
B) Nature cultivates human moodsB) Nature cultivates human moods．．
　　　 一切景语皆情语。　 一切景语皆情语。
　　 万物静观皆自得，四时佳兴与人同。　　 万物静观皆自得，四时佳兴与人同。
极炼如不炼，出色而本色，人籁归天籁。极炼如不炼，出色而本色，人籁归天籁。
C) Nature evokes human sentiments.C) Nature evokes human sentiments.
惟草木之零落兮惟草木之零落兮 ,,恐美人之迟暮。恐美人之迟暮。

11. Reading assignment:Reading assignment:
1.1.p.130 The Ravenp.130 The Raven