英美诗歌鉴赏论文

Poems of W.B. Yeats: The Rose Themes
1. Introduction
As is known to all, Yeats’s poetic thinking is a complexity out of a variety of influences and out of his own originality. Therefore, this study of the Yeatsian poetic t hinking would focus on a few distinguished aspects，in order to make them coherently interrelated, I employ the metaphorical meanings of the rose, a key Yeatsian symbol, t o represent those chosen aspects.
2. Analysis of the Rose Themes
Though a young poet at the time of the composition of The rose ,Yeats is quite preoccupied with themes of aging and mortality. Imagining his old age served as an escape for the young Yeats, who found himself unsuccessful in love and imagined that later in life he would either have won his beloved or his beloved would have come to regret her rejection of him. "In Old Age" is particularly marked by the image of an old er Maud Gonne (the woman with whom Yeats was in love) becoming wiser in old age Yeats also had an anxiety about death which was unusual in someone so young. He contemplated death less in terms of himself than in terms of his loved ones. When M aud Gonne travel to France as a convalescent, a worried Yeats wrote "A Dream of Dea th." This meditation on Gonne's possible death is less of a nightmare than a dream co mes true, as Yeats envisions himself being useful to her in death as he could not be in l ife. Yeats, therefore, views both aging and death as more or less positive forces.
The Rose id rife with mythological references ,from King Fergus to Conchubar to Diarmuid. Indeed, such mythic Irish figures populate nearly every poem in the collecti on.[1]
Mythology operates as a theme in this collection in a number of ways.First and foremost it separates Yeats' poetry from British writing. British writers drew on Roma n and Greek mythology - the mythology, in fact, of other (albeit ancient) imperialists. In choosing Irish mythology as his source of allusions and subjects,Yeats creates poetry distinct from that of Ireland’s long time oppressors.
Moreover,Yeats’use of Irish mythological subjects allows him to avoid the
political.his own day. Yeats, a moderate compared to his beloved Maud Gonne, found his political beliefs to be a burden in his pursuit of love. In treating legendary figures, Yeats avoids the problem of referencing the complicated political environment that so tormented
Nationalism in Ireland in the 1890s was in a complicated stage.Many die-hard Fenians (Republicans), including Maud Gonne, were more than willing to take arms a gainst the British to gain their independence. Another group, including Yeats, took the more cautious parliamentary approach. This political party, called the Home Rule Par ty, was led by John Red and held that Ireland could gain independence through legal means.[2]
Because this collection focuses so much on Maud Gonne,Yeats inevitably touches upon his political differences with his beloved. These differences, needless to say, affe cted their relationship negatively. Yeats feared that Gonne was more repulsed by his m oderate politics than by his person.
Thus,in some poems ,such as “To Ireland in the Coming Times”Yeats seems to be willfully disassociating himself from the complex political fabric of his own era, inste ad hearkening to a simpler politics of ancient kings. Undoubtedly Yeats was drawn to these ancient mythic times anyway, but his interest takes on a sadness in the context o f his relationship with the politics of his own day (and thus of his relationship with Go nne). Nationalist politics exist negatively in these poems, as the subject that Yeats doe sn't want to address.
3. Conclusion
By making use of the metaphorical meanings of the rose,this thesis is a study of several chosen aspects of Yeats’s poetic thinking.Love drastically influenced Yeast’s writing, acting as his source that contributed considerably to the development of his s ymbolism
Yeats’s mysticism gave the philosophical quality to his poetry.Therefore，this study of Yeats’s poetic thinking might be useful to the Yeatsian scholarship.It is hoped that the thesis would be helpful to readers who seek for a be helpful to readers who seek for a better understanding of Yeats and his times.
Works Cited
[1] MacNeice, Louis. The Poetry of W.B. Yeats. New York: Oxford UP,1988.
[2] Sidnell, Michael J. Yeats’s Poetry and Poetics. Basingstoke: Macmillan,1996.。