英语诗歌赏析-handout 3

《英语诗歌赏析》

（Poetry in English: Reading and Creative Writing）

Handout (3)

Poems in Focus:

The Ruined Maid

‗O‘ Melia, my dear, this does everything crown!

Who could have supposed I should meet you in Town?

And whence such fair garments, such prosperi-ty?‘ –

‗O didn‘t you know I‘d been ruined?‘ said she.

-‗You left us in tatters, without shoes or socks,

Tired of digging potatoes, and spudding up docks;

And now you‘ve gay bracelets and bright feathers three!‘ –

‗Yes; that‘s how we dress when we‘re ruined,‘ said she.

-‗At home in the barton you said ―thee‖ and ―thou‖,

And ―thik oon‖, and ―theas oon‖, and ―t‘other‖; but now

Your talking quite fits ‗ee for high compa-ny!‘ –

‗Some polish is gained with one‘s ruin,‘ said she.

-‗Your hands were like paws then, y our face blue and bleak

But now I‘m bewitched by your delicate cheek,

And your little gloves fit as on any la-dy!‘ –

‗We never do work when we‘re ruined,‘ said she.

-‗You used to call home-life a hag-ridden dream,

And you‘d sigh, and you‘d sock; but at pre sent you seem

To know not of megrims or melancho-ly!‘ –

‗True. One‘s pretty lively when ruined,‘ said she.

-‗I wish I had feathers, a fine sweeping gown,

And a delicate face, and could strut about Town!‘ –

‗My dear – a raw country girl, such as you be,

Ca nnot quite expect that. You ain‘t ruined,‘ said she.

Thomas Hardy

Naming of Parts

Today we have naming of parts. Yesterday,

We had daily cleaning. And tomorrow morning,

We shall have what to do after firing. But today,

Today we have naming of parts. Japonica

Glistens like coral in all of the neighboring gardens,

And today we have naming of parts.

This is the lower sling swivel. And this

Is the upper sling swivel, whose use you will see,

When you are given your slings. And this is the piling swivel, Which in your case you have not got. The branches

Hold in the gardens their silent, eloquent gestures,

Which in our case we have not got.

This is the safety-catch, which is always released

With an easy flick of the thumb. And please do not let me

See anyone using his finger. You can do it quite easy

If you have any strength in your thumb. The blossoms

Are fragile and motionless, never letting anyone see

Any of them using their finger.

And this you can see is the bolt. The purpose of this

Is to open the breech, as you see. We can slide it

Rapidly backwards and forwards: we call this

Easing the spring. And rapidly backwards and forwards

The early bees are assaulting and fumbling the flowers:

They call it easing the Spring.

They call it easing the Spring: it is perfectly easy

If you have any strength in your thumb: like the bolt,

And the breech, and the cocking-piece, and the point of balance, Which in our case we have not got; and the almond-blossom

Silent in all of the gardens and the bees going backwards and forwards,

For today we have naming of parts.

Henry Reed