Alfred Tennyson (1809-1892)

Alfred Tennyson (1809-1892) Lecture 23 The Victorian Age (V) Alfred Tennyson (1809-1892) I. Teaching Aims 1. Alfred Tennyson ---- Ulysses 2. Break, Break, Break II. Key Points: Alfred Tennyson ---- Ulysses Break, Break, Break III. Difficulties: The understanding of Ulysses IV. Teaching methods: 1. Direct Method & Communicative Method 2. Authorware Presentation V. Teaching Procedures: 1. The general introduction to Alfred Tennyson 1.1 Biographical Introduction Alfred Tennyson (1809-1892), English poet, who is often regarded as the chief representative of the Victorian age in poetry. Tennyson succeeded Wordsworth as Poet Laureate in 1850. Alfred, Lord Tennyson was born on August 5, 1809 in Somersby, Lincolnshire. He began to write poetry at an early age in the style of Lord Byron Tennyson died on October 6, 1892 and was buried in the Poets' Corner in Westminster Abbey. 1.2 Major works 1. Poems by Two Brothers (the 1st collection of poems, 1827) 《两兄弟诗集》 2. Poems (his 1st important work, a collection of his early poems;1833) 《诗集》 3. two volumes of Poems (secured his position as the leading poet of his time, 1842; Ulysses is included) 《诗集》（第二卷） 4. The Princess (1847)《公主》（Ｐ２８９） 5. In Memoriam H.H.(1850; succeeded Wordsworth as poet Laureate) 《悼念》（Ｐ２８９） 6. Maud 7. Idylls of the King (1859)《国王诗歌集》 8. Crossing the Bar 《过沙洲》 9. Break, Break, Break 《浪花拍，拍，拍》 1.3 Introduction to Ulysses Ulysses is the Roman name for the Greek hero Odysseus in Homer’s Odyssey, king of Ithaca, husband of Penelope and father of Telemachus. After the Greek’s victory over the Trojans, Ulysses wandered at sea for 10 years before he returns home. In the poem Ulysses, Alfred Tennyson shows us a Ulysses that is quite different from the one we are used to from such epics as the Iliad and the Odyssey. In the first of the three sections of the poem, Tennyson’s Ulysses is an aging and stagnant man who feels disappointed with the later years of his life. He feels that his life is pointless, unless he can get out and do some more adventures. He is also very disappointed that people are forgetting about his past adventures. Ulysses is a more contemporary, earthly man in the poem, whose own restlessness matches the restless nature of Victorian society. He also discusses Homer's characterization of Odysseus as a favourite of the gods. Tennyson portrays further human qualities in Ulysses through his lust for glory. Unlike the immortal god-like Odysseus, Tennyson's portrayal of Ulysses as aged and mortal is the clearest example of his humanity. The theme of Ulysses: Victorian conception of the ideal heroic spirit is : to strive, to seek, to fight but not to yield and rest from exploitation. The poet shows his belief that man has unbound confidence in his ability to progress 1.4 Break, Break, Break 拍岸曲 浪花飛濺，打在冰冷的灰岩上 啊，大海啊 當思想升騰的時候 我想我應該有所表達 你看，漁民的兒子多麼棒 他正在和他妹妹玩耍 你看，海員小夥多麼棒 他在海灣的船上歌唱 豪華的遊輪次序發出 去它們在山下的海港 但是，哎，再也沒有那雙手的撫摩 昔日的聲音已經凝固 浪花飛濺，打在懸崖的腳下 啊，大海啊 那些柔和的感情皆已碎了 那些日子不再降臨 References : 1.刘炳善. 英国文学简史. 上海外语教育出版社，1990 2.罗经国.新编英国文学选读. 北京大学出版社，2000 3.王佐良译.英国诗文选译集,外语教学与研究出版社，1980.8