西风颂英文赏析.doc

Appreciation of the Poem “Ode to the
West Wind”

Class 0801
Name Zhao Xiaoning
Student Number 2008030112

Abstract... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...( 3)
摘要... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...( 4)
1. Introduction... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ( 5)
2. Appreciation to the Ode to the West Wind… … … … … … … ( 5 )
3. Conclusion… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … ( 6)
4. Bibliography… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … ( 7 )

Abstract:
Ode to the West Wind is the most classical works of Shelley The poet came up with the thought when he is walking in a forest and a strong storm seemed to come soon. And the storm came together with wind and hails. In such weather Shelley thought of many things of the society. Under this atmosphere he wrote the poem “Ode to the West Wind”.

Key Words:
Lyric image aesthetics the west wind

摘要：
《 西风颂》是雪莱最为经典的作品. 当诗人漫步于森林中，一场暴风雨即将来临，此时此景，诗人深有感触，当时正处于欧洲的革命风暴中，于是，千古名篇《西风颂》诞生了。

关键词
抒情诗 意象 美学 西风

1.Introduction
Ode to the West Wind is written by Percy Bysshe Shelley(1792～1822) , the famous British democracy poet, to express revolutionary enthusiasm and victory faith . The poem was written in 1819 when he was living in Italian. It conveyed the spirit of the times.
It is safe to say that anyone who read the poem will be inspired an influenced by it. As Shelley wanted the belief of reform and revolution to be heared, the wind became the horn to call people to fight for their freedom. Meanwhile the poem is also a lyric poem which the poet use many symbols to express his belief.
2.Appreciation to the Ode to the West Wind
It consists of five cantos . The poem Ode to the West Windcan be divided in two parts: the first three cantos and a The last two cantos The three can to scribing the wind's effects upon earth, air, and ocean. The last two cantos are Shelley speaking directly to the wind, asking for its power, to lift him like a leaf, a cloud or a wave and make him its companion in its wanderings.

In the first canto,west wind crushes dry weeeds and smashes rotten woods on land, sweeps the seeds into earth at the same time, and the poet highlights it as the destroyer and preserver. The withered leaves and the west wind are the main images. However, one must not think of this ‘Ode’ as an optimistic praise of the wind; it is clearly associated with autumn.
In the second canto, the west wind sweeps the residual cloud in the air , and brings out the storm clouds.The second canto of the poem is much more fluid than the first one. Shelley employs the following images : cloud、rain、and lighting. Angels of rain and lighting is rightly the storm of revolution brought by the west wind，here by employ personification, it express the majestic momentum of the west wind.
In the third canto，the poet mainly chants the west wind, carefully describes the power of the west wind in land, sea and air. Here, the blue Mediterranean symbols the rulers of the time，but they are sleeping in the beautifully scenery，in the crystalline streams, in the azure moss and flowers. Therefore, this part further shows the powerful strengths of break of the west wind. From the last two rows, we can see the old power will perish. This part, the poet combine the main images,the west wind ,with seawater, huge waves and old palace to express that the old world must be replaced by he new world.
In the forth canto, with turning the point, Shelley turn from ode to the west wind to express emotions, to convey his willing to dance with the west wing. The poet express his yearning for meeting the windstorm as the flying withered leaves in the wind, floating clouds and tumbling waver did. The poet makes preparation for the theme: longing for fighting, hoping for the future.
The last canto is the high tide of the poem, in it Shelley furtherly express the wind will destroy everything. “What if my leaves are falling like its own” express the poet resolution to sacrifice for the revolution. In this canto, by using Subjunctive mood again, Shelley express his strong disire -- Be thou,Spirit fierce,My spirit! Be thou me, impetuous one! The last sentence"if winter comes, can Spring be far behind?" is known by everyone. It pronounce to people the result of the west wind as a destroyer and preserver，which is that dark will soon pass,light is in sight. This canto fully express the poet's firm faith in revolution and optimism of revolution.
3.Conclusion
Generally speaking, this is a very great poem. From the surface the poet seems to praise the west wind but actually he is expressing his view of the revolution. The poem is hard for us to understand thoroughly， so I just show a little thing about my understands. In 'Ode to the West Wind,' Percy Bysshe Shelley use the power of the west wind to express his beliefs, to inspire his soul, to wake up people to fight. Especially this sentence " If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?" has always be the slogan of the revolutioners.

4 Bibliography
[1] 李志斌、苏文菁《外国文学作品选》长江文学出版社，2012.
[2] 覃先美,李阳. 英美修辞学概论. 长沙:湖南师范大学出版社, 2006.
[3] 辛中华，雪莱《西风颂 》主题探索，内蒙古工业大学报.

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