Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches1) in the soul,
And sings the tune—without the words,
And never stops at all,
And sweetest in the gale2) is heard;
And sore must be the storm
That could abash3) the little bird
That kept so many warm.
I've heard it in the chilliest land,
And on the strangest sea;
Yet, never, in extremity,
It asked a crumb4) of me.
1. perch [p\:tF] vt. (使)棲息
2. gale [^eIl] n. 大風;(突發(fā)的)一陣
3. abash [E5bAF] vt. 使不安,使窘迫
4. crumb [krQm] n. 碎屑,面包屑;少許
賞析
埃米莉·迪金森(1830~1886),美國著名詩人,現(xiàn)代派先驅(qū)之一。詩風獨特,以文字細膩、觀察敏銳、意象突出著稱。她生性淡薄,離群索居,生前只出版過十首詩,去世后近七十年才得到文學界的關(guān)注。迪金森的詩作一般采用教會贊美詩的格律:每節(jié)四句,第一、三句為八音節(jié),第二、四句為六音節(jié),第二、四句押韻。
這首《希望》(Hope)亦不例外。開篇詩人即采用隱喻(metaphor)的手法,將希望比作小鳥,只不過并非在枝頭棲息,而是在人的心頭放歌。清音裊裊,不絕如縷,亦象征著心中的希望經(jīng)久不滅。希望給人溫暖,令人堅強,尤其是當我們遭遇挫折或身處逆境之際,心中的希望能讓我們勇敢地面對人生的凄風苦雨(sore),從而愈發(fā)體會到它的珍貴和美好(sweetest)。對此,詩人感同身受。“我”曾流落到最寒冷的土地,漂洋在最陌生的海域。但是,即便在如此絕境,心頭的小鳥依然不離不棄,風雨同舟,給“我”帶來歌聲,伴“我”走出陰霾。
我不禁想起了影片《肖申克的救贖》(The Shawshank Redemption)里的一句話:Some birds aren't meant to be caged. Their feathers are just too bright.