“重新命名所见的事物”——从《美国性情》看《帕特森》的历史想象

“Re-Name the Things Seen”:An Analysis of Paterson's Historical Imagination from the Perspective In the American Grain

《帕特森》是20世纪美国文学的杰出诗篇,也是威廉斯诗学思想的集大成之作。本文试图以威廉斯前期散文集《美国性情》为研究起点,检视史诗《帕特森》的历史想象。无论是个人经验历史、基于两性经验的历史言说、"现时关注"还是"让历史自明显现"等书写原则,《美国性情》都发史诗《帕特森》的先声,并与《帕特森》一道,构建并实现了威廉斯"试图重新命名所见的事物"这一历史诗学主张。

Being an excellent epic in the American literature of the 20th century,Williams' Paterson is always regarded as the culmination of his poetics.This paper attempts to explore,with Williams' earlier prose collection In the American Grain as the starting point,the historical imagination of Paterson.The individual experience,the bisexual experience,the 'present concern'and the writing principle 'make it SHOW itself'.In this respect,In the American Grain is indeed the prefiguration of Paterson.Generally speaking,both works aim to construct and realize Williams' historical poetics,i.e.'re-naming the things seen'.