《草叶集》:美国人自己的诗

Leaves of Grass:Poetry with American Features

瓦尔特·惠特曼被公认为美国的"诗歌之父"。惠特曼时代,美国在文学、思想与意识形态上仍然依附于欧洲传统,深受维多利亚时代价值观的影响,但惠特曼却敢于向传统发出挑战,强调诗人要为自己的民族歌唱,他笔下的声音和景象都是美国的,他的表达这一切的语言也是美国的。惠特曼开创了新的诗风,他认为诗歌不在于形式化的格律,而是深层次的感情,强调情感的节奏,思想的韵律;他因此创造了一种具有惠特曼气质的诗歌形式。

Walt Whitman is traditionally regarded as＂father of American poetry＂.In Whitman＇s time,American literature,thoughts and ideology were still an appendage to European tradition and deeply influenced by Victorian values.Walt Whitman was brave enough to go against tradition,strengthening that poets should sing for their own people.All voices and sights under his pen were American,and the language he used to demonstrate all these were also American.Whitman started a new way of poetry.He claimed that poetry did not mean？metrical patterns but meant emotions deep in the heart.He emphasized the rhythm of feelings and the rhyme of ideas,and he thus initiated a form of poetry with a unique Whitman personality.