为无声者代言——读菲利普·莱文的诗

Speak for the Voiceless ——On Philip Levine's Poetry

菲利普·莱文是美国第18位桂冠诗人,他出身工人阶级,以为无声者代言为使命,写出了许多反映普通人生活的优秀诗作。莱文的早期诗歌中多愤怒的呐喊,表现受压迫者的痛苦和愤怒;后来渐趋平静,多反映下层人民的无奈、坚忍和乐观。他的诗朴实无华,笔触细腻,表达了对下层人民的深切同情。

Philip Levine is the 18th American poet laureate, coming from the working class. He dedicates himself to speaking for the voiceless by writing numerous poems to reflect the lower-class＇s life. Levine＇s early poems describe the suffering and anger of the oppressed. Then he turns more placid and tolerant, and usually focuses on the helplessness, fortitude and optimism of the underclass. Written in plain language, his poems are infused with compassion for the lower-class.