狄金森诗歌中空间上的“圆周”意象

The Circle Image on Spatial Reasoning in Dickinson’s Poem

“圆周”circumference及其相关词在狄金森诗歌中出现频率很高,透露出诗人的宇宙观及认识论的基础。本文结合爱默生超验主义,关注狄金森如何将这一审美原则实现在诗中。本文将辨析区分“圆”与“周”,对其形态、意义做出考察。在通读狄金森诗歌的基础上,在空间上以天的上限和地的下限为界,建构出一个圆。圆内是19世纪中期的人所生存所认知的世界;圆外是人类视野之外的无限时空和未知领域。圆内外的边界就是“周”,将人类能感知的有限世界与人类无法感知的无限时空分离开来。“周”的形态如光晕般模糊,且在不断变化,不断扩大之中。“周”的意义在于能阐明内与外、上与下间的辩证关系,能弥合有限与无限。本文尝试以空间上的“圆周”意象为线索,阐明贯穿狄金森诗歌背后的思想特征。

The word “circumference” and the related words appear frequently in Emily Dickinson’s poems, revealing the basis of the poet’s perspective on cosmology and epistemology. Based on Emerson’s transcendentalism, this paper focuses on how Dickinson implements this aesthetic principle in her poems. This article will distinguish the form and meaning of “circle” and “circumference” based on Dickinson’s poems. This paper draws a spatial circle with the upper limit of sky and the lower limit deep under the ground. Inside the circle is the known knowledge of human’s cognition by mid-19th century;outside the circle is infinite time and space beyond human touch. The boundary that divides the inner and outer part of the circle is called “circumference”, which separates the finite world which humans can perceive from the infinite that humans cannot. “Circumference” can be as vague as halo, constant changing, constantly enlarging. The meaning of “circumference” is to clarify the dialectical relationship of inside vs. outside, above vs. below, to bridge the finite and infinite. This paper attempts to clarify the ideological features running through Dickinson’s poems with the clue of the “circle” image on a spatial term.