«The Fascinating World of American Poetry»

1. «The Fascinating World of American Poetry»

2. The Poetry of the United States of the XIX Century • The poetry of the United States naturally arose first during its beginnings as the Constitutionally-unified thirteen colonies (although prior to this, a strong oral tradition often likened to poetry existed among Native American societies). Unsurprisingly, most of the early colonists' work relied on contemporary British models of poetic form, diction, and theme. However, in the 19th century, a distinctive American idiom began to emerge. By the later part of that century, when Walt Whitman was winning an enthusiastic audience abroad, poets from the United States had begun to take their place at the forefront of the English-language avant-garde.

3. Dark romanticism is a literary subgenre that emerged from the Transcendental philosophical movement popular in nineteenth-century America. Works of literature that were influenced by Transcendental thought but which didn't completely embrace the movement comprise the category. Such works are notably less optimistic than Transcendental texts about mankind, nature, and divinity. Authors considered most representative of dark romanticism are Edgar Allan Poe, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Herman Melville, poet Emily Dickinson and Italian poet Ugo Foscolo.

4. Edgar Allan Poe(1809-1849)

5. Poe was, perhaps, the most strange and extreme figure in romantic tradition of American literature. Brought in a society of merchants, lawyers and almost feudal landowners, Poe had to live and work among the inheritors of northern bourgeois conscience. He disliked the general anti-poetic quality of American life, the prevailing commercial values that had taken over America. Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston. His mother, an itinerant actress, died in 1811, and the boy was adopted by John Allan, a wealthy merchant. • From 1815 to 1820 the Allans lived in England, and the boy attended school there. When the family returned to Richmond, he went to the local academy.

6. By his seventeen Poe received the normal education of a young gentleman. In 1826 he went to the University of Virginia, but was removed from there in 1827. The same year he ran off to Boston where he published “Tamerlane and Other Poems”. Then he enlisted in the army and in 1830 entered the Military Academy of West Point. • After being discharged from West Point in 1831, he went to Baltimore where he began writing short stories and was successfully engaged in writing articles and short stories for periodicals. While living in Philadelphia from 1839 to 1844 Poe wrote his best stories which were collected as “Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque” (1840). Further editorial troubles caused him once again to move to New York, where he published “The Raven and Other Poems and Tales”, both in 1845. By the middle of the forties Poe was a well-known member of the New York literary circle.

7. Poe is a great literary figure whose contribution is outstanding both in the field of short fiction and the field of poetry. As a short-story writer he is considered the inventor of the detective story, particularly that of “ratiocination” (like “The Purloined Letter”); and he is as attractive in his stories of “ratiocination” as in the stories of horror like “The Fall of the House of Usher and The Black Cat”. • As a critic Poe laid down rules for creating a successful work of art in his “Philosophy of Composition”. • As a poet Poe became a part of European merit due to Mallarmé’s translations into French and Brusov’s and Balmot’s translations into Russian.

8. One of his most famous works is his poem "The Raven".

9. Edgar Allan Poe first published it in January 1845. Noted for its musicality, stylized language and supernatural atmosphere, it tells of a talking raven's mysterious visit to a distraught lover. The lover, often identified as a student, is lamenting the loss of his love Lenore. The raven, sitting on a bust of Pallas, seems to further instigate his distress with its repeated word, "Nevermore.“ • "The Raven" follows an unnamed narrator who sits reading "ancient lore"s a method to forget the loss of his love Lenore. A rapping is heard at his window. When he goes to investigate, a raven steps into his chamber. Paying no attention to the man, the raven perches on a bust of Pallas.

10. The raven perches on a bust of Pallas, a symbol of wisdom meant to imply the narrator is a scholar.

11. Amused by the raven's comically serious disposition, the man demands that the bird tell him its name. The raven's only answer is "Nevermore." The raven responds all the questions with "Nevermore." The narrator is convinced that this single word is all that the bird can say. • Even so, the narrator pulls his chair directly in front of the raven, determined to learn more about it. He thinks for a moment, not saying anything, but his mind wanders back to his lost Lenore. Finally, he asks the raven if Lenore is in heaven. When the raven responds with its typical "Nevermore," he shrieks and commands the raven to return to the "Plutonian shore," though it never moves. The narrator's final admission is that his soul is trapped beneath the raven's shadow and shall be lifted "Nevermore."

12. The main theme of the poem is one of undying devotion. The narrator has a perverse conflict between desire to forget and desire to remember. In fact, he seems to get some pleasure from focusing on loss. • Poe chose a raven as the central symbol in the story because he wanted a "non-reasoning" creature capable of speech. He decided on a raven, which he considered "equally capable of speech" as a parrot, because it matched his intended tone.

13. Poe may also have been drawing upon various references to ravens in mythology and folklore. In Norse mythology Odin possessed two ravens named Hugin and Munin representing thought and memory, just as Poe's raven. • The raven itself, Poe says, is meant to symbolize Mournful and Never-ending Remembrance. This may imply an autobiographical significance to the poem, alluding to the many people from Poe's life that had died.

14. Poe first brought "The Raven" to his friend and former employer George Rex Graham of Graham's Magazine in Philadelphia. Graham declined the poem, which may not have been in its final version, though he gave Poe $15 as charity. Poe then attempted to place the poem with The American Review, which paid him $9 for it. • Though it was first sold to The American Review, which printed it in February 1845, "The Raven" was first published in the Evening Mirror on January 29, 1845 as an "advance copy.“

15. The Raven, Poe's work of dark romanticism, as illustrated by Gustave Doré.

16. Edgar Allan Poeexplains that every component of the poem is based on logic. No aspect of the poem was an accident, he claims, but is based on total control by the author. Even the term "Nevermore," he says, is used because of the effect created by the long vowel sounds.

17. Not the least obeisance made he, as illustrated by Gustave Doré (1884). Doré's illustrations were meant to follow specific lines of the poem.

18. Poe had toyed with the long "o" sound throughout many other poems: "no more" in "Silence," "evermore" in "The Conqueror Worm." The topic itself, Poe says, was chosen because "the death... of a beautiful woman is unquestionably the most poetical topic in the world." • Beyond the poetics of it, the lost Lenore may have been inspired by events in Poe's own life as well, either to the early loss of his mother Eliza Poe or the long-illness endured by his wife Virginia. • Later publications of "The Raven" included artwork by well-known illustrators. Notably, in 1858 "The Raven" appeared in a British Poe anthology with illustrations by John Tenniel, the Alice in Wonderland illustrator.

19. In part due to its dual printing, "The Raven" made Edgar Allan Poe a household name almost immediately–people began to identify poem with poet, earning Poe the nickname "The Raven." The poem was soon widely reprinted, imitated, and parodied. • Poe's popularity resulted in invitations to recite "The Raven" and to lecture–in public and at private social gatherings. • At one literary salon, a guest noted, "to hear [Poe] repeat the Raven... is an event in one's life. He would turn down the lamps till the room was almost dark, then standing in the center of the apartment he would recite... in the most melodious of voices... So marvelous was his power as a reader that the auditors would be afraid to draw breath lest the enchanted spell be broken."

20. Parodies sprung up especially in Boston, New York, and Philadelphia and included "The Craven" by "Poh!," "The Gazelle," "The Whippoorwill," and "The Turkey." Though it made Poe popular in his day, it did not bring him significant financial success. • Edgar Allan Poe was probably the most recognized American poet outside of America during this period. Diverse authors in France, Sweden and Russia were heavily influenced by his works, and his poem "The Raven" swept across Europe, translated into many languages. In the twentieth century the American poet William Carlos Williams said of Poe that he is the only solid ground on which American poetry is anchored.

21. After its initial publication, The Raven was illustrated by many well-known artists, including Édouard Manet (1875).

22. The Raven • Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary, Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore - While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping, As of someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door. «’Tis some visitor», I muttered, «tapping at my chamber door:      Only this and nothing more».

23. Deep into the darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing, Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before; Put the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave nospoken, And the only world there spoken was the whispered word, «Lenore!» This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, «Lenore!»      This, and nothing more.

24. Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter, In there stepped a stately Raven of the saintly days of yore. Not the least obeisance made he, not a minute stopped or stayed he, But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door - Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door - Perched, and sat, and nothing more.

25. Then, this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling By the grave and stem decorum of the countenance it wore, «Though the crest be shorn and shaven, thou», I said, «art sure no craven, Ghastly, grim, and ancient Raven, wandering from the nightly shore. Tell me what thy lordly name is on the night's Plutonian shore!»      Quoth the Raven, «Nevermore».

26. Much I marvelled this ungainly fowl to hear discourse so plainly, Though its answer little meaning, little relevancy bore; For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being Ever yet was blessed with seeing bird above his chamber door - Bird or beast upon the sculptured bust above his chamber door -      With such name as «Nevermore».

27. But the Raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour. Nothing farther then he uttered, not a feather then he fluttered; Till I scarcely more than muttered, «Other friends have flown before! On the morrow he will leave me, as my hopes have flown before! »      Then the bird said, «Nevermore.»

28. This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing To the fowl, whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom's core; This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining On the cushion's velvet lining that the lamplight gloated o‘er - But whose velvet violet lining with the lamplight gloating o'er,      She shall press, ah, nevermore!

29. And the Raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door; And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming, And the lamplight o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor; And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor      Shall be lifted - nevermore! 

30. The Raven depicts a mysterious raven's midnight visit to a mourning narrator, as illustrated by John Tenniel (1858).

31. Ворон • Как-то в полночь, в час угрюмый, утомившись от раздумий, • Задремал я над страницей фолианта одного, • И очнулся вдруг от звука, будто кто-то вдруг застукал, • Будто глухо так застукал в в двери дома моего. • «Гость, - сказал я, - там стучится в двери дома моего, • Гость – и больше ничего.

32. Тьмой полночной окруженный, так стоял я, погруженный • В грезы, что еще не снились никому до этих пор; • Тщетно ждал я так, однако тьма мне не давала знака, • Слово лишь одно из мрака донеслось ко мне: «Линор!» • Это я шепнул, и эхо прошептало мне: «Линор!» • Прошептало, как укор.

33. Только приоткрыл я ставни – вышел Ворон стародавний, • Шумно оправляя траур оперенья своего; • Без поклона, важно, гордо, выступил он чинно, твердо; • С видом леди или лорда у порога моего, • Над дверьми на бюст Паллады у порога моего • Сел – и больше ничего.

34. И, очнувшись от печали, улыбнулся я вначале, • Видя важность черной птицы, чопорный ее задор, • Я сказал: «Твой вид задорен, твой хохол облезлый черен, • О зловещий древний Ворон, там, где мрак Плутон простер, • Как ты гордо назывался там, где мрак Плутон простер?» • Каркнут Ворон: «Nevermore».

35. Выкрик птицы неуклюжей на меня повеял стужей, • Хоть ответ ее без смысла, невпопад, был явный вздор; • Ведь должны все согласиться, вряд ли может так случиться, • Чтобы в полночь села птица, вылетевши из-за штор, • Вдруг на бюст над дверью села, вылетевши из-за штор, • Птица с кличкой «Nevermore».

36. Ворон же сидел на бюсте, словно этим словом грусти • Душу всю свою излил он навсегда в ночной простор. • Он сидел, свой клюв сомкнувши, ни пером не шелохнувши, • И шепнул я вдруг вздохнувши: «Как друзья с недавних пор, • Завтра он меня покинет, как надежды с этих пор». • Каркнул ворон: «Nevermore».

37. Так, в полудреме краткой, размышляя над догадкой, • Чувствуя, как Ворон в сердце мне вонзал горящий взор. • Тусклой люстрой освещенный, головою утомленной • Я хотел склониться, сонный, на подушку на узор, • Ах, она здесь не склонится на подушку, на узор • Никогда, о, nevermore!

38. И сидит, сидит над дверью Ворон, оправляя перья, • С бюста бледного Паллады не слетает с этих пор, • Он глядит в недвижном взлете, словно демон тьмы в дремоте, • И под люстрой, в позолоте, на полу, он тень простер, • И душой из этой тени не взлечу я с этих пор. • Никогда, о, nevermore! • Перевод М. Зенкевича

39. Использованная литература: • Анастасьев Н.А., Милославская С.К. Хрестоматия по американской литературе, XIX в. (романтизм): Учеб. пособия для студентов пед. ин-тов по спец. № 2103 «Иностр. яз.»/Сост., вступит. статья и коммент. Н.А. Анастасьева, С.К. Милославской. – М.: Просвещение, 1983. – 240 с., ил. • Американская поэзия в русских переводах. XIX-XX вв. Сост. С.Б. Джимбинов. На англ. яз с параллельным русск. текстом. М.: Радуга. – 1983.- 672 с. • http://en.wikipedia.org/