浅谈诗歌的定义(1)

【摘 要】诗歌是一种语词凝练、结构跳跃、富有节奏和韵律、高度集中地反映生活和表达思想感情的文学体裁。本文着重语词、内涵等方面分析诗歌的特点，使读者对诗歌的概念和基本特征有一个宏观认识。

【关键词】诗歌；定义

Definition of Poetry

Robert Pinsky once said: “Poetry...is an ancient art or technology: older than the computer, older than print, older than writing and indeed, though some may find this surprising, much older than prose. I presume that the technology of poetry, using the human body as its medium, evolved for specific uses; to hold things in memory, both within and beyond the inpidual life span; to achieve intensity and sensuous appeal; to express feelings and ideas rapidly and memorably; to share those feelings and ideas with companions, and also with the dead and with those to come after us.”

Poetry is one of the most ancient literary forms. It appeared thousands of years ago in the world as a form of literature. In China, there is Book of Poetry; In Greek, there is Homer Epic. Poetry is one of the earliest literary forms in ancient India, Egypt and Rome. In Britain, the earliest epic is Beowulf written in Anglo-Saxon period. Ever since then, people in all works of life, especially those educated, sensitive men, care about poems. Simple poems even can interest children, because poetry can bring pleasant sensation to them. People regard the poetry as the main thing of inpidual life. Poetry also has its special value to our spiritual life. It plays a very important role in our life. It cares all kinds of experiences; no matter this experience is happy or unhappy, special or ordinary, noble or humble, realistic or imaginative. In poetry, this kind of experiences, even the unfortunate ones, can become objects for people’s appreciation. Although such experiences cannot bring pleasant sensation in real life, they can enjoy the readers with the form of poetry. Thus, poetry gives us vitality and enjoyment. Just as William Wordsworth once said: "Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings: it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquility: the emotion is contemplated till, by a species of reaction, the tranquility gradually disappears, and an emotion, kindred to that which was the subject of contemplation, is gradually produced, and does itself actually exist in the mind."(from Preface to Lyrical Ballads). Through reading poetry, we may understand more deeply about human’s feelings and furthermore about life itself.

Poetry uses a kind of condensed language to show life or feelings, or some other things. In this point, poetry is quite different from prose and novels, so understanding poetry is much more difficult than understanding prose and novels. I can say poetry is the art of literature, using fewest words to express utmost meanings. Poetry is the mirror of our life. No matter which nation it is, once opening its poems, we may find poems recorded every rising and declining of historical period of each nation. Reading poetry, we can know history, politics, economy, reform etc of different countries in various periods. The poetic history is also the nation’s development process. While expressing ideas or feelings or some other meanings, poets often depend on some literary techniques, such as meter, natural cadences, rhyme or metaphor etc. Thus, poetry can express profound meanings in a disguised way.

Poetry is also the philosophy of life. Many sentences of poems become mottos, which leave lasting reputation in the whole world. It has even become the legacy of all human beings. For example, in Shelley’s Ode to The West, there is a famous sentence: “…Oh, wind, If winter comes, can Spring be far behind?” This famous saying has encouraged many people in the world. When they face difficulties, or they are in miserable time, they will think of it as encouragement to lighten their forward way. In this way, we can say that the poem is the important legacy of all human beings.

The following part is an example to see what the real poem is. After analyzing this poem, we may have a clear understanding about the definition of the poem. Here is a poem:

The Faithful Swallow

—— by Thomas Hardy

When summer shone

Its sweetest on

An August day,

“Here evermore,”

I said, “I’ll stay;

Not go away

To another shore

As fickle they!”