"An American poet has finally appeared! A coarse man, big, proud, amorous, eating, drinking, breeding. His costume was manly and free, his face was tanned by the sun, he had a beard, his posture was strong and upright, and his voice brought hope and foreshadowing to the generous young and elderly team. ”
The American poet was Walter Whitman, who pioneered freestyle poetry in the 19th century. However, the above text is not the praise of any poetry critic, but the "boast" of Whitman himself. In 1855, the first edition of Whitman's masterpiece Blades of Grass was published, containing twelve free-form poems. Both in terms of content and poetic form, this collection of poems is very different from the mainstream concept, so it is rarely asked. As a result, Whitman wrote three anonymous commentaries in succession that were published in magazines of the time, and the above passage was the opening statement of one of the review articles. He also claimed in the article that the poems "would create a robust and fearless literature" and that "the inner world of the United States of America would also proclaim freedom and independence."
It now seems that Whitman's "brazen" statement written in the third person is the most appropriate evaluation of himself. Influenced by the Romantic movement, Whitman believed that the poet's primary task was to express his individuality in poetry. Before and after the publication of "Blades of Grass", it was the most nationalist period of American literature, and the literary community was looking forward to a new literary work that could reflect the natural and humanistic characteristics of the United States, which coincided with Whitman's pursuit. Although there are only twelve poems in the Grass Leaves Collection, the subject matter is very broad. In his poetry, Whitman wrote about nations and nations, men and women, about art, science, society, politics, and about the earth, the sun, and the animals. In particular, he called for the spirit of freedom, democracy and equality, celebrating the beauty of the body and sex, and exploring the true meaning of life from nature and the wider time and space.
The greatness of Blades of Grass is also that it is not just a collection of poems, but Whitman's constantly generating and expanding wisdom. After the first edition came out in 1855, Blades of Grass underwent several reprints, and every once in a while, Whitman would add new poems to the book or rearrange the overall structure. In 1892, the year of Whitman's death, the ninth edition of Blades of Grass was published, with more than 400 poems, a milestone in the history of American literature. The unchanging "blade of grass" appears repeatedly in Whitman's poetry, symbolizing all ordinary people and things, as well as symbolizing the source of vitality and inspiration. He once said, "Where there is soil, where there is water, there is grass." Whitman's reflections on American society and the American spirit continue to attract the attention of generations. His vibrant language depicts the relationship between the individual's body, soul, and universe in a whole new way, liberating poetry from the convention.
A few days ago, the Chinese edition of "Blades of Grass" was republished by the book brand "Houlang", using the classic translation of translator Zhao Luorui. With permission, Interface Culture (ID: BooksAndFun) selects some poems from the book for the benefit of readers.
<h3></h3>
I sing myself
I sing of myself, a single, detached person, and yet I also utter the word democracy, the word whole.
I sang physiology from head to toe,
It's not just the looks or the mind that deserve to be dedicated to the poet, I mean the value of the whole structure is much greater,
Female and male I sing the same.
Singing the vastness of life full of passion, pulse and strength,
Be in a good mood, support the freest actions formed under the guidance of the Divine Law,
I sing about modern people.
<h3>To a historian</h3>
You, the one who honors the past,
You explore the outside and the surface of the peoples, which have revealed their lives,
You see people as slaves to politics, cliques, rulers, and monks,
I, a resident of the Allegheny Mountains, whom I see as himself, a man with his own rights,
Massaging the pulse of life that it rarely reveals, (man's great pride in himself,)
I am a singer of personality, outlining the shapes of the future,
I'm designing the history of the future.
<h3>To a female singer</h3>
Here, please accept this gift,
I had intended to keep it for a hero, an orator, or a general,
A man who can make a contribution to that ancient cause, to that great idea, to the progress and freedom of the nation,
A brave man who can talk to a tyrant, a rebellious man with courage,
But I realize that what I have kept should also belong to you.
<h3>Interstate travel</h3>
We started an interstate trip,
(Yes, inspired by these songs, traveled the globe,
Sail to every country, every ocean from now on,)
We are willing to learn from all people, to be a teacher of all people, a lover of all people.
We have observed how the seasons dominate themselves and become the past one by one, and we have also said, why can't a man or woman be as busy as the seasons and emit as much light?
We stay in every town for a moment,
We pass through Canada, the Northeast, the Great River Valley of Mississippi, and the Southern States,
We exchange views with each state on equal terms,
We test ourselves, and invite men and women to come and listen,
We say to ourselves, remember, don't be afraid, be frank, openly declare the existence of body and soul,
Leave a moment to move forward, to be detailed, moderate, pure, attractive,
Then the light you emit will reap the rewards of the season,
And maybe there will be a harvest like the season.
<h3>I was calm and composed</h3>
I am calm and calm, standing calmly in nature,
Become the master or housewife of all things, and remain calm in things that lack reason,
Absorb everything like them, and like them, passive, accept everything, silence,
I found that my profession, poverty, notoriety, weaknesses, sins, were not as important as I thought.
I'm facing the Mexican Sea, or in Manahata, Tennessee, or far north or inland,
A man on the river, a man in the woods, or a farmer in this country, or going to the seashore, on the shores of a big lake, Canada,
No matter where I live, ah, as long as I can maintain my balance in unexpected times,
Like trees and animals, calmly face the night, storms, hunger, laughter, accidents, setbacks.
<h3>The world ascended to the garden</h3>
The world has ascended to the garden again,
Energetic spouses bring in daughters, sons,
Love, their physical life, is meaningful, is the substance,
It's very novel, here you can see my resurrection after sleeping,
The great rotational cycle brought me here again,
Amorous, mature, very beautiful to me, very wonderful,
My limbs, and the trembling heat that works forever through them, are wonderful for some reason.
Since I exist, I must also carefully spy and penetrate,
Content with the present, content with the past,
Beside me or behind me, Eve is following me,
Or she walked ahead, and I followed her.
<h3>The foundation of everything metaphysical</h3>
Listen, gentlemen,
I'm going to say a few words that will keep them in your memories and minds,
As the basis and final conclusion of all metaphysics.
(At the end of his multitude course, the old professor said this to the students.) ）
After studying modern and ancient, Greek and Germanic systems,
After studying and elucidating Kant, Fichte, Schelling, and Hegel,
After elucidating Plato's doctrine, and socrates, who is greater than Plato,
After a long study of a divine Christ greater than Socrates, who was greater than Socrates,
I look back today and experience the Greek and Germanic systems,
Having experienced all philosophical systems, experiencing the Christian church and doctrine,
Yet underneath Socrates, it is clear, and below the deeper layer of the Holy Christ, I see
The warm feelings that man has for his partner, the attraction between friends and friends,
Between the happy husband and wife, between the children and the parents,
A warm feeling between cities and cities, between countries and nations.
<h3>A blade of grass for the hand in hand</h3>
A blade of grass for the hand in hand,
You old people and young people who obey nature!
You people on the Mississippi River and beside all the Mississippi tributaries!
You friendly boatmen and craftsmen! You rough people!
You two! And all the rows that move along the streets!
I am willing to melt myself among you until I see walking hand in hand becomes normal.
The poems in this article are selected from the book "Grass Leaves", and are published with the permission of Houlang.