and write about it frequently

我時常閱讀詩，

and take poems apart

也常撰寫詩評

to see how they work

有時我會抽絲剝繭，

because I'm a word person.

以觀察詩詞如何產生涵義

I understand the world best, most fully,

因為我對文字特別敏銳，

in words rather than, say, pictures or numbers,

比起圖片或數字，

and when I have a new experience or a new feeling,

我反而最能透過文字，深刻的理解這個世界

I'm a little frustrated

且當我有了新的體驗或感受，

until I can try to put it into words.

我常會先感到有點沮喪，

I think I've always been that way.

直到我能嘗試將它們化為文字為止。

I devoured science fiction as a child. I still do.

我想我一直都是這樣

And I found poems by Andrew Marvell

小時侯，我總是貪婪的 閱讀科幻小說，現在依舊如此

and Matthew Arnold and Emily Dickinson

而我會在裡面發現一些詩， 像是安德魯・馬維爾、

and William Butler Yeats

馬修・阿諾、艾蜜莉・狄金森、

because they were quoted in science fiction,

以及葉慈的詩作，

and I loved their sounds

因為這些科幻小說引用了他們的詩

and I went on to read about ottava rima

我超愛這些詩的音韻，

and medial caesuras and enjambment

於是我開始研究何謂八行詩體、

and all that other technical stuff

韻腳停頓、詩句的跨行銜接

that you care about if you already care about poems,

以及其他種種技法，

because poems already made me happier

也就是那些如果你已經很愛好詩， 就會去在乎的東西，

and sadder and more alive.

因為詩已經讓我更快樂

And I became a poetry critic

也更悲傷，同時更有生命力

because I wanted to know how and why.

後來我成為一個詩評家，

Now, poetry isn't one thing that serves one purpose

因為我想知道詩如何產生 及詩詞背後的起因。

any more than music or computer programming

詩並不是為了單一目的而存在的產物，

serve one purpose.

它不像音樂和電腦程式，

The greek word poem, it just means "a made thing,"

只為單一目的而存在。

and poetry is a set of techniques,

"詩"的希臘文，僅代表"一個成品"，

ways of making patterns

而詩是一套技法、

that put emotions into words.

一種架構組織的方法，

The more techniques you know,

它能夠將情緒轉為文字。

the more things you can make,

你懂愈多技巧，

and the more patterns you can recognize

就能創造出愈多東西，

in things you might already like or love.

且對於某些你已喜歡或深愛的事物，

That said, poetry does seem to be

詩能讓你理會出其中更多奧妙。

especially good at certain things.

這樣說來，

For example, we are all going to die.

詩似乎在某些方面顯得特別有用。

Poetry can help us live with that.

例如說，我們終將不免一死。

Poems are made of words, nothing but words.

但詩，能幫助我們與這念頭和平共生。

The particulars in poems are like

詩是由文字組成，就只是字而已。

the particularities, the personalities,

但詩的不同特質，

that distinguish people from one another.

就像是人們之間互異的個性，

Poems are easy to share, easy to pass on,

區別著彼此的不同。

and when you read a poem, you can imagine

詩文容易被分享、被傳承，

someone's speaking to you or for you,

而當你讀一篇詩，

maybe even someone far away

你能夠想像有人正在 傳達訊息給你、為你發聲

or someone made up or someone deceased.

甚至是為一個與你相隔遙遠的人、

That's why we can go to poems when we want to

或為一個虛構的人、已故的人發聲。

remember something or someone,

這就是為什麼

to celebrate or to look beyond death

每當我們想銘記某人某事、

or to say goodbye,

想慶祝、想超脫生死、

and that's one reason poems can seem important,

或是道別時，都會藉由詩來抒發情感。

even to people who aren't me,

這也是為什麼從古至今，詩文總是佔有一席之地

who don't so much live in a world of words.

就算一般人跟我不太一樣

The poet Frank O'Hara said,

他們沒有沉迷於文字的世界裡， 詩也一樣受歡迎。

"If you don't need poetry, bully for you,"

詩人法蘭克・奧哈拉說，

but he also said when he didn't want to be alive anymore,

"如果你不需要詩，那算你行!"

the thought that he wouldn't write any more poems

但他也曾說，當他失去了活下去的動力時，

had stopped him.

他如果想到"這樣就無法再創作任何詩了"，

Poetry helps me want to be alive,

這念頭就會阻止他去尋短。

and I want to show you why by showing you how,

詩，是讓我生存的動力，

how a couple of poems react to the fact that

我要藉由展示來告訴你們為什麼，

we're alive in one place at one time in one culture,

為何有些詩可以反映出：

and in another we won't be alive at all.

我們只存活於一個地方、 一個時空、一個文化，

So here's one of the first poems I memorized.

而超越了那個時空， 我們根本稱不上活著。

It could address a child or an adult.

下面這是我最早背起的詩之一，

"From far, from eve and morning

講述的對象可以是小孩或大人：

From yon twelve-winded sky,

"從遠方，從日暮，從晨曉，

The stuff of life to knit me

從那有著十二個方位的天空，

Blew hither; here am I.

織造出我的那些生命本質

Now — for a breath I tarry

隨風輕吹至此，我於是存在。

Nor yet disperse apart —

此刻--我停留鼻息，

Take my hand quick and tell me,

仍未散逸之前--

What have you in your heart.

快握住我的手並告訴我，

Speak now, and I will answer;

是什麼盤據在你心中。

How shall I help you, say;

說吧，我會回答你，

Ere to the wind's twelve quarters

我該如何幫助你，儘管說吧，

I take my endless way."

否則我就快回到 風起前的的四面八方，

[A. E. Housman]

踏上無限的旅途。"

Now, this poem has appealed

(作者為A. E.豪斯曼)

to science fiction writers.

這首詩迷住了

It's furnished at least three science fiction titles,

許多科幻小說家。

I think because it says poems can brings us news

這首詩被用於至少 三部科幻小說的標題裡，

from the future or the past

我想是因為這首詩點出： 詩總是能帶給我們一些信息，

or across the world,

無論是從未來或是過去，

because their patterns can seem to tell you

甚至是從世界各方，

what's in somebody's heart.

因為它的文體似乎能告訴你，

It says poems can bring people together temporarily,

某人心中想些什麼。

which I think is true,

詩能短暫的將人們凝聚在一起，

and it sticks in my head not just because it rhymes

我想確實如此。

but for how it rhymes,

而這首詩會留在我腦海，不只是因為它押韻，

cleanly and simply on the two and four,

而是它押韻的方式，

"say" and "way,"

簡單扼要的在第二行、第四行

with anticipatory hints on the one and three,

押"say" 和 "way"

"answer" and "quarters,"

並在一、三行預留線索，

as if the poem itself were coming together.

也就是"answer" 和 "quarters"

It plays up the fact that we die

這首詩好像是自己渾然天成的。

by exaggerating the speed of our lives.

它強調人終將面臨死亡，

A few years on Earth become

藉由誇大的方式來呈現人生苦短。

one speech, one breath.

像是在地球上生存的幾年時間，

It's a poem about loneliness --

變成說一句話、吸一口氣般短暫。

the "I" in the poem feels no connection will last —

這是首關於孤寂的詩--

and it might look like a plea for help

詩中的"我"，認為沒有任何連結是永久的，

'til you get to the word "help,"

且像是在尋求協助，

where this "I" facing you, taking your hand,

直到你讀到"幫助"這詞，一切才具體化

is more like a teacher or a genie,

而這個"我"面對著你，握住你的手，

or at least that's what he wants to believe.

就像是一位老師或精靈，

It would not be the first time a poet had

或至少，是作者盼望相信的事。

written the poem that he wanted to hear.

這已經不是第一次，一位詩人，

Now, this next poem really changed

寫出一首自己想聽到的詩。

what I liked and what I read

下一首詩，則完全改變了

and what I felt I could read as an adult.

我喜歡的東西、閱讀的品味、

It might not make any sense to you

以及身為成人，我以為自己理解的事。

if you haven't seen it before.

如果你以前沒讀過這首詩，

"The Garden"

有可能無法體會：

"Oleander: coral

【花園】

from lipstick ads in the 50's.

"夾竹桃：珊瑚紅，

Fruit of the tree of such knowledge

來自50年代的口紅廣告。

To smack (thin air)

知識樹上的果實，教導了我們何等知識。

meaning kiss or hit.

Smack ，動詞，

It appears

意思為親吻或擊打(空氣)。

in the guise of outworn usages

這個字，

because we are bad?

在老套字義的偽裝下呼之欲出，

Big masculine threat,

是因為我們心懷不軌嗎?

insinuating and slangy."

濃烈的陽剛氣息朝人逼近，

[Rae Armantrout]

充滿暗示、吊兒郎當。"

Now, I found this poem in an anthology

(作者為蕾・阿曼特饒特)

of almost equally confusing poems in 1989.

我從名詩選集中發現這首詩，

I just heard that there were these scandalous writers

在1989年，整本詩集都是 這種非常困惑的詩文。

called Language poets who didn't make any sense,

我正好聽到有些惡名昭彰的作家，

and I wanted to go and see for myself what they were like,

他們被稱為"語言詩人"， 專寫一些沒有意義的東西，

and some of them didn't do much for me,

於是我想看看他們到底是寫些什麼。

but this writer, Rae Armantrout,

而我對那些詩卻沒有太多共鳴

did an awful lot, and I kept reading her

但其中有位作家，蕾・阿曼特饒特，

until I felt I knew what was going on,

她的詩讓我收穫良多， 我一直閱讀她的作品，

as I do with this poem.

直到逐漸明白她的深意，

It's about the Garden of Eden and the Fall

就如同我反覆的閱讀這首詩，

and the Biblical story of the Fall,

它是關於伊甸園和人的墮落，

in which sex as we know it

以及聖經中提到墮落的故事：

and death and guilt

也就是在性、

come into the world at the same time.

死亡、罪惡，

It's also about how appearances deceive,

這些同時降臨在這世界的時候。

how our culture can sweep us along

這首詩同時也述說著 外表如何蒙蔽事物，

into doing and saying things we didn't intend

如何以我們的文化

or don't like, and Armantrout's style

迫使我們做出或說出 那原本不打算做的事，

is trying to help us stop or slow down.

或不喜歡的事物，而這就是 阿曼特饒特的作風，

"Smack" can mean "kiss" as in air kisses,

試圖幫我們沉澱下來。

as in lip-smacking,

Smack，可以代表親吻，像是飛吻那種，

but that can lead to "smack" as in "hit"

也代表咂嘴唇，

as in domestic abuse,

但Smack也可表示擊打的意思，

because sexual attraction can seem threatening.

就像家暴會出現的那種，

The red that means fertility

因為性誘惑有時看來充滿威脅。

can also mean poison.

珊瑚紅代表生育力，

Oleander is poisonous.

也可代表劇毒，

And outworn usages like "smack" for "kiss"

因為夾竹桃是有毒的。

or "hit" can help us see

詩裡提到的老套字義， 像是smack解釋為「親吻」

how our unacknowledged assumptions

或「擊打」，可以幫助我們看透，

can make us believe we are bad,

這些毫無根據的臆測，

either because sex is sinful

如何讓我們相信自己是錯的，

or because we tolerate so much sexism.

無論是因為充滿罪惡的性慾，

We let guys tell women what to do.

或是因為我們承受了太多性別歧視，

The poem reacts to old lipstick ads,

總是讓男人唆使女人。

and its edginess about statement,

詩文中反應出這老舊的口紅廣告、

its reversals and halts, have everything to do

急促的陳述方式、

with resisting the language of ads

轉折、停頓，在在都充滿了

that want to tell us so easily what to want,

對廣告語言的反叛 --

what to do, what to think.

廣告太直白的訴說我們的欲望，

That resistance is a lot of the point of the poem,

告訴我們該做什麼、該怎麼想。

which shows me, Armantrout shows me

這種反叛與詩的本意相對應，

what it's like to hear grave threats

這首詩，或說阿曼特饒特讓我明白，

and mortal dishonesty in the language

被言語威脅是怎樣的感覺，

of everyday life, and once she's done that,

而看穿那些日常生活中的不實的語言，

I think she can show other people, women and men,

又是怎麼樣的感覺。而一旦她做到這點，

what it's like to feel that way

我認為她就能傳達給大家，不論男人女人，

and say to other people, women and men

傳遞詩中的意涵，

who feel so alienated or so threatened

然後告訴所有人，無論男人女人，

that they're not alone.

在他們感到孤單或受到威脅時，

Now, how do I know that I'm right

他們並不寂寞。

about this somewhat confusing poem?

好，那我怎麼知道我的解讀是對的呢？

Well in this case, I emailed the poet a draft of my talk

這首詩如此令人困惑。

and she said, "Yeah, yeah, that's about it."

好吧，是因為我把我的講稿 email 給阿曼特勞特，

Yeah. (Laughter) (Applause)

她回說: "對，對，大概是這樣沒錯。"

But usually, you can't know. You never know.

(笑聲) (掌聲)

You can't be sure, and that's okay.

但通常來說，你根本不曉得，

All we can do we is listen to poems

你也無法確定，但沒關係，

and look at poems and guess

我們所該做的就是聆聽這首詩，

and see if they can bring us what we need,

仔細品嚐並大膽猜測，

and if you're wrong about some part of a poem,

看看是否帶來些我們所需要的東西，

nothing bad will happen.

而就算你對一些環節有錯誤的理解，

Now, this next poem is older than Armantrout's,

也沒有關係的。

but a little younger than A. E. Housman's.

好，接下來這首詩比 阿曼特饒特的詩更早問世，

"The Brave Man"

但比A. E.豪斯曼的作品還後期一些，

"The sun, that brave man,

"英勇的男人"

Comes through boughs that lie in wait,

太陽，是那英勇的男人，

That brave man.

照透那危機四伏的樹枝，

Green and gloomy eyes

那英勇的男人啊。

In dark forms of the grass

一雙雙翠綠而憂鬱的眼睛，

Run away.

在幽暗的草叢裡，

The good stars,

逃散無蹤。

Pale helms and spiky spurs,

眾多的繁星、

Run away.

蒼白的鋼盔、尖銳的馬刺，

Fears of my bed,

逃散無蹤。

Fears of life and fears of death,

面臨入睡的恐懼、

Run away.

面臨生死的恐懼，

That brave man comes up

逃散無蹤。

From below and walks without meditation,

英勇的男人出現了，

That brave man."

毫不猶豫的走上來，

[Wallace Stevens]

那英勇的男人。

Now, the sun in this poem,

(作者為華萊士·史蒂文斯)

in Wallace Stevens' poem, seems so grave

現在，這首詩提到的太陽，

because the person in the poem is so afraid.

在華萊士·史蒂文斯的詩中，似乎顯得憂沉，

The sun comes up in the morning through branches,

因為詩中提到的人物感到害怕

dispels the dew, the eyes, on the grass,

早晨的陽光穿透了樹枝，

and defeats stars envisioned as armies.

蒸發了青草上的露珠， 也就是一雙雙的眼睛們，

"Brave" has its old sense of showy

擊潰了一片像大軍壓境的星辰，

as well as its modern sense, courage.

"英勇"一詞，帶有古語中強出風頭的意思，

This sun is not afraid to show his face.

同時也有現代的意思：勇氣。

But the person in the poem is afraid.

這裡的太陽對拋頭露面感到無所畏懼，

He might have been up all night.

反倒是詩的敘述者感到害怕，

That is the reveal Stevens saves for that fourth stanza,

他可能整晚都沒睡。

where run away has become a refrain.

史蒂文斯在這邊為第四詩節留下伏筆，

This person might want to run away too,

第四詩節的"逃散無蹤"變成一種忍耐，

but fortified by the sun's example,

即便這男人也想逃跑，

he might just rise.

但為了效仿太陽的英勇，

Stevens saves that sonically odd word "meditation"

他必須挺身而出。

for the end.

作者史蒂文斯以音韻破格的"冥想"一詞，

Unlike the sun, human beings think.

來做為結尾。

We meditate on past and future, life and death,

因為人類不像太陽，人類會有所冥想，

above and below.

我們常冥想過去與未來、生與死，

And it can make us afraid.

上天堂或是下地獄，

Poems, the patterns in poems,

這些讓我們感到畏懼，

show us not just what somebody thought

詩，以及詩的文體型式，

or what someone did or what happened

不只告訴我們某人想了什麼、

but what it was like to be a person like that,

做過什麼，或發生過什麼事，

to be so anxious, so lonely, so inquisitive,

還能告訴我們，如果你是這樣的人， 你會有什麼感受，

so goofy, so preposterous, so brave.

當你如此焦慮、孤寂、好奇、

That's why poems can seem at once so durable,

如此愚蠢、可笑，如此勇敢。

so personal, and so ephemeral,

這就是為什麼詩文總是如此歷久彌新、

like something inside and outside you at once.

同時又如此私密、而且稍縱即逝，

The Scottish poet Denise Riley compares poetry

私密得像是你內在的一部份， 卻又如外在世界般巨大。

to a needle, a sliver of outside I cradle inside,

蘇格蘭詩人丹尼斯賴利，曾經把詩

and the American poet Terrance Hayes

比喻成一根銀針，銀針的織物 可以讓我放心窩在裡面

wrote six poems called "Wind in a Box."

而美國詩人特倫斯海斯，

One of them asks, "Tell me,

寫了六首詩，題為"盒中的風"

what am I going to do when I'm dead?"

其中一首問道: "告訴我，

And the answer is that he'll stay with us

當我死了之後要做什麼?"

or won't stay with us inside us as wind,

而答案是他將會伴隨在我們身邊，

as air, as words.

或是像風一樣，飄然離我們而去，

It is easier than ever to find poems

像是空氣、像是話語般短暫。

that might stay inside you, that might stay with you,

比起過去，現在很容易找到一首詩，

from long, long ago, or from right this minute,