英美诗歌选读第八讲叙事诗第一节史诗史诗可分为三种，即史诗(epic),戏拟史诗(epic satire)和英雄叙事诗(heroic narrative)一、史诗史诗指一种宏篇巨制且自成一卷的叙事诗，用高雅的语言叙述英雄的事迹，风格庄严华 美，多用精巧的修辞手法，如史诗明喻等早期诗史多为民族传奇，往往被看成是一个民族 的伟大文化财富之一，如英国民族史诗《贝奥武甫》(Beowulf )即是如此其他史诗有斯宾 塞的《仙后》(The Faerie Queen， 1590〜1596),贾尔斯•弗莱彻(Giles Fletcher， 1586-1623) 的《基督的胜利》(Christs Victorie， and Triumph in Heaven， and Earth， over， and afterDeath， 1610)，弥尔顿的《失乐园(Paradise Lost， 1667)、《复乐园》(Paradise Regained，1671)布莱克的《弥尔顿》也可以看作是一部史诗《贝奥武甫》现代译文第735行〜第766行描述了贝奥武甫在鹿厅与巨怪葛婪代的激战：Mighty and canny，Hegylac' s kinsman was keenly watchingfor the first move the monster would make.Nor did the creature keep him waitingbut struck suddenly and started in；he grabbed and mauled a man on his bench，bit into his bone-lappings， bolted down his bloodand gorged on him in lumps， leaving the bodyutterly lifeless， eaten uphand and foot. Venturing closerhis talon was raised to attack Beowulfwhere he lay on the bed， he was bearing inwith open claw when the alert hero' scomeback and armlock forestalled him utterly.The captain of evil discovered himselfin a handgrip harder than anythingHe had ever encountered in any manon the face of the earth. Every bone in his bodyquailed and recoiled， but he could not escape.He was desperate to flee to his den and hidewith the devil' s litter， for in all his dayshe had never been clamped or cornered like this.Then Hygelac' s trusty retainer recalledhis bedtime speech， sprang to his feetand got a firm hold. Fingers were bursting，the monster back-tracking， the man overpowering.The dread of the land was desperate to escape,to take a roundabout and fleeto his lair in the fens. The latching powerin his fingers weakened； it was the worst tripthe terror-monger had taken to Heorot. [1]（Beowulf, a verse translation by Seamus Heaney）斯宾塞《仙后》的内容如诗人在卷首序诗所言，“激烈的战斗和忠贞的爱情将是我歌的 主旨”其内容之一是对颇有作为的伊丽莎白女王的歌颂，表现民族主义的自豪。
第一章一 开始就开门见山地讲一位骑士的故事，第二诗节如下：But on his brest a bloudie Crosse he bore，The deare remembrance of his dying Lord,For whose sweete sake that glorious badge he wore，And dead as living ever him adored：Upon his shielde the like was also scored，For soveraine hope， which in his helpe he had：Right faithful true he was in deede and word,But of his cheere did seeme too solemne sad；Yet nothing did he dread, but ever was ydrad. [2]斯宾塞向后来的诗人赠送了一笔宝贵遗产，那就是他有名的九行诗体，这里引的诗节就 是典型的斯宾塞诗体这是一种复杂的诗体，押韵格式为abab bcbc c前八行是五韵步，第 九行即最后一行延长为六韵步。
节奏徐缓，韵式有连锁之美b韵重复四次，c韵三次）这 种诗体影响深远，拜伦、雪莱、济慈、丁尼生等都曾经用该诗体写出佳作，因此人们称斯宾 塞为“诗人的诗人”弥尔顿《失乐园》是关于人的堕落的史诗，其内容可以简述为：撒旦被上帝战败，报仇 心切，诱使上帝所创造的人类始祖亚当一夏娃偷吃了智慧树上的果子，上帝震怒，把他们逐 出伊甸园第一章写的是上天的一场战争，两大天使集团进行了较量，以撒旦为首的集团失败，被 打入地狱在地狱里，撒旦对局势做了痛苦的重新估量，估量的的结果是决心复仇，撒旦在 此发表了慷慨激昂的演说（第一卷第105行〜第124行）：What though the field be lost？All is not lost； the unconquerable Will,And study of revenge, immortal hate,And courage never to submit or yield：And what is else not to be overcome？That Glory never shall his wrath or mightExtort from me. To bow and sue for graceWith suppliant knee, and deifie his powerWho from the terror of this Arm so lateDoubted his Empire, that were low indeed,That were an ignominy and shame beneathThis downfall； since by Fate the strength of GodsAnd this Empyreal substance cannot fail,Since through experience of this great eventIn Arms not worse, in foresight much advanced,We may with more successful hope resolveTo wage by force or guile eternal WarIrreconcileable, to our grand Foe,Who now triumphs, and in th' excess of joySole reigning holds the Tyranny of Heav'n. [3]该史诗第二章写会上辩论，第三章转到天堂，第四章出现亚当和夏娃，史诗的语言不再 是金鼓铁甲之声，不再是上帝与耶稣的严肃对话，而是人间的多情话语。
史诗在以下诗行中 结束：In either hand the hastening Angel caughtOur lingering parents， and to the eastern gateLed them direct， and down the cliff as fastTo the subjected plain—then disappeared.They， looking back， all the eastern side beheldOf Paradise， so late their happy seat，Waved over by that flaming brand； the gateWith dreadful faces thronged and fiery arms.Some natural tears they dropped， but wiped them soon；The world was all before them， where to chooseTheir place of rest， and Providence their guide.They， hand in hand， with wandering steps and slow，Through Eden took their solitary way. [4]这是这部史诗的结束，也是人类世间生活的开始。
世界整个放在他们面前”生命将延 续下去《复乐园》写的是耶稣挫败了撒旦的种种诱惑，使撒旦在成功地诱惑了夏娃之后终于遭 到失败，这样，人类就可以赎罪而重新升入天堂，也就是恢复了乐园全诗的结构是一场大 辩论，耶稣与撒旦不断辩论，自始至终，贯穿四章诗的开始七行是全诗的总序：I， who erewhile the Happy Garden sungBy one man' s disobedience lost， now singRecovered Paradise to all mankind，By one man' s firm obedience fully triedThrough all temptation， and the Tempter foiledIn all his wiles， defeated and repulsed，And Eden raised in the waste Wilderness. [5]第一句是说诗人在写《复乐园》之前曾写了《失乐园》，咏亚当受诱惑食禁果而失去乐 园第二行的“一人”（one man），指亚当和夏娃，他们夫妇是一体二、戏拟史诗戏拟史诗，即讽刺史诗，指一种通过滑稽性地模仿严肃史诗的手法，主要描写非英雄故 事的长篇叙事诗。
如蒲柏的《劫发记》（The Rape of the Lock）（1714）,拜伦的《唐璜》（Don Juan）（1819-24）等《唐璜》既讲关于唐璜的故事性很强的游记故事，也是拜伦个人的闲谈录，诗人随时对 故事中的人物、情节加以说明、评论等唐璜出生在西班牙，后来却因为。