陶洁《美国文学选读》课后习题详解(20世纪美国诗人(1))【圣才出品】

第17单元20世纪美国诗人（1）

Ezra Pound

“In a Station of the Metro”

1. Why does the poet call the faces of pedestrians “apparition”?

Key: Because the faces of pedestrians are moving quickly and appear not very clearly, just like the ghosts in darkness, which are lifeless and fearful. The word “apparition” exactly captures the immediate impression left on the poet’s mind and the powerful feelings that he felt about this sight.

2. What do “petals” and “bough” stand for?

Key: “Petals” stands for the lovely faces of women and children, which are beautiful and joyful. “Bough” stands for th e metro, which is wet and dark.

Wallace Stevens

“Anecdote of the Jar”

1. What does the jar in the poem symbolize? Why does the speaker place it on top of a hill?

Key: The jar in the poem symbolizes artistic imagination that has power to make the chaos in order. The speaker place the jar on top of a hill for the reason that he wants to put the slovenly wilderness into order. That is, the poet wants to use

artistic imagination to make the wilderness alive and energetic.

2. The jar is “round” and “of a port in air,” meaning that it has a stately importance. What effect does it have on surroundings when placed on the ground?

Key: When placed on the ground, the jar becomes the center and dominator of surroundings and makes the wilderness into order. The wilderness becomes lively and full of life.

3. How is the wilderness of Tennessee characterized? What words or phrases does the poet use to describe it?

Key: Before placing the jar, the wilderness of Tennessee is “slovenly”, while after placing the jar, it becomes alive and full of energies and with good order. The poet uses “rose up to it”, “sprawled around”, “no longer wild” etc. to describe it.

William Carlos Williams

“The Red Wheelbarrow”

1. How does the first two lines differ from the other pairs of lines?

Key: The first two lines have no subject or image in it and it depends on the reader’s imagination to figure out what the poet wants to indicate. These two lines set the tone for the rest of the poem. Since the poem is composed of one

sentence broken up at various intervals, it is truthful to say that “so much depends upon” each line of the poem. So, the form o f the poem is also its meaning.

2. What is the most visually compelling word in each of the last three pairs of lines? Key: “Red”, “glazed”, and “white” are the most visually compelling words in each of the last three pairs of lines respectively. These vivid color terms form striking contrasts between objects: the red barrow contrasts with the white chickens; the motional contrasts with the motionless; the living contrasts with the lifeless; the human world contrasts with the animal world.

3. What is the meaning of “depends upon” in the first pair of lines?

Key: “Depends on” means “relies on”. On a superficial level, it means that there are many works on a farm that the red wheelbarrow should do. It is often heavily loaded by its owner. On a deeper level, it means that the concise and short lines bear so much meanings of the poem.

“Spring and All”

1. What things are described in the poem as “cold,” “dead,” and “lifeless”? Key: The wind is described as “cold”; the leaves are described as “dead”, and the vines are described as “lifeless”.

2. Which aspect of spring does the poem emphasize?

Key: The poem emphasizes that the spring breeds new life and hopes. Although at the beginning of spring, nature is still full of cold wind, dead leaves and lifeless vines, there are some new lives breaking through the earth and sending out vitalities, giving us sweet hope for future.

3. How does the poet suggest that the beginning of life is not an easy process? Key: The poet suggests that the beginning of life is not an easy process by expounding the growth of life in a very harsh environment. That is, the new life begins at the transitional point of the leaving of winter and the coming of spring. They have to go through the cold wind and low temperate. Their growth process is not an easy one.

Robert Frost

“Fire and Ice”

1. What are the symbolic meanings of fire in this poem?

Key: Fire in this poem symbolizes strong desires, passion and extreme enthusiasm that push people to do some unreasonable things, leading to disasters.

2. Why does the speaker say that ice is also great for destruction? Explain what ice stands for here.

Key: Ice stands for hatred, coldness and indifference of people that can destroy

human being as well. These are negative emotions and feelings and they will cause disasters for humankind if they go to extreme and out of control.

3. What is your opinion about fire and ice? Which one is more destructive? Key: (答案合情合理即可) I think both fire and ice are very destructive if they are out of control of people. Strong desires and extreme hatred can push people to take irrational actions and doing crazy things that will do harm to others or society, even the whole world.

“Stopping by Woods on a Snowing Evening”

1. In your opinion, what was the reason that made the speaker stop by the woods on a snowy evening?

Key: The reason is that the woods on the snowing evening are so beautiful and attractive that the speaker unconsciously stops to enjoy the pleasant scenery.

2. Why did the horse give the harness bell a shake?

Key: Because the horse does not understand why his master stops there, and as if it wants to remind him that they should go on their journey.

3. Why couldn’t the speaker stay longer by the woods to appreciate its mysterious beauty?

Key: Because he still has “miles to go”. That is, the speaker has many

responsibilities and he should perform them immediately, so he should not stay longer by the woods.

4. What is the effect of repetition in the last two lines?

Key: The repetition in the last lines stresses the sense of responsibility of the speaker. It indicates that the responsibility and duty of the poet are very important and there should be no delay of his journey. It also shows the speaker’s determination to perform them. At the same time, we can find some slight pressure of the speaker, who, as if is murmuring those lines to himself.

“The Road Not Taken”

1. What is the speaker’s initial response to the divergence of the two roads? Key: The speaker feels very sorry that he cannot travel both of them.

2. Describe the similarities and differences of these two roads. Which one does the speaker take?

Key: The two roads both lay equally in leaves and there is no step had trodden black. The differences between them are that the first one had worn by travelers, while the other is grassy and wanted wear.

3. What mig ht the two roads stand for in the speaker’s mind?

Key: In the speaker’s mind, the two roads stand for his difficulty in choosing of