1837年,愛默生發(fā)表了一篇令美國學界振聾發(fā)聵的演講詞----American Scholar 。他呼吁美國學者應該形成自己獨立的思想,而非一味的重復前人。這無疑是對英國文學的挑戰(zhàn)。就像一個剛剛成年后搬出家門的年青人,在找到第一份糊口的工作后,便迫不急待的要求形成自己獨特的價值觀。此時他最討厭聽到的一句話一定是街坊鄰里在數(shù)落他時冷不丁冒出來的:這孩子,跟他爹年輕時一個熊樣。扯遠了,其實我真正想說的是,經(jīng)歷了政治經(jīng)濟獨立后的米國,對文化獨立的渴望似乎無可避免,而同時代的文學作品中,惠特曼的《草葉集》無疑是對愛默生最給力的回應。
草的意象乍看似乎有些噯昧不明,其實用一句中國婦儒皆知的詩來解釋則再明顯不過:野火燒不盡,春風吹又生。草即重生。在一片新的大陸上,一個新興的國家正像青草一樣,熱情而瘋狂的生長。其中的名篇《自我之歌》(song of myself )的題目同樣耐人尋味。滿篇的開頭我們看到了無數(shù)個字母“I”,感受到的卻不僅僅只是一個“我”,而是19世紀千千萬萬的米國人?!拔?,沃特.惠特曼,一整個宇宙,一個農(nóng)民的兒子,一個北方人,也是一個南方人…”質(zhì)樸到極至的語言里,我們看到了談判席上的議員,揮汗如雨的工人,西部的拓荒者、掏金人,甚至,還有那個年輕時在密西西比河岸一邊鋸著木頭一邊發(fā)表著即興演講的一整個時代的精神領(lǐng)袖----亞伯拉罕.林肯。
此時的美國文學正開始漸漸退去了倫敦式的霧氣,不再是一個打著蕾絲邊雨傘的維多利亞老小姐,而是個無所畏懼的新生兒,在摔倒中嘗試奔跑。就像《自我之歌》的結(jié)尾,前人逝去后化做的一抔黃土之上長出了草的新芽,像一個輪回,推動歷史無聲的前進。
我不知道這是《草葉集》的第幾版。最早的一版《草葉集》出版于1855年,但顯然惠特曼之后一直有對其做增補創(chuàng)作,一直到他人生的最后階段。所以作品集中會出現(xiàn)SANDS AT SEVENTY這樣的Section也就不足為奇了。
惠特曼的詩作在美國的文學史上究竟占對重要的位置,我不敢評說。他的詩作并不完美,有時甚至不能稱得上優(yōu)美,太過雄性主義的高聲吶喊,也會讓人覺得刺耳、更會讓人膩。但是它絕對是一次新鮮而有力的嘗試,即使不能接受,但也對少會受其感染。有時一部作品的意義甚至不需要從其文字里去尋找,只需要感受一下它文字周圍散發(fā)的那種激情,你就能和作者產(chǎn)生共鳴——就好像一首很有感覺的歌,可能你聽不懂它的歌詞,可能它的曲調(diào)經(jīng)不起推敲,可是它就是能很輕易地將某種情感傳遞到你的心底,產(chǎn)生撞擊和回響?!恫萑~集》留于心中的就是這種回響。
于是,他說:
Ages, precedents, have long been accumulating undirected materials,
America brings builders, and brings its own styles.
The immortal poets of Asia and Europe have done their work and pass'd to other spheres,
A work remains the work of surpassing all they have done.
("By Blue Ontario's Shore")
他說:
Any period one nation must lead.
One land must be the promise and reliance of the future.
("By Blue Ontario's Shore")
那誰將以這個領(lǐng)導者的姿態(tài),在新的世紀里出現(xiàn)?對于惠特曼來說,毫無疑問,那只能是美國。
于是他高唱著:
I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear.
("I Hear America singing")
除了贊歌,只有贊歌;不只他唱,所有的美國人,在他看來,都會跟著他一起唱。
他說:
The earth to be spann'd, connected by network,
The races, neighbors, to marry and be given in marriage,
The oceans to be cross'd, the distant brought near,
The lands to be welded together.
("Passage to India")
他說:
O CAPTAIN! my Captain! our fearful trip is done.
……
But O heart! heart! heart!
O the bleeding drops of red. Where on the deck my Captain lies,
Fallen cold and dead.
(O Captain! My Captain!----MEMORIES OF PRESIDENT LINCOLN)
他說:
I am he who walks the States with a barb'd tongue, questioning every one I meet,
Who are you that wanted only to be told what you knew before?
Who are you that wanted only a book to join you in your nonsense?
("By Blue Ontario's Shore")
他說:
The conceits of poets of other lands I'd bring thee not,
Nor the compliments that have served their turn so long,
Nor rhyme, nor the classics, nor perfume of foreign court or indoor library;
But an odor I'd bring as from forests of pine in Maine, or breath of an Illinois prairie,
With open airs of Virginia or Georgia or Tennessee, or from Texas uplands, or Florida's glades,
Or the Saguenay's black stream, or the wide blue spread of Huron,
With presentment of Yellowstone's scenes, or Yosemite,
And murmuring under, pervading all, I'd bring the rustling sea-sound,
That endlessly sounds from the two Great Seas of the world.
("Thou Mother with Thy Equal Brood")