1、SONG TO THE MEN OF ENGLAND,Background: The poem was written by the romantic poet Percy. Bysshe Shelley in 1819. The poem is about the clash between two classes of society, the poorworking class and the rich nobles. The major the-me of this poem is exploitation, how the workers are doing all they are
2、 doing for the benefits of theungrateful nobles. The narrator is urging the workers to make a stand as they are being treate-d unfairly.,1819年8月6日，曼彻斯特六万工人在圣彼德广场聚会、游行示威,要求普选权、反对谷物法案，遭到当局的镇压，很多人受伤，有的死难.雪莱当时在意大利,听到此事后义愤填膺，写了著名长诗“专制魔王的化装舞剧”(The Mask of Anarchy).同年他写了这一首革命态度鲜明的政治抒情诗,并拟把它们印成传单散发，但无人敢承印,直
3、至雪莱死后才得以发表. 在诗人的许多作品中可见到为争取自由而斗争的主题，诗人心目中的自由包括消灭对劳动的剥削，这一观念在本诗中得到深刻的表达.诗人向劳动人民致辞，号召世界的创造者-劳动人民，向资本家进行斗争，拿起武器捍卫自身的权利.全诗共八节，每节四行，每行四个重音节，双行韵式aa-bb.,Song:rhyming couplets,regular rhythm,repetition,alliteration To:addressed to a specific group The men of England:the labourers who make England.,一. Men of
4、 England,wherefore plough 英格兰人，何以要为蹂躏 For the lords who lay ye low? 压榨你的地主老爷耕耘？Wherefore weave with toil and care 何以小心谨慎、千辛万苦 The rich robes your tyrants wear? 为暴君和富人编织锦服？,二. Wherefore feed,and clothe,and save, 何以从那摇篮直至坟墓， From the cradle to the grave, 为其提供食品、衣服、救助？Those ungrateful drones who would
5、寄生虫们何以忘恩负义 Drain your sweat-nay,drink your blood? 榨干吸尽你们的汗水、血滴？,三. Wherefore Bees of England,forge 英格兰的工蜂，何以锻造 Many a weapon,chain,and scourge, 这么多的武器、鞭子、镣铐？That these stingless drones may spoil 这些无刺的雄蜂会掠夺 The forced produce of your toil? 你迫于辛劳所得的成果？,In the third stanza, he uses irony, commenting on
6、 how the “stingless drones” are using the weapons that the workers forge. The fact that he says “stingless” is telling the workers that without their work and service,they would be of no threat to them.,四. Have ye leisure,comfort,calm, 你们可有闲暇，舒适，安宁？ Shelter,food,loves gentle balm? 可有住所，食品，爱的温馨？Or wh
7、at is it ye buy so dear 何以用如此高昂的代价 With your pain and with your fear? 换取你们的痛苦和惧怕？,（五） The seed ye sow,another reaps； 你们播的种子，他人享受； The wealth ye find,another keeps； 你们找的财富，他人保留；The robes ye weave,another wears； 你们织的衣锦，他人穿戴； The arms ye forge,another bears. 你们铸的兵器，他人佩带。,there is a slight change of ton
8、-e. This is where the poet is trying to make the workers re-alize how the lords are benefiting from them. It is written in a repetitive form “The seed ye sow, another reaps, The wealth ye find, an-other keeps”. The constant repetition of “the”, “ye”, and “another” makes the whole stanza more express
9、ive, making it stronger each time.,（六）Sow seed,-but let no tyrant reap； 播种，但是不让暴君收刈； Find wealth,-let no impostor heap； 获取财富，不让骗子囤积；Weave robes,-let not the idle wear； 织出衣锦，不让懒汉打扮； Forge arms,-in your defence to bear. 锻造武器，捍卫自己安全。,the poem uses the same content as stanza five, but uses a more strong
10、 imperative tone “Sow seed but let no tyrant reap, Find wealth, let no imposter reap”. Now there is a stress on the first two words of the stanza , and he is literally ordering to workers to do th-eir work, but this time not to let the upper class benefit from it.,（七） Shrink to your cellars,holes,an
11、d cells； 你们在为他人装饰厅堂； In halls ye deck another dwells. 自己缩在地窖，洞穴，牢房。Why shake the chains ye wrought?Ye see 何以在自制锁链里颤栗？ The steel ye tempered glance on ye. 瞧，自制的钢刀，扫视着你。,（八） With plough and spade,and hoe and loom, 你们用犁、铲，用织机、铁锄， Trace your grave,and build your tomb, 寻找和打造自己的坟墓，And weave your winding-s
12、heet,till fair 编织出自己的裹尸寿衣， England be your sepulchre. 直至美丽的英伦成墓地。,Stanza seven and eight is written in a sarcastic tone, degrading the workers with words such as “shrink” and “trace your grave”. The poet is doing this on purpose to get the workers feel low angry, making them want to stop working for
13、 their lords.,Structure,Stanzas1-4:Question: Why work for tyrants who exploit you? Stanza5:Statements: The work you do and things you make benefit only others. Stanzas6-8：Imperatives（orders） Work，but for yourself. Fight back or shrivel and make your own graves.,Shelley uses a lot of metaphors in thi
14、s poem to express the seriousity of the matter. “The lords are referred to as “tyrants” and “ungrateful drones”. This tells us that they treat the workers unfairly and take advantage of their position, doing nothing themselves. He says to the workers they “Drain your sweat - nay , drink your blood”.
15、 He is taking it to extremes, and making the higher society sound like savages.,VIEWPOINT 1.System is unjust and England is tained by the injustice. 2.Workers are dehumanized as masters suck their lifeblood. 3.Workers should rebel and work only for themselves. TONE Mounting anger as poem progress. Bitterness,Rage,Contempt,Frustration,
