Oscar Wilde - The Nightingale and the Rose
夜莺与玫瑰论文
王尔德童话《夜莺与玫瑰》中的唯美主义Aestheticism in Oscar Wilde’s FairyTale The Nightingale and the Rose摘要本文从形式和内容入手，探讨了王尔德《夜莺与玫瑰》童话中的唯美主义体现，从而揭示了王尔德“为艺术而艺术”，“艺术高于一切”的唯美主义价值观。
在形式上，分别从修辞、意象入手，分析了童话在文字层面上精巧华丽的美以及作者构造奇幻图画的写作技巧。
在内容上，从更深层次的讽刺、象征、人物刻画、死亡与悲剧之美以及二元对立等方面分析，表现了作者强烈的情感，对爱与艺术美的追求，对善的颂扬以及对恶的摈弃，并从中反映了艺术与当时社会现实生活的关系。
关键字：唯美主义，修辞，意象，对立ABSTRACTFrom the aspects of form and content, this thesis will analyze the embodiment of Aestheticism in Oscar Wilde‘s The Nightingale and the Rose, in order to manifest his aesthetic values of ―Art for art‘s sake‖ and ―Art is superior‖. From the aspect of form, the paper argues from rhetoric and image to analyze the writing methods to construct fantastic images and magnificent beauty on the literal level. From the aspect of content, the thesis analyzes from irony, symbol, depiction of characters, beauty of anticlimax and binary antithesis of two specific elements, expressing the authors‘intense emotion, pursuit towards art and beauty, glorification of goodness, and critique towards vice.Keywords: Aestheticism, rhetoric, image, antithesisContents1 Introduction (1)2 Previous Studies (4)3 Embodiment of Aestheticism in form (5)3.1. Beauty of rhetoric (5)3.1.1 Use of repetition (5)3.1.2 Use of antithesis (5)3.1.3 Use of synaesthesia (6)3.1.4 Use of personification (6)3.2 Beauty of image (7)3.2.1 The combination of movement and stillness (7)3.2.2 Converting between concrete and abstract images (8)4 Embod iment o f Aestheticism in co ntent (10)4.1 Beauty of rhetoric (10)4.1.1 Use of sarcasm (10)4.1.2 Use of symbol (11)4.2 Beauty of imagery (12)4.2.1 The nightingale (12)4.2.2 The student (14)4.2.3 Beauty of anticlimax (death and tragedy) (16)4.2.4 Binary antithesis of two specific elements (17)4.2.4.1 The binary antithesis of poem and reality (17)4.2.4.2 The binary antithesis of deep and shallow emotion 185 Conclusion (19)Works cited (20)1IntroductionOscar Wilde (1854—1900) is a famous dramatist, novelist and poet in the 19th century‘s England. He has a great deal of accomplishments in nearly every field of literature. His novel The Portrait of Dorian Gray, comedies Lady Windermere’s Fan, A Woman of No Importance as well as The Importance of Being Earnest all created sensation when they were published. With gifts of language, Wilde was once acclaimed by Y eats: ―I never before heard a man talking with perfect sentences, as if he had written them all overnight with labour and yet all spontaneous.‖（吴伟仁，2006）In the 19th century in England, industry developed rapidly. Following the development of industry, the principle of materialism infiltrated into every status of the society. Wilde thought that in the age he lives ―to be practical is everything‖, in his words: ―Present people‘s life has been entirely affected by business.‖As English female writer V erginia Woolf wrote in her later observation: ―Behavior of human-beings have been changed tremendously.‖（章安祺，2003)In intellectual sphere, people generally feel the shortage of culture and loss of beauty. Thus aesthetic movements developed in the universities and intellectual circles in the last decades of the 19th century. It reflected artists‘ sense of frustration and uncertainty against materialism and restrictive moral code of bourgeoisie. Because of this, artists withdrew from political and social stage, and escaped into aesthetic isolation. Wilde is the main representation of the aesthetic movement. His aesthetic opinion can be summarized as ―Art is superior.‖In detail, Wilde‘s aestheticism can be related in several aspects below: He advocates the pure artistic theory. ―Art for art‘s sake‖–Art has independent life, which is far away from the real world, not related to ethics. All excellent works of art pursue pure art effect. So, ―the only beautiful thing is that irrelevant to us.‖―Artists should neither have any purposes of utilitarianism, nor be restrained by ethics.‖He emphasizes ―the admiration of form‖ He considers that art has one highest principle, the principle of form. As he once said: ―You needn‘t have superb rationalimagination, deep satire towards life, even excited emotion.‖―Form is all you need.‖About the relationship between life and art he thought, ―Life imitates art much more than art imitates life.‖ Art is always ahead of life. It‘s not art reflecting the reality but the reality reflecting art. The real society is ugly and vulgar. Only ―beauty‖has perpetual value. ―Art is superior to life. Life is dull and disorderly. But art can satisfy our emotion need of love and resent, joy and pain.‖He believes art superior to all other things. ―In order to pursue entertainment and beauty, one can disregard and sacrifice anything.‖―Art is life itself. It is ignorant of death, which is absolute truth, ignorant of facts.‖ (Ellmann, 1988) Here art has its broaden meaning, which includes beauty entertainment and joy. Here beauty is some kind of free beauty which is sublime epicurean and irrelevant to utilitarianism; joy is not purely sensory enjoyment, but coming from life, creation and love.The fairy tale The Nightingale and the Rose is chosen from his The Happy Prince and Other Tales,1888. His another book about fairy tale is A House of Pomegranates. They are regarded as works of superior quality among the world‘s creation of fairy tales. The famous Chinese writer ZhouZuoren said that: ―The two books are purely poems…In my opinion their feature is the plentiful words and wit of spirit.‖(王开林，2002)These fairy tales extol love beauty art and kind heart, satirize selfish and cruel behavior and show sympathy to the insulted weak. ―The different elements of narration provide social satire, comedy of manners, moral allegory and a commentary on aestheticism for the cognoscenti.‖ (Varty, 2005) In The Nightingale and the Rose, the theme is also around above topics. A student wept sadly, for the reason that the girl he loved promised to dance with him if he got a red rose. But he can‘t find one in his garden. A nightingale saw and was moved by the student. Regarding him as a true lover, she decided to find a red rose for him. Disregarding some insects‘ query and sneer, she flied over the garden, from white rose-tree to yellow rose-tree, and then finally found a red rose-tree. The tree answered it wouldn‘t have any rose that year, but if she wanted a red rose she must sing all night long with her breast against a thorn. The thorn must pierce her heart and her life-blood must flow into tree. Death is a great price to pay for a red rose.But the nightingale believed love is more precious than life. Thus she did what the red rose-tree told her to do. She died and a rose as red as ruby was produced. The student discovered the red rose in his garden. He was so excited for he had never seen any rose like it. However, when he hopefully brought the rose to the girl, she refused, because she wanted to dance with the Chamberlain‘s nephew who had sent her some real jewels. Angrily the Student threw the rose and a cart-wheel went over it. He thought love silly and went back to read books again.This fairy tale praised the nightingale kind-hearted, selfless, and persevering in the pursuit of love. It also criticized the girl ungrateful superficial. Rodney Shewan claimed this fairy tale to be ―the most concise social critique‖. (Shewan, 1977) Through the whole story, Wilde‘s views of Aestheticism are manifested themselves. In the following paragraphs, I will analyze them from the aspects of form and implied meaning, to reveal how Wilde‘s Aestheticism is embodied in this fairy tale by more specific and detailed analysis on the aspects of rhetoric and imagery. Thus we can have deeper understanding of the writer, his Aestheticism and his works.2 Previous StudiesPredecessors have ever since researched this fairy tale and have already made profound achievements in some aspects.They analyzed and eulogized various kinds of beauty, from superficial level of diction and sentences to deep level of theme and emotion. They wanted to probe the inner spirit of the fairy tale, Wilde‘s individual temperament and style, and connect them to the aesthetic purpose of Wilde‘s creation and the whole social background. Wilde once wrote to a friend that the tales were ―meant partly for children, and partly for those who have kept the childlike faculties of wonder and joy, and who find in simplicity a subtle strangeness.‖(Beckon, 1970) which I think may be his main purpose to write these fairy tales. He wanted to bring people simple joy and made them ponder in the seeming simplicity.Otherwise, they also probe the usage of various writing methods, such as peculiar imagination, humorous irony combined with philosophy, and the changing of characters and readers‘emotion. Wilde‘s friend Alexander Galt Ross (1860—1927) wrote: ―One of the chief functions of the true fairy story is to excite sympathy.‖ (Beckon, 1970)Wilde is the representative of aestheticism and decadent literature. Some people criticized his aesthetic works to be decadent; while others thought him to be writer of real art and beauty. In his works, we realized the antithesis of dream and reality. He took art beauty and love as his ideal, having the sense of justice. On the other hand, he was extremely individualistic.Since a long time ago, Wilde‘s theory of ―Art for art‘s sake‖has been considered disadvantage outweighing advantage, because he overstressed literary beauty, letting the relationship between art and life upside down. Especially in the domestic art sphere, where artists paid more attention to life, their social responsibility was stressed. Aestheticism was condemned having messed people‘s course of recognizing things and induced writers into the concept of ―Form is everything.‖3 Embodiment of Aestheticism in form3.1 Beauty of rhetoricWilde is best adept at visual refined language abounding in color and sound. Rhetoric is one aspect of the beautiful language. Repetition, contrast, metaphor, personification and synaesthesia are often used in this fairy tale. The seemingly simple rhetoric has polished the fairy tale a lot.3.1.1 Use of repetitionThe rhetorical effect of sentence repetition varies with individual cases, but most writers use it to add force and emphasis to their statement.（冯翠华，1995）―Give me a red rose,‖ she cried, ―and I will sing you my sweetest song.‖（奥斯卡·王尔德，1996）This sentence appears three times in the fairy tale. It indicates the nightingale‘s eager mood to find the red rose. It was a long process. She failed to find a red one the first and second time, but didn‘t give up. She insisted on her seeking and at last achieved her expect. From the repetition we can see the hardship in finding a red rose. Facing continuous failure, the nightingale maintained a resolute and positive attitude. The repetition transfers to us a shock and more intense emotion.3.1.2 Use of antithesis(contrast)Antithesis is the deliberate arrangement of contrasting words or ideas in balanced structural forms to achieve force and emphasis. The form of the expression is very important for effect, for the force of the emphasis, whether for profundity of judgement, for humor or for satire, depends chiefly on the juxtaposition of direct opposition, of glaring contrasts.（冯翠华，1995）Wilde has used several contrast to manifest a kind of beauty that exist between two opposite things or two opposite aspects in one thing. For example, the death of the nightingale and the blossom of the red rose forms striking contrast. The exhaustion of nightingale leads to the blossom of the rose. Nightingale‘s crimsonblood dyes the rose red. As nightingale pressed closer to the thorn, ―Bitter, bitter was the pain, and wilder and wilder grew her song‖ (奥斯卡·王尔德，1996) The marvelous rose grew from white to pink then to crimson. It was the nightingale who let her life-blood and energy ebbed away from her and transferred to the red rose. The red rose was the fruit of nightingale‘s death, also the bitter price of the nightingale‘s pursuit of love.3.1.3 Use of synaesthesia―the mixing of sensations; the concurrent appeal to more than one sense; the response through several senses to the stimulation of one‖（文军，1991）Wilde is good at describing a scene with various blended senses, and makes the readers as if be present at the scene.Take examples, ―It is pleasant to sit in the green wood, and to watch the Sun in his chariot of gold…Sweet is the scent of the hawthorn.‖ Here from visual sense and sense of smell Wilde described the pleasure and bright of life. The brilliant Sun with chariot of gold and the crystal Moon with chariot of pearl enhance each other‘s beauty in the sky, forming a splendid spectacle. While fragrance of flowers floats far and near, making people refreshed in mind and heart.―…blossomed a marvelous rose, petal following petal, as song followed song.‖―Bitter, bitter was the pain, and wilder and wilder grew her song.‖ (奥斯卡·王尔德，1996) From visual sense, sense of hearing and sense of pain, the heroic scene of nightingale‘s sacrifice reappears before readers.3.1.4 Use of personification―attributes human qualities and abilities to inanimate objects, animals, abstractions, and events.‖(Bander, 1978)Unlike in other stories, personification is widely used in this fairy tale which becomes an outstanding feature of it. Every animal and plant has been personified, from big sun and moon in the sky to little insects on the ground. Their language is lively and vivid. Each character has distinctive personality which makes the story touching. For example, the offish attitude of the Green Lizard the Butterfly and the Daisy reflects the general attitudeof the English in those years.3.2 Beauty of imageBeautiful language is an outstanding feature of this fairy tale which produces many exquisite images that constantly emerge in the fairy tale. ―An image is a literal and concrete representation of a sensory experience or of an object that can be known by one or more of the senses. It is the means by which experience in its richness and emotional complexity is communicated.‖(Holman & Harmon, 1986) Light and shadow, color and smell, sound and shape, quality and movement, the multitudinous image interweave with one another, constructing poetic imagery. And in these images, we can find out some special writing methods.3.2.1 The combination of movement and stillness―but passion has made his face like pale ivory, and sorrow has set her seal upon his brow.‖(奥斯卡·王尔德，1996) Sorrow is originally a kind of static state which presents itself on people‘s face. But here it comes into a movement. It climbs up on the boy‘s face. That is more vivid than just stating the fact.―And a delicate flush of pink came into the leaves of the rose‖ (ibid) Here we can feel the process how the color of the rose changes. It changes little by little from delicate to dark.―Echo bore it to her purple cavern in the hills, and woke the sleeping shepherds from their dreams. It floated through the reeds of the river, and they carried its message to the sea.‖ (ibid) Here the author describes the nightingale‘s last song with movement. Like a deliver, it fluctuates and spreads far away, and brings message and blessing to all creatures.3.2.2Converting between concrete and abstract imagesIn this fairy tale, when describing abstract things, the author likes to use some concrete images to deepen their value and impression in readers‘hearts. Otherwise, when describing concrete things, the author sometimes use abstract images to create a romantic and hazy atmosphere.For example, when describing color, the author uses concrete images a lot. They can avoid the monotony of using simple color words. White is drawn as ―pale ivory‖, ―the foam of the sea‖, ―the snow upon the mountain‖, ―pale as the mist that hangs over the river‖, ―pale as the feet of the morning, and silver as the wings of the dawn.‖Y ellow is drawn as ―the hair of the mermaiden who sits upon an amber throne‖, ―the daffodil that blooms in the meadow before the mower comes with his scythe‖ And red is drawn as ―the feet of the dove‖, ―the great fans of coral that wave and wave in the ocean-cavern‖, ―crimson like the rose of the eastern sky‖, ―crimson was the girdle of petals, and crimson as a ruby was the heart.‖ (奥斯卡·王尔德，1996) When describing the value of love, the author wrote like this: ―It is more precious than emeralds, and dearer than fine opals. Pearls and pomegranates cannot buy it, nor is it set forth in the marketplace. It may not be purchased of the merchants, nor can it be weighed out in the balance for gold.‖(ibid) After comparing with concrete precious jewelry, this sentence indicates that love is priceless. It can‘t be substituted by money or material in reality.The nightingale‘s voice is described like ―water bubbling from a silver jar‖(ibid). From the concrete simile, we can feel the sweet of the voice as if we have heard the bump of water in dear silver container.When referring to the image of a true lover, the author wrote like this: ―Flame- coloured are his wings, and coloured like flame is his body. His lips are sweet as honey, and his breath is like frankincense.‖ (ibid) The image of a lover is originally hard to definite, but here the author describes it with concrete elements. Being emphasized on body lips and breath, the lover mingles with flame honey and frankincense, like an angle with wings. With the image, readers can image keen and beautiful passion in love.Moreover, Wilde also used some abstract images to describe concrete things. For instance, ―As the shadow of a rose in a water-pool, so was the rose that blossomed on the topmost spray of the Tree.‖―She swept over the garden like a shadow, and like a shadow she sailed through the grove.‖ (ibid) In these two places, description of a rose turns to its shadow in a water-pool, and description of the flyingnightingale also turns to its abstract shadow. The rose becomes hazy and romantic while the nightingale‘s quick movement and slender figure is revealed thoroughly, as if both of them are living in two artful pictures.4Embodiment of Aestheticism in content Through the contrast of beauty in visual world and frightfulness in real world, Wilde has used beautiful images to embody abstract beauty in his aesthetic opinion. His purpose is definite, that he wanted art not be constrained by materialism and restrictive moral code in the society. He wanted to create a world of art, which should be imitated by the real life. He tried to rectify evils in the world with beautiful art, providing an ideal mode for people‘s life.4.1 Beauty of rhetoric4.1.1 Use of sarcasmThere is much sarcasm used in this fairy tale, from which ingeniously mirrors Wilde‘s hatred towards the money worship and gang of philistine in the English society at that time. He wants to use the ―beauty‖ of art to resist the ―ugly‖ in vulgar reality.For example, ―Why is he weeping?‖asked a little Green Lizard, as he ran past him (the student) with his tail in the air. ―Why, indeed?‖ said a Butterfly, who was fluttering about after a sunbeam. ―Why, indeed?‖ whispered a Daisy to his neighbour, in a soft, low voice. ―He is weeping for a red rose,‖said the Nightingale. ―For a red rose?‖they cried, ―how very ridiculous!‖and the little Lizard, who was something of a cynic, laughed outright. (奥斯卡·王尔德，1996)Above is the conversation between the nightingale and other animals and plants. The Lizard represents some arrogant person. They have no sympathy towards others. Like cynics, they often laugh at others‘misfortune or disadvantage, building their happiness upon others‘ sadness. The butterfly represents one kind of people who like flattering. They don‘t judge things themselves but depend on others. The Daisy represents some coward people who have concern towards others but dare not show this concern directly.Towards the three types of people Wilde showed his sarcasm. These people are the miniature of partial people existed in the society in that era, who were foolishvulgar indifferent and snobbish. When principle of materialism infiltrated into the society, they didn‘t comprehend love and art, but doubted and criticized Wilde‘s aestheticism.The other sarcasm exists in the conversation between the student and the daughter of the Professor at the end of the story. But the girl frowned. ―I am afraid it will not go with my dress,‖she ……went into the house. (ibid) Facing the red rose which was gotten after great hardships, the girl went back on her words. Her attitude was so indifferent and merciless. She‘s a person full of vanity. What she pursuits is money and status. So she looked down upon the student and received the invitation of the Chamberlain‘s nephew who had sent her some real jewels. She‘s the representation of utilitarian people who were the targets Wilde hold displeasure and complaints in that society.4.1.2Use of symbolIn literature, a symbol is a thing that refers or suggests more than its literal meaning. Often symbols we meet in fiction are inanimate objects. In a broad literary sense, a symbol is such a trope that combines a literal and sensuous quality with an abstract or suggestive aspect.（钱坤强 & 袁宪军，2004）Some seemingly simple things or scenes may transfer Wilde‘s profound implication.Such as, ―But the winter has chilled my veins, and the frost has nipped my buds, and the storm has broken my branches, and I shall have no roses at all this year.‖ (奥斯卡·王尔德，1996) Here we can see, the tree of red rose has been broken by the winter, the frost and the storm. The sentence also implies cruelty of reality. It‘s like a person who has encountered adversity and numerous setbacks, depressed and feeble. This is the impediment ahead of the nightingale on her way to get the red rose. It also implies that Wilde‘s way to pursue art is not smooth. There exists much impediment, such as not understanding and critique of the sphere of intellectuals then.However, Wilde decided to insist on his proposition, even if he would sacrifice what he owned. We can see it in the fairy tale from the nightingale‘s attitude. ―Thereis a way,‖ answered the Tree; ―but it is so terrible that I dare not tell it to you.‖―Tell it to me,‖said the Nightingale, ―I am not afraid.‖(ibid) These sentences imply Wilde‘s determination. The solution is hard, while the future is rough. But in order to achieve her target, bravely and firmly, the nightingale is ready to cope with her challenge.At last the nightingale succeeded. The song she sang when she pressed her breast against the thorn symbolizes the process of passion between a couple, from ―birth of love in the heart of a boy and a girl‖ to ―the birth of passion in the soul of a man and a maid‖ to ―flush in the face of the bridegroom when he kisses the lips of the bride‖to ―the Love that is perfected by Death, the Love that dies not in the tomb‖. (ibid) The passion experiences the process from naive to mature, from mild to beautiful and ardent.―Press closer, little Nightingale,‖ cried the Tree, ―or the Day will come before the rose is finished.‖ (ibid) It symbolizes the dark before the dawn. That time may be the most crucial moment, when the leading role will often go through the most difficult trial. And the nightingale was also experiencing her most painful moment before the rose was finished.From the beginning to the end, we can feel a kind of persistent and dauntless spirit of the nightingale, which symbolizes Wilde‘s attitude towards art. That is, regardless of hardship and impediment, be brave enough to pursue.4.2Beauty of imagerySeveral characters have appeared in the fairy tale, the nightingale the student the girl and other animals and plants which are all personified. Each of them symbolized one kind of crowd in the society at that time. From them, we can find some of Wilde‘s aesthetic opinion.4.2.1 The nightingaleThe nightingale is the protagonist of this story. Even though she is feeble in figure and energy, with extreme courage, she has done great thing for strangers that in this aspect she even overpasses those wise and strong people. We can take thenightingale as the symbol of Wilde, for they share similarity in some aspects. Wilde always eulogizes love as the eternal theme in his fairy tale. Love is also the nightingale‘s pursuit all through her life.She‘s a typical idealist. In her mind, love is the most valuable thing in the world. ―Surely Love is a wonderful thing. It is more precious than…nor can it be weighed out in the balance for gold.‖ (奥斯卡·王尔德，1996) She even sacrifices her precious life for seeking of sincere love. Love is powerful supreme and holy. It can neither be influenced by social conventions nor by fame and money in reality. ―Love is wiser than Philosophy, though she is wise, and mightier than Power, though he is mighty.‖(ibid) All these are the reflection of Wilde‘s Aestheticism, for Wilde once said ―In order to pursuit comforts and beauty, one can disregard and sacrifice everything.‖Love here is what he said comforts and beauty. However, in the era when Wilde was living ―practice is every thing‖, what people pursued was money power and status. Selfless love was not welcomed in the reality. So she was destined to have a tragic finale.She‘s warm-hearted and always ready to help others. All of these originate from her universal love to the world. She has ardent love for life, ―Life is very dear to all. It is pleasant to sit in the green wood, and to watch the Sun in his chariot of gold, and the Moon in her chariot of pearl. Sweet is the scent of the hawthorn, and sweet are the bluebells that hide in the valley, and the heather that blows on the hill.‖ (ibid) Life is happy and bright in her mind. She has ardent love for others and sympathy to the student. Though she knew the student not, she was willing to sing of him and tell his story to the stars night after night, and selflessly devoted her life in helping the student to find a red rose. Finally even though her flesh and blood exterminated, the spirit of love she having expressed was imperishable.In fact what she has done and said reflected the inner hope of herself. She wants to fulfill her own wish. For in her values, love is of the first importance. It‘s pure and lofty. It‘s the objective of her living. By helping others to obtain love, herself can also obtain inner-heart‘s satisfaction. ―she sat silent in the oak-tree, and thought about the mystery of Love.‖―Love is better than life.‖―All that I ask of you in returnis that you will be a true lover.‖ (ibid)She longed for and pursued love, regardless of some opposite features in her surrounding. In fact she just lives in the beautiful dream she made for herself. Even though the student didn‘t comprehend her intention; other animals and plants failed to understand or even sneered at the nightingale as an idealist, she never changed her mind. ―In an age of turmoil, in the horrible moment of disputes and despair, only the palace of beauty makes us forget and merry. Where shall we go if we don‘t go there?‖（王尔德，1988）Above reflected Wilde‘s aesthetic philosophy. Love symbolizes comforts and beauty, in other words, art. Her opinion that love is superior to all other things in the nightingale‘s values actually means that art is superior to all other things. It breaks away from the real life to a certain degree. For in reality, not everyone agrees with the values. Many people take material and money as their pursuit, like the daughter of the Professor. The student thought love stupid at the end of the fairy tale. Even more people can‘t comprehend it. So actually the opinion of ―Love is superior to other things‖ (ibid) just lives in the nightingale‘s mind which is her beautiful dream. ―Art has its independent life.‖―It‘s irrelevant to reality, ……‖ (ibid)4.2.2The studentHe is also a performer of Aestheticism. But at the same time he is ignorant and stubborn. He has no difference with other animals and plants. So his pursuit towards Aestheticism is destined to fail.He‘s also an idealist, because he is still dreaming of love and tortured by it. ―But with me she will not dance, for I have no red rose to give her.‖ (奥斯卡·王尔德，1996); and he flung himself down on the grass, and buried his face in his hands, and wept. He was indeed an infatuated young man.Another aspect of the student as a performer of Aestheticism is his complete dependence on books. Even when encountering problem, he expected to find solution from books. ―I have read all that the wise men have written, and all the secrets of philosophy are mine, yet for want of a red rose is my life made wretched.‖。
《夜莺与玫瑰》中的玫瑰意象
《夜莺与玫瑰》中的玫瑰意象作者：胡浥辰来源：《价值工程》2017年第02期摘要：《夜莺和玫瑰》是奥斯卡·王尔德的短篇童话故事中最出名的作品之一。
在这篇作品中红玫瑰有着丰富的象征含义，发挥了画龙点睛的作用。
本文从关于红玫瑰的古代神话、红色的象征意义、玫瑰的象征意义、玫瑰的宗教内涵以及维多利亚时代的社会背景多方面阐述其象征意义。
浅层次分析，它是爱与纯洁的象征；深层次分析，夜莺代表着基督教文化中自我牺牲的精神及王尔德的唯美主义思想。
Abstract： The Nightingale and the Rose is one of the most famous stories in Oscar Wilde's fairy tales. In this work， the red rose， which plays a significant role， has diverse symbolic meanings. The symbolic meanings of the red rose are elaborated in diverse aspects： ancient mythology，symbolic meanings of the color red， symbolic meanings of roses， religion， literature， culture，personal experiences of Wilde， and the social background in Victoria era. Superficially analyzed，it embodies the love and purity. While deeply analyzed， it represents self-sacrifice spirit in Christian culture as well as Wilde's Aestheticism.关键词：奥斯卡·王尔德；《夜莺和玫瑰》；玫瑰；爱；唯美主义Key words： Oscar Wilde；The Nightingale and the Rose；rose；love；Aestheticism中图分类号：I02 文献标识码：A 文章编号：1006-4311（2017）02-0205-030 引言《夜莺与玫瑰》是奥斯卡·王尔德所著，使他在文学界占有一席之地的一篇童话。
Unit5The-Nightingale-and-the-Rose原文及翻译
Unit5The-Nightingale-and-the-Rose原文及翻译The Nightingale and the RoseOscar Wilde "She said that she would dance with me if I brought her red roses,"cried the young Student; "but in all my garden there is no red rose."From her nest in the oak tree the Nightingale heard him, and she looked out through the leaves, and wondered."No red rose in all my garden!" he cried, and his beautiful eyes filled with tears. "Ah, on what little things does happiness depend! I have read all that the wise men have written, and all the secrets of philosophy are mine, yet for want of a red rose is my life made wretched.""Here at last is a true lover," said the Nightingale. "Night after night have I sung of him, though I knew him not: night after night have I told his story to the stars, and now I see him. His hair is dark as the hyacinth-blossom, and his lips are red as the rose of his desire; but passion has made his face like pale ivory, and sorrow has set her seal upon his brow.""The Prince gives a ball to-morrow night," murmured the young Student, "and my love will be of the company. If I bring her a red rose she will dance with me till dawn. If I bring her a red rose,I shall hold her in my arms, and she will lean her head upon my shoulder, and her hand will be clasped in mine. But there is no red rose in my garden, so I shall sit lonely, and she will pass me by. She will have no heed of me, and my heart will break.""Here indeed is the true lover," said the Nightingale. "What I sing of, he suffers--what is joy to me, to him is pain. Surely Love is a wonderful thing. It is more precious than emeralds, and dearer than fine opals. Pearls and pomegranates cannot buy it,nor is it set forth in the marketplace. It may not be purchased of the merchants, nor can it be weighed out in the balance for gold."夜莺和玫瑰奥斯卡·王尔德&说，她说如果我给她带来红玫瑰，她会和我一起跳舞，”年轻的学生喊道，“但是在我的花园里没有红玫瑰夜莺从她在橡树的巢里听到了他的声音，她透过树叶向外望去，感到奇怪。
作文梗概《夜莺与玫瑰》
作文梗概《夜莺与玫瑰》英文回答：The Nightingale and the Rose: A Summary.The "Nightingale and the Rose" is a short story by Oscar Wilde, in which a nightingale sings a beautiful song for a Red Rose, in the hope that the Rose will give its flower to a Student it loves. However, the Rose isunwilling to part with its flower, and the Nightingale is forced to sacrifice its own life to create a red rose for the Student.The story is a metaphor for the power of art and the importance of self-sacrifice. The Nightingale's song is a work of art that is created out of pure love, and theRose's unwillingness to part with its flower is a symbol of the egotism that can prevent us from appreciating the beauty of art. The Nightingale's ultimate sacrifice is a testament to the power of art to inspire us to great actsof love and compassion.中文回答：夜莺与玫瑰，梗概。
夜莺与玫瑰读后感英文
夜莺与玫瑰读后感英文The Nightingale and the Rose: A ReflectionThe Nightingale and the Rose is a poignant and thought-provoking short story written by Oscar Wilde. It tells the story of a nightingale who sacrifices her life to help a young student win the love of a beautiful girl. The storyis filled with themes of sacrifice, love, and the harsh realities of the world. After reading this story, Icouldn't help but reflect on the deeper meanings and messages that Wilde conveys through his writing.One of the central themes in The Nightingale and the Rose is the idea of sacrifice. The nightingale, out of love and compassion, gives up her life to create a red rose for the student to present to the girl he loves. This act of selflessness is a powerful reminder of the lengths to which love can drive us. The nightingale's sacrifice also serves as a commentary on the nature of love itself. Love often requires sacrifice, whether it be time, effort, or evenone's own well-being. The story serves as a reminder that true love is not always easy, and sometimes it requires great sacrifices.Another important theme in the story is the idea of unrequited love. The student is infatuated with a girl who demands a red rose as a token of his affection. Despite his best efforts, he is unable to find a red rose, and it is only through the nightingale's sacrifice that he is able to obtain one. This unrequited love serves as a harsh reminder of the fickle nature of romance and the often unattainable expectations placed upon it. The story highlights the pain and frustration that can come from loving someone who does not return those feelings. It also serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of placing too much importance on superficial tokens of affection.The Nightingale and the Rose also delves into the idea of the harsh realities of the world. The story paints a bleak picture of a world where love is fleeting and often unattainable. The nightingale's sacrifice ultimately goes unappreciated, as the girl rejects the red rose in favor ofmaterial wealth. This serves as a commentary on the superficial nature of society and the way in which it can devalue genuine acts of love and sacrifice. It also serves as a reminder that the world is not always a fair or kind place, and that love does not always conquer all.In conclusion, The Nightingale and the Rose is a powerful and moving story that explores themes of sacrifice, unrequited love, and the harsh realities of the world.Oscar Wilde's masterful storytelling and vivid imagerybring these themes to life in a way that is both thought-provoking and emotionally resonant. After reading this story, I found myself reflecting on the nature of love, the sacrifices it requires, and the often harsh realities ofthe world in which it exists. The Nightingale and the Roseis a timeless tale that continues to resonate with readers and provoke deep introspection about the nature of love and sacrifice.。
The Nightingale and the Rose读后感
The True LoveThe Nightingale and the Rose, by Oscar Wilde, tells us a story about the sacrifice of a boy’s true love. However, the ending is sarcastic.Oscar Wilde was an Irish author famous for his sophisticated and witty plays. He wrote many poems, fairy tales and stories, but his creative genius was best displayed through his plays, of which the most famous is The Importance of Being Earnest.The plot of the story is very simple. A young student thought he was madly in love with the professor’s daughter. He felt miserable because he could not find a single red rose to give to his love, and he knew that without the rose, she would not agree to dance with him in the ball to be given by the prince the next day. The Nightingale overhead this and was deeply touched by what she believed was expression of the young man’s true love. So she decide to help the young man, but she was told that the only way to get a real rose in this cold winter was for her to build it out of her music and her heart’s blood. The nightingale of course also valued her life, but she was ready to lay down her own life for the happiness of the young couple. She therefore did what she was told found dead under the rose-tree. Not knowing what it had cost to produce the rose, he plucked it and ran to the professor’s daughter. However, she turned him down because she had already agreed to dance with the Chamberlain’s nephew who had given her precious stores. The student was very angry, so he threw the rose away and returned to his reading.There are some symbolic meanings in this story: Red Rose means true love, which needs constant nourishment of passions of the lovers. Nightingale means a truthful, devoted pursuer of love, who dares to sacrifice his own precious life. Student means not a true lover, ignorant of love, not persistent in pursuing love.The Nightingale is the true lover, if there is one. She, at least, is Romance, and the student and the girl, like most of us, unworthy of Romance. So at least, it seems to me, but I like to fancy that there may be many meanings in the tale.I recommend this story to you, I think you can get something useful and can be moved by it like me.。
The Nightingale and the Rose夜莺与玫瑰
After Oscar‘s downfall, Constance took the surname(给… 姓氏) Holland for herself and the boys . Cyril was killed in France in World War I . Vyvyan also served in the war and later became an author and translator.
In 1895，Marquess of Queensberry found his son Douglas called Bosie was kept company with Wilde for four years ,and charged Wilde .Then he went to the club stuck“ To Oscar Wilde ——Mincing Sodemite (装腔作势的鸡奸客）”.After that Douglas got angry , then he asked Wilde to appellate court. But he failed and even been committing acts of gross indecency with other male persons(与其他男 性发生有伤风化的行为).
He went back to the Ross and lived with him. Although Wilde loved Douglas ,Ross still gave him lots of helps . Soon he died of tubercular meningitis(脑膜炎）in a hotel in Pairs ,46 years old . Only Ross and a another friend were with him .
高中英语选修课：英语文学欣赏-The-Nightingal-and-The-Rose夜莺与玫瑰-教学
In some of his fairy tales like The Devoted Friend, The Happy Prince, The Nightingale and The Rose and The Selfish Giant,
written in a graceful style, he expressed his sympathy with the sufferings of the poor and contempt for the greed and selfishness of the rich.
An Ideal Husband 《理想的丈夫》 1895 The Importance of Being Earnest 《认真的重要性》 Salome 《莎乐美》 (written originally in French and
published in English)
1895
In May 1895, when Wilde rose to the summit of his fame, he was sentenced to two years’ hard labor on a charge of immoral conduct. After release, he went to France, for he was totally disappointed at the society of the Victorian England. And then died suddenly in 1900.
Nightingale --- a truthful, devoted pursuer of love, who dares to sacrifice his own precious life
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The Nightingale and the RoseWilde, Oscar Published:1888Categorie(s):Fiction, Short Stories, JuvenileSource:WikisourceAbout Wilde:Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde(October16,1854–November30, 1900)was an Irish playwright,novelist,poet,and short story writer. Known for his barbed wit,he was one of the most successful playwrights of late Victorian London,and one of the greatest celebrities of his day.As the result of a famous trial,he suffered a dramatic downfall and was im-prisoned for two years of hard labour after being convicted of the offence of"gross indecency".The scholar H.Montgomery Hyde suggests this term implies homosexual acts not amounting to buggery in British legis-lation of the time. Source: WikipediaAlso available on Feedbooks for Wilde:•The Picture of Dorian Gray(1891)•The Importance of Being Earnest(1895)•The Canterville Ghost(1887)• A House of Pomegranates(1892)Note:This book is brought to you by FeedbooksStrictly for personal use, do not use this file for commercial purposes.She said that she would dance with me if I brought her red roses,"cried the young Student; "but in all my garden there is no red rose."From her nest in the holm-oak tree the Nightingale heard him,and she looked out through the leaves, and wondered."No red rose in all my garden!"he cried,and his beautiful eyes filled with tears."Ah,on what little things does happiness depend!I have read all that the wise men have written,and all the secrets of philosophy are mine, yet for want of a red rose is my life made wretched.""Here at last is a true lover,"said the Nightingale."Night after night have I sung of him,though I knew him not:night after night have I told his story to the stars,and now I see him.His hair is dark as the hyacinth-blossom,and his lips are red as the rose of his desire;but passion has made his face like pale ivory,and sorrow has set her seal upon his brow.""The Prince gives a ball tomorrow night,"murmured the young Stu-dent,"and my love will be of the company.If I bring her a red rose she will dance with me till dawn.If I bring her a red rose,I shall hold her in my arms,and she will lean her head upon my shoulder,and her hand will be clasped in mine.But there is no red rose in my garden,so I shall sit lonely,and she will pass me by.She will have no heed of me,and my heart will break.""Here indeed is the true lover,"said the Nightingale."What I sing of, he suffers what is joy to me,to him is pain.Surely Love is a wonderful thing.It is more precious than emeralds,and dearer than fine opals. Pearls and pomegranates cannot buy it,nor is it set forth in the market-place.It may not be purchased of the merchants,nor can it be weighed out in the balance for gold.""The musicians will sit in their gallery,"said the young Student,"and play upon their stringed instruments,and my love will dance to the sound of the harp and the violin.She will dance so lightly that her feet will not touch the floor,and the courtiers in their gay dresses will throng round her.But with me she will not dance,for I have no red rose to give her";and he flung himself down on the grass,and buried his face in his hands, and wept."Why is he weeping?"asked a little Green Lizard,as he ran past him with his tail in the air."Why,indeed?"said a Butterfly,who was fluttering about after a sunbeam."Why,indeed?"whispered a Daisy to his neighbour,in a soft,low voice."He is weeping for a red rose," said the Nightingale."For a red rose?"they cried;"how very ridiculous!"and the little Liz-ard, who was something of a cynic, laughed outright.But the Nightingale understood the secret of the Student's sorrow,and she sat silent in the oak-tree, and thought about the mystery of Love. Suddenly she spread her brown wings for flight,and soared into the air.She passed through the grove like a shadow,and like a shadow she sailed across the garden.In the centre of the grass-plot was standing a beautiful Rose-tree,and when she saw it she flew over to it, and lit upon a spray."Give me a red rose," she cried, "and I will sing you my sweetest song." But the Tree shook its head."My roses are white,"it answered;"as white as the foam of the sea,and whiter than the snow upon the mountain.But go to my brother who grows round the old sun-dial,and perhaps he will give you what you want."So the Nightingale flew over to the Rose-tree that was growing round the old sun-dial."Give me a red rose," she cried, "and I will sing you my sweetest song." But the Tree shook its head."My roses are yellow,"it answered;"as yellow as the hair of the mer-maiden who sits upon an amber throne,and yellower than the daffodil that blooms in the meadow before the mower comes with his scythe.But go to my brother who grows beneath the Student's window,and perhaps he will give you what you want."So the Nightingale flew over to the Rose-tree that was growing be-neath the Student's window."Give me a red rose," she cried, "and I will sing you my sweetest song." But the Tree shook its head."My roses are red,"it answered,"as red as the feet of the dove,and redder than the great fans of coral that wave and wave in the ocean-cav-ern.But the winter has chilled my veins,and the frost has nipped my buds,and the storm has broken my branches,and I shall have no roses at all this year.""One red rose is all I want,"cried the Nightingale,"only one red rose! Is there no way by which I can get it?""There is away,"answered the Tree;"but it is so terrible that I dare not tell it to you.""Tell it to me," said the Nightingale, "I am not afraid.""If you want a red rose,"said the Tree,"you must build it out of music by moonlight,and stain it with your own heart's-blood.You must sing to me with your breast against a thorn.All night long you must sing to me, and the thorn must pierce your heart,and your life-blood must flow into my veins, and become mine.""Death is a great price to pay for a red rose,"cried the Nightingale, "and Life is very dear to all.It is pleasant to sit in the green wood,and to watch the Sun in his chariot of gold,and the Moon in her chariot of pearl.Sweet is the scent of the hawthorn,and sweet are the bluebells that hide in the valley,and the heather that blows on the hill.Yet Love is bet-ter than Life,and what is the heart of a bird compared to the heart of a man?"So she spread her brown wings for flight,and soared into the air.She swept over the garden like a shadow,and like a shadow she sailed through the grove.The young Student was still lying on the grass,where she had left him, and the tears were not yet dry in his beautiful eyes."Be happy,"cried the Nightingale,"be happy;you shall have your red rose.I will build it out of music by moonlight,and stain it with my own heart's-blood.All that I ask of you in return is that you will be a true lov-er,for Love is wiser than Philosophy,though she is wise,and mightier than Power,though he is mighty.Flame-coloured are his wings,and col-oured like flame is his body.His lips are sweet as honey,and his breath is like frankincense."The Student looked up from the grass,and listened,but he could not understand what the Nightingale was saying to him,for he only knew the things that are written down in books.But the Oak-tree understood,and felt sad,for he was very fond of the little Nightingale who had built her nest in his branches."Sing me one last song,"he whispered;"I shall feel very lonely when you are gone."So the Nightingale sang to the Oak-tree,and her voice was like water bubbling from a silver jar.When she had finished her song the Student got up,and pulled a note-book and a lead-pencil out of his pocket."She has form,"he said to himself,as he walked away through the grove"that cannot be denied to her;but has she got feeling?I am afraid not.In fact,she is like most artists;she is all style,without any sincerity. She would not sacrifice herself for others.She thinks merely of music, and everybody knows that the arts are selfish.Still,it must be admittedthat she has some beautiful notes in her voice.What a pity it is that they do not mean anything,or do any practical good."And he went into his room,and lay down on his little pallet-bed,and began to think of his love; and, after a time, he fell asleep.And when the Moon shone in the heavens the Nightingale flew to the Rose-tree,and set her breast against the thorn.All night long she sang with her breast against the thorn,and the cold crystal Moon leaned down and listened.All night long she sang,and the thorn went deeper and deeper into her breast, and her life-blood ebbed away from her.She sang first of the birth of love in the heart of a boy and a girl.And on the top-most spray of the Rose-tree there blossomed a marvellous rose,petal following petal,as song followed song.Pale was it,at first,as the mist that hangs over the river pale as the feet of the morning,and sil-ver as the wings of the dawn.As the shadow of a rose in a mirror of sil-ver,as the shadow of a rose in a water-pool,so was the rose that blos-somed on the topmost spray of the Tree.But the Tree cried to the Nightingale to press closer against the thorn. "Press closer,little Nightingale,"cried the Tree,"or the Day will come be-fore the rose is finished."So the Nightingale pressed closer against the thorn,and louder and louder grew her song,for she sang of the birth of passion in the soul of a man and a maid.And a delicate flush of pink came into the leaves of the rose,like the flush in the face of the bridegroom when he kisses the lips of the bride. But the thorn had not yet reached her heart,so the rose's heart remained white,for only a Nightingale's heart's-blood can crimson the heart of a rose.And the Tree cried to the Nightingale to press closer against the thorn. "Press closer,little Nightingale,"cried the Tree,"or the Day will come be-fore the rose is finished."So the Nightingale pressed closer against the thorn,and the thorn touched her heart,and a fierce pang of pain shot through her.Bitter,bit-ter was the pain,and wilder and wilder grew her song,for she sang of the Love that is perfected by Death, of the Love that dies not in the tomb. And the marvellous rose became crimson,like the rose of the eastern sky.Crimson was the girdle of petals,and crimson as a ruby was the heart.But the Nightingale's voice grew fainter,and her little wings began to beat,and a film came over her eyes.Fainter and fainter grew her song, and she felt something choking her in her throat.Then she gave one last burst of music.The white Moon heard it,and she forgot the dawn,and lingered on in the sky.The red rose heard it, and it trembled all over with ecstasy,and opened its petals to the cold morning air.Echo bore it to her purple cavern in the hills,and woke the sleeping shepherds from their dreams.It floated through the reeds of the river, and they carried its message to the sea."Look,look!"cried the Tree,"the rose is finished now";but the Nightingale made no answer,for she was lying dead in the long grass, with the thorn in her heart.And at noon the Student opened his window and looked out. "Why,what a wonderful piece of luck!"he cried;"here is a red rose!I have never seen any rose like it in all my life.It is so beautiful that I am sure it has a long Latin name"; and he leaned down and plucked it.Then he put on his hat,and ran up to the Professor's house with the rose in his hand.The daughter of the Professor was sitting in the doorway winding blue silk on a reel, and her little dog was lying at her feet."You said that you would dance with me if I brought you a red rose," cried the Student."Here is the reddest rose in all the world.You will wear it tonight next your heart,and as we dance together it will tell you how I love you."But the girl frowned."I am afraid it will not go with my dress,"she answered;"and,besides, the Chamberlain's nephew has sent me some real jewels,and everybody knows that jewels cost far more than flowers.""Well,upon my word,you are very ungrateful,"said the Student an-grily;and he threw the rose into the street,where it fell into the gutter, and a cart-wheel went over it."Ungrateful!"said the girl."I tell you what,you are very rude;and, after all,who are you?Only a Student.Why,I don't believe you have even got silver buckles to your shoes as the Chamberlain's nephew has"; and she got up from her chair and went into the house."What I a silly thing Love is,"said the Student as he walked away."It is not half as useful as Logic,for it does not prove anything,and it is al-ways telling one of things that are not going to happen,and making one believe things that are not true.In fact,it is quite unpractical,and,as in this age to be practical is everything,I shall go back to Philosophy and study Metaphysics."So he returned to his room and pulled out a great dusty book,and began to read.Loved this book ?Similar users also downloadedVirginia WoolfA Haunted HouseVirginia Woolf's intention to publish her short stories is carried out in this volume, posthumously collected by her husband, Leonard Woolf. 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What emerges is a satire of American material-ism, a lampoon of traditional British values, and an amusing twist on the traditional gothic horror tale.Oscar WildeThe Picture of Dorian GrayOscar Wilde's story of a fashionable young man who sells his soul for eternal youth and beauty is one of his most popular works. Written in Wilde's characteristically dazzling manner, full of sting-ing epigrams and shrewd observations, the tale of Dorian Gray's moral disintegration caused something of a scandal when it first appeared in 1890. Wilde was attacked for his decadence and cor-rupting influence, and a few years later the book and the aesthet-ic/moral dilemma it presented became issues in the trials occa-sioned by Wilde's homosexual liaisons, trials that resulted in his imprisonment. Of the book's value as autobiography, Wilde noted in a letter, "Basil Hallward is what I think I am: Lord Henry whatthe world thinks me: Dorian what I would like to be--in other ages, perhaps."Oscar WildeThe Importance of Being EarnestSet in England during the late Victorian era, the play's humour de-rives in part from characters maintaining fictitious identities to es-cape unwelcome social obligations. It is replete with witty dia-logue and satirizes some of the foibles and hypocrisy of late Victorian society. It has proved Wilde's most enduringly popular play.Oscar WildeA House of PomegranatesA House of Pomegranates is a collection of whimisical short stor-ies by Oscar Wilde. This collections includes the following tales: The Young King, The Birthday of the Infanta, The Fisherman and his Soul, and The Star-child. Readers of all ages will be delighted by these fanciful tales.Lewis CarrollAlice's Adventures in WonderlandAlice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865) is a novel written by English author Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, better known under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll. It tells the story of a girl named Alice who falls down a rabbit-hole into a fantasy world populated by peculiar and anthropomorphic creatures.The tale is filled with allusions to Dodgson's friends (and en-emies), and to the lessons that British schoolchildren were expec-ted to memorize. The tale plays with logic in ways that have made the story of lasting popularity with adults as well as children. It is considered to be one of the most characteristic examples of the genre of literary nonsense, and its narrative course and structure has been enormously influential, mainly in the fantasy genre. Lewis CarrollThrough the Looking Glass (And What Alice Found There)Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There (1871) is a work of children's literature by Lewis Carroll (Charles Lutwidge Dodgson), generally categorized as literary nonsense. It is the se-quel to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865). Although it makes no reference to the events in the earlier book, the themes and settings of Through the Looking-Glass make it a kind of mir-ror image of Wonderland: the first book begins outdoors, in thewarm month of May, on Alice's birthday (May 4), uses frequent changes in size as a plot device, and draws on the imagery of play-ing cards; the second opens indoors on a snowy, wintry night ex-actly six months later, on November 4 (the day before Guy Fawkes Night), uses frequent changes in time and spatial directions as a plot device, and draws on the imagery of chess. 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