大部份的批評家都同意時間在艾略特的《四首四童奏》中是個重覆出現的主題。在每首四重奏中都有詩篇處理時間的主題。然而，雖然時間在《四首四重奏》中是個重要的主題，卻鮮少有批評家願意下功夫有系統地研究此一主題。因比，我認為在《四首四重奏》中，時間此一主題仍有許多批判的空間。而這就是我決定要有系統地研究《四首四重奏》中時間主題的原因。 時間在《四首四重奏》中展現許多不同的面貌。如同每首四重奏所顯現的，時間可以是哲理的、神祕的、以及先驗的。因比要將時間的概念簡化為單一的意念是困難的。然而，雖然要定義時間是困難的，我仍將在論文中探討《四首四重奏》中所呈現的時間之不同面相以及追溯時間朝向永恆時刻發展的形態。在本論文，我採取全方位的觀點，俾使我能夠探索時間的多重面貌。最重要的是，我能夠證明永恆的時刻為時間的中心概念。而此一中心概念就是時間形態的基礎所在。 除了導論和結論外，我將論文分為四章，依照四首四重奏的的順序。每首四重奏都體現了一種獨特的永恆時間觀。 「焚毀諾頓」將討論玫瑰花園中深刻的時刻以及模稜兩可的時間中心。 「東科村」將探討不斷循環的時間形態。 「海難岩」將著重在時間和永恆的交叉點。 「小吉丁」將重心放在當下以及由火和玫瑰結合所帶來的永恆時刻。最後的總結是永恆的時刻是艾略特於《四首四重奏》所追求時間形態最終的目標。 / Most critics would agree that time is a recurrent theme in Four Quartets. In each quartet, we have passages which deal with the theme of time. However, in spite of the significance of time as a major theme in Four Quartets. there are none the less few critics who take pains to study the theme of time systematically. Therefore, it still leaves, I think, much room for critical re-evaluation of the importance of time as a theme in Four Quartets. And this is the reason why I decide to do research on the concept of time in Four Quartets both thematically and systematically. Times assumes multifarious guises in Four Quartets. It may be philosophical, mystical, or even transcendental, as each quartet will demonstrate. Thus, it is difficult to simplify the concept of time as a single idea. However, despite the difficulty of defining time in specific terms, I neverthless intend, in my thesis, not only to explore the various aspects of time exemplified in Four Quartets but also to trace the pattern of time as a kind of development leading toward timeless moments. The methodology I adopt in this thesis is an all-embracing perspective which is both larhe and broad enough for me to probe into the different aspects of time and, most important of all, to seek a central, unifying concept of time-the timeless moment-on which the pattern of time is based. Besides, I intend to divide the body of my thesis into four chapters, following the sequence of the four quartets. Each quartet embodies a unique version of timeless moments. “Burnt Norton”will focus on the intensified moment in the rose-garden and the ambivalent center of time-the still point. “East Coker”will focus on the pattern of time as succession of the begining and the end. “The Dry Salvages”will focus on the point of intersection of the timeless with time. “Little Gidding”will focus on the immediate present and the timeless moment which culminates in the union of the fire and the rose. And finally I will conclude with the proposition that the timeless moment is the ultimate goal Eliot would like to achieve in pursuing the pattern of time in Four Quartets.

國立政治大學英國語文學系碩士班 碩士論文摘要 論文名稱： 詩中音樂: 艾略特《四首四重奏》中的音樂形式 指導教授： 楊麗敏 研究生：蔡文傑 論文提要內容： 許多批評家曾試著從各種角度解釋《四首四重奏》這個標題。 因為正如艾略特所宣示的，《四重奏》這個字(詞)是了解這部作品的正確途徑。 本文則試著從音樂的角度切入這部作品。 因為貝多芬的音樂在艾略特一生佔有舉足輕重的影響。艾略特也曾在多處提及深受貝多芬的A小調弦樂四重奏感動。另一方面，詩與音樂更是艾略特長久一來的關注重點。他相信，詩與音樂能達到某種程度的交流與可能性。正如他在《詩的音樂》一文中所宣示的。他認為詩與音樂的可能性主要包括在三方面。分別為韻律與結構，主題的重複，以及主題材料的對位式安排。因此，本文主要從音樂性的結構（音樂曲式），主題的發展、佈局來分析這部作品。 在結構方面正如艾略特所透露的，《四首四重奏》與貝多芬的弦樂四重奏在架構上有相似之處。在本文的分析裡，發現每一首四重奏的五個樂章分別是奏鳴曲式、二部曲式、三部曲式、進行曲式和迴旋曲式。主題方面，每首《四重奏》如貝多芬的弦樂四重奏一樣主要處理了對立主題的不斷發展、變化到解決。另外，如貝多芬的晚期四重奏裡的複音特性，《四首四重奏》裡也展現了多主題的同時進行。本文將分為四個章節討論，針對這三個層面分析。由主題的發展著手，找出主題之間的互動以及音樂性的架構。 TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgement…………………………………………………………………iii Chinese Abstract……………………………………………………………………v English Abstract……………………………………………………………………vi Introduction…………………………………………………………………………1 Chapter 1. "Burnt Norton"- The Still Point and the Turning World………………...19 2. "East Coker"- The Beginning and the End……………………………...34 3. "The Dry Salvages"- Time and the Timeless……………………………52 4. "Little Gidding"-Now and England…………….……………………….70 Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………87 Selected Bibliography……………………………………….……………………..93 Chinese Reference…………………………………………..……………………100 / English Abstract Critics try to decipher the title Four Quartets from different criteria because the word 'quartet' is the right tack for understanding the work. This thesis tries to examine Four Quartets from a musical criterion since Beethoven's music plays an important role in T. S. Eliot's life. Besides, T. S. Eliot mentions that he is deeply touched by Beethoven's string quartet in A minor. Most important of all, music remains T. S. Eliot's main concern throughout his life. He believes that to some extent there are possibilities of transformation between music and poetry as he declares in his "The Music of Poetry." He thinks that the possibilities exist in three ways. They are the sense of rhythm and structure, the recurrent use of themes and the contrapuntal arrangement of subject matter. Therefore, this thesis applies musical structures to analyze the development of themes in Four Quartets. Structurally, Four Quartets and Beethoven's string quartet have similar structures or forms. In this thesis, it is found that the five movements of each quartet are in sonata form, (rounded) binary form, ternary form, march, and rondo form. Thematically, like Beethoven's string quartet, each quartet of Four Quartets mainly deals with the constant development, variation and reconciliation of contrasting themes. Besides, the characteristics of polyphony in Beethoven's late string quartets may be found in the juxtaposition of multiple themes in Four Quartets. This thesis is divided into four chapters. In each chapter, each quartet is analyzed from these three aspects. The thesis focuses on the development of themes in order to find out the interaction of themes and the musical structures in Four Quartets.