由於其個人獨特的生命背景與歷程，一般咸認為美國詩人艾蜜莉．狄金森（1830-1886）詩作中，充滿了對自然世界的細膩觀察以及精神世界的嚮往和追求。這樣的看法，固然是將狄金森的詩作，置放於十九世紀英國浪漫主義、美國愛默生的超越主義等文藝思想脈絡之下，以期盼引發及獲得對其詩作更深刻的詮釋與閱讀。然而，事實上，在十九世紀這百年當中，最重大的思想衝擊，莫如英國自然學者查爾斯．達爾文（1809-1882）於一八五九年所出版的《物種源始》（另譯《物種起源》）所帶來的影響為甚。達爾文所提出不假未知力量的物種演化理論，非但已成為今日科學／生物學研究的基石，同時也廣泛影響了十九世紀大西洋兩岸的社會、文化、藝術及科學等各層面的發展與演繹。
本論文擬從十九世紀「科學－宗教」、「物質－精神」之間的拔河與辯論為經，以發掘狄金森與達爾文兩人生命歷史當中的異同及互動為緯，透過閱讀狄金森的文字書寫（包括詩作與書信等）以及達爾文《物種起源》（初版及第二版），探討兩人於「演化」觀念上的交疊與對話。基於上述討論，我以為狄金森的文字書寫，藉由普遍出現於詩作裡、無論是自然領域，抑或觀念領域上的對立主題與意象，誠然為詩人企圖揉合十九世紀科學論述、宗教爭議與個人思想於詩的寫作之中；藉由生動的表現、積極的反省與回應各種衝突與對立的實體和觀念，來展現其迥異於全然唯心或全然唯物的「演化詩學」。
本論文共分為五章。在引論中，首先藉著閱讀現今生物行為學研究，帶入狄金森詩作中的生物與科學主題，企圖將狄金森放置於十九世紀達爾文及其演化觀念的脈絡下。第一章嘗試整理十九世紀「科學－宗教」、「物質－精神」之間的辯論，來檢視狄金森與達爾文兩人生命歷史中常被忽略的相似處與交集。第二章討論狄金森詩作中的科學主題，用以凸顯詩人對當代科學思想的發展所做的積極回應。第三章先討論十九世紀「科學方法與精神」的內涵，將達爾文《物種起源》與狄金森的詩作並置閱讀，從「死亡」、「演化路徑」、「視界的物質性」三個層面來發展鋪陳詩人的「演化詩學」。最後，檢視與思考前述各篇章所帶出的議題，並援引蕭沆（E. M. Cioran）思考文字與科學時代之間的關係、諾里斯（Margot Norris）所指出達爾文作為於今難已復見的「生物中心觀」文學傳統之濫觴，以及尼采「懷疑為人的兩棲本質」，總結提出狄金森「演化詩學」成為一種文學觀的可能。 / From the traditions of English Romanticism, Emersonian Transcendentalism, and the seclusion of the poet, Emily Dickinson’s poetry has generally been read and regarded as lyrical and spiritual. In addition, the most studies of Dickinson’s poetry tend to show the idiosyncrasy and uniqueness of the poet with her observations of Nature, use of language, feminine identity, or the mixture of these three topics. However, scholarly efforts over the years also indicate that for a better and fruitful understanding and appreciation of Emily Dickinson, we have to examine and interpret her life and writings under bigger ideological and cultural contexts of the nineteenth century.
Among the innovations of knowledge and conceptions in the nineteenth century, Darwin’s materialistic theories to explain the evolution of species by means of natural selection, in the eyes of the naturalist’s contemporaries and modern people, are certainly still one of the most scientifically important and ideologically controversial ideas. In this study of Emily Dickinson’s poetry, I would like to argue that as a poet of great intellect, whose poems are filled with scientific contents and observations of the natural world, Emily Dickinson not only is familiar with Darwinian biological arguments but also incorporates evolutionary ideas, not limited to Darwin’s, into her poetic writings. Moreover, as Darwinian theories have triggered the debates between science and religion, the constant reflections on religious faith are also pervasive in Dickinson’s poetry and her correspondence.
Thus, instead of reading Emily Dickinson’s writings straightforwardly under the framework of Darwinism, I would like to put Darwin and Dickinson in parallel—the transatlantic intersections of their lives and their works, The Origin of Species and Emily Dickinson’s poetry. Through examining these nineteenth-century historical and cultural figures and the interactions between different currents of ideologies, we will hopefully be able to see more clearly and uncover how Dickinson renders this well-known biological theory and further develops her own poetic evolution, which surpasses the materialistic and metaphysical boundaries in the physical as well as spiritual worlds.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:CHENGCHI/G0093551001 |
| Creators | 周庭加, Chou,Ting jJa |
| Publisher | 國立政治大學 |
| Source Sets | National Chengchi University Libraries |
| Language | 英文 |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Rights | Copyright © nccu library on behalf of the copyright holders |
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