Poem 465

                                                                                                                                                           

                                                                                                                                Reading by Dr. Edward Vargo

J465

I heard a fly buzz when I died--

 

The stillness in the room

 

Was like the stillness in the air

 

Between the heaves of storm.

 

   
The eyes around had wrung them dry

5 

And breaths were gathering firm

 

For that last onset when the King

 

Be witnessed in the room.

 

   
I willed my keepsakes, signed away  
What portion of me be 10
Assignable -- and then it was  
There interposed a fly.  
   
With blue, uncertain, stumbling buzz,  
Between the light and me.  
And then the windows failed, and then 15
I could not see to see.  


  Annotation

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Word or phrase

Annotation

1-4行   在這一段裡 詩中人描述了本詩的背景 她躺在自己即將死亡的床上 房內的沉靜及一隻蒼蠅的嗡嗡聲 顯示出一種死亡的氣氛
  buzz 嗡嗡聲
  The stillness…room 屋內默然沉靜的狀態
  like the stillness in the air 像在暴風雨來臨之前 天空中的一片寧靜
  the heaves of storm 暴風雨的起伏之狀
5-8行   在這段裡 詩中人將其敘述的對象集中在探望她病情的人們的身上
  The eyes …dry 圍繞在即將去世人的四周的人們  他們把眼睛哭得乾癟 (wrung是wring 的過去式 意為扭乾)
  breath…gathering firm 大家都屏息靜氣以待死亡的來臨
  last onset 在人去世之前 死亡對病人最後的一次的侵襲
  King 國王此處指上帝
  Be witnessed 為…所目賭 指詩中人的去世 為上帝親身所目賭
9-12行   在這段裡 詩中人又講述到她自身及她訂寫遺囑的事 除了她的靈肉之外 一切均可贈與別人
  willed my keepsakes 立遺囑 將我的身外之物 均贈與別人
  keepsakes 紀念物或贈與別人 此處指詩人身外的所有物
  signed away 簽字讓渡
  Assignable 可分讓給與的
  interposed 介於其間
13-16行   在此最後一段裡 詩中人將目標轉移到蒼蠅的身上 她注意到蒼蠅的嗡嗡憂鬱之聲
  With…buzz 帶著沮喪 躊躇 及蹣跚的嗡嗡聲
  Between 此字該接第12行的interposed
意指這隻蒼蠅盤旋在詩中人與屋內燈光之間
  windows failed 詩中人逐漸看不到屋中的屋子了
  could not see to see 第一個see是詩中人的視力第二個see是指詩人的觀看 意指詩中人到最後失去了她觀視的能力