Her joy is wild and wild
She claims to break all waves,
If you bite this hard shell
Your teeth will suffer.
Her power is wild and wild
Wild as singing love -
It is born, but it is the last one. Give me
a happy womb to wrap around it.
This moment is wild and wild
Reject the delicate moment. But
when the fists loosen, when the knots
untie, you will find it.
Locks of hair. Wild and wild
Her smile, dreaming of the tribe
Killing the old chief
That ceremony is really kind.
Her words are wild and wild
Cover the future and put walnuts
between my teeth - what to her, me
They all agreed and were dismembered in her blind fantasy.
(Translated by Zhao Yiheng)
Appreciation
Soyinka’s works seem to be full of intense emotions and horrifying details, even on the surface. The themes are lively and lively, and they are often in a state of being ready to go, as if a force will burst out at any time. "Her Pleasures Are Wild and Wild" falls into this category. Looking at the whole poem, we will feel that the content of this poem does not seem complicated. It depicts a lively, simple, optimistic and strong young girl with wild charm in "my" eyes. The images and allusions used are also very local. It has natural cultural characteristics, the sentence structure is also relatively traditional and concise, and has a certain folk color. It is a work of localized style. But as long as we pay a little attention to some of the details, we will find that this poem is actually far from as simple as the first impression it gives us. The work actually contains many shocking plot scenes, hidden under the relaxed appearance. The original cruel and complicated essence.
The five paragraphs of the work all start with "...wild and wild", which seems to be intended to show a sense of momentum and create a rhythm similar to African drums; in this repetitive form Emphasize the theme spirit of the work and guide readers to follow the overall mood and integrate into the artistic conception of the poem. The first paragraph is basically an overall overview of "her". "She claims to be able to break all waves" paraphrases the original words of "her" so that it can directly talk to the reader. The selection and use of images are also very vivid and picturesque. feel. "If you bite this hard shell/your teeth will suffer", it is the first time that "she" is compared to some kind of nut without specifying it, and part of the metaphor's characteristic "hard shell" is directly presented in an almost sudden way. , as if to imply that comparing girls to nuts is a common way of thinking in the local area, and the "hard-shell" quality of "her" has long been famous. The second paragraph presents the theme of "wildness" by first using the simile "Wildness is like singing love". The rare abstract metaphor seems to keep "wildness" in the reader's imagination level, and then "it "Born into the world, but the last. Give me / a happy womb to wrap it up." Transitioning from the spirit to the body, "the last" "born into the world" means reaching an extreme, but it also means that there will be no such thing again. Situations arise so that "I" need "a happy womb to wrap around it." The first two paragraphs, whether "happiness" or "power", belong to "her" own characteristics, while the third paragraph turns to another focus, which is about the "wildness" of "this moment". "This hour" is located in the middle of the work, and it probably plays the role of the so-called center of gravity. It may be related to the time when "she" appears. "Reject the delicate moment" seems to be indestructible on the surface, "But/when the fist is loosened, when the knot/is untied, you will find it", proving that the "rejected" "frail moment" is actually hidden in a solid appearance. Underneath; perhaps the so-called "weak time" does not necessarily focus on expressing the shortness or depression of a certain period of time, but may also imply that "she" in the work also hides an unknown fragility under her strong appearance. But at the same time, this also shows that even though "I" understands "her" weaknesses, I am still helpless, which also reflects the invincibility of "her". The fourth paragraph further exaggerates the magic of "her", "her smile, dreaming of the tribe/killing the old chief", whether "her smile" itself directly caused the nightmare, or whether it was "her" without the knowledge The situation triggers the consciousness of others and indirectly creates certain relationships. In short, this relationship itself is an ominous sign. What's more, "dreams" also have important symbolic and prophetic meanings in African culture, and are often not consistent with reality. Make a clear distinction. "That ceremony is really kind" is even more creepy, and seems to contain some deliberate irony. Perhaps it seems "kind" compared with "her" own "wildness", we don't know. The last paragraph seems to be the end of the mood. The "wildness" of the "discourse" has no effective explanation in the last three sentences, but turns to respond to the metaphor at the beginning, "putting walnuts / between my teeth", which finally indicates The metaphor of "her" is "walnut", and the action of "biting a walnut" is used to metaphor the behavior of "I" determined to challenge "her".
"To her, I promised everything/and was dismembered in her blind fantasy." It seems that "I" have already predicted the results of my reckless actions, and know that I have no resistance to "her", but I have no intention of looking back. He threw himself into it and would rather end it in a way similar to self-destruction. "Being dismembered" is even more bloody than "killing the chief" in the previous paragraph, and it is also an execution "in her blind fantasy", even more so after making meaningless ridicule to "her". The helpless emotion about "my" own situation.
(Lv Qing)