Author: Guo Ji Fang
The beautiful Minerva was born from my mind
A blood star will always be the symbol of my crown
p>
Reason is under my head and the sky is above my head
Goddess, you have armed my mind for a long time
Therefore, it is not my great pain< /p>
This nearly fatal star-shaped scar
stirs up in me a feverish inner sorrow
far greater than any man's hidden misfortune
I bear this burning wound
Like a firefly keeping its own fire burning
Like France shining in the heart of a warrior
Like a lily holding its pollen Fragrance (1)
(Translated by Shen Baoji)
(France) Apollinaire
Apollinaire is lustful by nature, and specializes in sarcasm and provocation, which is almost cruel His character makes him not even let himself go. From April 1915 to March 1916, Apollinaire went to fight on the front line of Champagne Province, lived in the trenches, received military medals, and had an affair. However, the war also left him with a permanent mark of pain, his head The head was injured by shrapnel, leaving a star-shaped scar. War and romantic encounters left the poet with vivid and profound impressions, complex and strong memories. "The Sorrow of a Star" is the expression of the poet's chewing and impression of this memory.
According to common sense, a scar that puts a life in danger of an unexpected event first evokes painful memories. However, the poet ridiculed himself, describing it as a sign of the birth of Minerva, the goddess of wisdom and art. , there was even a sense of pride in the ridicule. Although it was bitter and helpless, it seemed free and transcendent, as if he was proud that the goddess was with him. The second paragraph is a double sentence, first saying that "this almost fatal star-shaped scar" "is not my great pain", and then saying that this scar "arouses my fanatical inner sorrow" more than anyone else. The poet's evaluation of this scar seems to be contradictory. "Sadness" and "misfortune" themselves are "pain". Why does the poet deny that this "star" has brought him "great pain" on the one hand, and on the other hand admit that this "star" has caused him "great pain"? How can a "star" arouse more sadness in one's heart than ordinary people? This is actually the poet's memory and yearning for the lost battlefield life. It is a natural expression of the poet's complicated and contradictory mentality and emotions intertwined with pain and happiness. In the third paragraph, the poet uses three metaphors to describe the feeling of "I bear this blazing trauma". This "star"-like scar shines in the poet's heart like a firefly burning itself, and is as sacred as France. Greatness, like the fragrance contained in lilies, is shining, sublime, fragrant, and unforgettable. However, all this unforgettable thing evokes a greater sorrow hidden by the poet. This is the "inner sorrow" that the poet laments in the second paragraph that "far exceeds any person's hidden misfortune" .
Memory is a wealth that is uniquely owned by everyone and is enjoyed by oneself. The feelings evoked by memory are also unique and cannot be understood by others. Human beings long for communication, but there is always a gap between them; poets are willing to express their true feelings, but they always have reservations. Pride and self-pity, happiness and pain, freedom and sorrow, the past events are intertwined in a star-shaped scar, giving the poet a permanent memory. However, what is the past event that aroused such complex feelings in the poet? The poet does not want to say it clearly, and we do not know. Only in this way does it create the hazy beauty of this poem that is difficult to describe and unwilling to expose.
Some people call Apollinaire a "junk dealer" and a "Gypsy man" because his poems are full of mythology and modern style. In this poem, the poet uses bold and aggressive writing to mash, recombine, and knead Greek mythology and the real world into one. However, it appears to be extremely elegant, profound, and natural without any trace of axe, fully expressing the poet's Exceptional artistic talent. In terms of lyrical expression, this poem also has the characteristics of delicate and euphemistic. The poet's chewing on complex memories tastes a beautiful sadness, which is deep, long, and endless.