エドワード・トーマスの'In Pursuit of Spring'をめぐって

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概要

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• The reputation of Edward Thomas (1878-1917) rests on the poetry he wrote during the last two years before his death in the battle of Arras. Before Thomas's metamorphosis into a poet, however, prose was both his art and trade. Driven by financial need, he produced plenty of prose. Although he himself despised most of his prose, we cannot deny that there is a special flavour in all of his works and his prose itself is now widely accepted as important, not only because it illuminates the poems, but for its own sake. "In Pursuit of Spring" (1914) is his last prose book, the record of an eight day journey by bicycle from London to the Quantock Hills. In March, on good Friday, the author sets out on a journey from London to pursue spring and meets it at the Quantock Hills. On the way he meets The Other Man, his other self, with whom he converses, argues and agrees. The poem 'The Other' is said to be the product of this metamorphosis. The author is concerned with the topography of his route and visits many churches in the towns and villages on the way and reads the epitaphs on the tombstones in the churchyards. Indeed, this is a kind of topographical book. Moreover, he is much concerned with natural features and the promise of spring. He is alert to what is happening in and on the earth and the air above it. He always listens to the song of birds, like his friend W.H.Hudson. He is a poet of birds. There are many references to English poets and poetry, and this book might well be called a preface for "A Literary Pilgrim in England". On reading this book, Robert Frost, an American poet, discovered the poet at work in prose and he sincerely urged Thomas to turn to the writing of verse, although before that Thomas's friends, Bottomely and Hudson, had recommended him to write verse. 'March', one of his early poems, derives particularly from the first chapter of." In pursuit of Spring". Thus all of his poetry was written during the following two years, the years before his death. Nowadays there is no longer any doubt about the quiet excellence of the poetry of Edward Thomas. Contents: 1. Prologue 2. March 3. The Other Man 4. Bird, Rain and Epitaph 5. English poets 6. Epilogue

• 東京家政学院大学の論文
• 1985-10-30

著者

• 高木 栄一

  東京家政学院大学

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• エドワード・トーマスの'In Pursuit of Spring'をめぐって

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