Wednesday 5 January 2011

Time in Poetry, Music and Philosophy 1:時間,留住我吧~

20101230 J read and talk about T. S. Eliot(1888 – 1965)

2010年最後的一個星期,亦即是上星期的「星期五音樂課」(也作為迎新年的 party),J 和我們分享了 T. S. Eliot(1888 – 1965) 的詩,我覺得這是近來「星期五音樂課」裡最深奧的一課,題目為「Time in Poetry, Music and Philosophy」。

這是我第一次接觸 T. S. Eliot 的詩,J 主要介紹「Time in Poetry」的部份,承接了在12月初的一課中提及塔可夫斯基電影美學的「時間觀」。

課堂裡講及的東西實在太多,我還未有時間仔細閱讀 J 給我的「小量」筆記,共有 83 個細項 :P 時間所限,我們集中討論了幾點,主要是關於 T. S. Eliot 對詩的「時間觀」。

我很喜歡很喜歡 J 述說關於「T.S. Eliot 的時間觀」,她說:(希望我沒有記錯:P)

我們都活在「時間」之下,被時「時間」規限著,除了神可以超越「時間」以外,我們只能活在「過去past」、「現在present」和「未來future」(亦即將成為「現在」和「過去」)。

如果我們要超越「時間」,站在「永恒」的「一刻」上,那「一刻」應是像在音樂的音符與音符之間的位置,即是在一個音符完結之後,而即將開始新的音符之前的「一刻」,那既不是完結,亦不是開始,更不是靜止的,那便是「永恒」的所在。

文字原本最不能用作描述「永恒」,因為世上一切能被描述的東西,一經描述,便只能成為「現在」或「過去」,但唯獨詩可以超越時間規限,可以描述到「永恒」的境界。

而一首寫得好的詩便更應該有超越時間,引領讀者至「永恒」的能力。

我們利用自己記憶之中的情景,經過反思,抽取記憶中細微而重要的部份,寫成一首詩(或一個作品),詩中承載著作者,亦同時看不到作者在其中,因為當中引述的東西已超越了他個人的情感,而提升為一種普遍的感受。讀者在讀詩時,鈎起自身相同的經驗和感受,這種「讀後感」表面上是共通的,但實際上卻是因人而異的(例如悲傷、高興和寂寞,但是每個人的「悲傷」、「高興」和「寂寞」也有所不同),於是這個作品便已超越了時間、作者、作者的寫作動機和價值,作品在這時候讓「永恒」實體化了。

當天 J 反複解釋了幾次之後,大家才開始明白,因為這「永恒的時間觀」在概念上較複雜,不能以三言兩語來理解,也必須多讀 T.S. Eliot 的書及其他相關的書籍才更能理解。

為免我寫得不好,這裡附加引用 J 為我們準備的筆記:

The meaning of a poem may be something larger than its author’s conscious purpose; and something remote from its origins. … For instance, the author may have been writing some peculiar personal experience, which he saw quite unrelated to anything outside; yet for the reader the poem may become the expression of a general situation, as well as of some private experience of his own. The reader’s interpretation may differ from the author’s and be equally valid – it may even be better. … The different interpretations may all be partial formulations of one thing; the ambiguities may be due to the fact that the poem means more, not less, than ordinary speech can communicate. (Eliot 1957:”The Music of Poetry” 30-31)

The haiku, the three line verses, the traditional genre of ancient Japanese poetry, is the model for how the combination of three separate elements creates something different in kind from nay of them.

The artistic image is unique and singular, whereas the phenomena of life may well be entirely banal:
No, not to my house.
That one, pattering umbrella
Went to my neighbour

In itself, a passer-by with an umbrella whom you have seen at some time in your life means nothing new; he is just one of the people hurrying along and keeping himself dry in the ran.

But within the terms of the artistic image we have been considering, a moment of life, recorded in a from that is perfect and simple.

The three lines are sufficient ot make us feel his mood: his loneliness, the grey, rainy weather outside the window and the vast expectation that someone might by a miracle call into his solitary, god-forsaken dwelling. Situation and mood, meticulously recorded, achieve and amazingly wide, far-ranging expression.

(待續:Time in Poetry, Music and Philosophy 2:記憶中永恒的風景)


這課堂完後,同時也掀開了2011的序幕,來年老師希望各同學們每人也可以準備一個課題在課堂裡和大家分享。

「星期五音樂課」的open class 計劃亦同時於2011年1月展開,課堂日期定為每個月最後的一個星期五晚上8至10時在艺鵠書店舉行。

第一季的課堂日期定為:
28/1/2011(題目:約翰凱奇的音樂/理念,講者:龔志成)
25/2/2011(題目待定)
25/3/2011(題目待定)

另外我開了一個新blog,主要放「星期五音樂課」的open class 計劃的資料,有興趣的朋友,請密切留意了。