Poetry is a combination of “sound” and “sense”. More than any other type of literature, it usually implies a deeper meaning beyond the words on the page. So, how to reveal this hidden dimension?
诗歌是 “音” 与 “意” 的结合。相较于其他文学形式，它往往蕴含着超越字面的深层意蕴。那么，如何揭示这隐藏的维度呢？
First, follow your ears. While you may ask “What does it mean?” as you begin reading a poem, it is better to ask “How does it sound?” Even if its true meaning appears to be beyond your grasp, you can always say something about how the poem sounds when you read it aloud. Do you detect a rhythm? Are there any repeated words, rhymes or other special effects? All of these are good qualities to notice, and they may lead you to a better understanding of the poem in the end. Read these lines to feel how they sound.
首先，倾听其声。初读一首诗时，你或许会问 “这是什么意思？”，但不如先问 “它听起来如何？”。即便真意看似难以捕捉，你总能描述出声读时的韵律感。可察觉节奏？是否存在重复的词汇、押韵或其他特殊效果？这些都是值得留意的妙处，终将引你更深入领悟诗境。请朗读以下诗行，细细品味其音韵之美。
Sweet and low, sweet and low,
轻柔又低沉，轻柔又低沉，
Wind of the western sea,
西海之风，
Low, low, breathe and blow,
低低地，轻轻吹拂，
Wind of the western sea!
西海之风啊！
Over the rolling waters go,
越过翻滚的波涛前行，
Come from the dying moon, and blow,
从那渐逝的月边吹来，轻拂，
Blow him again to me;
再将他吹向我身旁，
While my little one, while my pretty one, sleeps.
当我的小宝贝，我可爱的小宝贝，安睡时。
(From “Sweet and Low” by Alfred Tennyson)
（选自阿尔弗雷德・丁尼生《轻柔低语》）
Second, approach the poem as if you were an explorer in an unfamiliar landscape. Ask some basic questions about the poem. Who is talking? Who is being talked to? What is being described? Is there a sense of place? Are there other people or objects there? As you explore the poem, you will begin to see images in your mind. What are those images, and what happens when they are put together? This combination is often complex or even contradictory. As you slowly explore your surroundings, you will start to dig up clues that give you a greater understanding of the poem. Read these lines, pay attention to the image of the caged bird and try to find out what it means.
其次，以探索陌生地界的姿态走近这首诗。提出一些关于诗歌的基本问题：谁在诉说？倾诉对象是谁？描绘了什么场景？是否存在空间感？现场还有其他人或物吗？随着探索深入，你脑海中会逐渐浮现意象。这些意象是什么？当它们组合时会产生什么效果？这种组合往往错综复杂甚至充满矛盾。当你缓缓勘察周遭环境时，将会发掘出助你深入理解诗歌的线索。细读这些诗行时，请聚焦笼中鸟的意象，并尝试解读其象征意义。
The caged bird sings
笼中鸟在歌唱
with a fearful trill
带着战栗的颤音
of things unknown
未知的事物
but longed for still
却仍令人心驰神往
and his tune is heard
而他的曲调被听见
on the distant hill
在遥远的山丘上
for the caged bird
为笼中之鸟
sings of freedom.
歌唱着自由。
(From “Caged Bird” by Maya Angelou)
（出自玛雅・安杰卢的《笼中鸟》）
Third, if you are still struggling to interpret the meaning of a poem even with much painstaking effort, just have some patience. You cannot really understand a poem that you have only read once. Sometimes reading a poem can be a lifelong job. So if you do not get it, set the poem aside and come back to it later. As an explorer, you will not reach your goal immediately—you need to go on a journey to a remote and unknown destination. This may seem difficult at first, but you finally make your great discovery. your efforts will be rewarded. Poems that are easy to understand are often less interesting than those that constantly reveal deeper and previously unrecognized meanings. Read these lines and try to find out what they mean.
第三，即便你费尽心思仍难以解读一首诗的含义，也请保持耐心。初次阅读便全然领悟一首诗实属罕见，有时品读一首诗甚至可能成为毕生的功课。因此若一时不解，不妨暂且搁置，待他日重读。正如探险家无法即刻抵达目的地，你需要开启一段通往遥远未知之境的旅程 —— 初看或许荆棘密布，但终将收获震撼心灵的发现。那些需要反复咀嚼才能不断揭示深层意蕴的诗篇，往往比浅白直露的作品更耐人寻味。请细读以下诗行，试着探寻其中真意。
Whose woods these are I think I know.
这片树林的主人，我想我知道是谁。
His house is in the village though;
他的房子虽在村中；
He will not see me stopping here
他不会看到我在此驻足
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
凝视他的树林被雪覆没。
(From “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” by Robert Frost)
（选自罗伯特・弗罗斯特《雪夜林边驻马》）
Finally, remember that you do not have to fully understand a poem to appreciate it. You might need to abandon logical thinking to discover its true inner beauty. As long as the journey of poetry reading makes you feel something or lets you perceive another level of meaning, it will have been worth your effort.
最后，请记住，欣赏一首诗无需完全理解其意。有时，你需要放下逻辑思维，才能发现它内在的真实之美。只要诗歌阅读的旅程能让你有所感悟，或使你觉察到另一层深意，这番努力便已值得。
60 Poetry’s combination of “sound” and “sense” makes you see the world in a new way and allows you to go beyond normal reality for the everlasting beauty. Enjoy your journey in the world of poetry!
60 诗歌将 “音韵” 与 “意境” 完美融合，让你以崭新的视角看世界，超越平凡现实，邂逅永恒之美。愿你在诗歌的国度里尽情遨游！