摘 要

回顾漫漫历史长卷，不同民族不同国家都诞生过伟大的先行者，引领他们的文学从依附走向独立，从幼稚走向成熟，从萌芽走向繁荣。拉尔夫·瓦尔多·爱默生的《美国学者》是美国文化的独立宣言。在《美国学者》的著名演讲中，爱默生宣告美国文学应脱离英国文学的依附，并告诫美国学者摒弃对传统文学的纯粹的摹仿之路，呼吁创造独立的美国文学。在演讲中，他用他高屋建瓴的思想及端正严谨的态度，从自然，书籍以及行动三个方面分析了学者如何保持文学创造的独立，并谈及学者如何承担社会赋予的责任。在演讲过程中，爱默生通过借鉴其他国家的独立文学向学生们讲述了美国文学独立的重要性。现如今，学者们对于《美国学者》的解读和赏析多集中于其历史文献价值及文学情怀层面，部分学者分析了《美国学者》修辞手法艺术效果，极少部分学者以文学手法为切入点，深入剖析其主题思想。本文将从对比、类比及引用这三种修辞手法出发，通过生动形象的典型实例分析《美国学者》的主题思想，深刻探讨修辞手法对强调美国文化独立这一主题思想的独特效果。

关键词：《美国学者》 ；对比修辞；类比修辞；引用修辞

Abstract

Looking back upon the long scroll of history, readers can find that great forerunners have been born in different nationalities and countries, leading their literature from attachment to independence, from “childish” to “mature”, from sprout to prosperity. “The American Scholar” which is a speech given by Ralph Waldo Emerson at the Phi Beta Kappa Society of Harvard College is the Declaration of Independence of American Culture. In this high-profile speech, Emerson declared that American literature should separate from the attachment of British literature. Besides, Emerson also admonished American scholars to abandon the pure imitation of traditional literature and to appeal for the creation of independent American literature. In his speech, with his lofty thoughts, extraordinary talents and rigorous attitude, he analyzed how scholars should keep spiritual independence and perfectness from three aspects: nature，books and action，and explored how scholars should bear the social responsibility. In the course of his speech, Emerson recounted the importance of American literary independence by drawing on independent literature from other countries. Nowadays, scholars’ interpretations and appreciation of “The American Scholar” mostly focus on the value of historical documents and literary sentiment. Some scholars have analyzed the artistic effect of its rhetorical devices. However very few scholars use literary techniques as an entry to analyze its theme in depth. This paper will proceed from three rhetorical devices of contrast, analogy and citation, to analyze the theme of “The American Scholar” through representative and typical examples, and to probe into the unique effect of rhetorical devices on emphasizing the independence of American literature.

Key Words: “The American Scholar”; Contrasts; Analogies; Citations

Contents

1 Introduction 1

1.1Ralph Waldo Emerson and His Works 1

1.2 Literature Review 1

1.3 Significance and Layout of This Paper 2

2 Contrasts in “The American Scholar” 4

2.1 Mere Thinker vs Man Thinking 4

2.2 Bookworm vs Man Thinking 5

3 Analogies in “The American Scholar” 7

3.1 Washington Irving vs Geoffrey Chaucer 7

3.2 Washington Irving vs Walt Whitman 8

4 Citations in “The American Scholar” 10

4.1 Citation of William Shakespeare 10

4.2 Citation of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 11

5 Conclusion 12

5.1 Summary 12

5.2 Limitations and Further Study 13

References 14