我的理解, 這首詩是描述“我”在死去那一天和死亡的 an unprepared date. 我同意你對第一句的理解。死亡降臨“我”沒有準備,沒有能夠等他來。但他坐著馬車來接“我”了。這裏emily 把死亡擬人化了。他帶著“我”從早上一直到日落,經過校園和田野。Emily把grains 也擬人化了,它們一路對馬車經過行注目禮。
日落了,“or rather - he passed us -" 這裏的he 是指 the Sun. 溫度降低了,“我”早上出門沒有準備,隻穿了件薄紗披風。這也說明你對第一句的理解是對的:)寒冷和死亡關聯,這一節是一個轉折,下一節就提到“house”了。這是即將埋“我”的墳墓。Emily "show don't tell"在這一節還有前麵一節都體現得淋漓盡致。
最後一節是個big surprise. 以上描述的是幾個世紀之前的一天,原來我已經死去幾個世紀了,但就象昨天才發生的。那時就意識到馬車的馬頭是指向永生的。Emily其實一直覺得death is a passage to eternity (afterlife). 這在她的另一首詩裏也有體現。
Do you remember this one? I recited this one last year and posted it on Meitan. I remember you translated it into Chinese.
If you were coming in the fall
If you were coming in the Fall,
I'd brush the Summer by
With half a smile, and half a spurn,
As Housewives do, a Fly.
If I could see you in a year,
I'd wind the months in balls---
And put them each in separate Drawers,
For fear the numbers fuse---
If only Centuries, delayed,
I'd count them on my Hand,
Subtracting, til my fingers dropped
Into Van Dieman's Land,
If certain, when this life was out---
That yours and mine, should be
I'd toss it yonder, like a Rind,
And take Eternity---
But, now, uncertain of the length
Of this, that is between,
It goads me, like the Goblin Bee---
That will not state--- its sting.
以上是我對這首詩的理解,僅供參考:)