【Poem Reading Tuesday】Aliens by Amy Lowell

Aliens 
by Amy Lowell

The chatter of little people   
Breaks on my purpose
Like the water-drops which slowly wear the rocks to powder.
And while I laugh
My spirit crumbles at their teasing touch.

Source: Selected Poems of Amy Lowell (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2002)

About the author
Amy Lowell | Poetry Foundation

【活動說明】
欣賞了詩歌之後，歡迎大家在跟帖裏對詩歌進行點評，分享讀後感。本活動主要是為大家提供一個閱讀英文詩歌的窗口，以賞詩為主，不要求寫詩。如果大家偶爾靈感閃現，有感而發地想要寫寫詩的話，大家可以嚐試用相同的或者相關的詩歌標題，寫出不一樣的英文詩，在賞詩寫詩的過程中自娛自樂。寫出來的英文詩如果願意分享的話，歡迎以主帖或者跟帖的方式分享。謝謝大家的關注和支持！

Let's get some learning from the fun and get some fun from the learning!

相關鏈接：【Poem Reading Tuesday】Aliens by Amy Lowell - CBA7發表於 美語世界 - 論壇 | 文學城 (wenxuecity.com)

[CBA7]

回複 '花似鹿蔥' 的評論 : 哈哈哈，這首名人名詩把蔥姐也驚動了，謝謝蔥姐雅臨賞讀。我把ChatGPT和Allpoetry提供的詩歌分析放在下麵，和蔥姐一起品讀和學習。

Poem Analysis by ChatGPT:

"Aliens" by Amy Lowell is a short poem that delves into the speaker's sense of alienation or disconnection from the "little people" around them. The title itself, "Aliens," suggests a feeling of being apart or different.

The first line, "The chatter of little people," sets the tone of the poem, presenting the speaker's perception of others as insignificant or diminutive. This could refer to individuals who are perceived as trivial or inconsequential in the speaker's life, or it could symbolize societal norms and expectations that the speaker feels alienated from.

The comparison of the chatter to "water-drops which slowly wear the rocks to powder" evokes a sense of persistence and erosion. It suggests that the constant chatter of these "little people" is gradually wearing down the speaker's resolve or sense of purpose. Despite the speaker's attempt to laugh it off ("And while I laugh"), their spirit is still affected, depicted as crumbling under the weight of this persistent intrusion ("My spirit crumbles at their teasing touch").

Overall, the poem captures a sense of vulnerability and fragility in the speaker's emotional state, as they struggle with the impact of external influences on their sense of self and purpose. It suggests a tension between the desire for independence and the inevitability of being influenced or affected by others.

Poem Analysis by Allpoetry:

The poem "Aliens" by Amy Lowell depicts the speaker's struggle against the trivial gossip and mockery of others. The "chatter" of "little people" chips away at the speaker's resolve and spirit, like water eroding rock. The speaker tries to remain resilient, but their inner self is gradually weakened by the relentless criticism.

Compared to Lowell's other works, this poem exhibits a more somber tone and introspective focus. It lacks the exuberant celebration of nature and beauty found in many of her nature poems. Instead, it explores the psychological impact of social pressure and the difficulty of maintaining inner strength in the face of adversity.

For its time period, "Aliens" reflects the growing sense of alienation and isolation in modern society. The poem captures the struggle to find one's place in a world that often seems indifferent or even hostile. It resonates with the themes of loneliness, social fragmentation, and the need for self-discovery that permeated much of early 20th-century literature.

[花似鹿蔥]

坐7妹家沙發，聽高手品讀。