Song to the Men of England
1
Men so England,wherefore plough
For the lords who lay ye low?
Wherefore weave with toil and care
The rich robes your tyrants wear?
2
Wherefore feed ,and clothe ,and save,5
From the cradle to the grave,
Those ungrateful drones who would
Drain your sweat-----nay,drink your blood?
3
Wherefore,Bees of England,forge
Many a weapon,chain,and scourge,10
That these stingless drones may spoil
The forced produce of your toil?
4
Have ye leisure ,comfort,calm,
Shelter,food,love's gentle balm?
Or what is it ye buy so dear 15
With your pain and with your fear?
5
The seed ye sow,another reaps;
The wealth ye find,another keeps;
The robes ye weave,another wears;
The arms ye forge ,another bears.20
6
Sow seed ,----but let no tyrant reap;
Find wealth,----let no impostor heap;
Weave robes,---let not the idle wear;
Forge arms,----in your defence to bear.
7
Shrink to your cellars,holes,and cells; 25
In hall ye deck another dwells.
Why shake the chains ye wrought Ye see
The steel ye tempered glance on ye.
8
With plough and spade ,and hoe and loom,
Trace your grave ,and build your tomb,30
And weave your winding-sheet,till fair
England be your sepulchre.
(賞析)
1819年8月6日,曼徹斯特六萬工人在圣彼德廣場(chǎng)聚會(huì)、游行示威,要求普選權(quán)、反對(duì)谷物法案,遭到當(dāng)局的鎮(zhèn)壓,很多人受傷,有的死難.雪萊當(dāng)時(shí)在意大利,聽到此事后義憤填膺,寫了著名長(zhǎng)詩(shī)"專制魔王的化裝舞劇"(The Mask of Anarchy).同年他寫了這一首革命態(tài)度鮮明的政治抒情詩(shī),并擬把它們印成傳單散發(fā),但無人敢承印,直至雪萊死后才得以發(fā)表.
在詩(shī)人的許多作品中可見到為爭(zhēng)取自由而斗爭(zhēng)的主題,詩(shī)人心目中的自由包括消滅對(duì)勞動(dòng)的剝削,這一觀念在本詩(shī)中得到深刻的表達(dá).詩(shī)人向勞動(dòng)人民致辭,號(hào)召世界的創(chuàng)造者------勞動(dòng)人民,向資本家進(jìn)行斗爭(zhēng),拿起武器捍衛(wèi)自身的權(quán)利.全詩(shī)共八節(jié),每節(jié)四行,每行四個(gè)重音節(jié),雙行韻式aa-bb.