我一直覺得這個經常發生的場面很搞笑：
對我來說，讀poems不單不是負擔，
前幾天，Crozier的字句又浮現在我腦海中。情況是這樣的， 當我的好朋友錢志健公開他跟拍檔羅家聰 “吵架” 片段而成為網民的話題，我沒法不替他難受；
“Mistrust no one who offers you
Water from a well, a songbird’s feather,
Something that’s been mended twice.
Always travel lighter
Than the heart.“
對於還沒體會世道艱難和人情冷暖的學生，
我在下面演示如何用 the PEEL method 去解讀Crozier的詩
Packing for the Future: Instructions by Lorna Crozier
Take the thickest socks.
Wherever you’re going
you’ll have to walk.
There may be water.
There may be stones.
There may be high places
you cannot go without
the hope socks bring you,
the way they hold you
to the earth.
At least one pair must be new,
must be blue as a wish
hand-knit by your mother
in her sleep.
*
Take a leather satchel,
a velvet bag an old tin box —
a salamander painted on the lid.
That is to carry that small thing
you cannot leave. Perhaps the key
you’ve kept though it doesn’t fit
any lock you know,
the photograph that keeps you sane,
a ball of string to lead you out
though you can’t walk back
into that light.
In your bag leave room for sadness,
leave room for another language.
There may be doors nailed shut.
There may be painted windows.
There may be signs that warn you
to be gone. Take the dream
you’ve been having since
you were a child, the one
with open fields and the wind
sounding.
*
Mistrust no one who offers you
water from a well, a songbird’s feather,
something that’s been mended twice.
Always travel lighter
than the heart.
Question： How is the speaker in the poem portrayed?
Introduction
In “Packing for the future,” the speaker is an older and more experienced person giving advice to a younger person on the mindset he should adopt as he begins life in the adult world. The speaker’s advice is offered through a series of metaphors and symbols, all of which put on full display her wisdom, imagination and serenity.
First paragraph of the body of the essay
Point
The speaker doesn’t downplay the challenges that will lie in wait for the young person.
Evidence
After reminding him to take along with him “the thickest socks,” she alerts him to a string of problems that may be ahead: “There may be water. There may be stones. There may be high places.”
Explanation
If there is water, he will need to swim; if there are stones, he has to be careful about injuring his feet; if there are mountains, he’ll have to cope with slopes. The repetitive use of “There may be” further underscores the range of obstacles that may befall the young person as he struggles to find his place in society.
Link
The reader is left wondering what kind of rich life experiences the speaker has undergone herself that has made her so keenly aware of both the pain and exhilaration of striking out on one’s own.
Second paragraph of the body of the essay
Point
The speaker is at pains to remind the young person that while he is on his journey, there will be times when he will feel lost.
Evidence
She urges the young person to include in his bag “a ball of string to lead you out though you can’t walk back into that light.”
Explanation
The ball of string is an allusion to Theseus and the Minotaur. At the tale’s climax, Theseus uses a ball of string to keep him from getting lost in the maze where the Minotaur lurks. The speaker is therefore comparing life to a maze, though in the case of her mentee, he may not find his way out of tough situations easily, since the ball of string he is holding may not enable him to “walk back into that light.”
Link
The reader gets the impression that the speaker’s inner tranquillity is the byproduct of a life where many battles were fought and many reconciliations were made.
Third paragraph of the body of the essay
Point
The speaker’s readiness to embrace the full spectrum of life’s possbilities can be seen in the metaphors he employs.
Evidence
She encourages the young person to “In your bag leave room for sadness/leave room for another language.”
Explanation
She is implying that disappointments are normal, and that when one encounters the unfamiliar, the right attitude is to expand one’s imagination so that one can understand it.
Link
The speaker is presented as someone who have overcome her share of misfortunes by adopting new perspectives.
Conclusion
While there is no doubt that the speaker is a life coach most people would wish to have, hers is a hard act to follow, because it takes a lot of effort to go through life’s ups and downs in such a calm and collected manner.
Michelle Ng
英國牛津大學畢業，前《蘋果日報》和《眾新聞》專欄作家，現在身在楓葉國，心繫中國大陸和香港。
聯絡方式： michelleng.coach@proton.me
個人網站： https://michellengwritings.com
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