ponkapog papers-第21章
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severely cut as an antique cameothe stanza； for instance； in which the poet speaks of his lady…love's 〃win… ter face〃and there a couplet that breaks into unfading daffodils and violets。 The art； though invisible； is always there。 His amatory songs and catches are such poetry as Orlando would have liked to hang on the boughs in the forest of Arden。 None of the work is hastily done； not even that portion of it we could wish had not been done at all。 Be the motive grave or gay； it is given that faultlessness of form which distinguishes everything in literature that has survived its own period。 There is no such thing as 〃form〃 alone； it is only the close…grained material that takes the highest finish。 The struc… ture of Herrick's verse； like that of Blake； is simple to the verge of innocence。 Such rhyth… mic intricacies as those of Shelley； Tennyson； and Swinburne he never dreamed of。 But his manner has this perfection： it fits his matter as the cup of the acorn fits its meat。 Of passion； in the deeper sense； Herrick has little or none。 Here are no 〃tears from the depth of some divine despair；〃 no probings into the tragic heart of man； no insight that goes much farther than the pathos of a cowslip on a maiden's grave。 The tendrils of his verse reach up to the light； and love the warmer side of the garden wall。 But the reader who does not de… tect the seriousness under the lightness misreads Herrick。 Nearly all true poets have been whole… some and joyous singers。 A pessimistic poet； like the poisonous ivy； is one of nature's sar… casms。 In his own bright pastoral way Herrick must always remain unexcelled。 His limitations are certainly narrow； but they leave him in the sunshine。 Neither in his thought nor in his utterance is there any complexity； both are as pellucid as a woodland pond； content to du… plicate the osiers and ferns； and； by chance； the face of a girl straying near its crystal。 His is no troubled stream in which large trout are caught。 He must be accepted on his own terms。 The greatest poets have； with rare exceptions； been the most indebted to their predecessors or to their contemporaries。 It has wittily been remarked that only mediocrity is ever wholly original。 Impressionability is one of the condi… tions of the creative faculty： the sensitive mind is the only mind that invents。 What the poet reads； sees； and feels； goes into his blood； and becomes an ingredient of his originality。 The color of his thought instinctively blends itself with the color of its affinities。 A writer's style； if it have distinction； is the outcome of a hun… dred styles。 Though a generous borrower of the ancients； Herrick appears to have been exceptionally free from the influence of contemporary minds。 Here and there in his work are traces of his beloved Ben Jonson； or fleeting impressions of Fletcher； and in one instance a direct in… fringement on Suckling； but the sum of Herrick's obligations of this sort is inconsider… able。 This indifference to other writers of his time； this insularity； was doubtless his loss。 The more exalted imagination of Vaughan or Marvell or Herbert might have taught him a deeper note than he sounded in his purely devotional poems。 Milton； of course； moved in a sphere apart。 Shakespeare； whose personality still haunted the clubs and taverns which Herrick frequented on his first going up to London； failed to lay any appreciable spell upon him。 That great name； moreover； is a jewel which finds no setting in Herrick's rhyme。 His general reticence rela… tive to brother poets is extremely curious when we reflect on his penchant for addressing four… line epics to this or that individual。 They were； in the main； obscure individuals； whose iden… tity is scarcely worth establishing。 His London life； at two different periods； brought him into contact with many of the celebrities of the day； but his verse has helped to confer immortality on very few of them。 That his verse had the secret of conferring immortality was one of his unshaken convictions。 Shakespeare had not a finer confidence when he wrote；
Not marble nor the gilded monuments Of princes shall outlive this powerful rhyme；
than has Herrick whenever he speaks of his own poetry； and he is not by any means backward in speaking of it。 It was the breath of his nostrils。 Without his Muse those nineteen years in that dull； secluded Devonshire village would have been unendurable。 His poetry has the value and the defect of that seclusion。 In spite； however； of his contracted horizon there is great variety in Herrick's themes。 Their scope cannot be stated so happily as he has stated it：
I sing of brooks； of blossoms； birds and bowers； Of April； May； of June； and July flowers； I sing of May…poles； hock…carts； wassails； wakes； Of bridegrooms； brides； and of their bridal…cakes； I write of Youth； of Love； and have access By these to sing of cleanly wantonness； I sing of dews； of rains； and piece by piece Of balm； of oil； of spice and ambergris； I sing of times trans…shifting； and I write How roses first came red and lilies white； I write of groves； of twilights； and I sing The Court of Mab； and of the Fairy King； I write of Hell； I sing （and ever shall） Of Heaven； and hope to have it after all。
Never was there so pretty a table of contents！ When you open his book the breath of the Eng… lish rural year fans your cheek； the pages seem to exhale wildwood and meadow smells； as if sprigs of tansy and lavender had been shut up in the volume and forgotten。 One has a sense of hawthorn hedges and wide…spreading oaks； of open lead…set lattices half hidden with honey… suckle； and distant voices of the haymakers； re… turning home in the rosy afterglow； fall dreamily on one's ear； as sounds should fall when fancy listens。 There is no English poet so thoroughly English as Herrick。 He painted the country life of his own time as no other has painted it at any time。 It is to be remarked that the majority of Eng… lish poets regarded as national have sought their chief inspiration in almost every land and period excepting their own。 Shakespeare went to Italy； Denmark； Greece； Egypt； and to many a hitherto unfooted region of the imagination； for plot and character。 It was not Whitehall Garden； but the Garden of Eden and the celestial spaces； that lured Milton。 It is the Ode on a Grecian Urn； The Eve of St。 Agnes； and the noble fragment of Hyperion that have given Keats his spacious niche in the gallery of England's poets。 Shelley's two masterpieces； Prometheus Unbound and The Cenci； belong respectively to Greece and Italy。 Browning's The Ring and the Book is Italian； Tennyson wandered to the land of myth for the Idylls of the King； and Matthew Arnold's Soh… rab and Rustuma narrative poem second in dignity to none produced in the nineteenth cen… turyis a Persian story。 But Herrick's 〃golden apples〃 sprang from the soil in his own day； and reddened in the mist and sunshine of his native island。 Even the fairy poems； which must be classed by themselves； are not wanting in local flavor。 Herrick's fairy world is an immeasurable dis… tance from that of 〃A Midsummer Night's Dream。〃 Puck and Titania are of finer breath than Herrick's little folk； who may be said to have Devonshire manners and to live in a minia… ture England of their own。 Like the magician who summons them from nowhere； they are fond of color and perfume and substantial feasts； and indulge in heavy draughtsfrom the cups of morning…glories。 In the tiny sphere they in… habit everything is marvelously adapted to their requirement； nothing is out of proportion or out of perspective。 The elves are a strictly religious people in their winsome way； 〃part pagan； part papistical；〃 they have their pardons and indul… gences； their psalters and chapels； and
An apple's…core is hung up dried； With rattling kernels； which is rung To call to Morn and Even…song；
and very conveniently；
Hard by； I' th' shell of half a nut； The Holy…water there is put。
It is all delightfully naive and fanciful； this elfin… world； where the impossible does not strike one as i
