letters on literature-第7章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！





Longfellow　is　exactly　the　antithesis　of　Poe；　who；　with　all　his

science　of　verse　and　ghostly　skill；　has　no　humanity；　or　puts　none　of

it　into　his　lines。　　One　is　the　poet　of　Life；　and　everyday　life；　the

other　is　the　poet　of　Death；　and　of　bizarre　shapes　of　death；　from

which　Heaven　deliver　us！



Neither　of　them　shows　any　sign　of　being　particularly　American；

though　Longfellow；　in　〃Evangeline〃　and　〃Hiawatha；〃　and　the　〃New

England　Tragedies；〃　sought　his　topics　in　the　history　and　traditions

of　the　New　World。



To　me　〃Hiawatha〃　seems　by　far　the　best　of　his　longer　efforts；　it　is

quite　full　of　sympathy　with　men　and　women；　nature；　beasts；　birds；

weather；　and　wind　and　snow。　　Everything　lives　with　a　human　breath；

as　everything　should　live　in　a　poem　concerned　with　these　wild　folk；

to　whom　all　the　world；　and　all　in　it；　is　personal　as　themselves。　　Of

course　there　are　lapses　of　style　in　so　long　a　piece。　　It　jars　on　us

in　the　lay　of　the　mystic　Chibiabos；　the　boy　Persephone　of　the　Indian

Eleusinia；　to　be　told　that





〃the　gentle　Chibiabos

Sang　in　tones　of　deep　emotion！〃





〃Tones　of　deep　emotion〃　may　pass　in　a　novel；　but　not　in　this　epic　of

the　wild　wood　and　the　wild　kindreds；　an　epic　in　all　ways　a　worthy

record　of　those　dim；　mournful　races　which　have　left　no　story　of

their　own；　only　here　and　there　a　ruined　wigwam　beneath　the　forest

leaves。



A　poet's　life　is　no　affair；　perhaps；　of　ours。　　Who　does　not　wish　he

knew　as　little　of　Burn's　as　of　Shakespeare's？　　Of　Longfellow's　there

is　nothing　to　know　but　good；　and　his　poetry　testifies　to　ithis

poetry；　the　voice　of　the　kindest　and　gentlest　heart　that　poet　ever

bore。　　I　think　there　are　not　many　things　in　poets'　lives　more

touching　than　his　silence；　in　verse；　as　to　his　own　chief　sorrow。　　A

stranger　intermeddles　not　with　it；　and　he　kept　secret　his　brief　lay

on　that　insuperable　and　incommunicable　regret。　　Much　would　have　been

lost　had　all　poets　been　as　reticent；　yet　one　likes　him　better　for　it

than　if　he　had　given　us　a　new　〃Vita　Nuova。〃



What　an　immense　long　way　I　have　wandered　from　〃Sordello；〃　my　dear

Mainwaring；　but　when　a　man　turns　to　his　books；　his　thoughts；　like

those　of　a　boy；　〃are　long；　long　thoughts。〃　　I　have　not　written　on

Longfellow's　sonnets；　for　even　you；　impeccable　sonneteer；　admit　that

you　admire　them　as　much　as　I　do。







A　FRIEND　OF　KEATS







To　Thomas　Egerton；　Esq。；　Lothian　College；　Oxford。



Dear　Egerton；Yes；　as　you　say；　Mr。　Sidney　Colvin's　new　〃Life　of

Keats〃　｛3｝　has　only　one　fault；　it's　too　short。　　Perhaps；　also；　it　is

almost　too　studiously　free　from　enthusiasm。　　But　when　one　considers

how　Keats　（like　Shelley）　has　been　gushed　about；　and　how　easy　it　is

to　gush　about　Keats；　one　can　only　thank　Mr。　Colvin　for　his　example

of　reserve。　　What　a　good　fellow　Keats　was！　　How　really　manly　and；　in

the　best　sense；　moral　he　seems；　when　one　compares　his　life　and　his

letters　with　the　vagaries　of　contemporary　poets　who　lived　longer

than　he；　though　they；　too；　died　young；　and　who　left　more　work；

though　not　better；　never　so　good；　perhaps；　as　Keats's　best。



However；　it　was　not　of　Keats　that　I　wished　to　write；　but　of　his

friend；　John　Hamilton　Reynolds。　　Noscitur　a　sociisa　man　is　known

by　the　company　he　keeps。　　Reynolds；　I　think；　must　have　been

excellent　company；　if　we　may　judge　him　by　his　writings。　　He　comes

into　Lord　Houghton's　〃Life　and　Letters　of　Keats〃　very　early　（vol。　i。

p。　30）。　　We　find　the　poet　writing　to　him　in　the　April　of　1817；　from

the　Isle　of　Wight。　　〃I　shall　forthwith　begin　my　'Endymion；'　which　I

hope　I　shall　have　got　some　way　with　before　you　come；　when　we　will

read　our　verses　in　a　delightful　place　I　have　set　my　heart　upon；　near

the　castle。〃　　Keats　ends　〃your　sincere　friend；〃　and　a　man　to　whom

Keats　was　a　sincere　friend　had　some　occasion　for　pride。



About　Reynolds's　life　neither　time　nor　space　permits　me　to　say　very

much；　if　I　knew　very　much；　which　I　don't。　　He　was　the　son　of　a

master　in　one　of　our　large　schools。　　He　went　to　the　Bar。　　He　married

a　sister　of　Thomas　Hood。　　He　wrote；　like　Hood；　in　the　London

Magazine。　　With　Hood　for　ally；　he　published　〃Odes　and　Addresses　to

Great　People；〃　the　third　edition；　which　I　have　here；　is　of　1826。

The　late　relations　of　the　brothers…in…law　were　less　happy；　possibly

the　ladies　of　their　families　quarrelled；　that　is　usually　the　way　of

the　belligerent　sex。



Reynolds　died　in　the　enjoyment　of　a　judicial　office　in　the　Isle　of

Wight；　some　thirty　years　later　than　his　famous　friend；　the　author　of

〃Endymion。〃　　〃It　is　to　be　lamented；〃　says　Lord　Houghton；　〃that　Mr。

Reynolds's　own　remarkable　verse　is　not　better　known。〃　　Let　us　try　to

know　it　a　little　better。



I　have　not　succeeded　in　getting　Reynolds's　first　volume　of　poems；

which　was　published　before　〃Endymion。〃　　It　contained　some　Oriental

melodies；　and　won　a　careless　good　word　from　Byron。　　The　earliest

work　of　his　I　can　lay　my　hand　on　is　〃The　Fancy；　a　Selection　from　the

Poetical　Remains　of　the　late　Peter　Corcoran；　of　Gray's　Inn；　Student

at　Law；　with　a　brief　memoir　of　his　Life。〃　　There　is　a　motto　from

Wordsworth：





〃Frank　are　the　sports；　the　stains　are　fugitive。〃　　｛4｝





It　was　the　old　palmy　time　of　the　Ring。　　Every　one　knows　how　Byron

took　lessons　from　Jackson　the　boxer；　how　Shelley　had　a　fight　at　Eton

in　which　he　quoted　Homer；　but　was　licked　by　a　smaller　boy；　how

Christopher　North　whipped　the　professional　pugilist；　how　Keats

himself　never　had　enough　of　fighting　at　school；　and　beat　the　butcher

afterwards。　　His　friend　Reynolds；　also；　liked　a　set…to　with　the

gloves。　　His　imaginary　character；　Peter　Corcoran；　is　a　poetical　lad；

who　becomes　possessed　by　a　passion　for　prize…fighting。　　It　seems　odd

in　a　poet；　but　〃the　stains　are　fugitive。〃



We　would　liefer　see　a　young　man　rejoicing　in　his　strength　and

improving　his　science；　than　loafing　about　with　long　hair　and　giving

anxious　thought　to　the　colour　of　his　necktie。　　It　is　a　disinterested

preference；　as　fighting　was　never　my　forte；　any　more　than　it　was

Artemus　Ward's。　　At　school　I　was　〃more　remarkable　for　what　I

suffered　than　for　what　I　achieved。〃



Peter　Corcoran　〃fought　nearly　as　soon　as　he　could　walk；〃　wherein　he

resembled　Keats；　and　part　of　his　character　may　even　have　been

borrowed　from　the　author　of　the　〃Ode　to　the　Nightingale。〃　　Peter

fell　in　love；　wrote　poetry；　witnessed　a　〃mill〃　at　the　Fives…Court；

and　became　the　Laureate　of　the　Ring。　　〃He　has　made　a　good　set…to

with　Eales；　Tom　Belcher　（the　monarch　of　the　gloves！）；　and　Turner；

and　it　is　known　that　he　has　parried　the　difficult　and　ravaging　hand

even　of　Randall　himself。〃　　〃The　difficult　and　ravaging　hand〃there

is　a　style　for　you！



Reynolds　has　himself　the　enthusiasm　of　his　hero；　let　us　remember

that　Homer；　Virgil；　and　Theocritus　have　all　described　spirited

rallies　with　admiration　and　good　taste。　　From　his　dissipation　in

cider…cellars　and　coal…holes；　this　rival　of　Tom　and　Jerry　wrote　a

sonnet　that　applies　well　enough　to　Reynolds's　own　career：





〃Were　this　a　feather　from　an　eagle's　wing；

And　thou；　my　tablet　white！　a　marble　tile

Taken　from　ancient　Jove's　majestic　pile　…

And　might　I　dip　my　feather　in　some　spring；

Adown　Mount　Ida　threadlike　wandering：…

And　were　my　thoughts　brought　from　some　starry　isle

In　Heaven's　blue　seaI　then　might　with　a　smile

Write　down　a　hymn　to　fame；　and　proudly　sing！



〃But　I　am　mortal：　　and　I　cannot　write

Aught　that　may　foil　the　fatal　wing　of　Time。

Silent；　I　look　at　Fame：　　I　cannot　climb

To　where　her　Temple　isNot　mine　the　might：…

I　have　some　glimmering　of　what　is　sublime　…

But；　ah！　it　is　a　most　inconstant　light。〃





Keats　might　have　written　this　sonnet　in　a　melancholy　mood。



〃About　this　time　he　（Peter）　wrote　a　slang　description　of　a　fight　he

had　witnessed　to　a　lady。〃　　Unlucky　Peter！　　〃Was　ever　woman　in　this

manner　wooed？〃　　The　lady　〃glanced　her　eye　over　page　after　page　in

hopes　of　meeting　with　something　that　was　intelligible；〃　and　no

wonde