essays and lectures-第21章

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real　experiences　of　the　artist　are　always　those　which　do　not　find

their　direct　expression　but　are　gathered　up　and　absorbed　into　some

artistic　form　which　seems；　from　such　real　experiences；　to　be　the

farthest　removed　and　the　most　alien。



'The　heart　contains　passion　but　the　imagination　alone　contains

poetry；'　says　Charles　Baudelaire。　　This　too　was　the　lesson　that

Theophile　Gautier；　most　subtle　of　all　modern　critics；　most

fascinating　of　all　modern　poets；　was　never　tired　of　teaching　…

'Everybody　is　affected　by　a　sunrise　or　a　sunset。'　　The　absolute

distinction　of　the　artist　is　not　his　capacity　to　feel　nature　so

much　as　his　power　of　rendering　it。　　The　entire　subordination　of　all

intellectual　and　emotional　faculties　to　the　vital　and　informing

poetic　principle　is　the　surest　sign　of　the　strength　of　our

Renaissance。



We　have　seen　the　artistic　spirit　working；　first　in　the　delightful

and　technical　sphere　of　language；　the　sphere　of　expression　as

opposed　to　subject；　then　controlling　the　imagination　of　the　poet　in

dealing　with　his　subject。　　And　now　I　would　point　out　to　you　its

operation　in　the　choice　of　subject。　　The　recognition　of　a　separate

realm　for　the　artist；　a　consciousness　of　the　absolute　difference

between　the　world　of　art　and　the　world　of　real　fact；　between

classic　grace　and　absolute　reality；　forms　not　merely　the　essential

element　of　any　aesthetic　charm　but　is　the　characteristic　of　all

great　imaginative　work　and　of　all　great　eras　of　artistic　creation　…

of　the　age　of　Phidias　as　of　the　age　of　Michael　Angelo；　of　the　age

of　Sophocles　as　of　the　age　of　Goethe。



Art　never　harms　itself　by　keeping　aloof　from　the　social　problems　of

the　day：　　rather；　by　so　doing；　it　more　completely　realises　for　us

that　which　we　desire。　　For　to　most　of　us　the　real　life　is　the　life

we　do　not　lead；　and　thus；　remaining　more　true　to　the　essence　of　its

own　perfection；　more　jealous　of　its　own　unattainable　beauty；　is

less　likely　to　forget　form　in　feeling　or　to　accept　the　passion　of

creation　as　any　substitute　for　the　beauty　of　the　created　thing。



The　artist　is　indeed　the　child　of　his　own　age；　but　the　present　will

not　be　to　him　a　whit　more　real　than　the　past；　for；　like　the

philosopher　of　the　Platonic　vision；　the　poet　is　the　spectator　of

all　time　and　of　all　existence。　　For　him　no　form　is　obsolete；　no

subject　out　of　date；　rather；　whatever　of　life　and　passion　the　world

has　known；　in　desert　of　Judaea　or　in　Arcadian　valley；　by　the　rivers

of　Troy　or　the　rivers　of　Damascus；　in　the　crowded　and　hideous

streets　of　a　modern　city　or　by　the　pleasant　ways　of　Camelot　…　all

lies　before　him　like　an　open　scroll；　all　is　still　instinct　with

beautiful　life。　　He　will　take　of　it　what　is　salutary　for　his　own

spirit；　no　more；　choosing　some　facts　and　rejecting　others　with　the

calm　artistic　control　of　one　who　is　in　possession　of　the　secret　of

beauty。



There　is　indeed　a　poetical　attitude　to　be　adopted　towards　all

things；　but　all　things　are　not　fit　subjects　for　poetry。　　Into　the

secure　and　sacred　house　of　Beauty　the　true　artist　will　admit

nothing　that　is　harsh　or　disturbing；　nothing　that　gives　pain；

nothing　that　is　debatable；　nothing　about　which　men　argue。　　He　can

steep　himself；　if　he　wishes；　in　the　discussion　of　all　the　social

problems　of　his　day；　poor…laws　and　local　taxation；　free　trade　and

bimetallic　currency；　and　the　like；　but　when　he　writes　on　these

subjects　it　will　be；　as　Milton　nobly　expressed　it；　with　his　left

hand；　in　prose　and　not　in　verse；　in　a　pamphlet　and　not　in　a　lyric。

This　exquisite　spirit　of　artistic　choice　was　not　in　Byron：

Wordsworth　had　it　not。　　In　the　work　of　both　these　men　there　is　much

that　we　have　to　reject；　much　that　does　not　give　us　that　sense　of

calm　and　perfect　repose　which　should　be　the　effect　of　all　fine；

imaginative　work。　　But　in　Keats　it　seemed　to　have　been　incarnate；

and　in　his　lovely　ODE　ON　A　GRECIAN　URN　it　found　its　most　secure　and

faultless　expression；　in　the　pageant　of　the　EARTHLY　PARADISE　and

the　knights　and　ladies　of　Burne…Jones　it　is　the　one　dominant　note。



It　is　to　no　avail　that　the　Muse　of　Poetry　be　called；　even　by　such　a

clarion　note　as　Whitman's；　to　migrate　from　Greece　and　Ionia　and　to

placard　REMOVED　and　TO　LET　on　the　rocks　of　the　snowy　Parnassus。

Calliope's　call　is　not　yet　closed；　nor　are　the　epics　of　Asia　ended；

the　Sphinx　is　not　yet　silent；　nor　the　fountain　of　Castaly　dry。　　For

art　is　very　life　itself　and　knows　nothing　of　death；　she　is　absolute

truth　and　takes　no　care　of　fact；　she　sees　（as　I　remember　Mr。

Swinburne　insisting　on　at　dinner）　that　Achilles　is　even　now　more

actual　and　real　than　Wellington；　not　merely　more　noble　and

interesting　as　a　type　and　figure　but　more　positive　and　real。



Literature　must　rest　always　on　a　principle；　and　temporal

considerations　are　no　principle　at　all。　　For　to　the　poet　all　times

and　places　are　one；　the　stuff　he　deals　with　is　eternal　and

eternally　the　same：　　no　theme　is　inept；　no　past　or　present

preferable。　　The　steam　whistle　will　not　affright　him　nor　the　flutes

of　Arcadia　weary　him：　　for　him　there　is　but　one　time；　the　artistic

moment；　but　one　law；　the　law　of　form；　but　one　land；　the　land　of

Beauty　…　a　land　removed　indeed　from　the　real　world　and　yet　more

sensuous　because　more　enduring；　calm；　yet　with　that　calm　which

dwells　in　the　faces　of　the　Greek　statues；　the　calm　which　comes　not

from　the　rejection　but　from　the　absorption　of　passion；　the　calm

which　despair　and　sorrow　cannot　disturb　but　intensify　only。　　And　so

it　comes　that　he　who　seems　to　stand　most　remote　from　his　age　is　he

who　mirrors　it　best；　because　he　has　stripped　life　of　what　is

accidental　and　transitory；　stripped　it　of　that　'mist　of　familiarity

which　makes　life　obscure　to　us。'



Those　strange；　wild…eyed　sibyls　fixed　eternally　in　the　whirlwind　of

ecstasy；　those　mighty…limbed　and　Titan　prophets；　labouring　with　the

secret　of　the　earth　and　the　burden　of　mystery；　that　guard　and

glorify　the　chapel　of　Pope　Sixtus　at　Rome　…　do　they　not　tell　us

more　of　the　real　spirit　of　the　Italian　Renaissance；　of　the　dream　of

Savonarola　and　of　the　sin　of　Borgia；　than　all　the　brawling　boors

and　cooking　women　of　Dutch　art　can　teach　us　of　the　real　spirit　of

the　history　of　Holland？



And　so　in　our　own　day；　also；　the　two　most　vital　tendencies　of　the

nineteenth　century　…　the　democratic　and　pantheistic　tendency　and

the　tendency　to　value　life　for　the　sake　of　art　…　found　their　most

complete　and　perfect　utterance　in　the　poetry　of　Shelley　and　Keats

who；　to　the　blind　eyes　of　their　own　time；　seemed　to　be　as　wanderers

in　the　wilderness；　preachers　of　vague　or　unreal　things。　　And　I

remember　once；　in　talking　to　Mr。　Burne…Jones　about　modern　science；

his　saying　to　me；　'the　more　materialistic　science　becomes；　the　more

angels　shall　I　paint：　　their　wings　are　my　protest　in　favour　of　the

immortality　of　the　soul。'



But　these　are　the　intellectual　speculations　that　underlie　art。

Where　in　the　arts　themselves　are　we　to　find　that　breadth　of　human

sympathy　which　is　the　condition　of　all　noble　work；　where　in　the

arts　are　we　to　look　for　what　Mazzini　would　call　the　social　ideas　as

opposed　to　the　merely　personal　ideas？　　By　virtue　of　what　claim　do　I

demand　for　the　artist　the　love　and　loyalty　of　the　men　and　women　of

the　world？　　I　think　I　can　answer　that。



Whatever　spiritual　message　an　artist　brings　to　his　aid　is　a　matter

for　his　own　soul。　　He　may　bring　judgment　like　Michael　Angelo　or

peace　like　Angelico；　he　may　come　with　mourning　like　the　great

Athenian　or　with　mirth　like　the　singer　of　Sicily；　nor　is　it　for　us

to　do　aught　but　accept　his　teaching；　knowing　that　we　cannot　smite

the　bitter　lips　of　Leopardi　into　laughter　or　burden　with　our

discontent　Goethe's　serene　calm。　　But　for　warrant　of　its　truth　such

message　must　have　the　flame　of　eloquence　in　the　lips　that　speak　it；

splendour　and　glory　in　the　vision　that　is　its　witness；　being

justified　by　one　thing　only　…　the　flawless　beauty　and　perfect　form

of　its　expression：　　this　indeed　being　the