alfred tennyson-第1章

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Alfred　Tennyson

by　Andrew　Lang






INTRODUCTION


In　writing　this　brief　sketch　of　the　Life　of　Tennyson；　and　this
attempt　to　appreciate　his　work；　I　have　rested　almost　entirely　on　the
Biography　by　Lord　Tennyson　（with　his　kind　permission）　and　on　the　text
of　the　Poems。　　As　to　the　Life；　doubtless　current　anecdotes；　not　given
in　the　Biography；　are　known　to　me；　and　to　most　people。　　But　as　they
must　also　be　familiar　to　the　author　of　the　Biography；　I　have　not
thought　it　desirable　to　include　what　he　rejected。　　The　works　of　the
〃localisers〃　I　have　not　read：　　Tennyson　disliked　these　researches；　as
a　rule；　and　they　appear　to　be　unessential；　and　often　hazardous。　　The
professed　commentators　I　have　not　consulted。　　It　appeared　better　to
give　one's　own　impressions　of　the　Poems；　unaffected　by　the
impressions　of　others；　except　in　one　or　two　cases　where　matters　of
fact　rather　than　of　taste　seemed　to　be　in　question。　　Thus　on　two　or
three　points　I　have　ventured　to　differ　from　a　distinguished　living
critic；　and　have　given　the　reasons　for　my　dissent。　　Professor
Bradley's　Commentary　on　In　Memoriam　｛1｝　came　out　after　this　sketch
was　in　print。　　Many　of　the　comments　cited　by　Mr　Bradley　from　his
predecessors　appear　to　justify　my　neglect　of　these　curious　inquirers。
The　〃difficulties〃　which　they　raise　are　not　likely；　as　a　rule；　to
present　themselves　to　persons　who　read　poetry　〃for　human　pleasure。〃

I　have　not　often　dwelt　on　parallels　to　be　found　in　the　works　of
earlier　poets。　　In　many　cases　Tennyson　deliberately　reproduced
passages　from　Greek；　Latin；　and　old　Italian　writers；　just　as　Virgil
did　in　the　case　of　Homer；　Theocritus；　Apollonius　Rhodius；　and　others。
There　are；　doubtless；　instances　in　which　a　phrase　is　unconsciously
reproduced　by　automatic　memory；　from　an　English　poet。　　But　I　am　less
inclined　than　Mr　Bradley　to　think　that　unconscious　reminiscence　is
more　common　in　Tennyson　than　in　the　poets　generally。　　I　have　not
closely　examined　Keats　and　Shelley；　for　example；　to　see　how　far　they
were　influenced　by　unconscious　memory。　　But　Scott；　confessedly；　was
apt　to　reproduce　the　phrases　of　others；　and　once　unwittingly　borrowed
from　a　poem　by　the　valet　of　one　of　his　friends！　　I　believe　that　many
of　the　alleged　borrowings　in　Tennyson　are　either　no　true　parallels　at
all　or　are　the　unavoidable　coincidences　of　expression　which　must
inevitably　occur。　　The　poet　himself　stated；　in　a　lively　phrase；　his
opinion　of　the　hunters　after　parallels；　and　I　confess　that　I　am　much
of　his　mind。　　They　often　remind　me　of　Mr　Punch's　parody　on　an
unfriendly　review　of　Alexander　Smith　…


〃Most　WOMEN　have　NO　CHARACTER　at　all。〃　POPE。
〃No　CHARACTER　that　servant　WOMAN　asked。〃　SMITH。


I　have　to　thank　Mr　Edmund　Gosse　and　Mr　Vernon　Rendall　for　their
kindness　in　reading　my　proof…sheets。　　They　have　saved　me　from　some
errors；　but　I　may　have　occasionally　retained　matter　which；　for　one
reason　or　another；　did　not　recommend　itself　to　them。　　In　no　case　are
they　responsible　for　the　opinions　expressed；　or　for　the　critical
estimates。　　They　are　those　of　a　Tennysonian；　and；　no　doubt；　would　be
other　than　they　are　if　the　writer　were　younger　than　he　is。　　It　does
not　follow　that　they　would　necessarily　be　more　correct；　though
probably　they　would　be　more　in　vogue。　　The　point　of　view　must　shift
with　each　generation　of　readers；　as　ideas　or　beliefs　go　in　or　out　of
fashion；　are　accepted；　rejected；　or　rehabilitated。　　To　one　age
Tennyson　may　seem　weakly　superstitious；　to　another　needlessly
sceptical。　　After　all；　what　he　must　live　by　is；　not　his　opinions；　but
his　poetry。　　The　poetry　of　Milton　survives　his　ideas；　whatever　may　be
the　fate　of　the　ideas　of　Tennyson　his　poetry　must　endure。





CHAPTER　IBOYHOODCAMBRIDGEEARLY　POEMS。


The　life　and　work　of　Tennyson　present　something　like　the　normal　type
of　what；　in　circumstances　as　fortunate　as　mortals　may　expect；　the
life　and　work　of　a　modern　poet　ought　to　be。　　A　modern　poet；　one　says；
because　even　poetry　is　now　affected　by　the　division　of　labour。　　We　do
not　look　to　the　poet　for　a　large　share　in　the　practical　activities　of
existence：　　we　do　not　expect　him；　like　AEschylus　and　Sophocles；
Theognis　and　Alcaeus；　to　take　a　conspicuous　part　in　politics　and　war；
or　even；　as　in　the　Age　of　Anne；　to　shine　among　wits　and　in　society。
Life　has　become；　perhaps；　too　specialised　for　such　multifarious
activities。　　Indeed；　even　in　ancient　days；　as　a　Celtic　proverb　and　as
the　picture　of　life　in　the　Homeric　epics　prove；　the　poet　was　already
a　man　apartnot　foremost　among　statesmen　and　rather　backward　among
warriors。　　If　we　agree　with　a　not　unpopular　opinion；　the　poet　ought
to　be　a　kind　of　〃Titanic〃　force；　wrecking　himself　on　his　own　passions
and　on　the　nature　of　things；　as　did　Byron；　Burns；　Marlowe；　and
Musset。　　But　Tennyson's　career　followed　lines　really　more　normal；　the
lines　of　the　life　of　Wordsworth；　wisdom　and　self…control　directing
the　course　of　a　long；　sane；　sound；　and　fortunate　existence。　　The
great　physical　strength　which　is　commonly　the　basis　of　great　mental
vigour　was　not　ruined　in　Tennyson　by　poverty　and　passion；　as　in　the
case　of　Burns；　nor　in　forced　literary　labour；　as　in　those　of　Scott
and　Dickens。　　For　long　he　was　poor；　like　Wordsworth　and　Southey；　but
never　destitute。　　He　made　his　early　effort：　　he　had　his　time　of　great
sorrow；　and　trial；　and　apparent　failure。　　With　practical　wisdom　he
conquered　circumstances；　he　became　eminent；　he　outlived　reaction
against　his　genius；　he　died　in　the　fulness　of　a　happy　age　and　of
renown。　　This　full…orbed　life；　with　not　a　few　years　of　sorrow　and
stress；　is　what　Nature　seems　to　intend　for　the　career　of　a　divine
minstrel。　　If　Tennyson　missed　the　〃one　crowded　hour　of　glorious
life；〃　he　had　not　to　be　content　in　〃an　age　without　a　name。〃

It　was　not　Tennyson's　lot　to　illustrate　any　modern　theory　of　the
origin　of　genius。　　Born　in　1809　of　a　Lincolnshire　family；　long
connected　with　the　soil　but　inconspicuous　in　history；　Tennyson　had
nothing　Celtic　in　his　blood；　as　far　as　pedigrees　prove。　　This　is
unfortunate　for　one　school　of　theorists。　　His　mother　（genius　is
presumed　to　be　derived　from　mothers）　had　a　genius　merely　for　moral
excellence　and　for　religion。　　She　is　described　in　the　poem　of　Isabel；
and　was　〃a　remarkable　and　saintly　woman。〃　　In　the　male　line；　the
family　was　not　（as　the　families　of　genius　ought　to　be）　brief　of　life
and　unhealthy。　　〃The　Tennysons　never　die；〃　said　the　sister　who　was
betrothed　to　Arthur　Hallam。　　The　father；　a　clergyman；　was；　says　his
grandson；　〃a　man　of　great　ability；〃　and　his　〃excellent　library〃　was
an　element　in　the　education　of　his　family。　　〃My　father　was　a　poet；〃
Tennyson　said；　〃and　could　write　regular　verse　very　skilfully。〃　　In
physical　type　the　sons　were　tall；　strong；　and　unusually　dark：
Tennyson；　when　abroad；　was　not　taken　for　an　Englishman；　at　home；
strangers　thought　him　〃foreign。〃　　Most　of　the　children　had　the
temperament；　and　several　of　the　sons　had　some　of　the　accomplishments；
of　genius：　　whence　derived　by　way　of　heredity　is　a　question　beyond
conjecture；　for　the　father's　accomplishment　was　not　unusual。　　As
Walton　says　of　the　poet　and　the　angler；　they　〃were　born　to　be　so〃：
we　know　no　more。

The　region　in　which　the　paternal　hamlet　of　Somersby　lies；　〃a　land　of
quiet　villages；　large　fields；　grey　hillsides；　and　noble　tall…towered
churches；　on　the　lower　slope　of　a　Lincolnshire　wold；〃　does　not　appear
to　have　been　rich　in　romantic　legend　and　tradition。　　The　folk…lore　of
Lincolnshire；　of　which　examples　have　been　published；　does　seem　to
have　a　peculiar　poetry　of　its　own；　but　it　was　rather　the　humorous
than　the　poetical　aspect　of　the　country…people　that　Tennyson　appears
to　have　known。　　In　brief；　we　have　nothing　to　inform　us　as　to　how
genius　came　into　that　generation　of　Tennysons　which　was　born　between
1807　and　1819。　　A　source　and　a　cause　there　must　have　been；　but　these
things　are　hidden；　except　from　popular　science。

Precocity　is　not　a　sign　of　genius；　but　genius　is　perhaps　always
accompanied　by　precocity。　　This　is　especially　notable　in　the　cases　of
painting；　music；　and　mathematics；　but　in　the　matter　of　literature
genius　may　chiefly　show　itself　in　acquisition；　as　in　Sir　Walter
Sco