alfred tennyson-第16章

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of　the　mad　scenes；　the　passion　of　the　love　lyrics。

These　merits　have　ceased　to　be　disputed；　but；　though　a　loyal
Tennysonian；　I　have　never　quite　been　able　to　reconcile　myself　to　Maud
as　a　whole。　　The　hero　is　an　unwholesome　young　man；　and　not　of　an
original　kind。　　He　is　un　beau　tenebreux　of　1830。　　I　suppose　it　has
been　observed　that　he　is　merely　The　Master　of　Ravenswood　in　modern
costume；　and　without　Lady　Ashton。　　Her　part　is　taken　by　Maud's
brother。　　The　situations　of　the　hero　and　of　the　Master　（whose
acquaintance　Thackeray　never　renewed　after　he　lost　his　hat　in　the
Kelpie　Flow）　are　nearly　identical。　　The　families　and　fathers　of　both
have　been　ruined　by　〃the　gray　old　wolf；〃　and　by　Sir　William　Ashton；
representing　the　house　of　Stair。　　Both　heroes　live　dawdling　on；　hard
by　their　lost　ancestral　homes。　　Both　fall　in　love　with　the　daughters
of　the　enemies　of　their　houses。　　The　loves　of　both　are　baffled；　and
end　in　tragedy。　　Both　are　concerned　in　a　duel；　though　the　Master；　on
his　way　to　the　ground；　〃stables　his　steed　in　the　Kelpie　Flow；〃　and
the　wooer　in　Maud　shoots　Lucy　Ashton's　brother；I　mean　the　brother
of　Maud；though　duelling　in　England　was　out　of　date。　　Then　comes　an
interval　of　madness；　and　he　recovers　amid　the　patriotic　emotions　of
the　ill…fated　Crimean　expedition。　　Both　lovers　are　gloomy；　though　the
Master　has　better　cause；　for　the　Tennysonian　hero　is　more　comfortably
provided　for　than　Edgar　with　his　〃man　and　maid；〃　his　Caleb　and　Mysie。
Finally；　both　The　Bride　of　Lammermoor；　which　affected　Tennyson　so
potently　in　boyhood


（〃A　merry　merry　bridal；
A　merry　merry　day〃）；


and　Maud；　excel　in　passages　rather　than　as　wholes。

The　hero　of　Maud；　with　his　clandestine　wooing　of　a　girl　of　sixteen；
has　this　apology；　that　the　match　had　been；　as　it　were；　predestined；
and　desired　by　the　mother　of　the　lady。　　Still；　the　brother　did　not
ill　to　be　angry；　and　the　peevishness　of　the　hero　against　the　brother
and　the　parvenu　lord　and　rival　strikes　a　jarring　note。　　In　England；
at　least；　the　general　sentiment　is　opposed　to　this　moody；
introspective　kind　of　young　man；　of　whom　Tennyson　is　not　to　be
supposed　to　approve。　　We　do　not　feel　certain　that　his　man　and　maid
were　〃ever　ready　to　slander　and　steal。〃　　That　seems　to　be　part　of　his
jaundiced　way　of　looking　at　everything　and　everybody。　　He　has　even　a
bad　word　for　the　〃man…god〃　of　modern　days；　…


〃The　man　of　science　himself　is　fonder　of　glory；　and　vain；
An　eye　well…practised　in　nature；　a　spirit　bounded　and　poor。〃


Rien　n'est　sacre　for　this　cynic；　who　thinks　himself　a　Stoic。　　Thus
Maud　was　made　to　be　unpopular　with　the　author's　countrymen；　who
conceived　a　prejudice　against　Maud's　lover；　described　by　Tennyson　as
〃a　morbid　poetic　soul；　。　。　。　an　egotist　with　the　makings　of　a　cynic。〃
That　he　is　〃raised　to　sanity〃　（still　in　Tennyson's　words）　〃by　a　pure
and　holy　love　which　elevates　his　whole　nature；〃　the　world　failed　to
perceive；　especially　as　the　sanity　was　only　a　brief　lucid　interval；
tempered　by　hanging　about　the　garden　to　meet　a　girl　of　sixteen；
unknown　to　her　relations。　　Tennyson　added　that　〃different　phases　of
passion　in　one　person　take　the　place　of　different　characters；〃　to
which　critics　replied　that　they　wanted　different　characters；　if　only
by　way　of　relief；　and　did　not　care　for　any　of　the　phases　of　passion。
The　learned　Monsieur　Janet　has　maintained　that　love　is　a　disease　like
another；　and　that　nobody　falls　in　love　when　in　perfect　health　of　mind
and　body。　　This　theory　seems　open　to　exception；　but　the　hero　of　Maud
is　unhealthy　enough。　　At　best　and　last；　he　only　helps　to　give　a
martial　force　a　〃send…off〃：…


〃I　stood　on　a　giant　deck　and　mixed　my　breath
With　a　loyal　people　shouting　a　battle…cry。〃


He　did　not　go　out　as　a　volunteer；　and　probably　the　Crimean　winters
brought　him　back　to　his　original　estate　of　cynical　gloomand　very
naturally。

The　reconciliation　with　Life　is　not　like　the　reconciliation　of　In
Memoriam。　　The　poem　took　its　rise　in　old　lines；　and　most　beautiful
lines；　which　Tennyson　had　contributed　in　1837　to　a　miscellany：…


〃O　that　'twere　possible；
　　　After　long　grief　and　pain；
To　find　the　arms　of　my　true　love
　　　Round　me　once　again。〃


Thence　the　poet；　working　back　to　find　the　origin　of　the　situation；
encountered　the　ideas　and　the　persons　of　Maud。

I　have　tried　to　state　the　sources；　in　the　general　mind；　of　the
general　dislike　of　Maud。　　The　public；　〃driving　at　practice；〃
disapproved　of　the　〃criticism　of　life〃　in　the　poem；　confused　the
suffering　narrator　with　the　author；　and　neglected　the　poetry。　　〃No
modern　poem；〃　said　Jowett；　〃contains　more　lines　that　ring　in　the　ears
of　men。　　I　do　not　know　any　verse　out　of　Shakespeare　in　which　the
ecstacy　of　love　soars　to　such　a　height。〃　　With　these　comments　we　may
agree；　yet　may　fail　to　follow　Jowett　when　he　says；　〃No　poem　since
Shakespeare　seems　to　show　equal　power　of　the　same　kind；　or　equal
knowledge　of　human　nature。〃　　Shakespeare　could　not　in　a　narrative
poem　have　preferred　the　varying　passions　of　one　character　to　the
characters　of　many　persons。

Tennyson　was　〃nettled　at　first；〃　his　son　says；　〃by　these　captious
remarks　of　the　'indolent　reviewers；'　but　afterwards　he　would　take　no
notice　of　them　except　to　speak　of　them　in　a　half…pitiful；　half…
humorous；　half…mournful　manner。〃　　The　besetting　sin　and　error　of　the
critics　was；　of　course；　to　confound　Tennyson's　hero　with　himself；　as
if　we　confused　Dickens　with　Pip。

Like　Aurora　Leigh；　Lucile；　and　other　works；　Maud　is　under　the
disadvantage　of　being；　practically；　a　novel　of　modern　life　in　verse。
Criticised　as　a　tale　of　modern　life　（and　it　was　criticised　in　that
character）；　it　could　not　be　very　highly　esteemed。　　But　the　essence　of
Maud；　of　course；　lies　in　the　poetical　vehicle。　　Nobody　can　cavil　at
the　impressiveness　of　the　opening　stanzas　…


〃I　hate　the　dreadful　hollow　behind　the　little　wood〃；


with　the　keynotes　of　colour　and　of　desolation　struck；　the　lips　of　the
hollow　〃dabbled　with　blood…red　heath；〃　the　〃red…ribb'd　ledges；〃　and
〃the　flying　gold　of　the　ruin'd　woodlands〃；　and　the　contrast　in　the
picture　of　the　child　Maud　…


〃Maud　the　delight　of　the　village；　the　ringing　joy　of　the　Hall。〃


The　poem　abounds　in　lines　which　live　in　the　memory；　as　in　the　vernal
description　…


〃A　million　emeralds　break　from　the　ruby…budded　lime〃；


and　the　voice　heard　in　the　garden　singing


〃A　passionate　ballad　gallant　and　gay；〃


as　Lovelace's　Althea；　and　the　lines　on　the　far…off　waving　of　a　white
hand；　〃betwixt　the　cloud　and　the　moon。〃　　The　lyric　of


〃Birds　in　the　high　Hall…garden
　　　When　twilight　was　falling；
Maud；　Maud；　Maud；　Maud；
　　　They　were　crying　and　calling；〃


was　a　favourite　of　the　poet。

〃What　birds　were　these？〃　he　is　said　to　have　asked　a　lady　suddenly；
when　reading　to　a　silent　company。

〃Nightingales；〃　suggested　a　listener；　who　did　not　probably　remember
any　other　fowl　that　is　vocal　in　the　dusk。

〃No；　they　were　rooks；〃　answered　the　poet。

〃Come　into　the　Garden；　Maud；〃　is　as　fine　a　love…song　as　Tennyson　ever
wrote；　with　a　triumphant　ring；　and　a　soaring　exultant　note。　　Then　the
poem　drops　from　its　height；　like　a　lark　shot　high　in　heaven；　tragedy
comes；　and　remorse；　and　the　beautiful　interlude　of　the


　　　〃lovely　shell；
Small　and　pure　as　a　pearl。〃


Then　follows　the　exquisite


〃O　that　'twere　possible；〃


and　the　dull　consciousness　of　the　poem　of　madness；　with　its　dumb
gnawing　confusion　of　pain　and　wandering　memory；　the　hero　being
finally　left；　in　the　author's　words；　〃sane　but　shattered。〃

Tennyson's　letters　of　the　time　show　that　the　critics　succeeded　in
wounding　him：　　it　was　not　a　difficult　thing　to　do。　　Maud　was
threatened　with　a　broadside　from　〃that　pompholygous；　broad…blown
Apollodorus；　the　gifted　X。〃　　People　who　have　read　Aytoun's　diverting
Firmilian；　where　Apollodorus　plays　his　part；　and　who　remember　〃gifted
Gilfillan〃　in　Waverley；　know　who　the　gifted　X。　was。　　But　X。　was　no
great　authority　south　of　Tay。

Despite　the　almost　unanimous　condemnation　by　public　critics；　the
success　of　Maud　enabled　Tennyson　to　buy　Farringford；　so　he　must　have
been　better　appreciated　and　understood　by　the　world　than　by　the
reviewers。

In　February　185