alfred tennyson-第2章

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genius　may　chiefly　show　itself　in　acquisition；　as　in　Sir　Walter
Scott；　who　when　a　boy　knew　much；　but　did　little　that　would　attract
notice。　　As　a　child　and　a　boy　young　Tennyson　was　remarked　both　for
acquisition　and　performance。　　His　own　reminiscences　of　his　childhood
varied　somewhat　in　detail。　　In　one　place　we　learn　that　at　the　age　of
eight　he　covered　a　slate　with　blank　verse　in　the　manner　of　Jamie
Thomson；　the　only　poet　with　whom　he　was　then　acquainted。　　In　another
passage　he　says；　〃The　first　poetry　that　moved　me　was　my　own　at　five
years　old。　　When　I　was　eight　I　remember　making　a　line　I　thought
grander　than　Campbell；　or　Byron；　or　Scott。　　I　rolled　it　out；　it　was
this　…


'With　slaughterous　sons　of　thunder　rolled　the　flood'　…


great　nonsense；　of　course；　but　I　thought　it　fine！〃

It　WAS　fine；　and　was　thoroughly　Tennysonian。　　Scott；　Campbell；　and
Byron　probably　never　produced　a　line　with　the　qualities　of　this
nonsense　verse。　　〃Before　I　could　read　I　was　in　the　habit　on　a　stormy
day　of　spreading　my　arms　to　the　wind　and　crying　out；　'I　hear　a　voice
that's　speaking　in　the　wind；'　and　the　words　'far；　far　away'　had
always　a　strange　charm　for　me。〃　　A　late　lyric　has　this　overword；　FAR；
FAR　AWAY！

A　boy　of　eight　who　knew　the　contemporary　poets　was　more　or　less
precocious。　　Tennyson　also　knew　Pope；　and　wrote　hundreds　of　lines　in
Pope's　measure。　　At　twelve　the　boy　produced　an　epic；　in　Scott's
manner；　of　some　six　thousand　lines。　　He　〃never　felt　himself　more
truly　inspired；〃　for　the　sense　of　〃inspiration〃　（as　the　late　Mr　Myers
has　argued　in　an　essay　on　the　〃Mechanism　of　Genius〃）　has　little　to　do
with　the　actual　value　of　the　product。　　At　fourteen　Tennyson　wrote　a
drama　in　blank　verse。　　A　chorus　from　this　play　（as　one　guesses）；　a
piece　from　〃an　unpublished　drama　written　very　early；〃　is　published　in
the　volume　of　1830：…


〃The　varied　earth；　the　moving　heaven；
　　　The　rapid　waste　of　roving　sea；
The　fountain…pregnant　mountains　riven
　　　To　shapes　of　wildest　anarchy；
By　secret　fire　and　midnight　storms
　　　That　wander　round　their　windy　cones。〃


These　lines　are　already　Tennysonian。　　There　is　the　classical
transcript；　〃the　varied　earth；〃　daedala　tellus。　　There　is　the
geological　interest　in　the　forces　that　shape　the　hills。　　There　is　the
use　of　the　favourite　word　〃windy；〃　and　later　in　the　piece　…


〃The　troublous　autumn's　SALLOW　gloom。〃


The　young　poet　from　boyhood　was　original　in　his　manner。

Byron　made　him　blase　at　fourteen。　　Then　Byron　died；　and　Tennyson
scratched　on　a　rock　〃Byron　is　dead；〃　on　〃a　day　when　the　whole　world
seemed　darkened　for　me。〃　　Later　he　considered　Byron's　poetry　〃too
much　akin　to　rhetoric。〃　　〃Byron　is　not　an　artist　or　a　thinker；　or　a
creator　in　the　higher　sense；　but　a　strong　personality；　he　is
endlessly　clever；　and　is　now　unduly　depreciated。〃　　He　〃did　give　the
world　another　heart　and　new　pulses；　and　so　we　are　kept　going。〃　　But
〃he　was　dominated　by　Byron　till　he　was　seventeen；　when　he　put　him
away　altogether。〃

In　his　boyhood；　despite　the　sufferings　which　he　endured　for　a　while
at　school　at　Louth；　despite　bullying　from　big　boys　and　masters；
Tennyson　would　〃shout　his　verses　to　the　skies。〃　　〃Well；　Arthur；　I
mean　to　be　famous；〃　he　used　to　say　to　one　of　his　brothers。　　He
observed　nature　very　closely　by　the　brook　and　the　thundering　sea…
shores：　　he　was　never　a　sportsman；　and　his　angling　was　in　the　manner
of　the　lover　of　The　Miller's　Daughter。　　He　was　seventeen　（1826）　when
Poems　by　Two　Brothers　（himself　and　his　brother　Frederick）　was
published　with　the　date　1827。　　These　poems　contain；　as　far　as　I　have
been　able　to　discover；　nothing　really　Tennysonian。　　What　he　had　done
in　his　own　manner　was　omitted；　〃being　thought　too　much　out　of　the
common　for　the　public　taste。〃　　The　young　poet　had　already　saving
common…sense；　and　understood　the　public。　　Fragments　of　the　true　gold
are　found　in　the　volume　of　1830；　others　are　preserved　in　the
Biography。　　The　ballad　suggested　by　The　Bride　of　Lammermoor　was　not
unworthy　of　Beddoes；　and　that　novel；　one　cannot　but　think；　suggested
the　opening　situation　in　Maud；　where　the　hero　is　a　modern　Master　of
Ravenswood　in　his　relation　to　the　rich　interloping　family　and　the
beautiful　daughter。　　To　this　point　we　shall　return。　　It　does　not
appear　that　Tennyson　was　conscious　in　Maud　of　the　suggestion　from
Scott；　and　the　coincidence　may　be　merely　accidental。

The　Lover's　Tale；　published　in　1879；　was　mainly　a　work　of　the　poet's
nineteenth　year。　　A　few　copies　had　been　printed　for　friends。　　One　of
these；　with　errors　of　the　press；　and　without　the　intended
alterations；　was　pirated　by　an　unhappy　man　in　1875。　　In　old　age
Tennyson　brought　out　the　work　of　his　boyhood。　　〃It　was　written　before
I　had　ever　seen　Shelley；　though　it　is　called　Shelleyan；〃　he　said；　and
indeed　he　believed　that　his　work　had　never　been　imitative；　after　his
earliest　efforts　in　the　manner　of　Thomson　and　of　Scott。　　The　only
things　in　The　Lover's　Tale　which　would　suggest　that　the　poet　here
followed　Shelley　are　the　Italian　scene　of　the　story；　the　character　of
the　versification；　and　the　extraordinary　luxuriance　and　exuberance　of
the　imagery。　｛2｝　　As　early　as　1868　Tennyson　heard　that　written　copies
of　The　Lover's　Tale　were　in　circulation。　　He　then　remarked；　as　to　the
exuberance　of　the　piece：　　〃Allowance　must　be　made　for　abundance　of
youth。　　It　is　rich　and　full；　but　there　are　mistakes　in　it。　。　。　。　The
poem　is　the　breath　of　young　love。〃

How　truly　Tennysonian　the　manner　is　may　be　understood　even　from　the
opening　lines；　full　of　the　original　cadences　which　were　to　become　so
familiar：…


〃Here　far　away；　seen　from　the　topmost　cliff；
Filling　with　purple　gloom　the　vacancies
Between　the　tufted　hills；　the　sloping　seas
Hung　in　mid…heaven；　and　half　way　down　rare　sails；
White　as　white　clouds；　floated　from　sky　to　sky。〃


The　narrative　in　parts　one　and　two　（which　alone　were　written　in
youth）　is　so　choked　with　images　and　descriptions　as　to　be　almost
obscure。　　It　is　the　story；　practically；　of　a　love　like　that　of　Paul
and　Virginia；　but　the　love　is　not　returned　by　the　girl；　who　prefers
the　friend　of　the　narrator。　　Like　the　hero　of　Maud；　the　speaker　has　a
period　of　madness　and　illusion；　while　the　third　part；　〃The　Golden
Supper〃suggested　by　a　story　of　Boccaccio；　and　written　in　maturity
is　put　in　the　mouth　of　another　narrator；　and　is　in　a　different　style。
The　discarded　lover；　visiting　the　vault　which　contains　the　body　of
his　lady；　finds　her　alive；　and　restores　her　to　her　husband。　　The
whole　finished　legend　is　necessarily　not　among　the　author's
masterpieces。　　But　perhaps　not　even　Keats　in　his　earliest　work
displayed　more　of　promise；　and　gave　more　assurance　of　genius。　　Here
and　there　come　turns　and　phrases；　〃all　the　charm　of　all　the　Muses；〃
which　remind　a　reader　of　things　later　well　known　in　pieces　more
mature。　　Such　lines　are　…


　　　〃Strange　to　me　and　sweet；
Sweet　through　strange　years；〃


and　…


〃Like　to　a　low…hung　and　a　fiery　sky
Hung　round　with　RAGGED　RIMS　and　burning　folds。〃


And　…


〃Like　sounds　without　the　twilight　realm　of　dreams；
Which　wander　round　the　bases　of　the　hills。〃


We　also　note　close　observation　of　nature　in　the　curious　phrase　…


〃Cries　of　the　partridge　like　a　rusty　key
Turned　in　a　lock。〃


Of　this　kind　was　Tennyson's　adolescent　vein；　when　he　left


　　　〃The　poplars　four
That　stood　beside　his　father's　door；〃


the　Somersby　brook；　and　the　mills　and　granges；　the　seas　of　the
Lincolnshire　coast；　and　the　hills　and　dales　among　the　wolds；　for
Cambridge。　　He　was　well　read　in　old　and　contemporary　English
literature；　and　in　the　classics。　　Already　he　was　acquainted　with　the
singular　trance…like　condition　to　which　his　poems　occasionally
allude；　a　subject　for　comment　later。　　He　matriculated　at　Trinity；
with　his　brother　Charles；　on　February　20；　1828；　and　had　an　interview
of　a　not　quite　friendly　sort　with　a　proctor　before　he　wore　the　gown。

That　Tennyson　should　go　to　Cambridge；　not　to　Oxford；　was　part　of　the
nature　of　things；　by　which　Cambridge　educates　the　majority　of　English
poets；　whereas　Oxford　has　only　〃turned　out〃　a　fewlike　Shelley。　　At
that　time；　as　in　Macaulay's　day；　the　path　of　university　honours　at
Cambridge　lay