alfred tennyson-第3章

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that　time；　as　in　Macaulay's　day；　the　path　of　university　honours　at
Cambridge　lay　through　Mathematics；　and；　except　for　his　prize　poem　in
1829；　Tennyson　took　no　honours　at　all。　　His　classical　reading　was
pursued　as　literature；　not　as　a　course　of　grammar　and　philology。　　No
English　poet；　at　least　since　Milton；　had　been　better　read　in　the
classics；　but　Tennyson's　studies　did　not　aim　at　the　gaining　of
academic　distinction。　　His　aspect　was　such　that　Thompson；　later
Master　of　Trinity；　on　first　seeing　him　come　into　hall；　said；　〃That
man　must　be　a　poet。〃　　Like　Byron；　Shelley；　and　probably　Coleridge；
Tennyson　looked　the　poet　that　he　was：　　〃Six　feet　high；　broad…chested；
strong…limbed；　his　face　Shakespearian　and　with　deep　eyelids；　his
forehead　ample；　crowned　with　dark　wavy　hair；　his　head　finely　poised。〃

Not　much　is　recorded　of　Tennyson　as　an　undergraduate。　　In　our　days
efforts　would　have　been　made　to　enlist　so　promising　a　recruit　in　one
of　the　college　boats；　but　rowing　was　in　its　infancy。　　It　is　a
peculiarity　of　the　universities　that　little　flocks　of　men　of　unusual
ability　come　up　at　intervals　together；　breaking　the　monotony　of
idlers；　prize　scholars；　and　honours　men。　　Such　a　group　appeared　at
Balliol　in　Matthew　Arnold's　time；　and　rather　later；　at　various
colleges；　in　the　dawn　of　Pre…Raphaelitism。　　The　TennysonsAlfred；
Frederick；　and　Charleswere　members　of　such　a　set。　　There　was　Arthur
Hallam；　son　of　the　historian；　from　Eton；　there　was　Spedding；　the
editor　and　biographer　of　Bacon；　Milnes　（Lord　Houghton）；　Blakesley
（Dean　of　Lincoln）；　Thompson；　Merivale；　Trench　（a　poet；　and　later；
Archbishop　of　Dublin）；　Brookfield；　Buller；　and；　after　Tennyson　the
greatest；　Thackeray；　a　contemporary　if　not　an　〃Apostle。〃　　Charles
Buller's；　like　Hallam's；　was　to　be　an　〃unfulfilled　renown。〃　　Of
Hallam；　whose　name　is　for　ever　linked　with　his　own；　Tennyson　said
that　he　would　have　been　a　great　man；　but　not　a　great　poet；　〃he　was　as
near　perfection　as　mortal　man　could　be。〃　　His　scanty　remains　are
chiefly　notable　for　his　divination　of　Tennyson　as　a　great　poet；　for
the　rest；　we　can　only　trust　the　author　of　In　Memoriam　and　the　verdict
of　tradition。

The　studies　of　the　poet　at　this　time　included　original　composition　in
Greek　and　Latin　verse；　history；　and　a　theme　that　he　alone　has　made
poetical；　natural　science。　　All　poetry　has　its　roots　in　the　age
before　natural　science　was　more　than　a　series　of　nature…myths。　　The
poets　have　usually；　like　Keats；　regretted　the　days　when


〃There　was　an　awful　rainbow　once　in　heaven；〃


when　the　hills　and　streams　were　not　yet　〃dispeopled　of　their　dreams。〃
Tennyson；　on　the　other　hand；　was　already　finding　material　for　poetry
in　the　world　as　seen　through　microscope　and　telescope；　and　as
developed　through　〃aeonian〃　processes　of　evolution。　　In　a　notebook；
mixed　with　Greek；　is　a　poem　on　the　Moonnot　the　moon　of　Selene；　〃the
orbed　Maiden；〃　but　of　astronomical　science。　　In　Memoriam　recalls　the
conversations　on　labour　and　politics；　discussions　of　the　age　of　the
Reform　Bill；　of　rick…burning　（expected　to　〃make　taters　cheaper〃）；　and
of　Catholic　emancipation；　also　the　emancipation　of　such　negroes　as
had　not　yet　tasted　the　blessings　of　freedom。　　In　politics　Tennyson
was　what　he　remained；　a　patriot；　a　friend　of　freedom；　a　foe　of
disorder。　　His　politics；　he　said；　were　those　〃of　Shakespeare；　Bacon；
and　every　sane　man。〃　　He　was　one　of　the　Society　of　Apostles；　and
characteristically　contributed　an　essay　on　Ghosts。　　Only　the　preface
survives：　　it　is　not　written　in　a　scientific　style；　but　bids　us　〃not
assume　that　any　vision　IS　baseless。〃　　Perhaps　the　author　went　on　to
discuss　〃veridical　hallucinations；〃　but　his　ideas　about　these　things
must　be　considered　later。

It　was　by　his　father's　wish　that　Tennyson　competed　for　the　English
prize　poem。　　The　theme；　Timbuctoo；　was　not　inspiring。　　Thackeray
wrote　a　good　parody　of　the　ordinary　prize　poem　in　Pope's　metre：…


〃I　see　her　sons　the　hill　of　glory　mount；
And　sell　their　sugars　on　their　own　account；
Prone　to　her　feet　the　prostrate　nations　come；
Sue　for　her　rice　and　barter　for　her　rum。〃


Tennyson's　work　was　not　much　more　serious：　　he　merely　patched　up　an
old　piece；　in　blank　verse；　on　the　battle　of　Armageddon。　　The　poem　is
not　destitute　of　Tennysonian　cadence；　and　ends；　not　inappropriately；
with　〃All　was　night。〃　　Indeed；　all　WAS　night。

　An　ingenious　myth　accounts　for　Tennyson's　success：　　At　Oxford；　says
Charles　Wordsworth；　the　author　was　more　likely　to　have　been
rusticated　than　rewarded。　　But　already　（1829）　Arthur　Hallam　told　Mr
Gladstone　that　Tennyson　〃promised　fair　to　be　the　greatest　poet　of　our
generation；　perhaps　of　our　century。〃

In　1830　Tennyson　published　the　first　volume　of　which　he　was　sole
author。　　Browning's　Pauline　was　of　the　year　1833。　　It　was　the　very
dead　hours　of　the　Muses。　　The　great　Mr　Murray　had　ceased；　as　one
despairing　of　song；　to　publish　poetry。　　Bulwer　Lytton；　in　the　preface
to　Paul　Clifford　（1830）；　announced　that　poetry；　with　every　other　form
of　literature　except　the　Novel；　was　unremunerative　and　unread。
Coleridge　and　Scott　were　silent：　　indeed　Sir　Walter　was　near　his
death；　Wordsworth　had　shot　his　bolt；　though　an　arrow　or　two　were　left
in　the　quiver。　　Keats；　Shelley；　and　Byron　were　dead；　Milman's　brief
vogue　was　departing。　　It　seemed　as　if　novels　alone　could　appeal　to
readers；　so　great　a　change　in　taste　had　been　wrought　by　the　sixteen
years　of　Waverley　romances。　　The　slim　volume　of　Tennyson　was
naturally　neglected；　though　Leigh　Hunt　reviewed　it　in　the　Tatler。
Hallam's　comments　in　the　Englishman's　Magazine；　though　enthusiastic
（as　was　right　and　natural）；　were　judicious。　　〃The　author　imitates　no
one。〃　　Coleridge　did　not　read　all　the　book；　but　noted　〃things　of　a
good　deal　of　beauty。　　The　misfortune　is　that　he　has　begun　to　write
verses　without　very　well　understanding　what　metre　is。〃　　As　Tennyson
said　in　1890；　〃So　I；　an　old　man；　who　get　a　poem　or　poems　every　day；
might　cast　a　casual　glance　at　a　book；　and　seeing　something　which　I
could　not　scan　or　understand；　might　possibly　decide　against　the　book
without　further　consideration。〃　　As　a　rule；　the　said　books　are
worthless。　　The　number　of　versifiers　makes　it　hard；　indeed；　for　the
poet　to　win　recognition。　　One　little　new　book　of　rhyme　is　so　like
another；　and　almost　all　are　of　so　little　interest！

The　rare　book　that　differs　from　the　rest　has　a　bizarrerie　with　its
originality；　and　in　the　poems　of　1830　there　was；　assuredly；　more　than
enough　of　the　bizarre。　　There　were　no　hyphens　in　the　double　epithets；
and　words　like　〃tendriltwine〃　seemed　provokingly　affected。　　A　kind　of
lusciousness；　like　that　of　Keats　when　under　the　influence　of　Leigh
Hunt；　may　here　and　there　be　observed。　　Such　faults　as　these　catch　the
indifferent　eye　when　a　new　book　is　first　opened；　and　the　volume　of
1830　was　probably　condemned　by　almost　every　reader　of　the　previous
generation　who　deigned　to　afford　it　a　glance。　　Out　of　fifty…six
pieces　only　twenty…three　were　reprinted　in　the　two　volumes　of　1842；
which　won　for　Tennyson　the　general　recognition　of　the　world　of
letters。　　Five　or　six　of　the　pieces　then　left　out　were　added　as
Juvenilia　in　the　collected　works　of　1871；　1872。　　The　whole　mass
deserves　the　attention　of　students　of　the　poet's　development。

This　early　volume　may　be　said　to　contain；　in　the　germ；　all　the　great
original　qualities　of　Tennyson；　except　the　humour　of　his　rural
studies　and　the　elaboration　of　his　Idylls。　　For　example；　in　Mariana
we　first　note　what　may　be　called　his　perfection　and　accomplishment。
The　very　few　alterations　made　later　are　verbal。　　The　moated　grange　of
Mariana　in　Measure　for　Measure；　and　her　mood　of　desertion　and
despair；　are　elaborated　by　a　precision　of　truth　and　with　a　perfection
of　harmony　worthy　of　Shakespeare　himself；　and　minutely　studied　from
the　natural　scenes　in　which　the　poet　was　born。　　If　these　verses　alone
survived　out　of　the　wreck　of　Victorian　literature；　they　would
demonstrate　the　greatness　of　the　author　as　clearly　as　do　the
fragments　of　Sappho。　　Isabel　（a　study　of　the　poet's　mother）　is　almost
as　remarkable　in　its　stately　dignity；　while　Recollections　of　the
Arabian　Nights　attest　the　power　of　refined　luxury　in　romantic
desc