alfred tennyson-第8章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！




So　fortunate　in　their　transmission　through　poets　have　been　the　lines
of　〃the　Ionian　father　of　the　rest；〃　the　greatest　of　them　all。

In　the　variety　of　excellences　which　marks　Tennyson；　the　new　English
idylls　of　1842　hold　their　prominent　place。　　Nothing　can　be　more
exquisite　and　more　English　than　the　picture　of　〃the　garden　that　I
love。〃　　Theocritus　cannot　be　surpassed；　but　the　idyll　matches　to　the
seventh　of　his；　where　it　is　most　closely　followed；　and　possesses　such
a　picture　of　a　girl　as　the　Sicilian　never　tried　to　paint。

Dora　is　another　idyll；　resembling　the　work　of　a　Wordsworth　in　a　clime
softer　than　that　of　the　Fells。　　The　lays　of　Edwin　Morris　and　Edward
Bull　are　not　among　the　more　enduring　of　even　the　playful　poems。　　The
St　Simeon　Stylites　appears　〃made　to　the　hand〃　of　the　author　of　Men
and　Women　rather　than　of　Tennyson。　　The　grotesque　vanity　of　the
anchorite　is　so　remote　from　us；　that　we　can　scarcely　judge　of　the
truth　of　the　picture；　though　the　East　has　still　her　parallels　to　St
Simeon。　　From　the　almost；　perhaps　quite；　incredible　ascetic　the　poet
lightly　turns　to　〃society　verse〃　lifted　up　into　the　air　of　poetry；　in
the　charm　of　The　Talking　Oak；　and　the　happy　flitting　sketches　of
actual　history；　and　thence　to　the　strength　and　passion　of　Love　and
Duty。　　Shall


　　　　　　　　　〃Sin　itself　be　found
The　cloudy　porch　oft　opening　on　the　Sun？〃


That　this　is　the　province　of　sin　is　a　pretty　popular　modern　moral。
But　Honour　is　the　better　part；　and　here　was　a　poet　who　had　the
courage　to　say　so；　though；　to　be　sure；　the　words　ring　strange　in　an
age　when　highly　respectable　matrons　assure　us　that　〃passion；〃　like
charity；　covers　a　multitude　of　sins。　　Love　and　Duty；　we　must　admit；
is　〃early　Victorian。〃

The　Ulysses　is　almost　a　rival　to　the　Morte　d'Arthur。　　It　is　of　an
early　date；　after　Arthur　Hallam's　death；　and　Thackeray　speaks　of　the
poet　chanting　his


〃Great　Achilles　whom　we　knew；〃


as　if　he　thought　that　this　was　in　Cambridge　days。　　But　it　is　later
than　these。　　Tennyson　said；　〃Ulysses　was　written　soon　after　Arthur
Hallam's　death；　and　gave　my　feeling　about　the　need　of　going　forward；
and　braving　the　struggle　of　life；　perhaps　more　simply　than　anything
in　In　Memoriam。〃　　Assuredly　the　expression　is　more　simple；　and　more
noble；　and　the　personal　emotion　more　dignified　for　the　classic　veil。
When　the　plaintive　Pessimist　（〃'proud　of　the　title；'　as　the　Living
Skeleton　said　when　they　showed　him〃）　tells　us　that　〃not　to　have　been
born　is　best；〃　we　may　answer　with　Ulysses　…


　　　〃Life　piled　on　life
Were　all　too　little。〃


The　Ulysses　of　Tennyson；　of　course；　is　Dante's　Ulysses；　not　Homer's
Odysseus；　who　brought　home　to　Ithaca　not　one　of　his　mariners。　　His
last　known　adventure；　the　journey　to　the　land　of　men　who　knew　not　the
savour　of　salt；　Odysseus　was　to　make　on　foot　and　alone；　so　spake　the
ghost　of　Tiresias　within　the　poplar　pale　of　Persephone。

The　Two　Voices　expresses　the　contest　of　doubts　and　griefs　with　the
spirit　of　endurance　and　joy　which　speaks　alone　in　Ulysses。　　The　man
who　is　unhappy；　but　does　not　want　to　put　an　end　to　himself；　has
certainly　the　better　of　the　argument　with　the　despairing　Voice。　　The
arguments　of　〃that　barren　Voice〃　are；　indeed；　remarkably　deficient　in
cogency　and　logic；　if　we　can　bring　ourselves　to　strip　the　discussion
of　its　poetry。　　The　original　title；　Thoughts　of　a　Suicide；　was
inappropriate。　　The　suicidal　suggestions　are　promptly　faced　and
confuted；　and　the　mood　of　the　author　is　throughout　that　of　one　who
thinks　life　worth　living：…


〃Whatever　crazy　sorrow　saith；
No　life　that　breathes　with　human　breath
Has　ever　truly　long'd　for　death。

'Tis　life　whereof　our　nerves　are　scant；
Oh　life；　not　death；　for　which　we　pant；
More　life；　and　fuller；　that　I　want。〃


This　appears　to　be　a　satisfactory　reply　to　the　persons　who　eke　out　a
livelihood　by　publishing　pessimistic　books；　and　hooting；　as　the　great
Alexandre　Dumas　says；　at　the　great　drama　of　Life。

With　The　Day…Dream　（of　The　Sleeping　Beauty）　Tennyson　again　displays
his　matchless　range　of　powers。　　Verse　of　Society　rises　into　a　charmed
and　musical　fantasy；　passing　from　the　Berlin…wool　work　of　the　period


（〃Take　the　broidery　frame；　and　add
A　crimson　to　the　quaint　Macaw〃）


into　the　enchanted　land　of　the　fable：　　princes　immortal；　princesses
eternally　young　and　fair。　　The　St　Agnes　and　Sir　Galahad；　companion
pieces；　contain　the　romance；　as　St　Simeon　Stylites　shows　the
repulsive　side　of　asceticism；　for　the　saint　and　the　knight　are　young；
beautiful；　and　eager　as　St　Theresa　in　her　childhood。　　It　has　been
said；　I　do　not　know　on　what　authority；　that　the　poet　had　no
recollection　of　composing　Sir　Galahad；　any　more　than　Scott　remembered
composing　The　Bride　of　Lammermoor；　or　Thackeray　parts　of　Pendennis。
The　haunting　of　Tennyson's　mind　by　the　Arthurian　legends　prompted
also　the　lovely　fragment　on　the　Queen's　last　Maying；　Sir　Launcelot
and　Queen　Guinevere；　a　thing　of　perfect　charm　and　music。　　The　ballads
of　Lady　Clare　and　The　Lord　of　Burleigh　are　not　examples　of　the　poet
in　his　strength；　for　his　power　and　fantasy　we　must　turn　to　The　Vision
of　Sin；　where　the　early　passages　have　the　languid　voluptuous　music　of
The　Lotos…Eaters；　with　the　ethical　element　superadded；　while　the
portion　beginning　…


〃Wrinkled　ostler；　grim　and　thin


is　in　parts　reminiscent　of　Burns's　Jolly　Beggars。　　In　Break；　Break；
Break；　we　hear　a　note　prelusive　to　In　Memoriam；　much　of　which　was
already　composed。

The　Poems　of　1842　are　always　vocal　in　the　memories　of　all　readers　of
English　verse。　　None　are　more　familiar；　at　least　to　men　of　the
generations　which　immediately　followed　Tennyson's。　　FitzGerald　was
apt　to　think　that　the　poet　never　again　attained　the　same　level；　and　I
venture　to　suppose　that　he　never　rose　above　it。　　For　FitzGerald's
opinion；　right　or　wrong；　it　is　easy　to　account。　　He　had　seen　all　the
pieces　in　manuscript；　they　were　his　cherished　possession　before　the
world　knew　them。　　C'est　mon　homme；　he　might　have　said　of　Tennyson；　as
Boileau　said　of　Moliere。　　Before　the　public　awoke　FitzGerald　had
〃discovered　Tennyson；〃　and　that　at　the　age　most　open　to　poetry　and
most　enthusiastic　in　friendship。　　Again；　the　Poems　of　1842　were
SHORT；　while　The　Princess；　Maud；　and　The　Idylls　of　the　King　were
relatively　long；　and；　with　In　Memoriam；　possessed　unity　of　subject。
They　lacked　the　rich；　the　unexampled　variety　of　topic；　treatment；　and
theme　which　marks　the　Poems　of　1842。　　These　were　all　reasons　why
FitzGerald　should　think　that　the　two　slim　green　volumes　held　the
poet's　work　at　its　highest　level。　　Perhaps　he　was　not　wrong；　after
all。



CHAPTER　IV。1842…848THE　PRINCESS。



The　Poems；　and　such　criticisms　as　those　of　Spedding　and　Sterling；
gave　Tennyson　his　place。　　All　the　world　of　letters　heard　of　him。
Dean　Bradley　tells　us　how　he　took　Oxford　by　storm　in　the　days　of　the
undergraduateship　of　Clough　and　Matthew　Arnold。　　Probably　both　of
these　young　writers　did　not　share　the　undergraduate　enthusiasm。　　Mr
Arnold；　we　know；　did　not　reckon　Tennyson　un　esprit　puissant。　　Like
Wordsworth　（who　thought　Tennyson　〃decidedly　the　first　of　our　living
poets；　。　。　。　he　has　expressed　in　the　strongest　terms　his　gratitude　to
my　writings〃）；　Arnold　was　no　fervent　admirer　of　his　contemporaries。
Besides；　if　Tennyson's　work　is　〃a　criticism　of　Life；〃　the　moral
criticism；　so　far；　was　hidden　in　flowers；　like　the　sword　of
Aristogiton　at　the　feast。　　But；　on　the　whole；　Tennyson　had　won　the
young　men　who　cared　for　poetry；　though　Sir　Robert　Peel　had　never
heard　of　him：　　and　to　win　the　young；　as　Theocritus　desired　to　do；　is
more　than　half　the　battle。　　On　September　8；　1842；　the　poet　was　able
to　tell　Mr　Lushington　that　〃500　of　my　books　are　sold；　according　to
Moxon's　brother；　I　have　made　a　sensation。〃　　The　sales　were　not　like
those　of　Childe　Harold　or　Marmion；　but　for　some　twenty　years　new
poetry　had　not　sold　at　all。　　Novels　had　come　in　about　1814；　and　few
wanted　or　bought　recent　verse。　　But　Carlyle　was　converted。　　He　spoke
no　more　of　a　spoiled　guardsman。　　〃If　you　knew　what　my　relation　has
been　to　the　thing　called　'English　Poetry'　for　many　years　back；　you
would　think　such　a　fact〃　（his　pleasure　in　the　book）　〃surpr