the works of edgar allan poe-5-第46章

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be　evinced；　yet　the　picking　of　pockets　is　an　unw　orthy　act；　pockets　have
been　picked　time　immemorial；　and　Barrington；　the　pickpocket；　in　point　of
genius；　would　have　thought　hard　of　a　comparison　with　William　Wordsworth；
the　poet。

〃Again；　in　estimating　the　merit　of　certain　poems；　whether　they　be　Ossian's
or　Macpherson's　can　surely　be　of　little　consequence；　yet；　in　order　to
prove　their　worthlessness；　Mr。　W。　has　expended　many　pages　in　the
controversy。　_Tantaene　animis？　_Can　great　minds　descend　to　such　absurdity？
But　worse　still：　that　he　may　bear　down　every　argument　in　favor　of　these
poems；　he　triumphantly　drags　forward　a　passage；　in　his　abomination　with
which　he　expects　the　reader　to　sympathize。　It　is　the　beginning　of　the　epic
poem　'Temora。'　'The　blue　waves　of　Ullin　roll　in　light；　the　green　hills　are
covered　with　day；　trees　shake　their　dusty　heads　in　the　breeze。'　And　this
this　gorgeous；　yet　simple　imagery；　where　all　is　alive　and　panting　with
immortality…this；　William　Wordsworth；　the　author　of　'Peter　Bell；'　has
_selected　_for　his　contempt。　We　shall　see　what　better　he；　in　his　own
person；　has　to　offer。　Imprimis：

〃'And　now　she's　at　the　pony's　tail；
And　now　she's　at　the　pony's　head；
On　that　side　now；　and　now　on　this；
And；　almost　stifled　with　her　bliss；

A　few　sad　tears　does　Betty　shed。　。　。　。
She　pats　the　pony；　where　or　when
She　knows　not　。　。　。　。　happy　Betty　Foy！
Oh；　Johnny；　never　mind　the　doctor！'

Secondly：

〃'The　dew　was　falling　fast；　the…stars　began　to　blink；
I　heard　a　voice：　it　said…〃Drink；　pretty　creature；　drink！〃
And；　looking　o'er　the　hedge；　be…fore　me　I　espied
A　snow…white　mountain　lamb；　with　a…maiden　at　its　side。
No　other　sheep　was　near；the　lamb　was　all　alone；
And　by　a　slender　cord　was…tether'd　to　a　stone。'

〃Now；　we　have　no　doubt　this　is　all　true：　we　will　believe　it；　indeed　we
will；　Mr。　W。　Is　it　sympathy　for　the　sheep　you　wish　to　excite？　I　love　a
sheep　from　the　bottom　of　my　heart。

〃But　there　are　occasions；　dear　B…；　there　are　occasions　when　even
Wordsworth　is　reasonable。　Even　Stamboul；　it　is　said；　shall　have　an　end；
and　the　most　unlucky　blunders　must　come　to　a　conclusion。　Here　is　an
extract　from　his　preface　：…

〃'Those　who　have　been　accustomed　to　the　phraseology　of　modem　writers；　if
they　persist　in　reading　this　book　to　a　conclusion　_（impossible！）　will；　_no
doubt；　have　to　struggle　with　feelings　of　awkwardness；　（ha！　ha！　ha！）　they
will　look　round　for　poetry　（ha！　ha！　ha！　ha！）；　and　will　be　induced　to
inquire　by　what　species　of　courtesy　these　attempts　have　been　permitted　to
assume　that　title。'　Ha！　ha！　ha！　ha！　ha！

〃Yet；　let　not　Mr。　W。　despair；　he　has　given　immortality　to　a　wagon；　and　the
bee　Sophocles　has　transmitted　to　eternity　a　sore　toe；　and　dignified　a
tragedy　with　a　chorus　of　turkeys。

〃Of　Coleridge；　I　can　not　speak　but　with　reverence。　His　towering　intellect！
his　gigantic　power！　To　use　an　author　quoted　by　himself；　_'Tai　trouv？
souvent　que　la　plupart　des　sectes　ont　raison　dans　une　bonne　partie　de　ce
qu'elles　avancent；　mais　non　pas　en　ce　qu'elles　nient　；　'　and　_to　employ
his　own　language；　he　has　imprisoned　his　own　conceptions　by　the　barrier　he
has　erected　against　those　of　others。　It　is　lamentable　to　think　that　such　a
mind　should　be　buried　in　metaphysics；　and；　like　the　Nyctanthes；　waste　its
perfume　upon　the　night　alone。　In　reading　that　man's　poetry；　I　tremble　like
one　who　stands　upon　a　volcano；　conscious　from　the　very　darkness　bursting
from　the　crater；　of　the　fire　and　the　light　that　are　weltering　below。

〃What　is　poetry？…Poetry！　that　Proteus…like　idea；　with　as　many　appellations
as　the　nine…titled　Corcyra！　'Give　me；'　I　demanded　of　a　scholar　some　time
ago；　'give　me　a　definition　of　poetry。'　_'Tr鑣volontiers；'　_and　he
proceeded　to　his　library；　brought　me　a　Dr。　Johnson；　and　overwhelmed　me
with　a　definition。　Shade　of　the　immortal　Shakespeare！　I　imagine　to　myself
the　scowl　of　your　spiritual　eye　upon　the　profanity　of　that　scurrilous　Ursa
Major。　Think　of　poetry；　dear　B…；　think　of　poetry；　and　then　think　of　Dr。
Samuel　Johnson！　Think　of　all　that　is　airy　and　fairy…like；　and　then　of　all
that　is　hideous　and　unwieldy；　think　of　his　huge　bulk；　the　Elephant！　and
then…and　then　think　of　the　'Tempest'　…the　'Midsummer…Night's　Dream'…
Prospero　Oberon…and　Titania！

〃A　poem；　in　my　opinion；　is　opposed　to　a　work　of　science　by　having；　for　its
_immediate　_object；　pleasure；　not　truth；　to　romance；　by　having；　for　its
object；　an　_indefinite　_instead　of　a　_definite　_pleasure；　being　a　poem
only　so　far　as　this　object　is　attained；　romance　presenting　perceptible
images　with　definite；　poetry　with　indefinite　sensations；　to　which　end
music　is　an　_essential；　since　_the　comprehension　of　sweet　sound　is　our
most　indefinite　conception。　Music；　when　combined　with　a　pleasurable　idea；
is　poetry；　music；　without　the　idea；　is　simply　music；　the　idea；　wi　thout
the　music；　is　prose；　from　its　very　definitiveness。

〃What　was　meant　by　the　invective　against　him　who　had　no　music　in　his　soul？

〃To　sum　up　this　long　rigmarole；　I　have；　dear　B…；　what　you；　no　doubt；
perceive；　for　the　metaphysical　poets　as　poets；　the　most　sovereign
contempt。　That　they　have　followers　proves　nothing…

〃'No　Indian　prince　has　to　his　palace
More　followers　than　a　thief　to　the　gallows。

*　GJL*4@J〃J@《　6〃4　N48@F@M46@J〃J@《　（；