letters on literature(关于文学)-第2节
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！
sympathy and consolation； that enchanted book of consecrated regrets。 It
is an easier if not more grateful task to note a certain peevish egotism of
tone in the heroes of 〃Locksley Hall；〃 of 〃Maud；〃 of 〃Lady Clara Vere de
Vere。〃 〃You can't think how poor a figure you make when you tell that
story； sir；〃 said Dr。 Johnson to some unlucky gentleman whose 〃figure〃
must certainly have been more respectable than that which is cut by these
whining and peevish lovers of Maud and Cousin Amy。
Let it be admitted； too； that King Arthur； of the 〃Idylls；〃 is like an
Albert in blank verse； an Albert cursed with a Guinevere for a wife； and a
Lancelot for friend。 The 〃Idylls；〃 with all their beauties； are full of a
Victorian respectability； and love of talking with Vivien about what is not
so respectable。 One wishes； at times； that the 〃Morte d'Arthur〃 had
remained a lonely and flawless fragment； as noble as Homer； as polished
as Sophocles。 But then we must have missed； with many other admirable
things； the 〃Last Battle in the West。〃
People who come after us will be more impressed than we are by the
Laureate's versatility。 He has touched so many strings； from 〃Will
Waterproof's Monologue；〃 so far above Praed； to the agony of 〃Rizpah；〃
the invincible energy of 〃Ulysses；〃 the languor and the fairy music of the
〃Lotus Eaters；〃 the grace as of a Greek epigram which inspires the lines to
Catullus and to Virgil。 He is with Milton for learning； with Keats for
magic and vision； with Virgil for graceful recasting of ancient golden lines；
6
… Page 7…
Letters on Literature
and； even in the latest volume of his long life； 〃we may tell from the
straw；〃 as Homer says； 〃what the grain has been。〃
There are many who make it a kind of religion to regard Mr。 Browning
as the greatest of living English poets。 For him； too； one is thankful as
for a veritable great poet； but can we believe that impartial posterity will
rate him with the Laureate； or that so large a proportion of his work will
endure？ The charm of an enigma now attracts students who feel proud of
being able to understand what others find obscure。 But this attraction
must inevitably become a stumbling…block。
Why Mr。 Browning is obscure is a long question； probably the answer
is that he often could not help himself。 His darkest poems may be made
out by a person of average intelligence who will read them as hard as； for
example； he would find it necessary to read the 〃Logic〃 of Hegel。 There
is a story of two clever girls who set out to peruse 〃Sordello；〃 and
corresponded with each other about their progress。 〃Somebody is dead
in 'Sordello；'〃 one of them wrote to her friend。 〃I don't quite know who it
is； but it must make things a little clearer in the long run。〃 Alas！ a
copious use of the guillotine would scarcely clear the stage of 〃Sordello。〃
It is hardly to be hoped that 〃Sordello；〃 or 〃Red Cotton Night Cap
Country；〃 or 〃Fifine；〃 will continue to be struggled with by posterity。
But the mass of 〃Men and Women；〃 that unexampled gallery of portraits
of the inmost hearts and secret minds of priests； prigs； princes； girls； lovers；
poets； painters； must survive immortally； while civilization and literature
last； while men care to know what is in men。
No perversity of humour； no voluntary or involuntary harshness of
style； can destroy the merit of these poems； which have nothing like them
in the letters of the past； and must remain without successful imitators in
the future。 They will last all the better for a certain manliness of religious
faithsomething sturdy and assured not moved by winds of doctrine； not
paltering with doubts； which is certainly one of Mr。 Browning's attractions
in this fickle and shifting generation。 He cannot be forgotten while； as he
says …
〃A sunset touch； A chorus ending of Euripides；〃
remind men that they are creatures of immortality； and move 〃a
7
… Page 8…
Letters on Literature
thousand hopes and fears。〃
If one were to write out of mere personal preference； and praise most
that which best fits one's private moods； I suppose I should place Mr。
Matthew Arnold at the head of contemporary English poets。 Reason and
reflection； discussion and critical judgment； tell one that he is not quite
there。
Mr。 Arnold had not the many melodies of the Laureate； nor his
versatile mastery； nor his magic； nor his copiousness。 He had not the
microscopic glance of Mr。 Browning； nor his rude grasp of facts； which
tears the life out of them as the Aztec priest plucked the very heart from
the victim。 We know that； but yet Mr。 Arnold's poetry has our love； his
lines murmur in our memory through all the stress and accidents of life。
〃The Scholar Gipsy；〃 〃Obermann；〃 〃Switzerland；〃 the melancholy majesty
of the close of 〃Sohrab and Rustum；〃 the tenderness of those elegiacs on
two kindred graves beneath the Himalayas and by the Midland Sea； the
surge and thunder of 〃Dover Beach；〃 with its 〃melancholy； long…
withdrawing roar；〃 these can only cease to whisper to us and console us in
that latest hour when life herself ceases to 〃moan round with many
voices。〃
My friends tell me that Mr。 Arnold is too doubting； and too didactic；
that he protests too much； and considers too curiously； that his best poems
are； at most； 〃a chain of highly valuable thoughts。〃 It may be so； but he
carries us back to 〃wet； bird… haunted English lawns；〃 like him 〃we know
what white and purple fritillaries the grassy harvest of the river yields；〃
with him we try to practise resignation； and to give ourselves over to that
spirit
〃Whose purpose is not missed； While life endures； while things
subsist。〃
Mr。 Arnold's poetry is to me； in brief； what Wordsworth's was to his
generation。 He has not that inspired greatness of Wordsworth； when
nature does for him what his 〃lutin〃 did for Corneille； 〃takes the pen from
his hand and writes for him。〃 But he has none of the creeping prose
which； to my poor mind； invades even 〃Tintern Abbey。〃 He is； as Mr。
Swinburne says； 〃the surest…footed〃 of our poets。 He can give a natural
8
… Page 9…
Letters on Literature
and lovely life even to the wildest of ancient imaginings； as to 〃these
bright and ancient snakes； that once were Cadmus and Harmonia。〃
Bacon speaks of the legends of the earlier and ruder world coming to
us 〃breathed softly through the flutes of the Grecians。〃 But even the
Grecian flute； as in the lay of the strife of Apollo and Marsyas； comes
more tunably in the echo of Mr。 Arnold's song； that beautiful song in
〃Empedocles on Etna；〃 which has the perfection of sculpture and the
charm of the purest colour。 It is full of the silver light of dawn among the
hills； of the music of the loch's dark； slow waves among the reeds； of the
scent of the heather； and the wet tresses of the birch。
Surely； then； we have had great poets living among us； but the
fountains of their song are silent； or flow but rarely over a clogged and
stony channel。 And who is there to succeed the two who are gone； or
who shall be our poet； if the Master be silent？ That is a melancholy
question； which I shall try to answer （with doubt and dread enough） in my
next letter。 ｛1｝
9
… Page 10…
Letters on Literature
OF MODERN ENGLISH
POETRY
My dear Wincott；I hear that a book has lately been p
