alfred tennyson-第3部分

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！


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
description；　and　herald　the　unmatched　beauty　of　The　Lotos…Eaters。
The　Poet；　again；　is　a　picture　of　that　which　Tennyson　himself　was　to
fulfil；　and　Oriana　is　a　revival　of　romance；　and　of　the　ballad；　not
limited　to　the　ballad　form　as　in　its　prototype；　Helen　of　Kirkconnell。
Curious　and　exquisite　experiment　in　metre　is　indicated　in　the　Leonine
Elegiacs；　in　Claribel；　and　several　other　poems。　　Qualities　which　were
not　for　long　to　find　public　expression；　speculative　powers　brooding；
in　various　moods；　on　ultimate　and　insoluble　questions；　were　attested
by　The　Mystic；　and　Supposed　Confessions　of　a　Second…rate　Sensitive
Mind　not　in　Unity　with　Itself；　an　unlucky　title　of　a　remarkable
performance。　　〃In　this；　the　most　agitated　of　all　his　poems；　we　find
the　soul　urging　onward


'Thro'　utter　dark　a　full…sail'd　skiff；
Unpiloted　i'　the　echoing　dance
Of　reboant　whirlwinds；'


and　to　the　question；　'Why　not　believe；　then？'　we　have　as　answer　a
simile　of　the　sea；　which　cannot　slumber　like　a　mountain　tarn；　or


'Draw　down　into　his　vexed　pools
All　that　blue　heaven　which　hues　and　paves'


the　tranquil　inland　mere。〃　｛3｝

The　poet　longs　for　the　faith　of　his　infant　days　and　of　his　mother　…


〃Thy　mild　deep　eyes　upraised；　that　knew
The　beauty　and　repose　of　faith；
And　the　clear　spirit　shining　thro'。〃


That　faith　is　already　shaken；　and　the　long　struggle　for　belief　has
already　begun。

Tennyson；　according　to　Matthew　Arnold；　was　not　un　esprit　puissant。
Other　and　younger　critics；　who　have　attained　to　a　cock…certain　mood
of　negation；　are　apt　to　blame　him　because；　in　fact；　he　did　not
finally　agree　with　their　opinions。　　If　a　man　is　necessarily　a
weakling　or　a　hypocrite　because；　after　trying　all　things；　he　is　not
an　atheist　or　a　materialist；　then　the　reproach　of　insincerity　or　of
feebleness　of　mind　must　rest　upon　Tennyson。　　But　it　is　manifest　that；
almost　in　boyhood；　he　had　already　faced　the　ideas　which；　to　one　of
his　character；　almost　meant　despair：　　he　had　not　kept　his　eyes
closed。　　To　his　extremely　self…satisfied　accusers　we　might　answer；　in
lines　from　this　earliest　volume　（The　Mystic）：…


〃Ye　scorn　him　with　an　undiscerning　scorn；
Ye　cannot　read　the　marvel　in　his　eye；
The　still　serene　abstraction。〃


He　would　behold


〃One　shadow　in　the　midst　of　a　great　light；
One　reflex　from　eternity　on　time；
One　mighty　countenance　of　perfect　calm；
Awful　with　most　invariable　eyes。〃


His　mystic　of　these　boyish　years　…


　　　〃Often　lying　broad　awake；　and　yet
Remaining　from　the　body；　and　apart
In　intellect　and　power　and　will；　hath　heard
Time　flowing　in　the　middle　of　the　night；
And　all　things　creeping　to　a　day　of　doom。〃


In　this　poem；　never　republished　by　the　author；　is　an　attempt　to
express　an　experience　which　in　later　years　he　more　than　once
endeavoured　to　set　forth　in　articulate　speech；　an　experience　which
was　destined　to　colour　his　finial　speculations　on　ultimate　problems
of　God　and　of　the　soul。　　We　shall　later　have　to　discuss　the　opinion
of　an　eminent　critic；　Mr　Frederic　Harrison；　that　Tennyson's　ideas；
theological；　evolutionary；　and　generally　speculative；　〃followed；
rather　than　created；　the　current　ideas　of　his　time。〃　　〃The　train　of
thought〃　（in　In　Memoriam）；　writes　Mr　Harrison；　〃is　essentially　that
with　which　ordinary　English　readers　had　been　made　familiar　by　F。　D。
Maurice；　Professor　Jowett；　Dr　Martineau；　Ecce　Homo；　Hypatia。〃　　Of
these　influences　only　Maurice；　and　Maurice　only　orally；　could　have
reached　the　author　of　The　Mystic　and　the　Supposed　Confessions。　　Ecce
Homo；　Hypatia；　Mr　Jowett；　were　all　in　the　bosom　of　the　future　when　In
Memoriam　was　written。　　Now；　The　Mystic　and　the　Supposed　Confessions
are　prior　to　In　Memoriam；　earlier　than　1830。　　Yet　they　already
contain　the　chief　speculative　tendencies　of　In　Memoriam；　the　growing
doubts　caused　by　evolutionary　ideas　（then　familiar　to　Tennyson；
though　not　to　〃ordinary　English　readers〃）；　the　longing　for　a　return
to　childlike　faith；　and　the　mystical　experiences　which　helped
Tennyson　to　recover　a　faith　that　abode　with　him。　　In　these　things　he
was　original。　　Even　as　an　undergraduate　he　was　not　following　〃a　train
of　thought　made　familiar〃　by　authors　who　had　not　yet　written　a　line；
and　by　books　which　had　not　yet　been　published。

So　much；　then；　of　the　poet　that　was　to　be　and　of　the　philosopher
existed　in　the　little　volume　of　the　undergraduate。　　In　The　Mystic　we
notice　a　phrase；　two　words　long；　which　was　later　to　be　made　familiar；
〃Daughters　of　time；　divinely　tall；〃　reproduced　in　the　picture　of
Helen：…


〃A　daughter　of　the　Gods；　divinely　tall；
　　　And　most　divinely　fair。〃


The　reflective　pieces　are　certainly　of　more　interest　now　（though　they
seem　to　have　satisfied　the　poet　less）　than　the　gallery　of　airy　fairy
Lilians；　Adelines；　Rosalinds；　and　Eleanores：…


〃Daughters　of　dreams　and　of　stories；〃


like


〃Faustine；　Fragoletta；　Dolores；
Felise；　and　Yolande；　and　Juliette。〃


Cambridge；　which　he　was　soon　to　leave；　did　not　satisfy　the　poet。
Oxford　did　not　satisfy　Gibbon；　or　later；　Shelley；　and　young　men　of
genius　are　not；　in　fact；　usually　content　with　universities　which；
perhaps；　are　doing　their　best；　but　are　neither　governed　nor　populated
by　minds　of　the　highest　and　most　original　class。


　　　〃You　that　do　profess　to　teach
And　teach　us　nothing；　feeding　not　the　heart。〃


The　universities；　in　fact；　teach　a　good　deal　of　that　which　can　be
learned；　but　the　best　things　cannot　be　taught。　　The　universities　give
men　leisure；　books；　and　companionship；　to　learn　for　themselves。　　All
tutors　cannot　be；　and　at　that　time　few　dreamed　of　being；　men　like
Jowett　and　T。　H。　Green；　Gamaliels　at　whose　feet　undergraduates　sat
with　enthusiasm；　〃did　EAGERLY　frequent；〃　like　Omar　Khayyam。　　In　later
years　Tennyson　found　closer　relations　between　dons　and
undergraduates；　and　recorded　his　affection　for　his　university。　　She
had　supplied　him　with　such　companionship　as　is　rare；　and　permitted
him　to　〃catch　the　blossom　of　the　flying　terms；〃　even　if　tutors　and
lecturers　were　creatures　of　routine；