alfred tennyson-第31部分

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his　talk　the　same　mode　of　thought；　the　same　imaginative　grasp　of
nature；　the　same　fineness　and　gentleness　in　his　view　of　character；
the　same　forbearance　and　toleration；　the　aurea　mediocritas　despised
by　fools　and　fanatics；　which　are　stamped　on　his　poetry；　were
constantly　perceptible：　　whilst　in　the　easy　and　as　it　were　unsought
choiceness；　the　conscientious　and　truth…loving　precision　of　his
words；　the　same　personal　identity　revealed　itself。　　What　a　strange
charm　lay　here；　how　deeply　illuminating　the　whole　character；　as　in
prolonged　intercourse　it　gradually　revealed　itself！　　Artist　and　man；
Tennyson　was　invariably　true　to　himself；　or　rather；　in　Wordsworth's
phrase；　he　〃moved　altogether〃；　his　nature　and　his　poetry　being
harmonious　aspects　of　the　same　soul；　as　botanists　tell　us　that　flower
and　fruit　are　but　transformations　of　root　and　stem　and　leafage。　　We
read　how；　in　mediaeval　days；　conduits　were　made　to　flow　with　claret。
But　this　was　on　great　occasions　only。　　Tennyson's　fountain　always　ran
wine。

Once　more：　　In　Mme。　Recamier's　salon；　I　have　read；　at　the　time　when
conversation　was　yet　a　fine　art　in　Paris；　guests　famous　for　esprit
would　sit　in　the　twilight　round　the　stove；　whilst　each　in　turn　let
fly　some　sparkling　anecdote　or　bon…mot；　which　rose　and　shone　and　died
out　into　silence；　till　the　next　of　the　elect　pyrotechnists　was　ready。
Good　things　of　this　kind；　as　I　have　said；　were　plentiful　in
Tennyson's　repertory。　　But　what；　to　pass　from　the　materials　to　the
method　of　his　conversation；　eminently　marked　it　was　the　continuity　of
the　electric　current。　　He　spoke；　and　was　silent；　and　spoke　again：
but　the　circuit　was　unbroken；　there　was　no　effort　in　taking　up　the
thread；　no　sense　of　disjunction。　　Often　I　thought；　had　he　never
written　a　line　of　the　poems　so　dear　to　us；　his　conversation　alone
would　have　made　him　the　most　interesting　companion　known　to　me。　　From
this　great　and　gracious　student　of　humanity；　what　less；　indeed；　could
be　expected？　　And　if；　as　a　converser；　I　were　to　compare　him　with
Socrates；　as　figured　for　us　in　the　dialogues　of　his　great　disciple；　I
think　that　I　should　have　the　assent　of　that　eminently　valued　friend
of　Tennyson's；　whose　long　labour　of　love　has　conferred　English
citizenship　upon　Plato。


We　have　called　him　shy　and　sensitive　in　daily　intercourse　with
strangers；　and　as　to　criticism；　he　freely　confessed　that　a　midge　of
dispraise　could　sting；　while　applause　gave　him　little　pleasure。　　Yet
no　poet　altered　his　verses　so　much　in　obedience　to　censure　unjustly
or　irritatingly　stated；　yet　in　essence　just。　　He　readily　rejected
some　of　his　〃Juvenilia〃　on　Mr　Palgrave's　suggestion。　　The　same　friend
tells　how　well　he　took　a　rather　fierce　attack　on　an　unpublished
piece；　when　Mr　Palgrave　〃owned　that　he　could　not　find　one　good　line
in　it。〃　　Very　few　poets；　or　even　versifiers　（fiercer　they　than　poets
are）；　would　have　continued　to　show　their　virgin　numbers　to　a　friend
so　candid；　as　Tennyson　did。　　Perhaps　most　of　the　genus　irritabile
will　grant　that　spoken　criticism；　if　unfavourable；　somehow　annoys　and
stirs　opposition　in　an　author；　probably　because　it　confirms　his　own
suspicions　about　his　work。　　Such　criticism　is　almost　invariably　just。
But　Campbell；　when　Rogers　offered　a　correction；　〃bounced　out　of　the
room；　with　a　'Hang　it！　　I　should　like　to　see　the　man　who　would　dare
to　correct　me。'〃

Mr　Jowett　justly　recognised　in　the　life　of　Tennyson　two　circumstances
which　made　him　other　than；　but　for　these；　he　would　have　been。　　He　had
intended　to　do　with　the　Arthurian　subject　what　he　never　did；　〃in　some
way　or　other　to　have　represented　in　it　the　great　religions　of　the
world。　。　。　。　It　is　a　proof　of　Tennyson's　genius　that　he　should　have
thus　early　grasped　the　great　historical　aspect　of　religion。〃　　His
intention　was　foiled；　his　early　dream　was　broken；　by　the　death　of
Arthur　Hallam；　and　by　the　coldness　and　contempt　with　which；　at　the
same　period；　his　early　poems　were　received。

Mr　Jowett　（who　had　a　firm　belief　in　the　〃great　work〃）　regretted　the
change　of　plan　as　to　the　Arthurian　topic；　regretted　it　the　more　from
his　own　interest　in　the　History　of　Religion。　　But　we　need　not　share
the　regrets。　　The　early　plan　for　the　Arthur　（which　Mr　Jowett　never
saw）　has　been　published；　and　certainly　the　scheme　could　not　have　been
executed　on　these　lines。　｛18｝　　Moreover；　as　the　Master　observed；　the
work　would　have　been　premature　in　Tennyson's　youth；　and；　indeed；　it
would　still　be　premature。　　The　comparative　science　of　religious
evolution　is　even　now　very　tentative；　and　does　not　yield　materials　of
sufficient　stability　for　an　epic；　even　if　such　an　epic　could　be
forced　into　the　mould　of　the　Arthur　legends；　a　feat　perhaps
impossible；　and　certainly　undesirable。　　A　truly　fantastic　allegory
must　have　been　the　result；　and　it　is　fortunate　that　the　poet
abandoned　the　idea　in　favour　of　more　human　themes。　　Moreover；　he
recognised　very　early　that　his　was　not　a　Muse　de　longue　haleine；　that
he　must　be　〃short。〃　　We　may　therefore　feel　certain　that　his　early
sorrow　and　discouragement　were　salutary　to　him　as　a　poet；　and　as　a
man。　　He　became　more　sympathetic；　more　tender；　and　was　obliged　to　put
forth　that　stoical　self…control；　and　strenuous　courage　and　endurance；
through　which　alone　his　poetic　career　was　rendered　possible。　　〃He　had
the　susceptibility　of　a　child　or　a　woman；〃　says　his　friend；　〃he　had
also〃　（it　was　a　strange　combination）　〃the　strength　of　a　giant　or　of　a
god。〃　　Without　these　qualities　he　must　have　broken　down　between　1833
and　1842　into　a　hypochondriac；　or　a　morose；　if　majestic；　failure。
Poor；　obscure；　and　unhappy；　he　overcame　the　world；　and　passed　from
darkness　into　light。　　The　〃poetic　temperament〃　in　another　not　gifted
with　his　endurance　and　persistent　strength　would　have　achieved　ruin。

Most　of　us　remember　Taine's　parallel　between　Tennyson　and　Alfred　de
Musset。　　The　French　critic　has　no　high　approval　of　Tennyson's
〃respectability〃　and　long　peaceful　life；　as　compared　with　the　wrecked
life　and　genius　of　Musset；　l'enfant　perdu　of　love；　wine；　and　song。
This　is　a　theory　like　another；　and　is　perhaps　attractive　to　the
young。　　The　poet　must　have　strong　passions；　or　how　can　he　sing　of
them：　　he　must　be　tossed　and　whirled　in　the　stress　of　things；　like
Shelley's　autumn　leaves；　…


〃Ghosts　from　an　enchanter　fleeing。〃


Looking　at　Burns；　Byron；　Musset；　or　even　at　Shelley's　earlier　years；
youth　sees　in　them　the　true　poets；　〃sacred　things；〃　but　also　〃light；〃
as　Plato　says；　inspired　to　break　their　wings　against　the　nature　of
existence；　and　the　flammantia　maenia　mundi。　　But　this　is　almost　a
boyish　idea；　this　idea　that　the　true　poet　is　the　slave　of　the
passions；　and　that　the　poet　who　dominates　them　has　none；　and　is　but　a
staid　domestic　animal；　an　ass　browsing　the　common；　as　somebody　has
written　about　Wordsworth。　　Certainly　Tennyson's　was　no　〃passionless
perfection。〃　　He；　like　others；　was　tempted　to　beat　with　ineffectual
wings　against　the　inscrutable　nature　of　life。　　He；　too；　had　his　dark
hour；　and　was　as　subject　to　temptation　as　they　who　yielded　to　the
stress　and　died；　or　became　unhappy　waifs；　〃young　men　with　a　splendid
past。〃　　He　must　have　known；　no　less　than　Musset；　the　attractions　of
many　a　paradis　artificiel；　with　its　bright　visions；　its　houris；　its
offers　of　oblivion　of　pain。　　〃He　had　the　look　of　one　who　had　suffered
greatly；〃　Mr　Palgrave　writes　in　his　record　of　their　first　meeting　in
1842。　　But　he；　like　Goethe；　Scott；　and　Victor　Hugo；　had　strength　as
well　as　passion　and　emotion；　he　came　unscorched　through　the　fire　that
has　burned　away　the　wings　of　so　many　other　great　poets。　　This　was　no
less　fortunate　for　the　world　than　for　himself。　　Of　his　prolonged　dark
hour　we　know　little　in　detail；　but　we　have　seen　that　from　the　first
he　resisted　the　Tempter；　Ulysses　is　his　Retro　Sathanas！

About　〃the　mechanism　of　genius〃　in　Tennyson　Mr　Palgrave　has　told　us　a
little；　more　appears　incidentally　in　his　biography。　　〃It　was　his　way
that　when　we　had　entered　on　some　scene　of　special　beauty　or　grandeur；
after　enjoying　it　together；　he　should　always　withdraw　wholly　from
sight；　and　study　the　view；　as　it　were；　in　a　little　artificial
solitude。〃

Tennyson's　poems；　Mr　Palgrave　says；　often　arose　in　a　kind　of　point　de
repere　（like　those　forms　and　landscapes　which　seem　to　spring　from　a
floating　point　of　light；　beheld　with　closed　eyes　just　before　we
sleep）。　　〃More　than　once　he　said　that　his　poems　sprang　often　from　a
'nucleus；'　some　one　word；　maybe；　or　brief　melodious　phrase；　which　had
floated　through　the　brain；　as　it　were；　unbidden。　　And　perhaps　at　once
while　walking　they　were　presently　wrought　into　a　little　song。　　But　if
he　did　not　write　it　down　at　once　the　lyric　fled　from　him
irrecoverably。〃　　He　believed　himself　thus　to　have　lost　poems　as　good
as　his　best。　　It　seems　probable　that　this　is　a　common　genesis　of
verses；　good　or　bad；　among　all　who　write。　　Like　Dickens；　and　like
most　men　of　genius　probably；　he　saw　all　the　scenes　of　his　poems　〃in
his　mind's　eye。〃　　Many　authors　do　this；　without　the　power　of　making
their　readers　share　the　vision；　but　probably　few　can　impart　the
vision　who　do　not　themselves　〃visualise〃　with　distinctness。　　We　have
seen；　in　the　cases　of　The　Holy　Grail　and　other　pieces；　that　Tennyson；
after　long　meditating　a　subject；　often　wrote　very　rapidly；　and　with
little　need　of　correction。　　He　was　born　with　〃style〃；　it　was　a　gift
of　his　genius　rather　than　the　result　of　conscious　elaboration。　　Yet
he　did　use　〃the　file；〃　of　which　much　is　now　written；　especially　for
the　purpose　of　polishing　away　the　sibilants；　so　common　in　our
language。　　In　the　nine　years　of　silence　which　followed　the　little
book　of　1833　his　poems　matured；　and　henceforth　it　is　probable　that　he
altered　his　verses　little；　if　we　except　the　modifications　in　The
Princess。　　Many　slight　verbal　touches　were　made；　or　old　readings　were
restored；　but　important　changes；　in　the　way　of　omission　or　addition；
became　rare。

Of　nature　Tennyson　was　scrupulously　observant　till　his　very　latest
days；　eagerly　noting；　not　only　〃effects；〃　as　a　painter　does；　but
their　causes；　botanical　or　geological。　　Had　man　been　scientific　from
the　beginning　he　would　probably　have　evolved　no　poetry　at　all；
material　things　wou