alfred tennyson-第26节

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Ran　highest　up　the　gamut；　that　great　wave
Returning；　while　none　mark'd　it；　on　the　crowd
Broke；　mixt　with　awful　light；　and　show'd　their　eyes
Glaring；　and　passionate　looks；　and　swept　away
The　men　of　flesh　and　blood；　and　men　of　stone；
To　the　waste　deeps　together。

　　　　　　'Then　I　fixt
My　wistful　eyes　on　two　fair　images；
Both　crown'd　with　stars　and　high　among　the　stars；　…
The　Virgin　Mother　standing　with　her　child
High　up　on　one　of　those　dark　minster…fronts　…
Till　she　began　to　totter；　and　the　child
Clung　to　the　mother；　and　sent　out　a　cry
Which　mixt　with　little　Margaret's；　and　I　woke；
And　my　dream　awed　me：　wellbut　what　are　dreams？〃


The　passage　is　rather　fitted　for　a　despairing　mood　of　Arthur；　in　the
Idylls；　than　for　the　wife　of　the　city　clerk　ruined　by　a　pious　rogue。

The　Lucretius；　later　published；　is　beyond　praise　as　a　masterly　study
of　the　great　Roman　sceptic；　whose　heart　is　at　eternal　odds　with　his
Epicurean　creed。　　Nascent　madness；　or　fever　of　the　brain　drugged　by
the　blundering　love　philtre；　is　not　more　cunningly　treated　in　the　mad
scenes　of　Maud。　　No　prose　commentary　on　the　De　Rerum　Natura；　however
long　and　learned；　conveys　so　clearly　as　this　concise　study　in　verse
the　sense　of　magnificent　mingled　ruin　in　the　mind　and　poem　of　the
Roman。

The　〃Experiments　in　Quantity〃　were；　perhaps；　suggested　by　Mr　Matthew
Arnold's　Lectures　on　the　Translating　of　Homer。　　Mr　Arnold　believed　in
a　translation　into　English　hexameters。　　His　negative　criticism　of
other　translators　and　translations　was　amusing　and　instructive：　　he
had　an　easy　game　to　play　with　the　Yankee…doodle　metre　of　F。　W。
Newman；　the　ponderous　blank　verse　of　Cowper；　the　tripping　and
clipping　couplets　of　Pope；　the　Elizabethan　fantasies　of　Chapman。　　But
Mr　Arnold's　hexameters　were　neither　musical　nor　rapid：　　they　only
exhibited　a　new　form　of　failure。　　As　the　Prince　of　Abyssinia　said　to
his　tutor；　〃Enough；　you　have　convinced　me　that　no　man　can　be　a　poet；〃
so　Mr　Arnold　went　some　way　to　prove　that　no　man　can　translate　Homer。

Tennyson　had　the　lowest　opinion　of　hexameters　as　an　English　metre　for
serious　purposes。


〃These　lame　hexameters　the　strong…wing'd　music　of　Homer！〃


Lord　Tennyson　says；　〃German　hexameters　he　disliked　even　more　than
English。〃　　Indeed　there　is　not　much　room　for　preference。　　Tennyson's
Alcaics　（Milton）　were　intended　to　follow　the　Greek　rather　than　the
Horatian　model；　and　resulted；　at　all　events；　in　a　poem　worthy　of　the
〃mighty…mouth'd　inventor　of　harmonies。〃　　The　specimen　of　the　Iliad　in
blank　verse；　beautiful　as　it　is；　does　not；　somehow；　reproduce　the
music　of　Homer。　　It　is　entirely　Tennysonian；　as　in


〃Roll'd　the　rich　vapour　far　into　the　heaven。〃


The　reader；　in　that　one　line；　recognises　the　voice　and　trick　of　the
English　poet；　and　is　far　away　from　the　Chian：…


〃As　when　in　heaven　the　stars　about　the　moon
Look　beautiful；　when　all　the　winds　are　laid；
And　every　height　comes　out；　and　jutting　peak
And　valley；　and　the　immeasurable　heavens
Break　open　to　their　highest；　and　all　the　stars
Shine；　and　the　Shepherd　gladdens　in　his　heart：
So　many　a　fire　between　the　ships　and　stream
Of　Xanthus　blazed　before　the　towers　of　Troy；
A　thousand　on　the　plain；　and　close　by　each
Sat　fifty　in　the　blaze　of　burning　fire；
And　eating　hoary　grain　and　pulse　the　steeds；
Fixt　by　their　cars；　waited　the　golden　dawn。〃


This　is　excellent；　is　poetry；　escapes　the　conceits　of　Pope　（who　never
〃wrote　with　his　eye　on　the　object〃）；　but　is　pure　Tennyson。　　We　have
not　yet；　probably　we　never　shall　have；　an　adequate　rendering　of　the
Iliad　into　verse；　and　prose　translations　do　not　pretend　to　be
adequate。　　When　parents　and　dominies　have　abolished　the　study　of
Greek；　something；　it　seems；　will　have　been　lost　to　the　world；
something　which　even　Tennyson　could　not　restore　in　English。　　He
thought　blank　verse　the　proper　equivalent；　but　it　is　no　equivalent。
One　even　prefers　his　own　prose：…


Nor　did　Paris　linger　in　his　lofty　halls；　but　when　he　had　girt　on　his
gorgeous　armour；　all　of　varied　bronze；　then　he　rushed　thro'　the　city；
glorying　in　his　airy　feet。　　And　as　when　a　stall…kept　horse；　that　is
barley…fed　at　the　manger；　breaketh　his　tether；　and　dasheth　thro'　the
plain；　spurning　it；　being　wont　to　bathe　himself　in　the　fair…running
river；　rioting；　and　reareth　his　head；　and　his　mane　flieth　back　on
either　shoulder；　and　he　glorieth　in　his　beauty；　and　his　knees　bear
him　at　the　gallop　to　the　haunts　and　meadows　of　the　mares；　so　ran　the
son　of　Priam；　Paris；　from　the　height　of　Pergamus；　all　in　arms；
glittering　like　the　sun；　laughing　for　light…heartedness；　and　his
swift　feet　bare　him。


In　February　1865　Tennyson　lost　the　mother　whose　portrait　he　drew　in
Isabel；〃a　thing　enskied　and　sainted。〃

In　the　autumn　of　1865　the　Tennysons　went　on　a　Continental　tour；　and
visited　Waterloo；　Weimar；　and　Dresden；　in　September　they　entertained
Emma　I。；　Queen　of　the　Sandwich　Islands。　　The　months　passed　quietly　at
home　or　in　town。　　The　poet　had　written　his　Lucretius；　and；　to　please
Sir　George　Grove；　wrote　The　Song　of　the　Wrens；　for　music。　　Tennyson
had　not　that　positive　aversion　to　music　which　marked　Dr　Johnson；
Victor　Hugo；　Theophile　Gautier；　and　some　other　poets。　　Nay；　he　liked
Beethoven；　which　places　him　higher　in　the　musical　scale　than　Scott；
who　did　not　rise　above　a　Border　lilt　or　a　Jacobite　ditty。　　The　Wren
songs；　entitled　The　Window；　were　privately　printed　by　Sir　Ivor　Guest
in　1867；　were　set　to　music　by　Sir　Arthur　Sullivan；　and　published　by
Strahan　in　December　1870。　　〃A　puppet；〃　Tennyson　called　the　song…book；
〃whose　only　merit　is；　perhaps；　that　it　can　dance　to　Mr　Sullivan's
instrument。　　I　am　sorry　that　my　puppet　should　have　to　dance　at　all　in
the　dark　shadow　of　these　days〃　（the　siege　of　Paris）；　〃but　the　music
is　now　completed；　and　I　am　bound　by　my　promise。〃　　The　verses　are
described　as　〃partly　in　the　old　style；〃　but　the　true　old　style　of　the
Elizabethan　and　cavalier　days　is　lost。

In　the　summer　of　1867　the　Tennysons　moved　to　a　farmhouse　near
Haslemere；　at　that　time　not　a　centre　of　literary　Londoners。　　〃Sandy
soil　and　heather…scented　air〃　allured　them；　and　the　result　was　the
purchase　of　land；　and　the　building　of　Aldworth；　Mr　Knowles　being　the
architect。　　In　autumn　Tennyson　visited　Lyme　Regis；　and；　like　all
other　travellers　thither；　made　a　pilgrimage　to　the　Cobb；　sacred　to
Louisa　Musgrove。　　The　poet　now　began　the　study　of　Hebrew；　having　a
mind　to　translate　the　Book　of　Job；　a　vision　unfulfilled。　　In　1868　he
thought　of　publishing　his　boyish　piece；　The　Lover's　Tale；　but
delayed。　　An　anonymously　edited　piracy　of　this　and　other　poems　was
perpetrated　in　1875；　limited；　at　least　nominally；　to　fifty　copies。

In　July　Longfellow　visited　Tennyson。　　〃The　Longfellows　and　he　talked
much　of　spiritualism；　for　he　was　greatly　interested　in　that　subject；
but　he　suspended　his　judgment；　and　thought　that；　if　in　such
manifestations　there　is　anything；　'Pucks；　not　the　spirits　of　dead
men；　reveal　themselves。'〃　　This　was　Southey's　suggestion；　as　regards
the　celebrated　disturbances　in　the　house　of　the　Wesleys。　　〃Wit　might
have　much　to　say；　wisdom；　little；〃　said　Sam　Wesley。　　Probably　the
talk　about　David　Dunglas　Home；　the　〃medium〃　then　in　vogue；　led　to　the
discussion　of　〃spiritualism。〃　　We　do　not　hear　that　Tennyson　ever　had
the　curiosity　to　see　Home；　whom　Mr　Browning　so　firmly　detested。

In　September　The　Holy　Grail　was　begun：　　it　was　finished　〃in　about　a
week。　　It　came　like　a　breath　of　inspiration。〃　　The　subject　had　for
many　years　been　turned　about　in　the　poet's　mind；　which；　of　course；
was　busy　in　these　years　of　apparent　inactivity。　　At　this　time　（August
1868）　Tennyson　left　his　old　publishers；　the　Moxons；　for　Mr　Strahan；
who　endured　till　1872。　　Then　he　was　succeeded　by　Messrs　H。　S。　King　&
Co。；　who　gave　place　（1879）　to　Messrs　Kegan　Paul　&　Co。；　while　in　1884
Messrs　Macmillan　became；　and　continue　to　be；　the　publishers。　　A　few
pieces；　except　Lucretius　（Macmillan's　Magazine；　May　1868）
unimportant；　appeared　in　serials。

Very　early　in　1869　The　Coming　of　Arthur　was　composed；　while　Tennyson
was　reading　Browning's　The　Ring　and　the　Book。　　He　and　his　great
contemporary　were　on　terms　of　affectionate　friendship；　though
Tennyson；　perhaps；　appreciated　less　of　Browning　than　Browning　of
Tennyson。　　Meanwhile　〃Old　Fitz〃　kept　up　a　fire　of　unsympathetic
growls　at　Browning　and　all　his　works。　　〃I　have　been　trying　in　vain　to
read　it〃　（The　Ring　and　the　Book）；　〃and　yet　the　Athenaeum　tells　me　it
is　wonderfully　fine。〃　　FitzGerald's　ply　had　been　taken　long　ago；　he
wanted　verbal　music　in　poetry　（no　exorbitant　desire）；　while；　in
Browning；　carmina　desunt。　　Perhaps；　too；　a　personal　feeling；　as　if
Browning　was　Tennyson's　rival；　affected　the　judgment　of　the　author　of
Omar　Khayyam。　　We　may　almost　call　him　〃the　author。〃

The　Holy　Grail；　with　the　smaller　poems；　such　as　Lucretius；　was
published　at　the　end　of　1869。　　FitzGerald　appears　to　have　preferred
The　Northern　Farmer；　〃the　substantial　rough…spun　nature　I　knew；〃　to
all　the　visionary　knights　in　the　airy　Quest。　　To　compare　〃〃
（obviously　Browning）　with　Tennyson；　was　〃to　compare　an　old　Jew's
curiosity　shop　with　the　Phidian　Marbles。〃　　Tennyson's　poems　〃being
clear　to　the　bottom　as　well　as　beautiful；　do