alfred tennyson-第32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！


for　the　dead　son　and　the　salutation　to　the　Viceroy　of　India；　a　piece
of　resigned　and　manly　regret。　　The　Demeter　and　Persephone　is　a　modern
and　tender　study　of　the　theme　of　the　most　beautiful　Homeric　Hymn。
The　ancient　poet　had　no　such　thought　of　the　restored　Persephone　as
that　which　impels　Tennyson　to　describe　her


〃Faint　as　a　climate…changing　bird　that　flies
All　night　across　the　darkness；　and　at　dawn
Falls　on　the　threshold　of　her　native　land。〃


The　spring；　the　restored　Persephone；　comes　more　vigorous　and　joyous
to　the　shores　of　the　AEgean　than　to　ours。　　All　Tennyson's　own　is
Demeter's　awe　of　those　〃imperial　disimpassioned　eyes〃　of　her
daughter；　come　from　the　bed　and　the　throne　of　Hades；　the　Lord　of　many
guests。　　The　hymn；　happy　in　its　ending；　has　no　thought　of　the　grey
heads　of　the　Fates；　and　their　answer　to　the　goddess　concerning　〃fate
beyond　the　Fates；〃　and　the　breaking　of　the　bonds　of　Hades。　　The
ballad　of　Owd　Roa　is　one　of　the　most　spirited　of　the　essays　in
dialect　to　which　Tennyson　had　of　late　years　inclined。　　Vastness
merely　expresses；　in　terms　of　poetry；　Tennyson's　conviction　that；
without　immortality；　life　is　a　series　of　worthless　contrasts。　　An
opposite　opinion　may　be　entertained；　but　a　man　has　a　right　to　express
his　own；　which；　coming　from　so　great　a　mind；　is　not　undeserving　of
attention；　or；　at　least；　is　hardly　deserving　of　reproof。　　The　poet's
idea　is　also　stated　thus　in　The　Ring；　in　terms　which　perhaps　do　not
fall　below　the　poetical；　or；　at　least；　do　not　drop　into　〃the　utterly
unpoetical〃：…


〃The　Ghost　in　Man；　the　Ghost　that　once　was　Man；
But　cannot　wholly　free　itself　from　Man；
Are　calling　to　each　other　thro'　a　dawn
Stranger　than　earth　has　ever　seen；　the　veil
Is　rending；　and　the　Voices　of　the　day
Are　heard　across　the　Voices　of　the　dark。
No　sudden　heaven；　nor　sudden　hell；　for　man；
But　thro'　the　Will　of　One　who　knows　and　rules　…
And　utter　knowledge　is　but　utter　love　…
AEonian　Evolution；　swift　or　slow；
Thro'　all　the　Spheresan　ever　opening　height；
An　ever　lessening　earth。〃


The　Ring　is；　in　fact；　a　ghost　story　based　on　a　legend　told　by　Mr
Lowell　about　a　house　near　where　he　had　once　lived；　one　of　those
houses　vexed　by


〃A　footstep；　a　low　throbbing　in　the　walls；
A　noise　of　falling　weights　that　never　fell；
Weird　whispers；　bells　that　rang　without　a　hand；
Door…handles　turn'd　when　none　was　at　the　door；
And　bolted　doors　that　open'd　of　themselves。〃


These　phenomena　were　doubtless　caused　by　rats　and　water…pipes；　but
they　do　not　destroy　the　pity　and　the　passion　of　the　tale。　　The　lines
to　Mary　Boyle　are　all　of　the　normal　world；　and　worthy　of　a　poet's
youth　and　of　the　spring。　　Merlin　and　the　Gleam　is　the　spiritual
allegory　of　the　poet's　own　career：…


〃Arthur　had　vanish'd
I　knew　not　whither；
The　king　who　loved　me；
And　cannot　die。〃


So　at　last


　　　〃All　but　in　Heaven
Hovers　The　Gleam；〃


whither　the　wayfarer　was　soon　to　follow。　　There　is　a　marvellous　hope
and　pathos　in　the　melancholy　of　these　all　but　the　latest　songs；
reminiscent　of　youth　and　love；　and　even　of　the　dim　haunting　memories
and　dreams　of　infancy。　　No　other　English　poet　has　thus　rounded　all
his　life　with　music。　　Tennyson　was　in　his　eighty…first　year；　when
there　〃came　in　a　moment〃　the　crown　of　his　work；　the　immortal　lyric；
Crossing　the　Bar。　　It　is　hardly　less　majestic　and　musical　in　the
perfect　Greek　rendering　by　his　brother…in…law；　Mr　Lushington。　　For
once　at　least　a　poem　has　been　〃poured　from　the　golden　to　the　silver
cup〃　without　the　spilling　of　a　drop。　　The　new　book's　appearance　was
coincident　with　the　death　of　Mr　Browning；　〃so　loving　and
appreciative；〃　as　Lady　Tennyson　wrote；　a　friend；　not　a　rival；　however
the　partisans　of　either　poet　might　strive　to　stir　emulation　between
two　men　of　such　lofty　and　such　various　genius。



CHAPTER　X。1890。



In　the　year　1889　the　poet's　health　had　permitted　him　to　take　long
walks　on　the　sea…shore　and　along　the　cliffs；　one　of　which；　by　reason
of　its　whiteness；　he　had　named　〃Taliessin；〃　〃the　splendid　brow。〃　　His
mind　ran　on　a　poem　founded　on　an　Egyptian　legend　（of　which　the　source
is　not　mentioned）；　telling　how　〃despair　and　death　came　upon　him　who
was　mad　enough　to　try　to　probe　the　secret　of　the　universe。〃　　He　also
thought　of　a　drama　on　Tristram；　who；　in　the　Idylls；　is　treated　with
brevity；　and　not　with　the　sympathy　of　the　old　writer　who　cries；　〃God
bless　Tristram　the　knight：　　he　fought　for　England！〃　　But　early　in
1890　Tennyson　suffered　from　a　severe　attack　of　influenza。　　In　May　Mr
Watts　painted　his　portrait；　and


〃Divinely　through　all　hindrance　found　the　man。〃


Tennyson　was　a　great　admirer　of　Miss　Austen's　novels：　　〃The　realism
and　life…likeness　of　Miss　Austen's　Dramatis　Personae　come　nearest　to
those　of　Shakespeare。　　Shakespeare；　however；　is　a　sun　to　which　Jane
Austen；　though　a　bright　and　true　little　world；　is　but　an　asteroid。〃
He　was　therefore　pleased　to　find　apple…blossoms　co…existing　with　ripe
strawberries　on　June　28；　as　Miss　Austen　has　been　blamed；　by　minute
philosophers；　for　introducing　this　combination　in　the　garden　party　in
Emma。　　The　poet；　like　most　of　the　good　and　great；　read　novels
eagerly；　and　excited　himself　over　the　confirmation　of　an　adult　male
in　a　story　by　Miss　Yonge。　　Of　Scott；　〃the　most　chivalrous　literary
figure　of　the　century；　and　the　author　with　the　widest　range　since
Shakespeare；〃　he　preferred　Old　Mortality；　and　it　is　a　good　choice。
He　hated　〃morbid　and　introspective　tales；　with　their　oceans　of　sham
philosophy。〃　　At　this　time；　with　catholic　taste；　he　read　Mr　Stevenson
and　Mr　Meredith；　Miss　Braddon　and　Mr　Henry　James；　Ouida　and　Mr　Thomas
Hardy；　Mr　Hall　Caine　and　Mr　Anstey；　Mrs　Oliphant　and　Miss　Edna　Lyall。
Not　everybody　can　peruse　all　of　these　very　diverse　authors　with
pleasure。　　He　began　his　poem　on　the　Roman　gladiatorial　combats；
indeed　his　years；　fourscore　and　one；　left　his　intellectual　eagerness
as　unimpaired　as　that　of　Goethe。　　〃A　crooked　share；〃　he　said　to　the
Princess　Louise；　〃may　make　a　straight　furrow。〃　　〃One　afternoon　he　had
a　long　waltz　with　M…　in　the　ballroom。〃　　Speaking　of


〃All　the　charm　of　all　the　Muses
　　　Often　flowering　in　a　lonely　word〃


in　Virgil；　he　adduced；　rather　strangely；　the　cunctantem　ramum；　said
of　the　Golden　Bough；　in　the　Sixth　AEneid。　　The　choice　is　odd；　because
the　Sibyl　has　just　told　AEneas　that；　if　he　be　destined　to　pluck　the
branch　of　gold；　ipse　volens　facilisque　sequetur；　〃it　will　come　off　of
its　own　accord；〃　like　the　sacred　ti　branches　of　the　Fijians；　which
bend　down　to　be　plucked　for　the　Fire　rite。　　Yet；　when　the　predestined
AEneas　tries　to　pluck　the　bough　of　gold；　it　yields　reluctantly
（cunctantem）；　contrary　to　what　the　Sibyl　has　foretold。　　Mr　Conington；
therefore；　thought　the　phrase　a　slip　on　the　part　of　Virgil。　　〃People
accused　Virgil　of　plagiarising；〃　he　said；　〃but　if　a　man　made　it　his
own　there　was　no　harm　in　that　（look　at　the　great　poets；　Shakespeare
included）。〃　　Tennyson；　like　Virgil；　made　much　that　was　ancient　his
own；　his　verses　are　often；　and　purposefully；　a　mosaic　of　classical
reminiscences。　　But　he　was　vexed　by　the　hunters　after　remote　and
unconscious　resemblances；　and　far…fetched　analogies　between　his　lines
and　those　of　others。　　He　complained　that；　if　he　said　that　the　sun
went　down；　a　parallel　was　at　once　cited　from　Homer；　or　anybody　else；
and　he　used　a　very　powerful　phrase　to　condemn　critics　who　detected
such　repetitions。　　〃The　moanings　of　the　homeless　sea；〃〃moanings〃
from　Horace；　〃homeless〃　from　Shelley。　　〃As　if　no　one　else　had　ever
heard　the　sea　moan　except　Horace！〃　　Tennyson's　mixture　of　memory　and
forgetfulness　was　not　so　strange　as　that　of　Scott；　and　when　he
adapted　from　the　Greek；　Latin；　or　Italian；　it　was　of　set　purpose；
just　as　it　was　with　Virgil。　　The　beautiful　lines　comparing　a　girl's
eyes　to　bottom　agates　that　seem　to


　　　〃Wave　and　float
In　crystal　currents　of　clear　running　seas；〃


he　invented　while　bathing　in　Wales。　　It　was　his　habit；　to　note　down
in　verse　such　similes　from　nature；　and　to　use　them　when　he　found
occasion。　　But　the　higher　criticism；　analysing　the　simile；　detected
elements　from　Shakespeare　and　from　Beaumont　and　Fletcher。

In　June　1891　the　poet　went　on　a　tour　in　Devonshire；　and　began　his
Akbar；　and　probably　wrote　June　Bracken　and　Heather；　or　perhaps　it　was
composed　when　〃we　often　sat　on　the　top　of　Blackdown　to　watch　the
sunset。〃　　He　wrote　to　Mr　Kipling　…


〃The　oldest　to　the　youngest　singer
　　　That　England　bore〃


（to　alter　Mr　Swinburne's　lines　to　Landor）；　praising　his　Flag　of
England。　　Mr　Kipling　replied　as　〃the　private　to　the　general。〃

Early　in　1892　The　Foresters　was　successfully　produced　at　New　York　by
Miss　Ada　Rehan；　the　music　by　Sir　Arthur　Sullivan；　and　the　scenery
from　woodland　designs　by　Whymper。　　Robin　Hood　（as　we　learn　from　Mark
Twain）　is　a　favourite　hero　with　the　youth　of　America。　　Mr　Tom　Sawyer
himself　took；　in　Mark　Twain's　tale；　the　part　of　the　bold　outlaw。

The　Death　of　OEnone　was　published　in　1892；　with　the　dedication　to　the
Master　of　Balliol　…


　　　〃Read　a　Grecian　tale　retold
Which；　cast　in　later　Grecian　mould；
　　　　　　Quintus　Calaber
Somewhat　lazily　handled　of　old。〃


Quintus　Calaber；　more　usually　called　Quintus　Smyrnaeus；