alfred tennyson-第36节

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sleepless　prejudice　which　haunts　the　political　field。　　He　probably；
if　forced　to　〃put　a　name　to　it；〃　would　have　called　himself　a　Liberal。
But　he　was　not　a　social　agitator。　　He　never　set　a　rick　on　fire。　　〃He
held　aloof；　in　a　somewhat　detached　position；　from　the　great　social
seethings　of　his　age〃　（Mr　Frederic　Harrison）。　　But　in　youth　he　helped
to　extinguish　some　flaming　ricks。　　He　spoke　of　the　〃many…headed
beast〃　（the　reading　public）　in　terms　borrowed　from　Plato。　　He　had　no
higher　esteem　for　mobs　than　Shakespeare　or　John　Knox　professed；　while
his　theory　of　tyrants　（in　the　case　of　Napoleon　III。　about　1852）　was
that　of　Liberals　like　Mr　Swinburne　and　Victor　Hugo。　　Though　to　modern
enlightenment　Tennyson　may　seem　as　great　a　Tory　as　Dr　Johnson；　yet　he
had　spoken　his　word　in　1852　for　the　freedom　of　France；　and　for
securing　England　against　the　supposed　designs　of　a　usurper　（now
fallen）。　　He　really　believed；　obsolete　as　the　faith　may　be；　in
guarding　our　own；　both　on　land　and　sea。　　Perhaps　no　Continental　or
American　critic　has　ever　yet　dispraised　a　poetical　fellow…countryman
merely　for　urging　the　duties　of　national　union　and　national　defence。
A　critic；　however；　writes　thus　of　Tennyson：　　〃When　our　poet　descends
into　the　arena　of　party　polemics；　in　such　things　as　Riflemen；　Form！
Hands　all　Round；　。　。　。　　The　Fleet；　and　other　topical　pieces　dear　to
the　Jingo　soul；　it　is　not　poetry　but　journalism。〃　　I　doubt　whether
the　desirableness　of　the　existence　of　a　volunteer　force　and　of　a
fleet　really　is　within　the　arena　of　PARTY　polemics。　　If　any　party
thinks　that　we　ought　to　have　no　volunteers；　and　that　it　is　our　duty
to　starve　the　fleet；　what　is　that　party's　name？　　Who　cries；　〃Down
with　the　Fleet！　　Down　with　National　Defence！　　Hooray　for　the
Disintegration　of　the　Empire！〃？

Tennyson　was　not　a　party　man；　but　he　certainly　would　have　opposed　any
such　party。　　If　to　defend　our　homes　and　this　England　be　〃Jingoism；〃
Tennyson；　like　Shakespeare；　was　a　Jingo。　　But；　alas！　I　do　not　know
the　name　of　the　party　which　opposes　Tennyson；　and　which　wishes　the
invader　to　trample　down　Englandany　invader　will　do　for　so
philanthropic　a　purpose。　　Except　when　resisting　this　unnamed　party；
the　poet　seldom　or　never　entered　〃the　arena　of　party　polemics。〃
Tennyson　could　not　have　exclaimed；　like　Squire　Western；　〃Hurrah　for
old　England！　　Twenty　thousand　honest　Frenchmen　have　landed　in　Kent！〃
He　undeniably　did　write　verses　（whether　poetry　or　journalism）　tending
to　make　readers　take　an　unfavourable　view　of　honest　invaders。　　If　to
do　that　is　to　be　a　〃Jingo；〃　and　if　such　conduct　hurts　the　feelings　of
any　great　English　party；　then　Tennyson　was　a　Jingo　and　a　partisan；
and　was；　so　far；　a　rhymester；　like　Mr　Kipling。　　Indeed　we　know　that
Tennyson　applauded　Mr　Kipling's　The　English　Flag。　　So　the　worst　is
out；　as　we　in　England　count　the　worst。　　In　America　and　on　the
continent　of　Europe；　however；　a　poet　may　be　proud　of　his　country's
flag　without　incurring　rebuke　from　his　countrymen。　　Tennyson　did　not
reckon　himself　a　party　man；　he　believed　more　in　political　evolution
than　in　political　revolution；　with　cataclysms。　　He　was　neither　an
Anarchist　nor　a　Home　Ruler；　nor　a　politician　so　generous　as　to　wish
England　to　be　laid　defenceless　at　the　feet　of　her　foes。

If　these　sentiments　deserve　censure；　in　Tennyson；　at　least；　they
claim　our　tolerance。　　He　was　not　born　in　a　generation　late　enough　to
be　truly　Liberal。　　Old　prejudices　about　〃this　England；〃　old　words
from　Henry　V。　and　King　John；　haunted　his　memory　and　darkened　his
vision　of　the　true　proportions　of　things。　　We　draw　in　prejudice　with
our　mother's　milk。　　The　mother　of　Tennyson　had　not　been　an　Agnostic
or　a　Comtist；　his　father　had　not　been　a　staunch　true…blue　anti…
Englander。　　Thus　he　inherited　a　certain　bias　in　favour　of　faith　and
fatherland；　a　bias　from　which　he　could　never　emancipate　himself。　　But
tout　comprendre　c'est　tout　pardonner。　　Had　Tennyson's　birth　been
later；　we　might　find　in　him　a　more　complete　realisation　of　our　poetic
idealmight　have　detected　less　to　blame　or　to　forgive。

With　that　apology　we　must　leave　the　fame　of　Tennyson　as　a　politician
to　the　clement　consideration　of　an　enlightened　posterity。　　I　do　not
defend　his　narrow　insularities；　his　Jingoism；　or　the　appreciable
percentage　of　faith　which　blushing　analysis　may　detect　in　his　honest
doubt：　　these　things　I　may　regret　or　condemn；　but　we　ought　not　to　let
them　obscure　our　view　of　the　Poet。　　He　was　led　away　by　bad　examples。
Of　all　Jingoes　Shakespeare　is　the　most　unashamed；　and　next　to　him　are
Drayton；　Scott；　and　Wordsworth；　with　his


〃Oh；　for　one　hour　of　that　Dundee！〃


In　the　years　which　followed　the　untoward　affair　of　Waterloo　young
Tennyson　fell　much　under　the　influence　of　Shakespeare；　Wordsworth；
and　the　other　offenders；　and　these　are　extenuating　circumstances。　　By
a　curious　practical　paradox；　where　the　realms　of　poetry　and　politics
meet；　the　Tory　critics　seem　milder　of　mood　and　more　Liberal　than　the
Liberal　critics。　　Thus　Mr　William　Morris　was　certainly　a　very
advanced　political　theorist；　and　in　theology　Mr　Swinburne　has　written
things　not　easily　reconcilable　with　orthodoxy。　　Yet　we　find　Divine…
Right　Tories；　who　in　literature　are　fervent　admirers　of　these　two
poets；　and　leave　their　heterodoxies　out　of　account。　　But　many　Liberal
critics　appear　unable　quite　to　forgive　Tennyson　because　he　did　not
wish　to　starve　the　fleet；　and　because　he　held　certain　very　ancient；
if　obsolete；　beliefs。　　Perhaps　a　general　amnesty　ought　to　be　passed；
as　far　as　poets　are　concerned；　and　their　politics　and　creeds　should
be　left　to　silence；　where　〃beyond　these　voices　there　is　peace。〃

One　remark；　I　hope；　can　excite　no　prejudice。　　The　greatest　of　the
Gordons　was　a　soldier；　and　lived　in　religion。　　But　the　point　at　which
Tennyson's　memory　is　blended　with　that　of　Gordon　is　the　point　of
sympathy　with　the　neglected　poor。　　It　is　to　his　wise　advice；　and　to
affection　for　Gordon；　that　we　owe　the　Gordon　training　school　for　poor
boys；a　good　school；　and　good　boys　come　out　of　that　academy。

The　question　as　to　Tennyson's　precise　rank　in　the　glorious　roll　of
the　Poets　of　England　can　never　be　determined　by　us；　if　in　any　case　or
at　any　time　such　determinations　can　be　made。　　We　do　not；　or　should
not；　ask　whether　Virgil　or　Lucretius；　whether　AEschylus　or　Sophocles；
is　the　greater　poet。　　The　consent　of　mankind　seems　to　place　Homer　and
Shakespeare　and　Dante　high　above　all。　　For　the　rest　no　prize…list　can
be　settled。　　If　influence　among　aliens　is　the　test；　Byron　probably
takes；　among　our　poets；　the　next　rank　after　Shakespeare。　　But
probably　there　is　no　possible　test。　　In　certain　respects　Shelley；　in
many　respects　Milton；　in　some　Coleridge；　in　some　Burns；　in　the
opinion　of　a　number　of　persons　Browning；　are　greater　poets　than
Tennyson。　　But　for　exquisite　variety　and　varied　exquisiteness
Tennyson　is　not　readily　to　be　surpassed。　　At　one　moment　he　pleases
the　uncritical　mass　of　readers；　in　another　mood　he　wins　the　verdict
of　the　raffine。　　It　is　a　success　which　scarce　any　English　poet　but
Shakespeare　has　excelled。　　His　faults　have　rarely；　if　ever；　been
those　of　flat…footed；　〃thick…ankled〃　dulness；　of　rhetoric；　of　common…
place；　rather　have　his　defects　been　the　excess　of　his　qualities。　　A
kind　of　John　Bullishness　may　also　be　noted；　especially　in　derogatory
references　to　France；　which；　true　or　untrue；　are　out　of　taste　and
keeping。　　But　these　errors　could　be　removed　by　the　excision　of　half…
a…dozen　lines。　　His　later　work　（as　the　Voyage　of　Maeldune）　shows　a
just　appreciation　of　ancient　Celtic　literature。　　A　great　critic；　F。
T。　Palgrave；　has　expressed　perhaps　the　soundest　appreciation　of
Tennyson：…


It　is　for　〃the　days　that　remain〃　to　bear　witness　to　his　real　place　in
the　great　hierarchy；　amongst　whom　Dante　boldly　yet　justly　ranked
himself。　　But　if　we　look　at　Tennyson's　work　in　a　twofold　aspect；
HERE；　on　the　exquisite　art　in　which；　throughout；　his　verse　is
clothed；　the　lucid　beauty　of　the　form；　the　melody　almost　audible　as
music；　the　mysterious　skill　by　which　the　words　used　constantly　strike
as　the　INEVITABLE　words　（and　hence；　unforgettable）；　the　subtle
allusive　touches；　by　which　a　secondary　image　is　suggested　to　enrich
the　leading　thought；　as　the　harmonic　〃partials〃　give　richness　to　the
note　struck　upon　the　string；　THERE；　when　we　think　of　the　vast
fertility　in　subject　and　treatment；　united　with　happy　selection　of
motive；　the　wide　range　of　character；　the　dramatic　force　of
impersonation；　the　pathos　in　every　variety；　the　mastery　over　the
comic　and　the　tragic　alike；　above　all；　perhaps；　those　phrases　of
luminous　insight　which　spring　direct　from　imaginative　observation　of
Humanity；　true　for　all　time；　coming　from　the　heart　to　the　heart；his
work　will　probably　be　found　to　lie　somewhere　between　that　of　Virgil
and　Shakespeare：　　having　its　portion；　if　I　may　venture　on　the　phrase；
in　the　inspiration　of　both。


A　professed　enthusiast　for　Tennyson　can　add　nothing　to；　and　take
nothing　from；　these　words　of　one　who；　though　his　friend；　was　too
truly　a　critic　to　entertain　the　admiration　that　goes　beyond　idolatry。







Footnotes：

｛1｝　　Macmillan　&　Co。

｛2｝　　To　the　present　writer；　as　to　others；　The　Lover'