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THE FLOWER OF THE MIND
THE FLOWER OF THE
MIND
Alice Meynell
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THE FLOWER OF THE MIND
INTRODUCTION
Partial collections of English poems； decided by a common subject or
bounded by narrow dates and periods of literary history； are made at very
short intervals； and the makers are safe from the reproach of proposing
their own personal taste as a guide for the reading of others。 But a general
Anthology gathered from the whole of English literaturethe whole from
Chaucer to Wordsworthby a gatherer intent upon nothing except the
quality of poetry； is a more rare enterprise。 It is hardly to be made without
tempting the suspicionnay； hardly without seeming to hazard the
confessionof some measure of self…confidence。 Nor can even the desire
to enter upon that labour be a frequent onethe desire of the heart of one
for whom poetry is veritably 〃the complementary life〃 to set up a pale for
inclusion and exclusion； to add honours； to multiply homage； to cherish； to
restore； to protest； to proclaim； to depose； and to gain the consent of a
multitude of readers to all those acts。 Many years； thensome part of a
centurymay easily pass between the publication of one general anthology
and the making of another。
The enterprise would be a sorry one if it were really arbitrary； and if an
anthologist should give effect to passionate preferences without authority。
An anthology that shall have any value must be made on the responsibility
of one but on the authority of many。 There is no caprice； the mind of the
maker has been formed for decision by the wisdom of many instructors。 It
is the very study of criticism； and the grateful and profitable study； that
gives the justification to work done upon the strongest personal impulse；
and done； finally； in the mental solitude that cannot be escaped at the last。
In another order； moral education would be best crowned if it proved to
have quick and profound control over the first impulses； its finished work
would be to set the soul in a state of law； delivered from the delays of self…
distrust； not action only； but the desires would be in an old security； and a
wish would come to light already justified。 This would be the secondif it
were not the onlyliberty。 Even so an intellectual education might
assuredly confer freedom upon first and solitary thoughts； and confidence
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and composure upon the sallies of impetuous courage。 In a word； it should
make a studious anthologist quite sure about genius。 And all who have
bestowed； or helped in bestowing； the liberating education have given
their student the authority to be free。 Personal and singular the choice in
such a book must be； not without right。
Claiming and disclaiming so much； the gatherers may follow one
another to harvest； and glean in the same fields in different seasons； for the
repetition of the work can never be altogether a repetition。 The general
consent of criticism does not stand still； and moreover； a mere accident has
until now left a poet of genius of the past here and there to neglect or
obscurity。 This is not very likely to befall again； the time has come when
there is little or nothing left to discover or rediscover in the sixteenth
century or the seventeenth； we know that there does not lurk another
Crashaw contemned； or another Henry Vaughan disregarded； or another
George Herbert misplaced。 There is now something like finality of
knowledge at least； and therefore not a little error in the past is ready to be
repaired。 This is the result of time。 Of the slow actions and reactions of
critical taste there might be something to say； but nothing important。 No
loyal anthologist perhaps will consent to acknowledge these tides； he will
hardly do his work well unless he believe it to be stable and perfect； nor；
by the way； will he judge worthily in the name of others unless he be
resolved to judge intrepidly for himself。
Inasmuch as even the best of all poems are the best upon innumerable
degrees； the size of most anthologies has gone far to decide what degrees
are to be gathered in and what left without。 The best might make a very
small volume； and be indeed the best； or a very large volume； and be still
indeed the best。 But my labour has been to do somewhat differentlyto
gather nothing that did not overpass a certain boundary…line of genius。
Gray's Elegy； for instance； would rightly be placed at the head of
everything below that mark。 It is； in fact； so near to the work of genius as
to be most directly； closely； and immediately rebuked by genius； it meets
genius at close quarters and almost deserves that Shakespeare himself
should defeat it。 Mediocrity said its own true word in the Elegy：
〃Full many a flower is born to blush unseen； And waste its sweetness
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on the desert air。〃
But greatness had said its own word also in a sonnet：
〃The summer flower is to the summer sweet Though to itself it only
live and die。〃
The reproof here is too sure； not always does it touch so quick； but it
is not seldom manifest； and it makes exclusion a simple task。 Inclusion； on
the other hand； cannot be so completely fulfilled。 The impossibility of
taking in poems of great length； however purely lyrical； is a mechanical
barrier； even on the plan of the present volume； in the case of Spenser's
Prothalamion； the unmanageably autobiographical and local passage
makes it inappropriate； some exquisite things of Landor's are lyrics in
blank verse； and the necessary rule against blank verse shuts them out。 No
extracts have been made from any poem； but in a very few instances a
stanza or a passage has been dropped out。 No poem has been put in for the
sake of a single perfectly fine passage； it would be too much to say that no
poem has been put in for the sake of two splendid passages or so。 The
Scottish ballad poetry is represented by examples that are to my mind finer
than anything left out； still； it is but represented； and as the song of this
multitude of unknown poets overflows by its quantity a collection of lyrics
of genius； so does severally the song of Wordsworth； Crashaw； and Shelley。
It has been necessary； in considering traditional songs of evidently
mingled authorship； to reject some one invaluable stanza or burdenthe
original and ancient surviving matter of a spoilt songbecause it was
necessary to reject the sequel that has cumbered it since some
sentimentalist took it for his own。 An example； which makes the heart
ache； is that burden of keen and remote poetry：
〃O the broom； the bonnie； bonnie broom； The broom of
Cowdenknowes！〃
Perhaps some hand will gather all such precious fragments as these
together one day； freed from what is alien in the work of the restorer。 It is
inexplicable that a generation resolved to forbid the restoration of ancient
buildings should approve the eighteenth century restoration of ancient
poems； nay； the architectural 〃restorer〃 is immeasurably the more
respectful。 In order to give us again the ancient fragments； it is happily not
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necessary to break up the composite songs which； since the time of Burns；
have gained a national love。 Let them be； but let the old verses be also；
and let them have； for those who desire it； the solitariness of their state of
ruin。 Even in the casesand they are not few where Burns is proved to
have given beauty and music to the ancient fragment itself； his work upon
the old stanza is immeasurably finer than his work in
