the rhythm of life and other essays(生命的旋律)-第15节
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Patmore's series。 A more lovely dignity of extension and restriction； a
more touching sweetness of simple and frequent rhyme； a truer impetus of
pulse and impulse； English verse could hardly yield than are to be found in
his versification。 And what movement of words has ever expressed flight；
distance； mystery； and wonderful approach； as they are expressed in a
celestial linethe eighth in the ode To the Unknown Eros？ When we are
sensible of a metrical cheek it is in this way： To the English ear the
heroic line is the unit of metre； and when two lines of various length
undesignedly add together to form a heroic line； they have to be separated
with something of a jerk。 And this addingas； for instance； of a line of
four syllables preceding or following one of sixoccurs now and then； and
even in such a masterly measure of music as A Farewell。 It is as when a
sail suddenly flaps windless in the fetching about of a boat。 In The Angel
in the House； and other earlier poems； Mr。 Coventry Patmore used the
octosyllabic stanza perfectly； inasmuch as he never left it either heavily or
thinly packed。 Moreover those first poems had a composure which was
the prelude to the peace of the Odes。 And even in his slightest work he
proves himself the masterthat is； the ownerof words that； owned by him；
are unprofaned； are as though they had never been profaned； the capturer
of an art so quick and close that it is the voice less of a poet than of the
very Muse。
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INNOCENCE AND EXPERIENCE
I shall not ask the commentators whether Blake used these two words
in union or in antithesis。 They assuredly have an inseverable union in the
art of literature。 The songs of Innocence and Experience are for each
poet the songs of his own separate heart and life； but to take the
cumulative experiences of other men； and to use these in place of the
virginal fruit of thoughtwhereas one would hardly consent to take them
for ordering even the most habitual of daily affairsis to forego Innocence
and Experience at once and together。 Obviously； Experience can be
nothing except personal and separate； and Innocence of a singularly
solitary quality is his who does not dip his hands into other men's histories；
and does not give to his own word the common sanction of other men's
summaries and conclusions。 Therefore I bind Innocence and Experience
in one； and take them as a sign of the necessary and noble isolation of man
from manof his uniqueness。 But if I had a mind to forego that manner
of personal separateness； and to use the things of others； I think I would
rather appropriate their future than their past。 Let me put on their hopes；
and the colours of their confidence； if I must borrow。 Not that I would
burden my prophetic soul with unjustified ambitions； but even this would
be more tolerable than to load my memory with an unjustifiable history。
And yet how differently do the writers of a certain kind of love… poetry
consider this matter。 These are the love…poets who have no reluctance in
adopting the past of a multitude of people to whom they have not even
been introduced。 Their verse is full of ready… made memories； various；
numerous； and cruel。 No single life supposing it to be a liberal life
concerned with something besides sexcould quite suffice for so much
experience； so much disillusion； so much deception。 To achieve that tone
in its fulness it is necessary to take for one's own the praeterita （say） of
Alfred de Musset and of the men who helped himnot to live butto have
lived； it is necessary to have lived much more than any man lives； and to
make a common hoard of erotic remembrances with all kinds of poets。
As the Franciscans wear each other's old habits； and one Friar goes
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The Rhythm of Life and Other Essays
about darned because of another's rending； so the poet of a certain order
grows cynical for the sake of many poets' old loves。 Not otherwise will
the resultant verse succeed in implying so muchor rather so many； in the
feminine plural。 The man of very sensitive individuality might hesitate at
the adoption。 The Franciscan is understood to have a fastidiousness and
to overcome it。 But these poets so triumph over their repugnance that it
does not appear。 And yet； if choice were； one might wish rather to make
use of one's fellowmen's old shoes than put their old secrets to use； and
dress one's art in a motley of past passions。 Moreover； to utilise the
mental experience of many is inevitably to use their verse and phrase。
For the rest； all the traits of this love…poetry are familiar enough。 One of
them is the absence of the word of promise and pledge； the loss of the
earliest and simplest of the impulses of love： which is the vow。 'Till
death！' 'For ever！' are cries too simple and too natural to be commonplace；
and in their denial there is the least tolerable of banalitiesthat of other
men's disillusions。
Perfect personal distinctness of Experience would be in literature a
delicate Innocence。 Not a passage of cheapness； of greed； of assumption；
of sloth； or of any such sins in the work of him whose love…poetry were
thus true； and whose pudeur of personality thus simple and inviolate。
This is the private man； in other words the gentleman； who will neither
love nor remember in public。
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PENULTIMATE CARICATURE
There has been no denunciation； and perhaps even no recognition； of a
certain social immorality in the caricature of the mid…century and earlier。
Literary and pictorial alike； it had for its notice the vulgarising of the
married woman。 No one now would read Douglas Jerrold for pleasure；
but it is worth while to turn up that humourist's serial； Mrs。 Caudle's
Curtain Lectures； which were presumably considered good comic reading
in the Punch of that time； and to make acquaintance with a certain ideal of
the grotesque。 Obviously to make a serious comment on anything which
others consider or have considered humorous is to put one's…self at a
disadvantage。 He who sees the joke holds himself somewhat the superior
of the man who would see it； such as it is； if he thought it worth his
eyesight。 The last…named has to bear the least tolerable of modern
reproaches； but he need not always care。 Now to turn over Douglas
Jerrold's monologues is to find that people in the mid…century took their
mirth principally from the life of the arriere boutique。 On that shabby
stage was enacted the comedy of literature。 Therefore we must take
something of the vulgarity of Jerrold as a circumstance of the social ranks
wherein he delighted。 But the essential vulgarity is that of the woman。
There is in some old Punch volume a drawing by Leechwhom one is
weary of hearing named the gentle； the refinedwhere the work of the
artist has vied with the spirit of the letter…press。 Douglas Jerrold treats of
the woman's jealousy； Leech of her stays。 They lie on a chair by the bed；
beyond description gross。 And page by page the woman is derided； with
an unfailing enjoyment of her foolish ugliness of person； of manners； and
of language。 In that time there was； moreover； one great humourist； he
bore his part willingly in vulgarising the woman； and the part that fell to
him was the vulgarising of the act of maternity。 Woman spiteful； woman
suing man at the law for evading her fatuous companionship； woman
incoherent； woman abandoned without restraint to violence and temper；
woman
