第4章

Thisitwaswhich，inspiteofhisessentiallymoderncharacterasasinger，qualifiedShelleytobethepoetofPrometheusUnbound，foritmadehim，inthetruestsenseoftheword，amythologicalpoet。

Thischildlikequalityassimilatedhimtothechildlikepeoplesamongwhommythologieshavetheirrise。ThoseNaturemythswhich，accordingtomany，arethebasisofallmythology，arelikewisetheverybasisofShelley"spoetry。Thelarkthatisthegossipofheaven，thewindsthatpluckthegreyfromthebeardsofthebillows，thecloudsthataresnortedfromthesea"sbroadnostril，alltheelementalspiritsofNature，takefromhisverseperpetualincarnationandreincarnation，passinathousandglorioustransmigrationsthroughtheradiantformsofhisimagery。

Thus，butnotintheWordsworthiansense，heisaveritablepoetofNature。ForwithNaturetheWordsworthianswilladmitnotampering:

theyexactthedirectinterpretativereproductionofher;thatthepoetshouldfollowherasamistress，notuseherasahandmaid。TosuchfollowingofNature，Shelleyfeltnocall。Hesawinhernotapicturesetforhiscopying，butapalettesetforhisbrush;notahabitationpreparedforhisinhabiting，butaColiseumwhencehemightquarrystonesforhisownpalaces。Eveninhisdescriptivepassagesthedream—characterofhissceneryisnotorious;itisnottheclear，recognisablesceneryofWordsworth，butalandscapethathoversathwarttheheatandhazearisingfromhiscracklingfantasies。ThematerialsforsuchvisionaryEdenshaveevidentlybeenaccumulatedfromdirectexperience，buttheyarerecomposedbyhimintosuchscenesasneverhadmortaleyebeheld。"Don"tyouwishyouhad？"asTurnersaid。TheonejustificationforclassingShelleywiththeLakepoetisthathelovedNaturewithaloveevenmorepassionate，thoughperhapslessprofound。Wordsworth"sNightingaleandStockdovesumsupthecontrastbetweenthetwo，asthoughithadbeenwrittenforsuchapurpose。Shelleyisthe"creatureofebullientheart，"whoSingsasifthegodofwineHadhelpedhimtoavalentine。

Wordsworth"sisthe—Lovewithquietblending，Slowtobeginandneverending，the"seriousfaithandinwardglee。"

ButifShelley，insteadofcullingNature，crossedwithitspollentheblossomsofhisownsoul，thatBabyloniangardenishismarvellousandbestapology。ForastoundingfigurativeopulenceheyieldsonlytoShakespeare，andeventoShakespearenotinabsolutefecunditybutinimages。Thesourcesofhisfigurativewealtharespecialised，sourcesofShakespeare"sareuniversal。Itwouldhavebeenasconsciousaneffortforhimtospeakwithoutfigureasitisformostmentospeakwithfigure。Suspendedinthedrippingwellofhisimaginationthecommonestobjectbecomesencrustedwithimagery。HereinagainhedeviatesfromthetrueNaturepoet，thenormalWordsworthtypeofNaturepoet:imagerywastohimnotameremeansofexpression，notevenameremeansofadornment;itwasadelightforitsownsake。

Andhereinwefindthetrailbywhichwewouldclassifyhim。Hebelongstoaschoolofwhichnotimpossiblyhemayhardlyhavereadaline—theMetaphysicalSchool。ToalargeextentheISwhattheMetaphysicalSchoolshouldhavebeen。Thatschoolwasacertainkindofpoetrytryingforarange。Shelleyistherangefound。

CrashawandShelleysprangfromthesameseed;butintheonecasetheseedwaschokedwiththorns，intheothercaseitfellongoodground。TheMetaphysicalSchoolwasinitsdirectresultsanabortivemovement，thoughindirectlymuchcameofit—forDrydencameofit。Dryden，toagreaterextentthanis（weimagine）

generallyperceived，wasCowleysystematised;andCowley，whosankintothearmsofDryden，rosefromthelapofDonne。

ButthemovementwassoabortivethatfewwillthankusforconnectingwithitthenameofShelley。ThisisbecausetomostpeopletheMetaphysicalSchoolmeansDonne，whereasitoughttomeanCrashaw。Wejudgethedirectionofadevelopmentbyitshighestform，thoughthatformmayhavebeenproducedbutonce，andproducedimperfectly。NowthehighestproductoftheMetaphysicalSchoolwasCrashaw，andCrashawwasaShelleymanque;heneverreachedthePromisedLand，buthehadfervidvisionsofit。TheMetaphysicalSchool，likeShelley，lovedimageryforitsownsake:andhowbeautifulathingthefranktoyingwithimagerymaybe，letTheSkylarkandTheCloudwitness。Itisonlyevilwhenthepoet，onthestraightwaytoafixedobject，lagscontinuallyfromthepathtoplay。Thisiscommendableneitherinpoetnorerrand—boy。TheMetaphysicalSchoolfailed，notbecauseittoyedwithimagery，butbecauseittoyedwithitfrostily。TosportwiththetanglesofNeaera"shairmaybetrivialidlenessorcaressingtenderness，exactlyasyourrelationtoNeaeraisthatofheartlessgallantryoroflove。Soyoumaytoywithimageryinmereintellectualingenuity，andthenyoumightaswellgowriteacrostics:oryoumaytoywithitinraptures，andthenyoumaywriteaSensitivePlant。Infact，theMetaphysicalpoetswhentheywentastraycannotbesaidtohavedoneanythingsodaintyasisimpliedbyTOYINGwithimagery。Theycutitintoshapeswithapairofscissors。FromallsuchdangerShelleywassavedbyhispassionatespontaneity。Notrappingsaretoosplendidfortheswiftsteedsofsunrise。Hissword—hiltmayberoughwithjewels，butitisthehiltofanExcalibur。Histhoughtsscorchthroughallthefoldsofexpression。

Hisclothofgoldburstsattheflexures，andshowsthenakedpoetry。

Itisthisgiftofnotmerelyembodyingbutapprehendingeverythinginfigurewhichco—operatestowardscreatinghisrarestcharacteristics，soalmostpreternaturallydevelopedinnootherpoet，namely，hiswell—knownpowertocondensethemosthydrogenicabstraction。Sciencecannoweducethreadsofsuchexquisitetenuitythatonlythefeetofthetiniestinfant—spiderscanascendthem;butupthefilmiestinsubstantialityShelleyrunswithagileease。Tohim，intruth，nothingisabstract。ThedustiestabstractionsStart，andtrembleunderhisfeet，Andblossominpurpleandred。

Thecoldestmoonofanideariseshaloedthroughhisvaporousimagination。Thedimmest—sparkedchipofaconceptionblazesandscintillatesinthesubtileoxygenofhismind。ThemostwrinkledAEsonofanabstrusenessleapsrosyoutofhisbubblinggenius。InamoreintensifiedsignificationthanitisprobablethatShakespearedreamedof，Shelleygivestoairynothingalocalhabitationandaname。HereafreshhetouchestheMetaphysicalSchool，whoseverytitlewasdrawnfromthishabitualpursuitofabstractions，andwhofailedinthatpursuitfromtheonecauseomnipresentwiththem，becauseinalltheirpoeticsmithytheyhadleftneveraplaceforaforge。Theylaidtheirfancieschillontheanvil。Crashaw，indeed，partiallyanticipatedShelley"ssuccess，andyetfurtherdidalaterpoet，somuchfurtherthatwefinditdifficulttounderstandwhyagenerationthatworshipsShelleyshouldberevivingGray，yetalmostforgetthenameofCollins。Thegeneralityofreaders，whentheyknowhimatall，usuallyknowhimbyhisOdeonthePassions。Inthis，despiteitsbeauty，thereisstillasoupconofformalism，alingeringtraceofpowderfromtheeighteenthcenturyperiwig，dimmingthebrightlocksofpoetry。Onlytheliterarystudentreadsthatlittlemasterpiece，theOdetoEvening，whichsometimesheraldstheShelleianstrain，whileotherpassagesarethesolethingsinthelanguagecomparabletotheminiaturesofIlPenseroso。Crashaw，Collins，Shelley—threericochetsoftheonepebble，threejetsfromthreeboundsoftheonePegasus！Collins"sPity，"witheyesofdewylight，"isnearofkintoShelley"sSleep，"thefilmy—eyed";andthe"shadowytribesofmind"arethelinealprogenitorsof"Thought"scrownedpowers。"