第7章

Tennyson’sgeniuswasearlytrainedbytheskepticalphilosophyoftheage。Allhispoetryshowsthis。The`InMemoriam’mayalmostbesaidtobethepoemofnineteenthcenturyscepticism。

Tothisscepticismhehasappliedan”all-subtilizingintellect”，andhastranslateditintothepoetical”concrete”，witharareartisticskill，andmorethanthis，hassubjectedittothespiritualinstinctsandapperceptionsofthefemininesideofhisnatureandmadeitvassaltoalargerfaith。Butitis，afterall，notthevitalfaithwhichBrowning’spoetryexhibits，afaithPROCEEDINGDIRECTLYFROMTHESPIRITUALMAN。ItisratherthefaithexpressedbyBrowning’sBishopBlougram：——”WithmefaithmeansperpetualunbeliefKeptquietlikethesnake’neathMichael’sfoot，Whostandsfirmjustbecausehefeelsitwrithe。”

AndTennyson，inpicturingtousintheIdylls，thepassageofthesoul”fromthegreatdeeptothegreatdeep”，appearstohavefeltitnecessarytothecompletionofthatpicture(orwhydidhedoit?)，thatheshouldbringoutthatdoubtatthelastmoment。

ThedyingArthurismadetosay：——”IamgoingalongwayWiththesethouseest——ifindeedIgo(Forallmymindiscloudedwithadoubt)——

Totheisland-valleyofAvilion”；etc。

Tennyson’spoetryis，infact，anexpressionofthehighestsublimationofthescepticismwhichcameoutoftheeighteenthcentury，whichinvokedtheauthorityofthesensualisticphilosophyofLocke，andhassincebeenfosteredbythescienceofthenineteenth；

whileBrowning’spoetryisadecidedprotestagainst，andareactionaryproductof，thatscepticism，thatinfidelphilosophy(infidelastothetranscendental)，andhasCLOSEDwithitandborneawaythepalm。

Thekey-noteofhispoetryisstruckin`Paracelsus’，publishedin1835，inhistwenty-thirdyear，and，withtheexceptionof`Pauline’publishedin1833，theearliestofhiscompositions：

Paracelsussays(andhewhoknowsBrowningknowsittobesubstantiallyhisowncreed)：——”Truthiswithinourselves；ittakesnoriseFromoutwardthings，whate’eryoumaybelieve：

Thereisaninmostcentreinusall，Wheretruthabidesinfulness；andaroundWalluponwall，thegrossfleshhemsitin，Thisperfect，clearperception——whichistruth；

AbafflingandpervertingcarnalmeshBlindsit，andmakesallerror：and`TOKNOW’

RatherconsistsinopeningoutawayWhencetheimprisonedsplendourmayescape，ThanineffectingentryforalightSupposedtobewithout。WatchnarrowlyThedemonstrationofatruth，itsbirth，AndyoutracebacktheeffluencetoitsspringAndsourcewithinus，wherebroodsradiancevast，Tobeelicitedraybyray，aschanceShallfavour：chance——forhitherto，yoursageEvenasheknowsnothowthosebeamsareborn，Aslittleknowshewhatunlockstheirfount；

AndmenhaveoftgrownoldamongtheirbooksTodie，case-hardenedintheirignorance，WhosecarelessyouthhadpromisedwhatlongyearsOfunremittedlabourne’erperformed：

While，contrary，ithaschancedsomeidleday，Thatautumn-loiterersjustasfancy-freeAsthemidgesinthesun，haveoftgivenventTotruth——producedmysteriouslyascapeOfcloudgrownoutoftheinvisibleair。

Hence，maynottruthbelodgedalikeinall，Thelowestasthehighest?someslightfilmTheinterposingbarwhichbindsitup，Andmakestheidiot，justasmakesthesageSomefilmremoved，thehappyoutletwhenceTruthissuesproudly?Seethissoulofours！

Howitstrivesweaklyinthechild，isloosedInmanhood，cloggedbysickness，backcompelledByageandwaste，setfreeatlastbydeath：

Whyisit，fleshenthrallsitorenthrones?

Whatisthisfleshwehavetopenetrate?

Oh，notalonewhenlifeflowsstilldotruthAndpoweremerge，butalsowhenstrangechanceRufflesitscurrent；inunusedconjuncture，Whensicknessbreaksthebody——hunger，watching，Excess，orlanguor——oftenestdeath’sapproach——

Peril，deepjoy，orwoe。OnemanshallcrawlThroughlife，surroundedwithallstirringthings，Unmoved——andhegoesmad；andfromthewreckOfwhathewas，byhiswildtalkalone，Youfirstcollecthowgreataspirithehid。

Thereforesetfreethespiritalikeinall，DiscoveringthetruelawsbywhichthefleshBarsinthespirit！……

IgotogatherthisThesacredknowledge，hereandtheredispersedAbouttheworld，longlostorneverfound。

AndwhyshouldIbesad，orlornofhope?

Whyevermakeman’sgooddistinctfromGod’s?

Or，findingtheyareone，whydaremistrust?

Whoshallsucceedifnotonepledgedlikeme?

MineisnomadattempttobuildaworldApartfromHis，likethosewhosetthemselvesTofindthenatureofthespirittheybore，And，taughtbetimesthatalltheirgorgeousdreamsWereonlyborntovanishinthislife，Refusedtofitthemtothisnarrowsphere，ButchosetofigureforthanotherworldAndotherframesmeetfortheirvastdesires，——

Still，alladream！Thuswaslifescorned；butlifeShallyetbecrowned：twineamaranth！Iampriest！”

Andagain：——”Inman’sselfariseAugustanticipations，symbols，typesOfadimsplendoureveronbefore，Inthateternalcirclerunbylife：

Formenbegintopasstheirnature’sbound，AndfindnewhopesandcareswhichfastsupplantTheirproperjoysandgriefs；andoutgrowall*

Thenarrowcreedsofrightandwrong，whichfadeBeforetheunmeasuredthirstforgood；whilepeaceRiseswithinthemevermoreandmore。

Suchmenareevennowupontheearth，Sereneamidthehalf-formedcreaturesround，Whoshouldbesavedbythemandjoinedwiththem。”

Inthelastthreeversesisindicatedthedoctrineoftheregeneratingpowerofexaltedpersonalities，soprominentinBrowning’spoetry，andwhichistreatedinthenextpaper。

*proper：InthesenseoftheLatinPROPRIUS，peculiar，private，personal。

Thereisno`tabularasa’doctrineinthesepassages，norinanyothers，inthepoet’svoluminousworks；andofallmenofgreatintellectandlearning(itisalwaysamatterofmereinsulatedintellect)，borninEnglandsincethedaysofJohnLocke，noone，perhaps，hasbeensoentirelyuntaintedwiththisdoctrineasRobertBrowning。Itisadoctrinewhichgreatspiritualvitality(andthatheearlypossessed)，reachingout，asitdoes，beyondallexperience，beyondalltransformationofsensations，andallconclusionsofthediscursiveunderstanding，naturallyandspontaneouslyrejects。Itsimplysays，”Iknowbetter”，andthereanend。

Thegreatfunctionofthepoet，aspoet，is，withBrowning，toopenoutawaywhencetheimprisonedsplendormayescape，nottoeffectentryforalightsupposedtobewithout；

totracebacktheeffluencetoitsspringandsourcewithinus，wherebroodsradiancevast，tobeelicitedraybyray。

In`FifineattheFair’，publishedthirty-sevenyearsafter`Paracelsus’，issubstantiallythesamedoctrine：——”Truthinside，andoutside，truthalso；andbetweenEach，falsehoodthatischange，astruthispermanence。

Theindividualsoulworksthroughtheshowsofsense，(Which，everprovingfalse，stillpromisetobetrue)

Uptoanoutersoulasindividualtoo；

And，throughthefleeting，livestodieintothefixed，Andreachatlength`God，man，orbothtogethermixed’。”

Inhispoementitled`Popularity’，includedinhis”fiftymenandwomen”，thespeaker，inthemonologue，”draws”his”truepoet”，whomHEknows，ifothersdonot；who，thoughherenders，orstandsreadytorender，tohisfellows，thesupremeserviceofopeningoutawaywhencetheimprisonedsplendoroftheirsoulsmayescape，isyetlockedsafefromendtoendofthisdarkworld。

Thoughtheremaybe，inhisowntime，no”reapersreapingearlyinamongthebeardedbarley”and”pilingsheavesinuplandsairy”

whohearhissong，heholdstheFUTUREfast，acceptstheCOMINGAGES’duty，theirpresentforthispast。Thistrue，creativepoet，whomthespeakercalls”God’sglow-worm，creativeinthesenseofrevealing，whoseinmostcentre，wheretruthabidesinfulness，hasthatfreedomofresponsivenesstothedivinewhichmakeshimtherevealerofittomen，playsthepartintheworldofspiritwhich，inthematerialworldwasplayedbythefisherwho，firstonthecoastofTyretheold，fishedupthepurple-yieldingmurex。Untilthepreciousliquor，filteredbydegrees，andrefinedtoproof，isflaskedandpriced，andsalableatlast，theworldstandsaloof。Butwhenitisallreadyforthemarket，thesmalldealers，”putblueintotheirline”，andoutdareeachotherinazurefeatsbywhichtheysecuregreatpopularity，and，asaresult，faresumptuously；

whilehewhofishedthemurexupwasunrecognized，andfed，perhaps，onporridge。

Popularity。

I。

Standstill，truepoetthatyouare！

Iknowyou；letmetryanddrawyou。

Somenightyou’llfailus：whenafarYourise，rememberonemansawyou，Knewyou，andnamedastar！*1*

II。

Mystar，God’sglow-worm！WhyextendThatlovinghandofHiswhichleadsyou，YetlocksyousafefromendtoendOfthisdarkworld，unlessHeneedsyou，Justsavesyourlighttospend?

III。

Hisclenchedhandshalluncloseatlast，Iknow，andletoutallthebeauty：

Mypoetholdsthefuturefast，Acceptsthecomingages’duty，Theirpresentforthispast。

IV。

Thatday，theearth’sfeast-master’sbrowShallclear，toGodthechaliceraising；”Othersgivebestatfirst，butThouForeverset’stourtablepraising，Keep’stthegoodwinetillnow！”

V。

Meantime，I’lldrawyouasyoustand，Withfewornonetowatchandwonder：

I’llsay——afisher，onthesandByTyretheold，withocean-plunder，Anetful，broughttoland。

VI。

WhohasnotheardhowTyrianshellsEnclosedtheblue，thatdyeofdyesWhereofonedropworkedmiracles，AndcoloredlikeAstarte’seyesRawsilkthemerchantsells?

VII。

Andeachby-standerofthemallCouldcriticise，andquotetraditionHowdepthsofbluesublimedsomepall——

Togetwhich，prickedaking’sambition；

Worthsceptre，crown，andball。

VIII。

Yetthere’sthedye，inthatroughmesh，Theseahasonlyjusto’er-whispered！

Livewhelks，eachlip’sbearddrippingfresh，Asiftheystillthewater’slispheardThroughfoamtherock-weedsthresh。

IX。

EnoughtofurnishSolomonSuchhangingsforhiscedar-house，That，whengold-robedhetookthethroneInthatabyssofblue，theSpouseMightswearhispresenceshoneX。

Mostlikethecentre-spikeofgoldWhichburnsdeepintheblue-bell’swombWhattime，withardorsmanifold，Thebeegoessingingtohergroom，Drunkenandoverbold。

XI。

Mereconchs！notfitforwarporwoof！

TillcunningcometopoundandsqueezeAndclarify，——refinetoproof*2*

Theliquorfilteredbydegrees，Whiletheworldstandsaloof。

XII。

Andthere’stheextract，flaskedandfine，Andpricedandsalableatlast！

AndHobbs，Nobbs，Stokes，andNokescombineTopaintthefuturefromthepast，Putblueintotheirline。*3*

XIII。

Hobbshintsblue，——straightheturtleeats：

Nobbsprintsblue，——claretcrownshiscup：

NokesoutdaresStokesinazurefeats，——

Bothgorge。Whofinishedthemurexup?

WhatporridgehadJohnKeats?——

*1*named：Announced。

*2*Originalreading：——”Tillartcomes，——comestopoundandsqueezeAndclarify，——refinestoproof。”

*3*”Line”isperhapsmeanttobeusedequivocally，——

theirlineofbusinessorlineoftheirverse。

ThespiritualebbandflowexhibitedinEnglishpoetry(thehighesttidebeingreachedinTennysonandBrowning)

whichIhaveendeavoredcursorilytopresent，beartestimonytothefactthathumannatureWILLassertitswholenessinthecivilizedman。Andtheremustcomeatime，intheprogressofcivilization，whenthisebbandflowwillbelessmarkedthanithasbeenheretofore，byreasonofabetterbalancing，whichwillbebroughtabout，oftheintellectualandthespiritual。

Eachwillhaveitsdueactivity。Themanofintellectualpursuitswillnothaveastarvedspiritualnature；andthemanofpredominantspiritualfunctionswillnothaveanintellectweakenedintoasubmissivenesstoformulated，stereotyped，and，consequently，lifelessdogmas。

RobertBrowningisinhimselfthecompletestfulfilmentofthisequipoiseoftheintellectualandthespiritual，possessingeachinanexalteddegree；andhispoetryisanemphasizedexpressionofhisownpersonality，andaprophecyoftheultimateresultsofChristiancivilization。

II。TheIdeaofPersonalityandofArtasanintermediateagencyofPersonality，asembodiedinBrowning’sPoetry。

1。GeneralRemarks。”SubsistsnolawofLifeoutsideofLife。