MATTHEW ARNOLD ENGLISH LITERATURE AND IRISH POLITICS Edited by R. H.Super ANN ARBOR THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN PRESS 1993wo Engle Literature and Irish Plies leaned to cre fr al these roger, and eo go om unt pe freon o ru con hen a they wil be prong tnd protsing the tue and noble sence of polis and the trocand noble sence of economics ind a noe se Slane ony of these since, or a eat fren of them ‘And then il comes atthe exineon ofthe conversion of the'Tons the ein of al hing che rig ofthe Libera Sins But meanwhile, slong a he Liber do only a hey fave done hitherto, they il ot permanente come dmuny, atthe Tre wl agi, rom tne tne, be ied the ad found wanting. And we, who stad tobe gut and to lecp or eemper and ot tongue under control, all con fina to spa of the princes of our wo gres pola partes reper ere ia el a Ind angy men, ike Cb, wil al shem the pepe of ratte principles of Yorke The Study of Poetry" “The furue of poetry is immense, because in poetry, where i is worthy of itt igh destinies, our race, as time goes on, will find an ever surer and surer stay. There is nor a creed which is for shaken, not an aceredited dogma which is noe shown to be ‘questionable, nota received tradition which does not chreaten| {ho dsolve, Our religion has materialised isl in the fact, inthe Supposed fact, it has attached its emotion to the fac, and now the fact is filing it. But for poetry the ida i everything; the fest is a world of illusion, of divine illusion. Poetry attaches its emotion o the idea; the idea i che face. The strongest part ‘of our religion to-day is its unconscious poetry. Let me be permitted to quote these words of my own, as uttering the thought which should, in my opinion, go with us tnd govern vs in all our stady of poetry. In the present work itis the course of one great contributory steam othe world river of poetry, that we are invited to follow. We are here Invited t0 trace he steam of English poetry. Bue whether we ser ourselves, a8 here to follow only one of the several steams that make che mighty river of poetry, or whether we seek ro know them all, ot governing thovgit should be the same, We should conceive of poetry worthy, and more highly than it has been the custom to conceive of i. We should conceive of itas capable of higher uses, and called ro higher destinies, chan those which in general men have asigned to it hicherto. More land more mankind will discover that we have to turn to poetry to interpret life for us, t0 console us, to sustain us, Withoot poetry, our science will appear incomplete; and most of what 2 Polished in 6 ar che General Inerodetion to The English Poe, dined by TH Wars sas we Engl Literature and lish Plier ‘now pasts with us fr region and philosophy will be replaced by poetry. Science, Isa, will appear incomplete without i For finely and truly does Wordsworth call poetry the inspass- Joned expression sehich is inthe countenance of sll science’, and whit is a countenance without its expression? Again, ‘Wordsworth finely and trly calls poeery ‘the breath and finer spirt ofall knowledge’ oor religion, parading evidences such 2 those an which the popula mind relies now; ou philosophy, pluming itself on its renonings about causiton and finite and Infinite being; what are they but the shadows and dreams and fale shows of knowledge? ‘The day will come when we shall wonder a ourselves for having trusted to them, for having taken chem seriously, and the more we perecve thee hollow ness the more we shall prize ‘the breath and finer spirit of knowledge’ offered to us By postr, Buc if We conceive thus highly ofthe destinies of poet rust also set our standard for poetry high, since poetry, to be Capable of fulfilling such high destinies, must be poetry of a high order of excellence, We must accustom outslves £0 2 high standard and co sce judgment. Sainte-Beuve relates that [Napoleon one day sid, when somebody was spoken of in his presence a: + charlatan’ Charatan as much as you please, bot where is there nor charlatanism?"—Yes, answers Sainte-Beuve, in polities, in che are of governing mankind, that is perhaps true, But in the order of ehoughe, in ar, the glory, the etal honor is that charlatanism shall find no entrance, herein lies the in ‘iolableness of that noble porcon of man’s being’ Te is adm. ably said, and ler us hold fs co it Tn poetry, which thought and arin one ic isthe glory, the eternal honour, that charltan- ism shall ind no. entrance, chat this noble sphere be kept inviolte and inviolable, Chatlatanism is for confusing or obit crating the distinctions berween excellent and inferior, sound and unsound or only hal-sound, eue and unteue of ony half- true. Iris charlatanism, consious or unconscious, whenever we confuse or obliterate these. And in poetry more than any where ele, it is unpermissble to confuse oF obliterate them For in poetry the distinction berween excellent and inferior, sound and unsound or only half-sound, rue and untrue or only “The Sad of Poery 6 halftra, is of paramoune importance. I i of pasmoune im- portance boca of the high estnie of poetry Tn poety a cum of life under he conditions xed fr such # xtc iy the laws of poo truth and posi Bessy, the apc of ou ‘ee wl inde haves ase goes om sd a ther eps fi consolation and say But the consonant will tof powerin proportion to the power of the erm of ie ‘Rn he ccm of ife wl be of power in proportion a the poetry conveying its excellent rather than snferior,soand Fer than unsound or flesound, ere ater than uneue oF falar "Te best poetry is what we war; the bes poetry wll be found wo havea power of forming, sting, ord deghing tas nothing be can. A clare, deeper sense of the bes poss, and of she serength and joy t be dawn from ty the Ifo precios bent which we Cn ptr frm apts ol {ection sch asthe presen. And yet inthe very nature and con. dcr of such a callin there nena something which fends to bscre in vs the concious of what our beef Should ts and fo dst s fom the orm of. We should therefore seaily set before oor minds atthe out, and Should compel ourves to revere conmandy to the thought of eas we proceed Yes constant in reading poetry,» sense forthe bs, the realy exelent, and of the strength and joy tobe dawn fom Je Should be poses inoue ind and shold govern ote ex mate of what re rend, But this real eximate, the only toe on i aber be peseded if we arent watchful by two other Hinds of imate he histone etimate and he personal ex tmute, both of which are fllcions A poet oF * poem may ‘oun ows historically, hey may coun oon grounds pe Sona ovursevex and they ry’ count cow ely They may oun tow history, The couse of development of na tion's langoge tought, nd poetry x pofoundly interesting, nd by tearing » pot works sage in thir coone of development we ay eal ring ousles to make i of more importance as pot than in iset relly y we may come torte a language of ite exaggerted rae in ering x~ 6 Engl Literature and Ish Plies in shor, to overcte it So arises in our poetic judgments the fallacy caused by the estimate which we may’ all historic. “Then, again, a poet or a poem may coun to us on grounds personal to ourselves Our personal antes, likings, and cir- {Cumstances, have grest power to sway our eximate of this or thar poet's work, and co make us arich more importance to i as poeery than in itself it rally possesses, because tous iti, for fas been, of high importance. Here also we overstate the object of our interest, and apply co ita language of praise which f= quite exaggerated. And thus we ge the source of a second falley in uF pottic judgments—the fallacy caused by an ccrimate which we may call persona. Both fallacies ate natural. Te is evident how naturally the sxudy of the hixory and development of a poetry may incline 4 man to pause over reputations and works once conspicuous but now obscure, and to quarrel with a carcles public for skipping, in obedience to mere tradition and habit From one famous name or workin its national poetry to another, ignorant of what ie misses, and ofthe reason for Keeping what it keeps, and of the whole proces of growth in is poetry. The French have become diligent students of their own early poetry, which they long neglected; che study’ makes many of them dissed With their so-called lasial poetry, the court-tragedy of the Seventeenth century, 2 poetty which Pellsin long” ago re- proached with its wane of the true poetie stamp, with its po- ltese stérie et rampante, but which nevertheless has reigned in France a5 absolutely as if ic had been the perfection of cs sical poetry’ indeed. The disatsfation is natural yet lively and accomplished critic, M. Charles Hiériaul, the editor of Clément Marot, goes too far when he siys that “the eloud of glory playing round a clasic is a mist as dangerous to the forure of «literature asi is intolerable for the purposes of history. "We hinders he goes on, it hinders ws from secing more ‘than one single pons, the culminating snd exceptional point the summary fietious and arbitrary, ofa thought and of a work. Te-substtues a halo for a physiognomy, it pus a statue where there was once a man, and hiding from ueall race ofthe bour, the atempes, the weaknesses, che failures, iv claims noe study bu veneration; ie does nor show us how the thing is done, i The Sy of Petry 5 imposes upon usa model. Above al fo the historian this rea th of cle personage indie, frie withden the por from his time, from his proper life, breaks orca Faationsps it blinds ereism By conventional admiration, dnd tenden the investigation of Kersey ong snaceepabe ie gives us a human personage no Inger, but a God seated im tnovable amide His perfect work, ke Jopter on Olympus, tnd harely wil be posible Yor the young student, co whom Stch work exhibited sich» diane fom him. eo belive that edd ao ive ready made from thr divine head” ‘lth is bilianly and tlingy sid, bar wwe must plead fora ditinesion, Everything depends on the rey ofa poets Clase character If hea dob cla eos fim he $0 fase cate, let ws eaplode him, Bur if he sar ls, if his work belongs tothe cls ofthe very best (or this the ere and right meaning of the word cla, elesial), then the grew thing for ws to fel and enjoy hs work a deply tbeter we can and to apres the wide dfeence between it and all work which has not the same high charster. ‘This is hari slay, tis whe is formative hi the gre benef be got from the study of poetry. Everything which incerferes with which hinder it i injrious. Troe, ve mast teed our clase with open eyen and not with eyes blinded with Saperstion, we mise pertive when hs work comes shor when it drops out ofthe clas of the very’ best, and we must Int iin sch case at is prope value Bur the we of this teatve crcl snot in ff is eniely Ins enabling tse havea clearer sense and a deeper enjoyment of what truly eneslent. To trace che labour the stp the weake neste, the falls ofa genne clas, to aoa oneself with tis time and his life and his historical. relationship, mete erry ean uns tt has tha clear sense and deeper tejoymen fori end emay be sid har he more we ow shout a elas the beter we shal enjoy Rims and, if we ved {slong ss Meshuscah and had all of heads of perfect clear tev and wills of perfec stead thi might be ein face {ie i plausble in theory. But the exe ere i mich the same SS the cae withthe Grek and Latin ude of our schoolboy. “The carte phillies goundvork which we reqs them 5s“6 Engl Literature and Irish Ptises to ly isin thenry an adnitable preparation for appreciating the Greek and Latin author worthy. The more eoroughy ‘we ly the groundwork, the Beer we sll be abl it ae Sito enjoy the authors Tree if tne were nat shore and Sehoolbny wits ots son tired and thir power of seaion évhaued; ony, a tthe elaborate pilologialprepiaion fo, hut the authors ae hae known and ies eyed. So ‘sth the invengitor af storie origin’ in poy. He oughe toeny the re lal he Beef i iets te often sdstaced fom the enjoyment of the bes and with the les good he overbases hime ands prone to averse ia pornos le wh ha oi neide of tracing hk rigs and historia lations connor be abe fom complation like he present And Pee tury the poets tobe exited fn wl be aged to those persons for exhibition avo are known to prae them highly, Father thin to those who have no speci ectnaon tarde ‘hem: Moreover the very oceupition with an author; and the busines of exbing im, dopose orto aim and amply his imporance. Inthe present wor, therefore, we are sure of frequent rempaton to ndop he historic estimator he pet sea iat an fog he rein; ih er nevertcen we mate employ if we ae to make poetry Jel vit fal bene So igh sha bene, the bene af cary Fesling and of deeply enoving the rely eesllens the tly Cis me oe wy ost ely eee due minds s our objec in stoying poets and pocty, and take the dese of ataning ithe oe principe to which, a thedmaton sy, whateret we may rn o ume to kno we sivaysretum,Cm mia leger et connover a tan Some peer ee pi stoic eximae ike in espe to affect ou judge men and wut ngage when we ae dealing wih ancien poets the personal exe when we are dealing with poss out con, tenporaie, or at any rate modern. The exaggerations doe to the hitare eximate tre nor in themselves, perhaps, of very Inuch gravity Their epre hry enters the gener tr, probe ably ehey de not sways pose even onthe ferry ea who ‘The Study of Poetry “6 adopt them, But they led to a dangerous abuse of language So we heir Canon, amongst our own poets, compared Milton. Pave already noticed the enthusiasm of one accom- plished French erie for ‘historic origins’ Another eminent French etc, M. Vitet, comments upon that famous document ‘of the early poetry of his nation, the Chsnson de Roland. Ie is indeed a most interesting document, The joculator of jon- leur Taileer, who was wich Willar the Conqueror’s army St Hastings, marched before the Norman troops, 0 ssid the ‘adision, singing ‘of Charlemagne and of Roland and of Oliver, and of the vasals who died at Roncevaux', and itis suggested ‘that in the Chanson de Roland by one Turoldus or Théroulde, ' poem preserved in a manuseript ofthe rwelfth cencury in the Bodleian Library at-Oxford, we have cerinly the mare, pethape even sme of the words of the chaune which Tallefer fang, The poem has vigour and freshness ic is not without pathos, But M, Vite snot satisfied with sexing in ita document Of some poetic value, and of very high historic and linguistic value; he ses init + grand and beautfal work, a monument of “epic genius In its general design he finds the grandiose concep- ton, in ite deals he finds the constant union of simplicity with greatness, which are the marks, he truly says, of the genuine tpi, and distinguish it from the areal epic of literary ages. (One chinks of Homer; this ie the sore of prive which i given to Homer, and justly given. Higher praise there eanaot wel bye, and i isthe praise due to pie poetry of the highest order only, and to no other. Let us try, chen, the Chnsom de Roland its bes, Roland, morally wounded, lays himself down lunder a pine-ree, with his face eurned towards Spain and the enemy— ‘Deplasurs ches cemembre i pit, Detantesterer come berscungui, De dulce Franc, deshumes de on ign DeCarlemagne sn signori Ynuree "Then began he co ell any thing remembrance—ll the ands vehich hs valour conquered, an plenant France, apd the man of his Tegel Chcemagne hi loge lord who ouished hin™—Cbawon as x» Faa 8 nplib Literature and rsh Polis That is primitive work, [ repeat, with an undeniable poetic ‘ualty ofits own. Te deserves such praise, and such prise i sifciet for it. Bue now turn so Homer— Oy pre-e 8b nicer doer la Aananon ah, iy ears yi? We are here in another world, another order of poetry ato- gether; here is rightly’ dve such supreme praise as that whieh IM. Viner gies to the Chanson de Roland. If our words are to have any meaning, if our judgments are to have any solidity, we ‘nse not heap that supreme prsise upon poetry of an order ‘immeasursbly inferior. Indeed there can be a0 more useful help for discovering wha poetry belongs tthe class ofthe truly excellent, and can therefore do us most good, than to have always in one's mind lines and expressions of the great masters, and to apply them 2 a touchstone to other poetry. OF courte We are Not 0 Fe- ‘quire this other poeery co resemble them ie may be very dis. Simla. But if we have any tact we shall nd them when we have lodged them well nour minds, an infalible touchstone for detecting the presence or absence of high poetic quality, and also the degree ofthis quality, in all other poetry which we ‘may’ place eside them. Short pasages, even single lines, will Serve our tar quite suiciently. Take the two lines which L have just quoted from Homer, the poets comment on Helen's ‘mention of her brother;—or take his Fra booroas ne? ipl Dye free? 1 So aid he; they long since in Fars of ams were reesing, “Ther inthe or dar and theft aceon Tid 34 traaed by De Hater). = 'Ah,onbapy pan, why gare we you to King Peleus to 2 mora bac ye ate without old age sd mortal, Was fut with men orn fo Soy ye mabe have tose? led rl ean The Srudy of Poetry 65 the addres of Zeus tothe horses of Peleus}—or take finally his Keio yipan eps a duane Stor da? the words of Achilles to Priam, a supplant before him. Take that incomparable line anda balf of Dante, Ugoino’s tremen- dus words— ‘omen plangev; 8 dentcoimpietri Piangevan eli take the lovely words of Beatrice to Virgil— own fates da Dio, sua mere, le, (Chea vosts mises non mi tage, No fama eno incendio non masale ..* take the simple, bur perfect, single line— “Inla su voontade& nostra pace* ‘Take of Shakespeare a lin or two of Henry he Fourh’s ex posulition with leep— ‘Wile thos upon the high and giddy mast Sel up the shipshoy's eyes, and rock his brains Tera of the rade imperious urge..." and take, as wel, Hamlee’s dying request ro Horatio— “Y thoudidst ever hold me in thy hear, Absene thee from flict awhile, "nay and thu 95 oi man former days wat 8 we heat, Bay 2 wale not 0 of one grew I within,—bey waled'—Iferne, "OF ach srt ath God, thanked be His mercy made me hat Your inser touche meno, neiher Sth the ume of hr Sr kee Interns iat ‘In His will son peace Pari, ii 85 asx t= Engl Livoratre and re Poles And inthis harsh world daw thy brent in pin Torelmy sory.” “Take of Milton chat Milonic pssage— ‘Darker sa, yet shone Above them all he archangel bhi fce Deep scars of thunder had inrench', and cae ‘Seen his fade cheek add two such ines “And courage never to submic or yield ‘And what elena wo be overcome and fnsh with the exquisite close co the loss of Proserpine, the Ios “ss-which com Cees ll ha pia “To seeker through the word” ‘These few lines, if we have tact and can use them, are enough even of themselves to keep clear and sound our judgments about poetry, to save us from fallacious eximates of i, to conduct tito areal eximate TThe specimens Ihave quoted difer widely from one another, bor they have in common this: the posession of the very high- est poetical quality. I we are thoroughly. penetrated by their power, we shall find that we have acquired a sense enabling us, Whatever poetry may’ be lid before us, 10 feel the degree in ‘hich a high poetes! quality is present or wanting there. Critics give chemselves great labour to draw out what in the abstract Constitutes the characters of «high quality of poetry. leis much Deter simply to have recourse to conerete examples;—to take specimens of poetry ofthe high, the very highest quality, and to sy: The characters of a high quality of poeery are what i capressed there. They are far better recognised by being felt inthe verse of the master, than by being perused in the prose The Seudy of Poerry m of the ete. Nevertheless if we ate urgently presed ro give ‘ome ea account of them, we ay ey. pha, entre laying down, not indeed How snd why he Charters are, bu where and in wha hey ses They een theme and tbance ofthe pty, an they are mis manne ad sje Both of te the bance and mater onthe one hand the Syle and manner on theater, haves math scents of igh Beau, worth snd power. Bur if we are eked to define tis mar ind accent inthe aba, ovr answer must be: No, for we sould thereby be daening the question, not clearing “The mark and accent ae a given bythe sbtance and mater ofthat pty, bythe syle sd are ofthat poetry, and of lotr poetry hich is akin on quay. nly oe thing we may 44d othe bance and mater of pty. guing ourtves by Anodes profound eer Sion thatthe sporty of poetry over Retry conic in is possi « higher truth anda higher seronnes (ade ran orda) Let a, therefore to what we have ‘Ede hc thestbtance and mater of the bast pty se Shire their special character frm powesing, nan einer AKres rth and sriousnes, We nny add you farther, what ‘Sth iol? eridene tht tothe syle tnd manner of the bes poetry thr speci charset accent given by thet Elson, and, even yet more, by their movemet. And thoogh ste dings beeen the two character te two accents of superior, yet they ate neverhles ally connected one wh the thr The sperior character of ith nd seuss, inthe mater and sbance ofthe Bete poety,sseperble from the spent of dison and movement marking tase and nner ‘The two spe te cloly felted and ae in sea proporton one to the eter. Sofa as hgh poetic truth and eioen ate wancng to pos mater ant ub Sanceso fra, we may be sr, wil high post tp of dieon and movenen be wanting to hit syle nd manner In proporion ar thir high samp of icon sod movement gain Sabsene fom » oer syle and manner, we shall ind ln sigh oe ach sere abn fom hs as xx s mm Engi Litoatune and ree Police So stated, these are but dry generalities; their whole force lies in thei application, And T could wish every student of poetry to make the application of them for himself. Made by himself, ehe application would impres itself upon his mind far more deeply than made by me, Nether will my limits allow sme to make any full application ofthe generalities above pro- pounded; but inthe hope of bringing out, 2t any rate, some Significance in them, and of establishing an important principle more firmly by thir means, will, n the space which remains to-me, fllow reply from che commencement the course of four English poetry with them in my view. ‘Once more T return to the early poetry of France, with which our own poetry, ints origin, i indissolubly connected In the ewelfth and thirteenth eencuries, that seed-time of all rmodeen language and literature, the poetry of France had a lear predominance in Europe. OF the two divisions of that poetry its productions in the langue d'oil and is prodctions in the langue doc, the poetry of the langue dec, of southern France, of the troubadour, i of importance because of its cect on Italian Tterature;—the fist literature of modern Burope to strike the true and grand note, and to bring forth, as Jn Dante and Petrarch ic brought foreh, classics. But che pre- dominance of French poetry in Europe, during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, due to its poetry ofthe mgue doi, the poetry of northern France and ofthe tongue which is nov the French language. In che ewelfth century the Bloom ofthis Fomance-poetry was eatlier and stronger in England, a the court of our Anglo-Norman kings, thn in France itself. But it ‘wae bloom of French poetry and as our native poetry formed itself ie formed itself our of this. The romanee-poems which took possession of the heat and imagination of Borope in the twelfth and thiteeenth centuries are French; "they are at Southey justly says, the pride of French literature, nor have re anything which can be placed in competition with them.” Themes were supplied from all quarters; but the romance seating which was common to them all nd which gsined the ‘ar of Europe, was Freneh, This consticueed for the French poetry, literature, and language, a the height of the Middle The Study of Poetry ” Age, sn unchallenged predominance. ‘The Italian. Bronetto Latin, the master of Dante, wrote his Treasure in French be- cause, he stys, "la patleare en ext plus déliable ec plus com- tune a toufes gens’ In the sime century, the thitreenth, the French romance-writer, Christian of Troyes, formulates the claims, in chivalry and leers, of France, his native country, ts follows— “Or vousert pa ce lve aris, (Que Gress o de chevlerie Te premier ore de clrgies Pit ine chevalerie Rome, Er dela clergie a some, (Quire est en France venve Diex dine gue sot recenve, Br eli ie liabele “Tane que ja mee de France n'sse Lonor quis esr arene!" "Now by this book you will learn that fist Greece had the renown for chivaly and letters; then chivalry and the primacy in lezers pased to Rome, and now it come to France. God grant ie may be kepe there; and that the place may please ic so ‘wel, chat the honour which has come to make stay in France ray’ never depart thence!” ‘Yer itis now all gone, this French romance-poetry, of which the weight of substance and the power of syle are not unfairly represented by this extract from Christian of Troyes. Only by means of the historic eximate can we persuade ourselves now to think tha any ofits of poeteal importance. Bur in the fourteenth ceneury there comes an Englishman nourished on this poetry, taught his trade by this poetry, getting swords, rhyme, metre from this poetry for eves of that stanza which the Italians used, and which Chaucer derived immedi- srely from the Telins, the basis and suggestion was probably given in France. Chaucer (I have already named him) fasci- hated his contemporaries, but s0 too did Chrisian of Troyes and Wolfram of Eschenbach. Chaucer's power of fascination, however, is enduring; his poetical importance does not need as» i Engl Literature and Ih Potties the asisance of the historic estimate; ei el. He isa genuine Source of joy and strength, which owing sl for ur and Wil ow aways He wil be rend, a ines goes on fat ove gcerly than hei read now. Fis angage's a ease of i Freaky for us; buts alo and think in ule a ret epee, isthe langage of Bare In Chaser ae asin tha of Burs it ia ditty to be unbesaingly acepred and overeome tweak ores wherein cons the immense sopetoiy of Chace poetry over the romance-poery-why ei hat, in ping from thi to Chaer we sain Feel ure to bem another worl, we sal find that ik sper i both in the sianceof his pear and inthe sve of his poetry. Fis sperony i bance i given by his lange, te, pe clear yet Kindy ew of haan feo lke the coral wat, jn the romance poet, of al ntelignt command of i, Chawcee has ot their pene he has gine the owe to uve the World fom acetal erly human point of view, We have only to alto mind the Prolgue to Phe Camerbury Tals “The nghecommene upon iis Dryden's ‘es sunt ts, according tothe prover that beefs God's ent" And aga ‘Heiss perptal fountain of god seme’ Is bya lane ee sound representation of ching hat poy, this high etn of ie, has rth of substance, and Chaucer's poetry hs rth of subaance, Of his style and. manner, if we think firs of the romance poetry and then of Chaucer's divine lgudnes of dion, is vine Ft of movement, dfieak o speak temper. They are izes and josify all the rapeue with which hs suceasor speak of Tie (old dew-drops of speech Johason rises the pin ent when he find fale with Dryden for sebing 2 Chee the fie cefinenent of oa numbers and Sys thit Gower ako can show simoth numbers ad cy ‘yes The refinement of oor nantes enn something fa ine than this nation may have vere wth sooth sure ters and easy rhymes and yet may fave mo re poet) el CChavoer she fer of ou pend English pees he 3 our “well of Englsh undefiled benoe by the lovely cham of his diction, he lovely charm of his movement, he makes an epoch The Study of Poetry ns tnd founds tion, In Spenser, Shakespeare Milton Kes, Scan flow the tion the li oe sd ove mene of Chaucer tone eis li don of hich in chee pose fel he wit, and at aoe ae fhidmoremene And the vrei esse, Bounded myspace, aye fi om fo an example of Chaucer's vrcus, ar Ihave gies examples co show the vias ofthe gre clase Ife posed toy tht 3 Sng ne i nought show the charm of Chaucer vere; at ey coetine et “Oman souded to vzginite!” has a virtue of manner and movement such a we shall not find inall the vere of romance-poetry;—but this is syn nothing. “The vittue is such as we shall noe find, perhaps, in all English poetry, outside the poets whom I have named as the special Ineritos of Chaucer's tradition. A single line however, too litle if we have not the srsin of Chatcer’s verse well in out memory; lec us take a stanza. te is from The Prioren’s Tele, the story ofthe Christian child murdered ina Jewry ‘My ehrotefcut unto my nle-bone Said his child and a byway of Kinde I shoold have dey, ye, longtime agone; Bac Jesu Chit aye in books finde, ‘Wil that his glory ls and be a inde, And forthe worship of his mother dere Yetmay Ising © Ale loud and cere Wordsworth has modernised this Tale, and to feel how delicate and evanescent is the charm of verse, we have only to read Wordsworth’ ise thre lies of thi stanza after Chaucer’ “My throats cue unto the hone, trom, Said this young child, and bythe lof kind should have died, yes, many hours ago "The French oud soldered, ed fa 5 weas "6 Engle Literate and Ish Poles “The charm is departed. Ie is often sui tha che power of lquid- ness and fluidity in Chaucer's verse was dependent upon a fre, 4 licenious deaing with Innguage, sch 2s is now impossble;, tupon a liberty, such as Burs too enjoyed, of making words ike tek, bird, into a disylable by adding co them, and words ike Cruse, rhyme, into a dssyllble by sounding the e mute. It is true that Chaucer's fudity is conjoined with this Hberey, and is admirably served by i; but we ought ot to say that i was pendent upon it. Ie was dependent upon his talent. Other poets witha like bert do not atin othe Nudity of Chaucer; Burns himself does not attain to it Poets, again, who have a talent akin to Chaucer's such as Shakespeare or Keats, have known how to atin to his fidity without the like liberty "And yet Chaucer i not one of che great class. His poetry transcends and effaces, eatily and without effort, all the 10- ‘nance-poetry of Catholic Christendom it eranscends and effaces all the Engish poetry contemporary with ie transcends and feffaces all the Englsh poetry subsequent co it down to the age of Elizabeth, Of such avai is poetic truth of substance, in its natural and necesary tnion with poetic truth of style. And yet say, Chaucer isnot one ofthe great clases. He has not ihelr accent, What is wanting to him i suggested by the mere mention of the name of the fist grea clasic of Chuistendom, the immortal poet who died eighty years before Chaucer — Dante. The accent of such verse a5 “Tala sa voloncae # nostra pace is lrogether beyond Chaveer's reach; we praise him, but we feel that this accent is oot of the question for him. It may be ‘aid that it was necesarly out of the exch of any poet in the England of that stage of growth. Posibly; bor we ae ro adopt a realy not a histori, eximace of poetry. However we may at~ oun fo its absence, something is wanting, then, co the poetry ‘of Chaucer, which poeery must have before it can be placed inthe glorious clas of the hes. And there is no doube what that something i. Tis the oroaudr, the high and excellent seriousness, which Aristotle asigns as one of the grand virtues ‘of poetry. The substance of Chaucer's poetry, his view of The Study of Poetry ™ th nb ici of bs ges, felon, hw SORE eas a cance ack Sie See's her Spee he ee ae test tis ae ect th Weiner ic be Ee pmigr atin opin sae oe Glen ar fice So ee in of Pk "tra ya te nce ee of Porat sad Gs heal aa moors nics mea finn ciate Ble Mee irs) a an eke tw of Cra dll Cie frown sles ie Vile pe bere REP fie Serer eae Be oe "Tou pri hors of Coc po he mat ve a es Be Opal aS pe Se tl pes or ne Sk ‘tanith alr Cuan ea Title oa el ne ae si mats ha fl lac ag meigipec siadace omega Sonicare ete ns rGertec poe Tree an i elms nn ‘Ans le bon temps eegetons nee nous, pases le te, Anis bs beroppeton, ‘Tour en ang comme plore, AA etefen de chews To alunée, st etaloetes, Erjed foo s migee? Ain en peed ameter et roe “Thus among ures we regret the god in, poor sil things. Joma nha ap eo many bby ie ro pra oon light son ape, And one we we ach daring! Solari with many and many fone? ne xa x a Engle Lteroue and Ih Potter or my present purpose need not dell on our Elizabethan poetry, or on the continuation and close ofthis poetry in Mie fon. We all of us profes to be agreed in the eximate of this poetry; we all of us recognise ie as great poetry, our greatest tnd Shakespeare and Milton a6 our poetical classics. The real tstimate, here, has universal currency. With the next age of fur poetry divergeney and dificulty begin. An historic eti- rate ofthat poetry las established itself and che question is, ‘whether i wll be found to coincide with the real estimate. The age of Dryden, together with our whole eighteenth century which followed it sincerely believed islf to have produced poeical cases ofits own, and even to have made Advance, in poetry, beyond all its predecessors. Dryden re- {pads a no seriously disputable che cpinion thatthe sweetness Of Fnglish verse was never understaod or practised by our fachers' Cowley could see nothing at all in Chaucer's poery. Dryden heartily admired it, and, ay we have seen, praised its matter admirably; but of ic exquisite manner and movement All he can find to say is that there isthe rade sweemnes of 2 Scotch ruse in it, which is natural and pleasing. chough not perfect? Addison, wishing to prise Chaucer's numbers, com- putes chem with Dryden's own. And all through the eighteenth {Senrury, and down even into our own times the stereotyped phrase of approbation for good verse found in our early poetry hasbeen, hat teven approached the verse of Dryden, Addison, Pope, and Johnson. ‘Are Dryden and Pope poetical clsis? Is the historic est- rate, which represents them as such, and which has been so Tong established that it exnnor easily give way, the real est- imate? Wordsworth and Coleridge, a6 is well known, denied it; but the authority of Wordsworth and Coleridge does not Weigh much with the young generation, and there are many ‘Sgns to show thae the eightenth century and its judgmears se coming into favour again. Are the favourite poets of the tighteonth century classics? Te is impossible within my present limits to discuss the ques~ ion fall And what man of leers would noc shrink from seeming to dispose dictatorally ofthe claims of wo men who are, at any rate, such masters in letters as Dryden and Pope; The Sy of Foy ”» two. men of sich admirable talent, both of them, and one of them, Dryden, man onal deo ich energetic and gal powes? And ye swe arto gain he all bene from poy, Semis hae he real etinate of Least about fr some mode {of arving, inthe present css t such an exe without lene. And perhaps the ba way ito begin 0s ey 10 tein with cordial pase When we fad Chopin, the Elzabethn translator of Homer, expressing himself inhi preface chs: “Though roth in her very nakedness en s0 dp» pita fo Gades co ‘Aarra and Ganges few eyes cn sound her hope yet those fewer willsodscover nd confirm er thatthe te Belg oat of her dartnes inthis morning of cur pos he shall now ied fis rmples with the sun—we pronounce ha sch «prose i intolerable When we nd Milton sting “And lng ea not ser, when [vas finned in this pio, that he ho would not be frintate of his hope to wate well eee a odble things ough Ninel o be «tre pour’—we pounce that Sct prose has vn grander but that cs obsoler ad inconvenient. Bot when we find Dryden cling ws What Viel wrote inthe vigour of Ns age plenty aden, have underaten to andte in my cing Years roggling with ‘wants, oppresed with scknen, cuted in my genio Table vo be misconstrcd in all | wate’—then we excatn that fare at ast we have the tve English pro,» prs ich swe seo all lly ws f we only knew how, Wee Dryden vas Mins consemporsty ut afer the Reworstion he ine had come when ou nation fae the imperious need of Be prose. So, 0, the ine ba ete come when ont nation fe the inprow ned of re ing felt from the absorbing proceypaten which religion inthe Portan age had exereed, Ie was imposter hb frelon shoud be brought aboat ‘wthow some negative tices, without sme og and inpanment ofthe rons life of the sul, and he spinal ory of the eighteenth enrury shows ota the fretomn wa nt achieved without ‘hem ull the feedom was achleey the preosupaton, an ‘ndoubreiy bane and reading one if i had contin wat go dof And as with eligonsrmga us at tat period, 50 5 3sas fe English Litratune and drt Poliie it was also with lees, Afi prose was a necesity; but it was imposible that a ft prose should establish itself amongst us svithout some touch of frost o the imaginative life of the sol “The needful qualities for a fic prose are regularity, uniformity, precision, balance. The men of leer, whose destiny it may be {0 bring thee nation to the attainment of aft prose, must of recesity, whether chey work in prose or in verse, give a pre- Gominaing, an alos exclusive attention to the qualities of regularity uniformity, precision, balance. But an almost ex: Clive attention to these qualities involves some repression and silencing of poetry. ‘We are to regard Dryden as the puisane and glorious founder, Pope atthe splendid high pris, of our age of prose and resson, of our excellent and indispensable eighteenth cen- tury: For the purposes of thee mission and destiny their poetry, like cheir prose, i admirable Do you ask me whether Deydes's vers, rake almost where you wil is not good? “A milkewhite Hind, immoral and unchanged Fed on eh lawns and in he forest ange | answer: Admirable for the purposes ofthe inaugurazor of an age of prose and reavn, Do you ask me whether Pope's verse, take ic almost where you wil is not good? “To Hounslow Feith I point and Banstead Down; ‘Thence comes your mitton, and these chicks my own” J answer: Adminable forthe purposes ofthe high priest of an age of prose and reason, But do vou ask me whether such verse proceeds from men with an adequate poetic criticism of life From men whose ertcim of life has a high seriousness, or even ‘without that high seriousnes, has poetic largenes, freedom, insight benignity? Do you ask me whether the application of iets co life the vers ofthese men, often a powerful applica- tion, no doubr, is 4 powerful poetic application? Do you ask ine whether the poetry of these men tus either the macter oF the inseparable manner of such an adequate poetic criticisms ‘hehe has the accent of “Abuent hie from lic awhile. The Study of Poetry we or of “And whats ee not tbe overcome. orof ‘0 martyr souded ro viginte!™ | answer; It has not and cannot have thems ic isthe poetry of the builders of an age of prose and reson. Though they may write in vers, though they may in 2 certain sense be masters Of the att of versifieaton, Dryden and Pope are not classics fof our poetry, they are classics of our prose. Gray’ our poetical clasic of that literature and age; the position of Gray ie singular, and demands a word of notice Frere. He as nor the volume o the power of poets who, coming in times more favourable, have attained to an independent crit- ‘eis of life, But he lived with the great poets, he lived, above all with the Greeks, through perpetually studying and enjoy Jing them, and he caught ther poetic point of view for regard- ing life, aught their poetic manner. The point of view and the manner are nor selésprung in him, he eaughe them of ‘thers and he had not the free and abuadane use of them. But whereas Addison and Pope never had the wse of them, Gray had the we of them at times. He isthe scantest and fralest of classics in our poetry, but he isa case, "And now, after Gray, we afe met, 25 we draw towards the end of the eighteenth century, we are met by the great name ff Burns. We enter now on times where the personal estimate fof poets begins to be rife, and where the real estimate of them {Snot reached without dificuly. But in spite of the disturbing pressures of personal partiality, of national patty, let us ery fo reach a rei estimate of the poetry of Burs. ‘By his English poetry Burn in general belongs to the cigh- teenth centary and has lice imporeance for ws “Mark rian Violence, iain’ with eres, Rousing ele in these degenerate times, ‘View unsuspecting Innocence a prey. Ab uleful Pravdpoines out the ering ways s x sas os Ps nalioy Literature and rth Polis While soi Lirgntion’ pliant tongue “The lifeblood equal sucks of Right and Wong!” Evidently thisis noe the real Buns, or his ame and fame would have disappeared long ago. Nor is Clainds'’s love-poet, Syl- vander, the rea] Burn either. But he tell us himself. “These English songs gravel me to death. I have not the command of the language that [have of my native tongue, Infact, 1 think ‘hat my ideas are more barren in English than in Scotch, have been at Duncan Gray to dees it in English, buc all T can dois desperately stupid” We English tum naturally, in Burns, 00 the poems in our own language, because we can read them ‘easily; but in thse poems we have not the real Burs, The ral Burns ofcourse in his Scotch poems. Let ws boldly say thar of much ofthis poetry, poetry desling perpetually with Seoteh drink, Seoteh religion, and Scoreh. manners, « Scotchman’ estimate is ape to be personal A Scotchman i sed to this world of Scotch drink, Scotch religion, and. Scotch manners; he has a tenderness fo it; he mets its poet half way, In this ender mood he reas pieces like the Holy Fur ot Ha Joween. Bue this world of Scotch drink, Scorch religion, and ‘Scorch manners is against» poet, aot fr him, when if not a partial countryman who reads him; for in ise tis aoe 2 beautiful world, and no one ean deny that itis of advanrage toa poet co deal with a beautiful world, Burns's world of Scotch drink, Scotch religion, and Scotch manners, is often a harsh, sordid, a repulsive world; even the world of his Coters Saturday Night is not 2 besuifel world. No doube a poet's criticism of life may have such trith and power that tt Uumphs over its world and delighe us. Burns may triumph over his world, often he does eiumph over his world, but lee us observe how and where. Burn isthe fist case we have had where the bias of the personal estimate tends co mislead; let us look at him closely, he can bea “Many of his admirers will tll us that we have Burns, con via, genuine, delighefl, here— "Lecce me on din! it ges us mir "Than either school or cllege, ‘The Seudy of Petry is Iekindles wi wavkene aie, Tepangs us for o knowledge. Bee whisky gillor penny wheep ‘Or ony suonger potion, Tenever fal, om dang dep, ‘Tolkitde op our notion By night or day! “There is a great deal ofthat sore of thing in Bors andi satfactory not beene ier bacchanaan poetry, but be- seit has nor that accent of sncerty which Deckanlsn etry, ro do jose, very often has ‘There x emeching FoF bravado, something which makes s fel tat we Rave not the man speaking rs with his rel wie, something, Hee- fore, poeealy sound ‘With sll more confidence wil his admirers ell us that we tare the genuine Burs, he great pot when hi stain asers the independence nity, dignity of men an the famons song Por a tht ond that “A prince can mala belted knight, ‘A marquis, duke and that, But an honest man's aboon bis igh ‘Guid fac he mana fo that ora thay and 2 that, "Their digntes and chat “The pth o sens, and pride o! worth, ‘Are higher unk han that? Here they find his grand gemine touches: and sill moe, when thes pant genio who so often set morality a defiance, fal mang “The sored Jome o! wee placed love Luxortanely indulge i Bat never tempeh ict rove, “Tho’ maething should divulge i. | ysrve the quanta othe sn, "The hazard of concealing, s Fs raa 1 Engle Literate and Irie Politie Bet och! iehardens within, ‘And petries the feeling” rina higher srin— ‘Who made the heat, cis He alone Decidedly can ay uss He knows cach chord, various tone; Each rng, various bee ‘Then athe bilance let be mite Werner ean adjust (What's done we partly may compute, Bucknow not whats rested” Orin a beter strain yet, 2 strain, his admirers will say, unsue pasable— : "To make a happy fireside lime "To wesns and wile, "That's the tre pathor and rablime ‘Of human life “There cco of ie for you, she admirers of Barn wil ‘ato there the appllon a as oi! There Aboutedly, The doctrine ofthe ls-qoted lines ences snot exactly with hat ws the a and end, Xenopbo tls tof all she teaching of Socraer And the appicon i 4 feral on; ade Oa man of vigorous mdetnding, snd {need Ln?) amar of ngage. Bt for sypee poccal sicess more i equied than the overlaps of Sesto ies bean sppleston der the Cndtons fed by the ley of poetic rth and poetic ber. Thor lave 6x tan eal ondn, nthe frets ramen of sich mares s are herein queion, i Soanesrste igh stues ch comes en shee Since The accent of high setoxes, born of wake Se eri, wh get ich vena “Inla sa voloneade & nostra pace The Say of Potty as touch etic of if at Dane’ its power. Is this accent fet inthe pages which [hare been quoting frm Burs? Surely suey or seme sul, west pretreat eave tovin tise psages vce from the vey inmost sou of the eine Burn, he not speaking tows fom these dep he Eiore a es preaching. And the compensation for sing Such pesges los font ming the perfect otic accent It Shem be that we hall ade moe he pletry where chat trent i foun ‘No; Bums ike Chaucer, comes sore ofthe high eiouses ofthe geet lsc ad eh vine of mater and nner which goes eh that high sesoumes ie wanting 9s work. At men he touches tina profound and pasionte melancholy, thin thse for inmorel bie ake by Byron a «mot for The Bde of yds bt which ven chan» depth of poetic aly sucha cies inn ve of Byzoa's ov ‘Had we never loved se kindly, Had we never loved se blindly, ever met ar never parce, “We had nce been broken-hearted! Buta whole poem of thar quality Butns cannot make; the rst, inthe Farewell 10 Nancy, is verbiage. We arrive best at the real estimate of Burns, 1 think, by conceiving his work as having eruch of mater and cruth of Inanner, but not the accent of the poetic virtue of the highest masters His genuine criticism of life, when the sheer poet in him speaks, i roe; es not— “Thou Power Supreme, whose mighty scheme “These woes of neff, Here frm Ure, they muse be best ‘Because they are Thy wil!” It's far rather: Whinle owre the lave ot! Yet we may say of him as of Chaucer, that of life and the world, as they come before him, his view is large, fee, shrewd, beaignant,—truly pocti, therefore; and his manner of rendering what he sees is os isa rs as 186 Engl) Literature and Irivh Poles tomatch, But we most note, at the sime time, his great difer- tence from Chaucer. The freedom of Chaucer is heightened, ia Burns, by a fiery, reckless energy; the benignity. of Chaveer deepens, in Burns, into an overwhelming sense of the pathos ‘of things;—of the pathos of human nature, the pathos lo, of ‘on-human narure. Instead of che fluidity of Chaucer's manner, the manner of Bums has spring, bounding swifenes. Burns is by far the greater force though he has perhaps les charm. The world of Chaucer is fire, richer, more significant than that ‘of Burns; bur when the largeness and freedom of Burns gee full sweep, a5 in Tam o' Santer, of sill more in that poisant and splendid production, The Jolly Beggars, his world may be what ie will, his poetic genius triumphs over it. In the world of The Jolly Regges there is more than hideousnss and squalor, there Js bestiality yer the piece is superb poetic succes. Te has a breadth, uth, and power which make the famous scene in Auerbach’s Cellar, of Goethe's Faust, sem anificial and tame beside it, and which are only matched by Shakespeare and “Aristophanes ree, where his largeness and freedom serve him so admir- ably, and alo in chose poems and songs where to shrewdness hhe ads infinite archaess and wit, and to benignity infinite pathos, where his manner is flawless, nd a perfect poetic whole 's che result—in things like the address to the mouse whose home he had ruined, in things lke Duncan Gray, Tam Glen, © Whistle and Pl come 10 you, my Lad, Auld Lang Syne (this lise might be made much longer),—here we have the genvine Burns, of whom the real esimate must be high indeed, Not clasic, nor with the excellent everday of the grea class, ror with a verse rising to a ertcism of life and a virtue lke ‘hits; but a poet with thorough truth of substance and an answering truth of syle giving usa poetry sound to che core. Weall of us havea leaning towards the pathetic, and may be inclined perhaps to prize Burns most for hi touches of piercing, sometimes almost intolerable, pathos for verse like — ‘We own hae pu the bur From mornin’ sun il dine, ‘The Study of Poery er Bur seas berween ws brad Mae rour'd Sin ald lng syne where he is as lovely ashe is sound. But perhaps iti by the perfection of soundness of his lighter and archer masterpieces that he i poetically most wholewme for us For the votary misled by 2 person esimate of Shelley, asso many of us have been, are and will be,—of chat beautiful spirit building his smany-coloured haze of words and images “Pinnacle dim inthe tense nene™— no contact can be wholesomer than the contact with Burs at his archest and soundest Side by ide withthe “On the brink of the night and the morning ‘My courers are wont to respi, Buc the Earth has on whispered a warning “That thee fight mom be sie tan fire. of Prometheur Unbound, how salutary, how very salutary, r0 place this from Time Glen — “My minnie dots constantly desve me [And bide me bere o! Young men; “They fare she mys to deceive me; ‘Bu wha can think se f Tam Glen? But we enter on burning ground as we approach the poetry of times so near ro us—poety lke chat of Byron, Shelley, and Wordsworth-—of which the esimates are so often not only’ personal, but personal with passion. For my purpose, it is Enough to have taken the single case of Bums, the first poet we tome to of whose work the estimate formed i evidently apt ro te personal, and ro have suggerted how we may proceed, using the poetry of the great clasics asa sort of touchstone, ro correct thivestimate at we had previously corrected by the same means the hisrrie estimate where we met with it A collection like the present, with its succession of celebrated names and cele 5 xa Engi Literature and eb Patter brated porns, offers» good oppornmty to ut for rele tndesrourng to make ur atime of petty re | have Sooghrto put ours meted whch vl hep asin making them fovand ro exhibit in ws so fra po any one who ies Dy of spplying tor hal Tt any Fate the end to which the method and the eae are designed to led, and from leading to which, i they do Ie toi they gett wholevale—the benef of being sble cleany to fel snd deeply to coy the ex, the tay casi, i ony amend me my one ae preg Supreme importance. We are often tol thet an es ope inhich weare ose mulrodes of «common som of ade Ind mass of common sor of etre, tha ach readers do ee want and could no relh anything beter than sch terse {ore and ht to provie its becomng 1 wast and profitable instr, Even if god terre entirely os arrency ith the Srord would st be abundsrly woth wie oetntnie ro fnioy it by one. But ic never wil fee carency withthe ‘ford in spe of momentary appearance, tener wil ose Supremacy. Correey and sipremscy are insted 0 i not indeed by the words debe and conscious choice, bat by Somesing far decper=by the inner of slfepreserstion in oman Thomas Gray' James Brown, Master of Pembroke Hall at Cambridge, Grays fiend and executor in leer writen a fortnight after Gray's death to another of his friends, Dr. Wharton of Old Park, Darham, has the following passge:— “Eyecything is now dark and melancholy in Mr. Gray's room, rot 2 trace of him remains there t looks a fit had been for tome time uninhabited, and the room bespoke for another inhabitant. The thoughts [ have of him will lst, and wil be ‘useful to me che few yeas [can expect eo live, He never spoke ‘nt, bot I belive froin some litle expressions T now remember to have dropped from him, that for some time past he though hinself nearer his end than chose about him apprehended” He never spoke out. In thee four words & contained the whole history of Gray, both asa man and asa poet. The words fell naturally, and ast were by chance, from their writer's pens butler us dwell upon them, and press into their meaning, for in following it we stall come to understand Gray. le was in his ifty-fith year when he died, and he lived in ‘ese and leisure yet few pages hold all his poetry; be never Spoke out in poetry’. Sil, rhe reputation which he has achieved by his few pages is extremely high. True, Johnson speaks of fim with coldness and disparagement. Gray disliked Johnson, and refwed co make his acquaintance; one might fancy that Johoson wrote with some irtation from this cause. But Johnson ‘vas not by nature ited todo justice to Gray and to his poetry this by itself ia sufficien explanation of the deficiencies of his Criticism of Gray. We may add a further explanation of them " Bafied tthe Sletion fom Gray in Wards Bash Poets, vl i ™x8 Engl Literature ond rch Poles cd, Lowry, p 38, Glade’ ist Irish Land Act was paved in po. Tyo:an. The mythological Medass rome to stone all who looked inher eyes and therefare Perseus, inorder to kl her, had to corn his head aay and guide his sword by the reflection in the mstor of his polished shied 'Gorp-8. Peter preached of “the times of renietion of al things” and Daniel foresaw that "the sins ofthe moxt High shall ake the Lingdom, and poms the kingdom for ever, even for ever and fevee "Acts 331, Daniel 9:18 (2227). (tHe srupy oF porrry J When T. Humphry Ward, the husband of Arnolds nicce Mary, approached Arsold wih propane for his enthology ofthe English Boas in late October, 1898, Arnold expressed warm approval but Aectined to participate: "Plans in which I could join if Tere 3 man of leersputly apd simply, cannot join i now that Lama school Inspector with very limited time at my diaposl for lenere. [am obliged to keep, for work which has siggeted itself fo my own, ‘ind the lil time which Ihave free” And therefore he ad de slined John Morley propos to do s monograph on Stakeopeare for th English Men of Lewes stir, hi single recent commitment for work on commission, he sid, was 2 o-page Tatoduction to the poet in Wood's Te Handred Grenest Men. Four days ater, however, on October 16, Amold Held aut the hope that he might ‘write «genera introduction for Ward afer al Ward, dissppoinged by the ii refusal, meanwhile proposed alternative ators, Ar ‘old tepid onthe sot: “Stopford Brooke would be moce accept sable than Palgrave. should ne ike you vo have to drop you plan, tnd sooner than You should do this, would se whether {cold por: Sly’ manage the introduction the selecting pare I could not under- take. Tey the publsers fie with Stopford Brooke ot Paiesve, tnd if you cannot succeed, then wit #0 me aps. My notion i thatthe publishers would take your scheme glaly wich wc lst, in gener, as you proposed, whether I were in ie or ot.” Five opts later, Amold wrote agin (March 10,189): °T will nt go ‘ack from my promi eo help you if my aid wat teriously wanted, snd will write your Introduction. But donot count on me fr any thing mor; fort accomplish even 39 much a tha mse give Up Something which I had plsnned to execute this year. You shal have the Introduction by the Beginning of October; when You come 10 Critica and Explanatory Notes m0 1, you must ell the sor of thing you wish eo be” A leer SP Aopon 8 cased» familar request "Dont forge wo let me how ta ite lace de you ean give me forthe Preface, he paging being in roman turers T have coreted the lt reve Belt Werdeworth bur haves gots ing to do for he Qua tery and am fing» ile re 8 good far nthing” A month Ine Gopember 1) he wrote "Une something anfrecen ap ens Lal be eadyfor you by dhe end of Ober, At the present fomeot Ihave no oon whe I sala, bat Brovidene will ope mak ry Way pl before my fee" In November be as Sil toking proprio for the nay have been eding Chcer pene dea the early French pow gest desl and Burne + great a4 Burms ies ben ole game ad the medium in whieh ved, Sos pessanesSeonch Preyer and Seach dik, Trepbive,Choser onthe rer hand pleser me more and more tnt his medium ndneysoperor Bo shall ah with Shake {pete Ring Lea before {fly wre my Ieoductin, inorder hive a proper ace inmy mind while {am st work ™—Leters, 5. Rosell hs ste Frances (mdse 82). Creed pron See bck iin February st" ave po sao; perhaps bem he wrore to Ward. sn very gad you are plese with Shot nave dag; aure you Iwas very sous predoce some Ting hor would ve your book, no nerve fend en looking fecal through, | snk the Preface willbe found interesing, SMhough 2 the Americans actly observe there ih of erie in Unglan who sen to be perpenaly hol to Me. Arma The ‘Ope very goodsmurh bee than T expected” By Bis dine, he aD dieady Commived hint co dang the ntrodceory notes to the poe of Gray and Keats for War The fe wo volumes of Toe agluh owt were pubes by Macmillan sbow he mide May On Febranry uth the pulser ene Arold a copy of fis conctbuios for vss for scend eiton, bo no > ‘nt changer were made-Buckler, Mase Arnolds Boob 75 From the very frst Aral’ Introduction wat reguded he snot importa pa of the aology; semana one of his bee own Stel cny, one siteeqoene dens fave mat ied to Sharpen their cnet ones amraly conceived for ts purpose fo poe se guidance co a milla public not rphiicated ia {needing of posto ett arf rere addr to an ah {nce of schlatsnd profeoal riers irae. An eayof is Sreimast not be “centric and starting. Yow donot wan 0 Sa de? id Arnold Neverthe the dtninon of two commonso English Literate and rsh Poles rounds of misjadgmene of poctey—persnal and private associa ‘ons onthe one hand, che hitrialsigifance ofthe work onthe otters both perepave and wseflr many of Armold'y severest Scholarly cries all gute simpy int the Inter eror. The touche stone method-—which perhaps is faulty becate probably requires some sense ofthe context of the touchstone pasages was one Ar ‘old evolved as early as his Oxford lecrres On Transaring Homey (860-61. An ineresting sey of thee passages for what they te. weil of Arnold's taste is) 8. Eel, The Toucbitone of Masibews Ammold (New Vork: Bookman Asoc, 955). Arnold's conception of eighteent-eentry poetry met with vocal ‘opponents from the fr. W. J. Courthope, one of the editors af Pope, wrote to demonstrat, in conradiintion to. Arno, that Dryden and Pope are elas of or poetry —"The Liberal Moves iment in English Literatore:” National Review TM, 33-44, lyc '885), and leer vo The Pall Mal Gazer, July, 1884p. More recently, E.K- Brown assembled Arnold's comments on the pose. ‘writers and poets of the cenury to demonstrate that “he spake of the eighteenth century frm the ouside, with no ful or iden fying himself with is modes of thinking, feling, ving. He was himself Romantic; »» he never low his sna ofininacy with” figures lke Wordsworth, Goethe, Emerson, and Newman —"Ar- ‘old andthe Eighteenth Century.” University of Toronto Quarterly 1X, zo:-r5 (January, 190) In more prevsely argued esny, Geol fey Tillotson paces his remarks with the obsctraon that whe Amold was well informed and intligent when he dele with his ‘own age, he ells sll har we can dispense with sbout caries ages" Cerinly Arnold was 4 rapid, not 2 meticulous, reader of petty he "doesnt seem co have given Popes poetry the atention feces for experiencing it as ie ie’—-Matthew Arnold and Eighteenth Cencuty Poetry,” Cricim and be Ninetenth Contry (London: Athlone Pees, 1951) pp. 5-9 Lovers of Chaucer have aways ben outraged by what they con- Sider Arnolasundervaling of hms the Fale notin what Arnold thought about Chaueer, but in any attempt at rank ordering of poet Pethaps the most suprising omision in Arnal’ ey, from the point of sew of the tented cenary, isthe name of Donne, be Ward’ seleeions suggest the prevailing tate (with which Sin bourne and his friends would have disagreed): hit anthology pris ‘only five of Donne's poems, preceded by a mete ro pages of in troduction, 6rint1. The final paragraph of Ammo’ Introduction on Petry (riia and Rsplanatry Noter a in The Hundred Greatest Men (179, revised sep 6335-4. The thesis of Literati and Dogma, a indeed tl nde tay Be Summed up hese word.“ The langoage of the Bible ere 2. neice language; ingoage ren ou sa objec ‘elowner nr filly grasped, which inspired emotion, Event, the objet be one ao lly be grsped, and one ro inspire eration {he language o gure snd fering wil sty ur Bete about wl over more of wha we sec to expen tha the ngage of gral {ace and science, The langaage of selene sbou il be Below ‘hare fel tobe the truth Prone Works ed Super, Vi 89 163-7. Petace to the scond edition of Lyrial Ballade (1800, ney three-fifths through ore in Amold's pockee diary for Taney 14 ef and December 1g 189-—Note ook o- Lowry, 294.385 Merton. Les Cables de Sente-Bewve (Ps, 6). oted in Amol pocker dary at the begining of ingots Book, et Lowry. pai ‘ji. See Arwol'sesays on “Wordoworth” (wher he drew ‘upon his own leerures Ow Prantatng Homer) and “Joober™ (fies), where he says he men of genus n erature and heen of ability in iteraur: “The work ofthe two onder of nea st bartom the suet erica of life™-Prove Work, ed. Soper, Bi gel 0p iehay 1647. "To se the objec atin lf erly 6 for Arnold the tre function af erickm On ‘Tratating Homer (io) and “The Fueton of Cites ache Pec Tie” (1864) Prose Werks of Soper, 98 16¢:9-165 10. Forsomeshat he ne ie in quite diferent lan- ung, see Charles dH, ed, Ocwerer de Clement Maret {ai 863), tosrg-16 Le mot catgue commence & parse cher es Romain: Cher eck on appl propre sai, non tous les itoyens de diverse clay, mas et dea prenere element ‘Toa les sie) eae digds pace dénaminatin inf laos, aovdesous dela clase par excellence Aw Spur, le mot claus Se uowve employe dant Avlo-Galle ee sppigué ax Scvin: on erin de eler de marque, cool aenduurgue eipor, am rising compre, gis du bens sec gu nee pas contend dans la fule de prolsites”-Suine-Beure, “Queatce quan Stasi?” Caweret du hd (qh es Pac 1869) Hl, 339 (Gecdber 1,189) "e631 De atone Chit si 14-1, jedi Atea EnglichLteraoure and tite Potties old’ pocket diy fr December Following decade —Note-Books, 495 16}, Since in “A Guide o English Literature” (1873) Arnold prised Stopford Brooke's handing of Caedmon's OX Engish verse Feation of Geness (. 670 40.) he may only indirectly be glancing it such a satement a the following in Brooke's Enlirb Literature “The mest famous prsage of the poem not only illsates the dark sadness the fierce lve of freedom, and he power of painting di tinct characters which has always marked our poctzy, but aso famous for its likeness toa pall passage in Milton. It is when CGredmon desesbes the proud and angry ery of Satan agen God from his bed of esas in hell"--(New York, 1899) pt "67:7-16. The las lin ofthe Oxford manuserip of the Chanson de Rolnd reads: "Ci fl a geste que Taro decline which may mean that Thzoulde war suthor or merely scribe. The fongleut (or joalator commonly rected the work of others, whetess the ‘rowsere or trubadou ws a original poet. The account of Tail fer singing of Roland at ee ble of Hangs comes from Wace, ‘Roman de Rou, Part I, 8)5-yo. Arnold perhaps dee information from the introduction to George Elli ed, Speetmons of Barly Bx. slab Merrcal Romancet (new ed; London, 1848). 9 and George Ssimsbury, 4 Short History of French Literate (Oxford, 1882), 13. The former was on Amold's reading lie for 1880, snd an fave version ofthe later book was quoted ia his pocket diary for thas year-—Note- Boots, ed Lowy, pp. $97. 34fras- Bet hi i= ‘mediate source was Vite’ esa (ee ote fo. 16711733) voy. Louis Vite “La Chanson de Roland,” Reiwe des Dew Mondes, now. per, XIV, 851, (Jane 11852) reprinted in 1s Bois Berga ev lraies (Pata +82), pp 93-74 ‘631-34 Lines 377-80. 1f:4-5. Amald cited thes lines in his fre lectare On Tranlat- ing Homer (i860) in order wo iusrate the romantic flty of ‘Rusias comment on them. Therefter they became inthe lcrres lone ofthe euchitones for testing» good tanslation, Arnold quoted 2 excelent the teanshtion of them by F.C. Havre, provort of eon College, in the volume ealled Rnglish Hexamerer Tronlatont (London, 1843)-—Prase Work, ed Soper I ots, 14 164, 195 16826028, 697. Aroold used both passages as ouchstones in his lectures On Translating Homer (186061); he gave hi ow hex 879, and Biv dimes doring the Lory PP 39, 408 412, 42h Critical and Explanatory Notes % exer teasation ofthe former, and ofthe aver he emarked Inthe Srila eh ing, fr mingled pathos and dignity x perhaps without S7RrTeven in Homer" Hi prose anton there ders sgh Feo the psn version, "nine pan were” fr informer days swan Pfre Works ed Soper I oo, 85,189 16h, 477 31) “eps, “ln I ua” che reading of several manserigt and no dee of he edi Arnold wed Other sthorave readings are "Ela ua" and "En tn” vdgibei 3 Hem 1 hi, sa ‘epne-tyocn Hamer, Vi, 37-0. troers4 Parade Lory 990s 1089: Vs 30-7. ‘fupsta Poor By (ast). “Jrgeay. la his oct ctre On Tramlating Homer (‘Lase Word) raters dacsion ofthe “grand le aid down this dens “The grand syle ass n poetry, whew anole ma Sire pstely gtd treats st spl o ith rveity or ta ope Prore Works od Soper, Cruseid The terms langue de and longue fi dieiiate teow the words uid to express yes" inthe tongues caret South and north of the Loic. and hace dnote the fo dines ‘The languge of sel (Cou) prevaled sod the modem French. Mrs toy Li iors dow error . Chaba (ary, 183), pe 3 (Book pasty chape end). Brame (e 220-94) 9 Florentine, ‘Steed way by Daste at hisase inthe Inform, canto XV. Tpysiy. Chath lines yop. Chrétien de Troyer ved nee t= tot hl he rel cemay, abut» handeed yeas before Bru Wiaai-y4 The seventine sana, sme soya” (absbce), which (ht ted in Trot ad Crueyde and "The Pree Tale” "ie Wala von xhnich we at of th Gera mane Parse the being ofthe three entry Thy igen. "Preface tothe Fables" 1,1; Baye WP. Ker (Cord i) th 6s, 357, Dryden able included some versions of Chmacee 9 Jn Lee, The Le of Ou Lab “The page was often printed a spurte poe in thecal ed the of Chere Chacon and Ober Pcs, ed W. W. Skat (Orord 1897). 9 450. vrwaa-ay In the History of the Engh Language” profed coi Btoary (io; Landon, 155).8 English Literature and rsh Polis 14:3. Spenser, Faerie Qasene, IVs i 175: aoe. “The Proves Tale" (fom The Canterbury Tale) lines 912-3. Since no mance of the te eae Sh cies” Arnold's rex hasbeen cored to st vig Despite Amos Preface, Ward did ot include thi tale & his lesson fom Chace or‘The Engl Pons ‘isn. Wordswordh moseried the len 1b and published she neti ini, aga. Dane edn 131, Chaucer in 0, sys. “Les regrets dela bale Hasse isthe ede com. _monly given to ohe oer which sakes up sane Av (lines {S15 af Vion Le Tenomen (ge Somoune aes ‘ers traslation of i inthe second erie of Poems nd Balad (4878). Frangois de Momcorbier (143-6) or let) oak the suns of Villon from his garda, sch ye. Bay of Dramatic Pry, Si Enays, ed Keb. UphsGna,"Prtace 0 the able” fq vt; Boye Ret, 26445 2stso, lis Dejden wh repens that Caley dined head no ate of” Chaucer, sfionsn, Wordsworth sid that, with nwo sigh exeptiony “athe poety ofthe period intervening between the’ publication of the ‘Parade Los and the ‘Seronr doesnot conti s sgl nee image of external nature and satel presen» faae fro svhith ic cn be infeed ta the ye ofthe Poet ad been esl faed upon his object much lett hs elngs fd wed no ‘work spon icin the spit of genuine imagnston'=—"Beay Sue ementay to she Pelee” (18), hallway through, Cleidges Estimate of Pope inte mide of chap if iogapa Lnerre mich ike Ara’ trpstg, The lad of Homer, Princ of Poets...Done Accord ing tothe Grek by George Chapman, ed. Richard looper (ond Londen) 153 (Commer oe Bey ob the passage in his st kere On Tranating omer (toy sed ‘hectas ree made a dicl pasugeincompecessi byo ig her afer “confiem."—See Texel News and Pro Works, ed Supe, hon. 129.1518. dn Apology agin « Pomphle Caltd A Modet Com {utson of ibe Aninadcerions npon the Remon ageoer Smectymmau (London, 143). 46, Worked HM. Ayres a (New York: Columbia Univesity Pes yr) 6,0), ‘opse-s¢ The opening word of the “Ponape to the Reader” Critical and Explanatory Noter 5 of Dryden's wanslation of che Aeneid (stop); Eset, ed. Ke, I, 240. Though Dryden's life overlapped Mito by 49 yeas ad he es therefore indeed “Milton's contempt." thee two pases were separated by more than halls centory ‘o:18-19, The Hind and she Panther (158), Set two lines 8o:25-24 Imitation of The Second Sate of ibe Second Book of Horace (1734) lines 145-44 6r32-aBrn, "On the Death ofthe Late Lord Presiden Dundas," lines $30, 84-5, “Clarinda” was Agnes Craig M'Lehose, to whom Bars ddvesed such conventionally sentimental songs ss"Crioda aa oul” Their correspondence, signed “Clarinda” snd '8s:s-10, Lemer to George Thomson, October 19,1945 Letters of Robert Burne, ),DeLancey Ferguson (Onford ate Casea, don Pres 1931) Il 26, Burs wrote “tha eommund of” and ploably spi a:36-18)7. "The Holy Fai” lines 16-71 3:t9-26 Lines 5-98 85:30-1845. “Epis to a Young Prien.” lines 41-4 '84:4-14. “Addres tothe Uneo Guid a the Rigidly Righteous.” lines 57-65 ‘tyre. Epinteco Dr. Thomas Bcklock (“Wow, but letter made me vauntie!), lines 51-54. oe ‘gat. Amol seen allude to Xenophon Moorea 4,4 jue in is pocket dar for August rqg Sri ed ef 1576, the beginning of 7, and ine of hs “Generel Nee, Booka" “NoteBoots ed Lowy, pp. 38,2890 sen ‘issn a. “Song” ("Ae fond a, tod then eee, ines 6. The pout somtines eed “Frewel to Nesey = ‘ie aboj "Wines, A Dilger nes ene 186:17. In Pare 1 oe ™ !8624435, “To a Mouse, Os taming her up inher Nes, withthe ough November nog 2M 07a, “Auld fag sym". 1879, ent, Prometbe Unbound I 0g Th ng ‘iyabes. “Tam Glen lest t8ks5-13, “Mander has peed and. Agophanes has mut vive: And to whacisthis tobe atrbted? To the neces af Soe reer in humanity. The human race fas the eee as Ins invinBle tendency eo i, fo deep inl, nese6 Engl Literature and Irish Polis clings what fosters i life, what Favours i development, tothe literature which exhib ein its vigour i tejecn ie abandons what oes not foster ie development, the iterture which exhibits Ssrroted and dectyed"—"On the Modern Element in Literate (isp #85), Prose Works, ed. Soper, I, 29-30. [rniomas cray ] “The ist book Arnold edited space from Baia, was the Six Chief Live from Jobton's Lives ofthe Poet, no doo surprising choice for one who is generally held to ave lle sympathy with the cighteenth century. His interes in the period diel as was the vial ask of explaining fein terms compatible withthe romantic iia theories ofthe Victorians, ws gebine, And therefore whea Ward ashed him to intoce selections from several authors for his anthology of Te English Pers, Arold opted for Gray as ell ts Keats "That century very interesting though I should oe like to have lived in bt the people were just like oursalves, whilst the Ehzabethane are no” he wrote this wife oa December 22 880.— Lertrs, ed. Ruse. He had alzeady sated breBly what he thought of Gray in “A Guide to Engh Literature” (1877).—Prove Werks, 4, Soper, Vill 49-50, The new undereaking, however, was not fasy: he worked at from the later pare of March until May 8, ‘So, shen hi diaty records. "Work st Gray & end it" On May 1 he wrote to Ward: "Tam well nto my notice of Gray, bu, tore ren, Thaveon this provocation bean reading up my English 13th enury agun, and hee spent much ee over what after alla tlepressing business, Gray isa very depressing man, himself and i wl be months before I recover feom him.” And’on May 20 he Srrote {have shortened Gray at mch aT ea, but give you fee Ieavero shorten femare, fu lke, and are ble.” Hisselection from Grays poems and from thom of Keats weae to the publisher about the sane tine, The easy is perhaps foo dependent on Grays leer, too biographical, to litle banal at piece of exits, But [Arnos have vcwed his ek in terms of his fontion—to give Sppropriate inrodvcrory matter to help the uninformed reader ‘dermand what sore of man wrote the poems lke Johason’s own izes, this was a preface biographical and erte!, not »eeteal cesry, Even is length was obviously limited by its porpore. Two {eat liter, afer reading Pdmund Goss’ ele book on Gray in the English Men of Leer series, Amold wrote to im" mst [tell rites! and Bsplanatory Noter a you what satiferon your performance has given me. ‘Simonidean” ietherghe word to expres the note struck by Gray-you could fot have taken a beter” Coli this best, stkes the sume not, tnd perhaps we moat own tat the dition of Callin in his Ode co Evening i more Simonidean, more pore than Grays diction—but then the Ode to Evening has noe the evolution of Gray and of ‘Simonider—like the rivers of central Ass, f loses ise inthe snd [Arto the Ode to Liberty, to speak of ie as Swiabumme does i elly to talk nonsense, You ate right in remarking thet the scree of {Grays superiority es in is having read, thought and felt so very ‘och more tan Coline. The bad side of Gray's reading,—ehat he ted eae" narcoti;—you have wel sled at page 67-But perhaps he did all he could and fr him eo do without am snodyne was ie posible and reading was the best anodyne at his comand. He is ‘Se ofthe mot interning Figures in our Ierary istry. His scan nes of prodaction was 2 misery eo him, bt hat thurs his fame? 1 sometimes think that if Tennyson had delivered himself of nothing “Arthurian excep the fs fragment he gave us, the Morte d’Arehu, ‘he himself would have lox much ocepaton, indeed, 2nd the read ing worlds good deal of pleasure, bue we should have had a grander ‘nse of his posses in Arthurian story. Vou ae no quite jas © onteten have you read Ste. Beuve's delightful cari about hime" (The allusion to Swinburne refers to his introduction to Collins for Wars Enpsh Poets: "No cleverness can make up for fich an ovtrage on all erth and proportion as Swinburne's ove puke of Calis.» Excepe' poetic diction comparatively pure (for that sge), Callios has not, Fchink, much ment. The Ode to Evening leads nowhere, has no internal development; you finish i with tee of faness The Ode to Liberty has postively no mest {al.” When Swinbome reprinted his inerodsctlon to Collis ins HMsceliones [1886], he added few setences to regret Araolds preference of Gray over Collins) “The volume containing the Gray poems wat publshed about December 11,180. Arnold received £0 for writing his prefaces to snd making his selections from Keats and Gray-—Bocklet, Maarbes ‘rnolds Books, p74 Tigscin. Correspondence of Thomar Gray, o.Pagee Toynbee and Leonard Whibley (Oxford: atthe Carendon Pres 1935), toys (August 17, e771); Works of Thomar Gray, ed J. Mitford (London, 1835-43), IV, 297. Gray died late on the ight of Jay 30, a the age of fifty four, Both James Brown and ‘Thomas Wharton Thad bees frends of his from bis undergraduate days Brown wove