第3章

CHAPTERIII——1837-1842。 In1837theTennysonslefttheoldrectory；till1840theylivedatHighBeechinEppingForest，andafterabriefstayatTunbridgeWellswenttoBoxley，nearMaidstone。 Itappearsthatatlastthepoethad\"beathismusicout，\"thoughhisfriends\"stilltriedtocheerhim。\"ButthemanwhowroteUlysseswhenhisgriefwasfreshcouldnotbesuspectedofdecliningintoahypochondriac。\"IfImeantomakemymarkatall，itmustbebyshortness，\"hesaidatthistime；\"forthemenbeforemehadbeensodiffuse，andmostofthebigthings，exceptKingArthur，hadbeendone。\"Theagehadnotlateteepique:Poehadannouncedtheparadoxthatthereisnosuchthingasalongpoem，andevenindealingwithArthur，TennysonfollowedtheexampleofTheocritusinwriting，notanepic，butepicidylls。Longpoemssuitanageoflisteners，forwhichtheywereoriginallycomposed，orofleisureandfewbooks。Atpresentepicsarereadforduty\'ssake，notfortheonlyvalidreason，\"forhumanpleasure，\"inFitzGerald\'sphrase。 Between1838and1840TennysonmadesomebrieftoursinEnglandwithFitzGerald，and，comingfromCoventry，wroteGodiva。HisengagementwithMissSellwoodseemedtobeadjournedsinedie，astheywereforbiddentocorrespond。 By1841TennysonwaslivingatMablethorpeontheLincolnshirecoast； workingathisvolumesof1842，muchurgedbyFitzGeraldandAmericanadmirers，whohadheardofthepoetthroughEmerson。Moxonwastobethepublisher，himselfsomethingofapoet；butearlyin1842hehadnotyetreceivedtheMS。PerhapsEmersonheardofTennysonthroughCarlyle，who，saysSterling，\"saidmoreinyourpraisethaninanyone\'sexceptCromwell，andanAmericanbackwoodsmanwhohaskilledthirtyorfortypeoplewithabowie-knife。\"CarlyleatthistimewasmuchattachedtoLockhart，editoroftheQuarterlyReview，anditmayhavebeenCarlylewhoconvertedLockharttoadmirationofhisoldvictim。CarlylehadverylittlemoreappreciationofKeatsthanhadByron，or(inearlydays)Lockhart，anditwasprobablyasmuchthemanofheroicphysicalmould，\"alife-guardsmanspoiltbymakingpoetry，\"andtheunaffectedcompanionoverapipe，asthepoet，thatattractedhiminTennyson。Aswesaw，whenthetwotriumphantvolumesof1842didappear，LockhartaskedSterlingtoreviewwhateverbookhepleased(meaningthePoems)intheQuarterly。ThepraiseofSterlingmayseemlukewarmtous，especiallywhencomparedwiththatofSpeddingintheEdinburgh。ButSterling，andLockharttoo，wereobligedto\"gangwarily。\"Lockharthad，tohisconstantannoyance，\"apartner，MrCroker，\"andIhaveheardfromthelateDeanBoylethatMrCrokerwasmuchannoyedbyeventhemildapplauseyieldedintheQuarterlytotheauthoroftheMorted\'Arthur。 Whilepreparingthevolumesof1842atBoxley，Tennyson\'slifewasdividedbetweenLondonandthesocietyofhisbrother-in-law，MrEdmundLushington，thegreatGreekscholarandProfessorofGreekatGlasgowUniversity。TherewasinMrLushington\'spersonalaspect，andnoblesimplicityofmannerandcharacter，somethingthatstronglyresembledTennysonhimself。AmongtheircommonfriendswereLordHoughton(MoncktonMilnes)，MrLearoftheBookofNonsense(\"withsuchapencil，suchapen\")，MrVenables(whoatschoolmodifiedtheprofileofThackeray)，andLordKelvin。IntownTennysonmethisfriendsatTheCock，whichherenderedclassic；amongthemwereThackeray，Forster，Maclise，andDickens。Thetimeswerestirring: socialagitation，and\"Carolphilosophy\"inDickens，withgrowlsfromCarlyle，markedtheperiod。Therewasalsoakindofoptimismintheair，apropheticoptimism，notyetfulfilled。 \"Fly，happyhappysails，andbearthePress!\" Thatmissionnolongerstrikesusasexquisitelyfelicitous。\"ThemissionoftheCross，\"andofthemissionaries，meansinternationalcomplications；and\"themarketsoftheGoldenYear\"arepreciselythemostfruitfulcausesofwarsandrumoursofwars:- \"SeaandairaredarkWithgreatcontrivancesofPower。\" Tennyson\'swasnotanunmitigatedoptimism，andhadnospecialconfidencein\"Theherd，wildheartsandfeeblewingsThateverysophistercanlime。\" Hispoliticalpoetry，infact，wasveryunlikethesocialistchantsofMrWilliamMorris，orSongsbeforeSunrise。Hehadnothingtosayabout\"ThebloodonthehandsoftheKing，AndthelieonthelipsofthePriest。\" ThehandsofPresidentshavenotalwaysbeenunstained；norarestatementsofamythicalnatureconfinedtothelipsoftheclergy。 Thepoetwasanxiousthatfreedomshould\"broadendown，\"but\"slowly，\"notwithindelicatehaste。Personswhoaremoreinahurrywillnevercareforthepoliticalpoems，anditiscertainthatTennysondidnotfeelsympatheticallyinclinedtowardstheIberianpatriotwhosaidthathisdarlingdesirewas\"tocutthethroatsofallthecures，\"likesomeCovenantersofold。\"Maisvousconnaissezmoncoeur\"——\"andaprettyblackoneitis，\"thoughtyoungTennyson。 Socautiousinyouth，duringhisPyreneantourwithHallamin1830，Tennysoncouldnotbecomeaconvincedrevolutionarylater。Wemustaccepthimwithhislimitations:normustweconfusehimwiththeheroofhisLocksleyHall，oneofthemostpopular，andmostparodied，ofthepoemsof1842:fullofbeautifulimagesand\"confusionsofawastedyouth，\"ayouthdramaticallyconceived，andinnowayautobiographical。 Insomarvellousatreasureofpreciousthingsasthevolumesof1842，perhapsnoneismoresplendid，perfect，andperdurablethantheMorted\'Arthur。Ithadbeenwrittensevenyearsearlier，andpronouncedbythepoet\"notbad。\"Tennysonwasnever，perhaps，averydeepArthurianstudent。AlittlecheapcopyofMalorywashiscompanion。{4}HedoesnotappeartohavegonedeeplyintotheFrenchandGerman\"literatureofthesubject。\"Malory\'scompilation(1485)fromFrenchandEnglishsources，withtheMabinogionofLadyCharlotteGuest，sufficedforhimasmaterials。Thewholepoem，enshrinedinthememoryofallloversofverse，isrichlystudded，asthehiltofExcalibur，withclassicalmemories。\"AfaintHomericecho\"itisnot，noraVirgilianecho，buttheabsolutevoiceofoldromance，athingthatmighthavebeenchantedby\"ThelonelymaidenoftheLake\" when\"Nineyearsshewroughtit，sittinginthedeeps，Uponthehiddenbasesofthehills。\" PerhapsthemostexquisiteadaptationofallarethelinesfromtheOdyssey- \"Wherefallsnothailnorrain，noranysnow。\" \"SoftlythroughtheflutesoftheGrecians\"camefirsttheseElysiannumbers，thenthroughLucretius，thenthroughTennyson\'sownLucretius，theninMrSwinburne\'sAtalantainCalydon:- \"Landsindiscoverableintheunheard-ofwestRoundwhichthestrongstreamofasacredseaRollswithoutwindforever，andthesnowThereshowsnotherwhitewingsandwindyfeet，Northundernorswiftrainsaithanything，Northesunburns，butallthingsrestandthrive。\" Sofortunateintheirtransmissionthroughpoetshavebeenthelinesof\"theIonianfatheroftherest，\"thegreatestofthemall。 InthevarietyofexcellenceswhichmarksTennyson，thenewEnglishidyllsof1842holdtheirprominentplace。NothingcanbemoreexquisiteandmoreEnglishthanthepictureof\"thegardenthatI love。\"Theocrituscannotbesurpassed；buttheidyllmatchestotheseventhofhis，whereitismostcloselyfollowed，andpossessessuchapictureofagirlastheSiciliannevertriedtopaint。 Doraisanotheridyll，resemblingtheworkofaWordsworthinaclimesofterthanthatoftheFells。ThelaysofEdwinMorrisandEdwardBullarenotamongthemoreenduringofeventheplayfulpoems。TheStSimeonStylitesappears\"madetothehand\"oftheauthorofMenandWomenratherthanofTennyson。Thegrotesquevanityoftheanchoriteissoremotefromus，thatwecanscarcelyjudgeofthetruthofthepicture，thoughtheEasthasstillherparallelstoStSimeon。Fromthealmost，perhapsquite，incredibleasceticthepoetlightlyturnsto\"societyverse\"liftedupintotheairofpoetry，inthecharmofTheTalkingOak，andthehappyflittingsketchesofactualhistory；andthencetothestrengthandpassionofLoveandDuty。Shall\"SinitselfbefoundThecloudyporchoftopeningontheSun？\" Thatthisistheprovinceofsinisaprettypopularmodernmoral。 ButHonouristhebetterpart，andherewasapoetwhohadthecouragetosayso；though，tobesure，thewordsringstrangeinanagewhenhighlyrespectablematronsassureusthat\"passion，\"likecharity，coversamultitudeofsins。LoveandDuty，wemustadmit，is\"earlyVictorian。\" TheUlyssesisalmostarivaltotheMorted\'Arthur。Itisofanearlydate，afterArthurHallam\'sdeath，andThackerayspeaksofthepoetchantinghis\"GreatAchilleswhomweknew，\" asifhethoughtthatthiswasinCambridgedays。Butitislaterthanthese。Tennysonsaid，\"UlysseswaswrittensoonafterArthurHallam\'sdeath，andgavemyfeelingabouttheneedofgoingforward，andbravingthestruggleoflife，perhapsmoresimplythananythinginInMemoriam。\"Assuredlytheexpressionismoresimple，andmorenoble，andthepersonalemotionmoredignifiedfortheclassicveil。 WhentheplaintivePessimist(\"\'proudofthetitle，\'astheLivingSkeletonsaidwhentheyshowedhim\")tellsusthat\"nottohavebeenbornisbest，\"wemayanswerwithUlysses- \"LifepiledonlifeWerealltoolittle。\" TheUlyssesofTennyson，ofcourse，isDante\'sUlysses，notHomer\'sOdysseus，whobroughthometoIthacanotoneofhismariners。Hislastknownadventure，thejourneytothelandofmenwhoknewnotthesavourofsalt，Odysseuswastomakeonfootandalone；sospaketheghostofTiresiaswithinthepoplarpaleofPersephone。 TheTwoVoicesexpressesthecontestofdoubtsandgriefswiththespiritofenduranceandjoywhichspeaksaloneinUlysses。Themanwhoisunhappy，butdoesnotwanttoputanendtohimself，hascertainlythebetteroftheargumentwiththedespairingVoice。Theargumentsof\"thatbarrenVoice\"are，indeed，remarkablydeficientincogencyandlogic，ifwecanbringourselvestostripthediscussionofitspoetry。Theoriginaltitle，ThoughtsofaSuicide，wasinappropriate。Thesuicidalsuggestionsarepromptlyfacedandconfuted，andthemoodoftheauthoristhroughoutthatofonewhothinkslifeworthliving:- \"Whatevercrazysorrowsaith，NolifethatbreatheswithhumanbreathHasevertrulylong\'dfordeath。 \'Tislifewhereofournervesarescant，Ohlife，notdeath，forwhichwepant； Morelife，andfuller，thatIwant。\" Thisappearstobeasatisfactoryreplytothepersonswhoekeoutalivelihoodbypublishingpessimisticbooks，andhooting，asthegreatAlexandreDumassays，atthegreatdramaofLife。 WithTheDay-Dream(ofTheSleepingBeauty)Tennysonagaindisplayshismatchlessrangeofpowers。VerseofSocietyrisesintoacharmedandmusicalfantasy，passingfromtheBerlin-woolworkoftheperiod(\"Takethebroideryframe，andaddAcrimsontothequaintMacaw\") intotheenchantedlandofthefable:princesimmortal，princesseseternallyyoungandfair。TheStAgnesandSirGalahad，companionpieces，containtheromance，asStSimeonStylitesshowstherepulsivesideofasceticism；forthesaintandtheknightareyoung，beautiful，andeagerasStTheresainherchildhood。Ithasbeensaid，Idonotknowonwhatauthority，thatthepoethadnorecollectionofcomposingSirGalahad，anymorethanScottrememberedcomposingTheBrideofLammermoor，orThackeraypartsofPendennis。 ThehauntingofTennyson\'smindbytheArthurianlegendspromptedalsothelovelyfragmentontheQueen\'slastMaying，SirLauncelotandQueenGuinevere，athingofperfectcharmandmusic。TheballadsofLadyClareandTheLordofBurleigharenotexamplesofthepoetinhisstrength；forhispowerandfantasywemustturntoTheVisionofSin，wheretheearlypassageshavethelanguidvoluptuousmusicofTheLotos-Eaters，withtheethicalelementsuperadded，whiletheportionbeginning- \"Wrinkledostler，grimandthinisinpartsreminiscentofBurns\'sJollyBeggars。InBreak，Break，Break，wehearanoteprelusivetoInMemoriam，muchofwhichwasalreadycomposed。 ThePoemsof1842arealwaysvocalinthememoriesofallreadersofEnglishverse。Nonearemorefamiliar，atleasttomenofthegenerationswhichimmediatelyfollowedTennyson\'s。FitzGeraldwasapttothinkthatthepoetneveragainattainedthesamelevel，andI venturetosupposethatheneverroseaboveit。ForFitzGerald\'sopinion，rightorwrong，itiseasytoaccount。Hehadseenallthepiecesinmanuscript；theywerehischerishedpossessionbeforetheworldknewthem。C\'estmonhomme，hemighthavesaidofTennyson，asBoileausaidofMoliere。BeforethepublicawokeFitzGeraldhad\"discoveredTennyson，\"andthatattheagemostopentopoetryandmostenthusiasticinfriendship。Again，thePoemsof1842wereSHORT，whileThePrincess，Maud，andTheIdyllsoftheKingwererelativelylong，and，withInMemoriam，possessedunityofsubject。 Theylackedtherich，theunexampledvarietyoftopic，treatment，andthemewhichmarksthePoemsof1842。ThesewereallreasonswhyFitzGeraldshouldthinkthatthetwoslimgreenvolumesheldthepoet\'sworkatitshighestlevel。Perhapshewasnotwrong，afterall。 CHAPTERIV——1842-848——THEPRINCESS。 ThePoems，andsuchcriticismsasthoseofSpeddingandSterling，gaveTennysonhisplace。Alltheworldoflettersheardofhim。 DeanBradleytellsushowhetookOxfordbystorminthedaysoftheundergraduateshipofCloughandMatthewArnold。Probablybothoftheseyoungwritersdidnotsharetheundergraduateenthusiasm。MrArnold，weknow，didnotreckonTennysonunespritpuissant。LikeWordsworth(whothoughtTennyson\"decidedlythefirstofourlivingpoets，……hehasexpressedinthestrongesttermshisgratitudetomywritings\")，Arnoldwasnoferventadmirerofhiscontemporaries。 Besides，ifTennyson\'sworkis\"acriticismofLife，\"themoralcriticism，sofar，washiddeninflowers，liketheswordofAristogitonatthefeast。But，onthewhole，Tennysonhadwontheyoungmenwhocaredforpoetry，thoughSirRobertPeelhadneverheardofhim:andtowintheyoung，asTheocritusdesiredtodo，ismorethanhalfthebattle。OnSeptember8，1842，thepoetwasabletotellMrLushingtonthat\"500ofmybooksaresold；accordingtoMoxon\'sbrother，Ihavemadeasensation。\"ThesaleswerenotlikethoseofChildeHaroldorMarmion；butforsometwentyyearsnewpoetryhadnotsoldatall。Novelshadcomeinabout1814，andfewwantedorboughtrecentverse。ButCarlylewasconverted。Hespokenomoreofaspoiledguardsman。\"Ifyouknewwhatmyrelationhasbeentothethingcalled\'EnglishPoetry\'formanyyearsback，youwouldthinksuchafact\"(hispleasureinthebook)\"surprising。\" Carlylehadbeenliving(asMrsCarlyletoowellknew)inOliverCromwell，aherowhoprobablytooknodelightinLycidasorComus，inLovelaceorCarew。\"Iwouldgiveallmypoetrytohavemadeonesonglikethat，\"saidTennysonofLovelace\'sAlthea。ButNollwouldhavedisregardedthemallalike，andCarlylewasfullofthespiritoftheProtector。ToconquerhimwasindeedavictoryforTennyson；whileDickens，notareadingman，expressedhis\"earnestandsincerehomage。\" ButTennysonwasnotsuccessfulinthemodernway。Nobody\"interviewed\"him。Hisphotograph，ofcourse，withdisquisitionsonhispipesandslippers，didnotadorntheliterarypress。Hisliteraryincomewasnotmagnifiedbypenny-a-liners。Hedidnotbecomealion；heneverwouldroarandshakehismaneindrawing- rooms。LockhartheldthatSocietywasthemostagreeableformofthestage:thedressesandactressesincomparablytheprettiest。ButTennysonlikedSocietynobetterthandidGeneralGordon。Hehadfriendsenough，andnodesirefornewacquaintances。Indeed，hisfortunewasshatteredatthistimebyastrangeinvestmentinwood- carvingbymachinery。Ruskinhadonlyjustbeguntowrite，andwood- carvingbymachinerywasstilldeemedanenterpriseatoncephilanthropicandaesthetic。\"Myfather\'sworldlygoodswereallgone，\"saysLordTennyson。Thepoet\'shealthsufferedextremely:hetriedafashionable\"cure\"atCheltenham，wherehesawmiraclesofhealing，butunderwentnone。InSeptember1845PeelwasmovedbyLordHoughtontorecommendthepoetforapension(200poundsannually)。\"Ihavedonenothingslavishtogetit:Ineverevensolicitedforiteitherbymyselforothers。\"LikeDrJohnson，hehonourablyacceptedwhatwasofferedinhonour。Forsomereasonmanypersonswhowriteinthepressarealwaysmaddenedwhensuchgoodfortune，howeversmall，howeverwellmerited，fallstoabrotherinletters。They，ofcourse，were\"causelesslybitter。\"\"Letthemrave!\" Iffewoftherewardsofliterarysuccessarrived，thepenaltiesatoncebegan，andonlyceasedwiththepoet\'sexistence。\"Ifyouonlyknewwhatanuisancethesevolumesofverseare!RascalssendmetheirsperpostfromAmerica，andIhavemorethanoncebeenknockedupoutofbedtopaythreeorfourshillingsforbooksofwhichI can\'tgetthroughonepage，forofallbooksthemostinsipidreadingissecond-rateverse。\" Wouldthatversifierstookthewarning!TennysonhadnotsenthislittlefirstlingstoColeridgeandWordsworth:theyareonlythehopelessrhymerswhobombardmenofletterswiththeirlyricsandtragedies。 MrBrowningwasasufferer。Tooneyoungtwittererherepliedintheusualway。Thebardwroteacknowledgingtheletter，butaskingforadefinitecriticism。\"IdonotthinkmyselfaShakespeareoraMilton，butIKNOWIambetterthanMrCoventryPatmoreorMrAustinDobson。\"MrBrowningtriedtoprocrastinate:hewasalreadydeeplyengagedwithearlierarrivalsofvolumesofsong。Thepoetwashurt，notangry；hehadexpectedotherthingsfromMrBrowning:HEoughttoknowhisdutytoyouth。AttheintercessionofarelationMrBrowningnowdidhisbest，andtheminstrel，satisfiedatlast，repeatedhisconvictionofhissuperioritytotheauthorsofTheAngelintheHouseandBeauBrocade。Probablynoman，notevenMrGladstone，eversufferedsomuchfromminstrelsasTennyson。Hedidnotsufferthemgladly。 In1846thePoemsreachedtheirfourthedition。SirEdwardBulwerLytton(bittenbywhatflywhoknows？)attackedTennysoninTheNewTimon，aforgottensatire。Wedonotunderstandthewaysofthatgeneration。Thecheapandspitefulgenreofsatire，itsforgedmorality，itsshamindignation，itsappealtotheape-likepassions，hasgoneout。Lyttonhadsufferedmanythings(notinverse)fromJeamesYellowplush:IdonotknowthathehitbackatThackeray，buthe\"passediton\"toThackeray\'soldcollegecompanion。Tennyson，foronce，replied(inPunch:theversesweresentthitherbyJohnForster)；theanswerwasoneofmagnificentcontempt。Buthesoondecidedthat\"ThenoblestansweruntosuchIsperfectstillnesswhentheybrawl。\" LongafterwardsthepoetdedicatedaworktothesonofLordLytton。 Herepliedtonomoresatirists。{5}Ourdifficulty，ofcourse，istoconceivesuchanattackcomingfromamanofLytton\'spositionandgenius。Hewasnohungryhack，andcould，anddid，doinfinitelybetterthingsthan\"standinafalsefollowing\"ofPope。ProbablyLyttonhadafalseideathatTennysonwasarichman，abranchofhisfamilybeingaffluent，andsoresentedthelittlepension。Thepoetwassofarfromrichin1846，andevenafterthepublicationofThePrincess，thathismarriagehadstilltobedeferredforfouryears。 OnreadingThePrincessafreshoneisimpressed，despiteoldfamiliarity，withtheextraordinaryinfluenceofitsbeauty。Hereare，indeed，thebestwordsbestplaced，andthatcuriousfelicityofstylewhichmakeseverylineamarvel，andaneternalpossession。ItisasifTennysonhadtakentheadvicewhichKeatsgavetoShelley，\"Loadeveryriftwithore。\"Tochoosebutoneortwoexamples，howthepurestandfreshestimpressionofnatureisre-createdinmindandmemorybythepictureofMelissawith\"Allherthoughtsasfairwithinhereyes，AsbottomagatesseentowaveandfloatIncrystalcurrentsofclearmorningseas。\" Thelyric，\"Tears，idletears，\"isfarbeyondpraise:oncereaditseemslikeathingthathasalwaysexistedintheworldofpoeticarchetypes，andhasnowbeennotsomuchcomposedasdiscoveredandrevealed。ThemanypicturesandsimilitudesinThePrincesshaveamagicalgorgeousness:-