第 36 节
作者:理性的思索      更新:2021-02-21 10:16      字数:9322
  sleepless prejudice which haunts the political field。  He probably;
  if forced to 〃put a name to it;〃 would have called himself a Liberal。
  But he was not a social agitator。  He never set a rick on fire。  〃He
  held aloof; in a somewhat detached position; from the great social
  seethings of his age〃 (Mr Frederic Harrison)。  But in youth he helped
  to extinguish some flaming ricks。  He spoke of the 〃many…headed
  beast〃 (the reading public) in terms borrowed from Plato。  He had no
  higher esteem for mobs than Shakespeare or John Knox professed; while
  his theory of tyrants (in the case of Napoleon III。 about 1852) was
  that of Liberals like Mr Swinburne and Victor Hugo。  Though to modern
  enlightenment Tennyson may seem as great a Tory as Dr Johnson; yet he
  had spoken his word in 1852 for the freedom of France; and for
  securing England against the supposed designs of a usurper (now
  fallen)。  He really believed; obsolete as the faith may be; in
  guarding our own; both on land and sea。  Perhaps no Continental or
  American critic has ever yet dispraised a poetical fellow…countryman
  merely for urging the duties of national union and national defence。
  A critic; however; writes thus of Tennyson:  〃When our poet descends
  into the arena of party polemics; in such things as Riflemen; Form!
  Hands all Round; 。 。 。  The Fleet; and other topical pieces dear to
  the Jingo soul; it is not poetry but journalism。〃  I doubt whether
  the desirableness of the existence of a volunteer force and of a
  fleet really is within the arena of PARTY polemics。  If any party
  thinks that we ought to have no volunteers; and that it is our duty
  to starve the fleet; what is that party's name?  Who cries; 〃Down
  with the Fleet!  Down with National Defence!  Hooray for the
  Disintegration of the Empire!〃?
  Tennyson was not a party man; but he certainly would have opposed any
  such party。  If to defend our homes and this England be 〃Jingoism;〃
  Tennyson; like Shakespeare; was a Jingo。  But; alas! I do not know
  the name of the party which opposes Tennyson; and which wishes the
  invader to trample down Englandany invader will do for so
  philanthropic a purpose。  Except when resisting this unnamed party;
  the poet seldom or never entered 〃the arena of party polemics。〃
  Tennyson could not have exclaimed; like Squire Western; 〃Hurrah for
  old England!  Twenty thousand honest Frenchmen have landed in Kent!〃
  He undeniably did write verses (whether poetry or journalism) tending
  to make readers take an unfavourable view of honest invaders。  If to
  do that is to be a 〃Jingo;〃 and if such conduct hurts the feelings of
  any great English party; then Tennyson was a Jingo and a partisan;
  and was; so far; a rhymester; like Mr Kipling。  Indeed we know that
  Tennyson applauded Mr Kipling's The English Flag。  So the worst is
  out; as we in England count the worst。  In America and on the
  continent of Europe; however; a poet may be proud of his country's
  flag without incurring rebuke from his countrymen。  Tennyson did not
  reckon himself a party man; he believed more in political evolution
  than in political revolution; with cataclysms。  He was neither an
  Anarchist nor a Home Ruler; nor a politician so generous as to wish
  England to be laid defenceless at the feet of her foes。
  If these sentiments deserve censure; in Tennyson; at least; they
  claim our tolerance。  He was not born in a generation late enough to
  be truly Liberal。  Old prejudices about 〃this England;〃 old words
  from Henry V。 and King John; haunted his memory and darkened his
  vision of the true proportions of things。  We draw in prejudice with
  our mother's milk。  The mother of Tennyson had not been an Agnostic
  or a Comtist; his father had not been a staunch true…blue anti…
  Englander。  Thus he inherited a certain bias in favour of faith and
  fatherland; a bias from which he could never emancipate himself。  But
  tout comprendre c'est tout pardonner。  Had Tennyson's birth been
  later; we might find in him a more complete realisation of our poetic
  idealmight have detected less to blame or to forgive。
  With that apology we must leave the fame of Tennyson as a politician
  to the clement consideration of an enlightened posterity。  I do not
  defend his narrow insularities; his Jingoism; or the appreciable
  percentage of faith which blushing analysis may detect in his honest
  doubt:  these things I may regret or condemn; but we ought not to let
  them obscure our view of the Poet。  He was led away by bad examples。
  Of all Jingoes Shakespeare is the most unashamed; and next to him are
  Drayton; Scott; and Wordsworth; with his
  〃Oh; for one hour of that Dundee!〃
  In the years which followed the untoward affair of Waterloo young
  Tennyson fell much under the influence of Shakespeare; Wordsworth;
  and the other offenders; and these are extenuating circumstances。  By
  a curious practical paradox; where the realms of poetry and politics
  meet; the Tory critics seem milder of mood and more Liberal than the
  Liberal critics。  Thus Mr William Morris was certainly a very
  advanced political theorist; and in theology Mr Swinburne has written
  things not easily reconcilable with orthodoxy。  Yet we find Divine…
  Right Tories; who in literature are fervent admirers of these two
  poets; and leave their heterodoxies out of account。  But many Liberal
  critics appear unable quite to forgive Tennyson because he did not
  wish to starve the fleet; and because he held certain very ancient;
  if obsolete; beliefs。  Perhaps a general amnesty ought to be passed;
  as far as poets are concerned; and their politics and creeds should
  be left to silence; where 〃beyond these voices there is peace。〃
  One remark; I hope; can excite no prejudice。  The greatest of the
  Gordons was a soldier; and lived in religion。  But the point at which
  Tennyson's memory is blended with that of Gordon is the point of
  sympathy with the neglected poor。  It is to his wise advice; and to
  affection for Gordon; that we owe the Gordon training school for poor
  boys;a good school; and good boys come out of that academy。
  The question as to Tennyson's precise rank in the glorious roll of
  the Poets of England can never be determined by us; if in any case or
  at any time such determinations can be made。  We do not; or should
  not; ask whether Virgil or Lucretius; whether AEschylus or Sophocles;
  is the greater poet。  The consent of mankind seems to place Homer and
  Shakespeare and Dante high above all。  For the rest no prize…list can
  be settled。  If influence among aliens is the test; Byron probably
  takes; among our poets; the next rank after Shakespeare。  But
  probably there is no possible test。  In certain respects Shelley; in
  many respects Milton; in some Coleridge; in some Burns; in the
  opinion of a number of persons Browning; are greater poets than
  Tennyson。  But for exquisite variety and varied exquisiteness
  Tennyson is not readily to be surpassed。  At one moment he pleases
  the uncritical mass of readers; in another mood he wins the verdict
  of the raffine。  It is a success which scarce any English poet but
  Shakespeare has excelled。  His faults have rarely; if ever; been
  those of flat…footed; 〃thick…ankled〃 dulness; of rhetoric; of common…
  place; rather have his defects been the excess of his qualities。  A
  kind of John Bullishness may also be noted; especially in derogatory
  references to France; which; true or untrue; are out of taste and
  keeping。  But these errors could be removed by the excision of half…
  a…dozen lines。  His later work (as the Voyage of Maeldune) shows a
  just appreciation of ancient Celtic literature。  A great critic; F。
  T。 Palgrave; has expressed perhaps the soundest appreciation of
  Tennyson:…
  It is for 〃the days that remain〃 to bear witness to his real place in
  the great hierarchy; amongst whom Dante boldly yet justly ranked
  himself。  But if we look at Tennyson's work in a twofold aspect;
  HERE; on the exquisite art in which; throughout; his verse is
  clothed; the lucid beauty of the form; the melody almost audible as
  music; the mysterious skill by which the words used constantly strike
  as the INEVITABLE words (and hence; unforgettable); the subtle
  allusive touches; by which a secondary image is suggested to enrich
  the leading thought; as the harmonic 〃partials〃 give richness to the
  note struck upon the string; THERE; when we think of the vast
  fertility in subject and treatment; united with happy selection of
  motive; the wide range of character; the dramatic force of
  impersonation; the pathos in every variety; the mastery over the
  comic and the tragic alike; above all; perhaps; those phrases of
  luminous insight which spring direct from imaginative observation of
  Humanity; true for all time; coming from the heart to the heart;his
  work will probably be found to lie somewhere between that of Virgil
  and Shakespeare:  having its portion; if I may venture on the phrase;
  in the inspiration of both。
  A professed enthusiast for Tennyson can add nothing to; and take
  nothing from; these words of one who; though his friend; was too
  truly a critic to entertain the admiration that goes beyond idolatry。
  Footnotes:
  {1}  Macmillan & Co。
  {2}  To the present writer; as to others; The Lover'