第 36 节
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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'