the rhythm of life-第11部分

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reluctance。



If　Mr。　Patmore　really　intends　that　his　Odes　shall　be　read　with

minim；　or　crochet；　or　quaver　rests；　to　fill　up　a　measure　of　beaten

time；　we　are　free　to　hold　that　he　rather　arbitrarily　applies　to

liberal　verse　the　laws　of　verse　set　for　usecradle　verse　and　march…

marking　verse　（we　are；　of　course；　not　considering　verse　set　to

music；　and　thus　compelled　into　the　musical　time）。　　Liberal　verse；

dramatic；　narrative；　meditative；　can　surely　be　bound　by　no　time

measuresif　for　no　other　reason；　for　this：　　that　to　prescribe

pauses　is　also　to　forbid　any　pauses　unprescribed。　　Granting；

however；　his　principle　of　catalexis；　we　still　doubt　whether　the

irregular　metre　of　The　Unknown　Eros　is　happily　used　except　for　the

large　sweep　of　the　flight　of　the　Ode　more　properly　so　called。

Lycidas；　the　Mrs。　Anne　Killigrew；　the　Intimations；　and　Emerson's

Threnody；　considered　merely　for　their　versification；　fulfil　their

laws　so　perfectly　that　they　certainly　move　without　checks　as　without

haste。　　So　with　the　graver　Odesmuch　in　the　majorityof　Mr。

Coventry　Patmore's　series。　　A　more　lovely　dignity　of　extension　and

restriction；　a　more　touching　sweetness　of　simple　and　frequent　rhyme；

a　truer　impetus　of　pulse　and　impulse；　English　verse　could　hardly

yield　than　are　to　be　found　in　his　versification。　　And　what　movement

of　words　has　ever　expressed　flight；　distance；　mystery；　and　wonderful

approach；　as　they　are　expressed　in　a　celestial　linethe　eighth　in

the　ode　To　the　Unknown　Eros？　　When　we　are　sensible　of　a　metrical

cheek　it　is　in　this　way：　　To　the　English　ear　the　heroic　line　is　the

unit　of　metre；　and　when　two　lines　of　various　length　undesignedly　add

together　to　form　a　heroic　line；　they　have　to　be　separated　with

something　of　a　jerk。　　And　this　addingas；　for　instance；　of　a　line

of　four　syllables　preceding　or　following　one　of　sixoccurs　now　and

then；　and　even　in　such　a　masterly　measure　of　music　as　A　Farewell。

It　is　as　when　a　sail　suddenly　flaps　windless　in　the　fetching　about

of　a　boat。　　In　The　Angel　in　the　House；　and　other　earlier　poems；　Mr。

Coventry　Patmore　used　the　octosyllabic　stanza　perfectly；　inasmuch　as

he　never　left　it　either　heavily　or　thinly　packed。　　Moreover　those

first　poems　had　a　composure　which　was　the　prelude　to　the　peace　of

the　Odes。　　And　even　in　his　slightest　work　he　proves　himself　the

masterthat　is；　the　ownerof　words　that；　owned　by　him；　are

unprofaned；　are　as　though　they　had　never　been　profaned；　the　capturer

of　an　art　so　quick　and　close　that　it　is　the　voice　less　of　a　poet

than　of　the　very　Muse。







INNOCENCE　AND　EXPERIENCE







I　shall　not　ask　the　commentators　whether　Blake　used　these　two　words

in　union　or　in　antithesis。　　They　assuredly　have　an　inseverable　union

in　the　art　of　literature。　　The　songs　of　Innocence　and　Experience　are

for　each　poet　the　songs　of　his　own　separate　heart　and　life；　but　to

take　the　cumulative　experiences　of　other　men；　and　to　use　these　in

place　of　the　virginal　fruit　of　thoughtwhereas　one　would　hardly

consent　to　take　them　for　ordering　even　the　most　habitual　of　daily

affairsis　to　forego　Innocence　and　Experience　at　once　and　together。

Obviously；　Experience　can　be　nothing　except　personal　and　separate；

and　Innocence　of　a　singularly　solitary　quality　is　his　who　does　not

dip　his　hands　into　other　men's　histories；　and　does　not　give　to　his

own　word　the　common　sanction　of　other　men's　summaries　and

conclusions。　　Therefore　I　bind　Innocence　and　Experience　in　one；　and

take　them　as　a　sign　of　the　necessary　and　noble　isolation　of　man　from

manof　his　uniqueness。　　But　if　I　had　a　mind　to　forego　that　manner

of　personal　separateness；　and　to　use　the　things　of　others；　I　think　I

would　rather　appropriate　their　future　than　their　past。　　Let　me　put

on　their　hopes；　and　the　colours　of　their　confidence；　if　I　must

borrow。　　Not　that　I　would　burden　my　prophetic　soul　with　unjustified

ambitions；　but　even　this　would　be　more　tolerable　than　to　load　my

memory　with　an　unjustifiable　history。



And　yet　how　differently　do　the　writers　of　a　certain　kind　of　love…

poetry　consider　this　matter。　　These　are　the　love…poets　who　have　no

reluctance　in　adopting　the　past　of　a　multitude　of　people　to　whom

they　have　not　even　been　introduced。　　Their　verse　is　full　of　ready…

made　memories；　various；　numerous；　and　cruel。　　No　single　life

supposing　it　to　be　a　liberal　life　concerned　with　something　besides

sexcould　quite　suffice　for　so　much　experience；　so　much

disillusion；　so　much　deception。　　To　achieve　that　tone　in　its　fulness

it　is　necessary　to　take　for　one's　own　the　praeterita　（say）　of　Alfred

de　Musset　and　of　the　men　who　helped　himnot　to　live　butto　have

lived；　it　is　necessary　to　have　lived　much　more　than　any　man　lives；

and　to　make　a　common　hoard　of　erotic　remembrances　with　all　kinds　of

poets。



As　the　Franciscans　wear　each　other's　old　habits；　and　one　Friar　goes

about　darned　because　of　another's　rending；　so　the　poet　of　a　certain

order　grows　cynical　for　the　sake　of　many　poets'　old　loves。　　Not

otherwise　will　the　resultant　verse　succeed　in　implying　so　muchor

rather　so　many；　in　the　feminine　plural。　　The　man　of　very　sensitive

individuality　might　hesitate　at　the　adoption。　　The　Franciscan　is

understood　to　have　a　fastidiousness　and　to　overcome　it。　　But　these

poets　so　triumph　over　their　repugnance　that　it　does　not　appear。　　And

yet；　if　choice　were；　one　might　wish　rather　to　make　use　of　one's

fellowmen's　old　shoes　than　put　their　old　secrets　to　use；　and　dress

one's　art　in　a　motley　of　past　passions。　　Moreover；　to　utilise　the

mental　experience　of　many　is　inevitably　to　use　their　verse　and

phrase。　　For　the　rest；　all　the　traits　of　this　love…poetry　are

familiar　enough。　　One　of　them　is　the　absence　of　the　word　of　promise

and　pledge；　the　loss　of　the　earliest　and　simplest　of　the　impulses　of

love：　　which　is　the　vow。　　'Till　death！'　'For　ever！'　are　cries　too

simple　and　too　natural　to　be　commonplace；　and　in　their　denial　there

is　the　least　tolerable　of　banalitiesthat　of　other　men's

disillusions。



Perfect　personal　distinctness　of　Experience　would　be　in　literature　a

delicate　Innocence。　　Not　a　passage　of　cheapness；　of　greed；　of

assumption；　of　sloth；　or　of　any　such　sins　in　the　work　of　him　whose

love…poetry　were　thus　true；　and　whose　pudeur　of　personality　thus

simple　and　inviolate。　　This　is　the　private　man；　in　other　words　the

gentleman；　who　will　neither　love　nor　remember　in　public。







PENULTIMATE　CARICATURE







There　has　been　no　denunciation；　and　perhaps　even　no　recognition；　of

a　certain　social　immorality　in　the　caricature　of　the　mid…century　and

earlier。　　Literary　and　pictorial　alike；　it　had　for　its　notice　the

vulgarising　of　the　married　woman。　　No　one　now　would　read　Douglas

Jerrold　for　pleasure；　but　it　is　worth　while　to　turn　up　that

humourist's　serial；　Mrs。　Caudle's　Curtain　Lectures；　which　were

presumably　considered　good　comic　reading　in　the　Punch　of　that　time；

and　to　make　acquaintance　with　a　certain　ideal　of　the　grotesque。

Obviously　to　make　a　serious　comment　on　anything　which　others

consider　or　have　considered　humorous　is　to　put　one's…self　at　a

disadvantage。　　He　who　sees　the　joke　holds　himself　somewhat　the

superior　of　the　man　who　would　see　it；　such　as　it　is；　if　he　thought

it　worth　his　eyesight。　　The　last…named　has　to　bear　the　least

tolerable　of　modern　reproaches；　but　he　need　not　always　care。　　Now　to

turn　over　Douglas　Jerrold's　monologues　is　to　find　that　people　in　the

mid…century　took　their　mirth　principally　from　the　life　of　the

arriere　boutique。　　On　that　shabby　stage　was　enacted　the　comedy　of

literature。　　Therefore　we　must　take　something　of　the　vulgarity　of

Jerrold　as　a　circumstance　of　the　social　ranks　wherein　he　delighted。

But　the　essential　vulgarity　is　that　of　the　woman。　　There　is　in　some

old　Punch　volume　a　drawing　by　Leechwhom　one　is　weary　of　hearing

named　the　gentle；　the　refinedwhere　the　work　of　the　artist　has　vied

with　the　spirit　of　the　letter…press。　　Douglas　Jerrold　treats　of　the

woman's　jealousy；　Leech　of　her　stays。　　They　lie　on　a　chair　by　the

bed；　beyond　description　gross。　　And　page　by　page　the　woman　is

derided；　with　an　unfailing　enjoyment　of　her　foolish　ugliness　of

person；　of　manners；　and　of　language。　　In　that　time　there　was；

moreover；　one　great　humourist；　he　bore　his　part　willingly　in

vulgarising　the　woman；　and　the　part　that　fell　to　him　was　the

vulgarising　of　the　act　of　maternity。　　Woman　spiteful；　woman　suing

man　at　the　law　for　evading　her　fatuous　companionship；　woman

incoherent；　woman　abandoned　without　restraint　to　violence　and

temper；　woman　feigning　sensibilityin　none　of　these　ignominies　is

woman　so　common；　foul；　and　foolish　for　Dickens　as　she　is　in　child…

bearing。



I　named　Leech　but　now。　　He　was；　in　all　things　essential；　Dickens's

contemporary。　　And　accordingly　the　married　woman　and　her　child　are

humiliated　by　his　pencil；　not　grossly；　but　commonly。　　For　him　she　is

moderately　and　dully　ridiculous。　　What　delights　him　as　humorous　is

that　her　husbandhimself　wearisome　enough　to　die　ofis　weary　of

her；　finds　the　time　long；　and　tries　to　escape　her。　　It　amuses　him

that　she　should　furtively　spend　money　over　her　own　dowdiness；　to　the

annoyance　of　her　husband；　and　that　her　husband　should　have　no　desire

to　adorn　her；　and　that　her　mother　should　be　intolerable。　　It　pleases

him　that　her　baby；　with　enormous　cheeks　and　a　hideous　rosette　in　its

hata　burlesque　babyshould　be　a　grotesque　object　of　her　love；　for

that　too　makes　subtly　for　her　abasement。　　Charles　Keene；　again

another　contemporary；　though　he　lived　into　a　later　and　different

time。　　He　saw　little　else　than　common　forms　of　human　ignominy

indignities　of　civic　physique；　of　stupid　prosperity；　of　dress；　of

bearing。　　He　transmits　these　things　in　greater　proportion　than　he

found　themwhether　for　love　of　the　humour　of　them；　or　by　a　kind　of

inverted　disgust　that　is　as　eager　as　delightone　is　not　sure　which

is　the　impulse。　　The　grossness　of　the　vulgarities　is　rendered　with　a

completeness　that　goes　far　t