alfred tennyson-第11部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！

and　Jowett's　work　on　some　of　St　Paul's　Epistles。　　If　these　books
contain　the　ideas　of　In　Memoriam；　it　is　by　dint　of　repetition　and
borrowing　from　In　Memoriam；　or　by　coincidence。　　The　originality　was
Tennyson's；　for　we　cannot　dispute　the　evidence　of　dates。

When　one　speaks　of　〃originality〃　one　does　not　mean　that　Tennyson
discovered　the　existence　of　the　ultimate　problems。　　But　at　Cambridge
（1828…1830）　he　had　voted　〃No〃　in　answer　to　the　question　discussed　by
〃the　Apostles；〃　〃Is　an　intelligible　＇intelligent？＇　First　Cause
deducible　from　the　phenomena　of　the　universe？〃　｛9｝　　He　had　also
propounded　the　theory　that　〃the　development　of　the　human　body　might
possibly　be　traced　from　the　radiated　vermicular　molluscous　and
vertebrate　organisms；〃　thirty　years　before　Darwin　published　The
Origin　of　Species。　　To　be　concerned　so　early　with　such　hypotheses；
and　to　face；　in　poetry；　the　religious　or　irreligious　inferences　which
may　be　drawn　from　them；　decidedly　constitutes　part　of　the　poetic
originality　of　Tennyson。　　His　attitude；　as　a　poet；　towards　religious
doubt　is　only　so　far　not　original；　as　it　is　part　of　the　general
reaction　from　the　freethinking　of　the　eighteenth　century。　　Men　had
then　been　freethinkers　avec　delices。　　It　was　a　joyous　thing　to　be　an
atheist；　or　something　very　like　one；　at　all　events；　it　was　glorious
to　be　〃emancipated。〃　　Many　still　find　it　glorious；　as　we　read　in　the
tone　of　Mr　Huxley；　when　he　triumphs　and　tramples　over　pious　dukes　and
bishops。　　Shelley　said　that　a　certain　schoolgirl　〃would　make　a　dear
little　atheist。〃　　But　by　1828…1830　men　were　less　joyous　in　their
escape　from　all　that　had　hitherto　consoled　and　fortified　humanity。
Long　before　he　dreamed　of　In　Memoriam；　in　the　Poems　chiefly　Lyrical
of　1830　Tennyson　had　written　…


〃'Yet；'　said　I；　in　my　morn　of　youth；
The　unsunn'd　freshness　of　my　strength；
When　I　went　forth　in　quest　of　truth；
'It　is　man's　privilege　to　doubt。'　。　。　。
　　　Ay　me！　　I　fear
All　may　not　doubt；　but　everywhere
Some　must　clasp　Idols。　　Yet；　my　God；
Whom　call　I　Idol？　　Let　Thy　dove
Shadow　me　over；　and　my　sins
Be　unremember'd；　and　Thy　love
Enlighten　me。　　Oh　teach　me　yet
Somewhat　before　the　heavy　clod
Weighs　on　me；　and　the　busy　fret
Of　that　sharp…headed　worm　begins
In　the　gross　blackness　underneath。

Oh　weary　life！　oh　weary　death！
Oh　spirit　and　heart　made　desolate！
Oh　damned　vacillating　state！〃


Now　the　philosophy　of　In　Memoriam　may　be；　indeed　is；　regarded　by
robust；　first…rate；　and　far　from　sensitive　minds；　as　a　〃damned
vacillating　state。〃　　The　poet　is　not　so　imbued　with　the　spirit　of
popular　science　as　to　be　sure　that　he　knows　everything：　　knows　that
there　is　nothing　but　atoms　and　ether；　with　no　room　for　God　or　a　soul。
He　is　far　from　that　happy　cock…certainty；　and　consequently　is　exposed
to　the　contempt　of　the　cock…certain。　　The　poem；　says　Mr　Harrison；
〃has　made　Tennyson　the　idol　of　the　Anglican　clergymanthe　world　in
which　he　was　born　and　the　world　in　which　his　life　was　ideally　passed…
…the　idol　of　all　cultured　youth　and　of　all　aesthetic　women。　　It　is　an
honourable　post　to　fill〃that　of　idol。　　〃The　argument　of　In　Memoriam
apparently　is　。　。　。　that　we　should　faintly　trust　the　larger　hope。〃
That；　I　think；　is　not　the　argument；　not　the　conclusion　of　the　poem；
but　is　a　casual　expression　of　one　mood　among　many　moods。

The　argument　and　conclusion　of　In　Memoriam　are　the　argument　and
conclusion　of　the　life　of　Tennyson；　and　of　the　love　of　Tennyson；　that
immortal　passion　which　was　a　part　of　himself；　and　which；　if　aught　of
us　endure；　is　living　yet；　and　must　live　eternally。　　From　the　record
of　his　Life　by　his　son　we　know　that　his　trust　in　〃the　larger　hope〃
was　not　〃faint；〃　but　strengthened　with　the　years。　　There　are　said　to
have　been　less　hopeful　intervals。

His　faith　is；　of　course；　no　argument　for　others；at　least　it　ought
not　to　be。　　We　are　all　the　creatures　of　our　bias；　our　environment；
our　experience；　our　emotions。　　The　experience　of　Tennyson　was　unlike
the　experience　of　most　men。　　It　yielded　him　subjective　grounds　for
belief。　　He　〃opened　a　path　unto　many；〃　like　Yama；　the　Vedic　being　who
discovered　the　way　to　death。　　But　Tennyson's　path　led　not　to　death；
but　to　life　spiritual；　and　to　hope；　and　he　did　〃give　a　new　impulse　to
the　thought　of　his　age；〃　as　other　great　poets　have　done。　　Of　course
it　may　be　an　impulse　to　wrong　thought。　　As　the　philosophical
Australian　black　said；　〃We　shall　know　when　we　are　dead。〃

Mr　Harrison　argues　as　if；　unlike　Tennyson；　Byron；　Wordsworth；
Shelley；　and　Burns　produced　〃original　ideas　fresh　from　their　own
spirit；　and　not　derived　from　contemporary　thinkers。〃　　I　do　not　know
what　original　ideas　these　great　poets　discovered　and　promulgated；
their　ideas　seem　to　have　been　〃in　the　air。〃　　These　poets　〃made　them
current　coin。〃　　Shelley　thought　that　he　owed　many　of　his　ideas　to
Godwin；　a　contemporary　thinker。　　Wordsworth　has　a　debt　to　Plato；　a
thinker　not　contemporary。　　Burns's　democratic　independence　was　〃in
the　air；〃　and　had　been；　in　Scotland；　since　Elder　remarked　on　it　in　a
letter　to　Ingles　in　1515。　　It　is　not　the　ideas；　it　is　the　expression
of　the　ideas；　that　marks　the　poet。　　Tennyson's　ideas　are　relatively
novel；　though　as　old　as　Plotinus；　for　they　are　applied　to　a　novel；　or
at　least　an　unfamiliar；　mental　situation。　　Doubt　was　abroad；　as　it
always　is；　but；　for　perhaps　the　first　time　since　Porphyry　wrote　his
letter　to　Abammon；　the　doubters　desired　to　believe；　and　said；　〃Lord；
help　Thou　my　unbelief。〃　　To　robust；　not　sensitive　minds；　very　much　in
unity　with　themselves；　the　attitude　seems　contemptible；　or　at　best
decently　futile。　　Yet　I　cannot　think　it　below　the　dignity　of　mankind；
conscious　that　it　is　not　omniscient。　　The　poet　does　fail　in　logic　（In
Memoriam；　cxx。）　when　he　says　…


〃Let　him；　the　wiser　man　who　springs
　　　Hereafter；　up　from　childhood　shape
　　　His　action　like　the　greater　ape；
But　I　was　BORN　to　other　things。〃


I　am　not　well　acquainted　with　the　habits　of　the　greater　ape；　but　it
would　probably　be　unwise；　and　perhaps　indecent；　to　imitate　him；　even
if　〃we　also　are　his　offspring。〃　　We　might　as　well　revert　to　polyandry
and　paint；　because　our　Celtic　or　Pictish　ancestors；　if　we　had　any；
practised　the　one　and　wore　the　other。　　However；　petulances　like　the
verse　on　the　greater　ape　are　rare　in　In　Memoriam。　　To　declare　that　〃I
would　not　stay〃　in　life　if　science　proves　us　to　be　〃cunning　casts　in
clay；〃　is　beneath　the　courage　of　the　Stoical　philosophy。

Theologically；　the　poem　represents　the　struggle　with　doubts　and　hopes
and　fears；　which　had　been　with　Tennyson　from　his　boyhood；　as　is
proved　by　the　volume　of　1830。　　But　the　doubts　had　exerted；　probably；
but　little　influence　on　his　happiness　till　the　sudden　stroke　of　loss
made　life　for　a　time　seem　almost　unbearable　unless　the　doubts　were
solved。　　They　WERE　solved；　or　stoically　set　aside；　in　the　Ulysses；
written　in　the　freshness　of　grief；　with　the　conclusion　that　we　must
be


　　　　　　〃Strong　in　will
To　strive；　to　seek；　to　find；　and　not　to　yield。〃


But　the　gnawing　of　grief　till　it　becomes　a　physical　pain；　the　fever
fits　of　sorrow；　the　aching　desiderium；　bring　back　in　many　guises　the
old　questions。　　These　require　new　attempts　at　answers；　and　are
answered；　〃the　sad　mechanic　exercise〃　of　verse　allaying　the　pain。
This　is　the　genesis　of　In　Memoriam；　not　originally　written　for
publication　but　produced　at　last　as　a　monument　to　friendship；　and　as
a　book　of　consolation。

No　books　of　consolation　can　console　except　by　sympathy；　and　in　In
Memoriam　sympathy　and　relief　have　been　found；　and　will　be　found；　by
many。　　Another；　we　feel；　has　trodden　our　dark　and　stony　path；　has
been　shadowed　by　the　shapes　of　dread　which　haunt　our　valley　of
tribulation：　　a　mind　almost　infinitely　greater　than　ours　has　been　our
fellow…sufferer。　　He　has　emerged　from　the　darkness　of　the　shadow　of
death　into　the　light；　whither；　as　it　seems　to　us；　we　can　scarcely
hope　to　come。　　It　is　the　sympathy　and　the　example；　I　think；　not　the
speculations；　mystical　or　scientific；　which　make　In　Memoriam；　in　more
than　name；　a　book　of　consolation：　　even　in　hours　of　the　sharpest
distress；　when　its　technical　beauties　and　wonderful　pictures　seem
shadowy　and　unreal；　like　the　yellow　sunshine　and　the　woods　of　that
autumn　day　when　a　man　learned　that　his　friend　was　dead。　　No；　it　was
not　the　speculations　and　arguments　that　consoled　or　encouraged　us。
We　did　not　listen　to　Tennyson　as　to　Mr　Frederic　Harrison's　glorified
Anglican　clergyman。　　We　could　not　murmur；　like　the　Queen　of　the　May　…


〃That　good　man；　the　Laureate；　has　told　tis　words　of　peace。〃


What　we　valued　was　the　poet's　companionship。　　There　was　a　young
reader　to　whom　All　along　the　Valley　came　as　a　new　poem　in　a　time　of
recent　sorrow。


〃The　two…and…thirty　years　were　a　mist　that　rolls　away；〃


said　the　singer　of　In　Memoriam；　and　in　that　hour　it　seemed　as　if　none
could　endure　for　two…and…thirty　years　the　companionship　of　loss。　　But
the　years　have　gone　by；　and　have　left


　　　〃Ever　young　the　face　that　dwells
With　reason　cloister'd　in　the　brain。〃　｛10｝


In　this　way　to　many　In　Memoriam　is　almost　a　life…long　companion：　　we
walk　with　Great…heart　for　our　guide　through　the　valley　Perilous。

In　this　respect