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,orinearlydaysLockhart,anditwasprobablyasmuchthemanofheroicphysicalmould,\"alife-guardsmanspoiltbymakingpoetry,\"andtheunaffectedcompanionoverapipe,asthepoet,thatattractedhiminTennyson。Aswesaw,whenthetwotriumphantvolumesof1842didappear,LockhartaskedSterlingtoreviewwhateverbookhepleasedmeaningthePoemsintheQuarterly。ThepraiseofSterlingmayseemlukewarmtous,especiallywhencomparedwiththatofSpeddingintheEdinburgh。ButSterling,andLockharttoo,wereobligedto\"gangwarily。\"Lockharthad,tohisconstantannoyance,\"apartner,MrCroker,\"andIhaveheardfromthelateDeanBoylethatMrCrokerwasmuchannoyedbyeventhemildapplauseyieldedintheQuarterlytotheauthoroftheMorted\'Arthur。
Whilepreparingthevolumesof1842atBoxley,Tennyson\'slifewasdividedbetweenLondonandthesocietyofhisbrother-in-law,MrEdmundLushington,thegreatGreekscholarandProfessorofGreekatGlasgowUniversity。TherewasinMrLushington\'spersonalaspect,andnoblesimplicityofmannerandcharacter,somethingthatstronglyresembledTennysonhimself。AmongtheircommonfriendswereLordHoughtonMoncktonMilnes,MrLearoftheBookofNonsense\"withsuchapencil,suchapen\",MrVenableswhoatschoolmodifiedtheprofileofThackeray,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\'scompilation1485fromFrenchandEnglishsources,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-DreamofTheSleepingBeautyTennysonagaindisplayshismatchlessrangeofpowers。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。LikeWordsworthwhothoughtTennyson\"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。\"
CarlylehadbeenlivingasMrsCarlyletoowellknewinOliverCromwell,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。InSeptember1845PeelwasmovedbyLordHoughtontorecommendthepoetforapension200poundsannually。\"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。SirEdwardBulwerLyttonbittenbywhatflywhoknows?attackedTennysoninTheNewTimon,aforgottensatire。Wedonotunderstandthewaysofthatgeneration。Thecheapandspitefulgenreofsatire,itsforgedmorality,itsshamindignation,itsappealtotheape-likepassions,hasgoneout。LyttonhadsufferedmanythingsnotinversefromJeamesYellowplush:IdonotknowthathehitbackatThackeray,buthe\"passediton\"toThackeray\'soldcollegecompanion。Tennyson,foronce,repliedinPunch: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:-