第5章
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  This,however,ispersonification,whereinbothCollinsandShelleybuildonSpenser:thedizzyingachievementtowhichthemodernpoetcarriedpersonificationaccountsforbutamoiety,ifalargemoiety,ofhisvivifyingpoweroverabstractions。Takethepassage(alreadyalludedto)inthatgloriouschorustellinghowtheHourscomeFromthetempleshighOfman\'searandeyeRoofedoverSculptureandPoesy,

  FromthoseskieytowersWhereThought\'scrownedpowersSitwatchingyourdance,yehappyHours!

  Ourfeetnow,everypalm,Aresandalledwithcalm,Andthedewofourwingsisarainofbalm;

  AndbeyondoureyesThehumanloveliesWhichmakesallitgazesonParadise。

  Anypartialexplanationwillbreakinourhandsbeforeitreachestherootofsuchapower。Theroot,wetakeit,isthis。Hehadaninstinctiveperception(immenseinrangeandfertility,astonishingforitsdelicateintuition)oftheunderlyinganalogiesthesecretsubterraneanpassages,betweenmatterandsoul;thechromaticscales,whereatwedimlyguess,bywhichtheAlmightymodulatesthroughallthekeysofcreation。Because,themoreweconsiderit,themorelikelydoesitappearthatNatureisbutanimperfectactress,whoseconstantchangesofdressneverchangehermannerandmethod,whoisthesameinallherparts。

  ToShelley\'setherealvisionthemostrarifiedmentalorspiritualmusictraceditsbeautifulcorrespondingformsonthesandofoutwardthings。Hestoodthusattheveryjunction—linesofthevisibleandinvisible,andcouldshiftthepointsashewilled。Histhoughtsbecameamountedinfantry,passingwithbafflingswiftnessfromhorsetofootorfoottohorse。Hecouldexpressashelistedthematerialandtheimmaterialintermsofeachother。Neverhasapoetinthepastrivalledhimasregardsthisgift,andhardlywillanypoetrivalhimasregardsitinthefuture:menarelikefirsttoseethepromiseddoomlayitshandonthetreeofheavenandshakedownthegoldenleaves。{7}

  ThefinestspecimensofthisfacultyareprobablytobesoughtinthatShelleiantreasury,PrometheusUnbound。ItisunquestionablythegreatestandmostprodigalexhibitionofShelley\'spowers,thisamazinglyricworld,whereimmortalclaritiessighpastintheperfumesoftheblossoms,populatethebreathingsofthebreeze,throngandtwinkleintheleavesthattwirluponthebough;wheretheverygrassisalla—rustlewithlovelyspirit—things,andaweepingmistofmusicfillstheair。ThefinalscenesespeciallyaresuchaBacchicreelandroutandrevelryofbeautyasleavesonestaggeredandgiddy;poetryisspiltlikewine,musicrunstodrunkenwaste。Thechorusessweepdownthewind,tirelessly,flightafterflight,tillthebreathlesssoulalmostcriesforrespitefromtheunrollingsplendours。Yetthesescenes,sowonderfulfromapurelypoeticalstandpointthatnoonecouldwishthemaway,are(toourhumblethinking)neverthelesstheartisticerrorofthepoem。

  Abstractedly,thedevelopmentofShelley\'sidearequiredthatheshouldshowtheearthlyparadisewhichwastofollowthefallofZeus。Butdramaticallywiththatfalltheactionceases,andthedramashouldhaveceasedwithit。Afinalchorus,orchoralseries,ofrejoicings(suchasdoesultimatelyendthedramawherePrometheusappearsonthescene)wouldhavebeenlegitimateenough。

  Instead,however,thebewilderedreaderfindsthedramaunfoldingitselfthroughsceneafterscenewhichleavestheactionpreciselywhereitfoundit,becausethereisnolongeranactiontoadvance。

  Itisasifthechoralfinaleofanoperawereprolongedthroughtwoacts。

  Wehave,nevertheless,calledPrometheusShelley\'sgreatestpoembecauseitisthemostcomprehensivestorehouseofhispower。WereweaskedtonamethemostPERFECTamonghislongerefforts,weshouldnamethepoeminwhichhelamentedKeats:undertheshedpetalsofhislovelyfancygivingtheslainbirdasilkenburial。

  Seldomisthedeathofapoetmournedintruepoetry。Notoftenisthesingercoffinedinlaurel—wood。Amongtheveryfewexceptionstosucharule,thegreatestisAdonais。IntheEnglishlanguageonlyLycidascompeteswithit;andwhenwepreferAdonaistoLycidas,wearefollowingtheprecedentsetinthecaseofCicero:

  Adonaisisthelonger。Asregardscommandoverabstraction,itisnolesscharacteristicallyShelleianthanPrometheus。Itisthroughoutaseriesofabstractionsvitalisedwithdaringexquisiteness,fromMorningwhosought:

  Hereasternwatch—tower,andherhairunbound,Wetwiththetearswhichshouldadorntheground,andwhoDimmedtheaerialeyesthatkindleday,totheDreamsthatweretheflockofthedeadshepherd,theDreamsWhomnearthelivingstreamsOfhisyoungspirithefed;andwhomhetaughtThelovethatwasitsmusic;

  ofwhomonesees,asshehangsmourningoverhim,Uponthesilkenfringeofhisfainteyes,Likedewuponasleepingflower,thereliesAtearsomedreamhasloosenedfromhisbrain!

  LostangelofaruinedParadise!

  Sheknewnot\'twasherown;aswithnostainShefadedlikeacloudwhichhathoutweptitsrain。

  Inthesolarspectrum,beyondtheextremeredandextremevioletrays,arewholeseriesofcolours,demonstrable,butimperceptibletogrosshumanvision。Suchwritingasthiswehavequotedrendersvisibletheinvisibilitiesofimaginativecolour。

  OnethingpreventsAdonaisfrombeingideallyperfect:itslackofChristianhope。YetwerememberwellthewriterofapopularmemoironKeatsproposingas\"thebestconsolationforthemindpainedbythissadrecord\"Shelley\'sinexpressiblysadexpositionofPantheisticimmortality:

  HeisaportionofthelovelinessWhichoncehemademorelovely,etc。

  Whatdesolationcanitbethatdiscernscomfortinthishope,whosewancountenanceisasthecountenanceofadespair?Whatdeepestdepthofagonyisitthatfindsconsolationinthisimmortality:animmortalitywhichthrustsyouintodeath,themawofNature,thatyourdissolvedelementsmaycirculatethroughherveins?

  Yetsuch,thepoettellsme,ismysolebalmforthehurtsoflife。

  Iamasthevocalbreathfloatingfromanorgan。Itooshallfadeonthewinds,acadencesoonforgotten。SoIdissolveanddie,andamlostintheearsofmen:theparticlesofmybeingtwineinnewermelodies,andfrommyonedeathariseahundredlives。Why,throughthethinpartitionofthisconsolationPantheismcanhearthegroansofitsneighbour,Pessimism。Betteralmosttheblackresignationwhichthefatalistdrawsfromhisownhopelessness,fromthefiercekissesofmiserythathissagainsthistears。

  Withsomegleams,itistrue,ofmorethanmocksolace,Adonaisislighted;buttheyareobtainedbyimplicitlyassumingthepersonalimmortalitywhichthepoemexplicitlydenies;aswhen,forinstance,togreetthedeadyouth,Theinheritorsofunfulfilledrenown[thoughtRosefromtheirthrones,builtbeyondmortalFarintheunapparent。

  Andagainthefinalstanzaofthepoem:

  ThebreathwhosemightIhaveinvokedinsongDescendsonme;myspirit\'sbarkisdrivenFarfromtheshore,farfromthetremblingthrongWhosesailswerenevertothetempestriven;

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