Someflawtherewas，somewhere。Hisheart，sotosay，beattoofast，andthesinginginhisearsfromtheo’er-feveredbloodconfusedtheserenerhythmhauntingthefarperspectivesofthebrain，“asArabbirdsfloatsleepinginthewind。“
Ihavedweltatthislengthupon“Pauline“partlybecauseofitsinherentbeautyandautopsychicalsignificance，andpartlybecauseitistheleastfamiliarofBrowning’spoems，longovershadowedasithasbeenbyhisowntooseverestrictures：
mainly，however，becauseofitsradicalimportancetothestudentwhowouldarriveatabroadandtrueestimateofthepowerandscopeandshapingconstituentsofitsauthor’sgenius。Almosteveryqualityofhisafter-versemaybefoundhere，ingermoroutline。
Itis，inaword，morephysiognomicthananyothersinglepoembyBrowning，andsomusteverpossessapeculiarinterestquiteapartfromitsmanypassagesofhauntingbeauty。
Tothesetheloverofpoetrywillalwaysturnwithdelight。
Somewillevenregardthemretrospectivelywithalienemotiontothatwherewiththeystrivetopossesstheirsoulsinpatienceoversomeoneorotherofthebarbarisms，theTitanicexcesses，thepoeticbanalitiesrecurrentinthelatervolumes。
Howmanyandhowhauntingthesedelicateoasesare!
Thosewhoknowandlove“Pauline“willrememberthepassagewherethepoet，withthatpantheisticecstasywhichwaspossiblyinspiredbythesingerhemostloved，tellshowhecanlivethelifeofplants，contenttowatchthewildbeesflittingtoandfro，ortolieabsorbentoftheardoursofthesun，or，likethenight-floweringcolumbine，totrailupthetree-trunkandthroughitsrustlingfoliage“lookforthedimstars；“or，again，canlivethelifeofthebird，“leapingairilyhispyramidofleavesandtwistedboughsofsometallmountain-tree；“orbeafish，breathingthemorningairinthemistysun-warmwater。Closefollowingthisisanothermemorablepassage，thatbeginning“Night，andonesingleridgeofnarrowpath；“
whichhasaparticularinterestfortwonotesofadeeperandbroadermusictobeevolvedlongafterwards。For，asitseemstome，in“Thouartsoclosebyme，theroughestswellOfwindinthetree-topshidesnotthepantingOfthysoftbreasts“
where，bytheway，shouldbenoticedthesubtlecorrespondencebetweentheconceptiveandtheexpressionalrhythmwehaveahintofthatsuperbscenein“PippaPasses“，where，onasinisternightofJuly，anightofspiritualstormaswellasofaerialtempest，OttimaandSebaldlieamidthelightning-searchtforest，with“thethunderlikeawholeseaoverhead。“Again，inthelovelyTurneresque，orratherShelleyanpictureofmorning，over“therocks，andvalleys，andoldwoods，“withthehighboughsswinginginthewindabovethesun-brightenedmists，andthegolden-colouredsprayofthecataractamidthebrokenrocks，whereoverthewildhawksflytoandfro，thereisatleastasuggestion，anoutline，ofthetrulymagnificentburstofmorningmusicinthepoet’spenultimatevolume，beginning
“Butmorning’slaughsetsallthecragsalightAbovethebaffledtempest：treeandtreeStirthemselvesfromthestuporofthenight，AndeverystrangledbranchresumesitsrightTobreathe，shakesloosedark’sclingingdregs，wavesfreeIndrippingglory。Pronetherunnelsplunge，Whileearth，distentwithmoisturelikeasponge，Smokesup，andleaveseachplantitsgemtosee，Eachgrass-blade’sglory-glitter，“etc。
Whothathaseverread“Pauline“willforgetthemasterfulpoetrydescriptiveofthelover’swild-woodretreat，theexquisitelinesbeginning“Walledinwithaslopedmoundofmattedshrubs，tangled，oldandgreen“？
Thereisindeedanew，anunmistakablevoicehere。
“Andtonguesofbankgoshelvinginthewaters，Wherethepale-throatedsnakereclineshishead，Andoldgreystonesliemakingeddiesthere；
Thewildmicecrossthemdry-shod“……
Whatlovelierimageinmodernpoetrythanthatdepictiveoftheforest-poolindepthsofsavagewoodlands，unvisitedbutbytheshadowsofpassingclouds，
“thetreesbendO’eritaswildmenwatchasleepinggirl。“
Howthepassionatesexualemotion，alwaysdeepandtrueinBrowning，findslovelyutteranceinthelineswherePauline’sloverspeaksofthebloodinherlipspulsinglikealivingthing，whileherneckisas“marblemistedo’erwithlove-breath，“and“……herdeliciouseyesasclearasheaven，Whenraininaquickshowerhasbeatdownmist，Andcloudsfloatwhiteinthesunlikebroodsofswans。“
InthequotationsIhavemade，andinothersthatmightbeselectede。g。，“Herfresheyes，andsofthair，and`lipswhichbleedlikeamountainberry’“，itiseasytonotehowintimateanobserverofnaturetheyouthfulpoetwas，andwithwhatconsciousbutnotobtrusivearthebringsforwardhisnewandstrikingimagery。Browning，indeed，isthepoetofnewsymbols。
“Pauline“concludeswithlineswhichmusthavebeeninthemindsofmanyonthatsaddaywhenthetidingsfromVenicesentathrillofstartled，half-incredulous，bewilderedpainthroughouttheEnglishnations
“Sun-treader，IbelieveinGod，andtruth，Andlove；……butchieflywhenIdie……
Allinwhomthiswakespleasantthoughtsofme，Knowmylaststateishappyfreefromdoubt，Ortouchoffear。“
NeveragainwasBrowningtowriteapoemwithsuchconceptivecrudeness，neveragaintotreadthebywaysofthoughtsofalteringlyorsonegligently：
butneveragain，perhaps，washetoshowsomuchover-rapturingjoyintheworld’sloveliness，suchBacchicabandontotheidealbeautywhichthetruepoetseesglowingupontheforlornestheightandbroodingintheshadow-hauntedhollowsofthehills。TheBrowningwhomighthavebeenishere：henceforththeBrowningweknowandlovestandsuniqueamongallthelordsofsong。Butsometimesdowenotturnlongingly，wonderinglyatleast，totheyoungDionysosuponwhoseforeheadwasthelightofanotherdestinythanthatwhichdescendeduponhim？
TheIcelanderssaythereisalandwherealltherainbowsthathaveeverbeen，orareyettobe，foreverdrifttoandfro，evanishingandreappearing，likeimmortalflowersofvapour。Inthatfarcountry，itmaybe，arealsotheunfulfilleddreams，thevisionstooperfecttobefashionedintosong，oftheyoungpoetswhohavegainedthelaurel。
Weclosethelittlebooklovingly：
“AndIhaddimlyshapedmyfirstattempt，AndmanyathoughtdidIbuilduponthought，Asthewildbeehangscelltocellinvain；
ForImuststillgoon：mymindrestsnot。“
Ithasbeencommonlyassertedthat“Pauline“wasalmostwhollydisregarded，andswiftlylapsedintooblivion。
Thismustbeacceptedwithqualification。Itisliketheothergeneralassertion，thatBrowninghadtolivefiftyyearsbeforehegainedrecognitionastatementasludicrouswhenexaminedasitisunjusttothemanydiscreetjudgeswhoawarded，publiclyandprivately，thatintelligentsympathywhichisthebestsunshinefortheflowerofapoet’sgenius。Ifby“beforehegainedrecognition“ismeantageneralandindiscriminateacclaim，nodoubtBrowninghad，stillhasindeed，longertowaitthanmanyothereminentwritershavehadtodo：
butitisabsurdtoassertthatfromtheveryoutsetofhispoeticcareerhewasmetbynothingbutneglect，ifnotscornfulderision。
Nonewhoknowsthetrueartistictemperamentwillfallintoanysuchmistake。
ItisquitecertainthatneitherShakespearenorMiltonevermetwithsuchenthusiasticpraiseandwelcomeasBrowningencounteredonthepublicationof“Pauline“and“Paracelsus“。Shelley，asfaraboveBrowninginpoeticmusicastheauthorofsomanyparleyingswithotherpeople’ssoulsisthesuperiorinpsychicinsightandintellectualstrength，hadthroughouthistoobrieflifenotonesuchreviewofpraisefulwelcomeastheRev。W。J。Foxwroteonthepublicationof“Pauline“or，itmaybeadded，asAllanCunningham’sequallykindlybutlessablereviewinthe`Athenaeum’，orasJohnForsterwrotein`TheExaminer’concerning“Paracelsus“，andlaterinthe`NewMonthlyMagazine’，wherehehadthecouragetosayoftheyoungandquiteunknownpoet，“withouttheslightesthesitationwenameMr。RobertBrowningatoncewithShelley，Coleridge，Wordsworth。“
Hisplaysevenwhicharecommonlysaidtohave“fallenflat“
werecertainlynotfailures。Thereissomethingeffeminate，undignified，andcertainlyuncritical，inthisconfusionastowhatisandwhatisnotfailureinliterature。Soenthusiasticwastheapplauseheencountered，indeed，thathadhisnotbeentoostronganaturetobethwartedbyadulationanymorethanbycontemptuousneglect，hemightwellhavebecomespoilt
soenthusiastic，thatwereitnotfortheheavyandprolongedcounterbalancingdeadweightofpublicindifference，ahugeamorphousmassonlyoflateyearsmouldedintoharmonywiththekeenestmindsofthecentury，wemightwellbesuspiciousofsomuchandlong-continuedeulogium，andfearthesamereversalofjudgmenttowardshimonthepartofthosewhocomeafterusasweourselveshavemetedtomanyanoneamongthehighgodsofourfathers。
Fortunatelythedeephumanityofhisworkinthemassconservesitagainstthemereveeringsoftaste。Areactionagainstitwillinevitablycome；
butthiswillpass：what，inthefuture，whentheunbornreadersofBrowningwilllookbackwithcleareyesuntroubledbythedustofourfootsteps，nottosubsidetilllongafterwetooaredust，willbetheplacegiventothispoet，weknownot，norcanmorethanspeculativelyestimate。
Thatitwill，however，beahighone，sofarashisweightiestinbulk，itmaypossiblybebutarelativelyslenderaccomplishmentisconcerned，wemayrestwellassured：forindeed“Itlives，Ifpreciousbethesoulofmantoman。“
Sofarashasbeenascertainedtherewereonlythreereviewsornoticesof“Pauline“：theveryfavourablearticlebyMr。Foxinthe`MonthlyRepository’，thekindlypaperbyAllanCunninghaminthe`Athenaeum’，and，in`Tait’sEdinburghMagazine’，thesuccinctlyexpressedimpressionofeitheranindolentoranincapablereviewer：“Pauline；aFragmentofaConfession；