the rhythm of life and other essays(生命的旋律)-第17章
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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
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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。
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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。
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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 intolerabl
