the flower of the mind(脑之花)-第5章
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！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
of those who cannot admire a pretty lyric but they must hold reason itself
to be in error rather than allow that a line of it has chanced to get turned in
the rhyming。
IN EARTH
〃I ever saw anything；〃 says Charles Lamb； 〃like this funeral dirge；
except the ditty which reminds Ferdinand of his drowned father in the
Tempest。 As that is of the water； watery； so this is of the earth； earthy。
Both have that intentness of feeling which seems to resolve itself into the
element which it contemplates。〃
SONG （Phoebus； arise！）
All Drummond's poems seem to be minor poems； even at their finest；
except only this。 He must have known； for the creation of that poem； some
more impassioned and less restless hour。 It is； from the outset to the close；
14
… Page 15…
THE FLOWER OF THE MIND
the sigh of a profound expectation。 There is no division into stanzas；
because its metre is the breath of life。 One might wish that the English ode
（roughly called 〃Pindaric〃） had never been written but with passion； for so
written it is the most immediate of all metres； the shock of the heart and
the breath of elation or grief are the law of the lines。 It has passed out of
the gates of the garden of stanzas； and walks （not astray） in the further
freedom where all is interior law。 Cowley； long afterwards； wrote this
Pindaric ode； and wrote it coldly。 But Drummond's （he calls it a song） can
never again be forgotten。 With admirable judgment it was set up at the
very gate of that Golden Treasury we all know so well； and； therefore；
generation after generation of readers； who have never opened
Drummond's poems； know this fine ode as well as they know any single
poem in the whole of English literature。 There was a generation that had
not been taught by the Golden Treasury； and Cardinal Newman was of it。
Writing to Coventry Patmore of his great odes； he called them beautiful
but fragmentary； was inclined to wish that they might some day be made
complete。 There is nothing in all poetry more complete。 Seldom is a poem
in stanzas so complete but that another stanza might have made a final
close； but a master's ode has the unity of life； and when it ends it ends for
ever。
A poem of Drummond's has this auroral image of a blush： Anthea has
blushed to hear her eyes likened to stars （habit might have caused her； one
would think； to bear the flattery with a front as cool as the very daybreak）；
and the lover tells her that the sudden increase of her beauty is futile； for
he cannot admire more： 〃For naught thy cheeks that morn do raise。〃 What
sweet； nay； what solemn roses！
Again：
〃Me here she first perceived； and here a morn Of bright carnations
overspread her face。〃
The seventeenth century has possession of that 〃morn〃 caught once
upon its uplands； nor can any custom of aftertime touch its freshness to
wither it。
TO MY INCONSTANT MISTRESS
The solemn vengeance of this poem has a strange tonenot unique；
15
… Page 16…
THE FLOWER OF THE MIND
for it had sounded somewhere in mediaeval poetry in Italybut in a
dreadful sense divine。 At the first reading； this sentence against
inconstancy； spoken by one more than inconstant； moves something like
indignation； nevertheless； it is menacingly and obscurely justified； on a
ground as it were beyond the common region of tolerance and pardon。
THE PULLEY
An editor is greatly tempted to mend a word in these exquisite verses。
George Herbert was maladroit in using the word 〃rest〃 in two senses。
〃Peace〃 is not quite so characteristic a word； but it ought to take the place
of 〃rest〃 in the last line of the second stanza； so then the first line of the
last stanza would not have this rather distressing ambiguity。 The poem is
otherwise perfect beyond description。
MISERY
George Herbert's work is so perfectly a box where thoughts
〃compacted lie；〃 that no one is moved； in reading his rich poetry； to detach
a line； so fine and so significant are its neighbours； nevertheless； it may be
well to stop the reader at such a lovely passage as this …
〃He was a garden in a Paradise。〃
THE ROSE
There is nothing else of Waller's fine enough to be admitted here； and
even this； though unquestionably a beautiful poem； elastic in words and
fresh in feeling； despite its wearied argument； is of the third…class。
Greatness seems generally； in the arts； to be of two kinds； and the third
rank is less than great。 The wearied argument of The Rose is the almost
squalid plea of all the poets； from Ronsard to Herrick： 〃Time is short； they
make the better bargain who make haste to love。〃 This thrifty business and
essentially cold impatience wastime out of mindunknown to the truer
love； it is larger； illiberal； untender； and without all dignity。 The poets were
wrong to give their verses the message of so sorry a warning。 There is
only one thing that persuades you to forgive the paltry plea of the poet that
time is briefand that is the charming reflex glimpse it gives of her to
whom the rose and the verse were sent； and who had not thought that time
was brief。
L'ALLEGRO
16
… Page 17…
THE FLOWER OF THE MIND
The sock represents the stage； in L'Allegro； for comedy； and the
buskin； in Il Penseroso； for tragedy。 Milton seems to think the comic
drama in England needs no apology； but he hesitates at the tragic。 The poet
of King Lear is named for his sweetness and his wood…notes wild。
IL PENSEROSO
It is too late to protest against Milton's display of weak Italian。
Pensieroso is； of course； what he should have written。
LYCIDAS
Most of the allusions in Lycidas need no explaining to readers of
poetry。 The geography is that of the western coasts from furthest north to
Cornwall。 Deva is the Dee； 〃the great vision〃 means the apparition of the
Archangel； St。 Michael； at St。 Michael's Mount； Namancos and Bayona
face the mount from the continental coast； Bellerus stands for Belerium；
the Land's End。
Arethusa and MinciusSicilian and Italian streamsrepresent the
pastoral poetry of Theocritus and Virgil。
ON A PRAYER…BOOK
〃Fair and flagrant things〃Crashaw's own phrasemight serve for a
brilliant and fantastic praise and protest in description of his own verses。
In the last century； despite the opinion of a few； and despite the fact that
Pope took possession of Crashaw's line …
〃Obedient slumbers that can wake and weep；〃
and for some time of the present century； the critics had a wintry word
to blame him with。 They said of George Herbert； of Lovelace； of Crashaw；
and of other light hearts of the seventeenth century not so much that their
inspiration was in bad taste； as that no reader of taste could suffer them。 A
better opinion on that company of poets is that they had a taste
extraordinarily liberal； generous； and elastic； but not essentially lax： taste
that gave now and th
