the flower of the mind(脑之花)-第7章
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coldness of the passage （towards the end）； in which the roses and the
angels are somewhat trivially sung； cannot mar so veritable an utterance。
The four final couplets are the very glory of the English couplet。
LINE ON RECEIVING HIS MOTHER'S PICTURE
Cowper； again； by the very directness of human feeling makes his
narrowing English a means of absolutely direct communication。 Of all his
works （and this is my own mere and unshared opinion） this single one
deserves immortality。
LIFE
This fragment （the only fragment； properly so called； in the present
collection） so pleased Wordsworth that he wished he had written the lines。
They are very gently touched。
THE LAND OF DREAMS
When Blake writes of sleep and dreams he writes under the very
influence of the hours of sleepwith a waking consciousness of the wilder
emotion of the dream。 Corot painted so； when at summer dawn he went
out and saw landscape in the hours of sleep。
SURPRISED BY JOY
It is not necessary to write notes on Wordsworth's sonnetsthe
greatest sonnets in our literature； but it would be well to warn editors how
they print this one sonnet； 〃I wished to share the transport〃 is by no means
an uncommon reading。 Into the history of the variant I have not looked。 It
is enough that all the suddenness； all the clash and recoil of these
impassioned lines are lost by that 〃wished〃 in the place of 〃turned。〃 The
loss would be the less tolerable in as much as perhaps only here and in that
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heart…moving poem； 'Tis said that some have died for love； is Wordsworth
to be confessed as an impassioned poet。
STEPPING WESTWARD
This and the preceding two exquisite poems of sympathy are far more
justified； more recollected and sincere than is that more monumental
composition； the famous poem of sympathy； Hartleap Well。 The most
beautiful stanzas of this poem last…named are so rebuked by the truths of
nature that they must ever stand as obstacles to the straightforward view of
sensitive eyes upon the natural world。 Wordsworth shows us the ruins of
an aspen…wood； a blighted hollow； a dreary place forlorn because an
innocent creature； hunted； had there broken its heart in a leap from the
rocks above； grass would not grow； nor shade linger there …
〃This beast not unobserved by Nature fell； His death was mourned by
sympathy divine。〃
And the signs of that sympathy are cruelly asserted to be these arid
woodland ruinscruelly； because the common sight of the day blossoming
over the agonies of animals and birds is made less tolerable by such
fictions。 We have to shut our ears to the benign beauty of this stanza
especially …
〃The Being that is in the clouds and air； That is in the green leaves
among the groves； Maintains a deep and reverential care For the
unoffending creature whom He loves。〃
We must shut our ears because the poet offers us； as a proof of that
〃reverential care；〃 the visible alteration of nature at the scene of suffering…
…an alteration we are obliged to dispense with every day we pass in the
woods。 We are tempted to ask whether Wordsworth himself believed in a
sympathy he asks usupon such grounds！to believe in？ Did he think his
faith to be worthy of no more than a fictitious sign or a false proof？
To choose from Wordsworth is to draw close a net with very large
meshesso that the lovely things that escape must doubtless cause the
reader to protest； but the poems gathered here are not only supremely
beautiful but exceedingly Wordsworthian。
YOUTH AND AGE
Close to the marvellous Kubla Khana poem that wrests the secret of
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dreams and brings it to the light of verseI place Youth and Age as the
best specimen of Coleridge's poetry that is quite undeliriousto my mind
the only fine specimen。 I do not rate his undelirious poems highly； and
even this； charming and nimble as it is； seems to me rather lean in thought
and image。 The tenderness of some of the images comes to a rather
lamentable close； the likeness to 〃some poor nigh…related guest〃 with the
three lines that follow is too squalid for poetry； or prose； or thought。
THE RIME OF THE ANCIENT MARINER
This poem is surely more full of a certain quality of extreme poetry
the simplest 〃flower of the mind；〃 the most single magic than any other
in our language。 But the reader must be permitted to call the story silly。
Page 265 （Are those her ribs through which the Sun）
Coleridge used the sun； moon； and stars as a great dream uses them
when the sleeping imagination is obscurely threatened with illness。 All
through The Ancient Mariner we see them like apparitions。 It is a pity that
he followed the pranks also of a dream when he impossibly placed a star
WITHIN the tip of the crescent。
Page 266 （I feer thee； ancient Mariner！）
The likeness of 〃the ribbed sea sand〃 is said to be the one passage
actually composed by Wordsworth；who according to the first plan should
have written The Ancient Mariner with Coleridge〃and perhaps the most
beautiful passage in the poem；〃 adds one critic after another。 It is no more
than a good likeness； and has nothing whatever of the indescribable
Coleridge quality。
Coleridge reveals； throughout this poem； an exaltation of the senses；
which is the most poetical thing that can befall a simple poet。 It is
necessary only to refer； for sight； to the stanza on 〃the moving Moon〃 at
the bottom of page 267； for hearing； to the supernatural stanzas on page
271； and； for touch； to the line …
〃And still my body drank。〃
ROSE AYLMER
Never was a human name more exquisitely sung than in these perfect
stanzas。
THE ISLES OF GREECE
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One really fine and poetic stanzaof course； the third； three stanzas
that are good eloquencethe fourth； fifth； and seventh； and one that is a
fair bit of argumentthe tenthmay together perhaps carry the rest。
HELLAS
The profounder spirit of Shelley's poem yet leaves it a careless piece
of work in comparison with Byron's。 The two false rhymes at the outset
may not be of great importance； but there is something annoying in the
dissyllabic rhymes of the second stanza。 Dissyllabic rhymes are beautiful
and enriching when they fall in the right place； that is； where there is a
pause for the second little syllable to stand。 For example； they could not be
better placed than they would have been at the end of the shorter lines of
this same stanza； where they would have dropped into a part of the pause。
Another sin of sheer heedlessnessthe lapse of grammar in The Skylark；
at the top of page 296 （With thy clear keen joyance） will remind the
reader of the special habitual error of Drummond of Hawthornden。
THE WANING MOON
In these few lines the Shelley spirit seems to be more intense than in
any other passage as brief。
ODE TO THE WEST WIND
This magnificent poem is surely the greatest of a great poses writings；
and one of the most splendid poems on nature and on poetry in a literature
resounding with odes on these enormous themes。
THE INVITATION
No need to point to a poem that so shines as does this lucent verse。
LA BELLE DAME SANS MERCI
Keats is here the magical poet； as he is the intellectual poet in the
great sonnet following； and it is his possession or promise of both
imaginations that proves him greater than Coleridge。 In his day they seem
to have found Coleridge to be a thinker in his poetry。 To me he seems to
have had nothing but senses； magic； and simplicity； and these he had to the
utmost yet known to man。 Keats was to have been a great intellectual poet；
besides all that in fact he was。
ODE TO A NIGHTINGALE
Of the five odes of Keats； the Nightingale is perhaps the most perfect；
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and certainly the most imaginative。 But the Grecian Urn is the finest； even
though it has fancy rather than imagination； for never was fancy more
exquisite。 The most conspicuous ideathe emptying of the town because
its folk are away at play in the tale of the antique urnis merely a fancy；
and a most antic fancya prank； it is an irony of man； a rallying of art； a
mockery of time； a burlesque of poetry； divine with tenderness。 The six
lines in which this fancy sports are amongst the loveliest in all literature：
the 〃little town；〃 the 〃peaceful citadel；〃were ever simple adjectives more
happy？ But John Keats's final moral here is undeniably a failure； it says so
much and means so little。 The Ode to Autumn is an exterior ode； and not
in so high a rank； but lovely and perfect。 The Psyche I love the least；
because its fancy is rather weak and its sentiment effusive。 It has a touch
of the deadly sickliness of Endymion。 None the less does it remain just
within the group of the really fine odes of English poets。 The eloquent
Melancholy more narrowly escapes exclusion from that group。
End of Project Gutenberg Etext of Flower of the Mind； by Alice
Meynell More below。 。 。
LATER POEMS
Contents：
The Shepherdess 〃I am the Way〃 Via； et Veritas； et Vita Why wilt
Thou Chide？ The Lady Poverty The Fold Cradle…song at Twilight The
Roaring Frost Parentage The Modern Mother West Wind in Winter
November Blue Chimes Unto us a Son is given A Dead Harves
