首页 >出版文学> The Works of Edgar Allan Poe>第182章
  arelineswhichhavedonemuchmischief。Asregardsthegreatertruths,menoftenererrbyseekingthematthebottomthanatthetop;Truthliesinthehugeabysseswherewisdomissought-notinthepalpablepalaceswheresheisfound。Theancientswerenotalwaysrightinhiding-thegoddessinawell;witnessthelightwhichBaconhasthrownuponphilosophy;witnesstheprinciplesofourdivinefaith-thatmoralmechanismbywhichthesimplicityofachildmayoverbalancethewisdomofaman。
  “WeseeaninstanceofColeridge’sliabilitytoerr,inhis’BiographiaLiteraria’professedlyhisliterarylifeandopinions,but,infact,atreatise_deomniscibilietquibusdamaliis。_Hegoeswrongbyreasonofhisveryprofundity,andofhiserrorwehaveanaturaltypeinthecontemplationofastar。Hewhoregardsitdirectlyandintenselysees,itistrue,thestar,butitisthestarwithoutaray-whilehewhosurveysitlessinquisitivelyisconsciousofallforwhichthestarisusefultousbelow-itsbrilliancyanditsbeauty。
  “AstoWordsworth,Ihavenofaithinhim。ThathehadinyouththefeelingsofapoetIbelieve-forthereareglimpsesofextremedelicacyinhiswritings-anddelicacyisthepoet’sownkingdom-his_ElDorado-butthey_havetheappearanceofabetterdayrecollected;andglimpses,atbest,arelittleevidenceofpresentpoeticfire;weknowthatafewstragglingflowersspringupdailyinthecrevicesoftheglacier。
  “Hewastoblameinwearingawayhisyouthincontemplationwiththeendofpoetizinginhismanhood。Withtheincreaseofhisjudgmentthelightwhichshouldmakeitapparenthasfadedaway。Hisjudgmentconsequentlyistoocorrect。Thismaynotbeunderstood-buttheoldGothsofGermanywouldhaveunderstoodit,whousedtodebatemattersofimportancetotheirStatetwice,oncewhendrunk,andoncewhensober-soberthattheymightnotbedeficientinformalitydrunklesttheyshouldbedestituteofvigor。
  “Thelongwordydiscussionsbywhichhetriestoreasonusintoadmirationofhispoetry,speakverylittleinhisfavor:theyarefullofsuchassertionsasthisIhaveopenedoneofhisvolumesatrandom-“Ofgeniustheonlyproofistheactofdoingwellwhatisworthytobedone,andwhatwasneverdonebefore;’-indeed?thenitfollowsthatindoingwhatisunworthytobedone,orwhat_has_beendonebefore,nogeniuscanbeevinced;yetthepickingofpocketsisanunworthyact,pocketshavebeenpickedtimeimmemorial,andBarrington,thepickpocket,inpointofgenius,wouldhavethoughthardofacomparisonwithWilliamWordsworth,thepoet。
  “Again,inestimatingthemeritofcertainpoems,whethertheybeOssian’sorMacpherson’scansurelybeoflittleconsequence,yet,inordertoprovetheirworthlessness,Mr。W。hasexpendedmanypagesinthecontroversy。_Tantaeneanimis?_Cangreatmindsdescendtosuchabsurdity?
  Butworsestill:thathemaybeardowneveryargumentinfavorofthesepoems,hetriumphantlydragsforwardapassage,inhisabominationwithwhichheexpectsthereadertosympathize。Itisthebeginningoftheepicpoem’Temora。’’ThebluewavesofUllinrollinlight;thegreenhillsarecoveredwithday;treesshaketheirdustyheadsinthebreeze。’Andthisthisgorgeous,yetsimpleimagery,whereallisaliveandpantingwithimmortality-this,WilliamWordsworth,theauthorof’PeterBell,’has_selected_forhiscontempt。Weshallseewhatbetterhe,inhisownperson,hastooffer。Imprimis:
  “’Andnowshe’satthepony’stail,Andnowshe’satthepony’shead,Onthatsidenow,andnowonthis;
  And,almoststifledwithherbliss,AfewsadtearsdoesBettyshed……
  Shepatsthepony,whereorwhenSheknowsnot……happyBettyFoy!
  Oh,Johnny,nevermindthedoctor!’
  Secondly:
  “’Thedewwasfallingfast,the-starsbegantoblink;
  Iheardavoice:itsaid-“Drink,prettycreature,drink!”
  And,lookingo’erthehedge,be-foremeIespiedAsnow-whitemountainlamb,witha-maidenatitsside。
  Noothersheepwasnear,thelambwasallalone,Andbyaslendercordwas-tether’dtoastone。’
  “Now,wehavenodoubtthisisalltrue:wewillbelieveit,indeedwewill,Mr。W。Isitsympathyforthesheepyouwishtoexcite?Iloveasheepfromthebottomofmyheart。
  “Butthereareoccasions,dearB-,thereareoccasionswhenevenWordsworthisreasonable。EvenStamboul,itissaid,shallhaveanend,andthemostunluckyblundersmustcometoaconclusion。Hereisanextractfromhispreface:-
  “’Thosewhohavebeenaccustomedtothephraseologyofmodemwriters,iftheypersistinreadingthisbooktoaconclusion_impossible!will,_nodoubt,havetostrugglewithfeelingsofawkwardness;ha!ha!ha!theywilllookroundforpoetryha!ha!ha!ha!,andwillbeinducedtoinquirebywhatspeciesofcourtesytheseattemptshavebeenpermittedtoassumethattitle。’Ha!ha!ha!ha!ha!
  “Yet,letnotMr。W。despair;hehasgivenimmortalitytoawagon,andthebeeSophocleshastransmittedtoeternityasoretoe,anddignifiedatragedywithachorusofturkeys。
  “OfColeridge,Icannotspeakbutwithreverence。Histoweringintellect!
  hisgiganticpower!Touseanauthorquotedbyhimself,_’Taitrouv?
  souventquelaplupartdessectesontraisondansunebonnepartiedecequ’ellesavancent,maisnonpasencequ’ellesnient,’and_toemployhisownlanguage,hehasimprisonedhisownconceptionsbythebarrierhehaserectedagainstthoseofothers。Itislamentabletothinkthatsuchamindshouldbeburiedinmetaphysics,and,liketheNyctanthes,wasteitsperfumeuponthenightalone。Inreadingthatman’spoetry,Itremblelikeonewhostandsuponavolcano,consciousfromtheverydarknessburstingfromthecrater,ofthefireandthelightthatarewelteringbelow。
  “Whatispoetry?-Poetry!thatProteus-likeidea,withasmanyappellationsasthenine-titledCorcyra!’Giveme,’Idemandedofascholarsometimeago,’givemeadefinitionofpoetry。’_’Tr鑣volontiers;’_andheproceededtohislibrary,broughtmeaDr。Johnson,andoverwhelmedmewithadefinition。ShadeoftheimmortalShakespeare!IimaginetomyselfthescowlofyourspiritualeyeupontheprofanityofthatscurrilousUrsaMajor。Thinkofpoetry,dearB-,thinkofpoetry,andthenthinkofDr。
  SamuelJohnson!Thinkofallthatisairyandfairy-like,andthenofallthatishideousandunwieldy;thinkofhishugebulk,theElephant!andthen-andthenthinkofthe’Tempest’-the’Midsummer-Night’sDream’-
  ProsperoOberon-andTitania!
  “Apoem,inmyopinion,isopposedtoaworkofsciencebyhaving,forits_immediate_object,pleasure,nottruth;toromance,byhaving,foritsobject,an_indefinite_insteadofa_definite_pleasure,beingapoemonlysofarasthisobjectisattained;romancepresentingperceptibleimageswithdefinite,poetrywithindefinitesensations,towhichendmusicisan_essential,since_thecomprehensionofsweetsoundisourmostindefiniteconception。Music,whencombinedwithapleasurableidea,ispoetry;music,withouttheidea,issimplymusic;theidea,withoutthemusic,isprose,fromitsverydefinitiveness。
  “Whatwasmeantbytheinvectiveagainsthimwhohadnomusicinhissoul?
  “Tosumupthislongrigmarole,Ihave,dearB-,whatyou,nodoubt,perceive,forthemetaphysicalpoetsaspoets,themostsovereigncontempt。Thattheyhavefollowersprovesnothing-
  “’NoIndianprincehastohispalaceMorefollowersthanathieftothegallows。
  SCIENCE!truedaughterofOldTimethouart!
  Whoalterestallthingswiththypeeringeyes。
  Whypreyestthouthusuponthepoet’sheart,Vulture,whosewingsaredullrealities?
  Howshouldhelovethee?orhowdeemtheewise,WhowouldstnotleavehiminhiswanderingToseekfortreasureinthejewelledskiesAlbeithesoaredwithanundauntedwing?
  HastthounotdraggedDianafromhercar?
  AnddriventheHamadryadfromthewoodToseekashelterinsomehappierstar?
  HastthousnottorntheNaiadfromherflood,TheElfinfromthegreengrass,andfrommeThesummerdreambeneaththetamarindtree?
  O!NOTHINGearthlysavetherayThrownbackfromflowersofBeauty’seye,AsinthosegardenswherethedaySpringsfromthegemsofCircassy-
  O!nothingearthlysavethethrillOfmelodyinwoodlandrill-
  Ormusicofthepassion-hearted
  Joy’svoicesopeacefullydepartedThatlikethemurmurintheshell,Itsechodwellethandwilldwell-
  Oh,nothingofthedrossofours-
  Yetallthebeauty-alltheflowersThatlistourLove,anddeckourbowers-
  Adornyonworldafar,afar-
  Thewanderingstar。
  ’TwasasweettimeforNesace-forthereHerworldlaylollingonthegoldenair,Nearfourbrightsuns-atemporaryrest-
  Anoasisindesertoftheblest。
  *AstarwasdiscoveredbyTychoBrahewhichappearedsuddenlyintheheavens-attained,inafewdays,abrilliancysurpassingthatofJupiter-thenassuddenlydisappeared,andhasneverbeenseensince。
  Away-away-’midseasofraysthatrollEmpyreansplendoro’erth’unchainedsoul-
  Thesoulthatscarcethebillowsaresodense
  Canstruggletoitsdestin’deminence-
  Todistantspheres,fromtimetotime,sherode,Andlatetoours,thefavour’doneofGod-
  But,now,therulerofananchor’drealm,Shethrowsasidethesceptre-leavesthehelm,And,amidincenseandhighspiritualhymns,Lavesinquadruplelightherangellimbs。
  Nowhappiest,loveliestinyonlovelyEarth,Whencesprangthe“IdeaofBeauty“intobirth,Fallinginwreathsthro’manyastartledstar,Likewoman’shair’midpearls,until,afar,ItlitonhillsAchaian,andtheredwelt
  Shelook’dintoInfinity-andknelt。
  Richclouds,forcanopies,abouthercurled-
  Fitemblemsofthemodelofherworld-
  Seenbutinbeauty-notimpedingsightOfotherbeautyglitteringthro’thelight-
  Awreaththattwinedeachstarryformaround,Andalltheopal’dairincolorbound。
  AllhurriedlyshekneltuponabedOfflowers:ofliliessuchasrear’dthehead*OnthefairCapoDeucato,andsprangSoeagerlyaroundabouttohangUpontheflyingfootstepsofdeeppride-
  哋fherwholov’damortal-andsodied。
  TheSephalica,buddingwithyoungbees,Uprear’ditspurplestemaroundherknees:
  *OnSantaMaura-olimDeucadia。?Sappho。
  *Andgemmyflower,ofTrebizondmisnam’d-
  Inmateofhigheststars,whereerstitsham’dAllotherloveliness:itshonieddewThefablednectarthattheheathenknew
  Deliriouslysweet,wasdropp’dfromHeaven,AndfellongardensoftheunforgivenInTrebizond-andonasunnyflowerSolikeitsownabovethat,tothishour,Itstillremaineth,torturingthebeeWithmadness,andunwontedreverie:
  InHeaven,andallitsenvirons,theleafAndblossomofthefairyplant,ingriefDisconsolatelinger-griefthathangsherhead,Repentingfolliesthatfulllonghavefled,Heavingherwhitebreasttothebalmyair,Likeguiltybeauty,chasten’d,andmorefair:
  Nyctanthestoo,assacredasthelightShefearstoperfume,perfumingthenight:
  咥ndClytiaponderingbetweenmanyasun,Whilepettishtearsadownherpetalsrun:
  嘇ndthataspiringflowerthatsprangonEarth-
  Anddied,erescarceexaltedintobirth,BurstingitsodorousheartinspirittowingItswaytoHeaven,fromgardenofaking:
  *ThisflowerismuchnoticedbyLewenhoeckandTournefort。Thebee,feedinguponitsblossom,becomesintoxicated。?Clytia-TheChrysanthemumPeruvianum,or,toemployabetter-knownterm,theturnsol-whichcontinuallyturnstowardsthesun,coversitself,likePeru,thecountryfromwhichitcomes,withdewycloudswhichcoolandrefreshitsflowersduringthemostviolentheatoftheday-
  _B。deSt。Pierre_。?Thereiscultivatedintheking’sgardenatParis,aspeciesofserpentinealoeswithoutprickles,whoselargeandbeautifulflowerexhalesastrongodourofthevanilla,duringthetimeofitsexpansion,whichisveryshort。ItdoesnotblowtilltowardsthemonthofJuly-youthenperceiveitgraduallyopenitspetals-expandthem-fadeanddie-
  _St。Pierre_。
  *AndValisnerianlotusthitherflownFromstrugglingwiththewatersoftheRhone:
  咥ndthymostlovelypurpleperfume,Zante!
  Isolad’oro!-FiordiLevante!
  嘇ndtheNelumbobudthatfloatsforeverWithIndianCupiddowntheholyriver-
  Fairflowers,andfairy!towhosecareisgiven?TobeartheGoddess’song,inodors,uptoHeaven:
  “Spirit!thatdwellestwhere,Inthedeepsky,Theterribleandfair,Inbeautyvie!