orinthisquatrainonPoetry，byayounglivingpoet
　　“Shecomeslikethehushtbeautyofthenight，Butseestoodeepforlaughter；
　　HertouchisavibrationandalightFromworldsbeforeandafter“
　　thereismore“profundity“inanyofthesethaninlibrariesof“SludgetheMedium“literature。Merehardthinkingdoesnotinvolveprofundity，anymorethanneuroticexcitationinvolvesspiritualecstasy。`Deprofundis’，indeed，mustthepoetcome：
　　theremustthedeeprhythmoflifehaveelectrifiedhis“volatileessence“
　　toalivingrhythmicjoy。Inthisdeepsense，andthisonly，thepoetisborn，notmade。Hemaylearntofashionanewthatwhichhehathseen：thedepthofhisinsightdependsuponthedepthofhisspiritualheritage。Ifwonderdwellnotinhiseyesandsoultherecanbeno“farken“forhim。HereitseemsapttopointoutthatBrowningwasthefirstwriterofourdaytoindicatethistransmutive，thisinspiredandinspiringwonder-spirit，whichisthedeepestmotorintheevolutionofourmodernpoetry。Characteristically，heputshisutteranceintothemouthofadreamyGermanstudent，theshadowySchrammwhoisbutmetaphysicsembodied，metaphysicsfindingaptexpressionintobacco-smoke：“Keepbuteverlooking，whetherwiththebody’seyeorthemind’s，andyouwillsoonfindsomethingtolookon!Hasamandonewonderingatwomen？therefollowmen，deadandalive，towonderat。Hashedonewonderingatmen？
　　there’sGodtowonderat：andthefacultyofwondermaybe，atthesametime，oldandtiredenoughwithrespecttoitsfirstobject，andyetyoungandfreshsufficiently，sofarasconcernsitsnovelone。“
　　Thiswonderisakintothat`insanity’ofthepoetwhichisbutimpassionedsanity。Platosumsthematterwhenhesays，“Hewho，havingnotouchoftheMuse’smadnessinhissoul，comestothedoorandthinkshewillgetintothetemplebythehelpofArt
　　he，Isay，andhispoetry，arenotadmitted。“
　　InthatsamewoodbeyondDulwichtowhichallusionhasalreadybeenmade，thegerminalmotiveof“PippaPasses“flasheduponthepoet。
　　Nowonderthisresortwasforlongoneofhissacredplaces，andthathelamenteditsdisappearanceasferventlyasRuskinbewailedtheencroachmentoftheoceanofbricksandmortaruponthewoodedprivaciesofDenmarkHill。
　　Saveforacoupleofbriefvisitsabroad，Browningspenttheyears，betweenhisfirstappearanceasadramaticwriterandhismarriage，inLondonandtheneighbourhood。Occasionallyhetooklongwalksintothecountry。Oneparticularpleasurewastoliebesideahedge，ordeepinmeadow-grasses，orunderatree，ascircumstancesandthemoodconcurred，andtheretogivehimselfupsoabsolutelytothelifeofthemomentthateventheshybirdswouldalightcloseby，andsometimesventuresomelypoisethemselvesonsuspiciouswingsforabriefspaceuponhisrecumbentbody。IhaveheardhimsaythathisfacultyofobservationatthattimewouldnothaveappeareddespicabletoaSeminoleoranIroquois：hesawandwatchedeverything，thebirdonthewing，thesnaildraggingitsshellupthependulouswoodbine，thebeeaddingtohisgoldentreasureasheswunginthebellsofthecampanula，thegreenflydartinghitherandthitherlikeananimatedseedling，thespiderweavinghergossamerfromtwigtotwig，thewoodpeckerheedfullyscrutinisingthelichenonthegnarledoak-bole，thepassageofthewindthroughleavesoracrossgrass，themotionsandshadowsoftheclouds，andsoforth。
　　Thesewerehisgoldenholidays。Muchoftherestofhistime，whennotpassedinhisroominhisfather’shouse，wherehewrotehisdramasandearlypoems，andstudiedforhoursdaily，wasspentintheLibraryoftheBritishMuseum，inanendlesscuriosityintothemoreorlessunbeatentracksofliterature。TheseLondonexperienceswerevariedbywholedaysspentattheNationalGallery，andincommunionwithkindredspirits。Atonetimehehadrooms，orratheraroom，intheimmediateneighbourhoodoftheStrand，whitherhecouldgowhenhewishedtobeintowncontinuouslyforatime，orwhenhehadanysocialortheatricalengagement。
　　Browning’slifeatthisperiodwasdistraughtbymorethanoneepisodeoftheheart。Itwouldbestrangewereitotherwise。
　　Hehadinnoordinarydegreearichandsensuousnature，andhisresponsivenesswassoquickthatthebarriersofprudencewereapttobeasshadowytohimastotheauthorof“TheWitchofAtlas“。
　　Buthewastheearneststudentforthemostpart，and，aboveall，thepoet。
　　Hisotherpleasure，inhishappyvagrantdays，wastojoincompanywithanytramps，gipsies，orotherwayfarers，andingoodfellowshipgainmuchknowledgeoflifethatwasusefulatalatertime。
　　Rusticentertainments，particularlyperipatetic“TheatresRoyal“，hadasingularfascinationforhim，asforthatmatterhadrusticoratory，whetherofthealehouseorthepulpit。Atoneperiodhetookthekeenestinterestinsectariesofallkinds：
　　andoftenheincurredagentlereprooffromhismotherbecauseofhisnomadpropensitiesinsearchof“PASTORSnew“。
　　Therewasevenatimewhenheseriouslydeliberatedwhetherheshouldnotcombineliteratureandreligiousministry，asFaradaycombinedevangelicalfervourwithscientificenthusiasm。
　　“’Twasagirlwitheyesliketwodreamsofnight“thatsavedhimfromhimself，anddefraudedtheChurchIndependentofastalwartorator。
　　Itwas，asalreadystated，whilehestrolledthroughDulwichWoodonedaythatthethoughtoccurredtohimwhichwastofinddevelopmentandexpressionin“PippaPasses“。“Theimageflasheduponhim，“writeshisintimatefriend，Mrs。SutherlandOrr，“ofsomeonewalkingthusalonethroughlife；
　　oneapparentlytooobscuretoleaveatraceofhisorherpassage，yetexercisingalastingthoughunconsciousinfluenceateverystepofit；
　　andtheimageshapeditselfintothelittlesilk-winderofAsolo，FelippaorPippa。“
　　Ithasalwaysseemedtomearadicalmistaketoinclude“PippaPasses“
　　amongBrowning’sdramas。Notonlyisitabsolutelyunactable，butessentiallyundramaticintheconventionalsense。Truedramaticwritingconcernsitselffundamentallywiththeaptconjunctionofevents，andthemorenearlyitapproximatestotheverityoflifethemorelikelyisittobeofimmediateappeal。Thereisa`vraieverite’
　　whichonlythepoet，evolvingfromdramaticconceptsratherthanattemptingtoconcentratetheseinaquick，movingverisimilitude，canattempt。
　　ThepassinghitherandthitherofPippa，likeabeneficentFate，awanderingchorusfromahigheramidthediscordantmedleyofalowerworld，changingthecircumstancesandeventhenaturesofcertainmoreorlessheedlesslistenersbythewildfreeliltofherhappysongofinnocence，isofthis`vraieverite’。Itissoobviouslytrue，spiritually，thatitisunrealinthecommonplaceofordinarylife。
　　Itsveryeffectivenessistooaptforthedramatist，whocanillaffordtotamperfurtherwiththeindifferentbanalitiesofactualexistence。
　　Thepoet，unhamperedbytheexigenciesofdramaticrealism，cansafely，andartistically，achieveanequallyexact，evenahigherverisimilitude，bymeanswhichare，orshouldbe，beyondadoptionbythedramatistproper。
　　Butoverandaboveany`nicediscrimination’，“PippaPasses“issimplyapoem，alyricalmasquewithintersperseddramaticepisodes，andsubsidiaryinterludesinprose。Thesuggestionrecentlymadethatitshouldbeactedisawhollyerrantone。Thefinestpartofitisunrepresentable。
　　Therestwouldconsistmerelyofaseriesoftableaux，withconversationalaccompaniment。
　　Theopeningscene，“thelargemeanairychamber，“wherePippa，thelittlesilk-winderfromthemillsatAsolo，springsfrombed，onherNewYear’sDay`festa’，andsoliloquisesasshedresses，isastrueasitislovelywhenviewedthroughtherainbowglowofthepoeticatmosphere：
　　buthowcoulditsucceedonthestage？Itisnotmerelythatthemonologueistoolong：itistooinapt，initspoeticrichness，foritspurpose。
　　Itisthepoet，notPippa，whoevokesthissweetsunrise-music，thisstrainofthe“longbluesolemnhoursserenelyflowing。“
　　Thedramaticpoetmayoccupyhimselfwiththatdeeperinsight，andthewiderexpressionofit，whichisproperlyaltogetherbeyondthescopeoftheplaywright。Inaword，hemayirradiatehisthemewiththelightthatneverwasonseaorland，norwillhetherebysacrificeaughtofessentialtruth：buthiscomrademustseetoitthatheiscontentwiththewideliberalairofthecommonday。
　　Thepoeticalchemistmayturnaswordintopuregold：
　　theplaywrightwillconcernhimselfwiththedueusageoftheweaponasweknowit，andattributetoitnotranscendentvalue，nomiraculousproperties。WhatispermissibletoBlake，paintingAdamandEveamongemboweringrosesandlilies，whilethesun，moon，andstarssimultaneouslyshine，isimpermissibletotheportrait-painterorthelandscapist，whohastoidealiseactualitytothepointonlyofartisticrealism，andnottotransmuteitattheoutsetfromhappily-perceivedconcretefactstoaglorifiedabstractconcept。
　　Inthisopeningmonologuethemuch-admiredsong，“AllserviceranksthesamewithGod，“isnosongatall，properly，butsimplyabeautifulshortpoem。
　　Fromthedramatist’spointofview，couldanythingbemoreshapedfordisasterthanthesecondofthetwostanzas？
　　“Saynot`asmallevent’!Why`small’？
　　Costsitmorepainthanthis，yecallA`greatevent’，shouldcometopass，Thanthat？UntwinemefromthemassOfdeedswhichmakeuplife，onedeedPowershallfallshortinorexceed!“
　　Thewholeofthislovelyprologueistheproductionofadramaticpoet，notofapoetwritingadrama。Ontheotherhand，IcannotagreewithwhatIreadsomewhererecentlythatSebald’ssong，attheopeningofthemostsuperbdramaticwritinginthewholerangeofVictorianliterature，is，inthecircumstances，whollyinappropriate。ItseemstomeentirelyconsistentwiththecharacterofOttima’srecklesslover。
　　HeisakintothegallantinoneofDumas’romances，wholingeredatopofthewalloftheprisonwhencehewasescapinginordertowhistletheconcludingbarofablithechansonoffreedom。