第4章

Thisitwaswhich，inspiteofhisessentiallymoderncharacterasasinger，qualifiedShelleytobethepoetofPrometheusUnbound，foritmadehim，inthetruestsenseoftheword，amythologicalpoet。 Thischildlikequalityassimilatedhimtothechildlikepeoplesamongwhommythologieshavetheirrise。ThoseNaturemythswhich，accordingtomany，arethebasisofallmythology，arelikewisetheverybasisofShelley\'spoetry。Thelarkthatisthegossipofheaven，thewindsthatpluckthegreyfromthebeardsofthebillows，thecloudsthataresnortedfromthesea\'sbroadnostril，alltheelementalspiritsofNature，takefromhisverseperpetualincarnationandreincarnation，passinathousandglorioustransmigrationsthroughtheradiantformsofhisimagery。 Thus，butnotintheWordsworthiansense，heisaveritablepoetofNature。ForwithNaturetheWordsworthianswilladmitnotampering: theyexactthedirectinterpretativereproductionofher;thatthepoetshouldfollowherasamistress，notuseherasahandmaid。TosuchfollowingofNature，Shelleyfeltnocall。Hesawinhernotapicturesetforhiscopying，butapalettesetforhisbrush;notahabitationpreparedforhisinhabiting，butaColiseumwhencehemightquarrystonesforhisownpalaces。Eveninhisdescriptivepassagesthedream—characterofhissceneryisnotorious;itisnottheclear，recognisablesceneryofWordsworth，butalandscapethathoversathwarttheheatandhazearisingfromhiscracklingfantasies。ThematerialsforsuchvisionaryEdenshaveevidentlybeenaccumulatedfromdirectexperience，buttheyarerecomposedbyhimintosuchscenesasneverhadmortaleyebeheld。\"Don\'tyouwishyouhad？\"asTurnersaid。TheonejustificationforclassingShelleywiththeLakepoetisthathelovedNaturewithaloveevenmorepassionate，thoughperhapslessprofound。Wordsworth\'sNightingaleandStockdovesumsupthecontrastbetweenthetwo，asthoughithadbeenwrittenforsuchapurpose。Shelleyisthe\"creatureofebullientheart，\"whoSingsasifthegodofwineHadhelpedhimtoavalentine。 Wordsworth\'sisthe—Lovewithquietblending，Slowtobeginandneverending，the\"seriousfaithandinwardglee。\" ButifShelley，insteadofcullingNature，crossedwithitspollentheblossomsofhisownsoul，thatBabyloniangardenishismarvellousandbestapology。ForastoundingfigurativeopulenceheyieldsonlytoShakespeare，andeventoShakespearenotinabsolutefecunditybutinimages。Thesourcesofhisfigurativewealtharespecialised，sourcesofShakespeare\'sareuniversal。Itwouldhavebeenasconsciousaneffortforhimtospeakwithoutfigureasitisformostmentospeakwithfigure。Suspendedinthedrippingwellofhisimaginationthecommonestobjectbecomesencrustedwithimagery。HereinagainhedeviatesfromthetrueNaturepoet，thenormalWordsworthtypeofNaturepoet:imagerywastohimnotameremeansofexpression，notevenameremeansofadornment;itwasadelightforitsownsake。 Andhereinwefindthetrailbywhichwewouldclassifyhim。Hebelongstoaschoolofwhichnotimpossiblyhemayhardlyhavereadaline—theMetaphysicalSchool。ToalargeextentheISwhattheMetaphysicalSchoolshouldhavebeen。Thatschoolwasacertainkindofpoetrytryingforarange。Shelleyistherangefound。 CrashawandShelleysprangfromthesameseed;butintheonecasetheseedwaschokedwiththorns，intheothercaseitfellongoodground。TheMetaphysicalSchoolwasinitsdirectresultsanabortivemovement，thoughindirectlymuchcameofit—forDrydencameofit。Dryden，toagreaterextentthanis（weimagine） generallyperceived，wasCowleysystematised;andCowley，whosankintothearmsofDryden，rosefromthelapofDonne。 ButthemovementwassoabortivethatfewwillthankusforconnectingwithitthenameofShelley。ThisisbecausetomostpeopletheMetaphysicalSchoolmeansDonne，whereasitoughttomeanCrashaw。Wejudgethedirectionofadevelopmentbyitshighestform，thoughthatformmayhavebeenproducedbutonce，andproducedimperfectly。NowthehighestproductoftheMetaphysicalSchoolwasCrashaw，andCrashawwasaShelleymanque;heneverreachedthePromisedLand，buthehadfervidvisionsofit。TheMetaphysicalSchool，likeShelley，lovedimageryforitsownsake:andhowbeautifulathingthefranktoyingwithimagerymaybe，letTheSkylarkandTheCloudwitness。Itisonlyevilwhenthepoet，onthestraightwaytoafixedobject，lagscontinuallyfromthepathtoplay。Thisiscommendableneitherinpoetnorerrand—boy。TheMetaphysicalSchoolfailed，notbecauseittoyedwithimagery，butbecauseittoyedwithitfrostily。TosportwiththetanglesofNeaera\'shairmaybetrivialidlenessorcaressingtenderness，exactlyasyourrelationtoNeaeraisthatofheartlessgallantryoroflove。Soyoumaytoywithimageryinmereintellectualingenuity，andthenyoumightaswellgowriteacrostics:oryoumaytoywithitinraptures，andthenyoumaywriteaSensitivePlant。Infact，theMetaphysicalpoetswhentheywentastraycannotbesaidtohavedoneanythingsodaintyasisimpliedbyTOYINGwithimagery。Theycutitintoshapeswithapairofscissors。FromallsuchdangerShelleywassavedbyhispassionatespontaneity。Notrappingsaretoosplendidfortheswiftsteedsofsunrise。Hissword—hiltmayberoughwithjewels，butitisthehiltofanExcalibur。Histhoughtsscorchthroughallthefoldsofexpression。 Hisclothofgoldburstsattheflexures，andshowsthenakedpoetry。 Itisthisgiftofnotmerelyembodyingbutapprehendingeverythinginfigurewhichco—operatestowardscreatinghisrarestcharacteristics，soalmostpreternaturallydevelopedinnootherpoet，namely，hiswell—knownpowertocondensethemosthydrogenicabstraction。Sciencecannoweducethreadsofsuchexquisitetenuitythatonlythefeetofthetiniestinfant—spiderscanascendthem;butupthefilmiestinsubstantialityShelleyrunswithagileease。Tohim，intruth，nothingisabstract。ThedustiestabstractionsStart，andtrembleunderhisfeet，Andblossominpurpleandred。 Thecoldestmoonofanideariseshaloedthroughhisvaporousimagination。Thedimmest—sparkedchipofaconceptionblazesandscintillatesinthesubtileoxygenofhismind。ThemostwrinkledAEsonofanabstrusenessleapsrosyoutofhisbubblinggenius。InamoreintensifiedsignificationthanitisprobablethatShakespearedreamedof，Shelleygivestoairynothingalocalhabitationandaname。HereafreshhetouchestheMetaphysicalSchool，whoseverytitlewasdrawnfromthishabitualpursuitofabstractions，andwhofailedinthatpursuitfromtheonecauseomnipresentwiththem，becauseinalltheirpoeticsmithytheyhadleftneveraplaceforaforge。Theylaidtheirfancieschillontheanvil。Crashaw，indeed，partiallyanticipatedShelley\'ssuccess，andyetfurtherdidalaterpoet，somuchfurtherthatwefinditdifficulttounderstandwhyagenerationthatworshipsShelleyshouldberevivingGray，yetalmostforgetthenameofCollins。Thegeneralityofreaders，whentheyknowhimatall，usuallyknowhimbyhisOdeonthePassions。Inthis，despiteitsbeauty，thereisstillasoupconofformalism，alingeringtraceofpowderfromtheeighteenthcenturyperiwig，dimmingthebrightlocksofpoetry。Onlytheliterarystudentreadsthatlittlemasterpiece，theOdetoEvening，whichsometimesheraldstheShelleianstrain，whileotherpassagesarethesolethingsinthelanguagecomparabletotheminiaturesofIlPenseroso。Crashaw，Collins，Shelley—threericochetsoftheonepebble，threejetsfromthreeboundsoftheonePegasus！Collins\'sPity，\"witheyesofdewylight，\"isnearofkintoShelley\'sSleep，\"thefilmy—eyed\";andthe\"shadowytribesofmind\"arethelinealprogenitorsof\"Thought\'scrownedpowers。\"