第5章

This，however，ispersonification，whereinbothCollinsandShelleybuildonSpenser:thedizzyingachievementtowhichthemodernpoetcarriedpersonificationaccountsforbutamoiety，ifalargemoiety，ofhisvivifyingpoweroverabstractions。Takethepassage（alreadyalludedto）inthatgloriouschorustellinghowtheHourscomeFromthetempleshighOfman\'searandeyeRoofedoverSculptureandPoesy， FromthoseskieytowersWhereThought\'scrownedpowersSitwatchingyourdance，yehappyHours！ Ourfeetnow，everypalm，Aresandalledwithcalm，Andthedewofourwingsisarainofbalm; AndbeyondoureyesThehumanloveliesWhichmakesallitgazesonParadise。 Anypartialexplanationwillbreakinourhandsbeforeitreachestherootofsuchapower。Theroot，wetakeit，isthis。Hehadaninstinctiveperception（immenseinrangeandfertility，astonishingforitsdelicateintuition）oftheunderlyinganalogiesthesecretsubterraneanpassages，betweenmatterandsoul;thechromaticscales，whereatwedimlyguess，bywhichtheAlmightymodulatesthroughallthekeysofcreation。Because，themoreweconsiderit，themorelikelydoesitappearthatNatureisbutanimperfectactress，whoseconstantchangesofdressneverchangehermannerandmethod，whoisthesameinallherparts。 ToShelley\'setherealvisionthemostrarifiedmentalorspiritualmusictraceditsbeautifulcorrespondingformsonthesandofoutwardthings。Hestoodthusattheveryjunction—linesofthevisibleandinvisible，andcouldshiftthepointsashewilled。Histhoughtsbecameamountedinfantry，passingwithbafflingswiftnessfromhorsetofootorfoottohorse。Hecouldexpressashelistedthematerialandtheimmaterialintermsofeachother。Neverhasapoetinthepastrivalledhimasregardsthisgift，andhardlywillanypoetrivalhimasregardsitinthefuture:menarelikefirsttoseethepromiseddoomlayitshandonthetreeofheavenandshakedownthegoldenleaves。{7} ThefinestspecimensofthisfacultyareprobablytobesoughtinthatShelleiantreasury，PrometheusUnbound。ItisunquestionablythegreatestandmostprodigalexhibitionofShelley\'spowers，thisamazinglyricworld，whereimmortalclaritiessighpastintheperfumesoftheblossoms，populatethebreathingsofthebreeze，throngandtwinkleintheleavesthattwirluponthebough;wheretheverygrassisalla—rustlewithlovelyspirit—things，andaweepingmistofmusicfillstheair。ThefinalscenesespeciallyaresuchaBacchicreelandroutandrevelryofbeautyasleavesonestaggeredandgiddy;poetryisspiltlikewine，musicrunstodrunkenwaste。Thechorusessweepdownthewind，tirelessly，flightafterflight，tillthebreathlesssoulalmostcriesforrespitefromtheunrollingsplendours。Yetthesescenes，sowonderfulfromapurelypoeticalstandpointthatnoonecouldwishthemaway，are（toourhumblethinking）neverthelesstheartisticerrorofthepoem。 Abstractedly，thedevelopmentofShelley\'sidearequiredthatheshouldshowtheearthlyparadisewhichwastofollowthefallofZeus。Butdramaticallywiththatfalltheactionceases，andthedramashouldhaveceasedwithit。Afinalchorus，orchoralseries，ofrejoicings（suchasdoesultimatelyendthedramawherePrometheusappearsonthescene）wouldhavebeenlegitimateenough。 Instead，however，thebewilderedreaderfindsthedramaunfoldingitselfthroughsceneafterscenewhichleavestheactionpreciselywhereitfoundit，becausethereisnolongeranactiontoadvance。 Itisasifthechoralfinaleofanoperawereprolongedthroughtwoacts。 Wehave，nevertheless，calledPrometheusShelley\'sgreatestpoembecauseitisthemostcomprehensivestorehouseofhispower。WereweaskedtonamethemostPERFECTamonghislongerefforts，weshouldnamethepoeminwhichhelamentedKeats:undertheshedpetalsofhislovelyfancygivingtheslainbirdasilkenburial。 Seldomisthedeathofapoetmournedintruepoetry。Notoftenisthesingercoffinedinlaurel—wood。Amongtheveryfewexceptionstosucharule，thegreatestisAdonais。IntheEnglishlanguageonlyLycidascompeteswithit;andwhenwepreferAdonaistoLycidas，wearefollowingtheprecedentsetinthecaseofCicero: Adonaisisthelonger。Asregardscommandoverabstraction，itisnolesscharacteristicallyShelleianthanPrometheus。Itisthroughoutaseriesofabstractionsvitalisedwithdaringexquisiteness，fromMorningwhosought: Hereasternwatch—tower，andherhairunbound，Wetwiththetearswhichshouldadorntheground，andwhoDimmedtheaerialeyesthatkindleday，totheDreamsthatweretheflockofthedeadshepherd，theDreamsWhomnearthelivingstreamsOfhisyoungspirithefed;andwhomhetaughtThelovethatwasitsmusic; ofwhomonesees，asshehangsmourningoverhim，Uponthesilkenfringeofhisfainteyes，Likedewuponasleepingflower，thereliesAtearsomedreamhasloosenedfromhisbrain！ LostangelofaruinedParadise！ Sheknewnot\'twasherown;aswithnostainShefadedlikeacloudwhichhathoutweptitsrain。 Inthesolarspectrum，beyondtheextremeredandextremevioletrays，arewholeseriesofcolours，demonstrable，butimperceptibletogrosshumanvision。Suchwritingasthiswehavequotedrendersvisibletheinvisibilitiesofimaginativecolour。 OnethingpreventsAdonaisfrombeingideallyperfect:itslackofChristianhope。YetwerememberwellthewriterofapopularmemoironKeatsproposingas\"thebestconsolationforthemindpainedbythissadrecord\"Shelley\'sinexpressiblysadexpositionofPantheisticimmortality: HeisaportionofthelovelinessWhichoncehemademorelovely，etc。 Whatdesolationcanitbethatdiscernscomfortinthishope，whosewancountenanceisasthecountenanceofadespair？Whatdeepestdepthofagonyisitthatfindsconsolationinthisimmortality:animmortalitywhichthrustsyouintodeath，themawofNature，thatyourdissolvedelementsmaycirculatethroughherveins？ Yetsuch，thepoettellsme，ismysolebalmforthehurtsoflife。 Iamasthevocalbreathfloatingfromanorgan。Itooshallfadeonthewinds，acadencesoonforgotten。SoIdissolveanddie，andamlostintheearsofmen:theparticlesofmybeingtwineinnewermelodies，andfrommyonedeathariseahundredlives。Why，throughthethinpartitionofthisconsolationPantheismcanhearthegroansofitsneighbour，Pessimism。Betteralmosttheblackresignationwhichthefatalistdrawsfromhisownhopelessness，fromthefiercekissesofmiserythathissagainsthistears。 Withsomegleams，itistrue，ofmorethanmocksolace，Adonaisislighted;buttheyareobtainedbyimplicitlyassumingthepersonalimmortalitywhichthepoemexplicitlydenies;aswhen，forinstance，togreetthedeadyouth，Theinheritorsofunfulfilledrenown[thoughtRosefromtheirthrones，builtbeyondmortalFarintheunapparent。 Andagainthefinalstanzaofthepoem: ThebreathwhosemightIhaveinvokedinsongDescendsonme;myspirit\'sbarkisdrivenFarfromtheshore，farfromthetremblingthrongWhosesailswerenevertothetempestriven;