第8章

Someflawtherewas，somewhere。Hisheart，sotosay，beattoofast，andthesinginginhisearsfromtheo’er-feveredbloodconfusedtheserenerhythmhauntingthefarperspectivesofthebrain，“asArabbirdsfloatsleepinginthewind。“

Ihavedweltatthislengthupon“Pauline“partlybecauseofitsinherentbeautyandautopsychicalsignificance，andpartlybecauseitistheleastfamiliarofBrowning’spoems，longovershadowedasithasbeenbyhisowntooseverestrictures：

mainly，however，becauseofitsradicalimportancetothestudentwhowouldarriveatabroadandtrueestimateofthepowerandscopeandshapingconstituentsofitsauthor’sgenius。Almosteveryqualityofhisafter-versemaybefoundhere，ingermoroutline。

Itis，inaword，morephysiognomicthananyothersinglepoembyBrowning，andsomusteverpossessapeculiarinterestquiteapartfromitsmanypassagesofhauntingbeauty。

Tothesetheloverofpoetrywillalwaysturnwithdelight。

Somewillevenregardthemretrospectivelywithalienemotiontothatwherewiththeystrivetopossesstheirsoulsinpatienceoversomeoneorotherofthebarbarisms，theTitanicexcesses，thepoeticbanalitiesrecurrentinthelatervolumes。

Howmanyandhowhauntingthesedelicateoasesare!

Thosewhoknowandlove“Pauline“willrememberthepassagewherethepoet，withthatpantheisticecstasywhichwaspossiblyinspiredbythesingerhemostloved，tellshowhecanlivethelifeofplants，contenttowatchthewildbeesflittingtoandfro，ortolieabsorbentoftheardoursofthesun，or，likethenight-floweringcolumbine，totrailupthetree-trunkandthroughitsrustlingfoliage“lookforthedimstars；“or，again，canlivethelifeofthebird，“leapingairilyhispyramidofleavesandtwistedboughsofsometallmountain-tree；“orbeafish，breathingthemorningairinthemistysun-warmwater。Closefollowingthisisanothermemorablepassage，thatbeginning“Night，andonesingleridgeofnarrowpath；“

whichhasaparticularinterestfortwonotesofadeeperandbroadermusictobeevolvedlongafterwards。For，asitseemstome，in“Thouartsoclosebyme，theroughestswellOfwindinthetree-topshidesnotthepantingOfthysoftbreasts“

(where，bytheway，shouldbenoticedthesubtlecorrespondencebetweentheconceptiveandtheexpressionalrhythm)wehaveahintofthatsuperbscenein“PippaPasses“，where，onasinisternightofJuly，anightofspiritualstormaswellasofaerialtempest，OttimaandSebaldlieamidthelightning-searchtforest，with“thethunderlikeawholeseaoverhead。“Again，inthelovelyTurneresque，orratherShelleyanpictureofmorning，over“therocks，andvalleys，andoldwoods，“withthehighboughsswinginginthewindabovethesun-brightenedmists，andthegolden-colouredsprayofthecataractamidthebrokenrocks，whereoverthewildhawksflytoandfro，thereisatleastasuggestion，anoutline，ofthetrulymagnificentburstofmorningmusicinthepoet’spenultimatevolume，beginning

“Butmorning’slaughsetsallthecragsalightAbovethebaffledtempest：treeandtreeStirthemselvesfromthestuporofthenight，AndeverystrangledbranchresumesitsrightTobreathe，shakesloosedark’sclingingdregs，wavesfreeIndrippingglory。Pronetherunnelsplunge，Whileearth，distentwithmoisturelikeasponge，Smokesup，andleaveseachplantitsgemtosee，Eachgrass-blade’sglory-glitter，“etc。

Whothathaseverread“Pauline“willforgetthemasterfulpoetrydescriptiveofthelover’swild-woodretreat，theexquisitelinesbeginning“Walledinwithaslopedmoundofmattedshrubs，tangled，oldandgreen“？

Thereisindeedanew，anunmistakablevoicehere。

“Andtonguesofbankgoshelvinginthewaters，Wherethepale-throatedsnakereclineshishead，Andoldgreystonesliemakingeddiesthere；

Thewildmicecrossthemdry-shod“……

Whatlovelierimageinmodernpoetrythanthatdepictiveoftheforest-poolindepthsofsavagewoodlands，unvisitedbutbytheshadowsofpassingclouds，

“thetreesbendO’eritaswildmenwatchasleepinggirl。“

Howthepassionatesexualemotion，alwaysdeepandtrueinBrowning，findslovelyutteranceinthelineswherePauline’sloverspeaksofthebloodinherlipspulsinglikealivingthing，whileherneckisas“marblemistedo’erwithlove-breath，“and“……herdeliciouseyesasclearasheaven，Whenraininaquickshowerhasbeatdownmist，Andcloudsfloatwhiteinthesunlikebroodsofswans。“

InthequotationsIhavemade，andinothersthatmightbeselected(e。g。，“Herfresheyes，andsofthair，and`lipswhichbleedlikeamountainberry’“)，itiseasytonotehowintimateanobserverofnaturetheyouthfulpoetwas，andwithwhatconsciousbutnotobtrusivearthebringsforwardhisnewandstrikingimagery。Browning，indeed，isthepoetofnewsymbols。

“Pauline“concludeswithlineswhichmusthavebeeninthemindsofmanyonthatsaddaywhenthetidingsfromVenicesentathrillofstartled，half-incredulous，bewilderedpainthroughouttheEnglishnations

“Sun-treader，IbelieveinGod，andtruth，Andlove；……butchieflywhenIdie……

Allinwhomthiswakespleasantthoughtsofme，Knowmylaststateishappyfreefromdoubt，Ortouchoffear。“

NeveragainwasBrowningtowriteapoemwithsuchconceptivecrudeness，neveragaintotreadthebywaysofthoughtsofalteringlyorsonegligently：

butneveragain，perhaps，washetoshowsomuchover-rapturingjoyintheworld’sloveliness，suchBacchicabandontotheidealbeautywhichthetruepoetseesglowingupontheforlornestheightandbroodingintheshadow-hauntedhollowsofthehills。TheBrowningwhomighthavebeenishere：henceforththeBrowningweknowandlovestandsuniqueamongallthelordsofsong。Butsometimesdowenotturnlongingly，wonderinglyatleast，totheyoungDionysosuponwhoseforeheadwasthelightofanotherdestinythanthatwhichdescendeduponhim？

TheIcelanderssaythereisalandwherealltherainbowsthathaveeverbeen，orareyettobe，foreverdrifttoandfro，evanishingandreappearing，likeimmortalflowersofvapour。Inthatfarcountry，itmaybe，arealsotheunfulfilleddreams，thevisionstooperfecttobefashionedintosong，oftheyoungpoetswhohavegainedthelaurel。

Weclosethelittlebooklovingly：

“AndIhaddimlyshapedmyfirstattempt，AndmanyathoughtdidIbuilduponthought，Asthewildbeehangscelltocellinvain；

ForImuststillgoon：mymindrestsnot。“

Ithasbeencommonlyassertedthat“Pauline“wasalmostwhollydisregarded，andswiftlylapsedintooblivion。

Thismustbeacceptedwithqualification。Itisliketheothergeneralassertion，thatBrowninghadtolivefiftyyearsbeforehegainedrecognitionastatementasludicrouswhenexaminedasitisunjusttothemanydiscreetjudgeswhoawarded，publiclyandprivately，thatintelligentsympathywhichisthebestsunshinefortheflowerofapoet’sgenius。Ifby“beforehegainedrecognition“ismeantageneralandindiscriminateacclaim，nodoubtBrowninghad，stillhasindeed，longertowaitthanmanyothereminentwritershavehadtodo：

butitisabsurdtoassertthatfromtheveryoutsetofhispoeticcareerhewasmetbynothingbutneglect，ifnotscornfulderision。

Nonewhoknowsthetrueartistictemperamentwillfallintoanysuchmistake。

ItisquitecertainthatneitherShakespearenorMiltonevermetwithsuchenthusiasticpraiseandwelcomeasBrowningencounteredonthepublicationof“Pauline“and“Paracelsus“。Shelley，asfaraboveBrowninginpoeticmusicastheauthorofsomanyparleyingswithotherpeople’ssoulsisthesuperiorinpsychicinsightandintellectualstrength，hadthroughouthistoobrieflifenotonesuchreviewofpraisefulwelcomeastheRev。W。J。Foxwroteonthepublicationof“Pauline“(or，itmaybeadded，asAllanCunningham’sequallykindlybutlessablereviewinthe`Athenaeum’)，orasJohnForsterwrotein`TheExaminer’concerning“Paracelsus“，andlaterinthe`NewMonthlyMagazine’，wherehehadthecouragetosayoftheyoungandquiteunknownpoet，“withouttheslightesthesitationwenameMr。RobertBrowningatoncewithShelley，Coleridge，Wordsworth。“

Hisplayseven(whicharecommonlysaidtohave“fallenflat“)

werecertainlynotfailures。Thereissomethingeffeminate，undignified，andcertainlyuncritical，inthisconfusionastowhatisandwhatisnotfailureinliterature。Soenthusiasticwastheapplauseheencountered，indeed，thathadhisnotbeentoostronganaturetobethwartedbyadulationanymorethanbycontemptuousneglect，hemightwellhavebecomespoilt

soenthusiastic，thatwereitnotfortheheavyandprolongedcounterbalancingdeadweightofpublicindifference，ahugeamorphousmassonlyoflateyearsmouldedintoharmonywiththekeenestmindsofthecentury，wemightwellbesuspiciousofsomuchandlong-continuedeulogium，andfearthesamereversalofjudgmenttowardshimonthepartofthosewhocomeafterusasweourselveshavemetedtomanyanoneamongthehighgodsofourfathers。

Fortunatelythedeephumanityofhisworkinthemassconservesitagainstthemereveeringsoftaste。Areactionagainstitwillinevitablycome；

butthiswillpass：what，inthefuture，whentheunbornreadersofBrowningwilllookbackwithcleareyesuntroubledbythedustofourfootsteps，nottosubsidetilllongafterwetooaredust，willbetheplacegiventothispoet，weknownot，norcanmorethanspeculativelyestimate。

Thatitwill，however，beahighone，sofarashisweightiest(inbulk，itmaypossiblybebutarelativelyslender)accomplishmentisconcerned，wemayrestwellassured：forindeed“Itlives，Ifpreciousbethesoulofmantoman。“

Sofarashasbeenascertainedtherewereonlythreereviewsornoticesof“Pauline“：theveryfavourablearticlebyMr。Foxinthe`MonthlyRepository’，thekindlypaperbyAllanCunninghaminthe`Athenaeum’，and，in`Tait’sEdinburghMagazine’，thesuccinctlyexpressedimpressionofeitheranindolentoranincapablereviewer：“Pauline；aFragmentofaConfession；