Life of Robert Browning

第31章

Itwouldbeimpossibleforthemostindolentreaderorcritictoattributeit,evenifanonymous,toanotherparentage。ColeridgealludessomewheretocertainversesofWordsworth’s,withthedeclarationthatifhehadmetthemhowlinginthedeserthewouldhaverecognisedtheirauthorship。

“Fifine“wouldnotevenhavetohowl。

BrowningwasvisitingPorniconeautumn,whenhesawthegipsywhowastheoriginalof“Fifine“。InthewordsofMrs。Orr,“hisfancywasevidentlysetroamingbythegipsy’saudacity,herstrength

thecontrastwhichshepresentedtothemorespiritualtypesofwomanhood;

andthiscontrasteventuallyfoundexpressioninapathetictheoryoflife,inwhichtheseoppositetypesandtheircorrespondingmodesofattractionbecamethenecessarycomplementofeachother。Ashelaiddownthetheory,Mr。Browningwouldbespeakinginhisownperson。Buthewouldturnintosomeoneelseintheactofworkingitoutforitinsensiblycarriedwithitapleaforyieldingtothoseoppositeattractions,notonlysuccessively,butatthesametime;andamodifiedDonJuanwouldgrowupunderhispen。“

OnedrawbacktoanunconditionalenjoymentofBalzacisthateverynowandagainthestudentofthe`ComedieHumaine’

resentsthetooobviousdisplayoftheforcesthatpropeltheeffect

alesserphaseofthewearinesswhichensuesuponmuchreadingofthemere“humandocuments“oftheGoncourtschoolofnovelists。

Inthesameway,wetoooftenseeBrowningworkinguptheelectricalqualities,sothat,whenthefulminationcomes,weunderstand“justhowitwasproduced,“and,asillogicallyaschildrenbeforeatooelaborateconjurer,concludethatthereisnotsomuchinthisparticularpoeticfeatasinotherswhich,likeHerrick’smaids,continuallydodeceive。Tomethisisaffirmableof“FifineattheFair“。

Thepoetseemstoknowsoverywellwhatheisdoing。

Ifhedidnottakethereadersomuchintohisconfidence,ifhewouldrelymoreupontheliberalgraceofhisearlierverseandlessuponthetrainedsubtletyofhisathleticintellect,thecharmwouldbethegreater。Thepoemwouldhaveasurerdurationasoneoftheauthor’sgreaterachievements,ifthereweremorefrequentandmoreprolongedinsistenceonthenotestruckinthelines(Section73)aboutthehill-stream,infantofmistanddew,fallingovertheledgeofthefissuredclifftofinditsfateinsmokebelow,asitdisappearsintothedeep,“embitteredevermore,tomaketheseaonedropmorebigthereby:“

orinthecloudysplendourofthedescriptionofnightfall(Section106):

orinthewindyspringfreshnessof“Hence,whentheearthbeganafreshitslifeinMay,Andfruit-treesbloomed,andwaveswouldwanton,andthebayRuffleitswealthofweed

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