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Swell'd up and died； and； as it swell'd； a ridge
Of breaker issued from the belt； and still
Grew with the growing note； and when the note
Had reach'd a thunderous fulness； on those cliffs
Broke； mixt with awful light （the same as that
Living within the belt） whereby she saw
That all those lines of cliffs were cliffs no more；
But huge cathedral fronts of every age；
Grave； florid； stern； as far as eye could see；
One after one： and then the great ridge drew；
Lessening to the lessening music； back；
And past into the belt and swell'd again
Slowly to music： ever when it broke
The statues； king or saint or founder fell；
Then from the gaps and chasms of ruin left
Came men and women in dark clusters round；
Some crying； 'Set them up！ they shall not fall！'
And others； 'Let them lie； for they have fall'n。'
And still they strove and wrangled： and she grieved
In her strange dream； she knew not why； to find
Their wildest wailings never out of tune
With that sweet note； and ever as their shrieks
Ran highest up the gamut； that great wave
Returning； while none mark'd it； on the crowd
Broke； mixt with awful light； and show'd their eyes
Glaring； and passionate looks； and swept away
The men of flesh and blood； and men of stone；
To the waste deeps together。
'Then I fixt
My wistful eyes on two fair images；
Both crown'd with stars and high among the stars； …
The Virgin Mother standing with her child
High up on one of those dark minster…fronts …
Till she began to totter； and the child
Clung to the mother； and sent out a cry
Which mixt with little Margaret's； and I woke；
And my dream awed me： wellbut what are dreams？〃
The passage is rather fitted for a despairing mood of Arthur； in the
Idylls； than for the wife of the city clerk ruined by a pious rogue。
The Lucretius； later published； is beyond praise as a masterly study
of the great Roman sceptic； whose heart is at eternal odds with his
Epicurean creed。 Nascent madness； or fever of the brain drugged by
the blundering love philtre； is not more cunningly treated in the mad
scenes of Maud。 No prose commentary on the De Rerum Natura； however
long and learned； conveys so clearly as this concise study in verse
the sense of magnificent mingled ruin in the mind and poem of the
Roman。
The 〃Experiments in Quantity〃 were； perhaps； suggested by Mr Matthew
Arnold's Lectures on the Translating of Homer。 Mr Arnold believed in
a translation into English hexameters。 His negative criticism of
other translators and translations was amusing and instructive： he
had an easy game to play with the Yankee…doodle metre of F。 W。
Newman； the ponderous blank verse of Cowper； the tripping and
clipping couplets of Pope； the Elizabethan fantasies of Chapman。 But
Mr Arnold's hexameters were neither musical nor rapid： they only
exhibited a new form of failure。 As the Prince of Abyssinia said to
his tutor； 〃Enough； you have convinced me that no man can be a poet；〃
so Mr Arnold went some way to prove that no man can translate Homer。
Tennyson had the lowest opinion of hexameters as an English metre for
serious purposes。
〃These lame hexameters the strong…wing'd music of Homer！〃
Lord Tennyson says； 〃German hexameters he disliked even more than
English。〃 Indeed there is not much room for preference。 Tennyson's
Alcaics （Milton） were intended to follow the Greek rather than the
Horatian model； and resulted； at all events； in a poem worthy of the
〃mighty…mouth'd inventor of harmonies。〃 The specimen of the Iliad in
blank verse； beautiful as it is； does not； somehow； reproduce the
music of Homer。 It is entirely Tennysonian； as in
〃Roll'd the rich vapour far into the heaven。〃
The reader； in that one line； recognises the voice and trick of the
English poet； and is far away from the Chian：…
〃As when in heaven the stars about the moon
Look beautiful； when all the winds are laid；
And every height comes out； and jutting peak
And valley； and the immeasurable heavens
Break open to their highest； and all the stars
Shine； and the Shepherd gladdens in his heart：
So many a fire between the ships and stream
Of Xanthus blazed before the towers of Troy；
A thousand on the plain； and close by each
Sat fifty in the blaze of burning fire；
And eating hoary grain and pulse the steeds；
Fixt by their cars； waited the golden dawn。〃
This is excellent； is poetry； escapes the conceits of Pope （who never
〃wrote with his eye on the object〃）； but is pure Tennyson。 We have
not yet； probably we never shall have； an adequate rendering of the
Iliad into verse； and prose translations do not pretend to be
adequate。 When parents and dominies have abolished the study of
Greek； something； it seems； will have been lost to the world；
something which even Tennyson could not restore in English。 He
thought blank verse the proper equivalent； but it is no equivalent。
One even prefers his own prose：…
Nor did Paris linger in his lofty halls； but when he had girt on his
gorgeous armour； all of varied bronze； then he rushed thro' the city；
glorying in his airy feet。 And as when a stall…kept horse； that is
barley…fed at the manger； breaketh his tether； and dasheth thro' the
plain； spurning it； being wont to bathe himself in the fair…running
river； rioting； and reareth his head； and his mane flieth back on
either shoulder； and he glorieth in his beauty； and his knees bear
him at the gallop to the haunts and meadows of the mares； so ran the
son of Priam； Paris； from the height of Pergamus； all in arms；
glittering like the sun； laughing for light…heartedness； and his
swift feet bare him。
In February 1865 Tennyson lost the mother whose portrait he drew in
Isabel；〃a thing enskied and sainted。〃
In the autumn of 1865 the Tennysons went on a Continental tour； and
visited Waterloo； Weimar； and Dresden； in September they entertained
Emma I。； Queen of the Sandwich Islands。 The months passed quietly at
home or in town。 The poet had written his Lucretius； and； to please
Sir George Grove； wrote The Song of the Wrens； for music。 Tennyson
had not that positive aversion to music which marked Dr Johnson；
Victor Hugo； Theophile Gautier； and some other poets。 Nay； he liked
Beethoven； which places him higher in the musical scale than Scott；
who did not rise above a Border lilt or a Jacobite ditty。 The Wren
songs； entitled The Window； were privately printed by Sir Ivor Guest
in 1867； were set to music by Sir Arthur Sullivan； and published by
Strahan in December 1870。 〃A puppet；〃 Tennyson called the song…book；
〃whose only merit is； perhaps； that it can dance to Mr Sullivan's
instrument。 I am sorry that my puppet should have to dance at all in
the dark shadow of these days〃 （the siege of Paris）； 〃but the music
is now completed； and I am bound by my promise。〃 The verses are
described as 〃partly in the old style；〃 but the true old style of the
Elizabethan and cavalier days is lost。
In the summer of 1867 the Tennysons moved to a farmhouse near
Haslemere； at that time not a centre of literary Londoners。 〃Sandy
soil and heather…scented air〃 allured them； and the result was the
purchase of land； and the building of Aldworth；