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perhaps we should also have done in the circumstancesa dead lady
arriving； in a very cold east wind； alone in a boat； for 〃her blood
was frozen slowly；〃 as was natural； granting the weather and the
lady's airy costume。 It is certainly matter of surprise that the
young poet's vision broke up in this humorous manner。 And； after
all； it is less surprising that the Scorpion； finding such matter in
a new little book by a new young man； was more sensitive to the
absurdity than to the romance。 But no lover of poetry should have
been blind to the almost flawless excellence of Mariana in the South；
inspired by the landscape of the Provencal tour with Arthur Hallam。
In consequence of Lockhart's censures； or in deference to the maturer
taste of the poet； The Miller's Daughter was greatly altered before
1842。 It is one of the earliest； if not the very earliest； of
Tennyson's domestic English idylls； poems with conspicuous beauties；
but not without sacrifices to that Muse of the home affections on
whom Sir Barnes Newcome delivered his famous lecture。 The seventh
stanza perhaps hardly deserved to be altered； as it is； so as to
bring in 〃minnows〃 where 〃fish〃 had been the reading； and where
〃trout〃 would best recall an English chalk stream。 To the angler the
rising trout； which left the poet cold； is at least as welcome as the
〃reflex of a beauteous form。〃 〃Every woman seems an angel at the
water…side；〃 said 〃that good old angler； now with God；〃 Thomas Todd
Stoddart； and so 〃the long and listless boy〃 found it to be。 It is
no wonder that the mother was 〃SLOWLY brought to yield consent to my
desire。〃 The domestic affections； in fact； do not adapt themselves
so well to poetry as the passion； unique in Tennyson； of Fatima。 The
critics who hunt for parallels or plagiarisms will note …
〃O Love； O fire！ once he drew
With one long kiss my whole soul thro'
My lips；〃
and will observe Mr Browning's
〃Once he kissed
My soul out in a fiery mist。〃
As to OEnone； the scenery of that earliest of the classical idylls is
borrowed from the Pyrenees and the tour with Hallam。 〃It is possible
that the poem may have been suggested by Beattie's Judgment of
Paris；〃 says Mr Collins； it is also possible that the tale which
〃Quintus Calaber
Somewhat lazily handled of old〃
may have reached Tennyson's mind from an older writer than Beattie。
He is at least as likely to have been familiar with Greek myth as
with the lamented 〃Minstrel。〃 The form of 1833； greatly altered in
1842； contained such unlucky phrases as 〃cedar shadowy；〃 and
〃snowycoloured；〃 〃marblecold；〃 〃violet…eyed〃easy spoils of
criticism。 The alterations which converted a beautiful but faulty
into a beautiful and flawless poem perhaps obscure the significance
of OEnone's 〃I will not die alone；〃 which in the earlier volume
directly refers to the foreseen end of all as narrated in Tennyson's
late piece； The Death of OEnone。 The whole poem brings to mind the
glowing hues of Titian and the famous Homeric lines on the divine
wedlock of Zeus and Hera。
The allegory or moral of The Palace of Art does not need explanation。
Not many of the poems owe more to revision。 The early stanza about
Isaiah； with fierce Ezekiel； and 〃Eastern Confutzee；〃 did undeniably
remind the reader； as Lockhart said； of The Groves of Blarney。
〃With statues gracing that noble place in；
All haythen goddesses most rare；
Petrarch； Plato； and Nebuchadnezzar；
All standing naked in the open air。〃
In the early version the Soul； being too much 〃up to date；〃
〃Lit white streams of dazzling gas；〃
like Sir Walter Scott at Abbotsford。
〃Thus her intense； untold delight；
In deep or vivid colour； smell； and sound；
Was flattered day and night。〃
Lockhart was not fond of Sir Walter's experiments in gas； the 〃smell〃
gave him no 〃deep； untold delight；〃 and his 〃infamous review〃 was
biassed by these circumstances。
The volume of 1833 was in nothing more remarkable than in its proof
of the many…sidedness of the author。 He offered mediaeval romance；
and classical perfection touched with the romantic spirit； and
domestic idyll； of which The May Queen is probably the most popular
example。 The 〃mysterious being；〃 conversant with 〃the spiritual
world；〃 might have been expected to disdain topics well within the
range of Eliza Cook。 He did not despise but elevated them； and
thereby did more to introduce himself to the wide English public than
he could have done by a century of Fatimas or Lotos…Eaters。 On the
other hand； a taste more fastidious； or more perverse； will scarcely
be satisfied with pathos which in process of time has come to seem
〃obvious。〃 The pathos of early death in the prime of beauty is less
obvious in Homer； where Achilles is to be the victim； or in the
laments of the Anthology； where we only know that the dead bride or
maiden was fair； but the poor May Queen is of her nature rather
commonplace。
〃That good man； the clergyman； has told me words of peace；〃
strikes a note rather resembling the Tennysonian parody of Wordsworth
…
〃A Mr Wilkinson； a clergyman。〃
The Lotos…Eaters； of course； is at the opposite pole of the poet's
genius。 A few plain verses of the Odyssey； almost bald in their
reticence； are the point de repere of the most magical vision
expressed in the most musical verse。 Here is the languid charm of
Spenser； enriched with many classical memories； and pictures of
natural beauty gorgeously yet delicately painted。 After the excision
of some verses； rather fantastical； in 1842； the poem became a
flawless masterpiece；one of the eternal possessions of song。
On the other hand； the opening of The Dream of Fair Women was marred
in 1833 by the grotesque introductory verses about 〃a man that sails
in a balloon。〃 Young as Tennyson was； these freakish passages are a
psychological marvel in the work of one who did not lack the saving
sense of humour。 The poet； wafted on the wing and 〃pinion that the
Theban eagle bear；〃 cannot conceivably be likened to an aeronaut
waving flags out of a balloonexcept in a spirit of self…mockery
which was not Tennyson's。 His remarkable self…discipline in excising
the fantastic and superfluous； and reducing his work to its classical
perfection of thought and form； is nowhere more remarkable than in
this magnificent vision。 It is probably by mere accidental
coincidence of thought that； in the verses To J。 S。 （James Spedding）；
Tennyson reproduces the noble speech on the warrior's death which Sir
Walter Scott places in the lips of the great Dundee： 〃It is the
memory which the soldier leaves behind him； like the long train of
light that follows the sunken sun； THAT is all that is worth caring
for；〃 the light which lingers eternally on the hills of Atholl。
Tennyson's lines are a close parallel：…
〃His memory long will live alone
In all our hearts； as mournful light
That broods above the fallen sun；
And dwells in heaven half the night。〃
Though Tennyson disliked the exhibition of 〃the chips of the
workshop；〃 we have commented on them； on the early readings of the
early volumes。 They may be regarded mo