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ELEGY TO THE MEMORY OF AN UNFORTUNATE LADY
Also in spite of limited dictionthe sign of thought closing in；
as it did fast close in during those yearsare Pope's tenderness
and passion communicated in this beautiful elegy。 It would not be
too much to say that all his passion； all his tenderness； and
certainly all his mystery； are in the few lines at the opening and
close。 The Epistle of Eloisa is （artistically speaking） but a
counterfeit。 Yet Pope's Elegy begins by stealing and translating
into the false elegance of altered taste that lovely and poetic
opening of Ben Jonson's …
〃What beckoning ghost； besprent with April dew；
Hails me so solemnly to yonder yew？〃
All the gravity； all the sweetness； one might fear； must be lost in
such a change as Pope makes …
〃What beckoning ghost along the moonlight shade
Invites my steps； and points to yonder glade？〃
Yet they are not lost。 Pope's awe and ardour are authentic； and
they prevail； the succeeding coupletinimitably modulated； and of
tragic dignityproves； without delay； the quality of the poem。
The poverty and coldness of the passage （towards the end）； in which
the roses and the angels are somewhat trivially sung； cannot mar so
veritable an utterance。 The four final couplets are the very glory
of the English couplet。
LINE ON RECEIVING HIS MOTHER'S PICTURE
Cowper； again； by the very directness of human feeling makes his
narrowing English a means of absolutely direct communication。 Of
all his works （and this is my own mere and unshared opinion） this
single one deserves immortality。
LIFE
This fragment （the only fragment； properly so called； in the
present collection） so pleased Wordsworth that he wished he had
written the lines。 They are very gently touched。
THE LAND OF DREAMS
When Blake writes of sleep and dreams he writes under the very
influence of the hours of sleepwith a waking consciousness of the
wilder emotion of the dream。 Corot painted so； when at summer dawn
he went out and saw landscape in the hours of sleep。
SURPRISED BY JOY
It is not necessary to write notes on Wordsworth's sonnetsthe
greatest sonnets in our literature； but it would be well to warn
editors how they print this one sonnet； 〃I wished to share the
transport〃 is by no means an uncommon reading。 Into the history of
the variant I have not looked。 It is enough that all the
suddenness； all the clash and recoil of these impassioned lines are
lost by that 〃wished〃 in the place of 〃turned。〃 The loss would be
the less tolerable in as much as perhaps only here and in that
heart…moving poem； 'Tis said that some have died for love； is
Wordsworth to be confessed as an impassioned poet。
STEPPING WESTWARD
This and the preceding two exquisite poems of sympathy are far more
justified； more recollected and sincere than is that more
monumental composition； the famous poem of sympathy； Hartleap Well。
The most beautiful stanzas of this poem last…named are so rebuked
by the truths of nature that they must ever stand as obstacles to
the straightforward view of sensitive eyes upon the natural world。
Wordsworth shows us the ruins of an aspen…wood； a blighted hollow；
a dreary place forlorn because an innocent creature； hunted； had
there broken its heart in a leap from the rocks above； grass would
not grow； nor shade linger there …
〃This beast not unobserved by Nature fell；
His death was mourned by sympathy divine。〃
And the signs of that sympathy are cruelly asserted to be these
arid woodland ruinscruelly； because the common sight of the day
blossoming over the agonies of animals and birds is made less
tolerable by such fictions。 We have to shut our ears to the benign
beauty of this stanza especially …
〃The Being that is in the clouds and air；
That is in the green leaves among the groves；
Maintains a deep and reverential care
For the unoffending creature whom He loves。〃
We must shut our ears because the poet offers us； as a proof of
that 〃reverential care；〃 the visible alteration of nature at the
scene of sufferingan alteration we are obliged to dispense with
every day we pass in the woods。 We are tempted to ask whether
Wordsworth himself believed in a sympathy he asks usupon such
grounds！to believe in？ Did he think his faith to be worthy of no
more than a fictitious sign or a false proof？
To choose from Wordsworth is to draw close a net with very large
meshesso that the lovely things that escape must doubtless cause
the reader to protest； but the poems gathered here are not only
supremely beautiful but exceedingly Wordsworthian。
YOUTH AND AGE
Close to the marvellous Kubla Khana poem that wrests the secret
of dreams and brings it to the light of verseI place Youth and
Age as the best specimen of Coleridge's poetry that is quite
undeliriousto my mind the only fine specimen。 I do not rate his
undelirious poems highly； and even this； charming and nimble as it
is； seems to me rather lean in thought and image。 The tenderness
of some of the images comes to a rather lamentable close； the
likeness to 〃some poor nigh…related guest〃 with the three lines
that follow is too squalid for poetry； or prose； or thought。
THE RIME OF THE ANCIENT MARINER
This poem is surely more full of a certain quality of extreme
poetrythe simplest 〃flower of the mind；〃 the most single magic
than any other in our language。 But the reader must be permitted
to call the story silly。
Page 265 （Are those her ribs through which the Sun）
Coleridge used the sun； moon； and stars as a great dream uses them
when the sleeping imagination is obscurely threatened with illness。
All through The Ancient Mariner we see them like apparitions。 It
is a pity that he followed the pranks also of a dream when he
impossibly placed a star WITHIN the tip of the crescent。
Page 266 （I feer thee； ancient Mariner！）
The likeness of 〃the ribbed sea sand〃 is said to be the one passage
actually composed by Wordsworth；who according to the first plan
should have written The Ancient Mariner with Coleridge〃and
perhaps the most beautiful passage in the poem；〃 adds one critic
after another。 It is no more than a good likeness； and has nothing
whatever of the indescribable Coleridge quality。
Coleridge reveals； throughout this poem； an exaltation of the
senses； which is the most poetical thing that can befall a simple
poet。 It is necessary only to refer； for sight； to the stanza on
〃the moving Moon〃 at the bottom of page 267； for hearing； to the
supernatural stanzas on page 271； and； for touch； to the line …
〃And still my body drank。〃
ROSE AYLMER
Never was a human name more exquisitely sung than in these perfect
stanzas。
THE ISLES OF GREECE
One really fine and poetic stanzaof course； the third； three
stanzas that are good eloquencethe fourth； fifth； and seventh；
and one that is a fair bit of argumentthe tenthmay together
perhaps carry the rest。
HELLAS
The profounder spirit of Shelley's poem yet leaves it a careless
piece of work in comparison with Byron's。 The two false rhymes at
the outset may not be of great importance； but there is something
annoying in the dissyllabic rhymes of the second stanza。
Dissyllabic rhymes are beautiful and enriching when they fall in
the right place； that is； where there is a pause for the second
little syllable to stand。 For example； they could not be better
placed than they would have been at the end of the shorter lines of
this same stanza； where they would have dropped into a part of the
pause。 Another sin of sheer heedlessnessthe lapse of grammar in
The Skylark； at the top of page 296 （With thy clear keen joyance）
will remind the reader of the special habitual error of Drummond of
Hawthornden。
THE WANING MOON
In these few lines the Shelley spirit seems to be more intense than
in any other passage as brief。
ODE TO THE WEST WIND
This magnificent poem is surely the greatest of a great poses
writings； and one of the most splendid poems on nature and on
poetry in a literature resounding with odes on these enormous
themes。
THE INVITATION
No need to point to a poem that so shines as does this lucent
verse。
LA BELLE DAME SANS MERCI
Keats is here the magical poet； as he is the intellectual poet in
the great sonnet following； and it is his possession or promise of
both imaginations that proves him greater than Coleridge。 In his
day they seem to have found Coleridge to be a thinker in his
poetry。 To me he seems to have had nothing but senses； magic； and
simplicity； and these he had to the utmost yet known to man。 Keats
was to have been a great intellectual poet； besides all that in
fact he was。
ODE TO A NIGHTINGALE
Of the five odes of Keats； the Nightingale is perhaps the most
perfect； and certainly the most imaginative。 But the Grecian Urn
is the finest； even though it has fancy rather than imagination；
for never was fancy more exquisite。 The most conspicuous ideathe
emptying of the town because its folk are away at play in the tale
of the antique urnis merely a fancy； and a most antic fancya
prank； it is an irony of man； a rallying of art； a mockery of time；