New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-10-09
LORD LHrT0y on ONE or HIS Poems


THE THEORY OF AUX TTATIENS"
dierrcucc of opinion arose a short time ago
among some of the admirers of "Owen heredlths'
pocm. aux Italens' respecting ITS meaning /;
whether. in n word. the figure with tho Jas
min.dowcrD that appears in the opera box is a
VISION coniured mp by the hero's retrospective rev.
erin or a reality rcappcarng after months OF
absence. cstrangcment and mistaken tldlngS oil
death 10 bless him with The same old love. Mr.
Charles Roberts jr. determined to settle the qnes-
top wrote to Owen Meredith Lord Lyttonl to
ascertain if possible what was in his mind when he
wrote the poem. Lord LyttOn responds thus;
KNEBwoRTu. 2l Sept. 1851.
SIN. have TO acknowledge the receipt of your
letter about Aux itallenS.' lhe attention you
have gwen 10 my little poem will feel sure enaole
Won Ia understand that what nave eNPreSSed III
yrre to the hest of my ability cannot more EN-
c,rntIv EXPRESS in prose The narrative part OF inns
poem is "A mere yehcle.in the nature O an aileguTy
if you viii. for the conveyance OF an d q 9
point of the poem Is not IN the reatl Oh lle VEN
Il relates enthusiastically, but IN the reality OF
tbe moral experience II records hguratNey' iIGi-
hans shall best Nplain the real intention Oh tl9
nn,u1 by describing the sentiment when SuR!csI'u
IFS composition. Ii has probably DSeh luc 10Y f "a
many men and women 20 have parted III e'lIS ii9
irrryocably and with deeply wounded ana ellipit-
tered feelings from some p,rSoH ouT' RI ,a;n If
loved aud long russlonatcly missed INC pam y.
this separation - more poignant yuan ri i'l'u va -
L,rrayrlucnt caused 10y actual denim. me orr'Too
,.L Death masses upon Life Is really ltrtNotaOle
n mont ou the part 0 the sufferer Is needed 10 en-
rnrr, H. But tins Is Il sentence we nave dellP-
,r,'r.lv n,sspd upon ourselves, and all that haue
Ia, nrerous to US IL is the result oi cohulct
,sitL{n us in winch the victory OF the Will, -
.,,,t.1 Inv All the emotions il has defeated ana IL
leaves i'm the heart great void nm ne Erelt las
sifndc That void we seek 10 MI ny other aI'SC-
80. other interests; but the effort repeatedly
r,iIs and Is followed by moments OF profound ue-
inrtnn moral impotence and lutOlerdble craving l1r
n iov renowned. In suffering wrong Whlch pilio
%rI}ds the sufferer to forgive, ne has lost an aO-
sorbinV interest which memory cannot l0fget-a
NOES ntIatrlv cherished object when circumstance
cannot rcplace-aud he re,eutS, not the .WtTls nc
has suffered. but ms own sense OF IT, "h'IlI naa III
IirtrI ON him 90 Treparabe loss. Imagine
voune man-or wOman--ln some such Hoiilclt 10
ib,a The train of LIES current business or ulssipl-
ton or friyoty passes before the imagination IKE
n f,npral procession of drunken mutes, III Whch VIC ~
S.,T-Ierraved lover is the only real m0uThef. nc
nId etiacr if he could, the bitter epitaph ne hlhl'
self has written the grave he carries III MS neiiV
how we'll he knows that grave now WLe'Iio' ~
how rcnOvsctuy his thought mas hau'ot 49, :
lie onbifion can build above ~, 10 revive lor
sin0lr moment what his love has burleu oenedIu II
Inv later an hour later and the ghost Oh tue past
will have been land again; but II, III such y uuhou
! "a this the door could open ana the SUFFERER suu-
Jo,Iy Zee before him seeking forgveness-the I'M
forglyen vet unfOTJOtten one the DuIleu romahoo
nf Tovhood restored to him the form once so ten-
dsrlv cherished ana long 80 cruelty missed the eA'
S;,n never found IN other eyes. the voice never
fo,,J an other ips-therc would be no roOin anu nc
| nerd even for forgiveness, IN the complete loIsoo
fitness of wrong, and the inehaOle suace Oh lc
! coyered felicity. But these moments are liansieu
| UJ nnknown No biography records them No
living object of a buried passion or romance huo",
| NV In find them out or when to take advantage u
them: and the recOncilements they iaii 10 eccv ~
real lite can only happen ~ some SUI
| Tho world of Fancy. however, Is world Oh pos
sible imposslbilities which neither require nor au