Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-06-03
SUMMER READING.
EDGAR rAwcErro ON OUR LITERATURE
FOR COUNTRY AND sxSsIDE
A Tribute 20 Matthew brrold-rhe Apostle
as Poet and Pross-Writef~
hmslie Rives.
nor The NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. lsssl


ticle, Just AZ do nov, with reference
10 the works of the late Matthew Ar
mold for the loss OF this valued writer IS
still so recent that its vibrations may be
said not yet TO have ceased throughout
the literatures OF two continents. Tho
summer, however, is doubtless moro
suitable for much of .Arnold's work. IL
was my own personal experience TO have
first read all his limpid aud graceful
poetry under the shade of trees and near
tho buoyant music of birds, and it IS
verse that suits most tremendously
Just these surroundings Even the mar
tial and bellicOse tale OF "Sohrab and
Rustum" is toldwith tranquil earnest
ness that gives il now and then almost
meditative atmosphere. | am not aware,
by the way, what was the precise Date OF
its composition. but the blank-verSe
manner, Of this poem is 80 similar to that
OF LordTennyson as TO rouse surprise IN
any reader familiar with the laurcate's
unrbymed masterpieces. ] do not be-
heye there can be moro than fifteen
wears, at the f&rthest, between the pres
emit age, of lord Tennyson and the age
that Arnold had reached when he
died. At the time "Sobrab md
Rnstum" was written the immense
success Of Lord TenByson was yet IN
the dimness OF the future; and when
one poet devotedly initiates another he
is apt 10 select for hislmingled idol and
model a fellow.singer whose brows have
already been rather thckly lsurelled.
But apart from the astonishing Ten
nysonianism Of "Sohrab and Rustun y
(which, by the way. | never recollect
having seen discussed before), Arnold
has written other poems Of a much mere
authentic and indiyidnal sort The best
Of these are 1.-THE Scholar Gypsy,
"ObermanR Onco More "StanSas
from the Grando Chartreuse," and
"Empedocles on Etns." Ho was
20 distinctly not great poet
that his most profound admirers
have never ventured TO call him
one but he was poet in whom taste
and a certain sad dignity prevailed, and
il it was true that lac had q mazblo' Muse
equally was it true that her placid auste-
ritv charmed more than it repelled.
Still. lac had few captivating graces as
poet. and it is the worst of mistakes to
clainsfor him that his verse was always
technically fawless. 1t was, indeed,
both rough and lame at times. and his
sonnets are very poor specimens OF that
kindof work.
As a prose-vriter his style was re-
markedly lucid. but little more can be
said of IT. His vocabulary was limited,
and TO reiterate iteration itself became
after awhile actually avice with him.
As a philc sopher, that hOmely phrase
"on the fence describes him best
His Oxford training would never
permit him TO tremple tradition
once and for all completely under
foot. He was forever psuslng on the
brink Of fearless free thought, yet he
never had courage enough once and for
all to take the leap This half attitude
will imperil his writings for posterity,
since he who has the element OF intel
lectual insecurity in his work must al
ways tempt tie disdain of unborn gene
rations Each real humane fame is
mountain seen in perspective by the
mighty human caravan as it moves on
ward along the path of progress Like
q mountain, it must rear itself definite
anu hfItDt, W DO ot-t Nv AtNf5 - AOA iNNAt
at all. 1t must not slope vaguely and va
cillatingly, like amere unimpOrtant hill.
Otherwise, in the geography of earthly
greatness, il can hold no recorded place.
1t is difficult. from one point of view,
to accredit Matthew Arnold with half
measures, when We recoliect such sen
tence as this from Literature and Dog
ma" miracles. the mainstay of popu-
lar religion, are touched with the spear
of Ithuriel or again, from the same
volume: "What is called orthodox the
ology is, in fact, an immense misunder-
standing Of the Bible" But halfmea-
sures he undoubtedly preferred, and
few OF his most radical opinions
ever rid themselves from back
ground of orthodoxy. Beside such
writer as Professor Huxley he
sinks, as philosophic essayist, into that
which by contrast seems almost insigniii
canoe; and it appears to me that the
central defect OF all his so.called re-
formatory impulse was that he forever
cried out for sweetness and light to
century whose untaught millions have
wanted spelling and arithmetic. More
over, the charge OF "priggishness " could
be applied to,him., and Is almost insepa-
rable from his prose work to any one
who carefully studies its dttettante
axioms.
Whllewe are on the subject Of poet l
might say that it, seems to me as If the
works OF Mr.. Browning would make
very poor summer reading in the case of
any one (outside of Chicago who at
tempted their cryptogramic discourage
ments for the first time. In Chicago
and certain portions of Boston, l have
beef told,s the atmosphere. Immediately
assumes o tingEng and tonic quality
whenever volume OF Mr.. BrowniRg's
is even referred to. But waving oil
such meteorological phenomena,
should say that in ordinaryparts of the
United States il is best to do ones read
ing of "Sordello, "FThe Ring and the
Book" and the elm Album. when the
weather is nice and bracing.
Two novels are being widely discussed
Just now, and they are, perhaps, as suit
able for an hour or two OF enjoyment at
the seaside or among the mountains as
any that / have seen for some time. The
first of these is Miss Amelis Riyess
"rHE QUICK on THE DEAD?"
which hold to have been somewhat I'M
fairly condemned. II is book that GER
tainly has faults, yet these faults are of
pveropulepce rather than sridity, and
betray an undisciplined temperament
rather than commonplace intellect. l
have heard very sensible people. OF late,
decfara stTha Oiiiclx or the Deadn
sbominable. shocking, and silly. A little
Of il here and there Is shocking, Evil
admit; . Iittle,of itiseven silly. But the
main impression which the story pro-
duced npon me was that OF finding myself
diverted BY the portraiture Of On impetu-
Gus, foolhh. loysble young woman, whom
fate had trsAted with q really wofuT
smodnt of severity, The English Of the
tale Is at times notably strong, and at
times weak even TO hysteria. MisssRiyes
has pfenty of brains wherewith TO be a
Novelist and avery distinguished one.