New-York tribune., 1890-01-05
ROBERT BROWNING.
HIS POETRY AND HIS STYLE TESTED BY
THE OPINIONS OF FOUR GREAT
MASTERS OF STYLE
London. Dcccmbcr "a.

best order PoetTy-The hest words in the best
order" II would be difficult to find anywhere IN
literature simpler definition of poetry Coerdge
is speaking Of poetry with reference To poetc
form, to style, and that is his requirement
merely the best words in the best order. He was
himself poet Of very high order and pene-
trating critic. with great knowledge Of books
and with habit of thinking things out What
he says on literary questions is never said flip
PANTY; he is an authority. You may not ac-
cept his opinion but you know that it is Of
weight and must he put aside if at all, otherwise
than by mere impatience.
II then. YOU take Cocrdge's law and apply il
TO Browning, il condemns ninc-tenths at least OF
all browning has ever written. Even if 1t were
possible to admit that Brownings words were the
best, there lives not the critic, suppose, bold
enough to say that these best words are in the
best order. But il is not possible to admit that
the words are the best. They are often f0rclble,
picturesque, chosen with a singular power of
fitting them to the fact he wishes to describe or
the idea he wishes TO express. But they are
often without elevation, and of Brownings
diction as a whole il has to be said that the pre-
vailing note is not distinction.
The manner in which he has flung his words
lpon the page is equally without dignity. Nothing
s more curious than to note how the dignity of
expression; by familiarity, by colloquialism. by
regret to use the Word-vulgarity 1t was not
in Browning's nature to he vulgar; there was
nothing of vulgarlty in the man himself When
he descended TO it in print, he did it wilfuly; he
wanted to get certain effect: as Turner said, he
would mud from the gutter to get the effect
he wanted for his painting. Turner injured many
a noble picture by such caprces, and Browning
has injured his poetry He has lowered the tone,
and he has sometimes sacrificed the thought
the idea itself. One of the greatest masters of
style-the greatest in French literature, Pascal,
whose few pages on eloqucnce and style are all
of gOld-says: The sense changes the words
which express it change; the thought derives lis
dignity from the words instead of impartng It's
own to the words. | do not quote examples
from Browning His poems are examples through
out, and hardly page can be opened which
striking instances of this want of dignity in the
use Of words do not occur. ! am writing for
those who know Browning, and appeal to their
memory of what is constant and Characteristic in
him.
That Browning was great poetic force, not
many now doubt or deny. But il is 10 be rcmcm-
bered how recent is the date when even this began
to be commonly seen and acknowledged He
has been writing for moro than fifty years.
Pauline was published in 1893. Allihonc'S
Dictionary Of English Literature" appeared
quarter Of a century later and he allows Brown
ing half column-half as much as 20 the author
of The Columbiad,' and one twcnty-cighth part
Of the space he devoteS to Longfelow Allibonc
was the least critical Of human beings. but he
had. in rough sort of way, a feeling for wha,
popular. and knew what people would want
TO read about and how much they would read
L. a
from Browning's publishers books 70 indicate the
vogue and circulation Of his poems His popu.
larity is not twenty years Old
Nay when he died the most fashionable Of the
London daily papers wrote Of him in a tone Of
superciliCJS patronage. with a sort Of apology
70 its butterfly readers for asking their attention
10 a writer rrmot" from their world rs Brown
ing That is behind the time and foolish, vet |
suspect that Browning poetry was far less known
80 the world of London than Browning himself
SO far as he was read in socicty-whch reads
little-he was read by the Younger generation Of
fashionable people; 70 the older he ] might
almost say. unknown lie w,s literally unknown
10 some have heard the mention Of his name
followed by the remark Browning? Is ne not
an American novelist The lady who put that
question is an ornament of society fun Of every
kind Of social intelligence, aud il was not MANY
years ago. | doub, whether he has ever been
The poet OF the classes TN" masses. or some
Of them. We're probably those who read him most
The critics have praised him With very large
reservations. But there was a class Of
readers neither literary or smart who found
in Browning something they wanted, and who
for the sake Of the kernel were willing 10 prick
their fingers with the husk Or bruisc their Joints
over the shell. They are the people 10 whom
I.
drew them to Browning was his penetration and
power in handling these problems. They would
equally have been drawn to him had he written
avowcdly in prose. 70 them the substance was
everything, the form nothing.
II avails nothing 10 quote Colcridgc or quote
anybody else 10 readers Of tins class. Bright
was the type the incarnation. Of this middle class
and generally n0ncOnfomist audience from which
the Browning recruits were drawn. Not that
Bright read Browning, or cared for him as poet
hc did not But what BRIGHT valued in poetry
was the expression OF some feeling, religious first
then political, which he himself held strongly,
the effort toward the answering Of some spiritual
puzzle In literature Of other kinds and OF
earlier periods Bright had high ideals; Milton
his master, and had taught him much. But
in what was Of to-day he practical, not T."
say prosaic; he cared too much for causes 10 bc
concerned with fine literature. Whittier was
Quaker, and wrote against slavery all honor 10
him. Had there but been English poet Of
equal calibrc, whose muse had sung the repeal Of
the Corn Laws, him too would Bright
have honond before all others. Well,
there has always been theological
leaven in that great class among whom Bright
was the greatest. There are hundreds who brood
over the mysteries which Browning brOodcd over
it was a surprise to them 10 find that here is some
one who dare say in print without reserve, what
they hardly dare think in the secrecy OF tier
closets They devourcd him, and it was out Of
their ranks that the browning societies were re-
crnited In England. with the .stnnishng Mr.