New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-05-13
TENNYSON'S RELIGION.
sToPFORD BRoOKES NEW BOOK.

TENNYsoN. His Art and Relation TO MSiern c Li, e
BY Stopford A. Brooke NJ. \. PIP W. ol1' "
P. Putnams Sons.
The most salient features Of Mr.. Brooke's study
Of Tennyson seem TO be those which relate TO the
poets religion and theology. Others have said
much Of Tennyson as an artist, and there Is
growing literature OF comment and analysis deal
ing with his poems separately. HIS relation 10
theological and religious questions has also Deen
discussed. but rarely in the light which MI
Brooke casts upon 1t. Mr.. Brooke shows how
the religious life Of England was much changed
for the worse at The time when Tennyson went
TO the university. The impulse which had been
given by Wesley had been exhausted, and all
England in the Church and out OF II. was Ike
Ezekiels valley Of dry bones Even Coleridge.
though he retained many Of his enthusiasms 10
the last was not sure that life could come again
10 these relics. Nor did he live 10 see the re-
awakening which Tennyson saw But it was his
power as Mr.. Brooke reads the story or the
times. that moved in Tennyson and also in
Browning who may be said to have awakened
intellectually and POLITICALLY at the frat stir OF
what were afterward known as the High Church
and Broad Church movements. These move
ments were typfed in j. II. Newman and Fred
erick Maurice To both these men Tennyson
owed something. lie shared. though In a less
degree with Newman a profound reverence Tor
the past. But this balanced In him by
even a greater reverence for the present as con-
tanning in IT immediate inspiration and reve-
lation from God" This he derived. says Mr..
Brooke, from Maurice. But Maurice was also
entangled with the past. and when he chung to
the ancient Intellectual formulas as laid down
In the Creeds and Services OF the Church. and
tried to weave them into harmony with his main
faith he damaged his position. and. up TO a GER
tain point his work" Tennyson. so far as can
be inferred from his writings. escaped this con-
fusion; and the critic thinks 1t would be an
impertinence to inquire what his personal views
may have been That is private matter" he
adds land we shall hear what his family choose
to disclose to us at the fitting time" This may
! be taken as the presagc Of an authoritative bi-
ography Of the poet Meanwhile. as art Is In
definite and not subject to limitations. a confess
sion Of faith hardly be wrung from poetry.
| Nevertheless the highly wrought and varied
! thesm Of "In Memoriam'' is obvious to every
| reader But these general beliefs might be held
| by one who rejected or ignored the specific doc
| trnes Of Christianity. Such phrases as Him
who died for me- in 1.-The May Queen or the
| illusions to Christ in THE Idylls OF the King"
| may be said to belong to the poems rather than
| TO the poet But I'm Memoriam" goes further.
! 1t Is a poem exceedingly personal and distinctly
| theological: and Christ Ia called there the Life
! indeed; His power to raise the dead is confessed;
| He Is the receiver Of the souls Of the dead into
| the world beyond this world He Is the word OF
| God that breathed human breath. and wrought
| out the faith with human deeds" Even this is
| not quite all that would be expected from poet
| who could be accurate to the point OF scientific
precision when he chose to be so. But the case
| is much clearer II. as Mr. Brooke thinks. the
| Introduction to I'm Memoriam." beginning
Strong Son Of God. immortal Love-" be an in
vocation to Jesus. But II for lack OF defniteness
Tennyson be condemned by those who are bound
! by the close formulas OF a creed then Mr.. Brooke
turns upon them with the remark that the
teaching Of the Gospels themselves is indefinite.
At every point, says Mr. Brooke. the position of
| Christ was '1n the strictest analogy TO that
which the artist takes up with regard to beauty"
Judged then by a standard somewhat more
flexible than the Nicene Greed, Tennyson Is held
20 be clearly Christian. and when 1t comes to the
belief in a personal immortality. this Is found
| TO be the very starting point of all his poetry
! that touches religion. Without Immortality the
history Of man is a hopeless tragedy. From this
central thought the poet made early CONQUEST
Of his doubts as In Memoriam" shows: but
later he had to share and dispel the doubts OF
his age. growing out Of new discoveries and
theories in science Sometimes he betrayed anger
but as time passed ne recovered again the equan-
| unity Of the artist and renewed the appeal to
| love- the appeal to the heart OF man. the appeal
| growth of man; Of all the dreadfulness Of his
fate, being alike closed In universal death. He
does not deny the mystery Of life. Until the