The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-05-06
soME NhW hooks
r..ry,o-.. Relation. 20 III. rr--.

Il the skill and success with which the author
dsduces from the poets WORKS his attitude to-
ward Christianity. toward social politics. and
toward the woman question. Tennyson for
more than sixty years lived close to the llfo Of
England. a. far as he was capable 81 compre-
bending and sympathlzing with its move
ments; and he in wove what he felt concerning
Unto his poetry. Much eluded Tennyson. or
he failed to dwell on II: but he felt the
rest all the more strongly. and he felt II
for the long period Of sixty yeara His
poetry. therefore. for many years to come.
will omen a vast storehouse OF subjects to
those writer's who are interested In the APP
plication Of imaginati emotion to the prob
iems and pleasures OF life. Mr.. Brooke is not
the fret to undertake an examination Of Ten
nyson. considered az an Interpreter OF the
nineteenth century. but his lie the first COM
petent. searching. systematic. and effective
treatn ent OF the subject. We purpose to marx
some Of the results OF this Inquiry and espe-
clally to note what Tcnnyson's relation was
10 the now urgent question OF an equality OF
rights for women.
MIR. Brooke reminds US that the true be-
ginning Of Tennysons poetical lie was
coincident with the birth OF the move
ments afterwnrd called the High Church
and the Broad Church movements. This
religious awakening was felt and seized
BIZ two distinct types Of character. or Of
human tendency and was personined In two
representative men. J. Fl. Newman and Fred
erick Maurice. In the matter OF religion the
past was the foremost thing to Newman; to
Maurice. the present. Newman looked back to
tho past for the highest point to which reli-
aious life not doctrine. had attained, and his
immense reverence for the past became
Part OF the mind Of Tennyson. But
II was balanced In the poet by even
n greater reverence for the present.
a. containing in IL an i'm m ediate inspiration
and revelation from God. This foundation for
poetic thought and emotion was given to him
By the religious writings OF Maurice. 1t is
true that Tennyson being an artist. there 10
no formulated creed in his work. But the
main beliefs Of Maurice. which were assertions
Of what he conceived to be eternal yerities
concerning the relations Of God to man and
the universe, and concerning the end to which
God was leading them-assertious backed up
By no proof for the matters insisted on could
neither he proved or disproved-were natural
" in the realm OF the ina alton. OF faith and
hone and above ALL OF love- and were brought
70 receive acceptance or rejection before tho
tribunal OF human em otion. not before the tri-
bunnl Of the understanding such beliefs
were proper subjects OF poetry. and they lie at
the root OF the religion that ono finds In the
varao of TennyaOn from 1890 to lSBl, and
that constitutes the basis of In Memoriam"
But the Indication Of these religious elem ents
does not answer tho question, What relation
does Tennyson's poetry bear to Christianity
For all tbese beliefs might be held by theist;
even by one who ignored or deprecated the
teaching Of Jeans II Tennyson then. IL to be
claimed A A Cbristian poet Il must DO
demonstrated that he considered Jesus to
have been the great procIaimer Of the
tr,tsd In Him.eIf the reliuIous truths
which before Him had bean In man. reformed
than in HIs own Thought and issued tbem
18th nav povsr and charged with nav Iowa 70
challenge accentanee from men. Mr.. Brooke
r,Int.ina that tbis wa. incontestnbIy Tennv-
son's nos,tion, Yet ~ this w,ro Ali, many per
son. vouId attn deny the poet thu right 10 call
him.eIf A CbristIan. In their mind Christian
muat have distinct faith In Jesua an God. an
The unious Saviour OF men. and as n reyealer
NJ God in a way dIfrersnt I'm Kind from that in
wbi,h -. can call .nv otb.r person n re-
yealer. Is that view contained in Tenny-
son's poetry2 Touching this query. Mr.
BROOKE points ont TINT in I'm Memoriam"
va have n poem exceedingly personal
and distinotIv theological; and that in Il
Christ IA called the Life indeed" His
poxer to raise the dead 10 confessed; He 10
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. This may
not be enough TO make Tsnnyson. considered
as poet, an orthodox Christian In the doc
trinal sense; but IL In enough to place him
among those who confess jesus as the Light
Of the World. as their spiritual Master. their
lie. and that with . distinctness which
docs not belong to any other OF the great
poets of this century, SO far as their poetry
Is concerned. This position becomes Q GER
tainty, II the introduction to In Memoram"
beginning Strong Son OF God. Immortal
Love" be an address to Jesus Mr. Brooke |
thinks It is, but he acknowledges that the
matter Is artistically left vague. and that on
the whole. there 10 no clear doctrinal definition
Of the person or the work OF Christ This ab- |
senes Of definite doctrine IL the reason given
By many persons for asserting that Tennyson