Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-05-13
lola ON SHAKESPEARE
HOW THE RoMANTICIST SHOCKED
THE FRENCH REALIsT.
Special Correspondence of The Star.

Special Correspondence Of The Star.
PARIS, May g. 1907.
Something of a sensation has been created
In literary circles here by the appearance OF
a volume Of letters written by the late
Emile lola when little more than boy.
Never before published, or even quoted. they
reveal lola whose existence was unsus-
pected by the vast majority of both his
enemies and admirers. They prove that the
grimmest realst of his time began by being
a poet, and show him at twenty enamored
of the ideal to such an extent that, having
in 1850 discovered a delicious idyn by
Georges Sand. he wrote to his friend Baille:
You see, even Georges Sand dreams OF
peaceful love-" Indeed. the present letters
addressed to three of his friends of about
his own age furnish but few indications
which could be called prophetic of his
future career, If it is not that they dem
onstrate the logged perseverance which
characterized him all his life.
lola was a Woodworking, serious young
man, earning his own living, and deter
mined to make his mark in the world.
Writing to Baille in May, 1860, he said:
You will be well of, and shall perhaps
earn a little fame If l adopt deli
nitely the literary career l will follow my
motto. All or nothing! Consequently,
will not walk in any ones footsteps not
that l have the ambition TO be chief of
new school. but because I wish to discover
some unbeaten path
He had confidence in himself, but never
theless at times he knew disbursement
Not long after penning the ambitious words
quoted above he wrote to the same friend:
II see the future so. so black that L
shrink from it with terror No fortune, no
trade or profession, nothing but discourage
ment!'
Such dependency did not, however, last
long and the following letters are full of
dissertations on the literary works that he
had studied and the expression of his own
political yearnings. One night, half awake
and half asleep, consumed by the fever of
ambition. he conceived the general idea of
a grand poem. which would, he believed, as
he wrote to his friend, bring the applaud
ing or furious crowd to his feet"
1T is" he said, such a serious work, and
of such very great scope. that l cannot
mediate on it too much. nor fail to submit
it to the appreciation of friends
Loved His First Poetic Efforts.
At the same time lola, though conscious
of their defects. loved his first poetic pro-
auctions and decided to publish three Of
them together under the title of Les
Trois Amours."
Pursuing his literary studies, he read
Shakespeare though not in English, be-
cause he did not known the language. In
long letter addressed to Baille on that in
exhaustible subject he regretted not to be
able to speak of the style, as he had only
read translations. Nevertheless he con-
fessed that he had found many too gross
phrases which shocked him, though, he af-
firmed Il am not prudish, but l am above
all a poet and love the harmony of ideas
and images After this criticism young
lola proceeded to express unbounded ad-
miration for Shakespeare's genius. He did
not analyze his works one by one, but
Ii, . Sl,4v,o ~, hn
1--WE cannot but confess that truth guided
the writer's pen. While remaining real par
excellence, Shakespeare did not reject the
ideal The same as in real life, the ideal
always see white vision, Ophelia and her
poetic madness. Juliette and her pure love-
Speaking of Shakespeare's digressions, he
added:
That in no way hampers the principal
action. Above all, Hamlet is full of those
digressions A thousand incidents occur
which seem to be entirely unconnected with
the subject. However, were they sup
pressed there would remain nothing but
cold and pale tragedy. The poet takes
very simple subject, but he turns and twists
it about, and places it in the light of all
the prismatic colors. Hence tnat great
number of short scenes which, far from i'm
peding the action, renders 1t greater and
gives it brilliancy. But, let not an ordinary
poet attempt to adopt such proceeding.
A Shakespeare is necessary 10 co-orutnate
those diverse pieces, to bind them soldly
together to make a homogeneous whole of
heterogeneous parts, to blend the most in
congruous colors, to create a world out OF
that chaos and to draw from it human life
with its laughter and sobs, it's blasphemies
and prayers, it's grandeur and it's poverty,
want and restitution The path Is narrow
and the abysm is deep: if you are not sub
lime you will be diffuse and detestable.
Moreover, with Shakespeare those digres
sions do not seem to be sought; they come
naturally and should rather be called de-
veIopment.''
The first volume of Zola's letters penned
in his youth is to be followed by second
volume concerning literary and artistic
matters on which he wrote to his friend.
There will be third volume offering con-
siderable interest, as it will contain the let
tiers written by lola relative to the Dreyfus
affair, and especially those written by him
during his exile in England.