THE METRES OF GEORGE MEREDITH.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 556, 10 July 1909, Page 9

THE METRES OF GEORGE MEREDITH.

\ ';.; "-;Since;Meredfbh:was a' great poet,' his,tech-.;.:;nical^peculiarities';are.'the-expression, of cerN'r:*auifpeculiariti6a;of;:hi3;genius. :;Ee wasfal-: iXways ;an; experimenter, in ; poetry,' .and "'.his '■:-; experiments 'in Tfonri are but 'symptoms' of :,; expenments.in'matter.' .'His poetry.-has•often" ■•; ~a-.strange sound,;because ho :tried to intro:;,.dupe.:neiv: processes'"'into:"the; making'Kbf, : poetry ;._becausß,: like Donne,', ho - attempted. ■■■ to .oombine'the which is ; the proper v -subject-matter of, poetry, with an exercise of the;.reason, ,; -.which .is' the:-proper subiect- : ,-niatter :of prpse;, .Like-.'Donne;'he was not' a' !■:'. ■ prosaic...poet.;. treated-verse :as .v .: more- prnamental'vand. difficult-form , of prose;- ' ; ■"' :^'.P n *:®™ o f l o^• ; 'm■"hi.s;'p6e^ry,^like^adtloVjn'• : his' ;-;; n ?^,.;inskntly'-provoked;him; specula''•■(■■*?,n» l iS? < V'- t " e M labour it often prc- ; .■• ■ : music^;^-;V//: ; '^>-' ; y-'H-. ; :V. ;; -'::''.;■•:■; ;>■/!;■-;•'•;:;;'.-- .. ■ ■-■:. Thß-aevelopment;of .protry,-as'bf'all : arti ; ;-..is seldom' steady?,or regular. .; It proceeds ■i. °y ;j6 aotl <^S:o ; andr:::e^pcriments: ; oft6n: ; half- ; ; -.- qualities .'of;an y :- greats move-, ■;■>: meiit;in poetry :,quickly: betray;;their;defects,■' i and a new generation takes'a disgust of both - - - : poetry, ..naturally ,and-^normally,; is ...,,opnnected;with; music, and- speech'; and Eliza-" 'V',° 8 ™ a P;iP°etry,:;heing:.very/normal,;?, wasi half ,;. ,song _and half, rhetoric.':'. .-Donne took'.a; dis- * gust both, of its" tunes.and[of -it's rhetoric:'' Hi s: . aim was to write>erse' in.'wh'ich "Sense .would ;£^ ' ; £lil? r - se3 - : ■' ' Hfe -- was "suspicious' of -''familiar ■'. rhytfflns; for ;ii- seemed;io him; that'what the :;individual badito.say.'-could :not be itted to •'.-'. a . .Popular.;.tun©.;-;: deterinina'tion" ;■■ n ot;:;to/iamper,*iUi: his ; owni'sehse;"and-not ..-■any:lacK.ro£.inspiration.>:that;'m'ade'his .music- \ so uncertain;': Meredith' reacted-from -the• to-'. ''™W^o;.poets.^mu<!K.''as':.Donne;.;'readfed"'.fr<)m' :; i the Elizabethans,.: 'He was. suspicious "of' ro-': ; ,Ef-? tlc " ..'tunes -:;and v;of; ; ,'romantic 'rhetoric.' : .That,.'cry,'of,' : for. more.: brain applied _i to ■;. poetry: as/well as : ,tpicon'duct:i:H6..was''.'de-. ;•; ■.• : ta'rinined..t;Ka , t;lus brain'shbuld.''.not bo lulled' to sleep '.by his.. own ■ music; 'rather, it ■'• should question every .; beauty .'; of /-; words like an , .•;*.advocatus;diaboli"\that.:willj/let none-pass unless' it. can'iprbvo,its' relevance . to -an,ih-:- . : vtelJettual.^propes'^ '.Love".the conflict beWeeri:'reason ''and--emo-; : tion .has.begun: ; , ? A.The poet,: as-if to silence > all. -questioning :!of;; his capacity,, proves him- '. - ;-j.Belf.'jagain--^a'ndi^gaih.' l 'ii : master,,of,,;the;bld: ...music;.; He-can'start: 1 a .'sonnet U'ipeare^himself:^:;;;;^^ ■..-.Outin .the:yellbw,:meadows; ; .wh6rethe bee' ■■ '; Hums-by us; :with ;the honey, of.;the Spring)' notes from "the. larks on: ■;'v; V ; wine --.\:.;'■•'.'•/-.■;'■■.,:-.-.;.-•,;.-■:::.;::';;''">;:--:■ ;;•":.;•; -- Are) dropping lite a.'nodn-de'w,Vwander'-.we.' : i .. ■ Or ..is ; it'inowf'■or:was,.it'lthenP:';f6r''-'nowi'vV.. ; - : :V, As; then, the larks, from running'.'rings rponr-,:;.showefs:-;,:"::;;Vi v --'-K- ; :-,;; :-:v,>.,^-:.,.;:-: ■;. The. golden foot' of' May, is'on'the Jowers/-- i .■ '. And, friendly shadows dance' upon her .-.brow.'•:.. ■ But questions fafe; ; creeping l , in -already; 'and; : : fpr;;_him, as for,;his .f-'.Busio'' v of-the\."p^st,''-.-whJch:::ihoVmakes'-:hal l t • ironically-to.rx)iht; : :the;:'cohtras't;'. with the. :; troubled^present/:,,:/;" ::'■;'(; '■:'' ::;-;^::;.;>;;;v : . ■'•:' ..''•':'.':: ; : ■'>■;■■: v } _ v. ; l'as;;tnoii iihe ;grace ; : ;' 'Of heaven seems holding. earth : in-.its embrace. But he to, take all these shows , of-;beairty;at'-...their' surface, value, arid :to sing. them; like a bird;- nor can :he .use all, the S owerr:of;his\.mind.-merely''to.hejglftende- ' ght • or..tb . keep':up.'ithe; pretence; that;he . -'ieelaj'ihe.whole universe to be'one harmony .of ; .music. ? -- ;;;. -":-:-.-;.;,.:■''■ l .■';'.:.,,;■. .;.■.: .•!-'; ...'A.kiss.is but akissnowOandno- :.-.." ' ■■^'^o^■o^:grea^.:flobd'■■tKat'■*■.whirls'•'lne■''tolthe' : ■ae'a."' ■ ,;:;But,.asypu; will .'.we'll . : ■:•. .-.. Andieat our pot:;of: grave.'>. , That;-.is,,wißtv : tho-.'decadent -poets' ; of vthe' .'■;■ Greekj'Anthology; and : of all time doi; ! They ' ~;■,pretend to, an. outworn ,'faijih": so' : thaV v they ■'. may .still make beauty .out of :it. '' But,- need-: less .to say; Meredith was hot one of them. ; He would surrender the freedom of his , mind ;to.his. art. ; i'For the,.moment: heVcould ..say,'—' i 'God,.,.)vhat:a 'dancing' spectre seems ~ ' the. moon:" --But.,'he would-not allow' his ■;, poetry:.to be also : a' dancing-'spectre..-: The /struggle, between.beauty. and'the rebellious : intellect : must befoiight out,'however doubt- ■ ful: the; issue "might.be. ;:;; : ■•;;;: :.;■;: ...That struggle 'maintained-through all' ■ his pMtry; and.whenever.' beauty, prevails in it she.:is still:brea'thless.'?But,what''stroiigtli i ...and -...determination'.'the ;'.ceascless .'struggle i :givesyherl;,' She':is';neyer; an;'bdalisque to ] .weary. -;.us:; with ; ; -and - studied charms..•iShe'ihas .alwaysi',to'fight for. i her.lifp, and bftenrbveals herself most clearly ' ' while, fighting. 1 ,';;rFof' Meredith,'' though ho --i jnight chasten; beauty,-lo'v.edlier passionately;, i hi we know,,'by;a;hundred; proofs..;; In; Love i a;.4e jValley.,he.siirrendPred himself.'to her, 1 ahnost as Spenser; did in his "Epithalamion"; 1 then he mado a music:as now and, irrc- ! .- sistibloas the.niusic of Atalarita.- Love in I .thb ; Valley;.is;a romantic;'poom, : :.indeed,'vthe - :■.subject: being .the very essence -of 'romance,' ' first lovo',' shy,' wondering: and 'yet undoubt- : : ing, .that transfigures all heaven and: earth : ' .'like.a. May morning or a summer: night: :It i is a themo that inspire the music of the first i folk-songs, and;there. : is all'/tho accumulivted ; . richness :of.the.past;in.More"dith's treatment '■ of it.:: .The:,vorse 'itself has for its under- J lying tune the o/d Saturninn measnro:— • . "Tho Queen 'was in; her. parlour :cating. bread , V.;;; and honey." :':..':,,;;■;,':,.. ; "Under yonder;beach-tree: single on the green-; c - ;..;_,'-'sward,":.:.'':--;;;;,-: ■■". '■ :,■;,■'■■■'•.'"..' "■' ■•■-■:■..' " 3 It is a measure that -haunts tho ears of ! modern poets like; tho immemorial '.tiinb of 'bells|so';thatthny all play :with it—Tennvsbn t ■' in --fAll-' along the..-Valley, 'Stream' that flash- v est-'white.". Browning .'in.'-a' pretty: song in- f "Forishtah'sranciesV:—';; Bound us the wild .creatures,; overhead'the i .-.'■'.."i trees,.."... "''.;.-;■ -/.■;■■'■>.■ . ■~- -.1':; "; ~; fj : Underfoot the - moss-tracks—life and love with E .■•;':■■ •"■■.--these !■;'■'.'■' ;'.'•' : - "' ' ; '.'" ".')' .■'•'-.•■ ..;■' v .Yet with all of.them ..'it. in atuii'e for varia- i; ;tions ; for they, cannot keep to its simplicity; h and.m Love- in tho Vallc.y now and wonder: « Jul tunes:come of the variations.•" But' there n

is singing music all through, with a rich accompaniment: of -all, tho - sounds of summer. It is folk-song with tho modern orchestra like tho symphonies of Dvorak, and ■it combines a singing rhythm with sharpness and fullness of detail as they had 'never before been combined in romantic poetry..

Yellow with birdfoot-trefoil are . the grassglades; Yellow with cinqne-foil of the dew-grey leaf; Yellow with stonecrop; the moss-iuounds are yellow; Bluo-neckoil tho wheat sways, yellowing to ■. ' the sheaf.. ■ . ' , Green-yellow bursts from the copse tho laugh-

■'.. ing; yaffle; . Sharp as a sioklo is the edge of shade.and . shine;. ..■' \ '. ;\ ,■• . Earth! in : her heart laughs looking at the ' heavens, >-{~" .Thinkingof the harvest: -I: look and think '"'..' of mine. !.;.';■ , . In Phoebus with' Admetus the Saturnian metre is!again the basis, and it has a folk- .. song theme treated with all the fuller consciousness, but without any'of the: unreality', of modern art. , And again, all tho sharp and'crowded details are mastered by the ' music:—; '-.{,''■ .-' Chirping none the scarlet: cicalas crouched in • '■ ranks: ' - : ■'.■ Slack.,the piled its' down-silk :■■'■ grey: ■ .■.'.•'■ :,"' ■ '■; Scarce, the stony lizard sucked' hollows in .his .flanks: : r Thick on spots of umbrage our drowsed flocks ,' .lay. ..'•'' . ... •" ,• - Sudden bowed the chestnuts beneath a wind -unheard, ' ■ ■Lengthened ran the grasses,; the sky grew ■ ( slate: ;. -: *. •'; . ■'■ '' ■ Then amid a swift flight of winged seed white ••'as ■curd,-.-..-: : J ■',■'■'•■ ■■'•■'■ ' ■, Clear of limb a Youth smote the master's •■•■ > : g ate '" ■ .-. : God! rf-whom music. . > .;,. ,':. -And song. and. blood are pure,' ■''-. ,' The day is never darkened . ... • ;. ■"': ; : ThatJiad:thee here obscure.'.■■'■..■' ■' One may say those last words of Meredith's own poetry. Often the God is obscure in •them; but we know_that ho has visited the poot; and we know' that be is always labouring to tell us new and wonderful things .which the God has'told him. ' : ! *'~ ■■' But all this fullness and sharpness of detail threatens. the ■ end, as it marks the climax, of the pure romanKc poetry!; It is the ■ first /sign of that -- plethora .'of thought •which,-as.■'Wordsworth' said, would have prevented Shakespeare .from writing an epic. If all conditions had favoured, Meredith perhaps have mado'the new poetry for which he'has prepared;the way. He. might have kept the folk-song music arid, enriched it ,with r ;a : more intellectual and' • questioning emotion. As it was, the folk-song music was' often, lost. But it is worth noticing/that ho was constantly.'trying to work on a folk-. song.; basis. ,' ; Sometimes,.; it is true, '.''assin his Odes, he followed tho literary arid Latin tradition of English poetry;. and he' began the ode called "Youth in -Memory" with' a passage that, seemsintended to imitate, the youthful .poetry .of his friend Swinburne, and in, that imitation to symbolise youth-itself :—. .Days, when the ball of our vision Had, eagles that flew.unabashed to' sun; When the grasp 'on the bow Was decision, 5 And arrow and hand arid eye were one; . ! When the Pleasures,; like- waves, to a swimmer, Came heaving for'rapture ahead!— .-'.-'• Invoke them,- they; dwindle, they glimmer ■As lights over, mounds of the .dead.- ..■.'.' ';':'; Butnoticej everi ; here, how he disturbs the metro.with' an, unexpected foot in-the second and fourth lines! Ho cartnot bo. content, like";' Swinburne, just to glorify a,-familiar tune. Arid, so in his ballads and mother poems with, a : ..'folk-song basis ho cannot be content .with a folk-song, simplicity of movement arid: thought. ..■ Tho',; movement.,, is constantly .broken;:by,compression of the sensed It'-ia often rather a' precis of poetry than poetryitself.; 'There is an .emphasis on each work because each'has.to do.the work, of two,or three.'■. This is riot a solution,of the problefnwhich;he set himself/of combining action arid passion'- with ; intellectual i comment';' 'for • tlibugh the comment-is so much compressed that it does not swamp; the action, and passion^;:.the; : compression jars- the rhythm which is.the proper poetic expression :of action arid passion. Often,: we are only tantalised by; ballad form' which .leads'; us to .expect metre'itself we feel the.poet's 'mind-labouring after; ■ a' ; primitive simplicity," for which it. will ;hot forgo any of'its Vownv modern activities. Therefore;.', the, labour,', is. .desperate and .in'terests us in." its process.fa'therj;thahi delights ;. fls' in, its ;jre'sultS'.;vTh'e ballads of''tragic life 'aro,'-.for,;the;inbst;part, notes upon tragic . situations forced* into verse. They: are won-. like.; Aristotle's! ''Ethics";/but theyhave';' little •/more music .than-that:work'has; eloquehoo.'. .'' ;;;';';:;;:''..! ,;.:, y .;!'v-;--.;.';\ ./Often -Meredith used the ballad form, with; a kind of; irony, just as he used the eloquence of Shakespeare's sonnets ironically in "Modern Love." In ''The Young Princess" he begins':^;', : ''. ; -./.'.-;'' ; :';;''• '■■ .''■;"'■ .■■'.-. '■;■. ••' ■■' ■'.-':'■'' ' \When' : 'the South sang':like a nightingale.';- ;•.. .'Above'a bower, in May,'" . .~' :.; . jThe training of Love's vine of'flame ; 'Was writ in laws, for lord and dame ■■■'.-. . .;.,;', «T6.say their-,yea and.nay.,';. ' .-■, .:, You would; ;oxpect a simple story of romance and rapture; but all that, follows','; is grim and: complicated, ; and the; burden is there like, .'.'La dbnria :' e mobile"' in • "Rigoletto" only to make it-grimmer by/cdntrast. Often in'his.:ballads;Meredith. imitates, rather the . ,6f debased ballad verse ;than the lyrical beauty ..of true;, folk-song."..'.• He is nearer to the later.than the earlier version of ; "Chevy Chase,'. 1 .not, ■ of course,;,.from failureofart, but by deliberate design. For in -.these! ballads he '■ cannot 'forbear, -to' criticise the, .romantic standards which we associate; with the ballad, and against which he reacts'in jail'his poetry. ■ And this criticism, is r .apt to:express' itself in a kind of .doggerel \ which is!a parody of the romantic methods of ; expression. ': A Verse .will: begin, with romantic and end in doggerel as in this example: from "Archduchess ArineV— . !I'-am a'man; of many sins,. ■'■: : .' ■',■'■'■ Who-for one virtue die, .. VCbunt' Louis play at shins, .. • 'Who ;kick,:was .the reply. .. Count Louis is not allowed to Byronise with- ; out a rebuke; and Byron, himself gets a -rebuke in.the: little;poem called;"Manfred"— '; Somewhere about his; grinder; teeth Ho mouthed pf thoughts that grilled beneath, i\i\(L summoned Nature to ner feud v ;; : '.;' , With 'bile'.'and buskin 'attitude.';' ■. ', ', Meredith, in'facti is always using the primi- ; tive forms 'of poetry -to test the .matter of 1 poetry,.'as if any spurious. matter must be- i (ray itself at once in forms: so simple; and 1 wljen'it does ;hetray itself he,.,derides it in i doggerel. ::,. ;'.-> -, Y\'_ ;.', I ■ : But he is.vjust as suspicious .of spurious i matter when-he-writes in the literary tradi- : j tion, and; this suspicion expresses itself, in > form,no less than "in. sense. ;He; writes odes ) in irregular verse- liko. Cowley,.but for .a j reason. the Very, opposi t'e'.->,. Qowley hoped, by i bis irregularities, ,to suggest a frenzy that ] could not be; kept within bounds. Meredith i needed a form of verse/as near to prose as j possible, but without the diffuseness of blank ( verse, so that ho. might never bo forced' by c bis metro to seem more poetic than he was. ,{ Ibb "Meditation under Stars" is indeed meditation for the most part, and the labourr ' ing thought of; the writer expresses itself in the-broken lines that are so near to in- ' tense audicoriipressed, prose. Only when,at the.end;emotion masters him do'the verses, c move swiftly-and; freely and the words sing I together, in a common, music—v , c ";■:,■. y;!.^'':'"•■.: : '.■';.■ We behold- •'.' '.■■'''■ ] rhe love that londs her grace •' , : .■..-■•.,..,■. •; Ainong;the starry fold. '• -.> .■ ■...-.'. riien at new flood of customary morn, ' r U>ok at her through .her. showers, c Her riiists, her streaming gold, • g :V; wonder .edges f he familiar face; . t wears no more that robe of printed hours; n Half strange seems Earth, and.sweeter than n her flowers. . ■ !n all -Meredith's metres,, thero is,', a clear \ ind. candid expression of the process, poetic h )r half of his mind. He may irritate h but he will never beguile you into think- g ng ho-feels more than-he does. Ho is for' a sver trying to eiirich the material of poetry, 0 irid when he fails -we know it at onco from c ho dissonance of his. verso. But in that n ; ery dissonance he riiay bo preparing for a uturp and more subtle harmony, when some wot shall be able to. feel, his ideas mora nstinctiyely than he. felt, them, and so to h ind; an. easier expression for thorn; and it u nay bo'that we,' as ; we Jgrow more familiar lc nth his sense, .will find r nn unexpected music bi n,his verso, even in tho later odes on French n ,istory: : for beauty often seems ugliness 's( .'hen tlie mind is bewildered by its strange- m ess.— "Times." |tc