Life of Robert Browning [14]
"Pauline" in his "Poetical Works"
with reluctance, and in a note explained the reason of his decision --
namely, to forestall piratical reprints abroad. "The thing was
my earliest attempt at `poetry always dramatic in principle,
and so many utterances of so many imaginative persons, not mine,'
which I have since written according to a scheme less extravagant,
and scale less impracticable, than were ventured upon
in this crude preliminary sketch -- a sketch that, on reviewal,
appears not altogether wide of some hint of the characteristic features
of that particular `dramatis persona' it would fain have reproduced:
good draughtsmanship, however, and right handling were far beyond the artist
at that time." These be hard words. No critic will ever adventure upon
so severe a censure of "Pauline": most capable judges agree that,
with all its shortcomings, it is a work of genius, and therefore
ever to be held treasurable for its own sake as well as for its significance.
--
* Probably from the fact of "Richmond" having been added
to the date at the end of the preface to "Pauline",
have arisen the frequent misstatements as to the Browning family
having moved west from Camberwell in or shortly before 1832.
Mr. R. Barrett Browning tells me that his father "never lived at Richmond,
and that that place was connected with `Pauline', when first printed,
as a mystification."
--
On the fly-leaf of a copy of this initial work, the poet,
six years after its publication, wrote: "Written in pursuance
of a foolish plan I forget, or have no wish to remember;
the world was never to guess that such an opera, such a comedy,
such a speech proceeded from the same notable person. . . .
Only this crab remains of the shapely Tree of Life in my fool's Paradise."
It was in conformity with this plan that he not only
issued "Pauline" anonymously, but enjoined secrecy upon those
to whom he communicated the fact of his authorship.
When he read the poem to his parents, upon its conclusion,
both were much impressed by it, though his father made severe strictures upon
its lack of polish, its terminal inconcision, and its vagueness of thought.
That he was not more severe was accepted by his son as high praise.
The author had, however, little hope of seeing it in print.
Mr. Browning was not anxious to provide a publisher with a present.
So one day the poet was gratified when his aunt, handing him
the requisite sum, remarked that she had heard he had written a fine poem,
and that she wished to have the pleasure of seeing it in print.
To this kindly act much was due. Browning, of course, could not now
have been dissuaded from the career he had forecast for himself,
but his progress might have been retarded or thwarted
to less fortunate grooves, had it not been for the circumstances
resultant from his aunt's timely gift.
The MS. was forthwith taken to Saunders & Otley, of Conduit Street,
and the little volume of seventy pages of blank verse, comprising only
a thousand and thirty lines, was issued by them in January 1833.
It seems to us, who read it now, so manifestly a work of exceptional promise,
and, to a certain extent, of high accomplishment, that were it not
for the fact that the public auditory for a new poet
is ever extraordinarily limited, it would be difficult to understand
how it could have been overlooked.
"Pauline" has a unique significance because of its autopsychical hints.
The Browning whom we all know, as well as the youthful dreamer,
is here revealed; here too, as well as the disciple of Shelley,
we have the author of "The Ring and the Book". In it the long series
culminating in "Asolando" is foreshadowed, as the oak is observable
in the sapling. The poem is prefaced by a Latin motto from
the `Occult Philosophy' of Cornelius Agrippa, and has also a note in French,
set forth as being by Pauline, and appended to her lover's manuscript
after his death. Probably Browning placed it in the mouth of Pauline
from his rooted determination to speak dramatically and
with reluctance, and in a note explained the reason of his decision --
namely, to forestall piratical reprints abroad. "The thing was
my earliest attempt at `poetry always dramatic in principle,
and so many utterances of so many imaginative persons, not mine,'
which I have since written according to a scheme less extravagant,
and scale less impracticable, than were ventured upon
in this crude preliminary sketch -- a sketch that, on reviewal,
appears not altogether wide of some hint of the characteristic features
of that particular `dramatis persona' it would fain have reproduced:
good draughtsmanship, however, and right handling were far beyond the artist
at that time." These be hard words. No critic will ever adventure upon
so severe a censure of "Pauline": most capable judges agree that,
with all its shortcomings, it is a work of genius, and therefore
ever to be held treasurable for its own sake as well as for its significance.
--
* Probably from the fact of "Richmond" having been added
to the date at the end of the preface to "Pauline",
have arisen the frequent misstatements as to the Browning family
having moved west from Camberwell in or shortly before 1832.
Mr. R. Barrett Browning tells me that his father "never lived at Richmond,
and that that place was connected with `Pauline', when first printed,
as a mystification."
--
On the fly-leaf of a copy of this initial work, the poet,
six years after its publication, wrote: "Written in pursuance
of a foolish plan I forget, or have no wish to remember;
the world was never to guess that such an opera, such a comedy,
such a speech proceeded from the same notable person. . . .
Only this crab remains of the shapely Tree of Life in my fool's Paradise."
It was in conformity with this plan that he not only
issued "Pauline" anonymously, but enjoined secrecy upon those
to whom he communicated the fact of his authorship.
When he read the poem to his parents, upon its conclusion,
both were much impressed by it, though his father made severe strictures upon
its lack of polish, its terminal inconcision, and its vagueness of thought.
That he was not more severe was accepted by his son as high praise.
The author had, however, little hope of seeing it in print.
Mr. Browning was not anxious to provide a publisher with a present.
So one day the poet was gratified when his aunt, handing him
the requisite sum, remarked that she had heard he had written a fine poem,
and that she wished to have the pleasure of seeing it in print.
To this kindly act much was due. Browning, of course, could not now
have been dissuaded from the career he had forecast for himself,
but his progress might have been retarded or thwarted
to less fortunate grooves, had it not been for the circumstances
resultant from his aunt's timely gift.
The MS. was forthwith taken to Saunders & Otley, of Conduit Street,
and the little volume of seventy pages of blank verse, comprising only
a thousand and thirty lines, was issued by them in January 1833.
It seems to us, who read it now, so manifestly a work of exceptional promise,
and, to a certain extent, of high accomplishment, that were it not
for the fact that the public auditory for a new poet
is ever extraordinarily limited, it would be difficult to understand
how it could have been overlooked.
"Pauline" has a unique significance because of its autopsychical hints.
The Browning whom we all know, as well as the youthful dreamer,
is here revealed; here too, as well as the disciple of Shelley,
we have the author of "The Ring and the Book". In it the long series
culminating in "Asolando" is foreshadowed, as the oak is observable
in the sapling. The poem is prefaced by a Latin motto from
the `Occult Philosophy' of Cornelius Agrippa, and has also a note in French,
set forth as being by Pauline, and appended to her lover's manuscript
after his death. Probably Browning placed it in the mouth of Pauline
from his rooted determination to speak dramatically and