943. EBB to John Kenyon
As published in The Brownings’ Correspondence, 5, 311–312.
50. Wimpole Street–
April 13– 1842.
My dear Mr Kenyon,
I send you back the two books with a great many thanks.
The Tragedy will be considered probably “naught” as a whole, but of considerable entity of beauty in detached parts. It appears to me that there are even fine dramatic touches in it although it is not a fine tragedy—& I would assuredly far rather be the poet of it than of half or three quarters or more, of those “fine tragedies” which pass & are acted as such– There are also very noble passages which are not dramatic—for instance that noblest of the noble which the poet employed before—long ago—as a motto—& which seemed then to belong to the great ‘didactic poem’ in the treasure-house .... “Action is transitory .. a step, a blow”. [1] Altogether we surely ought to be grateful for it .. call it tragedy .. poem—discrepancy .. what you please. And I for one, am grateful.
For the rest—there is much which is beautiful & powerful—only you have to dig for it– Do read the sonnets to the painter .. & the next palinodia sonnet—& the one beginning “A Poet”—& that composed on May morning 1838 & that immediately following & commencing “Life with the lambs”,—& think if they may not take rank with the crowned sonnets, the very most royal, of even Wordsworth himself. The ‘Windermere widow’ too– O yes! & much besides! & I like the ‘Norman boy’—only there is something wanting to the wholeness of the impression. [2]
There is one poem affecting in its subject, & treatment too I think—too affecting to me personally to read to an end. [3]
The Shakspeare society appears to labour under an antiquarian delusion to the effect that this book—which I return thanking you, .. involves much valuable novelty. [4] To be honest I cannot say that it has interested me .. beyond a few scattered notices with almost a quarter of the volume between each pair.
Dear Mr Kenyon’s “perverse”,
affectionate cousin
EBB–
I heard from dear Miss Mitford yesterday. A very sad account of her father!–
Publication: None traced.
Manuscript: Wellesley College.
1. “The Borderers,” line 1539.
2. The subject of these paragraphs is Wordsworth’s latest publication, Poems, Chiefly of Early and Late Years; Including The Borderers, a Tragedy (1842). The title-page of “The Borderers” dates its composition to 1795–96. EBB was later asked to write a review of the volume for The Athenæum; it appeared in the issue of 27 August 1842 (no. 774, pp. 757–759).
3. EBB may be referring to “Composed by the Sea-Shore” (pp. 180–181). As it deals with the dangers faced by those who sail the sea, it is probable that it would evoke painful memories of Bro’s death.
4. The Shakespeare Society of London sponsored various publications, dealing in the main with the theatre, but not exclusively with Shakespeare. EBB’s reference may be to Memoirs of Edward Alleyn … Including Some New Particulars Respecting Shakespeare, Ben Jonson, Massinger, Marston, Dekker, etc. by John Payne Collier (1841).
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