1479.3. John Kenyon to EBB
Addendum to The Brownings’ Correspondence, vol. 8.
[London]
[ca. 1844]
Dear E.B.B. I have past this morning in looking thro’—page by page—and reading a good deal of “the Poem[”]. Enough to enable me to give you the only answer as to the “print or not print” which I should feel myself enabled to give after a week’s examination– We have agreed not to make verbal criticisms—at least at this stage– Or else I should have a few not so much to make as to put you on making for yourself– Yet all these things which I should point out you have done advisedly—they are matters of taste—and in the main I think the Author is the best judge– I should object to false accents or words—“vibràting—làment—&c– I should be disposed to question a good many compounds—such as God-eyes—but you choose these as I have said advisedly–
Faults of the Poem—Minor faults—Bold Barettisms in Metaphor—Beauty sometimes sacrificed to force—Or the Antagonism of Beauty brought in—for instance I should say “my lions scenting your blood of Sin—war her throne– And here I would observe the phrases which devout writers are apt to dwell on such as “washing in the blood of the Lamb” &c &c.– Imperfect rhymes—Why rhyme at all—why not write merely metrically—unless you will consent to be accurate in rhymes?– And this leads me to observe that the use of the double rhymes—often very very different—has been disadvantageous to the solemnity & the impressiveness of your lyrical parts– Their tendency is to impose a perpetuable straining of the sense to meet the rhyme– Very often an unsuccessful straining– Either the rhyme suffers or the sense suffers– And when most successful there is this great inconvenience—that the attention, as it seems to me, is perpetually drawn to the ingeniousness of the workmanship to the great detriment of the force and dignity of the matter– I am writing loosely & quickly, because you—my Coz—comprehend at ½ a word– Now for the Virtues of your poem– They are very great– You have never expanded yourself thro’ so large a Region on so sustained a wing– All your merits are to be found in it amplified– It is simple truth to say that if [2] such poems are to be written, there is no English Writer who can approach to what you have here done– None have that mingling of deep thought—on such subjects and peculiar sensibility—for you have made your Christianity a part of your very being—and of poetical power conjoined– Though reading your not very legible hand—and also ass impatient as I am of Manuscript—whether reading or writing—I have rarely found it obscure– The dialogue is often broad—massive—magnificent discussion—the height of a great argument—this breadth a little broken in upon as seems to me by the lyrics—on account chiefly of the rhymes—which emasculate them I think—and by the mixture of such smaller thorns of the rose & the nightingale– But your peculiar powers have never been more fully manifested than in this poem– Those who admire what you have done in this line will have reason to admire you all the more–
NB. I should doubt about icthyosaurus—I mention this here, seeing the page open in which it occurs–
—Well then to print or not to print? This you must decide for yourself—helped by opinions– For myself I should say—Print it—Because—tho it can never be popular—& yet nothing of your greater efforts can be popular—still you have acted on some of the greatest minds—poetical or merely meditative of the day– And this poem will only confirm the impression of power which you have already made– You must expect remark from some even of these– You have made Christ an interlocutor—tho’ in a vision– Some will not hear this– As far as my judgment goes I should say—the poem will be read by few—but those few will think all the more highly of your poetical and lyrical capacities– Therefore do not be too readily discouraged from printing it & with the others—it will not add much to the price of the book– At least you will save the expence of advertisement, binding &c—which would wait on a separate publication. I [3] encourage you to print it—not for my own particular pleasure– My idiosyncracy does not permit me to be moved by these Sacred Poems– I want a human interest– Tho they are tedious, almost unreadable, whatever the poetical power (even in spite of your power, & the love I have for you & the pride in your success) may be– I cannot sympathize with Angels, and such like– The “house of clouds” to me is worth them all– I should read this poem—like the Seraphim—admire—mark the finer passages—& perhaps never open the book again but that does not hinder my seeing that it is a poem which is likely to give great pleasure (is that the word?) to many minds and those of a high class—and to increase the fame—you have won– But this with the Few. The Many will not care about such a poem– But you and I dont care for the Many– I should have lived sixty years & you half the time—to very little good purpose if we did– Now I think it better to send you this hasty note at once– If I waited I should come to the same conclusion—“Nothing other will be expected from the Perverse Insolent writer of those prefaces & of the Seraphim—Cum Tantis aliis– Yrs always affy John Kenyon
Address: Miss E. B. Barrett / 50. Wimpole Str.
Publication: None traced.
Manuscript: Armstrong Browning Library.
2. Underscored thrice.
3. Underscored twice.
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