Chapter fourteen LIFE AND ITS IMAGE Philosophers have been slow to recognize the fact that there

are an general laws governing i!agination" e#cept insofar as its processes interfere with those of $isc%rsive reason& 'obbes" (acon" Loc)e" an$ '%!e note$ the s ste!atic ten$encies of the !in$ to error* the ten$+ encies to associate i$eas b !ere contig%it in e#perience" h postatize concepts once abstracte$ an$ treat the! as new concrete entities" attrib%te power to inert ob,ects or to !ere wor$s" an$ several other vagaries that lea$ awa fro! science to a state of chil$ish error& (%t %ntil recentl " no one as)e$ why s%ch fantastic errors sho%l$ occ%r with
!onotono%s persistence& As it often happens in the histor of tho%ght" the proble! presente$ itself s%$$enl to a n%!ber of people in $ifferent fiel$s of scholarship& The o%tstan$ing answer to it was given b Ernst -assirer" in his great wor)" Die Philosophic der symbolischen Formen. The first of -assirer.s three vol%!es concerns lang%age" an$ %ncovers" in that para$ig! of s !bolic for!s" the so%rces both of logic an$ of its chief antagonist" the creative i!agination& For in lang%age we fin$ two intellect%al f%nctions which it perfor!s at all ti!es" b virt%e of its ver nat%re* to fi# the pre+e!inent factors of e#perience as entities" b giving the! names, an$ to abstract concepts of relationship" b tal)ing about the na!e$ entities& The first process is essentiall h postatic/ the secon$" abstractive& As soon as a na!e has $irecte$ %s to a center of interest" there is a thing or a being 0in pri!itive thin)ing these alternatives are not $isting%ishe$1 about which the rest of the 2specio%s present2 arranges itself& (%t this ar&3nging is itself reflecte$ in lang%age/ for the secon$ process" assertion" which for!%lates the Gesta'lt of the co!ple# $o!inate$ b a na!e$ CHAPTER 4 5 L i f e and Its Image 6 7 8

being" is essentiall s ntactical/ an$ the for! which lang%age th%s i!+ presses on e#perience is $isc%rsive& The beings in the worl$ of pri!itive !an were" therefore" creations of his s !bolizing !in$ an$ of the great instr%!ent" speech" as !%ch as of nat%re e#ternal to hi!/ things" ani!als" persons" all ha$ this pec%liarl i$eal character" beca%se abstraction was !ingle$ with fabrication& The na!ing process" starte$ an$ g%i$e$ b e!otional e#cite!ent" create$ entities not onl for sense perception b%t for !e!or " spec%lation" an$ $rea!& This is the so%rce of ! thic conception" in which s !bolic power is still %n$isting%ishe$ fro! ph sical power" an$ the s !bol is f%se$2 with what it s !bolizes& The characteristic for!" or 2logic"2 of ! thic thin)ing is the the!e of -assirer.s secon$ vol%!e& It is a logic of !%ltiple !eanings instea$ of general concepts" representative fig%res instea$ of classes" reinforce+ !ent of i$eas 0b repetition" variation" an$ other !eans1 instea$ of proof& The boo) is so e#tensive that to collect here even the !ost relevant 3%otations wo%l$ re3%ire too !%ch space/ I can onl refer the rea$er to the so%rce& At the ver ti!e when the Ger!an philosopher was writing his secon$ vol%!e" an English professor of literat%re was pon$ering precisel the sa!e proble! of non+$isc%rsive s !bolis!" to which he ha$ been le$ not b interest in science an$ the vagaries of %nscientific tho%ght" b%t b the st%$ of poetr & This literar scholar" 9wen (arfiel$" p%blishe$ in 4:65 a s!all b%t highl significant boo) entitle$ Poetic
Diction, !tudy in "eanings. It $oes not see! to have !a$e an profo%n$ i!pression on his generation of literar critics& Perhaps its transcen$ence of the ac+ cepte$ episte!ological concepts was too ra$ical to reco!!en$ itself witho%t !%ch !ore $eliberate an$ thoro%gh reorientation than the a%thor gave his rea$ers/ perhaps" on the e#act contrar " none of these rea$ers realize$ how ra$ical or how

i!portant its i!plications were& The fact is that this p%rel literar st%$ reveals the sa!e relationships between lang%age an$ conception" conception an$ i!agination" i!agination an$ ! th" ! th an$ poetr " that -assirer $iscovere$ as a res%lt of his reflection on the logic of science&4

.-assirer.s philosoph of s !bolic for!s $evelope$ o%t of his earlier wor)" !ubstance and Function. 67;
PART

< #he "a$ing o f the !ymbol

CHAPTER 4 5 L i f e and Its Image 6

2In& the whole $evelop!ent of conscio%sness & & & we can trace the
operation of two opposing principles" or forces& Firstl %sic&" there is the force b which & & & single !eanings ten$ to split %p into a n%!ber of separate an$ often isolate$ concepts& & & & The secon$ principle is one which we fin$ given %s" to start with" as the nat%re of lang%age itself at its birth& It is the principle of living %nit &2 =

2 & & & Not an e!pt .root !eaning to shine". b%t the sa!e $efinite spirit%al realit
which was behel$ on the one han$ in what has since then beco!e p%re h%!an thin)ing/ an$ on the other han$" in what has since beco!e ph sical light/ & & & not a !etaphor" b%t a living fig%re&2>

These passages co%l$ al!ost pass for a paraphrase of -assirer.s Language and "yth, or frag!ents fro! the Philosophie der symbolischen Formen. The !ost stri)ing parallel" however" is the $isc%ssion of
! thic i!agination" which begins* 2Perhaps nothing co%l$ be !ore $a!ning to the .root. conception of lang%age than the %bi3%ito%s pheno!enon of ! th&2 (arfiel$ then states briefl the theor of !%ltiple !eanings an$ f%sion of s !bol an$ sense" an$ concl%$es* 2M tholog is the ghost of concrete !eaning& -onne#ions between $iscri!inate pheno!ena" conne#ions which are now apprehen$e$ as !etaphor" were once perceive$ as i!!e$iate realities& As s%ch the poet strives" b his own efforts" to see the!" an$ to !a)e others see the!" again&28

Meanwhile" in a totall $ifferent $epart!ent of learning" na!el the newborn science of ps chiatr " another !an ha$ co!e %pon the e#istence of an 2irrational2 !o$e of tho%ght?a !o$e having its own s !bolis! an$ 2logic2?an$ ha$ !a$e practical applications of the i$ea" with spectac%lar s%ccess& This !an was Sig!%n$ Fre%$& At first ?when he began to p%blish his theor of ne%roses an$ anal tic st%$ies of $rea!s" aro%n$ the t%rn of the cent%r ?the relevance of his $iscover to aesthetics was not apparent" an$ its $anger for tra$itional ethics f%ll engage$ the atten+tion of his critics& (%t even in the preface to the thir$ e$ition of his #raumdeutung, the e$ition of 4:47"
he hi!self observe$ that in the f%t%re it sho%l$ be revise$ 2to incl%$e selections fro! the rich !aterial of poetr " ! th" %sage of lang%age @i$io!A" an$ fol)lore& & & &2
(

B>i$&" p& 87C

'bid., p& 8=& (bid., pp& 8;+8:& The parallel is so stri)ing that it is har$ to believe in its p%re coin+ ci$ence" et s%ch it see!s to be& (arfiel$" li)e -assirer" re,ects Ma# Miiller.s theor that ! th is a 2$isease of lang%age"2 b%t praises his $istinction between 2poetic2 an$ 2ra$ical2 !etaphor/ then goes on to criticize the basic ass%!ption containe$ even in the theor of 2ra$ical !etaphor"2 that the carr ing over of a wor$ fro! one sphere of sense to another" or fro! sensor !eanings to non+sensor ones" is reall 2!etaphor2 at all& 2The f%ll !eanings of wor$s"2 he sa s" 2are flashing" iri$escent shapes li)e fla!es?ever+flic)ering vestiges of the slowl +evolving conscio%sness beneath the!& To the Loc)e+M%ller+France wa of

thin)ing"6 on the contrar " the appear as soli$ ch%n)s with $efinite bo%n$aries
an$ li!its" to which other ch%n)s !a be a$$e$ as occasion arises&2 'e goes on to 3%estion the s%ppose$ occ%rrence of a 2!etaphorical perio$2 in h%!an histor " when wor$s of entirel ph sical !eaning were p%t to !etaphorical %ses/ for" he sa s" 2these poetic" an$ apparently !etaphorical val%es were latent in !eaning fro! the beginning& In other wor$s" o% !a i!pl " if o% choose" with Dr& (lair" 7 that the earliest wor$s in %se were .the na!es of sensible !aterial ob,ects. and nothing more)only, in that case" o% !%st s%ppose the .sensible ob,ects. the!selves to have been so!ething !ore/ o% !%st s%ppose that the were not" as the appear at present" isolate$" or $etache$" fro! thin)ing an$ feeling& Afterwar$s" in the $evelop!ent of lang%age an$ tho%ght" these single !eanings split %p into contraste$ pairs+the abstract an$ the concrete" partic%lar an$ general" ob,ective an$ s%b,ective& An$ the poes felt b %s to resi$e in ancient lang%age consists ,%st in this" that" o%t of o%r later" anal tic" .s%b,ective. conscio%sness" a conscio%sness which has been bro%ght abo%t along with" an$ partl beca%se of" this splitting %p of !eaning" we are le$ bac) to e#perience the original %nit &2 5

PART

4 4 #he "a$ing o f the !ymbol

CHAPTER 4 5 L i f e and Its Image 6 5 4

)nowle$ge that cannot be ren$ere$ $isc%rsivel beca%se it concerns e#periences that are not formally a!enable to the $isc%rsive pro,ection& S%ch e#periences are the rh th!s of life" organic" e!otional an$ !ental 0the rh th! of attention is an interesting lin) a!ong the! all1" which are not si!pl perio$ic" b%t en$lessl co!ple#" an$ sensitive to ever sort of infl%ence& All together the co!pose the $ na!ic pattern of feeling& It is this pattern that onl non+$isc%rsive s !bolic for!s can present" an$ that is the point an$ p%rpose of artistic constr%ction& The laws of co!bination" or 2logic"2 of p%rel aesthetic for!s?be the for!s of visible space" a%$ible ti!e" living forces" or e#perience itself?are the f%n$a!ental laws of i!agination& The were recognize$ long ago b poets" who praise$ the! as the wis$o! of the heart 0!%ch s%perior to that of the hea$1" an$ b ! stics who believe$ the! to be the laws of 2realit &2 (%t" li)e the laws of literal lang%age" the are reall ,%st canons of s !bolization/ an$ the s ste!atic st%$ of the! was first %n$erta)en b Fre%$& Since his interest in s%ch episte!ological research was onl inci$ental to his pro,ect of fin$ing the $isg%ise$ !otif of a fantas " his own state!ents of these canons are scattere$ thro%gh !an h%n$re$ pages of $rea! anal sis& (%t s%!!e$ %p briefl " the t%rn o%t to be the ver sa!e 2laws2 that -assirer post%late$ for 2! thic conscio%sness"2 that E!ile D%r)hei! fo%n$ operative in the evol%tion of tote!is!"4D an$ that (ar+fiel$ note$ in 2poetic !eaning"2 or 2tr%e
!etaphor&2 The car$inal principle of i!aginative pro,ection is what Fre%$ calls Darstellbar$eit, which (rill translates as 2presentabilit &2 Since Fre%$.s allege$ 2tr%e2 !eanings are so often not 2presentable2 in the %s%al sense" 0his translation is %nfort%nate/ for darstellbar !eans 2capable of presentation"2 an$ $oes not refer to propriet & I shall therefore translate it as 2e#hibitable&2 Ever pro$%ct of i!agination?be it the intelligentl organize$ wor) of an artist" or the spontaneo%s fabrication of a $rea!er co!es to the percipient as an e#perience" a 3%alitative $irect $at%!& An$ an e!otional i!port conve e$ b it is perceive$ ,%st as $irectl / 0hat is wh poetic presentation is often sai$ to have an 2e!otional 3%alit &2 44

"'In

Les *ormes elementaires de la +ie religieuse.

2-f& the passage 3%ote$ fro! (aensch.s 2E%nst %n$ Gefiihl2 in -hap 6" pp&

Fh $i$ not -assirer an$ (arfiel$ ta)e cognizance of Fre%$.s wor)G (eca%se b the ti!e the %n$ertoo) their respective st%$ies" its infl%ence on art theor " especiall poetics" as well as on co!parative religion an$ ! tholog " was wi$esprea$ an$ profo%n$" b%t ha$ alrea$ shown its pec%liar wea)ness" na!el that it ten$e$ to p%t goo$ an$ ba$ art on a par" !a)ing all art a nat%ral self+e#pressive f%nction li)e $rea! an$ 2!a)e+believe2 instea$ of a har$ won intellect%al a$vance& Si!ilarl it e3%ate$ ! th an$ fair tale& An one who recognize$ artistic stan$ar$s" li)e (arfiel$" or )new the intricate proble!s of episte!olog as -assirer $i$" co%l$ not b%t feel that this e#c%rsion !%st so!ehow en$ in a blin$ alle & The literat%re of aesthetics base$ on Fre%$.s ps choanal sis belongs chiefl to the nineteen+twenties&; D%ring those ears" -& G& H%ng p%blishe$ his
!%ch+softene$ an$ so!ewhat ! stical version of 2$ na!ic ps cholog "2 an$ e#presse$ his far !ore reasonable views abo%t its bearing on art criticis!& (%t to a$!it the 2li!itations2 of a proce$%re still $oes not $ispose of one.s $iffic%lties if the proce$%re happens to be f%n$a!entall !ista)en& Fre%$.s st%$ies of non+$isc%rsive s !bolis!" an$ H%ng.s conse3%ent spec%lations abo%t 2archet pes"2 were all !a$e in the interest of tracing $rea! s !bols to their so%rces" which are i$eas e#pressible in literal ter!s?the 2$rea! tho%ghts2 which the 2!anifest $rea! content2 represents& The sa!e thing can" in$ee$" be $one with ever pro$%ct of i!agination" an$ interesting ps chological facts will co!e to light thro%gh the anal sis& Ever poe!" novel or pla contains a wealth of $rea! !aterial which stan$s pro# for %nspo)en tho%ghts& (%t ps choanal sis is not artistic ,%$g!ent" an$ the !an boo)s an$ articles that have been written on the s !bolic f%nctions of painting" !%sic" an$ literat%re act%all contrib%te nothing to o%r %n$erstan$ing of 2significant for!&2 The Fre%$ian conception of art is a theor of 2significant !otif&2 :

Non+$isc%rsive for! in art has a $ifferent office" na!el to artic%late 5

PART

4 4 #he "a$ing o f the !ymbol

CHAPTER 4 5 L i f e and Its Image

657 poetr there is no negation" b%t onl contrast& -onsi$er" for instance" the last stanza of Swinb%rne.s 2The Gar$en of Proserpine"2 in which al!ost ever line is a $enial* Then star nor s%n shall wa)en" Nor an change of light* Nor so%n$ of waters sha)en" Nor an so%n$ or sight* Nor wintr leaves nor vernal/ Nor $a s nor things $i%rnal/ 9nl the sleep eternal In an eternal night& S%n an$ star" light" so%n$ing waters" leaves" an$ $a s all appear even as the are $enie$/ o%t of the! is woven the bac)gro%n$ that sets off the final ass%rance* 9nl the sleep eternal In an eternal night& The long process of $enial" !eanti!e" has f%rnishe$ the !onotono%s 2nor?nor?nor2 that !a)es the whole stanza sin) to sleep al!ost witho%t the closing lines/ the negative wor$ th%s e#ercising a creative f%nction& The literal sense" f%rther!ore" being a constant re,ection of the e!erging i$eas" )eeps the! pale an$ for!al?fa$e$" 2gone2?in contrast with the one positivel state$ realit " Sleep& I !entione$ heretofore that in poetr there is no gen%ine logical arg%+ !ent / this again is parallele$ b the specio%sness of reasoning in $rea!s&46 The 2fi#ation of belief2 is not the poet.s p%rpose/ his p%rpose is the
creation of a virt%al e#perience of belief or of its attain!ent& 'is 2arg%!entation2 is the se!blance of tho%ght process" an$ the strain" hesita+tation" fr%stration" or the

swift s%btlet of !ental win$ings" or a sense of s%$$en revelation" are !ore i!portant ele!ents in it than the concl%sion& So!eti!es a conviction is perfectl establishe$ b !ere reiteration 02If I sa it three ti!es it.s tr%e"2 as Lewis -arroll.s (ell!an sai$1& 9ne of the !ost powerf%l principles governing the %se of 2nat%ral s !bols2 is the principle o f condensation. This" too" was $iscovere$ b Fre%$ in the co%rse of his $rea! anal sis&47 It is" of co%rse" relate$ to

.+See Fre%$" Interpretation o f

6;5 ff&

Dreams, chap" vi* 2The Drea! For)"2 pp& 668 ff& l,Ibid., pp&

Associate$ !eanings are not" as !an aestheticians ass%!e" a part of the i!rHort of poetr / the serve to e-pand the symbol, an$ this is a technical ai$ on the level of s !bol !a)ing" not of artistic insight& Fhere associations are not evo)e$ the s !bol is not enhance$" an$ where its poetic %se $epen$s on s%ch tacit e#tension" it !a si!pl fail& 0T& S& Eliot so!eti!es co%nts on associations that nor!all fail to occ%r/ footnotes onl e#plain what happene$ in the writing" b%t pro+ $%ce no i!aginative association for the rea$er& This criticis! of Eliot is analogo%s to one I hear$ a !%sician !a)e of the Pro Arte I%artet" whose pianissi!o was so perfect that it was ina%$ible be on$ the stage* 2Fhat is the %se of a bea%tif%l pianissi!o if one can.t hear itG2 The !e!bers of the 3%artet !ight have answere$" in the spirit of Mr& Eliot" that the a%$ience sho%l$ be following the score&1 The first logicall $ist%rbing feat%re of non+$isc%rsive e#pressive for!s is what Fre%$ calls 2over+$eter!ination&2 The sa!e for! !a have !ore than one i!port/ an$" whereas the assign!ent of !eaning to an ac)nowle$ge$ s !bol 0e&g& of literal or accepte$ h perbolic !eaning to a wor$1 precl%$es other possibilities in its given conte#t" the significance of a p%re perceptible for! is li!ite$ b nothing b%t the for!al str%ct%re itself& -onse3%entl references that co%l$ be rationall ta)en onl as alternatives are si!pl co+present as 2the i!port2 in art& This !a)es it possible to f%se even two contra$ictor affects in one e#pression& The 2pri!al Ho +Melanchol 2 of which Till ar$ spea)s is e#actl s%ch a content" which cannot be carrie$ thro%gh in an s !bolis! bo%n$ to the logic of $isco%rse" b%t is a fa!iliar content to the poetic !in$& Fre%$ calls this the principle o f ambi+alence. I believe the power of artistic for!s to be e!otionall a!bivalent
springs fro! the fact that e!otional opposites?,o an$ grief" $esire an$ fear" an$ so forth?are often ver si!ilar in their $ na!ic str%ct%re" an$ re!iniscent of each other& S!all shifts of e#pression can bring the! together" an$ show their inti!ate relations to each other" whereas literal $escription can onl e!phasize their separateness&

Fhere there is no e#cl%sion of opposites" there is also" strictl spea)ing" no negative& In non+verbal arts this is obvio%s/ o!issions !a be significant" b%t never as negatives& In literat%re" the wor$s" 2no"2 2not"2 2never"2 etc&" occ%r freel / b%t what the $en is thereb create$& In

655

PAJT 44

#he "a$ing o f the !ymbol

CHAPTER 4 5 L i f e and Its Image =

stan$ar$ of e#cellence&45 9ne $oes not sa of a sleeper that he $rea!s cl%!sil " nor of a ne%rotic that his s !pto!s are carelessl str%ng together/ b%t a poet !a certainl be charge$ with ineptit%$e or care+ lessness& The process of poetic organization is not a spontaneo%s as+ sociation of i!ages" wor$s" sit%ations" an$ e!otions" all a!azingl in+ terwoven" witho%t effort" thro%gh the %nconscio%s activit Fre%$ calle$ 2the $rea! wor)&2 Literar co!position" however 2inspire$"2 re3%ires invention" ,%$g!ent" often trial an$ re,ection" an$ long

conte!pation& An air of %nst%$ie$ spontaneo%s %tterance is apt to be as painsta)ingl achieve$ as an other 3%alit in the poetic fiction& Ever s%ccessf%l wor) of literat%re is wholl a creation" no !atter what act%alities have serve$ as its !o$els" or what stip%lations set %p its scaffol$& It is an illusion o f e-perience. It alwa s creates the se!blance of !ental process?that is" of living tho%ght" awareness of events an$ actions" !e!or " reflection" etc& Ket there nee$ not be an person in the virt%al 2worl$2 who sees an$ reports& The se!blance of life is si!pl the mode in which virt%al events are !a$e& The !ost i!personal acco%nt of 2facts2 can give the! the 3%alitative i!print which !a)es the! 2e#periences"2 able to enter into all sorts of conte#ts" an$ ta)ing on significance accor$ingl & That is to sa " literat%re nee$ not be 2s%b,ective"2 in the sense of reporting the i!pressions or feelings of a given s%b,ect" et ever thing that occ%rs in the fra!e of its ill%sion has the se!blance of a li+ed event& This !eans
that a virt%al event e#ists onl in so far as it is for!e$ an$ characterize$" an$ its relations are onl s%ch as are apparent in the virt%al worl$ of the wor)& To create the poetic pri!ar ill%sion" hol$ the rea$er to it" an$ $evelop the i!age of realit so it has e!otional significance above the s%ggeste$ e!otions which are ele!ents in it" is the p%rpose of ever wor$ a poet writes& 'e !a %se his own life.s a$vent%res or the contents of his $rea!s" ,%st as a painter !a pict%re his be$roo! chair" his st%$io stove" the chi!ne pots o%tsi$e his s) light" or the apocal ptic i!ages before his !in$.s e e& A poet !a ta)e $octrines an$ !oral convictions for his the!e" an$ preach the! in heroic co%plets or in ia!bic penta!eter
"5

The proble! of appl ing this stan$ar$ is another stor / here I wo%l$ re!ar) 0hat" altho%gh it is not alwa s possible to sa how a poet has !et the stan$ar$" it is alwa s possible to point o%t the ca%ses if he faile$&

over+$eter!ination/ in$ee$" all the principles of non+$isc%rsive pro,ection are probabl interrelate$" ,%st as those of $isc%rsive logic? i$entit " co!ple!entarit " e#cl%$e$ !i$$le" etc&?are all of a piece& (%t con$ensation of s !bols is not the sa!e thing as over+ $eter!ination/ it is essentiall a f%sion of for!s the!selves b intersection" contraction" elision" s%ppression" an$ !an other $evices& The effect is %s%all to intensif the create$ i!age" heighten the 2e!otional 3%alit 2/ often to !a)e one aware of co!ple#ities of feeling 0this" I thin)" is Ha!es Ho ce.s p%rpose in carr ing con$ensation to s%ch lengths that his lang%age beco!es a $istorte$ $rea! lang%age1& The real !aster of con$ensation is Sha)espeare* An$ Pit " li)e a na)e$ newborn babe" Stri$ing the blast" or 'eaven.s -her%bin" hors.$ Lpon the sightless co%riers of the air" Shall blow the horri$ $ee$ in ever e e That tears shall $rown the win$& A st%$ent traine$ b Professor Jichar$s co%l$ probabl paraphrase the last line to the effect that 2the so%n$ of weeping shall be lo%$er than the win$2/ b%t the paraphrase so%n$s i!probable" an$ the line itself" tre!en$o%s/ an$ besi$es" what Sha)espeare sai$ was* 2Tears shall $rown the win$"2 so he probabl $i$ not inten$ an thing else& F%rther!ore" what paraphrase can !a)e sense o%t of a newborn babe an$ a !o%nte$ g%ar$ of cher%bin that blow a deed in people.s e esG The
literal sense of these prophecies is negligible" tho%gh that of the wor$s is not/ the poetic sense of the whole con$ense$ an$ e#citing fig%re is perfectl clear& Sha)espeare.s poetr rings with s%ch $iction&

There are other characteristics of i!aginative e#pression" b%t the ones I have ,%st a$$%ce$ !%st serve here to !ar) the basic $istinction between $isc%rsive an$ non+ $isc%rsive thin)ing an$ presentation& These principles see! to govern e3%all the for!ation of $rea!s" ! thical conceits" an$ the virt%al constr%ctions of art& Fhat" then" reall sets poetr apart fro! $rea! an$ ne%rosisG

Above all" its p%rpose" which is to conve so!ething the poet )nows an$ wishes to set forth b the onl s !bolic for! that will e#press it& A poe! is not" li)e $rea!" a pro# for literal i$eas" inten$e$ to hi$e wishes an$ feelings fro! oneself an$ others/ it is !eant to be alwa s e!otionall transparent& Li)e all $eliberate e#pression" it !eets a p%blic

PART

< #he "a$ing o f the !ymbol

CHAPTER 4 5 L i f e and Its Image 6 5 8

or in wisps of free verse& 'e !a intersperse references to p%blic events" an$ %se na!es of real personages" ,%st as painters have often painte$ faithf%l portraits" or given the feat%res of their patrons to the worshipers $epicte$ in sacre$ pict%res& S%ch !aterials" t%rne$ to artistic p%rposes" nee$ not $ist%rb the wor) at all" which conse3%entl is no less 2p%re art2 than it wo%l$ otherwise be& The onl con$ition is that !aterials fro! an so%rce whatever !%st be p%t to co!pletel artistic %se" entirel transfor!e$" so that the $o not lea$ awa fro! the wor)" b%t give it" instea$" the air of being 2realit &2 There are co%ntless $evices for creating the worl$ of a poe! an$ artic%lating the ele!ents of its virt%al life" an$ al!ost ever critic $is+ covers so!e of these !eans an$ stan$s in won$ering a$!iration of their 2!agic&2 It !a happen that a poet hi!self falls in love with a poetic reso%rce" as Swinb%rne $i$ with alliterative wor$s an$ (rowning with the so%n$ of conversation" an$ %ses it so freel an$ obvio%sl that one hears the techni3%e itself instea$ of perceiving onl the virt%al events it serves to create& The poet has beco!e a theorist" li)e the awe+str%c) critic 0a critic who cannot be awe+str%c) is not e3%al to his !aterial1" an$ is te!pte$ to set %p a recipe for poetic wor)& If other writers are i!presse$ with his recipe the for! a 2school"2 an$ perhaps iss%e a !anifesto" asseverating the essential nat%re of poetr " an$ as a corollar the basic i!portance of their techni3%e" which achieves the essence& The poetr of the past" an$ especiall the recent past"4= is then cens%re$ as 2i!p%re2 in so far as !ost of it $oes not strive for this essence 0not to attain it is %ns%ccessf%l rather than i!p%re/ b%t to aim at an thing else is consi$ere$ as i!porting non+poetic factors" a$%lterating the poe!1& The 3%estion of 2p%re poetr 2 has e#ercise$ literar critics 0so!e of who! are poets1 in Englan$ an$ especiall in France" an$ to a lesser e#tent in other co%ntries" for at least three $eca$es now& L.Abbe (re+ !on$ gave it a s%ccinct state!ent an$ entirel bootless answer in his fa!o%s lect%re La po!sie pure,./ which en$s with a $escription of poetic
essence whereb one can onl interpret 2essence2 as 2!agic&2 Now" an avi$ rea$er of poetr will probabl agree that there is so!ething abo%t poetr that !a be calle$ 2poetic !agic2/ b%t that this 3%alit $oes not $epen$ on so%n$ or i!ager " !eaning or e!otion" b%t is so!ething else that inheres in the poe!" separate an$ ! stical" is not an enlightening ass%!ption& Li)e all ! stical beliefs" it is irref%table" b%t has no theoretical val%e whatever&

The val%e of the lect%re was that it provo)e$ a controvers in the co%rse of which so!e serio%s thin)ers fo%n$ it necessar to acco%nt for the 2!agical2 3%alit " $efine their own notions of poetic essence" an$ set %p a criterion of 2p%re poetr 2 which sho%l$ not !eas%re poe!s b the stan$ar$ of a poetr be on$ all lang%age" above wor$s" a 2poetr of silence&2 Ket !an critics followe$ l.Abbe (re!on$ in principle" i&e& in thin)ing of 2p%re poetr 2 as purified, free$ %pon non+poetic ingre$ients or non+poetic f%nctions/ an$ in this the an$ he were carr ing on the tho%ght of Poe" Shelle " -oleri$ge" Swinb%rne" all of who! ha$ so%ght for the 2poetic essence2 as one o f the elements in poetic $isco%rse" an$ plea$e$ for an increase of this ele!ent" whatever it was" an$ for the eli!ination of other ele!ents as far as possible. Shelle

wo%l$ leave o%t all $i$actic state!ents/ that was not too $iffic%lt" an$ !ost literar aestheticians secon$e$ hi!& Even lovers of $i$actic poetr %s%all agree$ that what the love$ was not 2p%re poetr &2 Poe went f%rther" regar$ing all 2e#plicit2 state!ent as %npoetic& 'e $i$ not !a)e 3%ite clear whether the opposite of 2e#plicit2 was 2i!plicit"2 2fig%rative"2 or 2vag%e2/ in one case at least he lets one infer that he !eans 2vag%e"2 for he praises !%sic as the +aguest of all co!!%nications& (%t fig%rative e#pression satisfie$ hi!" too& Li)e !ost philosophicall %ntraine$ writers 0for" al+ tho%gh !ost of the poet+critics rea$ philosoph " the were not $iscipline$ thin)ers1" he let the opprobrio%s ter! 2e#plicit2 !ean b t%rns 2e#plicit"2 2precise"2 2literal"2 2ob,ective"2 2nat%ralistic"2 an$ other ob,ectionable characters& Fhat he was tr ing to $o was to e#cl%$e 2%ntransfor!e$2 i$eas" single wor$s" or state!ents that wo%l$ ca%se the rea$er to thin) of things in the act%al worl$ instea$ of hol$ing to the virt%al worl$ of the poe!& 'is !ista)e was the co!!on one of tr ing to e#cl%$e s%ppose$l offen$ing materials rather than $e!an$ing consistent artistic practices.

'is !o$ern s%ccessors are s%btler& Mr& Eliot is not philosophicall %n$iscipline$& 'e also tries to p%rif poetr b leaving o%t as !%ch ;
PART

4 4 #he "a$ing o f the !ymbol

CHAPTER 4 5 L i f e and Its Image 6 5 :

poetic e#perience the poe! itself" an$ the 2poe! on paper2 onl a s !bol of it& Prescott" for instance" state$ this view e#plicitl in Poetry
and "yth0

2Poetr in the tr%e sense is obvio%sl not so!ething that can be fi#e$ on a printe$ page an$ bo%n$ %p in vol%!es/ it is rather !a$e %p of the series of tho%ghts an$ feelings" in$%ce$ b the printe$ s !bols" s%ccee$ing each other in the rea$er.s !in$&2 (%t" !ost s%rprisingl " this poetr !a not be poetic 4 For he went on $irectl to sa * 2The response to these s !bols !a not be poetical at all/ it !a be so!e 3%ite rational constr%ction in place of the series of i!ages" spontaneo%sl acco!panie$ b appropriate tho%ghts an$ feelings" which the poet inten$e$" an$ for which the s !bols have at best serve$ hi! as a ver i!perfect !eans of co!!%nication&2 48 'ere we have two poe!s" the writer.s an$ the rea$er.s" relate$ to each other
thro%gh a ver i!perfect !e$i%!" wor$s& Ket one of these two poe!s !a not be poetic& It !a be 2a 3%ite rational constr%ction&2 S%rel eno%gh" a few pages later we fin$* 2The essential ele!ent in poetr is non+reasonable& This ele!ent it is that generates the tr%e poetic bea%t " which is $rea!+li)e/ which cannot be stea$il or attentivel conte!plate$" b%t !a be seen onl in gli!pses/ of which we can sa onl that it has the char! or !agic that is the !ar) of its presence/ which therefore is ine#plicable&24;

'ere we have ever thing* the irrationalit post%late$ b Poe" the 2presence2 of a !omething be on$ wor$s or tho%ghts" the !agic" the all+b%t+
$ispensable !e$iating wor$s" the 2poetic e#perience"2 the 2poetic intent&2 An$ of co%rse" we !%st have creativit * 2The $isting%ishing !ar) of poetr " whatever its e#ternal for!" is in its creation& This fictional creation & & & is e#pressive of an$ !otivate$ b the poet.s wish" or aspiration&2 4: It !a see! strange that a series of tho%ghts an$ feelings in the rea$er.s !in$ sho%l$ have as its $isting%ishing !ar) so!ebo$ else.s s !pto!s of $ na!ic press%re/ b%t" pointing o%t that the poet.s vision 0i!perfectl conve e$ b wor$s1 is an ill%sion" 2a !a)ing over of o%twar$ i!pressions into a !ere phantas! of the !in$"2 lie e#plains that the rea$er !a borrow it an$ elaborate it to s%it his
.1 i'

Poetry and "yth, p. i.

Ibid., p& 8& laIbid., p. 5&

e#plicit state!ent as possible/ an$ for hi! the opposite of 2e#plicit2 is" 3%ite properl " 2i!plicit&2 The !oot point of his theor arises in its application* can the p%rel i!plicit in a state!ent alwa s be !a$e effectiveG 'ow can re!ote i!plications be given to the rea$er.s

int%itionG 'is answer is that the rea$er !%st be e$%cate$ to rea$ p%re poetr * he !%st have s%ch wi$e associations with wor$s that even assonance with a line of fa!o%s literat%re" English or foreign" ca%ses in hi! a reverberation of that line" an$ a veile$ reference to so!e obsc%re !e$iaeval !on) at once s%ggests this worth .s histor or legen$& Mr& Eliot so!eti!es patches %p o%r $efective e$%cation with glosses o%tsi$e the poe!" b%t !ore often he si!pl ta)es no cognizance of the fact that his whole c%lt%ral pres%pposition is fantastic" an$ bespea)s a $esperate nostalgia for a vanishe$ c%lt%re which was s!aller" s%rer" an$ s ste!aticall co!pact& 0'e is" fort%natel " a goo$ poet nonetheless/ onl his ver p%re poe!s !iss fire& This $oes not !ean that the cannot thrill an one?the obvio%sl $o/ b%t" I thin)" not as poetry. The offer an intellect%al ga!e pla e$ between the poet an$ the rea$er" an esoteric ga!e" that gives the few who are capable of 2a%$ience participation2 a ver nat%ral thrill of s%ccess&1 The interesting parallel between (re!on$.s an$ Eliot.s theories is that both ten$ to re$%ce the $isc%rsive !aterial of the poe!" or the poem on paper, in or$er to enhance the tr%e 2poetic2 ele!ent" which is an
e#perience create$ b the verbal sti!%l%s/ the tacit pre!ise being that this e#perience is !ost intense where the sti!%l%s is !ost re$%ce$& As (re!on$.s i$eal li!it is a 2poetr of silence"2 Eliot.s sho%l$ properl be that of the single all+i!pl ing wor$& All that saves hi! fro! e!bracing this i$eal is" I thin)" poetic co!!on sense 0l.Abbe (re!on$" being a ! stic" has no s%ch si!ple safeg%ar$" an$ $oes not nee$ it1& The poet is better than his poetics& The i$eal of p%re poetr is" of co%rse" closel bo%n$ %p with the proble! of what constit%tes poetr of an sort?that is" with the $efinition of poetr & If we )now what we !ean b 2poetr 2 we can ,%$ge of its p%re instances" an$ sho%l$ be able to fin$ the ca%ses of i!p%rit in poe!s that s%ffer fro! it& The great !a,orit of writers who raise the 3%estion* 2Fhat is poetr G2 $o not answer it at all" b%t $isc%ss what is poetic" or $efine 2poetic e#perience&2 So!e of the! $o" in$ee$" call the

PART

4 4 #he "a$ing o f the !ymbol

2Ibid., p& 5D&

CHAPTER 4 5 L i f e and Its Image 6 = 4

own nee$s& 2Even the !erest s)etch" if it once starts the i!agination" will be a!pl fille$ o%t/?an$ all this filling o%t" the largest part of ever wor) of art" is !ere $rea! an$ ill%sion&2 6D The real p%rpose of co!!%nicating the poet.s $a $rea! is to set the rea$er $a $rea!ing/ an$ whatever $rea! res%lts is 0b the first state+ !ent" 3%ote$ above1 the poem 0tho%gh it !a not be poetic1& I have given so !%ch space to an obvio%sl !%$$le$ theor of poetr beca%se it e#hibits al!ost all the !%$$les fro! which c%rrent theor s%ffers" an$ soon falls into the helpless con$ition to which the give rise ?that none of its 2principles2 reall wor)s" freel an$ witho%t e#ception" in all instances& Poetr is essentiall the sa!e as ! th/ b%t" sa s Pres+cott" 2(efore tr ing to bring o%t the ! thical ele!ent in poetr I sho%l$ sa that it is of co%rse not to be fo%n$ ever where in o%r act%al poetr &2 That is beca%se" altho%gh poetr is the lang%age of i!agination" 2In !%ch verse" an$ even !%ch that we 3%ite properl call poetr " the i!agination is not $irectl or constantl at wor)&2 Poetr 0pres%!abl " here" the 2poe! on paper21 starts a vision an$ i!poses rh th! 0for!" !eter" !%sic1/ 2Poetr therefore !a be calle$ a !atter of seeing an$ singing. It is not" however" alwa s act%all

both&2 An$ so on/ i$eall " poe!s sho%l$ be ! thic creations" i!aginative" visionar " !%sical/ b%t no poe! in an one.s !in$ or boo) act%all !eets the stan$ar$& So we co!e bac) to the proble! of p%re poetr & There are two wa s of !a)ing poetr 2p%re2/ either b leaving o%t what is rep%$iate$ as non+poetic?as Shelle " Poe" Maler an$ Moore a$vocate$?leaving poetr as p%re as possible/ or else b %sing an avowe$ principle s%ch as report of e!otions" or sheer so%n$" or !etaphor to generate the whole poe!" !a)ing it si!on+p%re" an$ conse3%entl s!all an$ rarifie$" a ge!& This is the wa of the i!agists" the i!pressionists" the s !bolists& In the face of all these efforts" Professor F& A& Pottle has raise$ the naive b%t pertinent 3%estion* Sho%l$ poetr be entirel p%re" or even as p%re as possibleG An$ his well+ consi$ere$ answer is" 3Poetry should be no purer than the purpose demands.3 4. Fhat the poet.s p%rpose is" he $isc%sse$ earlier" an$ arrive$ at this general principle*

3Poetic language is language that e-presses the 5ualities o f e-peri6

ence, as distinguished from language that indicates its uses. Since all lang%age is to so!e e#tent e#pressive in this sense" all h%!an speech is" strictl spea)ing" poetr in vario%s $egrees of concentration& In the ordinary or popular sense o f the term, poetry is language in which e-pression o f the 5ualities o f e-perience is felt t o predominate greatly o+er statement concerning its uses.344

2Poetr 2 an$ 2poetic lang%age2 are here !a$e s non !o%s& Poetr " then" is a )in$ of lang%age" an$ !oreover" a )in$ that sha$es off b $egrees into another )in$" which at f%rthest re!ove is its opposite& The p%rpose of %sing poetic lang%age is to !a)e the rea$er aware of the 3%alities of e#perience&67 Fhat sort of 2e#perience2 is here referre$ to we
are not tol$" b%t pres%!abl act%al h%!an e#perience in general& This conception of the !ission of poetr is the co%nterpart" in poetics" to Joger Fr .s belief that the f%nction of pictorial art is to !a)e %s aware of 2what things reall loo) li)e&2 65

Poetr 2in the or$inar or pop%lar sense of the ter!2 is" I ta)e it" lang%age selecte$ for its 3%alitative rather than practical reference" an$ bro%ght together in $isco%rses abo%t the writer.s e#perience" )nown as 2poe!s&2 A poe! is a state!ent" in the sa!e sense as an practical state!ent" b%t in ter!s that achieve a high concentration of 23%alitative e#pressiveness&2 (%t Professor Pottle hol$s that there is no nee$ of s%staining a ver 3%intessence of e#pressiveness thro%gho%t s%ch a $isco%rse/ a poe! !a contain a goo$ $eal of 2prose"2 or infor!ative lang%age" which serves as a foil for too !%ch intensit of perception" an$ ten$s to set off the high !o!ents of 2e#perience2 to better a$vantage when the co!e&6= There is goo$ artistic ,%$g!ent in Professor Pottle.s treat!ent of the $e!an$ for 2p%rit &2 (%t philosophicall it is a !a)eshift" which $oes not solve the proble!s of poetic vers%s %npoetic lang%age" 2e#pression of 3%alit 2 vers%s 2e#pression of fact"2 beca%se it $oes not to%ch
the conf%sing ass%!ption fro! which those proble!s ste!& The hapless ass%!ption is his own basic tenet" that to be poetic is a f%nction of lang%age"
4i

7ision and Design, p& 6=&

4 D PART

< #he "a$ing o f the !ymbol

CHAPTER 4 5 L i f e and Its Image 6 = 7

so that 2all h%!an speech is" strictl spea)ing" poetr in vario%s $egrees of concentration&2 This !a)es poetr a species of $isco%rse" pointing o%t characteristics of e#perience as all $isco%rse $oes" b%t concerne$ with 3%alitative instea$ of practical aspects& Since e#perience has" of co%rse" both aspects" the $istinction between poetr an$ literal $isco%rse is th%s conceive$ to be not ra$ical" b%t gra$%al&

Now I !aintain that the $ifference is ra$ical" that poetr is not gen+ nine $isco%rse at all" b%t is the creating of an ill%sor 2e#perience"2 or a piece of virt%al histor " b !eans of $isc%rsive lang%age/ an$ that 2poetic lang%age2 is lang%age which is partic%larl %sef%l for this p%r+ pose& Fhat wor$s will see! poetic $epen$s on the central i$ea of the poe! in 3%estion& Legal lang%age" for instance" is not or$inaril $ee!e$ poetical/ there is nothing 23%alitative2 abo%t wor$s li)e 2charter"2 2$ee$"2 2patent"2 2lease"2 2bon$s"2 2esti!ate"2 2grant2/ b%t consi$er how Sha)espeare %se$ the!* FarewellN Tho% art too $ear for ! possessing" An$ li)e eno%gh tho% )now.st th esti!ate& The charter of th worth gives thee releasing/ M bon$s in thee are all $eter!inate& For how $o I hol$ thee b%t b th granting" An$ for that riches where is ! $eservingG The ca%se of this fair gift in !e is wanting" An$ so ! patent bac) again is swerving& Th self tho% gav.st" th own worth then not )nowing" 9r !e" to who! tho% gav.st it" else !ista)ing* So th great gift" %pon !isprision growing" -o!es ho!e again" on better ,%$g!ent !a)ing& Th%s have I ha$ thee as a $rea! $oth flatter+In sleep a )ing" b%t wa)ing no s%ch !atter& The har$" technical ter!s have a p%rpose here" to which" b the wa " Sha)espeare often %se$ the!* the create the se!blance of inel%ctable fact& The i!personal an$ sovereign nat%re of law is inf%se$ into an intensel personal sit%ation" an$ the res%lt is a sense of absol%te finalit & This sense is achieve$ b the $aring !etaphor of a legal $isco%rse/ the barrister.s ,argon here is tr%e 2poetic $iction&2 There is no s%ccessf%l poetr that is not p%re poetr & The whole proble! of 2p%rit 2 is a pse%$o+proble! arising fro! a !isconception as to what is poetry, an$ fro! !ista)ing certain powerf%l an$
almost %bi3%ito%s $evices for the basic principle of poetr " an$ calling 2p%re poetr 2 onl what is effecte$ b those !eans& Dwelling on the sens%o%s" the 3%alitative" is s%ch a !a,or $evice for creating the i!age of e#perience / the %se of iron is another" for the ver str%ct%re of h%!an feeling is ironical/ a!big%it " !etaphor" personification" 2h pnotic2 rh th!s an$ wor$s?all these are !a,or factors in the !a)ing of poetr & (%t the creation of a virt%al histor is the principle which goes thro%gh all literat%re* the principle of poesis.

If poetr is never a state!ent abo%t act%alit " has it" then" nothing to $o with life" be on$ the %lti!ate reference of its co!pose$ for!s to vitalit itself" i&e& thro%gh their artistic f%nction of e#pressing the !orpholog of real h%!an feeling G 'as nothing of the artist.s own biograph gone into the ill%sion" e#cept b acci$ent" as $ross rather than gol$ G Ever goo$ wor) of art has" I thin)" so!ething that !a be sai$ to co!e fro! the worl$" an$ that bespea)s the artist.s own feeling abo%t life& This accor$s with the intellect%al an$" in$ee$" the biological i!+

portance of art* we are $riven to the s !bolization an$ artic%lation of feeling when we must %n$erstan$ it to )eep o%rselves oriente$ in societ an$ nat%re& So the first e!otional pheno!ena a person wants to for!%late are his own $isconcerte$ passions& It is nat%ral to loo) for e#pressive !aterials a!ong the events or ob,ects that begot those passions" that is" to %se i!ages associate$ with the!" an$ %n$er the stress of real e!otion" events an$ ob,ects perceive$ are prone to appear in a Gestalt congr%ent with the e!otion the elicite$& So realit 3%ite
nor!all f%rnishes the i!ages/ b%t the are no longer an thing in realit " the are for!s to be %se$ b an e#cite$ i!agination& 0The !a " in$ee$" be !etaphorical in the 2Fre%$ian2 fashion" too" s !pto!atic fantasies on which feeling is concentrate$O&1 An$ now begins the wor) of co!position" the str%ggle for co!plete e#pressiveness" for that %n$erstan$ing of the for! which finall !a)es sense o%t of the e!otional chaos& The !otif" often springing fro! $eeper so%rces of i!agination than art itself" an$ the feeling the artist has towar$ it" give the first ele!ents of for! to the wor)/ its $i!ensions an$ intensit " its scope an$ !oo$& So!eti!es the techni3%e is s%b$%e$ where the s%b,ect is violent" as in Tho!as Folfe.s 2Death in the -it "2 so that the whole treat!ent has an air of %n$erstate!ent that is part of the f%n$a!ental artistic conception& The !otif itself" far fro! being in$ifferent or alien" then beco!es a str%ct%ral ele!ent" the polar opposite of the ren$ering& (%t if the

6=5

PAJT 44

#he "a$ing o f the !ymbol

artist chooses for his !otif an i!age or event that is e#citing onl to hi!" i&e& as a private s !bol" s%ch a %se of it wo%l$ set %p no tension in the wor$, b%t onl in his !in$" an$ the inten$e$ $evice wo%l$ fail& To achieve

the sense of %n$erstate!ent he co%l$ not %se the s%b,ect !atter as s%ch" b%t wo%l$ have to create an ele!ent of e#citing 3%alit to p%ll against the restraint of his han$ling& Art that contains p%rel personal s !bols as str%ct%ral ele!ents is i!p%re" an$ s%ch i!p%rit is fatal& It is %s%all with the a$vance of concept%al co!petence that an artist beco!es able to fin$ !aterial o%tsi$e his own sit%ation" beca%se he beco!es !ore an$ !ore apt to see all things" possibilities as well as act%alities" half+wro%ght alrea$ into e#pressive for!s in ter!s of his own art& A poet thin)s poetr a goo$ part of the ti!e" an$ can view e#perience?not onl his own?e!otionall " beca%se he %n$erstan$s e!otion& So!e poets" for instance For$sworth" %s%all ta)e a start fro! personal e#perience as so!e painters alwa s paint fro! !o$els" or 2on location2/ b%t the e#periences the %se are not s%b,ective crises" the are ob,ectivel interesting events& 9ther writers" li)e -oleri$ge" co!po%n$ their poetic visions of s%ggestions fo%n$ in boo)s" ol$ !e!ories" $rea!s" hearsa " an$ an occasional stri)ing e#perience& Fhere a the!e co!es fro! !a)es no $ifference/ what !atters is the e#cite!ent it begets" the i!+ portance it has for the poet& The i!agination !%st be fe$ fro! the worl$ ?b new sights an$ so%n$s" actions an$ events?an$ the artist.s interest in wa s of h%!an feeling !%st be )ept %p b act%al living an$ feeling/ that is" the artist !%st love his !aterial an$ believe in his !ission an$ his talent" otherwise art beco!es frivolo%s" an$ $egenerates into l%#%r an$ fashion& As s%rel as so!e e#perience of real life !%st inspire art" it !%st be entirel transfor!e$ in the wor) itself& Even the personalit calle$ 2I2 in an a%tobiograph !%st be a creat%re of the stor an$ not the !o$el hi!self& 2M 2 stor is what happens in the boo)" not a string of occasions in the worl$& Fail%re to !a)e this $ictinction has le$" I thin)" to George Moore.s re,ection of all 2s%b,ective2 poetr as i!p%re&6> The CHAPTER 4 5 L i f e and Its Image 6 = =

s%b,ective passages in a goo$ poe! are ,%st as re!ove$ fro! act%alit as the $escriptions of nat%re or the Pre+Japhaelite tales of !e$iaeval la$ies which he accepts as poeticall p%re& There is" of co%rse" a great $eal of poetr in o%r literar heritage that is r%ine$ b %ni!aginative report of e!otion& (%t it is neither the !oral i$ea nor the !ention of feelings that !a)es s%ch passages ba$/ it is the lapse fro! creativit " fro! creating the ill%sion of a !oral ill%!ination or a passional e#perience" into !ere $isco%rse abo%t s%ch !atters/ that is" the

fallac of %sing the poe! si!pl to state so!ething the poet wishes to tell the rea$er&68 Mr& Moore" however" $oes not $iscri!inate goo$ fro! ba$ poetr
b a stan$ar$ of creativit / he throws o%t all passages that !a)e %se of the !aterials he has place$ %n$er taboo& Attit%$es towar$ an thing" beliefs" principles" an$ all general co!!ents are i!p%rities& So!eti!es" in$ee$" the poe! itself !a not even so%n$ $i$actic" b%t if the critic )nows fro! the poet.s other wor)s" or even fro! biographical $ata" that a !oral interest !otivate$ the co!position" it can no longer give hi! pleas%re& Moore relates s%ch a $iscover " an$ the change of heart it pro$%ce$ in hi!* 2M father %se$ to a$!ire the sonnet on Fest!inster (ri$ge" 6; an$ I a$!ire$ it %ntil I co%l$ no longer escape fro! the s%spicion that it was not the bea%tif%l i!age of a cit overhanging a river at $awn that $etaine$ the poet" b%t the hope that he !ight once !ore $iscern a so%l in nat%re& & & & An$ after rea$ing the sonnet again an$ consi$ering the general tone of it" I $iscovere$ a caref%ll conceale$ !oralit in it& & & & 'e wo%l$ -hristianise the so%l in nat%re if he got it" I sai$/ wherefore the poe! co!es %n$er the hea$ing of prosel tis! in poetr &26:

The !eas%re of 2p%re poetr 2 which Moore sets %p as the stan$ar$ of

good poetr relegates !ost of the worl$.s great l rical heritage to an inferior ran)& 7D
This leaves hi! with a slen$er store of !asterpieces" as
4 7 PART

< #he "a$ing o f the !ymbol

CHAPTER 4 5 L i f e and Its Image 6 = 8

he pre$icte$ that it wo%l$/ an$ altho%gh !ost of the poe!s he bro%ght together in his antholog as e#a!ples of the highest art are lovel " none of the! is great an$ vigoro%s& Their loveliness" in fact" beco!es a little clo ing/ the tripping rh !es an$ gli$ing rh th!s carr too !%ch whi!se an$ $elight" an$ the occasional la!ents an$ wistf%l fair trage$ies are not forcef%l eno%gh to brea) the !onoton & To forbi$ poets an traffic with serio%s tho%ght is to c%t o%t a whole real! of poetic creation" na!el the presentation of $eep an$ tragic feeling& An pain harsher than the gentle !elanchol of singing 2Fillow" willow" willow"2 re3%ires a fra!ewor) of s%b,ect !atter stronger than Moore wo%l$ a$!it&74 A re!ar) in the intro$%ction 0which is written in the for! of a conversation between hi! an$ his frien$s" Hohn Free!an an$ Falter $e la Mare1" that a boo) of 2P%re Poetr 2 co%l$ incl%$e !ost of (la)e.s !ongs o f Innocence b%t none of the !ongs o f 8-perience,94 shows %p the confining an$ cra!ping infl%ence of his aesthetic stan$ar$/ even so inspire$ a poet as (la)e !%st watch hi!self not to !ention the wrong things& 2The T ger"2 pres%!abl " is not a p%re poe! beca%se it conte!plates the contrasts in creation 02Di$ 'e who !a$e the La!b !a)e theeG21" an$ beca%se it !entions 2Go$2 0(la)e.s own Go$1 instea$ of obsolete 2go$s&2 2The Sic) Jose2 is not p%re" beca%se of the obvio%s !eaning" that in all ,o there is incipient sorrow" in all life incipient $eath" or whatever 2Great -o!!onplace2 one chooses to !a)e the i!plicit the!e& (%t 2The Echoing Green2 is incl%$e$ in the antholog / an$ $i$ not Professor Till ar$ fin$ a 2Great -o!!onplace2 in that" too+li)e the 2So%l in Nat%re2 that spoile$ 2Fest!inster (ri$ge2G I$eas an$ e!otions are dangerous s%b,ects for poetr " the for!er beca%se a wea) poet !a be le$ into $isco%rse on his topic" the latter beca%se he !a be te!pte$ to $irect %tterance" e#cla!ation" an$ catharsis of his own feelings& (%t a goo$ poet can an$ certainl !a han$le even the !ost treachero%s !aterial/ the onl law that bin$s hi!?an$" in$ee$" bin$s all other artists+is that ever bit of the s%b,ect !atter !%st be %se$ for artistic effect& Ever thing !%st be virt%al e#perience& There is no traffic)ing with act%alities in poetr "

no !atter how !%ch the creator of the se!blance has $rawn on his own feelings" his $eepest convictions" his !e!ories an$ secret wishes& Poetr on !oral the!es !a be %n$i$actic" for the sa!e reason that Goethe fo%n$ poetr on i!!oral the!es to be %ncorr%pting77 it $oes not e#press an proposition" an$ therefore $oes not a$vocate or confess an thing& Si!ilarl " s%b,ective poetr is not a gen%ine $ispla of s%b,ectivit " beca%se it is fiction& The ver intensit of personal conscio%sness in it is so!ething create$ b !eans of wor$ing" ca$ence" co!pleteness or inco!pleteness of state+ !ent" an$ ever other r%se )nown in literat%re& The !ost perfect e#a!ple of +irtual sub*ecti+ity that co!es to ! !in$ happens to be in prose for!" not verse" b%t it is a case in point" for it is a co!plete poetic transfor!ation* Ha!es Ho ce.s Portrait o f the rtist as a :oung "an. The telling !a)es the scene" the life" the personage+there is not a line of 2p%rel infor!ative lang%age"2 it is all fiction" tho%gh it is portrait%re& Literar events are made, not reporte$" ,%st as portraits are
painte$" not born an$ raise$& It is a co!!on c%sto! a!ong poets an$ critics to oppose poetr to prose not as one art for! to another" b%t as art an$ non+art+that is" to i$entif prose with the $isc%rsive lang%age of practical thin)ing& -oleri$ge" Poe" an$ in o%r own $a Professor Pottle a!ong !an others" !ean b 2prose2 the FMpoetic& In realit " however" prose is a literar %se of lang%age" an$ therefore" in a broa$ b%t perfectl legiti!ate sense 0consi$ering the !eaning of 2poesis21" a poetic form;< It is $erive$ fro! poetr in the stricter sense" not fro! conversation/ its f%nction is creative& This hol$s not onl for prose fiction 0the ver ter!" 2fiction"2 bespea)s its artistic nat%re1" b%t even for the essa an$ for gen%ine historical writing& (%t that is a f%rther s%b,ect&
77

2Art is intrinsicall noble/ for this reason the artist is not afrai$ of co! !onness& For b his ver %se of it he ennobles it/ an$ so we see the greatest artists e#ercising with %t!ost bol$ness their ro al prerogative&2 ="a-imal und >efle-ionen iiber ?unst.@
75

The belief that prose is the sa!e thing as conversational lang%age is so generall hel$ that ever one is innocentl rea$ to la%gh at the gentle!an who was a!aze$ to fin$ that all his life he ha$ been tal)ing prose& In ! opinion" M& Ho%r+$ain ha$ reason to be etonneA his literar instinct tol$ hi! that conversation was so!ething $ifferent fro! prose" an$ onl lac) of philosoph force$ hi! to accept the pop%lar error&