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I leapt the breadth of time in loving thee!"*5*
-- a scrap worthy to be placed beside Steele's "To love her
is a liberal education," which has often been declared
the happiest thing on the subject in the English language.
--
*1* `The Symphony', ll. 232-240.
*2* `The Symphony', ll. 241-248.
*3* `My Springs', ll. 53-56.
*4* `Acknowledgment', ll. 41-42.
*5* `Laus Mariae', ll. 11-14.
--
To Lanier there was but one thing that made life worth living,
and that was love. Even the superficial reader must be struck
with the frequent use of the term in the poet's works,
while all must be uplifted by his conception of its purpose and power.
The ills of agnosticism, mercantilism, and intolerance
all find their solution here and here only, as is admirably set forth
in `The Symphony', of which the openingstrain is, "We are all for love,"
and the closing, "Love alone can do." The matter is no less happily put
in `Tiger-lilies': "For I am quite confident that love is the only rope
thrown out by Heaven to us who have fallen overboard into life.
Love for man, love for woman, love for God, -- these three chime
like bells in a steeple and call us to worship, which is to work. . . .
Inasmuch as we love, in so much do we conquer death and flesh;
by as much as we love, by so much are we gods. For God is love;
and could we love as He does, we could be as He is."*1*
To the same effect is his statement in `The English Novel':
"A republic is the government of the spirit."*2* The same thought
recurs later: "In love, and love only, can great work
that not only pulls down, but builds, be done; it is love, and love only,
that is truly constructive in art."*3* In the poem entitled
`How Love Looked for Hell', Mind and Sense at Love's request
go to seek Hell; but ever as they point it out to Love, whether in
the material or the immaterial world, it vanishes; for where Love is
there can be no Hell, since, in the words of Tolstoi's story,
"Where Love is there is God." But in one of his poems Lanier sums up
the whole matter in a line:
"When life's all love, 'tis life: aught else, 'tis naught."*4*
--
*1* `Tiger-lilies', p. 26.
*2* `The English Novel', p. 55.
*3* `The English Novel', p. 204.
*4* `In Absence', l. 42.
--
It is but a short way from love to its source, -- God.
And, as Lanier was continually in the atmosphere of the one, so, I believe,
he was ever in the presence of the other; for the poet's "Love means God"
is but another phrasing of the evangelist's "God is love".*1*
Of Lanier's grief over church broils and of his longing for freedom
to worship God according to one's own intuition, we have already learned
from his `Remonstrance'. What he thought of the Christ we learn
from `The Crystal', which closes with this invocation:
"But Thee, but Thee, O sovereign Seer of time,
But Thee, O poets' Poet, Wisdom's Tongue,
But Thee, O man's best Man, O love's best Love,
O perfect life in perfect labor writ,
O all men's Comrade, Servant, King, or Priest, --
What IF or YET, what mole, what flaw, what lapse,
What least defect or shadow of defect,
What rumor, tattled by an enemy,
Of inference loose, what lack of grace
Even in torture's grasp, or sleep's, or death's --
Oh, what amiss may I forgive in Thee,
Jesus, good Paragon, Thou Crystal Christ?"*2*
How tenderly Lanier was touched by the life of our Lord may be seen
in his `Ballad of Trees and the Master', a dramaticpresentation of the scene
in Gethsemane and on Calvary. How implicit was his trust in the Christ
may be gathered from this paragraph in a letter to the elder Hayne:
"I have a boy whose eyes are blue as your `Aethra's'. Every day
when my work is done I take him in my strong arms, and lift him up,
and pore in his face. The intenserepose, penetrated somehow
with a thrilling mystery of `potential activity', which dwells
in his large, open eye, teaches me new things. I say to myself,
-- a scrap worthy to be placed beside Steele's "To love her
is a liberal education," which has often been declared
the happiest thing on the subject in the English language.
--
*1* `The Symphony', ll. 232-240.
*2* `The Symphony', ll. 241-248.
*3* `My Springs', ll. 53-56.
*4* `Acknowledgment', ll. 41-42.
*5* `Laus Mariae', ll. 11-14.
--
To Lanier there was but one thing that made life worth living,
and that was love. Even the superficial reader must be struck
with the frequent use of the term in the poet's works,
while all must be uplifted by his conception of its purpose and power.
The ills of agnosticism, mercantilism, and intolerance
all find their solution here and here only, as is admirably set forth
in `The Symphony', of which the openingstrain is, "We are all for love,"
and the closing, "Love alone can do." The matter is no less happily put
in `Tiger-lilies': "For I am quite confident that love is the only rope
thrown out by Heaven to us who have fallen overboard into life.
Love for man, love for woman, love for God, -- these three chime
like bells in a steeple and call us to worship, which is to work. . . .
Inasmuch as we love, in so much do we conquer death and flesh;
by as much as we love, by so much are we gods. For God is love;
and could we love as He does, we could be as He is."*1*
To the same effect is his statement in `The English Novel':
"A republic is the government of the spirit."*2* The same thought
recurs later: "In love, and love only, can great work
that not only pulls down, but builds, be done; it is love, and love only,
that is truly constructive in art."*3* In the poem entitled
`How Love Looked for Hell', Mind and Sense at Love's request
go to seek Hell; but ever as they point it out to Love, whether in
the material or the immaterial world, it vanishes; for where Love is
there can be no Hell, since, in the words of Tolstoi's story,
"Where Love is there is God." But in one of his poems Lanier sums up
the whole matter in a line:
"When life's all love, 'tis life: aught else, 'tis naught."*4*
--
*1* `Tiger-lilies', p. 26.
*2* `The English Novel', p. 55.
*3* `The English Novel', p. 204.
*4* `In Absence', l. 42.
--
It is but a short way from love to its source, -- God.
And, as Lanier was continually in the atmosphere of the one, so, I believe,
he was ever in the presence of the other; for the poet's "Love means God"
is but another phrasing of the evangelist's "God is love".*1*
Of Lanier's grief over church broils and of his longing for freedom
to worship God according to one's own intuition, we have already learned
from his `Remonstrance'. What he thought of the Christ we learn
from `The Crystal', which closes with this invocation:
"But Thee, but Thee, O sovereign Seer of time,
But Thee, O poets' Poet, Wisdom's Tongue,
But Thee, O man's best Man, O love's best Love,
O perfect life in perfect labor writ,
O all men's Comrade, Servant, King, or Priest, --
What IF or YET, what mole, what flaw, what lapse,
What least defect or shadow of defect,
What rumor, tattled by an enemy,
Of inference loose, what lack of grace
Even in torture's grasp, or sleep's, or death's --
Oh, what amiss may I forgive in Thee,
Jesus, good Paragon, Thou Crystal Christ?"*2*
How tenderly Lanier was touched by the life of our Lord may be seen
in his `Ballad of Trees and the Master', a dramaticpresentation of the scene
in Gethsemane and on Calvary. How implicit was his trust in the Christ
may be gathered from this paragraph in a letter to the elder Hayne:
"I have a boy whose eyes are blue as your `Aethra's'. Every day
when my work is done I take him in my strong arms, and lift him up,
and pore in his face. The intenserepose, penetrated somehow
with a thrilling mystery of `potential activity', which dwells
in his large, open eye, teaches me new things. I say to myself,
- italian [i´tæliən]
a.意大利 n.意大利人 (初中英语单词) - parallel [´pærəlel] a.平行的 n.平行线 (初中英语单词)
- twilight [´twailait] n.黎明；黄昏 (初中英语单词)
- worship [´wə:ʃip] n.&v.崇拜；敬仰 (初中英语单词)
- abroad [ə´brɔ:d] ad.海外；到处；广泛 (初中英语单词)
- discussion [di´skʌʃən] n.讨论；辩论 (初中英语单词)
- liberal [´libərəl] a.大方的 n.开明的人 (初中英语单词)
- minister [´ministə] n.部长；大臣 v.伺候 (初中英语单词)
- passion [´pæʃən] n.激情；激怒；恋爱 (初中英语单词)
- contain [kən´tein] v.包含；容纳；抑制 (初中英语单词)
- advise [əd´vaiz] vt.忠告；建议；通知 (初中英语单词)
- swiftly [´swiftli] ad.迅速地，敏捷地 (初中英语单词)
- preach [pri:tʃ] v.宣扬；鼓吹 n.训诫 (初中英语单词)
- patience [´peiʃəns] n.忍耐(力)；耐心；坚韧 (初中英语单词)
- earnest [´ə:nist] a.认真的 n.认真；诚恳 (初中英语单词)
- tribute [´tribju:t] n.贡物；献礼；颂词 (初中英语单词)
- condemn [kən´dem] vt.谴责；定罪，判处 (初中英语单词)
- gracious [´greiʃəs] a.和蔼可亲的；任慈的 (初中英语单词)
- humble [´hʌmbəl] a.谦卑的 vt.贬抑 (初中英语单词)
- glorious [´glɔ:riəs] a.光荣的；辉煌的 (初中英语单词)
- marvel [´mɑ:vəl] n.令人惊异的事；奇迹 (初中英语单词)
- equally [´i:kwəli] ad.相等地；平等地 (初中英语单词)
- worthy [´wə:ði] a.有价值的；值得的 (初中英语单词)
- frequent [´fri:kwənt] a.常见的，频繁的 (初中英语单词)
- solution [sə´lu:ʃən] n.解答；解决；溶解 (初中英语单词)
- opening [´əupəniŋ] n.开放；开端 a.开始的 (初中英语单词)
- conquer [´kɔŋkə] v.征服；克服；抑制 (初中英语单词)
- republic [ri´pʌblik] n.共和国；共和政体 (初中英语单词)
- atmosphere [´ætməsfiə] n.大气；空气；气氛 (初中英语单词)
- christ [kraist] n.基督 int.天啊! (初中英语单词)
- sovereign [´sɔvrin] a.至高无上的 n.君主 (初中英语单词)
- priest [pri:st] n.教士；牧师；神父 (初中英语单词)
- forgive [fə´giv] vt.原谅，谅解，宽恕 (初中英语单词)
- crystal [´kristəl] n.水晶 a.水晶的 (初中英语单词)
- dramatic [drə´mætik] a.戏剧的；戏剧般的 (初中英语单词)
- paragraph [´pærəgrɑ:f] n.段；节 vt.将…分段 (初中英语单词)
- mystery [´mistəri] n.神秘；秘密；故弄玄虚 (初中英语单词)
- tenderness [´tendənis] n.娇嫩；柔软；温柔 (高中英语单词)
- mighty [´maiti] a.强有力的 ad.很 (高中英语单词)
- mortal [´mɔ:tl] a.致命的 n.凡人 (高中英语单词)
- breadth [bredθ] n.宽度，幅面，广度 (高中英语单词)
- heartily [´hɑ:tili] ad.衷心地；亲切地 (高中英语单词)
- greatness [´greitnis] n.巨大；高尚；卓越 (高中英语单词)
- sweetheart [´swi:thɑ:t] n.爱人；情人 (高中英语单词)
- severely [si´viəli] ad.剧烈地；严格地 (高中英语单词)
- convenience [kən´vi:niəns] n.方便；适当的机会 (高中英语单词)
- knight [nait] n.骑士；爵士 (高中英语单词)
- dainty [´deinti] a.秀丽的 n.美味 (高中英语单词)
- loving [´lʌviŋ] a.爱的，有爱情的 (高中英语单词)
- conception [kən´sepʃən] n.构思；概念；怀孕 (高中英语单词)
- strain [strein] vt.拉紧 vi.拖 n.张力 (高中英语单词)
- confident [´kɔnfidənt] a.有信心的，自信的 (高中英语单词)
- continually [kən´tinjuəli] ad.不断地，频繁地 (高中英语单词)
- longing [´lɔŋiŋ] n.&a.渴望(的) (高中英语单词)
- defect [di´fekt, ´di:fekt] n.缺点，不足 (高中英语单词)
- tenderly [´tendəli] ad.娇嫩地；柔和地 (高中英语单词)
- intense [in´tens] a.强烈的；紧张的 (高中英语单词)
- repose [ri´pəuz] v.&n.(使)休息；安息 (高中英语单词)
- terminal [´tə:minəl] n.终点(站) a.末端的 (英语四级单词)
- actively [´æktivli] ad.活跃地，积极地 (英语四级单词)
- myriad [´miriəd] n.极大数量 a.无数的 (英语四级单词)
- suitor [´su:tə, ´sju:-] n.原告；请求者；求爱者 (英语四级单词)
- irresistible [,iri´zistəbəl] a.不可抵抗的 (英语四级单词)
- manifold [´mænifəuld] a.多样的；多种特征的 (英语四级单词)
- superficial [,su:pə´fiʃəl, ,sju:-] a.表面的，肤浅的 (英语四级单词)
- overboard [´əuvəbɔ:d] ad.向船外；到水中 (英语四级单词)
- steeple [´sti:pəl] n.(礼拜堂等的)尖塔 (英语四级单词)
- constructive [kən´strʌktiv] a.建设性的；推断的 (英语四级单词)
- inference [´infərəns] n.推论，推断(的结果) (英语四级单词)
- presentation [,prezən´teiʃən] n.介绍；赠送；提出 (英语四级单词)
- subtlety [´sʌtlti] n.敏锐；巧妙；微妙 (英语六级单词)
- mystic [´mistik] a.神秘的；难以理解的 (英语六级单词)
- calling [´kɔ:liŋ] n.点名；职业；欲望 (英语六级单词)
- impeach [im´pi:tʃ] v.弹劾；检举 (英语六级单词)
- weeping [´wi:piŋ] a.&n.哭泣(的) (英语六级单词)
- chivalrous [´ʃivəlrəs] a.勇武的；武士的 (英语六级单词)
- worshipful [´wə:ʃipfəl] a.虔敬的；崇拜的 (英语六级单词)
- admirably [´ædmərəbli] ad.令人钦佩地；极妙地 (英语六级单词)
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章节正文
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