impulse of admiration for her beauty; the same impulse prompts the description of her, so far as it deals generously with the necessity of her life, and her past degradation. As sudden an impulse causes him to run after her at the end. But the thoughts to which he gives expression throughout the poem cause him for the moment a pleasure as acute (though different in kind) as the sight of Fifine, his love for his wife, or his bath in the sea. And perhaps the sting of the satire which runs through the whole lies in the simple fact that the noble vindication of Fifine's life, and the yet nobler truths which, directly or indirectly, the sight of her prompts him to utter, would have remained unspoken had she been ugly instead of beautiful. VII. MR. NETTLESHIP'S CLASSIFICATION OF BROWNING'S WORKS. BROWNING has implied or avowed (in his Essay on Shelley, in the dedication to Sordello, in the Epilogue to Pacchiarotto and elsewhere) his belief that study of the soul of man,—his true essence which is to live or die, develop or dwindle, according as opportunities are used or wasted,— is the poet's highest aim. The Dramas apart, I have therefore thought this leading idea should be first dealt with in classifying. So I have begun by grouping together under three heads, all poems whose avowed or obvious primary subject is either the whole life or some ruling incident in the life of a man or men, as tending directly to the development or degradation of souls, through this life and succeeding lives. From these main groups the transition seems easy to a group of poems dealing primarily with some form of emotion, where feeling at particular moments or periods, though not necessarily a ruling incident in the life, has its influence for good or ill-thence we come to Art, where the perceptive qualities come in aid of character and feeling to elevate man's nature; and thence to national and political feeling, which give a like aid, but by the more localized motive of race and historical tradition. The few poems classed as stories and myths, hero poems and Greek Poems, are so separated because such seems their primary character. In this classification the word "soul" must be taken to mean a man's physical, mental, and spiritual attributes, developing inter-dependently throughout life on earth, and culminating or sinking into an identity which may or may not be immortal. The subject under each heading is to be understood as the primary subject or purpose of each poem. II. A. Poems not strictly dramatic in form, but which deal with the history, or some incident in the history, of the souls of two or more individuals, mutually acting on each other towards (1) progress, or (2) arrest, in development. 1. Progress in development, from right action at a critical moment, and right disregard of social or religious surroundings. Pippa Passes (1841), Vol. 2. Ed. '68 Halbert and Hob (1879) 2. Arrest in development, from failure or mistake in action, and wrong regard for social or religious surroundings. Statue and Bust (1855) Le Byron de nos Jours (1864) Youth and Art (1864) 3. Progress and arrest in two or more souls, from their influence on each other, and as governed by social, domestic or religious surroundings. Ring and Book (1868-9) The Glove (1845) James Lee (1864) Red Cotton Night-Cap Country (1873) II. B. The like history or incident as regards (1) progress, (2) arrest, in development of the soul of one individual. 1. Progress in development caused by (a) the individual acting on or using circumstances; (b) his or her being acted on by them. Pauline (1833) Paracelsus (1835) Waring (1842) a. A Grammarian's Funeral (1855) At the Mermaid (1876) Clive (1880) Sordello (1840) b. Flight of the Duchess (1845). (IV. 5.) 2. Arrest in development caused by (a) like action on, or (b) being acted on by circumstances. III. The spiritual element in man, and the attributes of his soul; these subjects being treated (1) historically, or in narrative; (2) philosophically, or by way of speculation; (3) in connection with the idea of, or faith in, God as a radical element in man's nature; (4) in reference to that quality in man's nature which demands and believes in a continuity of life before and after physical death. 1. Historically, or in narrative. Ben Karshook (1856) Pacchiarotto (1876) House (1876) Shop (1876) 2. Philosophically, or by way of speculation. Cleon (1855) Fifine at the Fair (1872) Pisgah-Sights I & II (1876) Filippo Baldinucci on the Privilege of Bifurcation (1876) Burial (1876) Pietro of Abano (1880) Lines preluding 2d Series of Dramatic 4. In reference to that quality in man's nature which demands and believes in a continuity of life before and after physical death. IV. Poems dealing with some play of human emotion, caused by,1. Love; 2. Hate; 3. Love and Hate; 4. Love of Animals; 5. Humour. 1. Love. a. Husband and wife. By the Fireside (1855) Any Wife to any Husband (1855) b. Mutual love. c. Self-Renunciation. The Lost Mistress (1845) One Way of Love (1855) The Last Ride Together (1855) d. Worship or endeavour-ennobling influence of Love. Garden fancies. (1) The Flowers Name (1844) Song (1845) My Star (1855) Misconceptions (1855) Love in a Life (1855) Life in a Love (1855) Rudel to the Lady of Tripoli (1842) Magical Nature (1876) Poem following two Poets of Croisic e. One sided or incomplete love. Cristina (1842) Two in the Campagna (1855) Time's Revenges (1845) A Likeness (1864) Appearances (1876) St. Martin's Summer (1876) f. Ephemeral love. Earth's Immortalities. (1) Love (1845) A Pretty Woman (5?) (1855) 4. Love for or in animals. How they brought the Good News from Ghent to Aix (1845) Tray (1879) Muléykeh (1880) 5. Humour or Satire. Sibrandus Schafnaburgensis (1844) Up at a Villa-Down in the City (1855) Doctor (1880) V. Art, Plastic and otherwise. 1. Poetry; 2. Music; 3. Painting; 4. Sculpture, and Architecture. Pied Piper of Hamelin (IV. 5 ?) (1842) | Artemis Prologizes (1842) Childe Roland (1855) Cenciaja (1864) IX. Greek Poems. Pan and Luna (1880) Balaustion's Adventure (1871) Aristophanes' Apology (1875) Agamemnon (1877) |