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ordinary men； and coming near to us only by virtue of a certain
newness and wonder in the work； and through channels whose very
strangeness makes us more ready to give them welcome。
LA PERSONNALITE； said one of the greatest of modem French critics；
VOILE CE QUI NOUS SAUVERA。
But above all things was it a return to Nature … that formula which
seems to suit so many and such diverse movements： they would draw
and paint nothing but what they saw； they would try and imagine
things as they really happened。 Later there came to the old house
by Blackfriars Bridge； where this young brotherhood used to meet
and work； two young men from Oxford； Edward Burne…Jones and William
Morris … the latter substituting for the simpler realism of the
early days a more exquisite spirit of choice； a more faultless
devotion to beauty； a more intense seeking for perfection： a
master of all exquisite design and of all spiritual vision。 It is
of the school of Florence rather than of that of Venice that he is
kinsman； feeling that the close imitation of Nature is a disturbing
element in imaginative art。 The visible aspect of modern life
disturbs him not； rather is it for him to render eternal all that
is beautiful in Greek； Italian； and Celtic legend。 To Morris we
owe poetry whose perfect precision and clearness of word and vision
has not been excelled in the literature of our country； and by the
revival of the decorative arts he has given to our individualised
romantic movement the social idea and the social factor also。
But the revolution accomplished by this clique of young men； with
Ruskin's faultless and fervent eloquence to help them； was not one
of ideas merely but of execution； not one of conceptions but of
creations。
For the great eras in the history of the development of all the
arts have been eras not of increased feeling or enthusiasm in
feeling for art； but of new technical improvements primarily and
specially。 The discovery of marble quarries in the purple ravines
of Pentelicus and on the little low…lying hills of the island of
Paros gave to the Greeks the opportunity for that intensified
vitality of action； that more sensuous and simple humanism； to
which the Egyptian sculptor working laboriously in the hard
porphyry and rose…coloured granite of the desert could not attain。
The splendour of the Venetian school began with the introduction of
the new oil medium for painting。 The progress in modern music has
been due to the invention of new instruments entirely； and in no
way to an increased consciousness on the part of the musician of
any wider social aim。 The critic may try and trace the deferred
resolutions of Beethoven to some sense of the incompleteness of the
modern intellectual spirit； but the artist would have answered； as
one of them did afterwards； 'Let them pick out the fifths and leave
us at peace。'
And so it is in poetry also： all this love of curious French
metres like the Ballade； the Villanelle； the Rondel； all this
increased value laid on elaborate alliterations； and on curious
words and refrains； such as you will find in Dante Rossetti and
Swinburne； is merely the attempt to perfect flute and viol and
trumpet through which the spirit of the age and the lips of the
poet may blow the music of their many messages。
And so it has been with this romantic movement of ours： it is a
reaction against the empty conventional workmanship； the lax
execution of previous poetry and painting； showing itself in the
work of such men as Rossetti and Burne…Jones by a far greater
splendour of colour； a far more intricate wonder of design than
English imaginative art has shown before。 In Rossetti's poetry and
the poetry of Morris； Swinburne and Tennyson a perfect precision
and choice of language； a style flawless and fearless； a seeking
for all sweet and precious melodies and a sustaining consciousness
of the musical value of each word are opposed to that value which
is merely intellectual。 In this respect they are one with the
romantic movement of France of which not the least characteristic
note was struck by Theophile Gautier's advice to the young poet to
read his dictionary every day； as being the only book worth a
poet's reading。
While； then； the material of workmanship is being thus elaborated
and discovered to have in itself incommunicable and eternal
qualities of its own； qualities entirely satisfying to the poetic
sense and not needing for their aesthetic effect any lofty
intellectual vision； any deep criticism of life or even any
passionate human emotion at all； the spirit and the method of the
poet's working … what people call his inspiration … have not
escaped the controlling influence of the artistic spirit。 Not that
the imagination has lost its wings； but we have accustomed
ourselves to count their innumerable pulsations； to estimate their
limitless strength； to govern their ungovernable freedom。
To the Greeks this problem of the conditions of poetic production；
and the places occupied by either spontaneity or self…consciousness
in any artistic work； had a peculiar fascination。 We find it in
the mysticism of Plato and in the rationalism of Aristotle。 We
find it later in the Italian Renaissance agitating the minds of
such men as Leonardo da Vinci。 Schiller tried to adjust the
balance between form and feeling； and Goethe to estimate the
position of self…consciousness in art。 Wordsworth's definition of
poetry as 'emotion remembered in tranquillity' may be taken as an
analysis of one of the stages through which all imaginative work
has to pass； and in Keats's longing to be 'able to compose without
this fever' （I quote from one of his letters）； his desire to
substitute for poetic ardour 'a more thoughtful and quiet power；'
we may discern the most important moment in the evolution of that
artistic life。 The question made an early and strange appearance
in your literature too； and I need not remind you how deeply the
young poets of the French romantic movement were excited and
stirred by Edgar Allan Poe's analysis of the workings of his own
imagination in the creating of that supreme imaginative work which
we know by the name of THE RAVEN。
In the last century； when the intellectual and didactic element had
intruded to such an extent into the kingdom which belongs to
poetry； it was against the claims of the understanding that an
artist like Goethe had to protest。 'The more incomprehensible to
the understanding a poem is the better for it；' he said once；
asserting the complete supremacy of the imagination in poetry as of
reason in prose。 But in this century it is rather against the
claims of the emotional faculties； the claims of mere sentiment and
feeling； that the artist must react。 The simple utterance of joy
is not poetry any more than a mere personal cry of pain； and the
real experiences of the artist are always those which do not find
their direct expression but are gathered up and absorbed into some
artistic form which seems； from such real experiences； to be the
farthest removed and the most alien。
'The heart contains passion but the imagination alone contains
poetry；' says Charles Baudelaire。 This too was the lesson that
Theophile Gautier； most subtle of all modern critics； most
fascinating of all modern poets； was never tired of teaching …
'Everybody is affected by a sunrise or a sunset。' The absolute
distinction of the artist is not his capacity to feel nature so
much as his power of rendering it。 The entire subordination of all
intellectual and emotional faculties to the vital and informing
poetic principle is the surest sign of the strength of our
Renaissance。
We have seen the artistic spirit working； first in the delightful
and technical sphere of language； the sphere of expression as
opposed to subject； then controlling the imagination of the poet in
dealing with his subject。 And now I would point out to you its
operation in the choice of subject。 The recognition of a separate
realm for the artist； a consciousness of the absolute difference
between the world of art and the world of real fact； between
classic grace and absolute reality； forms not merely the essential
element of any aesthetic charm but is the characteristic of all
great imaginative work and of all great eras of artistic creation …
of the age of Phidias as of the age of Michael Angelo； of the age
of Sophocles as of the age of Goethe。
Art never harms itself by keeping aloof from the social problems of
the day： rather； by so doing； it more completely realises for us
that which we desire。 For to most of us the real life is the life
we do not lead； and thus； remaining more true to the essence of its
own perfection； more jealous of its own unattainable beauty； is
less likely to forget form in feeling or to accept the passion of
creation as any substitute for the beauty of the created thing。