下载辰思小说免费APP
”Thefirstthingwhichstruckmewastheutterabsenceofallthemock-modesty,andthepretendedself-underrating,conventionallyassumedbypersonsexpectingtobecomplimentedupontheirsayingsordoings。Jasminseemedthoroughlytodespiseallsuchflimsyhypocrisy。’GodonlymadefourFrenchmenpoets,’heburstoutwith,’andtheirnamesare,Corneille,Lafontaine,Beranger,andJasmin!’”Talkingwiththemostimpassionedvehemence,andthemostredundantenergyofgesture,hewentontodeclaimagainsttheinfluencesofcivilisationuponlanguageandmannersasbeingfataltoallrealpoetry。Ifthetrueinspirationyetexisteduponearth,itburnedintheheartsandbrainsofmenfarremovedfromcities,salons,andtheclashanddinofsocialinfluences。Youronlytruepoetsweretheunletteredpeasants,whopouredforththeirheartsinsong,notbecausetheywishedtomakepoetry,butbecausetheywerejoyousandtrue。”Colleges,academies,schoolsoflearning,schoolsofliterature,andallsuchinstitutions,Jasmindenouncedasthecurseandthebaneoftruepoetry。Theyhadspoiled,hesaid,theveryFrenchlanguage。YoucouldnomorewritepoetryinFrenchnowthanyoucouldinarithmeticalfigures。Thelanguagehadbeenlickedandkneaded,andtrickedout,andplumed,anddandified,andscented,andminced,andruledsquare,andchipped——(Iamtryingtogiveanideaofthestrangefloodofepithetsheused)——andprankedout,andpolished,andmuscadined——until,forallhonestpurposesoftruehighpoetry,itwasmereunavailableandcontemptiblejargon。”ItmightdoforcheatingagentsdechangeontheBourse——
forsquabblingpoliticiansintheChambers——formincingdandiesinthesalons——forthesarcasmofScribe-ishcomedies,orthecoarsedrolleriesofPalaisRoyalfarces,butforpoetrytheFrenchlanguagewasextinct。Allmodernpoetswhouseditwerefaiseursdephrase——thinkingaboutwordsandnotfeelings。
’No,no,’myTroubadourcontinued,’towritepoetry,youmustgetthelanguageofaruralpeople——alanguagetalkedamongfields,andtrees,andbyriversandmountains——alanguagenevermincedordisfiguredbyacademiesanddictionary-makers,andjournalists;youmusthavealanguagelikethatwhichyourownBurns,whomIreadofinChateaubriand,used;orlikethebrave,old,mellowtongue——unchangedforcenturies——stuffedwiththestrangest,quaintest,richest,raciestidiomsandoddsolemnwords,fullofshiftingmeaningsandassociations,atoncepatheticandfamiliar,homelyandgraceful——thelanguagewhichIwritein,andwhichhasneveryetbeendefiledbycalculatingmenofscienceorjack-a-dandylitterateurs。’”TheabovesentencesmaybetakenasaspecimenoftheideaswithwhichJasminseemedtobeactuallyoverflowingfromeveryporeinhisbody——sorapid,vehement,andloudwashisenunciationofthem。Warmingmoreandmoreashewenton,hebegantosketchtheoutlinesofhisfavouritepieces。Everynowandthenplungingintorecitation,jumpingfromFrenchintopatois,andfrompatoisintoFrench,andsometimessplutteringthemout,mixeduppell-melltogether。Hardlypausingtotakebreath,herushedabouttheshopashediscoursed,luggingout,fromoldchestsanddrawers,pilesofoldnewspapersandreviews,pointingoutapassagehereinwhichtheestimateofthewriterpleasedhim,apassagetherewhichshowedhowperfectlythecritichadmistakenthescopeofhispoeticphilosophy,andexclaiming,withthemostperfectnaivete,howmortifyingitwasformenoforiginalandprofoundgeniustobemisconceivedandmisrepresentedbypigmywhipper-snapperscampsofjournalists。”Therewasonereviewofhisworks,publishedinaLondon’Recueil,’ashecalledit,towhichJasminreferredwithgreatpleasure。Aportionofithadbeentranslated,hesaid,intheprefacetoaFrencheditionofhisworks;andhehadmostofthehighlycomplimentaryphrasesbyheart。TheEnglishcritic,hesaid,wroteintheTintinum,andhelookeddubiouslyatmewhenIconfessedthatIhadne