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Flower of the Mind
and
Later Poems
by Alice Meynell
INTRODUCTION
Partial collections of English poems； decided by a common subject
or bounded by narrow dates and periods of literary history； are
made at very short intervals； and the makers are safe from the
reproach of proposing their own personal taste as a guide for the
reading of others。 But a general Anthology gathered from the whole
of English literaturethe whole from Chaucer to Wordsworthby a
gatherer intent upon nothing except the quality of poetry； is a
more rare enterprise。 It is hardly to be made without tempting the
suspicionnay； hardly without seeming to hazard the confessionof
some measure of self…confidence。 Nor can even the desire to enter
upon that labour be a frequent onethe desire of the heart of one
for whom poetry is veritably 〃the complementary life〃 to set up a
pale for inclusion and exclusion； to add honours； to multiply
homage； to cherish； to restore； to protest； to proclaim； to depose；
and to gain the consent of a multitude of readers to all those
acts。 Many years； thensome part of a centurymay easily pass
between the publication of one general anthology and the making of
another。
The enterprise would be a sorry one if it were really arbitrary；
and if an anthologist should give effect to passionate preferences
without authority。 An anthology that shall have any value must be
made on the responsibility of one but on the authority of many。
There is no caprice； the mind of the maker has been formed for
decision by the wisdom of many instructors。 It is the very study
of criticism； and the grateful and profitable study； that gives the
justification to work done upon the strongest personal impulse； and
done； finally； in the mental solitude that cannot be escaped at the
last。 In another order； moral education would be best crowned if
it proved to have quick and profound control over the first
impulses； its finished work would be to set the soul in a state of
law； delivered from the delays of self…distrust； not action only；
but the desires would be in an old security； and a wish would come
to light already justified。 This would be the secondif it were
not the onlyliberty。 Even so an intellectual education might
assuredly confer freedom upon first and solitary thoughts； and
confidence and composure upon the sallies of impetuous courage。 In
a word； it should make a studious anthologist quite sure about
genius。 And all who have bestowed； or helped in bestowing； the
liberating education have given their student the authority to be
free。 Personal and singular the choice in such a book must be； not
without right。
Claiming and disclaiming so much； the gatherers may follow one
another to harvest； and glean in the same fields in different
seasons； for the repetition of the work can never be altogether a
repetition。 The general consent of criticism does not stand still；
and moreover； a mere accident has until now left a poet of genius
of the past here and there to neglect or obscurity。 This is not
very likely to befall again； the time has come when there is little
or nothing left to discover or rediscover in the sixteenth century
or the seventeenth； we know that there does not lurk another
Crashaw contemned； or another Henry Vaughan disregarded； or another
George Herbert misplaced。 There is now something like finality of
knowledge at least； and therefore not a little error in the past is
ready to be repaired。 This is the result of time。 Of the slow
actions and reactions of critical taste there might be something to
say； but nothing important。 No loyal anthologist perhaps will
consent to acknowledge these tides； he will hardly do his work well
unless he believe it to be stable and perfect； nor； by the way；
will he judge worthily in the name of others unless he be resolved
to judge intrepidly for himself。
Inasmuch as even the best of all poems are the best upon
innumerable degrees； the size of most anthologies has gone far to
decide what degrees are to be gathered in and what left without。
The best might make a very small volume； and be indeed the best； or
a very large volume； and be still indeed the best。 But my labour
has been to do somewhat differentlyto gather nothing that did not
overpass a certain boundary…line of genius。 Gray's Elegy； for
instance； would rightly be placed at the head of everything below
that mark。 It is； in fact； so near to the work of genius as to be
most directly； closely； and immediately rebuked by genius； it meets
genius at close quarters and almost deserves that Shakespeare
himself should defeat it。 Mediocrity said its own true word in the
Elegy：
〃Full many a flower is born to blush unseen；
And waste its sweetness on the desert air。〃
But greatness had said its own word also in a sonnet：
〃The summer flower is to the summer sweet
Though to itself it only live and die。〃
The reproof here is too sure； not always does it touch so quick；
but it is not seldom manifest； and it makes exclusion a simple
task。 Inclusion； on the other hand； cannot be so completely
fulfilled。 The impossibility of taking in poems of great length；
however purely lyrical； is a mechanical barrier； even on the plan
of the present volume； in the case of Spenser's Prothalamion； the
unmanageably autobiographical and local passage makes it
inappropriate； some exquisite things of Landor's are lyrics in
blank verse； and the necessary rule against blank verse shuts them
out。 No extracts have been made from any poem； but in a very few
instances a stanza or a passage has been dropped out。 No poem has
been put in for the sake of a single perfectly fine passage； it
would be too much to say that no poem has been put in for the sake
of two splendid passages or so。 The Scottish ballad poetry is
represented by examples that are to my mind finer than anything
left out； still； it is but represented； and as the song of this
multitude of unknown poets overflows by its quantity a collection
of lyrics of genius； so does severally the song of Wordsworth；
Crashaw； and Shelley。 It has been necessary； in considering
traditional songs of evidently mingled authorship； to reject some
one invaluable stanza or burdenthe original and ancient surviving
matter of a spoilt songbecause it was necessary to reject the
sequel that has cumbered it since some sentimentalist took it for
his own。 An example； which makes the heart ache； is that burden of
keen and remote poetry：
〃O the broom； the bonnie； bonnie broom；
The broom of Cowdenknowes！〃
Perhaps some hand will gather all such precious fragments as these
together one day； freed from what is alien in the work of the
restorer。 It is inexplicable that a generation resolved to forbid
the restoration of ancient buildings should approve the eighteenth
century restoration of ancient poems； nay； the architectural
〃restorer〃 is immeasurably the more respectful。 In order to give
us again the ancient fragments； it is happily not necessary to
break up the composite songs which； since the time of Burns； have
gained a national love。 Let them be； but let the old verses be
also； and le