[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
cultivate.
Here are some specimens of 'What to Avoid':
A loud, weak, affected, whining, harsh, or shrill tone of voice.
Extravagancies in conversation such phrases as 'Awfully this,' 'Beastly that,' 'Loads of time,'
'Don't you know,' 'hate' for 'dislike,' etc.
Sudden exclamations of annoyance, surprise, or joy often dangerously approaching to
'female swearing' as 'Bother!' 'Gracious!' 'How jolly!'
Yawning when listening to any one.
Talking on family matters, even to your bosom friends.
Attempting any vocal or instrumental piece of music that you cannot execute with ease.
Crossing your letters.
Making a short, sharp nod with the head, intended to do duty for a bow.
All nonsense in the shape of belief in dreams, omens, presentiments, ghosts, spiritualism,
palmistry, etc.
Entertaining wild flights of the imagination, or empty idealistic aspirations.
I am afraid that I have a good deal of sympathy with what are called 'empty idealistic aspirations'; and 'wild
flights of the imagination' are so extremely rare in the nineteenth century that they seem to me deserving
rather of praise than of censure. The exclamation 'Bother!' also, though certainly lacking in beauty, might, I
think, be permitted under circumstances of extreme aggravation, such as, for instance, the rejection of a
manuscript by the editor of a magazine; but in all other respects the list seems to be quite excellent. As for
'What to Cultivate,' nothing could be better than the following:
LITERARY AND OTHER NOTES II 99
Reviews
An unaffected, low, distinct, silver-toned voice.
The art of pleasing those around you, and seeming pleased with them, and all they may do for
you.
The charm of making little sacrifices quite naturally, as if of no account to yourself.
The habit of making allowances for the opinions, feelings, or prejudices of others.
An erect carriage that is, a sound body.
A good memory for faces, and facts connected with them thus avoiding giving offence
through not recognising or bowing to people, or saying to them what had best been left
unsaid.
The art of listening without impatience to prosy talkers, and smiling at the twice-told tale or
joke.
I cannot help thinking that the last aphorism aims at too high a standard. There is always a certain amount of
danger in any attempt to cultivate impossible virtues. However, it is only fair to add that Lady Bellairs
recognises the importance of self-development quite as much as the importance of self-denial; and there is a
great deal of sound sense in everything that she says about the gradual growth and formation of character.
Indeed, those who have not read Aristotle upon this point might with advantage read Lady Bellairs.
Miss Constance Naden's little volume, A Modern Apostle and Other Poems, shows both culture and
courage culture in its use of language, courage in its selection of subject-matter. The modern apostle of
whom Miss Naden sings is a young clergyman who preaches Pantheistic Socialism in the Free Church of
some provincial manufacturing town, converts everybody, except the woman whom he loves, and is killed in
a street riot. The story is exceedingly powerful, but seems more suitable for prose than for verse. It is right
that a poet should be full of the spirit of his age, but the external forms of modern life are hardly, as yet,
expressive of that spirit. They are truths of fact, not truths of the imagination, and though they may give the
poet an opportunity for realism, they often rob the poem of the reality that is so essential to it. Art, however,
is a matter of result, not of theory, and if the fruit is pleasant, we should not quarrel about the tree. Miss
Naden's work is distinguished by rich imagery, fine colour, and sweet music, and these are things for which
we should be grateful, wherever we find them. In point of mere technical skill, her longer poems are the best;
but some of the shorter poems are very fascinating. This, for instance, is pretty:
The copyist group was gathered round
A time-worn fresco, world-renowned,
Whose central glory once had been
The face of Christ, the Nazarene. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl karpacz24.htw.pl
cultivate.
Here are some specimens of 'What to Avoid':
A loud, weak, affected, whining, harsh, or shrill tone of voice.
Extravagancies in conversation such phrases as 'Awfully this,' 'Beastly that,' 'Loads of time,'
'Don't you know,' 'hate' for 'dislike,' etc.
Sudden exclamations of annoyance, surprise, or joy often dangerously approaching to
'female swearing' as 'Bother!' 'Gracious!' 'How jolly!'
Yawning when listening to any one.
Talking on family matters, even to your bosom friends.
Attempting any vocal or instrumental piece of music that you cannot execute with ease.
Crossing your letters.
Making a short, sharp nod with the head, intended to do duty for a bow.
All nonsense in the shape of belief in dreams, omens, presentiments, ghosts, spiritualism,
palmistry, etc.
Entertaining wild flights of the imagination, or empty idealistic aspirations.
I am afraid that I have a good deal of sympathy with what are called 'empty idealistic aspirations'; and 'wild
flights of the imagination' are so extremely rare in the nineteenth century that they seem to me deserving
rather of praise than of censure. The exclamation 'Bother!' also, though certainly lacking in beauty, might, I
think, be permitted under circumstances of extreme aggravation, such as, for instance, the rejection of a
manuscript by the editor of a magazine; but in all other respects the list seems to be quite excellent. As for
'What to Cultivate,' nothing could be better than the following:
LITERARY AND OTHER NOTES II 99
Reviews
An unaffected, low, distinct, silver-toned voice.
The art of pleasing those around you, and seeming pleased with them, and all they may do for
you.
The charm of making little sacrifices quite naturally, as if of no account to yourself.
The habit of making allowances for the opinions, feelings, or prejudices of others.
An erect carriage that is, a sound body.
A good memory for faces, and facts connected with them thus avoiding giving offence
through not recognising or bowing to people, or saying to them what had best been left
unsaid.
The art of listening without impatience to prosy talkers, and smiling at the twice-told tale or
joke.
I cannot help thinking that the last aphorism aims at too high a standard. There is always a certain amount of
danger in any attempt to cultivate impossible virtues. However, it is only fair to add that Lady Bellairs
recognises the importance of self-development quite as much as the importance of self-denial; and there is a
great deal of sound sense in everything that she says about the gradual growth and formation of character.
Indeed, those who have not read Aristotle upon this point might with advantage read Lady Bellairs.
Miss Constance Naden's little volume, A Modern Apostle and Other Poems, shows both culture and
courage culture in its use of language, courage in its selection of subject-matter. The modern apostle of
whom Miss Naden sings is a young clergyman who preaches Pantheistic Socialism in the Free Church of
some provincial manufacturing town, converts everybody, except the woman whom he loves, and is killed in
a street riot. The story is exceedingly powerful, but seems more suitable for prose than for verse. It is right
that a poet should be full of the spirit of his age, but the external forms of modern life are hardly, as yet,
expressive of that spirit. They are truths of fact, not truths of the imagination, and though they may give the
poet an opportunity for realism, they often rob the poem of the reality that is so essential to it. Art, however,
is a matter of result, not of theory, and if the fruit is pleasant, we should not quarrel about the tree. Miss
Naden's work is distinguished by rich imagery, fine colour, and sweet music, and these are things for which
we should be grateful, wherever we find them. In point of mere technical skill, her longer poems are the best;
but some of the shorter poems are very fascinating. This, for instance, is pretty:
The copyist group was gathered round
A time-worn fresco, world-renowned,
Whose central glory once had been
The face of Christ, the Nazarene. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]