TheRhythmofLife
艾麗斯·梅內爾/AliceMeynell
Iflifeisnotalwayspoetical,itisatleastmetrical.Periodicityrulesoverthementalexperienceofman,accordingtothepathoftheorbitofhisthoughts.Distancesarenotgauged,ellipsesnotmeasured,velocitiesnotascertained,timesnotknown.Nevertheless,therecurrenceissure.Whatthemindsufferedlastweekorlastyear,itdoesnotsuffernow;butitwillsufferagainnextweekornextyear.Happinessisnotamatterofevents;itdependsuponthetidesofthemind.Diseaseismetrical,closinginatshorterandshorterperiodstowardsdeath,sweepingabroadatlongerandlongerintervalstowardsrecovery.Sorrowforonecausewasintolerableyesterday,andwillbeintolerabletomorrow;todayitiseasytobear,butthecausehasnotpassed.Eventheburdenofaspiritualdistressunsolvedisboundtoleavethehearttoatemporarypeace;andremorseitselfdoesnotremain—itreturns.Gaietytakesusbyadearsurprise.Ifwehadmadeacourseofnotesofitsvisits,wemighthavebeenonthewatch,andwouldhavehadanexpectationinsteadofadiscovery.Noonemakessuchobservations;inallthediariesofstudentsoftheinteriorworld,therehavenevercometolighttherecordsoftheKeplerofsuchcycles.ButThomasaKempisknewoftherecurrences,ifhedidnotmeasurethem.Inhiscellalonewiththeelements—「Whatwouldstthoumorethantheseforoutofthesewereallthingsmade」—helearntthestaytobefoundinthedepthofthehourofbitterness,andtheremembrancethatrestrainsthesoulatthecomingofthemomentofdelight,givingitamoreconsciouswelcome,butpresagingforitaninexorablef?light.And「rarely,rarelycomestthou,」sighedShelley,nottoDelightmerely,buttotheSpiritofDelight.Delightcanbecompelledbeforehand,called,andconstrainedtoourservice—Arielcanbeboundtoadailytask;butsuchartif?icialviolencethrowslifeoutofmetre,anditisnotthespiritthatisthuscompelled.THATf?litsuponanorbitellipticallyorparabolicallyorhyperbolicallycurved,keepingnomanknowswhattrystswithTime.
Itseemsf?itthatShelleyandtheauthoroftheIMITATIONshouldbothhavebeenkeenandsimpleenoughtoperceivethesef?lights,andtoguessattheorderofthisperiodicity.Bothsoulswereinclosetouchwiththespiritsoftheirseveralworlds,andnodeliberatehumanrules,noinfractionsofthelibertyandlawoftheuniversalmovement,keptfromthemtheknowledgeofrecurrences.Eppursimuove.Theyknewthatpresencedoesnotexistwithoutabsence;theyknewthatwhatisjustuponitsf?lightoffarewellisalreadyonitslongpathofreturn.Theyknewthatwhatisapproachingtotheverytouchishasteningtowardsdeparture.「Owind,」criedShelley,inautumn,
「Owind,
Ifwintercomes,canspringbefarbehind?」
Theyknewthatthef?luxisequaltotheref?lux;thattointerruptwithunlawfulrecurrences,outoftime,istoweakentheimpulseofonsetandretreat;thesweepandimpetusofmovement.Toliveinconstanteffortsafteranequallife,whethertheequalitybesoughtinmentalproduction,orinspiritualsweetness,orinthejoyofthesenses,istolivewithouteitherrestorfullactivity.Thesoulsofcertainofthesaints,beingsingularlysimpleandsingle,havebeeninthemostcompletesubjectiontothelawofperiodicity.Ecstasyanddesolationvisitedthembyseasons.Theyendured,duringspacesofvacanttime,theinteriorlossofallforwhichtheyhadsacrif?icedtheworld.Theyrejoicedintheuncovenantedbeatitudeofsweetnessalightingintheirhearts.Likethemarethepoetswhom,threetimesortentimesinthecourseofalonglife,theMusehasapproached,touched,andforsaken.Andyethardlylikethem;notalwayssodocile,norsowhollypreparedforthedeparture,thebrevity,ofthegoldenandirrevocablehour.FewpoetshavefullyrecognisedthemetricalabsenceoftheirMuse.Forfullrecognitionisexpressedinoneonlyway—silence.