In each change of Nature, "God renews 1 His ancient rapture." 1 But when Man appears, a new meaning is in all Nature. Man is still in the process of developing, of coming into his own. "But in completed man begins anew A tendency to God." 2 "For God is glorified in man." 3 And as Paracelsus passes into the unknown Country, his triumphant words are: "I press God's lamp Close to my breast; its splendour, soon or late, c. Festus' faith in God is hardly less strong than that of Paracelsus, and is even more beautiful. Notice Festus as he watches by Paracelsus' death-bed before Paracelsus rouses: "God! Thou art love! I build my faith on that. "Save him, dear God; it will be like thee: bathe him "I know thee, who hast kept my path, and made It were too strange that I should doubt thy love."7 Reserved for me, was ever in 1 P. 62, ll. 63, 64. P. 64, 1. 8. P. 55, ll. 9, 12, 13. 7 P. 55, ll. 29-32. my thoughts." 2 P. 63, 11. 65, 66. When he tries to stimulate Paracelsus to say something, he rebukes himself: "Better be mute and see what God shall send." 1 And when Paracelsus does speak, Festus assures him: "God shall take thee to his breast, dear spirit." 2 And as the end draws near, then Festus' soul flames up in I am upon his side, come weal or woe. Reward him or I waive Reward! If thou canst find no place for him, His slave for ever. There are two of us." 3 d. It should be added that both the faith of Paracelsus and the faith of Festus are simply Browning's own faith as to God's part in human affairs. 4. "The Power of an Endless Life." The confidence in Immortality shines out through the poem in every stage of Paracelsus' experience. In scene I, he says: "See this soul of ours! How it strives weakly in the child, is loosed In manhood, clogged by sickness, back compelled Even in the bitter disappointment of later years, he exclaims: "I had immortal feelings; such shall never 1 P. 55, 1. 64. P. 59, ll. 47-49, 51-54. 4P. 24, ll. 61-64. 2 P. 59, 1. 23. Festus says, in Paracelsus' disappointment: "It is our trust That there is yet another world to mend And Paracelsus hardly feels then the comfort of that thought. But two years later, when he learns that Michal, who had become Festus' wife, is dead and buried, Paracelsus says: "Know, then, you did not ill to trust your love Taste death. I think the soul can never Take it as my trust, she is not dead." " And on his own death-bed, Paracelsus realizes: "Truly there needs another life to come!" and argues that, without its fulfillment beyond death, this life is "a poor cheat, a stupid bungle, A wretched failure." 4 And Festus says to the dying man: "I bid thee enter gloriously thy rest." " Paracelsus finds that it is only that "the storm of life subsides." 6 He says: "And this is death: I understand it all. New being waits me; new perceptions must Which last is Death's affair; and while I speak, With power: . . . my foot is on the threshold And as his eyes close in death: "If I stoop Into a dark tremendous sea of cloud, It is but for a time; I press God's lamp Close to my breast; its splendour, soon or late, Will pierce the gloom: I shall emerge one day." 1 P. 65, ll. 14-18. ΧΙ PIPPA PASSES Pp. 174-195 Pippa Passes was published in 1841, when Browning was 29 years old. It was the first in the series of eight pamphlets known as Bells and Pomegranates. When Pippa Passes was written, Browning was living in England but had made a journey to Italy in 1838,- - a journey which contributed so much to Sordello, published in 1840. Pippa Passes, when it was finished, lay for some time in Browning's desk without a publisher. But he finally arranged with Edward Moxon to bring it out in pamphlet form, very cheap, sixteen pages, two columns to the page. The poem attracted little attention: few cared either to find fault with it or to commend it. And yet it is one of the daintiest and one of the most artistic works of the first half of the nineteenth century. As one of the best critics of Browning has said: "Pippa Passes will be an enduring strength and pleasure to all who love tenderly and think widely." 1 I. THE PLACE AND THE DATE OF THE ACTION 1. The poem concerns itself with Asolo, a little walled city of 5000 people at the base of a hill in the province of Treviso, north Italy, 33 miles northwest of Venice. North Italy is famous for its silk industry. There was a silk mill 1 Stopford A. Brooke, The Poetry of Robert Browning, New York, 1902, P. 241. |