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characteristics of Tennyson's poetry : no mere idle dreamer is he ; no 

 wanton dissecter of the heart's deepest pang ; not luxuriating, as some 

 poets have done, in the mere exhibition of intellectual power ; but with 

 a clear and, as we believe, a true conception of the necessities of men 

 in general, and of this age in particular. For this is one of the great 

 features of a poet, that while in the single examples he takes, he is true 

 to the life in depicting individual character ; his illustrations are not 

 only singly true, hut contain and manifest the universal law. Hence, 

 while primarily suited, as they were written, for a particular period, 

 the productions of a great j^oet are read, understood, and appreciated in 

 all a"es and by all men. Every poet reflects, in one way or another, 

 the tendencies and predominant ideas of the age in which he lived. 

 Homer reflects the warlike spirit of his age ; the Greek trngedians 

 the fatalistic opinions of theirs ; Horace, the epicurean tone of Roman 

 society ; Tasso and Aiiosto show that in the age of chivalry they lived 

 and wrote ; Dante and Milton exhibit the religious throes that 

 moved their times; in Shakspeare we see that Christianity had 

 exercised its influence over the poets view of human life, and that the 

 drama was no longer classic but romantic ; Byron reflects at once the 

 scepticism and the libertinism of his time ; yet in the writings of each 

 of these poets, varied as they are, we find also reflected our common 

 humanity. The case is the same with Tennyson ; looking at life from 

 the nineteenth century point of view; chooSng not for hero either 

 Crusader or Pagan warrior, he exhibits the men and women of the 

 present age, in the thoughts that occupy them, and, according to his 

 power, endeavours to guide ai'ight those thoughts and energies. " It 

 is .Tennyson's catholic sympathy with modem life in all its charac- 

 teristic phases that is his distinguishing quality ; and that, in com- 

 bination with his formal poetic skill, renders him the favom-ite poet of 

 the cultivated classes." 



We consider that "]\Iaud" is to be judged by these considerations; 

 taking the characters from ordiuaiy every day life, accompanied only 

 by the incidents with which we are constantly familiar, he yet succeeds 

 in rendering the characters of the poem types, not merely of a class 

 but of humanity, and shews, with a fidelity that cannot be resisted, that 

 here, in this practical England of the nineteenth century, with all its 

 selfishness and its apparent non-recognition of aught but what appeals 

 to it externally — that even here the eternal elements of tragedy may 

 be found, and that they do not fail to work out their appointed purpose. 

 We consider it absolutely essential to the right understanding and 

 appreciation of " Maud" that this view should be clearly held, for it at 

 once disposes of the only serious charges that are brought against it. 



