50 The Future Poetry
poetry; no poetry is, I think, within its own limits so perfect
and satisfying. The limits indeed are marked and even, judged
by the undulating many-sidedness and wideness of the modern
mind, narrow; but on its own lines this poetry works with a
flawless power and sufficiency. From beginning to end it dealt
with life from one large view-point; it worked always from the
inspired reason, used a luminous intellectual observation and
harmonised all it did by the rule of an enlightened and chastened
aesthetic sense; whatever changes overtook it, it never departed
from this motive and method which are the very essence of the
Greek spirit. And of this motive it was very conscious and by its
clear recognition of it and fidelity to it it was able to achieve an
artistic beauty and sufficiency of expressive form which affect
us like an easily accomplished miracle and which have been the
admiration of after ages. Even the poetry of the Greek decadence
preserved enough of this power to act as a shaping influence on
Latin literature.
French poetry is much more limited than the Greek, much
less powerful in inspiration. For it deals with life from the
standpoint not of the inspired reason, but of the clear-thinking
intellect, not of the enlightened aesthetic sense, but of emotional
sentiment. These are its two constant powers; the one gives it its
brain-stuff, the other its poetical fervour and grace and charm
and appeal. Throughout all the changes of the last century, in
spite of apparent cultural revolutions, the French spirit has re-
mained in its poetry faithful to these two motives which are
of its very essence, and because of this fidelity it has always or
almost always found for its work a satisfying and characteristic
form. To that combination of a clear and strong motive and a
satisfying form it owes the immense influence it has exercised
from time to time on other European literatures. The cultural
power of the poetry of other tongues may be traced to similar
causes. But what has been the distinct spirit and distinguishing
form of English poetry? Certainly, there is an English spirit which
could not fail to be reflected in its poetry; but, not being clearly
self-conscious, it is reflected obscurely and confusedly, and it
has been at war within itself, followed a fluctuation of different