R,CHARD MONCKTON MILNES was born in the year - OUDL Home

Andrew Lang in the 'Seventies 87all, to take more fancy to these because they are not thefashion. Comparatively few are those—and profoundlygrateful to Providence or the Muses, or Fate or Chanceor whatever object of gratitude takes the place of thesein their Scheme of Things, should those few be—who canappreciate all poetry which is poetry whether it be Job'sor the present Poet Laureate's, Donne's or Dryden's,Sappho's or Christina Rossetti's, Cowper's or Mr Swinburne's.To these fortunate ones—perhaps there is no onewho possesses this best of good fortunes entirely andabsolutely, but there certainly have been some who hadit in large shares—date and subject, form and language,are of comparative unimportance: many instances havebeen given, some certainly not merely jocular, of recognitionof the poetry without understanding of thelanguage.Their critical appreciation has something in it ofwater—divining or reaction to atmosphere—the ratherhackneyed but beautiful word aura would be better still.I do not think many people who possess this sense—forone can give it place in the rather numerously occupiedroom of the sixth senses—have refused its satisfactoryexercise to Lang's verse work—though some of them maynot think that he had the faculty in its highest degree.Much is translation, and translation of famous things inpure lyric, where, it has sometimes been said, you must,to succeed, be as good a poet as your original was, andeven then you will give another good thing, not the same.Therefore when you find the poetical atmosphere oraura in a translation the translator must be entitled tothe credit of some of it: and I think it is to be found inthe book I am speaking of as well as in the more definitelyand temporarily fashionable Ballades of some years later.And a very uncommon talent, not easily distinguishablefrom genius, was displayed in the prose translation of the