large/803/reviews_wilde_0709_librivox_64kb_mp3/reviews_84_wilde_64kb_9
large/803/reviews_wilde_0709_librivox_64kb_mp3/reviews_84_wilde_64kb
English
803
We breathe a purer air, and have dreams of a time when life had a kind of poetical quality of its own, and was simple and stately and complete. WE BREATHE A PURER AIR AND HAVE DREAMS OF A TIME WHEN LIFE HAD A KIND OF POETICAL QUALITY OF ITS OWN AND WAS SIMPLE AND STATELY AND COMPLETE
l insistence upon a supposed necessity for absolute modernity of form can prevail against the value of work that has the incomparable excellence of style. Certainly, Mr. Morris's work possesses this excellence. His fine harmonies and rich cadences create in the reader that spirit by which alone can its own spirit be interpreted, awake in him something of the temper of romance and, by taking him out of his own age, place him in a truer and more vital relation to the great masterpieces of all time. It is a bad thing for an age to be always looking in art for its own reflection. It is well that, now and then, we are given work that is nobly imaginative in its method and purely artistic in its aim. As we read Mr. Morris's story with its fine alternations of verse and prose, its decorative and descriptive beauties, its wonderful handling of romantic and adventurous themes, we cannot but feel that we are as far removed from the ignoble fiction as we are from the ignoble facts of our own day.  NO SHRILL INSISTENCE UPON A SUPPOSED NECESSITY FOR ABSOLUTE MODERNITY OF FORM CAN PREVAIL AGAINST THE VALUE OF WORK THAT HAS THE INCOMPARABLE EXCELLENCE OF STYLE CERTAINLY MISTER MORRIS'S WORK POSSESSES THIS EXCELLENCE HIS FINE HARMONIES AND RICH CADENCES CREATE IN THE READER THAT SPIRIT BY WHICH ALONE CAN ITS OWN SPIRIT BE INTERPRETED AWAKE IN HIM SOMETHING OF THE TEMPER OF ROMANCE AND BY TAKING HIM OUT OF HIS OWN AGE PLACE HIM IN A TRUER AND MORE VITAL RELATION TO THE GREAT MASTERPIECES OF ALL TIME IT IS A BAD THING FOR AN AGE TO BE ALWAYS LOOKING IN ART FOR ITS OWN REFLECTION IT IS WELL THAT NOW AND THEN WE ARE GIVEN WORK THAT IS NOBLY IMAGINATIVE IN ITS METHOD AND PURELY ARTISTIC IN ITS AIM AS WE READ MISTER MORRIS'S STORY WITH ITS FINE ALTERNATIONS OF VERSE AND PROSE ITS DECORATIVE AND DESCRIPTIVE BEAUTIES ITS WONDERFUL HANDLING OF ROMANTIC AND ADVENTUROUS THEMES WE CANNOT BUT FEEL THAT WE ARE AS FAR REMOVED FROM THE IGNOBLE FICTION AS WE ARE FROM THE IGNOBLE FACTS OF OUR OWN DAY
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