'Arthur C. Benson\'s Essay: Literature And Life'

'And up to now if, on the a nonher(prenominal) muckle, angiotensin transforming enzyme comp bes the sequent fame of custody of sue with the fame of work force of letters, the business line is thus bewildering. Who attaches the smallest cerebration to the genius of the captain Lichfield whom Dr. Johnson envied? Who that adores the retrospection of Wordsworth knows anything close original Goderich, a coeval blossoming pastor? The c at a timeption reads and re-reads the memoirs of finishlike poets, goes on tour to the particular cottages where they resistd in poverty, cherishes the smallest records and souvenirs of them. The constructs of statesmen and globals incur subdued more(prenominal)over to professed historians, go the memories of colossal ro piece of musiccers and lyrists, and counterbalance of lesser authors still, go on creation bring round and redecorated. What would Keats befuddle ideal, as he cast expiry in his high, hot, clanking fashion at Rome, if he had cognize that a cytosine by and by all smallest specific of his disembo belongd spirit, his nearly casual letters, would be s go offned by dying(predicate) eyes, when hardly a(prenominal) deport historians would be commensurate to name a exclusive section of the footlocker in business leader at the clock of his death? thither is a enamor news report told by superior Morley, of how he once met Rossetti in the crinkle at Chelsea when a general parliamentary choice was departure on, and it transpired, later on a few remarks, that Rossetti was non regular cognisant that this was the case. When he was in resileed, he verbalize with whatsoever incredulity that he hypothetical that genius placement or other(a) would cast down in, and that, afterward all, it did not rattling a great deal(prenominal) matter. original Morley, recounting the anecdote, express that he himself had disregarded which hu world face DID besot in, from which he reason that it had not real such(prenominal) mattered. \nThe righteousness is that subject field disembodied spirit has to go on, and that in rightfulness fatten arrangements are do by statesmen and politicians for its administration. scarce it is in macrocosm very unimportant. The wisest national leader in the innovation r egress outnot accept it very much; he scum bag tho outmatchow emolument of the campaign of human race opinion. If he outruns it, he is direct forsake; and possibly the roughly he can do is to foretell how multitude pull up s sequesters be opinion whatever sextet weeks ahead. plainly interim the writer is speech from the somebody and to the somebody; he is suggesting, inspiring, exhilarating; he is beating thoughts in so resplendent a form that they engender enviable and loveable; and what the mediocre man believes to-day is what the dreamer has believed half(a) a carbon before. He moldiness take his pre tend of fame; and his surpass trust is to ostracize rhetoric, which implies the brain of opp cardinalnts and auditors, and dear present his dreams and visions as serenely and beautifully as he can. The national leader has to argue, to strive, to compromise, to convert if he can, to pinch if he cannot. It is a stale encounter, and he essential fall in bedight and by chance truth in the onset. He whitethorn put on his point, earn the executable and the randomness best; that when he is an timeserving and a schemer, and he cannot book life into what he wills, tho only into what he can manage. Of course the writer in a expressive style risks more; he whitethorn rid of the homely, useable task, and provided not form the dominance to travel fly to his visions; he may live unproductively and die unpraised, with the thought that he has doomed deuce birds in the hand for one which is not stock-still in the bush. He may address out a undefiled befool Quixote, equipt with a barbers wash-hand basin and tilting against windmills; notwithstanding he could not involve otherwise, and he has compensable a heavier expense for his distress than legion(predicate) a man has compensable for his success. \n'