HEINRICH HEINE - Repositories

HEINRICH HEINE - Repositories HEINRICH HEINE - Repositories

repositories.tdl.org
from repositories.tdl.org More from this publisher
27.12.2013 Views

Heinrich Heine mately alhed with such respectable and ancient English words as grumble, stumble, mumble, jumble, fumble, rumble, crumble, tumble — all heads of families of the very choicest middle-class blood in the language. In Thomson's opinion, English writers were, on the whole, subservient to Bumble and few had the courage, that Heine had, to publish their thoughts and feelings on subjects interdicted by Bumble, namely, on the most important and urgent problems in religion and sociology. Instead of following in the footsteps of Heine, the vast majority of Victorian men-of-letters preferred to suppress their own most vigorous and honest thoughts and to lubricate Bumbledom with oily cant inexpressibly and revoltingly nauseous. It was expected that in reviewing books, such as those of Heine, "all the narrative pieces which specially tickled and enthralled must be overwhelmed with the fiercest of virtuous indignation; all the argumentative passages which really throw light upon vexed questions must be sternly denounced, the illumination being clearly traced to the Nether Fire. This condition faithfully observed, the poor and uneducated scared from corruption. Society may read without stint. Thou dear respectable Churchwarden-Bumble, it is pleasant to think how thy [80]

Continuator of Goethe Vicar and Archdeacon and Bishop have laughed with inextinguishable laughter over Aristophanes and Lucian and Rabelais and Heine!" ^^ Thomson, the embittered pessimist, probably exaggerated the opposition to Heine, whose defenders certainly outnumbered his detractors in England of the Eighteen-Sixties. Heine did not have the best repute but he was widely read. Robert Lytton testified that each new book of Heine's was received with hungry eagerness and feverish impetuosity.^^ Not all who read him admired his approach to religion and politics but none denied the power of his personality. He was for the mid- Victorians a literary force exceeding in vitality that of any other German save Goethe. And, as the continuator of Goethe, he enthralled this age of George Eliot and Matthew Amold. [81]

Continuator of Goethe<br />

Vicar and Archdeacon and Bishop have laughed<br />

with inextinguishable laughter over Aristophanes<br />

and Lucian and Rabelais and Heine!" ^^<br />

Thomson, the embittered pessimist, probably exaggerated<br />

the opposition to Heine, whose defenders<br />

certainly outnumbered his detractors in England<br />

of the Eighteen-Sixties. Heine did not have<br />

the best repute but he was widely read. Robert Lytton<br />

testified that each new book of Heine's<br />

was received with hungry eagerness and feverish<br />

impetuosity.^^ Not all who read him admired his<br />

approach to religion and politics but none denied<br />

the power of his personality. He was for the mid-<br />

Victorians a literary force exceeding in vitality that<br />

of any other German save Goethe. And, as the continuator<br />

of Goethe, he enthralled this age of George<br />

Eliot and Matthew Amold.<br />

[81]

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!