T H E ME A N IN G O F TH E IDYLLS OF TH E KING A N E SSA Y IN I NTE RP RETATION O DE B O ST A N N P N LL D . C E I LLE , ” " A U TH R T H E P H IL O P H Y LIT R AT UR P OC H S O OF OS OF E E . E ” " ” LIT RAT UR T H E A T T H A LAR C H U S OF E E . FE S OF , " ” T H E D AT H S IR LA U N C L T E T C . E OF E O , NEW YORK CI N CIN NATI CHICAGO A M E R I C A N B O O K C O M P A N Y P Rs se OP YRI GHT 1904 B Y C , , CONDE B E N OIST P A LLE N ’ E nte re d at Statione rs H all , London TH E MEANING O F‘ T H E IDYLLS OF T H E K ING W P . I . FO R E W O R D T H E L d T e n n son a i i letter of or y , the f cs m le of which a a o n a was i n in ppe rs the first p ge , wr tte commendation of a bri ef ma ga zin e article on T he in Idylls o f the K ing published in 1 885 . The ter pre t ati on of the article of 1 885 w as more fully d o d in a i di a i d evel pe ser es of short stu es , lso publ she a s i n m agazin e form in 1 89 5 . The presen t ess y i a still further amplification of the origin al co n ce p i n i is add d an a n di n eluci t o , to wh ch e ppe x of otes a n d ti g some points p assed over in the text . T he author has thought it better to treat these points a a in d a id n n a di i n p rt , or er to vo u ecess ry gress o s from the main ten or of his theme . This study i s n ow in d in in n t o re pr te book form , respo se pe at e d requests to put the interpretation in a m ore con ven ien t shape than the p ages of a maga zin e aff ord. C ON TE N TS TH E G E N ERAL PUR P ORT O F T H E IDY LLS T H E COMIN G O F A RTH UR GAR E TH A N D LY N E TTE G E RAINT A N D E NI D BA LIN A N D BALAN ME R LIN AN D V I V I E N LANC E LOT AN D E LAIN E TH E H O LY G RAI L PE LLE AS A N D ETTARR E TH E LAST TO URNAME NT G UIN EV E R E T H E PASSIN G O F A RTH U R NOTES T H E ME A N IN G O F TH E ID Y LLS O F T H E K IN G T H E GENERAL P URP ORT OF T H E IDYLLS W H Y should any o n e set about the interpretatio n of the Idylls " IS n ot their mean in g plain en ough — in itself so many vign ettes illustratin g a common theme and tra cin g the A rthuri an legen d through some of its most touchin g episodes in the subtle ’ " imagery of Tennyson s polished muse Mere id an d a a n d an we av ylls , summer l sc pes of te er f cy in g the myths of an an cien t fable into modern a i i da n b verse , gr ceful p ctures of hero c ys blow y the winds of tradition in to this hurly -burly a ge of sturdy fa ct an d desp otic pra cticality " What n d n n in in a a find ee , the , of plu g g to se s of llegory to a mystic meanin g ben eath the glitterin g p agean try ’ of the p oet s lin es " Take them for wh at they a a t o and i a n themselves ppe r be , r om p ctures of ’ i n d d n b a a an d i a hero c lege , o e y m ster s h , but w th l 8 IDYLLS OF T H E KING i a an d lie mere p ctures , whose be uty whose worth ’ in a i a nd ad the m ster s use of color , l ght sh e , to d a d S an d bo y forth the outw r how , the pomp the — splendor of the A rthuri an myth this and n oth in g more . Idle the office of interpretation if forestalled by h as n n such a prej udice . Yet such bee the curre t n i n a n i n it n d d n ot a in ot o ; ot o , must be co ce e , l ck g exten uation ; for the Idylls were given to the world i a d i d a i w thout reg r to the r proper or er , c rcum stan ce con tributin g n ot a little to the popul ar mis un derstandin g of their real scope an d purpose . The la st Idyll of the twelve wa s published first a d in a n i d T he E ic in i fr me poem e t tle p , wh ch the ’ Al orte D A rthur was described as the fra gmen t of a larger work . The remain in g eleven c ame out at wide intervals without regard to the chron o logical o r logical order of the theme of which each n a a n is a du e integral part . The tur l j udgme t was a d d a th t the I ylls , though clustere bout the A i an n d ha d n o n d an rthur lege , closer bo th the ha zard of the s ame heroic subj ect in such phases s a a struck poetic fan cy . It wa s n ot un til a fter t e n Idylls ha d foun d their way to the light th at they were grouped together in their due relatio n . Whether or n o t T he Idylls of the K ing may PURPORT OF T H E IDYLLS 9 j ustly lay claim to the dign ity a nd proportion s of - n e i at a t is n o ain a i n . b a p c poem , le s there g s y g y o n e who has rea d them in the order in which they a re arran ged in a uthorized edition s subsequen t to — 1 8 8 4 th at they con stitute a sin gle poem with an in timate relation both as to time an d theme . an i W i n ot But more th th s , hether ep c or , they W i s an a are a poem hose theme deeper th the surf ce , a a n in and n ot mere t ble ux of wo drous color g pose , appealin g only to the e y e an d the fan cy . The pla cin g of a further value o n them than their 1 o h as n d d n di d an d mere utward show i ee bee spute , it h as been averred that a deeper mean in g ha s been re ad in to them than they themselves will warran t ' i i i a i to be re ad out . But such cr t c sm seems to r se rather from the prej udice of a popular misco n ception than from an y discrimin atin g con sidera i i n i in in i n a . M an t o of the r tr s c ture ore th th s , we m a a i i i in d d n in i y urge th t cr t c sm of the k , e y g the r i an in i in on an a a d re esoter c me g , mp ges wkw r p dic ame n t of it s o wn makin g ; for if the Idylls be i a an are n ot a a n mere poet c p ge try , they lw ys eve a in an a a ad th t , but m y respects mere m squer e of ' ai i a a i n an ia . R e ry m gery , be ut ful but u subst t l a d d i na i n it g r e from th s exter l v ew o ly , becomes n ecessary t o explain s atisfa ctorily in numerable 1 0 IDYLLS OF T H E KING a a i a n o i n i an n d obscure p ss ges , wh ch h ve s g fic ce u er i d- ain in a s as i th s mere wor p t g theory , well to g ve the chief cha ra cters an d the main a ction of the l i d ama a a i na .