A STRANGE BOOK 323 poetry, however disguised, and however far removed from ordinary associations ; men who know Shakespeare in despite of the commentators, and understand Browning in contempt of the critics, and laugh quietly at the current censures and rap- tures of the reviews : and these men would scarcely consider it a waste of time to search into the meaning of the darkest oracles of William Blake." And before that last sentence was written, and until after it was printed (as we learn from dates in his volume), one of the youngest and most brilliant of "these men," Mr. Swinburne, was patiently and reverently preparing, " in the intervals of his natural work," that luminous exposition and interpretation of those " darkest oracles," entitled, " William Blake : a Critical Essay." And now for Dr. Wilkinson's note to these " Improvisations," which has been cited at such length in the opening of the first section of this article. He says : " How much it differs from other similar collections [books of verse] in process it were difficult to convey to the reader; suffice it to say, that every piece was produced without premeditation or preconception. Had these processes stolen in, such production would have been impossible." But this does not so sharply distinguish his volume from other volumes of poetry as the doctor appears to imply. Long poems, indeed, are usually premeditated and planned in their general outline ; * but the first con- ception of the subject, in its most general outline, yet most essential living individuality, must be as unpremeditated, as real a lightning-flash of inspiration
- In speaking of poetry, poems, and poets, I of course mean
only the genuine, whatever their rank ; and in such a discussion as this, these terms include all art, works of art, and artists.
