Isabel

First printed in 1830.

Lord Tennyson tells us ('Life of Tennyson', i., 43) that in this poem his father more or less described his own mother, who was a "remarkable and saintly woman". In this as in the other poems elaborately painting women we may perhaps suspect the influence of Wordsworth's 'Triad', which should be compared with them.

1
  Eyes not down-dropt nor over-bright, but fed
  With the clear-pointed flame of chastity,
  Clear, without heat, undying, tended by
  Pure vestal thoughts in the translucent fane
  Of her still spirit [1]; locks not wide-dispread,
  Madonna-wise on either side her head;
  Sweet lips whereon perpetually did reign
  The summer calm of golden charity,
  Were fixed shadows of thy fixed mood,
  Revered Isabel, the crown and head,
  The stately flower of female fortitude,
  Of perfect wifehood and pure lowlihead. [2]

2
  The intuitive decision of a bright
  And thorough-edged intellect to part
  Error from crime; a prudence to withhold;
  The laws of marriage [3] character'd in gold
  Upon the blanched [4] tablets of her heart;
  A love still burning upward, giving light
  To read those laws; an accent very low
  In blandishment, but a most silver flow
  Of subtle-paced counsel in distress,
  Right to the heart and brain, tho' undescried,
  Winning its way with extreme gentleness
  Thro' [5] all the outworks of suspicious pride.
  A courage to endure and to obey;
  A hate of gossip parlance, and of sway,
  Crown'd Isabel, thro' [6] all her placid life,
  The queen of marriage, a most perfect wife.

3


  The mellow'd reflex of a winter moon;
  A clear stream flowing with a muddy one,
  Till in its onward current it absorbs
  With swifter movement and in purer light
  The vexed eddies of its wayward brother:
  A leaning and upbearing parasite,
  Clothing the stem, which else had fallen quite,
  With cluster'd flower-bells and ambrosial orbs
  Of rich fruit-bunches leaning on each other--
  Shadow forth thee:--the world hath not another
  (Though all her fairest forms are types of thee,
  And thou of God in thy great charity)
  Of such a finish'd chasten'd purity,

[Footnote 1: With these lines may be compared Shelley, 'Dedication to the Revolt of Islam':--

  And through thine eyes, e'en in thy soul, I see
  A lamp of vestal fire burning eternally.]

[Footnote 2: Lowlihead a favourite word with Chaucer and Spenser.]

[Footnote 3: 1830. Wifehood.]

[Footnote 4: 1830. Blenched.]

[Footnote 5: 1830 and all before 1853. Through.]

[Footnote 6: 1830. Through.]