Thatthepoemcontainsmuchwhichisbeautifulisundeniable，alsothatitissurchargedwithwinsomeandprofoundthoughtsandamultitudeofwill-o’-the-wisp-likefancieswhichallshapetowardshighthinking。
　　ButitismonotonousasoneoftheenormousAmericaninlandseastoaloveroftheocean，towhomthesaltbrineisasthebreathofdelight。
　　Thefatalfacilityoftheheroiccouplettolapseintodiffuseness，has，coupledwithawarpedanxietyforirreducibleconcision，beenBrowning’sruinhere。
　　Thereisonechargeevenyettoofrequentlymadeagainst“Sordello“，thatof“obscurity“。Itsinterestmaybefoundremote，itstreatmentverbose，itsintricaciespuzzlingtothoseunaccustomedtoexcursionsfromthefamiliarhighwaysofoldusage，butitsmotivethoughtisnotobscure。Itisamoonlitplaincomparedwiththe“silvaoscura“ofthe“DivinaCommedia“。
　　SurelythisquestionofBrowning’sobscuritywasexpelledtotheLimboofDeadStupiditieswhenMr。Swinburne，inperiodsasresplendentasthewhirlingwheelsofPhoebusApollo’schariot，wrotehisfamousincidentalpassageinhis“EssayonChapman“。
　　Tooprobably，inthedimdisintegratingfuturewhichwillreduceallouro’ertopplingextremes，“Sordello“willbeaslittlereadas“TheFaerieQueene“，and，similarly，onlyforthegleamofthequenchlesslampsamiditslongdesertedalleysandstatelyavenues。
　　Sadlyenough，fortopoetsitwillalwaysbeanunforgottenland
　　acontinentwithamaranth-hauntedValesofTempe，where，asSpensersaysinoneoftheAecloguesof“TheShepherd’sCalendar“，theywillthereoftentimes“sittenasdrounedindreme。“
　　Ithas，forthosewhoarenotrepelled，acharmallitsown。
　　Iknowofnootherpoeminthelanguagewhichisatoncesowearisomeandsoseductive。Howcanoneexplainparadoxes？
　　Thereisacharm，orthereisnone：thatiswhatitamountsto，foreachindividual。`Tuttigaisogusti，emigoimii’
　　“everybodyfollowshistaste，andIfollowmine，“astheVenetiansaying，quotedbyBrowningattheheadofhisRawdonBrownsonnet，hasit。
　　Allthatneedbeknownconcerningtheframeworkof“Sordello“，andoftherealSordellohimself，willbefoundinthevariousBrowninghand-books，inMr。Nettleship’sandotherdissertations，and，particularly，inMrs。Dall’smostcircumspectandablehistoricalessay。
　　ItissufficientheretosaythatwhiletheSordelloandPalmaofthepoetaretraceableintheCunizzaandthestrangecomet-likeSordellooftheItalianandProvencalChronicleswhohashissecureimmortality，byDantesetforthinleonineguise`aguisadileonquandosiposa’
　　inthe“Purgatorio“，boththesearethemostshadowyofprototypes。
　　TheSordelloofBrowningisatypicalpoeticsoul：thenarrativeoftheincidentsinthedevelopmentofthissoulisadaptedtothehistoricalsettingfurnishedbytheaforesaidChronicles。
　　SordelloisafarmoreprofoundstudythanAprilein“Paracelsus“，inwhom，however，heisobviouslyforeshadowed。TheradicalflawinhisnatureisthatindicatedbyGoetheofHeine，that“hehadnoheart。“
　　Thepoemisthenarrativeofhistranscendentaspirations，andmoreorlessfutileaccomplishment。
　　Itwouldbevaintoattempthereanyadequateexcerptionoflinesofsingularbeauty。Readersfamiliarwiththepoemwillrecallpassageafterpassageamongwhichthereisprobablynonemorewidelyknownthanthegrandiosesunsetlines：
　　“Thatautumnevewasstilled：
　　AlastremainsofsunsetdimlyburnedO’erthefarforests，likeatorch-flameturnedBythewindbackuponitsbearer’shandInonelongflareofcrimson；asabrand，Thewoodsbeneathlayblack。“……
　　Whathauntinglinesthereare，everyhereandtheresuchasthoseofPalma，withhergoldenhairlikespiltsunbeams，orthoseonElys，withher“FewfinelocksColouredlikehoneyoozedfromtopmostrocksSun-blanchedthelivelongsummer，“
　　orthese，“DaybydayNewpollenonthelily-petalgrows，Andstillmorelabyrinthinebudstherose“
　　or，oncemore，“Atouchdivine
　　Andthesealedeyeballownsthemysticrod；
　　VisiblythroughhisgardenwalkethGod“
　　But，thoughsorelytempted，Imustnotquotefurther，saveonlytheconcludinglinesoftheunparalleledandimpassionedaddresstoDante：
　　“Dante，paceroftheshoreWheregluttedhelldisgorgethfilthiestgloom，Unbittenbyitswhirringsulphur-spume，OrwhencethegrievedandobscurewatersslopeIntoadarknessquietedbyhope；
　　PluckerofamaranthsgrownbeneathGod’seyeIngracioustwilightswherehischosenlie“
　　Itisafairland，forthosewhohavelingeredinitsbyways：
　　but，alas，atroubledtideofstrangemetres，ofdesperaterhythms，ofwildconjunctions，ofpanic-strickencollocations，oftentimesoverwhelmsit。“Sordello“grewunderthepoet’sfashioningtill，likethemagicvapouroftheArabianwizard，itpassedbeyondhiscontrol，“voluminouslyvast。“
　　Itisnotthetruestadmirersofwhatisgoodinitwhowillrefusetosmileatthemiseriesofconscientiousbutbaffledreaders。
　　WhocanfailtosympathisewithDouglasJerroldwhen，slowlyconvalescentfromaseriousillness，hefoundamongsomenewbookssenthimbyafriendacopyof“Sordello“。
　　ThomasPowell，writingin1849，haschronicledtheepisode。
　　Afewlines，hesays，putJerroldinastateofalarm。
　　Sentenceaftersentencebroughtnoconsecutivethoughttohisbrain。
　　Atlasttheideaoccurredtohimthatinhisillnesshismentalfacultieshadbeenwrecked。Theperspirationrolledfromhisforehead，andsmitinghisheadhesankbackonthesofa，crying，“OGod，IAManidiot!“Alittlelater，addsPowell，whenJerrold’swifeandsisterentered，hethrust“Sordello“intotheirhands，demandingwhattheythoughtofit。Hewatchedthemintentlywhiletheyread。
　　WhenatlastMrs。Jerroldremarked，“Idon’tunderstandwhatthismanmeans；
　　itisgibberish，“herdelightedhusbandgaveasighofreliefandexclaimed，“ThankGod，IamNOTanidiot!“
　　ManyfriendsofBrowningwillrememberhisrecountingthisincidentalmostintheseverywords，andhisenjoymenttherein：
　　thoughhewouldneveradmitjustificationforsuchpuzzlement。
　　ButmoreillustriouspersonagesthanDouglasJerroldwerepuzzledbythepoem。
　　LordTennysonmanfullytackledit，butheisreportedtohaveadmittedinbitternessofspirit：“TherewereonlytwolinesinitthatIunderstood，andtheywerebothlies；theyweretheopeningandclosinglines，`WhowillmayhearSordello’sstorytold，’and`WhowouldhasheardSordello’sstorytold!’“Carlylewasequallycandid：“Mywife，“hewrites，“hasreadthrough`Sordello’withoutbeingabletomakeoutwhether`Sordello’wasaman，oracity，orabook。“
　　Inanarticleonthispoem，inaFrenchmagazine，M。OdysseBarotquotesapassagewherethepoetsays“Godgavemantwofaculties“
　　andadds，“IwishwhileHewasaboutit`pendantqu’iletaitentrain’
　　Godhadsuppliedanotherviz。，thepowerofunderstandingMr。Browning。“
　　AndwhodoesnotrememberthesadexperienceofgenerousanddelightfulGileadP。Beck，in“TheGoldenButterfly“：how，after“FifineattheFair“，frightfulsymptomssetin，tillindespairhetookup“RedCottonNightcapCountry“，andfellforhoursintoadullcomatosemisery。
　　“Hiseyeswerebloodshot，hishairwaspushedindisorderabouthishead，hischeekswereflushed，hishandsweretrembling，thenervesinhisfaceweretwitching。Thenhearose，andsolemnlycursedRobertBrowning。
　　Andthenhetookallhisvolumes，and，disposingthemcarefullyinthefireplace，setlighttothem。`Iwish，’hesaid，`thatIcouldputthepoettheretoo。’“Oneotheranecdoteofthekindwasoften，withevidenthumorousappreciation，recountedbythepoet。
　　OnhisintroductiontotheChineseAmbassador，asa“brother-poet“，heaskedthatdignitarywhatkindofpoeticexpressionheparticularlyaffected。Thegreatmandeliberated，andthenrepliedthathispoetrymightbedefinedas“enigmatic“。
　　Browningatonceadmittedhisfraternalkinship。
　　Thathewashimselfawareoftheshortcomingsof“Sordello“asaworkofartisnotdisputable。In1863，Mrs。Orrsays，heconsideredtheadvisabilityof“rewritingitinamoretransparentmanner，butconcludedthatthelabourwouldbedisproportionatetotheresult，andcontentedhimselfwithsummarisingthecontentsofeach`book’inacontinuousheading，whichrepresentsthemainthreadofthestory。“
　　TheessentialmanlinessofBrowningisevidentinthefamousdedicationtotheFrenchcriticMilsand，whowasamonghisearlyadmirers。
　　“Myownfaultsofexpressionweremany；butwithcareforamanorbooksuchwouldbesurmounted，andwithoutitwhatavailsthefaultlessnessofeither？
　　Iblamenobody，leastofallmyself，whodidmybestthenandsince。“
　　Whateverbethefateof“Sordello“，onethingpertinenttoitshallsurvive：
　　thememorablesentenceinthededicatorypreface“Mystresslayontheincidentsinthedevelopmentofasoul：littleelseisworthstudy。“
　　Thepoemhasdisastrousfaults，butisamagnificentfailure。
　　“Vastasnight，“toborrowasimilefromVictorHugo，but，likenight，innumerouslystarred。