Ofcourse，Browningisnotpersistentlyneglectfulofthisfundamentalnecessityfortheliteraryartist。Heisoftenasmasterlyinthisasinotherrespects。Butheisnotalways，notoftenenough，alivetotheparamountneed。Hewriteswith“theversebeingasthemooditpaints：“but，unfortunately，themoodisoftenpoeticallyunformative。Hehadnopassionforthequestforseductiveforms。Toomuchofhispoetryhasbeenbornprematurely。Toomuchofit，indeed，hasnotdiedandbeenbornagainforallimmortalverseisapoeticresurrection。
　　Perfectpoetryisthedeathlesspartofmortalbeauty。
　　Thegreatartistsneverperpetuategrossactualities，thoughtheyarethesupremerealists。ItisSchiller，Ithink，whosaysineffect，thattoliveagainintheserenebeautyofart，itisneedfulthatthingsshouldfirstdieinreality。
　　ThusBrowning’sdramaticmethod，even，issometimesdisastrousinitsuntruth，asinCaliban’sanalyticalreasoninganinitialabsurdity，asMr。Berdoehaspointedout，addingepigrammatically，`Calibanisasavage，withtheintrospectivepowersofaHamlet，andthetheologyofanevangelicalChurchman。’NotonlyCaliban，butseveralotherofBrowning’spersonagesAprile，Eglamour，etc。
　　arewhatGoethecalls`schwankendeGestalten’，mere“waveringimages“。
　　*Oneaccountsays`ChildeRoland’waswritteninthreedays；
　　another，thatitwascomposedinone。Browning’srapidityincompositionwasextraordinary。“TheReturnoftheDruses“waswritteninfivedays，anactaday；so，also，was“ABlotinthe’Scutcheon“。
　　Montaigne，inoneofhisessays，saysthattostopgracefullyissureproofofhighraceinahorse：certainlytostopintimeisimperativeuponthepoet。OfBrowningmaybesaidwhatPoewroteofanother，thathisgeniuswastooimpetuousfortheminutertechnicalitiesofthatelaborateART
　　soneedfulinthebuildingupofmonumentsforimmortality。
　　ButhasnotagreaterthanPoedeclaredthat“whatdistinguishestheartistfromtheamateuris`architectonike’inthehighestsense；
　　thatpowerofexecutionwhichcreates，forms，andconstitutes：
　　nottheprofoundnessofsinglethoughts，nottherichnessofimagery，nottheabundanceofillustration。“Assuredly，no“newdefinition“
　　canbeaneffectiveonewhichconflictswithGoethe’sincontrovertibledictum。
　　Butthismuchhavingbeenadmitted，IamonlytoowillingtoprotestagainsttheuncriticaloutcryagainstBrowning’smusicalincapacity。
　　Adeficiencyisnotincapacity，otherwiseColeridge，athishighestthemostperfectofourpoets，wouldbelowlyestimated。
　　“Bidshinewhatwould，dismissintotheshadeWhatshouldnotbeandtheretriumphstheparamountSurpriseo’themaster。“……
　　Browning’smusicisoftenerharmonicthanmelodic：andmusiciansknowhowthegeneralear，charmedwithimmediatelyappellantmelodies，resents，weariesof，orisdeaftotheharmoniesofamoreremote，amorecomplex，andaboveallamorenovelcreativemethod。
　　Heis，amongpoets，whatWagnerisamongmusicians；
　　asShakespearemaybelikenedtoBeethoven，orShelleytoChopin。
　　Thecommonassertionastohisincapacityformetricmusicisonthelevelofthoseaffirmationsastohisnotbeingwidelyacceptedofthepeople，whenthepeoplehavethechance；
　　orastotheindifferenceofthepublictopoetrygenerally
　　andthisinanagewhenpoetryhasneverbeensowidelyunderstood，loved，andvalued，andwhereinitisyearlygrowingmoreacceptableandmorepotent!
　　Agreatwriteristobeadjudgedbyhistriumphs，notbyhisfailures：
　　as，totakeupMontaigne’ssimileagain，afamousrace-horseisrememberedforitssuccessesandnotfortheraceswhichitlost。
　　Thetendencywithcertaincriticsistoreversetheprocess。
　　InsteadofsayingwiththearchbishopinHorne’s“GregoryVII。“，“HeowesitalltohisMemnonianvoice!Hehasnogenius：“
　　orofdeclaring，asProsperosaysofCalibanin“TheTempest“，“Heisasdisproportionedinhismannersasinhisshape：“
　　howmuchbettertoaffirmofhimwhatBenJonsonwroteofShakespeare，“Heeredeemedhisviceswithhisvertues：therewasevermoreinhimtobeepraysedthantobeepardoned。“Inthebalanceoftriumphsandfailures，however，istobesoughttherelativemeasureofgenius
　　whoseequipoiseshouldbethefirstmatterofascertainmentincomparativecriticism。
　　ForthosewhowoulddiscriminatebetweenwhatMr。TraillsuccinctlytermshisGENERICgreatnessasthinkerandmanofletters，andhisSPECIFICpoweraspoet，itisnecessarytodisabusethemindofBrowning’s“message“。Thequestionisnotoneofweightymessage，butofartisticpresentation。Topraiseapoembecauseofitsoptimismislikecommendingapeachbecauseitlovesthesunshine，ratherthanbecauseofitsdistinguishingbloomandsavour。
　　Theprimaryconcernoftheartistmustbewithhisvehicleofexpression。
　　Intheinstanceofapoet，thisvehicleislanguageemotionedtothewhite-heatofrhythmicmusicbyimpassionedthoughtorsensation。
　　Schopenhauerdeclaresitisallaquestionofstylenowwithpoetry；
　　thateverythinghasbeensung，thateverythinghasbeendulycursed，thatthereisnothingleftforpoetrybuttobetheglowingforgeofwords。
　　Heforgetsthatinquintessentialartthereisnothingofthepast，nothingold：eventhefuturehaspartthereinonlyinthatthepresentisalwaysencroachingupon，becoming，thefuture。
　　Thefamouspessimisticphilosopherhas，incommonwithothercritics，made，ineffect，thesameremarkthatStyleexhalestheodourofthesoul：
　　yethehimselfhasindicatedthatthestrengthofShakespearelayinthefactthat`hehadnotaste，’that`hewasnotamanofletters。’
　　Whenevergeniushasdisplayedepicforceithasestablishedaneworder。
　　Inthegeneraldisintegrationandreconstructionofliteraryidealsthusinvolved，itiseasiertobeconfusedbythenovelflashingofstrangelightsthantodiscernthecentralvivifyingaltar-flame。
　　ItmayprovethatwhatseemtoustheregrettableaccidentsofBrowning’sgeniusarenomalfortunateflaws，butasgermanetheretoashisHerculeanruggednessesaretoShakespeare，asthelabouredinversionsofhisblankversearetoMilton，ashisaustereconcisionistoDante。
　　Meanwhile，tothemoreexigentamongusatanyrate，theflawsseemflaws，andinnowiseessential。
　　Butwhenwefindweightymessageandnobleutteranceinunion，aswedointhemagnificentremainderaftereventheseverestablationofthepoorandmediocreportionofBrowning’slife-work，howbeneficentseemthegenerousgods!Ofthisremaindermostaptlymaybequotedtheselinesfrom“TheRingandtheBook“，“Goldasitwas，is，shallbeevermore；
　　Primenaturewithanaddedartistry。“
　　Howgladly，inthisdubioushourwhen，asaneminentwriterhasphrasedit，acolossalHand，whichsomecallthehandofDestinyandothersthatofHumanity，isputtingoutthelightsofHeavenonebyone，likecandlesafterafeasthowgladlywelistentothispoetwithhisserenefaithinGod，andimmortallife，andthesoul’sunendingdevelopment!“Hopehardinthesubtlethingthat’sSpirit，“
　　hecriesinthePrologueto“Pacchiarotto“：andthis，inmanifoldphrasing，ishis`leit-motif’，hisfundamentalidea，inunbrokenlinefromthe“Pauline“ofhistwenty-firsttothe“Asolando“ofhisseventy-sixthyear。
　　Thissuperbphalanxoffaithwhatshallprevailagainstit？
　　Howwinsomeitis，moreover：this，andthehumanityofhissong。
　　Profoundlyherealisedthatthereisnomoresignificantstudythanthehumanheart。“Thedevelopmentofasoul：littleelseisworthstudy，“
　　hewroteinhisprefaceto“Sordello“：soinhisoldage，inhislast“Reverie“
　　“AstherecordfromyouthtoageOfmyown，thesinglesoul
　　Sotheworld’swidebook：onepageDecipheredexplainsthewholeOfourcommonheritage。“
　　Hehadfaithalsothat“therecordfromyouthtoage“ofhisownsoulwouldoutlastanypresentindifferenceorneglectthatwhatevertidemightbearhimawayfromourregardforatimewoulderelongflowagain。
　　Thereactionmustcome：itis，indeed，alreadyathand。
　　Butonealmostfanciesonecanhearthegatheringoftheremotewatersoncemore。Wemay，withStrafford，“feelsureThatTime，whointhetwilightcomestomendAllthefantasticday’scaprice，consignTothelowgroundoncemoretheignobleTerm，AndraisetheGeniusonhisorbagain，
　　ThatTimewilldomeright。“……
　　Indeed，Browninghasthegrandmanner，forallitismorethatoftheScandinavianJarlthanoftheItaliancountorSpanishgrandee。