Someflawtherewas，somewhere。Hisheart，sotosay，beattoofast，andthesinginginhisearsfromtheo’er-feveredbloodconfusedtheserenerhythmhauntingthefarperspectivesofthebrain，“asArabbirdsfloatsleepinginthewind。“
　　Ihavedweltatthislengthupon“Pauline“partlybecauseofitsinherentbeautyandautopsychicalsignificance，andpartlybecauseitistheleastfamiliarofBrowning’spoems，longovershadowedasithasbeenbyhisowntooseverestrictures：
　　mainly，however，becauseofitsradicalimportancetothestudentwhowouldarriveatabroadandtrueestimateofthepowerandscopeandshapingconstituentsofitsauthor’sgenius。Almosteveryqualityofhisafter-versemaybefoundhere，ingermoroutline。
　　Itis，inaword，morephysiognomicthananyothersinglepoembyBrowning，andsomusteverpossessapeculiarinterestquiteapartfromitsmanypassagesofhauntingbeauty。
　　Tothesetheloverofpoetrywillalwaysturnwithdelight。
　　Somewillevenregardthemretrospectivelywithalienemotiontothatwherewiththeystrivetopossesstheirsoulsinpatienceoversomeoneorotherofthebarbarisms，theTitanicexcesses，thepoeticbanalitiesrecurrentinthelatervolumes。
　　Howmanyandhowhauntingthesedelicateoasesare!
　　Thosewhoknowandlove“Pauline“willrememberthepassagewherethepoet，withthatpantheisticecstasywhichwaspossiblyinspiredbythesingerhemostloved，tellshowhecanlivethelifeofplants，contenttowatchthewildbeesflittingtoandfro，ortolieabsorbentoftheardoursofthesun，or，likethenight-floweringcolumbine，totrailupthetree-trunkandthroughitsrustlingfoliage“lookforthedimstars；“or，again，canlivethelifeofthebird，“leapingairilyhispyramidofleavesandtwistedboughsofsometallmountain-tree；“orbeafish，breathingthemorningairinthemistysun-warmwater。Closefollowingthisisanothermemorablepassage，thatbeginning“Night，andonesingleridgeofnarrowpath；“
　　whichhasaparticularinterestfortwonotesofadeeperandbroadermusictobeevolvedlongafterwards。For，asitseemstome，in“Thouartsoclosebyme，theroughestswellOfwindinthetree-topshidesnotthepantingOfthysoftbreasts“
　　where，bytheway，shouldbenoticedthesubtlecorrespondencebetweentheconceptiveandtheexpressionalrhythmwehaveahintofthatsuperbscenein“PippaPasses“，where，onasinisternightofJuly，anightofspiritualstormaswellasofaerialtempest，OttimaandSebaldlieamidthelightning-searchtforest，with“thethunderlikeawholeseaoverhead。“Again，inthelovelyTurneresque，orratherShelleyanpictureofmorning，over“therocks，andvalleys，andoldwoods，“withthehighboughsswinginginthewindabovethesun-brightenedmists，andthegolden-colouredsprayofthecataractamidthebrokenrocks，whereoverthewildhawksflytoandfro，thereisatleastasuggestion，anoutline，ofthetrulymagnificentburstofmorningmusicinthepoet’spenultimatevolume，beginning
　　“Butmorning’slaughsetsallthecragsalightAbovethebaffledtempest：treeandtreeStirthemselvesfromthestuporofthenight，AndeverystrangledbranchresumesitsrightTobreathe，shakesloosedark’sclingingdregs，wavesfreeIndrippingglory。Pronetherunnelsplunge，Whileearth，distentwithmoisturelikeasponge，Smokesup，andleaveseachplantitsgemtosee，Eachgrass-blade’sglory-glitter，“etc。
　　Whothathaseverread“Pauline“willforgetthemasterfulpoetrydescriptiveofthelover’swild-woodretreat，theexquisitelinesbeginning“Walledinwithaslopedmoundofmattedshrubs，tangled，oldandgreen“？
　　Thereisindeedanew，anunmistakablevoicehere。
　　“Andtonguesofbankgoshelvinginthewaters，Wherethepale-throatedsnakereclineshishead，Andoldgreystonesliemakingeddiesthere；
　　Thewildmicecrossthemdry-shod“……
　　Whatlovelierimageinmodernpoetrythanthatdepictiveoftheforest-poolindepthsofsavagewoodlands，unvisitedbutbytheshadowsofpassingclouds，
　　“thetreesbendO’eritaswildmenwatchasleepinggirl。“
　　Howthepassionatesexualemotion，alwaysdeepandtrueinBrowning，findslovelyutteranceinthelineswherePauline’sloverspeaksofthebloodinherlipspulsinglikealivingthing，whileherneckisas“marblemistedo’erwithlove-breath，“and“……herdeliciouseyesasclearasheaven，Whenraininaquickshowerhasbeatdownmist，Andcloudsfloatwhiteinthesunlikebroodsofswans。“
　　InthequotationsIhavemade，andinothersthatmightbeselectede。g。，“Herfresheyes，andsofthair，and`lipswhichbleedlikeamountainberry’“，itiseasytonotehowintimateanobserverofnaturetheyouthfulpoetwas，andwithwhatconsciousbutnotobtrusivearthebringsforwardhisnewandstrikingimagery。Browning，indeed，isthepoetofnewsymbols。
　　“Pauline“concludeswithlineswhichmusthavebeeninthemindsofmanyonthatsaddaywhenthetidingsfromVenicesentathrillofstartled，half-incredulous，bewilderedpainthroughouttheEnglishnations
　　“Sun-treader，IbelieveinGod，andtruth，Andlove；……butchieflywhenIdie……
　　Allinwhomthiswakespleasantthoughtsofme，Knowmylaststateishappyfreefromdoubt，Ortouchoffear。“
　　NeveragainwasBrowningtowriteapoemwithsuchconceptivecrudeness，neveragaintotreadthebywaysofthoughtsofalteringlyorsonegligently：
　　butneveragain，perhaps，washetoshowsomuchover-rapturingjoyintheworld’sloveliness，suchBacchicabandontotheidealbeautywhichthetruepoetseesglowingupontheforlornestheightandbroodingintheshadow-hauntedhollowsofthehills。TheBrowningwhomighthavebeenishere：henceforththeBrowningweknowandlovestandsuniqueamongallthelordsofsong。Butsometimesdowenotturnlongingly，wonderinglyatleast，totheyoungDionysosuponwhoseforeheadwasthelightofanotherdestinythanthatwhichdescendeduponhim？
　　TheIcelanderssaythereisalandwherealltherainbowsthathaveeverbeen，orareyettobe，foreverdrifttoandfro，evanishingandreappearing，likeimmortalflowersofvapour。Inthatfarcountry，itmaybe，arealsotheunfulfilleddreams，thevisionstooperfecttobefashionedintosong，oftheyoungpoetswhohavegainedthelaurel。
　　Weclosethelittlebooklovingly：
　　“AndIhaddimlyshapedmyfirstattempt，AndmanyathoughtdidIbuilduponthought，Asthewildbeehangscelltocellinvain；
　　ForImuststillgoon：mymindrestsnot。“
　　Ithasbeencommonlyassertedthat“Pauline“wasalmostwhollydisregarded，andswiftlylapsedintooblivion。
　　Thismustbeacceptedwithqualification。Itisliketheothergeneralassertion，thatBrowninghadtolivefiftyyearsbeforehegainedrecognitionastatementasludicrouswhenexaminedasitisunjusttothemanydiscreetjudgeswhoawarded，publiclyandprivately，thatintelligentsympathywhichisthebestsunshinefortheflowerofapoet’sgenius。Ifby“beforehegainedrecognition“ismeantageneralandindiscriminateacclaim，nodoubtBrowninghad，stillhasindeed，longertowaitthanmanyothereminentwritershavehadtodo：
　　butitisabsurdtoassertthatfromtheveryoutsetofhispoeticcareerhewasmetbynothingbutneglect，ifnotscornfulderision。
　　Nonewhoknowsthetrueartistictemperamentwillfallintoanysuchmistake。
　　ItisquitecertainthatneitherShakespearenorMiltonevermetwithsuchenthusiasticpraiseandwelcomeasBrowningencounteredonthepublicationof“Pauline“and“Paracelsus“。Shelley，asfaraboveBrowninginpoeticmusicastheauthorofsomanyparleyingswithotherpeople’ssoulsisthesuperiorinpsychicinsightandintellectualstrength，hadthroughouthistoobrieflifenotonesuchreviewofpraisefulwelcomeastheRev。W。J。Foxwroteonthepublicationof“Pauline“or，itmaybeadded，asAllanCunningham’sequallykindlybutlessablereviewinthe`Athenaeum’，orasJohnForsterwrotein`TheExaminer’concerning“Paracelsus“，andlaterinthe`NewMonthlyMagazine’，wherehehadthecouragetosayoftheyoungandquiteunknownpoet，“withouttheslightesthesitationwenameMr。RobertBrowningatoncewithShelley，Coleridge，Wordsworth。“
　　Hisplaysevenwhicharecommonlysaidtohave“fallenflat“
　　werecertainlynotfailures。Thereissomethingeffeminate，undignified，andcertainlyuncritical，inthisconfusionastowhatisandwhatisnotfailureinliterature。Soenthusiasticwastheapplauseheencountered，indeed，thathadhisnotbeentoostronganaturetobethwartedbyadulationanymorethanbycontemptuousneglect，hemightwellhavebecomespoilt
　　soenthusiastic，thatwereitnotfortheheavyandprolongedcounterbalancingdeadweightofpublicindifference，ahugeamorphousmassonlyoflateyearsmouldedintoharmonywiththekeenestmindsofthecentury，wemightwellbesuspiciousofsomuchandlong-continuedeulogium，andfearthesamereversalofjudgmenttowardshimonthepartofthosewhocomeafterusasweourselveshavemetedtomanyanoneamongthehighgodsofourfathers。
　　Fortunatelythedeephumanityofhisworkinthemassconservesitagainstthemereveeringsoftaste。Areactionagainstitwillinevitablycome；
　　butthiswillpass：what，inthefuture，whentheunbornreadersofBrowningwilllookbackwithcleareyesuntroubledbythedustofourfootsteps，nottosubsidetilllongafterwetooaredust，willbetheplacegiventothispoet，weknownot，norcanmorethanspeculativelyestimate。
　　Thatitwill，however，beahighone，sofarashisweightiestinbulk，itmaypossiblybebutarelativelyslenderaccomplishmentisconcerned，wemayrestwellassured：forindeed“Itlives，Ifpreciousbethesoulofmantoman。“
　　Sofarashasbeenascertainedtherewereonlythreereviewsornoticesof“Pauline“：theveryfavourablearticlebyMr。Foxinthe`MonthlyRepository’，thekindlypaperbyAllanCunninghaminthe`Athenaeum’，and，in`Tait’sEdinburghMagazine’，thesuccinctlyexpressedimpressionofeitheranindolentoranincapablereviewer：“Pauline；aFragmentofaConfession；