Record

HSF - Correspondence of Sir John Frederick William Herschel, and the Herschel family
- 1 - Correspondence of Sir John Frederick William Herschel
  - 2 - Letters from various correspondents to Sir John Frederick William Herschel, with some draft or copy replies

RefNo	HSF/1/2/5
Previous numbers	600/31/74
Level	Item
Title	Letter from Matthew Arnold, 2 Chester Square, to [Sir John Frederick William Herschel]
Creator	Arnold; Matthew (1822-1888); British poet, writer and inspector of schools
Date	2 February 1866
Description	He has kept Herschel's manuscript 'an unconscionable time' and he thought he must give up being able to look through it, as he was so busy. He has now looked through it and will send it on in the manner prescribed. He hopes that Herschel has decide to print it, as he has not seen any hexameter version the equal to it in metre and correctness. Picturesque passages are perhaps not so successfully rendered as the naive ones. He gives the example of the famous Moon-piece, which he does not like as well as the woman weighing wool or Achilles' answer to the dying Hector. The vigour of the latter struck him. In the Moon-piece he does not like 'rending abysses', as not clear, but generally the clearness is satisfactory. The metre raises endless questions. Herschel employs it with the best success of versions he has seen, but he thinks that it should be gone through again to remodel passages that Herschel himself thinks do not read right. In the Moon-piece, 'gleams ev'ry' seems questionable. Arnold gives other examples. It is endless work to try to suit the ear of every critic, so it is best to satisfy oneself.
Extent	4p.
Format	Manuscript
PhysicalDescription	Ink on paper
AccessStatus	Open

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