But nature makes that mean: so over that art
Which you say adds to nature, is an art
That nature made: the art itself is nature."

Shakspere, as well as Pope, dealt with artificial life, _i.e._, with the
life of man in society, but how differently! The reason why Pope's
poetry fails to satisfy the heart and the imagination resides not in his
subjects--so far Campbell and Byron were right--but in his mood; in his
imperfect sense of beauty and his deficiency in the highest qualities of
the poet's soul. I may illustrate this by an arrow from Byron's own
quiver. To prove how much poetry may be associated with "a simple,
household, 'indoor,' artificial, and ordinary image," he cites the famous
stanza in Cowper's poem to Mrs. Unwin:

"Thy needles, once a shining store,
For my sake restless heretofore.
Now rust disused and shine no more,
My Mary."

Let us contrast with this a characteristic passage from "The Rape of the
Lock," which also contains an artificial image:

"On her white breast a sparkling cross she wore
Which Jews might kiss and infidels adore."

What is the difference? It is in the feeling of the poet Pope's couplet
is very charming, but it is merely gallantry, a neatly turned compliment,
playful, only half sincere, a spice of mockery lurking under the sugared
words; while in Cowper's lines the humble domestic implement is made
sacred by the emotions of pity, sorrow, gratitude, and affection with