detachment from the moods and experiences of the dramatist. This
detachment is so complete that at first glance every trace of the
dramatist seems to have been erased. But there are many passages besides
the famous lines descriptive of the grove at Colonus which betray the
personality behind the plays; and, studied more closely, the very
detachment of the drama from the dramatist is significant of character. In
the poise, harmony, and balance of these beautiful creations there is
revealed the instinct for proportion, the self-control and the
subordination of the parts to the whole which betray a nature committed by
its very instincts to a passionate devotion to beauty. In one of the poems
of our own century which belongs in the first rank of artistic
achievements, "In Memoriam," the highest themes are touched with the
strength of one who knows how to face the problems of life with impartial
and impersonal courage, and with the tenderness of one whose own heart has
felt the immediate pressure of these tremendous questions. So every great
work, whether personal or impersonal in intention, conveys to the
intelligent reader an impression of the thought behind the skill, and of
the character behind the thought. Goethe frankly declared that his works
constituted one great confession. All work is confession and revelation as
well.




Chapter III

Work as Self-Expression


The higher the kind and quality of a man's work, the more completely does