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A MEMORANDUM AT A VENT?EE. "AU ?J.
is proper
to be
expressed,
provided
our
aim
is only
high
enough."
F. Millet.
the mention of such topics as I have briefly but and in the "Children broached of Adam" plainly resolutely section of "Leaves in poetry and liter of Grass" be admitted ature? not the innovation to be put down by opinion Ought and criticism? if those and, fail, by the district attorney? a I not could construct poem which declaredly True, took, as never the human complete moral, identity, before, physical, and compass in and intellectual emotional, (giving precedence a certain sense to the first), nor fulfill that bona fide candor and entirety of treatment which was a part of my purpose, without this section also. Bu1r I would intrench myself comprehending more deeply and widely I do not ask than that. And while anxious that any man to indorse my theory, I confess myself I built I sought to write and express, and the ground what from its own platform. on, shall be at least partially understood the question with entire The best way seems to me to confront Shall
frankness.
two points of view, two con There are, generally speaking, : the first, toward these matters ditions of the world's attitude one of good folks and good print everywhere, the conventional allusions of them, and making any direct statement repressing only at second or third hand (as the Greeks did of death, which, in Hellenic social culture, was not mentioned point blank, but of to-day, this condition? In the civilization by euphemisms). and facts, which without to elaborate the arguments stopping are many led to states of and varied and perplexing?has and depletion, disease and covered-over ignorance, repressa!, woe. A non a the in world's main factor forming certainly and eminently condition, non-religious scientific, non-assthetic,
A MEMOBANDUM
AT A VENTUBE.
547
to us from the past (its origins diverse, one of them bequeathed and wise men to restrain the the far-back lessons of benevolent of the tribal ages, with coarseness and animality prevalent and or perhaps itself for another, Protestantism Puritanism, to still another specified in the latter part of this memorandum), snick it is probably due most of the ill births, inefficient maturity, evil and morbidity and of that human pathologic ering pruriency, of every evil keel and the in which my reason-why opinion, is, Its scent, as of something and morbidity. sneaking, furtive, seems to lingeringly all modern pervade literature, mephitic, conversation,
and
manners.
the The second point of view, and by far the largest?as in parlor in working-day dress vastly exceeds the world world the one of common life, from the oldest times down, toilette?is " in England Taine's and especially (see the earlier chapters of see and almost and Shakespeare English Literature," anywhere), our age to-day inherits from riant stock, in the wit, or which what passes for wit, of masculine circles, and in erotic stories sensual ?tnd talk, to excite, express, and dwell on, that merely to Victor Hugo, is the most according voluptuousness which, This second condition, universal trait of all ages, all lands. a comes to the at rate like is however disease which any bad, one. a and less than therefore concealed dangerous surface, to be the The time seems to me to have arrived, and America third point of view. The same place, for a new departure?a and faith and earnestness freedom of after centuries which, and the repression, denial, martyrdom, present struggle, day brings to the treatment of politics and religion, must work out a plan and standard on this, subject, not so much for what is called men and women, and thoughtfulest society, as for thoughtfulest The same spirit that marks the physiological literature. author on these topics in his important field I have and demonstrator to be exemplified, for once, in another cer thought necessary not less field. important tainly In the present memorandum I only venture to indicate that more and than view?decided upon plan twenty years ago for in my printed my own literary action, and formulated tangibly or poems says an abstract (as Bacon thought theory is of no moment unless it leads to a deed or work done, exemplifying it in the concrete)?that the sexual passion in itself, while normal and unperverted, is inherently legitimate, creditable, not neces
548
THE NORTH
AMERICAN
REVIEW.
not for scien sarily an improper theme for poet, as confessedly to the whole tist? that, with reference construction, organism, of "Leaves of Grass," anything and intentions short of confront clear upon it, as the inclosing ing that theme, and making myself was of the to be the basis of everything (as sanity everything of I the should the in its most question beg atmosphere poems), that followed, preten momentous aspect, and the superstructure assume to be, would all rest on a poor founda sive as it might or no In short, as the assumption at all. foundation of the tion, and is the of to any true birth, Nature, humanity key sanity of and the universe?at the life any rate, theory only theory out and must of which I wrote?it inevitably be, the only key to is, " Leaves of Grass," and every part of it. or weak pride, as a late That (and not a vain consistency is the reason that I have charges) Republican" "Springfield verses uncompromisingly for over stood out for these particular I to is this That what and them maintain day. years, twenty felt in my inmost brain and heart when I only answered Emer with son's vehement silence, under the old elms of arguments Boston Common. and every good physi not every physiologist Indeed, might of this subject from its hitherto cian pray for the redeeming and boldly and pens of blackguards, to the tongues relegation no once demesne if in of poetry the at for it more, least, putting or in not itself and sanity?as gross impure, but something and and manhood with consistent womanhood, highest entirely not only every wife and every to both? Might indispensable mother?not only every babe that comes into the world, if that and sine the foundation were possible?not only all marriage, non thank the and the civilized state?bless of showing, or qua and sexuality, fatherhood, taking for granted, that motherhood, it comes to to them, can be asserted, where all that belongs shame or the need "without question, openly, joyously, proudly, of shame," from the highest artistic and sociologie considerations on such attempt to justify with reverence be it written, ?but, in humanity, scheme divine the base and start of the whole itself deign a smile of approval? might not the Creative Power of women and entrance for the eligibility To the movement amid new spheres of business, politics, and the suffrage, the cur treatment of sex is the main formid conventional rent, prurient, The rising tide of "woman's rights," swelling, and able obstacle.
A MEMOBANDUM
AT A VENTUBE.
549
farther and farther, recoils from it with every year advancing in in my opinion be no general There will progress dismay. such eligibility is till a sensible, philosophic, democratic method substituted. The whole question ? which strikes far, very far, deeper than most people have supposed is to too, something (and doubtless, an important one in art?is be said on all sides), is peculiarly I condense first an ethic, and then still more an aesthetic, one. from a paper read not long since at Cheltenham, before England, " to the Art Department, the Social Science Congress," by P. H. on the " Undraped of Liverpool, in Art," and Rathbone, Figure : that followed the discussion " suffered the unclean Turk to soil the sacred 'When coward Europe shores a blow civilization of Greece and morality received presence, by his polluting from which and the trail of the serpent has entirely recovered, they have never ever since. art and European been over European The Turk regarded society as animals without or broken and regards women soul, toys to be played with from and to be hidden, for the purpose at pleasure, but chiefly partly shame, Such is the unholy of stimulating exhausted passion. origin of the objection to the nude as a fit subject for art ; it is purely Asiatic, and though not intro to the duced for the first time in the fifteenth is yet to be traced century, source of all impurity?the East. the source of the prejudice is Although and impure, yet it is now shared by many unhealthy thoroughly pure-minded if somewhat But I am prepared to maintain and honest, uneducated, people. art and of English for the future of English that it is necessary that morality in our galleries be boldly to a place should asserted the right of the nude ; it trained be the nude as represented and by thoroughly however, must, artists, a pure and noble and female, The human with ethic purpose. is form, male of form and proportion, and it is necessary in order to judge of all beauty safely which consists To women it is most of form and proportion. that necessary imbued with the knowledge should become of the ideal they thoroughly the perfection female of it at once, recognize form, in order that they should avoid from the ideal. and without deviations effort, and so far as possible not have had to deplore Had in times past, we should this been the case the distortions effected the figure and ruined by tight lacing, which destroyed the health of so many of the last generation. Nor should we have had the of all beauty the type and standard to be thoroughly familiar with
scandalous ment
of
crushed checked the
dresses the
low
alike dresses
up the breasts had the eye of
exquisite
thorough modified all beauty attitude.
of society and which obtained
and
the stage. some years
The
throw
extreme
ago, would
into suggestive prominence, the public been properly educated of line of a well-shaped bust.
beauty with the acquaintance boots the foot-torturing of une,
it
when
develop the stays have been
surely with by familiarity I might show how
ideal nude foot would have much probably and liigh heels, which wring the foot out of the body forward into an awkward and ungainly
THE NORTH
550
AMERICAN
REVIEW.
"
of women that the effect of nude representation 'It is argued upon young were but not be so if such works it would admitted is unwholesome, to them. familiar and became into our galleries, without question thoroughly to clear away from healthy-hearted it would do much lads On the contrary, one of their of prudish sorest trials?that which is bred curiosity prurient
men
there is mystery of evil, and to there is the suggestion Where concealment. of the you have only to look at the stalls to see one-half go to a theater, where is far more female "preg form, and to the stage to see the other half undraped, evil imaginings than the least objectionable of totally undraped nant with fig ures. In French art there have been nude questionable exhibited; figures but the fault was not that they were nude, but that they were the portraits of immodest women.' Some discussion followed. for by the contended principle ugly, "
was a general concurrence in the of the paper. Sir Walter Stirling main rather than the female, was the model of
There reader
tained that the perfect male figure, a few remarks After from Rev. Mr. Eoberts and Colonel beauty. Oldfield, the Chairman that no opponent of nude figures had taken part in the regretted discussion. He Sir Walter as to the male agreed with Stirling figure being the most model of proportion. He in defending the exhibition perfect joined of nude figures, but thought considerable should be exercised over supervision such
exhibitions."
No, it is not the picture or nude statue or text, with clear own thought, inference, aim, that is indecent ; it is the beholder's distorted construction. True modesty is one of the most precious even virtues, but in nothing of attributes, is there more pretense, more than the needless of it. Through pre falsity, assumption man has long enough realized how bad cept and consciousness, he is. I would not so much disturb or demolish that conviction, with it the spinal meaning only to resume and keep unerringly of the Scriptural God overlooked all that He had made text, its elements, (including the apex of the whole,?humanity,?with and pronounced it very good. passions, appetites), short of that third point of Does not anything view, when come to think of it and with amplitude, you profoundly impugn from the outset? Creation In fact, however or un overlaid aware of itself, does not the conviction involved in it perennially exist at the center of all society, and of the sexes, and of mar of the human race ? For, riage ? Is it not really an intuition old as the world and as are the countless statement is, beyond and splendid results of its culture and the evolution, perhaps best and earliest and purest intuitions of the human race have yet to be developed. Walt Whitman.