presented. In such a setting his voice has
still its ancient power.

THE VOICE OF SCIENCE IN NINETEENTH-CENTURY LITERATURE

MATTHEW ARNOLD

THE FUNCTION OF CRITICISM[1]

The critical power is of lower rank than the creative. True; but in
assenting to this proposition, one or two things are to be kept in mind.
It is undeniable that the exercise of a creative power, that a free
creative activity, is the true function of man; it is proved to be so by
man's finding in it his true happiness. But it is undeniable, also, that
men may have the sense of exercising this free creative activity in other
ways than in producing great works of literature or art; if it were not
so, all but a very few men would be shut out from the true happiness of
all men; they may have it in well-doing, they may have it in learning,
they may have it even in criticizing. This is one thing to be kept in
mind. Another is, that the exercise of the creative power in the
production of great works of literature or art, however high this exercise
of it may rank, is not, at all epochs, and under all conditions, possible;
and that, therefore, labor may be vainly spent in attempting it, and may
with more fruit be used in preparing for it, in rendering it possible.
This creative power works with elements, with materials; what if it has
not those materials, those elements, ready for its use? In that case it
must surely wait till they are ready. Now, in literature,--I will limit
myself to literature, for it is about literature that the question
arises,--the elements with which the creative power works are ideas; the
best ideas on every matter which literature touches, current at the time;
at any rate, we may lay it down as certain that in modern literature no
manifestation of the creative power not working with these can be very
important or fruitful. And I say _current_ at the time, not merely
accessible at the time; for creative literary genius does not principally
show itself in discovering new ideas--that is rather the business of the
philosopher; the grand work of literary genius is a work of synthesis and
exposition, not of analysis and discovery; its gift lies in the faculty of
being happily inspired by a certain intellectual and spiritual atmosphere,
by a certain order of ideas, when it finds itself in them; of dealing
divinely with these ideas, presenting them in the most effective and
attractive combinations, making beautiful works with