Дублінці

           Hewonderedwhetherhecouldwriteapoemtoexpresshisidea.PerhapsGallahermightbeabletogetitintosomeLondonpaperforhim.Couldhewritesomethingoriginal?Hewasnotsurewhatideahewishedtoexpressbutthethoughtthatapoeticmomenthadtouchedhimtooklifewithinhimlikeaninfanthope.Hesteppedonwardbravely.

           EverystepbroughthimnearertoLondon,fartherfromhisownsoberinartisticlife.Alightbegantotrembleonthehorizonofhismind.Hewasnotsoold—thirty-two.Histemperamentmightbesaidtobejustatthepointofmaturity.Thereweresomanydifferentmoodsandimpressionsthathewishedtoexpressinverse.Hefeltthemwithinhim.Hetriedweighhissoultoseeifitwasapoet’ssoul.Melancholywasthedominantnoteofhistemperament,hethought,butitwasamelancholytemperedbyrecurrencesoffaithandresignationandsimplejoy.Ifhecouldgiveexpressiontoitinabookofpoemsperhapsmenwouldlisten.Hewouldneverbepopular:hesawthat.Hecouldnotswaythecrowdbuthemightappealtoalittlecircleofkindredminds.TheEnglishcritics,perhaps,wouldrecognisehimasoneoftheCelticschoolbyreasonofthemelancholytoneofhispoems;besidesthat,hewouldputinallusions.Hebegantoinventsentencesandphrasesfromthenoticewhichhisbookwouldget.“Mr.Chandlerhasthegiftofeasyandgracefulverse.”...“wistfulsadnesspervadesthesepoems.”...“TheCelticnote.”ItwasapityhisnamewasnotmoreIrish-looking.