But he is equally allured by the opposite, or salient, kind of angularity.

Beside the Calabrian seaside house stands a "sharp tree--a cypress--rough iron-spiked, ripe fruit o'er-crusted,"-- in all points a thoroughly Browningesque tree.
[Footnote 81: _Sordello_.] [Footnote 82: This turn of fancy was one of his points of affinity with Donne; cf.

_R.B.to E.B.B._, i.

46: "Music should enwrap the thought, as Donne says an amber drop enwraps a bee."] [Footnote 83: _Porphyria_.] [Footnote 84: _De Gustibus_.] [Footnote 85: _Pan and Luna_.] [Footnote 86: E.g., _Balaustion's Adventure_; Proem.] And so, corresponding to the cleft-like array of sheaths and cups, a not less prolific family of _spikes_ and _wedges_ and _swords_ runs riot in Browning's work.

The rushing of a fresh river-stream into the warm ocean tides crystallises into the "crystal spike between two warm walls of wave;"[87] "air thickens," and the wind, grown solid, "edges its wedge in and in as far as the point would go."[88] The fleecy clouds embracing the flying form of Luna clasp her as close "as dented spine fitting its flesh."[89] The fiery agony of John the heretic is a plucking of sharp spikes from his rose.[90] Lightning is a bright sword, plunged through the pine-tree roof.