Wheeling times and advertiser. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1839-1849, 1841-05-13
PRE.ENlIyENCE OF POETRY
ny y MES MONTGOMERY.

INE.EAllNENNE VI fOEIRY I
by y MES MONTGOMERY.
Sculptvfe is NE noble-t. but the most limited of
the fino arts. 10 prcdurcs the fewesi. but the great.
est eTcis; At approaches nearest to nature. and vel
can present hulc besides models of her living forms;
ard thrse principally in rcpose. Yet. poetry is a
sort of sculpture, IN which the nTt hourishes. not in
marble or brass. but in That which outlasis bo,h-in
,euers. which tho fingers OF a child may write or
blot, but which. once written. Time hImself NAV
not be nole to ohliieTate; and ia sounds which are
but passing breath, yet. being once uttered. la ms.
s'huiiy may never cease to he repeated. Sculpture
TO the eye. IN ~palpahle materials. is Of necessity cnn.
lined To lew inrms. aspects and attitudes. The NETS
images are living. breathing. moving creatures; they
stand. walk. run, fly, speak. love. fight. fall. lnbor
sniier. die-in n word, they are made Of like mas.
Sons wiih ourselves, undergoing all the changes Of
actual existence. and presenting tn the mind of The
reader, solitary figures, or complicated groups. NOR,
easily retained, IiOr words are heller r.c,Ll,,t,J
ihan shapen subs'ances,) and infinitely more diver.
suied ihln the chisel could hew oui of ali the r,ck.
under the sun. Nor - this a fancilul or metanhor.
zeal illustration ct the pre-eminence WIN n I claim
ior the ART am now advocating. In prnof of II. I
appeal at once ta the works OF The eldes, AMI ,re,,.
est poets OF every country. In Homer. Dante. and
Chaucer, for example, il is exceedingly euriou, 10
remark with what scruPulons care and minuicness
personal appearance, stature. bulk. complexion. are.
and other incidents. are exhibited for the purp.,.e
oi giving hie abd reality To he scenes anI actions
IN which their characters are engaged. All these
are oou'e" nfh 10 the eye through The mini. as
sculpture addresses the mind through the eve.
IN sculpture, nothing is less impressive than the
nllegorcal porsonagcs that haunt ceno,,sh. and
crowd cathedral walls for. however admirable
wrought they awaken not The slightest eInnIi,n.
whether they weep. or rage. or fruwn. or smile. In
poetry likewise. expanded alleguries ore The least
elective OF all the means by which terror, vo, der.
puy' delight or anger are attempted To be excited ;
yet with single figures frequently. and with small
groups Occa,iona!ly, under the guise Of metaphors
aud similIes. poetry OF every kind PEG led m,re
s,iendidIy, beautifully and awlnlly than was the
urecian Olympus with gods and heroes, tho ocean
wan nymphs and neridcs. and Tartarus with fnrics
sPecires, and memorable Judges. Twoo or three briel
specimens may decide the superiority of poe,ry over
sculpture. How could the image Of Fear, which
To and fro did ~" be realized m m,rhl, rs !, ba.
heen by Spencer IN rhymel Collins Odes are cal.
leries of poeiical statrary, which no art could give
TO The sight. though perfectly made out in the zen.
souum of the brain.
Danger, whose limbs Of giant mo, ID:
What mortal eve could fx'd beholdl
Who stalks hs round, a hideous inrm;
HoNlng amid the midnight storm,
Or throws him on The ridgy steep
OF some loose hanging .ork Do sleep"
VIM s%cuiptors hand could arrest this monster. md
place INN Ia one attitude, winch should suggest all
the ideas expressed IN those wonderful Jinesy-his
limbs of giant mOuld,"-his stalking. hUwlinc.
casting himself prone. and fnlling asleep;-wiih the
accompanimenls OF the {" midnight Storm =. The
rdsy steep" "the loose hanging rock" nni above
all (peThaps) The mortal "eye," vaiuly underwriting
10 Tx ITSELF upon This "hideous fonnl" In the sequel
OF the same ode we meet with
-"rhe ravcning brood Of Fate.
That lap the blood of SDrrou
The artist might f~earfuily represent wolves or wild
dogs lnpping the blood of a slain victim but il
would require The commentary Of the passage itself
10 make The spectator understand, that hy the former
were meant "ihe rIvcning brood f Fate" that fol-
bow IN the rear 81 "Negeance, "-"Ihe "iends" lhnT.
near allied To Danger" aforementioned "o'er Ma.
lures wounds and wrecks preside" and that their
prey was the parsnnifcalipn of $ ,rrow." Yet the
ppet. IN the context. does al lhis as triumphanil, rs
though he could give bOlrly sight e. The mental eve,
ny which they arc dIscemed through the magic mo.
dunn of his verse.
Let US bring-not into glahiainrial conflict. hut
into honorable competition, where neither cnn suffer
disParaeemen'-une Of the master pieces of ancient
scripture, and two sianzas from Childe Harold. in
which that very statue Is turned iulo verse, which
seems almost 10 make IT visible:
THE DYING GLADIATOR.
II see before me the Gladiator lie
lie LEAFS upon his hand; his marly brow
Consents To dea h, but co,quers agun,;
AID his dro Ip'd head sinks gradually low;
Aud through his side the last dujs. cbbing slow
From the red cash, fall heavy. one 10y one.
Like the first Of Il thunder shower; and now
The arena swimS around him-Ie : gone,
Ire ceased the Inhuman shout that haiid The wretch
who won"
Now all this sculpture has embodied in perpetual
marble aid every assoeiaii"n touched uP,n in the
description might spring up in a we'll instructed
mind. while cOntem plating the insulated figure
winch pcrsI lie. The expiring champion. Painting
might take up the same subject. aud represent the
anpintheaire ihronged 10 the height with feruciuu.
ices, all beat upon the eXulting cOuqucruT AID bis
PROSTATE antagonist thousand for one of them
symPlthIzing rather with the transport Of the for
mer than The agony of The latter. Here. then sculp-
ture and painting have reached their climax: ner
lher of them can give the actual thoughts of the
personages whom the exhibit 50 palpably 10 the
ouiUarl sense, that the character Of those thought.
cannot be mistaken. Poetry goes further han both
aud when one OF the sisters had Land down hel
clrisel, the other her pencil. she continues the strain
wherein. having already sung what each has pic
tured. she thus reveals that secret Of The sufferers
broken heart. which neither of Them could initiate
by any visible sign. But we must return 10 IN,
svoOn Of the dying man;
The arena syyims around him-hs is gone.
Ere ceased the Inhuman shouts that haird the wro,cl
that won.
Gle heard ~. aad he needed noi-his eyes
Were with his heart, and that was far away;
Ilo reckd not II lhc life he lost. nor prize.
Bat, where his rude hut by the Danube Law,
There were hrs young blrblrians all at play.
There was their Dician moIhsr--hr, their sire,
BIichcrei 10 make Roman holyday.
All this gush'd wuh the bloUd." .
Aiy1hds OF eyes had gozed upon that siatue;-lhr
nyrnds Of mi"ds all the Images and IDEAS connect
cd with The combat and lhe fall. the spectators an,
the scene. bad passed in the presence Of that uncou
sci'Hs marble which bns given immortality 10 ih
panEs"i death; bit moi a soul among all The be-
holders through eighteen ceniuries--not one haI
ever thought Of "ihe rude hut "tho Daciai
moihcr' The "yuung barbaFians." At length cam
lh' poet OF pass.pn. aud hooking upon The Dyin.
Iiadai"r,' turned The marble into man. and endov,
ed % with human affections; then. away over th
Nppehlnes and over Inc Alps. away on Tho wing
oi irroprcssIbie sympathy. flew his spirit 20 III
banks OF iho Danube. where. with his heart" wer
/ tlp fagrs' of fhu wtrfrro ftpfrr a., r-~bf fall .