New-York daily tribune., 1849-02-19
NEW-YORK TRIBUNE.
LECTURES On LITERATURE AND SCIENCE.
MIR. Damn. Lecture.


The second Lecture Of Mr dana at the ChaPei
Of The University on Friday nigh. was very vel attend
ed and the subject. The Condition OF society sha
II. Influences on the Poet, and the lnauenoe Of The fo'
on the Condition Of Society vss treated with the Same
calm esnestness Of thought aud polished elegance Of
dictOn ~ the former Lecture. Our space peiniH %
but brief report which does ou' scaniy astcs 70 me
high literary character Of the original
The Lecturer commenced BY describing that condi'
ton oi society which s nost favorable - ine grown
Of poetic influences. lie considered the cary peiioo
Of EnsHsh literature more truly poetic IN lie sim
nc faith lie crectness Of thought and its
Genuine human sympathy, than our own ego Inc
early authors unpOished ss their poetry may seem 70
Us sOo ke from the clear depths Oh their nature Inc
natural feelings Of the heart As lived among rs TEL
low and under all bumanizng Influences, SUI H'f >
10 their works This yitsizing sympathy between me
Poet and the Man gives charm T. All early OsIad PO
et-y the ample warmth Of whose style cannot now Do
restored. When an attempt N tnsde 10 compete zoe
imperfect parts Of such relic the Work oi laef
mind however much II may accord with inc oio Ian
guage may easily be detected. We tnd in these su-
thor. ali those kind soft diced words which are no
lOpger heard a child might have uttered them but a
man could not utter them They may be OF nap
" character and they touch US Ike the words Of a
child. they may be sad, aud they soften our natures
with the gentenoss Of which I'll the eye but do
not fall They marked by subtle beauties OF Ian
susge little Of expression, simple touches of
thought, spriDgng naturally from the habits and feel
Of things around them. The living nearness Of
reality impars such air Of reality to their poetry,
that the reader is not always saying 10 himself: mis-
il poetry I" This too IL influence Of poetic cOndi-
tOn they forget thet they chrOuicers OF events
but speak only ne they moved Hence there is IN
them reflection Of Nature not 10 be acquired by study,
bat only attained by harmony Of the soul Win the
outward world. The man becomes merely the object
through which the thing moves, acts and spesks-
The Creator expresses himself throsgh the Created.
The Lecturer illustrated these remarks, by reading
portions OF tine old Dalled.
The ballad poets the prophets nearest 10 Nature
Their voice 10 simple and natural, but II bas deeps
lower than Art finer deicacies thsn refinement can
give Those blossoms Of early poetry did not grow for
the eye sonn They may not BE- gorgeous In hue as
the later growths but they have tnat lesh, healthy
eartty odor which tnd no more. Mr.. Dams then
read part Of the ballad of Robin Hood describing
Summer In the f0resta delicious picture OF sunshine
green leaves and the Oyance Of birds lie asked, was
not this morDngf Ay the morning OF the heart, the
clear Joyous morning OF Poetry The soul OF the poet
fe to s depths the genial influence of the Summer he
sung. There WAS n him that warmth of life, that like
the mountain runnes lespng into the sun. seems TO
feel joy so full they must needs tell il to the day
Mr. Dana then referred 10 tho simplicity Of early mar
ratve poetry. The minor class of the old poets though
often dull, always natural However long and tedi
Gus the way II is often refreshed by passages OF ex
quse beauty. In this connection number OF extracts
were read The society Of tha, time more allied
10 the poetic spirit than the present Because there
more readers now, apt To think there is more
poetry In speaking of these times forget
the prevalence of taste for legend ard sOng-we for
get that castle and cottage alike had their ballads which
could stir mems hearts like the call Of trumpet The
child beard them ia his cradle, and the little creature
grew into life with its full of harmony
These influences came not through the artificial forms
OF books but blended with the actual life. and
must necessarily develop themselves again IN action
Received Ia children, they would come forth again, m
the unconsciousness Of nature through the long
issues of life The rough garb aud couted shoon had
sometimes held a form more filled with the inner i'm
pulses Of poetry than pressed the delicate robes Of
wealth aud luxury
We are apt to look on the age being ignorant 10.
Asmueh as tt was ignorant of those modes by which
arrive at knowledge. We do not ask whether the
effort 10 break through the barrier 10 knOWtnse mgn1
not be equally valuable As debilitstng facility.
The state In which the mind pauses and reflects, and
strives after itself by self revolving thought s isvora
BILE 90 the growth OF n healthy mind Nor was the su
perston of former times hostile 81 the growth oi
poetic nature. Excess Of belief has truer tendency
than excess of unbeliet There was proi0under uuih
In that state of society which peopled the twllgh WIN
fairies and elves and dragons than that In which the
pride of knowledge has made spiritual void around
Itself by declaring that nothing 10 but what can De com
prehenaed The true Poet recognizes no simply mate
nal world but in all material forms perceives the
traces and the work of spirit
This is felt in the works OF Shakespeare; we
stand with Macbeth on the heath aud talk with 'ae
weird sisters We see the light Ariel hoverne ia the
ait we look the bessily figure OF Cslihsn. DO you
think of doubling the existence of these beings
Those were the flowers of early poeiry-but ihose
sweet flowers have gathered together at the graves OF
the old masters and laid themselves down and died
Where the flowers the fair young aowe' that lately
spsang and stood .
10 brighter light ard sofsr airs. oesgeoa' .'erhoodi
The rain falling where they lie, bat the cold November
Gala not rom the gloomy earth those lovely ones
In the Elizsbethsn sge, Poetry shot up win GNu.
Rance that was known before or since. sAoft
time sfterwsrd Milton appeared but with less OF simple
nature aud Dryden, who fought his battle IN turn
and him Pope with more Of art and elegance ou'
less of heart In great measure, the state oi society
may be found 10 correspond with al these changes
The individuality OF poetry is IN danger OF degeners
ting at present the lecturers opinion, owing 10 tne
lack of independence in individual character. men
thiuk too much according to party the tendency o.
the times ID 10 drive the poet back upon hmseli-ts
make his own sentiments the burden of what ne uiters
Mr. Dana concluded his lecture by Description OF
the necessary harmony which should exist between the
Poet and the Man aud upon the present condlioh ol
society with regard 10 the creation OF poetry