The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-12-02
WASHINGTON, ID. G.
TurMEs FOR THE POET:

THEMES FOR THE POET
po.m delivered before the House of COnvoeatiOn
Of Trinity College, Hartford. By Rev DR.. C. M
p,,lor Rector of Trinity Church, Washington
Pp %.
This is really very charming Poem and
admirably sets forth the themes for the muse
in this age of Steam, of Railroads and Of
Norse's Lightning Telegraph. He speaks OF
,,e DAYS of Grecian Mythology and the Pastor
Ais of the past century, as themes now eiete
We quote from the 9Th page;
To sing of Jove and Juno, Pallas, Mars
To tell the story of their loves and wars
or e'en of Cupid with his bow and string.
Wore hut a cold cloud to our breast to bring
Wber waited back with those who sang and saw
,rboso shapes of beauty, grandeur, grace, ana awe
Tben beneath genius mcsmerizng spell,
W. too in cheated dream, with them may dwell
D., chen those shapes we summon on the stage,
In the broad daylight Of our garing age
Not zen the vivid picture-work OF Keats
- Sboleys wild and wondrous fancy feats,
Tan make those shadows pause, and live, and speak
10 aI minds and hearts They only fit and squeak.
In sweet Arcadian wales and Aowory moads,
Where hapless Corydon Chloe pleads,
Where murmuring streams, in pensive concord flow
There where our gentle sires retired to weep,
There-if we go at ALIVE go-to sleep"
The following hit at the young gentlemen
students, before whom this Poem was spoken
as part of the auditory is very clever. The
Doctor is speaking of Loue as poets theme
WHY here are hcarts-start not no names tell
In which whole unwrit Petrarch volumes dwell.
7 ohraudly within classic walls
Whence duty s war its well-driled conscrpt calls,
Some agonizing student has essayed
To rhyme a farewell to an obdurate maid.
In yan-his collar down and hair uncombed-
Through mighty, melting sdjectves he roamed
Hour in poor words, may ever be expressed
The woful Ilads struggling in his breast
The half.wrt sonnet tainted died. and sunk,
And now lies buried in the young mans trunk
An fair one smile on him Indeed you should;
Ii had been written-if it only could
These things are So or else tbs plain to me,
Things are not there as once they used to be >"
The following passage will be read with
pleasure and, coming from true Churchman
it must wound no one in the Church, while
those outside may smile at the hard hit admin
istered to those whose love Of the pristine ages
of the Church fosters the bslief that it is pos
sible to restore the human mind to the status
quo Of fourteen centuries past and gone;
The muse of satre-how she shouts and laughs
For rich the game is for her shining shafts
How fatally her slender arrow flies,
Through fashions big and little butterflies
She goes to Newport and impales a few
The game is plenty, hut tbs worthless too!
Thon at a Fourier's Paradise sho stops,
And Professor Tansce,uf-emptying slops
And Mrs Sky-fy whose poem on the soul
Considered deep, world holding hole
Lies on the table to be finished when
She shall have fed the piggy and the hen
Loud laughs the muse, but lets no arrow fly,
The folly has not life enough TO die.
Then to the sprit-rappcrs does she go,
To ask old kings and bards-' How do you do?
To hear great Milton wretched rhyme indite,
And modest W ashington poor bombast write.
Oh wondrous Media! do not believe
These summoned spirits rap, as you conceivej
For as you make them such consummate FOOLS
II they could rap, I'm they'd rap your skpiLs'
Then peeps the muse within the palace high,
Where pills are ground, to purge humanity
Of all disease and sin. No need for her
The shafts of satire from their rest to stir:
Their pufs are satircs, subtle and refined,
trimming in glee at credulous mankind
Then in the halls of art she glides to see
If to her lofty call art faithful be.
There, amid scenes of purity and love,
Which fill the heart the moral purpose move
She sees base panderings to sin and sense
Vice yelled in beauty seeming innocence;
10, parsons singing ranscendental hymns,
To the Greek Slaves shrinking, sentimental limbs
Insisting loud that SOUL heart genius shows,
Just in proportion wear few clothes
That God made coverings for the fallen pair,
Only because of dampness in the air.
Angry the look which on the group she bonds
Aud TO them all maRtua- maker sends.
Then to the Church she takes her saddcned way,
To see mems foes they praise and pray.
She looks to find them in the scots and Rome,
But not within our sober, holy home
Aweary now she turns from them away,
And enters Church, to hear and praise, and pray.
Scarce has she passed within the outward porch,
Before she asks - Is this Romsh Church
Oh, no, Doubtful, uneasy still she sits,
And thinks she surely must have lost her wits
Enter Sir Rector-surpce covering DER
coat like Grimess all buttoned down before;
iossl! priest just vitalized and como
From out a medieval catacomb.
The solemn service, by his mummings, made
very poor and ptifu parade
lie gives little homiy to show
npW h'tle good ncessant preachngs do
rt t,s uem the Church by symbols best teach;
"a. hawks and Clarks cannot, like stained glass
preach;
U tus 'hem iook round them and in ave. espy
tpn, splendid preachings now address the eye.
60 ne 'orgets, IN the mean time TO say
m p ana giass can prsach why can't they prey ?
IT. ne'erehd ossll' it is strictly true
80 s'"Ss ana chancel preach as well as you ~
W.. Inc Rev +. L. Hawks, D D.. LID, Of New
The Rev T. NJ. Clark, D. D., of Hartford.