The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1857-07-29
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waterfall. Tie flowers unfold more free
lily their beauty to his loving eye. and for
HIM the heavens are radiant with bless
| ing and beauty. But what is Poetrys
asks the matter of fact man. We answer
I'm tie eloquent words of Margaret Fuller
&" 1t s the voice of Nature and Of God,
made audible by being echoed back to us
by the understanding hearts of Priests
and Seers." And as the voices of Nature
are various, SO are the voices of Poetry
also. They include the stately harmonies
of the epic, the vigorous expression of
tragedy, and the quiet whisperings Of the
ballad and song. 0 T g
Yet these voices are nothing to him
who does not hear them, AS you could
not describe the various shades of light
and color to one born blind, neither can
you describe Poetry to one not gifted
with poetic apprehension. ~ =
But what is the use of Poetry? We
answer this question by another, what is
the use Of Beauty? Is there any material
good in beauty? Is the meadow land
more valuable to the former because it is
sown thick with flowers Are the rose
and the tulip, the violet and the pink,
mere parasites, living upon the bounty of
Nature and making 10 suitable return?
Beauty does not feed the body, but it pu-
rifles and elevats the soul, and the same
benifcent Being, ,1ho has clothed the
material world, with a garb of such won-
derous beauty, has made the soul of man
capable of being pleased, purified and en-
riche1 by the finer harmonies of poetic
thought and speech. AS a means of hap
piness, asource Of pleasure, Poetry by the
multitude is far too lightly esteemed
There is 50 mnch false poetry in the pres
ent day so much which is merely the pro-
duct Of the head, not warmed and vivified
by an earnest feeling, that many CON-
nonsense people have became disguised
with it altogether. Yet the Goddess is
no less divine because she has so many.
servile ilnitators. But VIC must not ex-
pct to be admitted into the audience of
the MUSES. without paying the due intel
leetual price. g1fs &.
Poetry, like Music, Painting, Soup
ture-hke all high forms of Art must be
studied, in order to DO thoroughly apprc-
eiated and deeply felt. rs 9a1
But when we have followed the Bard
into his own high realm, and with him for
Guide and Interpreter, have gazed in
to the regions of ideal beauty, we feel the
poverty of a thoughtless existence and
exclaim with beauty-loving Keats:
s sf "a drainless shower
0flight is Poesy. 'Tis the supreme of power.
IT'S might half leaning on his own right arm,
Thevery dropping Of his eyelids charm -
A thousand willing agents to obey"
If from no better motive then, that mere
selfish love Of pleasure, it will pay to cu,-
tiqate a poetic taste. We confess we are
amazed at the shallow intellectual culture
of many of the youth of the present day.
There is no doubt of period, in the life,
when what is. called eight reading" is
proper food. But it is foolish to be al
ways feeding on the froth or lees of liter
allure, when we might sit at the banquet
table and drink of the ricb,, rosy wine. /
The so5!o souI by age grows lustier, Isl
y = appitite and its digestion mend.'
But another far higher and nobler rea-
son for the study of Poetry is the intiu-
ence which it must exert over our lives
We are too material. The spirit world
has too limited hold on our thought
Il exerts too ttlescontrolling power over
our lives. Although we admit the soul
to be the true glory of mantle very
seal and essence of manhood, vet we arc
inclined to forget its high claims and live
unnnindful of the life to come. Against |
this principle or inclination of our nature,
Poetry wages an unceasing warfare. All
its influences are entirely antagonistic to
As we soar with the Bard
into the regions of pure Imagination, and
there behold his creations, which, though
they may have no objective type, or ma
ferial presence, We eanpot doubt to be
real, we bow before the majesty Of Mind,
and feel compelled by something more Sc
Tere than Logic, to admit that g this poor,
ifeis not our all" Again its influence is
> render us more humane and thoughtful
n oar Intercourse with with the world. =