The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-06-08
TENNYSON AS AN ASTRONOMER.

line news that the Poet Laureate has Volun-
teered to take part in the eclipse observations
next December, says the London Neaos, will
doubtless induce many to Join the expedition
who would otherwise have been willing
to leave the matter in the hands of the
astronomers. To what department of obser-
walton MIR. .Tennyson will devote himself,
whether the spectroscope or the polariscope
will be his chosen instrument, or whether he
will hide his bays in the dark chamber of the
photographer, remains as yet unknown. 1t
may be that he will be invited by those who
are to superintend the arrangements to enjoy
the wondrous spectacle of a total eclipse
with mind undistracted by thoughts of
prisms and analyzers, rack movements,
focusing, or collodion films. A total
eclipse described by Tennyson would surely
be a marvel of word painting. Who but
poet could rightly present a scene which has
almost made poets of our Kinds and our Airys?
The solemn grandeur of the spectacle as the
gathering shadows obscure the face of nature,
the weird and unearthly aspect of familiar
objects, the surprising beauty of the crown
of glory which springs forth around the sun
as the moon hides from view the last fine
thread of his lght-how shall any but the
poet of nature adequately clothe these won
ders in words? And what compensation
would it be to us if, in place of that noble
picture which we shall look for from our Poet
Laureate, picture which would be a thing
of beauty and joy for ever, we should learn
that Mr.. Tennyson had automatically de-
termined the are between the solar cups" or
had proved that "'the corona's light is polar
lied in a plane through the suns centre?"
Let others settle these things, but to our
poet let a work be given worthier of his
powers.
The writings of the Poet Laureate indicate
that, like Chaucer, Milton, and others of our
great poets, he takes deep and thoughtful
interest in the science of his day. If Chaucer
could speak of Saturn, ''whose course is SO
wide for to tourne, and Milton of the planets
and
Their wand'ring course, now high, now low, then
Progressive, retrogade, or standing still,
Tennyson has known how to treat gracefully
and effectively of those wonders which
science has lately brought to our knowledge.
Professor Tyndall justly tells us that the
philosopher of our day ''dwells among con-
ceptions which beggar those of Milton;" and
the poet who would rightly interpret his age
(the true work of the poet, as we take it,
does well to throw the glamor of his art
around those splendid conceptions. We need
not wonder, perhaps, if to the poet there
should seem more of attractiveness in the
merely speculative than in the rigidly demon
strative parts of science, nor complain if, by
clothing doubtful theory in beautiful words,
he shoHld give it a value apart from its scien-
tifc standing. We are not bound to believe
unquestioningly that
This world was once fluid haze OF light
Till toward the centre set the starry tides
And eddied into suns, that wheeling cast
The planets
because the poet has set the theory as jewel
| that will ''on the stretched forefnger of all
time sparkle for ever" But even the most
cautious man of science cannot but rejoice
that our poets give new charm to science by
associating with its dry details the melody of
their songs-that they dip in all
That treats OF whatsoever is, the mind,
The morals, something Of the frame, the rock,
The star, the bird the fish, the shell, the newer,
| Electric, chemc laws and all the rest,
| And whatsoever can be taught and kno9n.