The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1873-04-17
The Rslation Bsswesn Art ana Nor
atty.


aofnltYs WllateTeF else e may BE- "a
. ssiiumasy. % tlis rules i5y (which liu,nsn
beings msy reach their highest develop
ment and the hisliest ant expresses the
emotions Of the man whose faculties are
iuoss completely developed ;-og, IN other.
words, q thoroughly hsaIshy state Of
mind is the conditiaa Of being either q
srsat saint or q great poet. Exceptions
70 the rule may indeed be easily sugs
gestsd but the general principals seems
to be undeBislDle. Thus, for example.
the marvellous achievements Of Greek
sculpture imply o state OF tlsines m
which physical beauty 81 the highest
order WIS fgsqusntlyT to be seen aud WIS
lseenly appreciated. I3sit. o. perfect ply
steal developments ca1rnst exist withouta
high standard in one. though not Of
course the higlets, Departments of. NOR I
atty. Ifaraes sliouId Bssome Y1redornis
nantly sensual, tlie type represented. in
it's pietures and statues would inevitable
become degraded. Bodily besnperanoa
aud aesivity are necessary to- produce B
rues Of really beautiful men and women.
or to euable 9asartist 70 represent beauy
Of 8 really admirable Kind. a painter
who lived amongst an eaernfnate and
dstsriorating nation might obtsin tenn.
p0rary repntation by faithfully repre-
senting the asi5ljy- and erervatsd forms
which pleased his contemporaries. Bus
certaiuiy he couid uos suseeed in shap-
ing figures Of ideal exceilsuos to Which
men would turn- with admiration iu al
succsedinRage Az a higher standard
canst be realized, and taste vas culti-
waited in proportion, men wouid turn in
disgust from the one popular types A
great artist would not consciously set
himself 10 preach the advantages Of
vigorous gymnastics, moderation in eat
ing aud drinking, or early rising but
in proportion a. he would express the
qualities which ms in fact generated by
such practices would be the enduring
value Of hisart Whist ia true in this
lower sphere is as least equally If not so
consEacuoualy, true in the highest. The
really great men ara those who have
been the most thoroughly healthy in
tbs strongest sense of the word. Purity
Of mind, love OF Truth and breadth Of
sympathy which imply well-baianced
nature, ara the roots from which springs
the best rt as veil a. the loftiest NOR
aiit3 The exceptions indeed, 81 which
We have spoken are obvious, but they
10 not really destroy the validity OF the
ruie. Agreat Number OF our poets have
been morbid in various degrees and
some great poems are the expressions of
a thoroughly morbid state Of mind
Shakespeare 8Bonnsts arc not altogether
hsslty in tons, though undoubtedly Of
marvellous beauty; Cowpsr wrote some
OF his most pathetic pieces unds rthe IN.
Aueuos Of religious madness and the
whole school OF Byrouio writer's delight
IN expressing sentiments which, to PIT
4 mildly, ara not characteristics of veil.
regulated minds. From such cases, in.
deed, general theory has been con.
stzucted, and people argue that poet
must necessarily be more on less diaeas.
ed. The finest music is produced. ae
cording 10 NM Browming'8 poem on
"rhs Grsat God Pam" by crushing
tbs uncertainties instrument by Which L
is uttered. The resson seems ta b,
simpie A poet Isl, as such, a mau Of
kesnsr sensibilities than other people
aud iH thsnsfors e1sDosed to danger from
whichwe ooaT1erzininded and Thicker
skinned psrsons are generally exempt
A BURNS ia moro Ilteiy 10 run Wild than
an ordinary Scotch peasant aud
Shelley ~ more likely TO fly in tha facl
nf all proprsty than the average Cxfort
undergraduates But IN the first place
Il in the abnormal Intensity OF the nohla
Instincts which makes a man grea
poet and wlat IL really permanent il
mis- work 10 produced by a lteene4 sym
patlly with his race, or healtier con
tempt for iniuHties. tiiHn falls TO tlie 10
OF other people. Az the world isseoli
stltzlted, such AN endowment may iInl,s,
mau- 30 many extTavagannss, or evei
drive him mad. But it in mere con
fusion of ideas when We admire IN
collateral evils instead Of tho noble
sentinients which ara unIncizily mike
up with them. Rosssa,f in adinirabls
~ aaEr - he ii admirable, by his genuiu
strength Of feeling, and not by his sill
seutimsntalisns md his ilnputlant avou
ais Of hia own baseuess. By1ou's Gym
cisrn ~ Disgusting. though ourir1itatio
should not prevent IA ifom appreaiasiu
the nnEcule vig0r with which ne a
pressess passions not essentially ds1ra,
ing. UulueSiig tiis literary sounai
seur ia apt Ia valus abnormal produet
IN proportion rattiar to their rarit
rather than. 20 their mrsnsie valu
The extsuvuganess aud cynicisms
Balzac gave kind Of sisecial flavor
his p1iges which oommenda thsmt o suna
critics. though, fromi a higher point
view sacy are tiie blemishss, and %
the ornaments. % his art. and It ms
be safety said shRt any one al the ma
We havc mentioned sould have been q
yrenter II he hall nsssessad rufgiesey
stFonsth ~ chaiaessr b throw or a
coutagiouEi poison which Iias isd him
pandcr "a De hsser passions tn
may have shown a. rnuch, y,ogserriif tiis
lnmurni 1Vrttires SIN sliose uiiicii lin
q loftier aims has Is e. not the stsss a.
tA,aseilAss isBusyssBtit,s - i'a8 s-gssss
ikelv % erciuds Them aoza TIE :.
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