The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1873-04-12
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'''nn Of The f'affoaal fool, er

Nv iaFn our attention to v nat are re-
ally tie !, Jcausl elements of poetry-the nature
OF lie thought and the quality Of the stntiment.
First, he thought. All true poetry is highly i'm
aginaiive. This is highly imaginative
Jack and Gill went up the hill,
TO ret pail of water.
The poet imagined that they did, aud in this
consists, very largely, its poetry. Again, Jack
didn' fall down and break his crown, and Gill
didn't come tumbling after. The poet simply
imagined all this, and hence it is all the more
poetic Again this is an upward flight of imag-
inalion Jack and Gill went up the hill. They
also went up get water which makes the con-
cepiioh still more striking. 1t would have been
common place and matter of-fact to 60 down the
hill fos water.
Notice that in the next line it is not the imagi-
nation: that falls, but Jack-Jack fell down.
Notice, too, the result. He did not break the
connection of the story; he did not even break
The flight OF the poets fancy; ne simply broke
his crown. We may suppose it was afierward re-
paired. We have as good right to suppose this
as the poet had to imagine it all. And now the
final catastrophe:
And Gill came tumbling after
This is perfectly harmonious. We should
naturally have expected it. We may suppose that
Gill was leaning on Jack, and that therefore,
aiter or we may suppose that Gill loved Jack
more than we can tell, aud that when she saw
him fall back and break his crown, in fit OF
sheer desperation she threw herself after him.
Either hypothesis would fully account for the
facts but am inclined 10 accept the latter, it be-
ing the more poetic and thoroughly consoBaht
with the pathetic nature of the scene
Lastly, let us study the sentiment
Jack and Gill went up the hill.
Here, we see that Jack and Gill were industri-
Gus. 1t requires an effort to go up hill. This
was probably long, steep hill. At any rate we
may suppose it was. II it was, i. would require
all the more effort to go up it. We have no evil
dence that Jack and Gill repined. 1t is not said
that they went up the hill under protest. They
appear TO have gone up cheerfully; and what a
lesson Of cheerful industry is here taught us The
object Of their going up the bill was to get pail
of water. What they wanted to do with the
water is matter of mere conjecture. | have
sometimes thought that they wanted ii 10 drink,
and have again supposed they were getting it for
a sick companion.
Either purpose would have been praise-worthy.
1t is not stated what became of the water when
they fell down. Perhaps it is not known. Pos
sibly in the general overturn ii was spilled-but
this would detract nothing from the honor due
TO them fer going after it.
The isfortune which overlook Jack and Gill
is siagul ary Impressive Ii shows the uncertain
ty OF IA snings earthly. Quietly returning down
the l.fs Ssalsng the pail of wates and suspecting
nc ey :, suddenly they fell. 1t is not stated that
a serpe Il tempted them. 1t is not even stated
that they slipped. The record is simply that
they fel. we can only imagine the cause, and
say TO G, r own hearts-What q fall