The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1872-1881, 1873-06-27
WINTER EVENINGS aEcRE.
ATOMS. ..
By zIsPnIANIAu MEIER
NUMBER ,.
EAIl.poEo AND n'rExsrRoso.

Ia these parallel compositions We have
nm account Of the operations Of the hu
man mind, its subjects Of thought, and
the scene- - which Il i disposed 20 re
sort when under the influence Of Mclan
choly or Mirth.
L'Allegro begins with a depreciation
(or cxorcism) Of "loathed Melancholy :
II Penseroso similarly donounccs "vain
deluding Joys The parcntage Of thcs,
persni6ed feelings is then given. Mel
sncloly is represented as illegitimately
born of Cerebu. and Midnight in a cave
by Syx, and to increase our horror Of a
feeling so engendercd, every accompani.
ment Of dread Is added dreadful sights
and sounds, the gloom Of night, the
croaking Of the raven. The Cimmerean
Desert is the iitdwclling place Of such a
spirit. Vaia. deluding joy Is reprcsen.
ted as bred Of Folly, but without faith
er; typiGiug thereby the fact this feel
ing exist almost without a cause She
is commanded 20 take up ber abode in
the brain Of an idle man and to oonsort
with the fancics .here lowering.
Next CONES the Invocation Of the op-
posite emotions, accompanied by an ac-
count Of their parcntage. Mirth Is. by
unc account, the offering Of Venus, the
ideal Of the.bcautiful, and Of Bacchus,
not the Baochus Of drunknness. but Of
sentiment The poet, however, inclines
10 the story that she was born Of Aurora
and Zephyr that Is, that Mirth or Cheer
fulncss is produced by the fresh air Of
morning, aud the sight Of the dawn and
the sunrse. On the other, ''divinest Mel
ancholy' Is the daughter Of Saturn and
Vesta; that is Of nature and religion. Ii
is worth Observing how carefully the au-
thor makes every association on-every al
lusion in these lnvocations source Of
pleasure. II Mirth is the osspring Of
Venus and Bacchus. how lovely are the
associations which the thoughts give rise
10; il of Zephyr and Aurora, it is on
beds Of violets blue. and fresh blown
roses washed in the dew Of the morning.
that she is born. Melancholy is aSsocia-
ted in her parentage with the shades and
bowers and groves Of Ida, and with the
calm and peace Of far Antiquity.
The poet next commemorates the nat
ural companions OF his two chief emo
tons. Mirth is commanded to bring
with her Jests, and wanton wiles and
mods, and wreathed Smiles, such rs are
found ON the check Of Youth and Sport,
and Laughter, and last of all, Liberty,
the mountain nymph by the last he
means 10 say that none but a freeman
can experience the feelings which he de-
scribes.; and by calling her a mountain
nymph, he means that in mountainous
countries the inhabitants are often found
free.
Melancholy joins with her, Peace,
Quiet, Temperance, Leisure, and chief
est Of all, Contemplation. The Invoca-
ton addressed To her is a most stately
composition, which we will not render
less so by commenting upon it. Next,
We have in each poem, series Of pic
tures, coming in regular and natural sue
cession, each adapted 70. the spirit of the
composition, and all ominently beautiful
Mirth, waking at dawn, hears the song
of the lark in the skies and at her win
dow the loud crow Of the cock, and the
noise Of the hounds, and the horn from
the hillside. She walks, not unseen,
towards the sunrise see, the ploughman,
the mower, the milkmaid, the shepherd,
the landscape around, the lawns, the
mountains, the rivers, on whose farther
shore are seen the battlements Of an an
cient castle, half hidden by primeval
oaks, and whore, perhaps, some high
born maiden may reside; all these form
part Of the picture. Next are described
the cottage and rustic dinner, for al
ready Il is noon. and the binding Of the
sheaves by Phillis and Thestylis; then
the dance on tho holiday, prolonged un-
Ill evening, followed by the tales told At
night over the nut-brown ale how one
was pinohed and pulled, another led by
the mysterious lantern then the custo-
mary legend Of the goblin who threshes.
IN one night, as much corn as ten men
and then. how they creep to bed, some
lulled by the whispering winds.
The poet now turns 30 contemplated
towering eities' and throngs Of knights
and harons, and the bright eyes Of Ia
dies then he describes a marriage with
is pOmp and reyelry, and next repairs
20 the stage, where johnson, or the wood
notes wild Of Shakespeare viii be heard.
Returning home he delights his car with
sweet music, thus untvisting the chains
that entanglo the hidden sense Of PrePar'
ing for sleep by thus disengaging him