The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1875-02-02
Tho Nhalsespeare Club.


In the Standard Of January 30th l. an
article under the heading OF THE Shakes
peare Club" in which a member Of that
Club continues n course Of remarks cont
meuced Ia former issue Of that paper,
on the proper or best method Of studying
and reading Shakespeare.
While the greater portion Of these re-.
marks will undoubtedly strike most read.
ers IA Just, and while their whole tenor 10
calculated to yield instruction 10 those
who may have given the subject loss con.
sideratiOn, than has the writer Of these
carefully penned articles, yet perhaps
there will be some good lovers Of Shakes.
peure, who may take exception to certain
views expressed by the writer Of the
Standard articles. As for instahee when
he says: TN all Clubs questions Of pro.
nunciRtion arc constantly coming up,
sometimes too OF the most common words,
though moro frequently perhaps Of
proper names. In every such CdSO the
correct scanning Of the verse will settle
tho question"
This would only bC true II Shakespeare
had always constructed his verse accord.
ing to set rules, which happily for tho
world, he did not,
lambic verse has been used by tho
most notable writer's Of the world, from
the time Of the compositions Of the old
Greek authors until to-day. TennyAon,
one OF our latest poets, has not disdained
It's use, showing that time and familiarity
have not impaired iIs beauties. English
poetry Is built upon this verse, and the
exceptions to it are generally upimport.
mt, that Of our own LongtellOw being
perhaps the most illustrious,
The father Of English poetry old
Chaucer, with his simple but now obsO.
letO phraseology, constructed his verse
with lambic feet. Then came Spencer, to
make il most melodious with his smooth
and bGwitChing stanlas.
| But rising grandly up amid tho disting-
uished group Of poets and dramatista
who graCed the EIi2abethan age Shakes
peAre appears, prC-eninent In literature,
II perhaps we except the half.mythical
Homer; Shakespeare, to share with
Homer the high privilege Of no compcer,
likewise to share with him the fate Of
having his identity denied by a succeeding
age that could not deny his literary OK.
ceIlence nor produce q poet to rival Il.
TO him succeeded Milton, to whom be.
longs the fame Of the creation Of the
greatest English epic, in fact the only
English. epic poem actually entitled to
| ihG mime. Milton. following Shnkps.
peares grand example, wrote H. glorious
iambcs. Dryden came next to illustrate
the capabilities OF this verse, to DO follow.
cd in iiis turlbby Pope, who also made
this style II yersiigicap 9i biz chariot t9
| Parnasstls.' 49, '9" ."N'
These last two werc as smooth and How.
Ing rs Shakespeare anil Milton were If
regular and abrupt -.' 2. .
Thus can we approach the point to
which these examples tend.
II is not regularity Of verse that makea
u great poet, or Dryden and PObe'w0hld
be greater names than Shakespeare and
Milton.
Verse is only the carriage Of thought
the feet on which poetry may march.
| II il probable TINT both Shakespeare
and Milton were at times careless versi-
RCrs; that Is, they did not take the utmost
pains to polish verse and risk the sNcri+
flee Of strength to smOothnesS. Their
works exhibit either gross carelessness
or much art ig this respect, probably a
mlngling Of both.
Having the ability to versify most ex-
quisitely, they allowed careless lines to
interpOse between finished verses, thus
setting of, by the irregular, the regular,
and giving d smoother flow to liquid
sylables by their contrast with harSher
measures.
Who does not tire Of Pope's continued
Sng.sOts, even while admitting the e&-
Quisite grace Of his admirable descrip-
tlonsH Yet the grace Of poetry IL in It's
flowing numbers.
II we would read for tho music Of the
verse, and meet with nothing harsh or un-
nelodiOus, Spencer should be our poet,
and while we glide ever the silver sounds
Of bis nellilluent poesy will find no oc.
Casion 10 change tie accent Of any word
OF well.known pronunciation 10 suit
the necessities Of his measure. But
who will venture TO compare the
deliberately graceful pictures OF al.
| in0ns;ooi .oS,ntrn an olnsn,i..i. 4aS
vSoISI"t IV tst " CnaInIS III III
Agined by Edmund Spencer with the
hGatt.tttetances Of ShakespeaFeia, lie.
drawn characters? Or who viii put The
smooth measures Of the one, flowing in
liOuid swedtneSS, like !the mtiFmuf 81 q
brook, ,hSaih5t hS tdu9herS numbats Of
the other, whose verse has often the swell
and dash Of an angry oceans waves?
II sliak peaios vets9 Rdre 46aSlaully
irregular, itw61ld undoubtedly % 1 fAGit
from which his gigantic genius could not
rescue his pOetical reputation. But such
Is not the case. No Sweeter liheS we're
ever written than he scattetS with prodi.
gal liberalily, yet with such attiul inter.
tuptiUn, that their sweetness never pals.
As thus:
al. /, nv ,ou, ,b., call, urDn nv b,ns.
Inv silyef.SEcet soHhd lovers tongues BY ulSht,
lLke sof'est music y tlteHEdlns eai.I'' 81, ~, y
NOAty AM 'Shlt,i H ,s 4, S'eH'"
Wb SSSSb. Sib Sef I,S, NbSs 9pS ss
TEMPEST; Aei l., scene q.
Cut mo to pieces, vol.cs,; men and lad,
stain all your edges on me-. BOY False hound !