The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1876-04-05
FoR THE CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN.
THE LITERARY CHARACTERISTIC OF
THE "sONGs OF DEBORAH.

"Theu sang Deborah and Barak, son of Abina'
| oam on that day." &c.-Judges v: l.
It was a great and memorable day in the
annals of Israel. The chariots of Sisera,
even nine hundred chariots of iron, and all
his vast idolatrous host had been discounted
by the Lord with the edge of the sword
Barak had burst from Mt. Tabor with his
band of ten thousand men upon that mighty
host encamped on the plain of Esdraelon be-
low, and had routed then with signal over
throw. Multi.udes had perished in the swOl-
len waters of the river Kishon. The crimi-
nal neglect of Meroz to strike the fugitives
at the critical moment, had alone saved the
Canaanitish army from utter annihilatiOn.-
Among the spoils of victory was the trunk
less head of its boastful leader, who had been
ignobly slain. That leader had been com
PEELED, in the disastrous tide of battle, to light
down off his splendid chariot, and fee away
on his feet to the tent of Jael, and she had
pierced and stricken him through his temples,
whilst overcome with sleep, that she might
present to Israel this brilliant trophy of their
triumph. 1t was the day when jehovah s
favor returned to bis chosen people-when
twenty years of bondage ceased, and forty
years of rest began. Il was the day of a
nations deliverauce and nations thanks
giving.
Three thousand yeats and more have fled
since that great day. What changes has not
the world beheld since then, of dynasties,
and races, and nations, and languages ! Yet,
who is not, even at our immense distance of
time, and manners, and speech, stirred within
him by the Song of Deborah? Who does
not feel sympathetic glow of emotion and
transport awakened by its strains, though
waited to us at such disadvantage through
the medium of successive translations into
different tongues of mankind? Why does
this song then so arouse admiration and
kindle enthusiasm; why, so powerfully, does
it delight the taste and touch the heart
1t is, we answer, because it is poem, and
lyric poem; lyric poem of rare excel
lence and beauty, if not unsurpassed in any
language, ancient or modern. What is q
lyric poem? It will be interesting to in
quire, since the larger portion of the poetry Of
the Hebrews, whether didactic, pastoral, ele-
giac or strictly lyrical, belongs to this class
We believe they had no dramatic poetry, and
that the Book of Job is their only epic
The lyric is that species of poetry in which
the poet directly expresses his own feelings
In the drama, the poet deals with the actions
and character and feelings of others; in the
epic, he exhibits to us, as contemplated BY
himself, a series of such actions and charac
ters. But alike in the drama and the epic
the feelings of others, not those of the poet
form the predominant characteristic. In the
lyric department, on the other hand, tht
poets own feelings are directly poured fortE
in song. His admiration, love, hatred, OIL
revenge; his adOration.of hero or a God
his love of nature, of country, or of woman
it is of these master feelings that the lyri,
form of poetry is the vehicle of expression
and relief. The lyric is, in other words, tn
out.burst from the heart, and out of tn
abundance of the heart it does not speak, bu
sings.
Il is therefore most warm and impassionet
when called forth by present circumstances
Its first requisite is intense and oVerpoWerinl
feeling, such as will not admit of silence, les
the full heart should break. But it is ais
necessary, besides this, that the feeling shoul
itself be poetical. The Tyre disdains prOsai
or commonplace themes. The exploits o
the hero, the self-sacri6ce of the patriot, tn
devotion of the martyr, the good man strug
Cling with his fate, the battle "lost an
won" ''the earthquake shout of victory" tn
exile's lament, the sorrows of the unfortu
nate, the rescue of the oppressed and tn
downfall of the tyrsnt, the charms of wOma
in her loveliness, the wonders of the universe
the beauties of the landscape, the roar of tn