The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1876-04-05

waters, the might and majesty of God, these
or kindred themes, must inspire the poets
muse, in order that his song should live for
ever.
How strikingly is this intense and poetical
feeling displayed in the national anthem of
Deborah How fresh, warm, and impas
stoned is the emotion that runs through this
grand hymn of joy, exultation, triumph,
praise, and alteration, composed on that day,
in the very flush of victory and deliverance
We hear the Victors shout, the patriots ex.
ultation, but above all the believers praise.
The Almighty is indeed the hero of the song.
The key. note is the same that had inspired
Moses. 81 will sing unto the Lord, for he
hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his
rider hath he thrown into the sea. Who is
like unto thee, 0 Lord, among the gods ?
Who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fear
ful in praises, doing wonders? The Lord is
man of war; the Lord is his name" 1t is
He that has avenged Israel. twas He that
went out of Seir nsput eff the field
of Edom. 1t was before Him that the
mountains melted, even that Sinai from be
fore the Lord God of Israel; that the earth
trembled and the heavens dropped; the
clouds also dropped water. 1t was to His
help that MerOz came not up against the
mighty. 1t is His enemies that have per-
ished. The whole poem iS, in truth, an ode
in honor of Jehovah. The profound rever-
ence and alteration for Him, the glad homage
of praise to Him, the giving of the glory to
Him, constitute the master feeling that forced
Deborah to pour forth her soul in this bold
and animated lyric; that compelled her to
exclaim to herself: "Awake, awake; utter
song"
But there are other requisites still Of the
lyric art. The poet may feel deeply, and
his feeling may be poetical too, yet he needs
other aids besides His poem must be hap
PLY constructed; his ideas must possess nov
city, impressiveness, and variety; he must
command the powers of style to convince the
understanding, the mysterious charm of verse
or rythm to please the ear, the beauty and
sublimity of imagery to strike the imagina-
ton and captivate the taste. Does the song
of Deborah possess any or all of these ex-
cellencies? How well, or how i'll, is the
poem constructed, what happy transition of
ideas and scenes characerises tin what
vigor of style, under what imagery, with
what power of description, has her genius
arrayed itself? Let US briefly consider these
literary characteristics of the poem before US.
Its construction seems to US highly artistic.
There is, first, the solemn commencement;
then the woful and sad picture of the coun-
try's desolation, idolatry, and enervation be-
fore the great battle; then the sweet and
grateful picture of the blessings of peace and
independence, that have returned to the land;
then the description of the gathering of the
tribes by whose courage these blessings were
achieved, the eulogy of those who responded
to the appeal to arms, the sarcasm against
those who proved recreant on the grand oc-
casion; then the shock of battle, and its ''life,
fire, and energy" then the withering curse
upon the inhabitants of Meroz, then the en-
comium upon Jael, blessed above women in
the tent, then the graphic story of Sisera's
ignoble end, the "bitter pathos" over his
mothers grief and disappointment, aud final
ly the closing prayer.
The style is concise and simple. 1t was
the fashion of the old Hebrew poets to deal
in +" words of learned length and laundering
sound" Brief, nervous, perspcuous, the
style and diction of this poem are powerful
from their very simplicity and conciseness.
What meaning is compressed within few
monosyllables How vividly are scenes de.
scribed by one or two master-strokes of the
pen! There is no redundancy of expression.
The reader is hurried along by rapid transi-
ton from one part of the poem to the other.
The plainness and simplicity of the words
place it within the understanding of child.
(TO BE CONCLUDED