Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-04-25


way, for his nose was as sharp as pen,
and a babbled of green fields. How
now, Sir John2 quoth |; What, man
be of good cheer. So a cried out
God, God, God, three or four times.
Now |, to comfort him, bid him, "a
should not think OF God; | hoped, there
was no need to trouble himself with any
such thoughts yet. So "a bade me lay
more clothes on his feet: put my hand
into the bed, and felt them, and they
were as cold as any stone; then / felt
\ TO his knees, and so upward and up
ward, and all was as cold as any stone" "
SO while We examine, much enjoying,
/ these dramas, weare constantly learning
/ lessons of philosophy, of morality. The
/ stories, the events on which they are
/ built, are of no importance; the charac-
/ ters even, though often so largely drawn
/ as 10 rise beyond our limits OF measure,
/ are things of secondary interest, but the
bright imaginings, thelarge conceptions,
/ the great moral and philosophical truths,
/ that reveal the broad and brilliant mind
/ of Shakespeare-theSe open to us fields
OF thought and fancy, so vast and beau
/ tiful, that we may wander there de-
! lighted, meeting constant agreeable sur
prises, and finding always new pleas
ures.
Comparison OF Shakespeare with other
authors always brings into conspicuous
notice the power OF our great poet in the
use OF language.
Bright images of fancy, original con-
ceptiOns of beauty and of truth, must not
only exist in the mind OF poet, but
find in his language such expression
that their picturing will stand out in
vivid distinCtness, and with such marked
outlines rs To Tx attention, and compel
remembrance.
II has be often said, that we are all,
10 ourselves, poets; that is, we have
times when the beautiful in nature, or
in ideal, appeals to US, as with a ming
ling of soul and sense, and fills our adj
miring minds with graceful shapes and
harmonious thoughts. Ii is as II an in
spiratiOn filled us from the original
source of truth and beauty. This We
are conscious of, but if we would de-
scribe it and present it to other minds,
the figures and the thoughts defy our
power TO fix them into permanent char
acters, or set them down i'm words unless
the gilt Of expression belongs to US.
The capacity to comprehend poetry,
TO feel the inspiration and visiting of po-
etic images, is almost universal; but
ability to give exact form and character
istic expression i'm words or in artistic
representation, 10 such pictures, is rare.
Perhaps the largest conceptions of beau
tv by the human mind have been lost
To the world by lack Of power OF express
sion to fully show them. They have de-
lighted the single mind which they filled
with their grace or their grandeur, but
beyond VIII ich they could.not pass in
their perfection. The Jupiter OF Phid-
las, the Virgin OF Raphael, the Hamlet
of Shakespeare, though each master
piece, appeared doubtless, 10 either ar
tist, an imperfect delineation of the ideal
which each sought 10 portray.
Language is means by which the
mind strives to exhibit itself, but it is
means never perfect; with the most
skiliul it falls lar short Of absolute accu-
racy, and where the skill is little, the ex-
hihitiOn is very imperfect.
Whom the world calls poets, are those
who can portray what the many are
conscious OF, see, feel and think, but can
not express; and these poets are greater
or less, according To their skill To
make themselves the eXpOnents Of the
minds Of men, and picture more or less
accurately the thoughts, the visions, the
imaginings, that come alike To all.
IL is because we recognize, in poetic
images, something that has existence in
ourselves, that poetry appeals so uni
yersally 10 the minds of men. That
poet whose thoughts or tancies are so
very abStruse or original as To belong
only 10 himself, will have no power TO
affect or interest his fellow men.
have said poetry is common To man
kind; the lowest intelleCts are often
capable of being more moved by it, than
HIGHER organizations, simply because the
poet, Tor the moment, shows them, by
the magic sympathy Of mind with mind,
pictures that pertain To an intellectualll-
" above their own, by the which en-
larying of their mental horizon they are
filled with rapture.
This faculty of expressiOn-showing
the greatness and the splendor OF the
powerS and possibilities that exist al
most, unconsciously within us, form the
poets pictures we recognize familiar
features one great element
OF the genius of poet.
In Shakespeare this power seems
equally matched with the conceptions
whose graceful forms, force and bril-
lance IL exhibits.
To illustrate would be supertiuOus;t for
the atlluaucc, power, sweetness ana
truth Of his language appeal at once 10
every mind capable Oi receiving such
imprrsSions. To such, il such there be,
vino cannot perceive the force and grace
of exprcSSion that belong to him, no
laborrd efforts 10 exhibit these would
avail ANYTHING, for 10 them language Is
thing of woris only.
In considering the genius OF drama
tist. We should not neglect To examine
the circumstances attending the con-
struction of his plays, or the purpose ior
which they were written.
Whether his intent was to give the
world. under cover of such plays, GER
tain philosophical views or theories, or
simply To present thrilling pictures oil
/ life embellIshed with whatever OF phi
Iosophv might De latent or active IN his
mind would require a different analy-
SIS. and would present the plays IN d
different light, in either case.
From our knowledge, though meagre,
of the life OF Shakespeare, We are led to
believe that he vas no slow, iong'Poh-
/ drring philosopher, meditating TOR wears
over original conceptions or historic
theories Of life. but rather one whose
temperament and circumstances com
pelled him to more hurried compositions
than were suitable to the development
of philosophy as such simply. But IN
our poets plays, nevertheless the io-
/ found wisdom that comes of broad IN
telIect rather than of learned and labor;
ed thought, is everywhere apparent, anu
life 50 clothed in its true gsrb and cosors,
mems actions everywhere 50 accurately
referred, each TO its exciting cause IN
passion. hope, desire, love, fear, asplrS-
/ tion or faith,--all elements OF our com
mon nature-that his pictures OF lie,
though their stories are now trite, aP-
peal 10 us with the same force OF truth