The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1879-05-17
POETRY AND MARRIED LIFE.

its tormcntS and delights. is the iaVoritc
theme of poets and novcli,,,s They, ore
and all. select the love Of courtShip for
their subject. and reject that of MAJ riaGe.
This ut least is the general custom. and
the exceptions are few enough To make
them notable Welded love has been
neglected, as if it furnished no material
for poetry and imagination. while the
short and tevcriSh period Immediately
preceding it has been seized upon as if
containing within its brief limits all the
elements that go to make up the richness
and fulIneSS and completeness of that
beautiful and poetical part of human life
which We call love. Even the exceptions
to this show to a great degree the same
sentiment Many Of those writer's who
venture beyond the wedding day. do SO.
not to depict the purity and bliss of do
mcstic life. but rather to seize upon the
cancers that corrupt it. and spread them
out to the public gaze. Much of the
French and other literature of the day is
of this character, and. under the guise of
poetry and narrative, administers the POI
son that drfamcs that most holy of Sacr;i-
meutS. Comic writer's ahd >atirists too
frequently exhaust their stock of wit and
ridicule i'll painting the vice and miScries
and even seize upon the petty details of
seltiShness temper and a host of minor
veXations that blur the fairness of welded
life, not to guard their readers against
them. but to raise u scornful laugh ut the
expense of matrimony itself.
1t may be urged in excuse Of this one
sided representation, that the period of
court>hip supplies whole or entire pic
turc which poetical OF dramatic writing
requires. There is Il beginning. more or
less strongly marked. 4 progress always
exciting and varied. and consummatioH
when the two lovers are firmly united be
yond the reach of intcrtt ring friends or
untoWaTd circumstances. The incidents.
the surprises. the trials. the obstacles.
the victories ordefCatS and, still more. the
ardent and passionate feelings which run
through the whole, giving it Il well-deiin-
cd and individual existence, with a Separ-
ate vitality Of its OWL make Il most con-
genial and attractive field for the poet and
novelist. and afford a pleasing excitement
to the general reader. Imagination is SO
rarely free and vigorous i'll the average
mind that it is not strange that writer's
should make appeals to emotions that
must. at some time. have sound vent i'll
actual life and need only vivid reprcsen
tation to rc-awallcn them.
Yet. making all due allowance for
these elements. SO tempting to the writer,
III early love. which are not to be found
in marriage. it remains true. that by con-
filming their powers to SO limited Il range
OF human experience. and striking only
one chord of feeling. over and over again.
they lose some of the richest and most
ennobling portions of life 5 true poetry
and even romance. If their object is
merely to please and amuse their readers.
without making any demands upon their
mental powers, if they have no desire to
strengthen their minds or elevate their
characters. they will. Of course, only ring
changes upon the same old tune. Poetry.
however has higher function than thu.
Its elements exist i'll every heartbeat of
human life. and the love that is only a
vivid and fragrant blossom in the hearts
of young lovers. is capable of attaining
Il richness ofilowcr and aripeness OF fruit
in welded life that few il any of our
poets and romanceis have yet tathomed.
1t is true that it would require greater
knowledge of human nature. quicker in
sight, and Il deeper philosophy of life to
represent in plcaSin. and glowing coloIs
this later phrase of human emotion. The
poet who should attempt it must do with
out that fcvcri>l excitement and breath
less suspense which is the easy charm of
young love. lie must study the effects
of mutual influence. just As the chemist
studies the results Of mingled elements:
he must bring subtle, imagination and del
icate Scnsbility to bear upon the united
hearts he would portray: he must depict
the mutual influences of fortune and
character the effects of adversely sweet
ened by love. and prosperity poisoned by
scltsIness. Ii such be his aim and effort
he will not lack for incident: married life
is full Of illustrations. and he who would
faithfully portray character under vicis-
STUDIES could not find more fruitful
field.
There are those who contend that the
romance of life ends with marriage. All
the bli>Slul Illusions Of young love, they
say, are gradually diSpelled by the hard
and Hat routine Of proSaic and practical
life. Certainly, if love be an illusion.
marriage will destroy it. Those who i'm
agne that life il to be hereafter a para
disc OF bliss. where Seii-denal and self
control are needless, where trouble and
pain cannot enter, and where the only
duty OF life is to enjoy what has not been
earned. will certainly become diSenchant-
ed by marriage as by any other actual
experience. All that is really illuSory
will be ,lispelled But that marriage is
t. take away aspiration, hope. dclicacy.
OF anything that helps to form the poetry
Of life-that it is to diminish or degrade
the love that has led to it. and put into
its place Il prosaic respectabi!ity, station
in life. money mailing and fashions ali
idea that deserves no liberation. If this
were true, then, indeed, would welded
life be thing too mean and Sordid for
high poetry or for pure romance. That
there are men and women who do thus
pcryert TIE meaning of marriage is sor-
rowfill fact. but it is owing. not to the i'll
Stitution. but to their mistaken views of
life and its aims. Ii is not marriage. but
the mockery of marriage. that brings such
disaster to the pnreNt and best parts of
our nature. The tlue>t elements of 70
nance exist wherever generous devotion.
brave cndeavor and steadfast love inspire
the heart and 20 situation in life is bet
for ,.n len lated tb ,rNptnp these ana liti, =