The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-11-01
IN. Y. Evening Telegram.l
Tannvson's DESPAIR.

Alfred .Tennyson publishes dramatic
monologue, entitled, "Despair," in the cur
rent number of the Nineteenth Century. It
Is the story of man and his wife, who, having
lost faith in good future life, resolve to COM
init suicide by drowning. The woman is
drowned, but the man is rescued by the minis
Ger Of the sect he has abandoned. OF this
work one critic remarks:-"Mr. Tennyson has
never been less ambiguous, seldom more pow
srful, never more wierdly impressive than in
this, the latest fruit Of his genius Mr.. Tenny-
son on this occasion paints the mental misery
of man without hope, without belief and
without the capacity of enjoying the only life
of whose existence he can feel sure. The
whole poem is addressed by the man snatched
from death TO his unwelcome friend in appar-
ent need, Here and there are interspersed
fragments of spasmodc reproach to this offic-
ious intruder, but the greater part OF tHe mono
logue is an explanation Of the sufferers feel.
ings so far as they are capable OF analysis"
The following are quotations from this
poem
Is it YOU that preached in the chapel there looking
over the eand,
Followed us, too that night and logged us and drew
what did feel that night? You are curious How
Did il matter so much what felf You rescued
me, vet was it well
That YOU came unwished for, uncalled for, between
me and the deep and my dom?
Three days since, three more dark days Of The goc-
Of life without sun, without health. without hope,
without any delight
Can anything here upon earth-Dut an! Goa! lhat
night, that night,
When the rolling eyes of the lighthouse there on
the fatal neck
Of land running out into rock: They had saved many
hundreds from wreck,
GlaIed on our way toward death, remembered, 1
thought as we passed,
Does il matter how many the saved? We are all of
us wrecked at last.
Do you fear?-and there came through the rosr of
the breaker whisper, breath.
Fesr? Am not with you? am frightened at life,
not death.
And the OF the hmltleSS universe spafkled ana
sh1ne in the sky,
their light was a lie.
Lightly step over the sands, the waters, you hear
Life with its anguish and sorrow and errors, away
with it all.
And She laid her hand in my own, she was always
loyal anu sN eet
Til the points of the foam in the dusk came playing
about our feet.
There was strong sea current, would sweep US out
to the main,
All, GodI tho felt as 1 spoke was taking the
name in vain,
All, God! and We turned to each other, We kissed,
weembrsced, she and !,
knowing the love we used 10 believe eYerIast-
ing would die.
We had read their know nothing books and we
leaned to the darker side;
All, Gedl should we find him, perhaps, perhaps, il
we did, if we died,
We never had found him earth; this earth is a
fatherless he'll,
Dear love- forever and ever forever and ever fare
SWELL
Never cry so desolate not since the world began,
Never kiss SO sad, no. not since the coming OF
man;
But the blind wave cast ashore, and you saved
me valueless life;
Not grain of gratitude mine you have parted the
man from the wife.
am left alone the land she is alone on the sea,
II a curse meant aught would curse you for not
having let me be. '
Have l crazed myself over their horrible infde
writings? oh yes
For these the dark ages you see, of the in
idel press.
When the bat comes ut of his cave and the owls
are whooping at noon,
And doubt Is the lord of this dunghH and crows TO
the sun and the moon,
TIL the sun and the moon of signs are both or
them turned into blood
And hope will have broken her heart running after a
ehaQow of good.
For their knowing and know nothing books are
scattered from hand to hand,
We have knelt in your know all chapel. too, looking
over the sand.
Ahi yet have had some thinner at times in my
gloomiest woe,
Ofs God behind ALL after all-the great God for
aught that know.
But the God of love and of hell, together they can
not be thought.
If there be such God may the great God curse him
and bring him to nought.