Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-11-02
lamcaster F1lteIliQellrer.
WEDNESDAY EVENING, NOV. 2. 1881
TENNYSON'S "DESPAIR."
A New Dramatic Monologuc by the r
Laureate OF England.

A New Dramatic MonoIoGue by the Foet
Laureate OF England.
Alfred Tennyson publishes a dramatic
monologuc. entitled Despair. in the current
number OF the Nineteenth Century, 1t is the
story of q man and his wife, who, having lost
faith in good future lite, resolved to commit
suicide by drowning. The woman is drowned.
but the man is rescued by the minister OF the
sect he has abandoned. OF this work the critic
remarks: Mr.. TcnEyson has never been less
ambiguous, seldom more powerful, never
more weirdly impressive than in this, the
latest fruit OF his genius. Mr.. TennysOn. on
This occasion, cxemplifies without enforcing.
OF, in terms rctTtng the mental misery OF
a man without hope, without belief and with
out the capacity o: enjoying the only life OF
whose existence lie can feel sure. The whole
poem is n dressed by the man snatchcd from
death TO his unwclcOmcd friend in apparent
need. Here and there are intcrspcrsed frag-
mcnts ofsrasmodic rcproach to this ofiicious
intruder. but the greater part monOloguc Is
an explanation OF the sufferers feelings so tar
As they are capable OF analysis" The follow
ing are quotations from this poem
Is il you tina; preached In the chapc! there,
looking over the sand,
Followed US, TOO. that night and dogged ls
and drew Us 10 land:
What did iccl that night: You are curious.
How should tell:
Does ii matter so much whi! felt: lou res
cucd me- yet was ii well
That you came unwished tor. unc.llci tor. be
tween me and the deep and my doom:
Three days since, three more dark days of the
goddess gloom
OF a life without sun, without health, without
hope, without any delight,
Can anything here upon earth but ali: God ::
that night, that night.
When the rolling eyes OF he lighthouse, there
on the fatal neck
OF land running ont into rock they had saved
many hundlcds from wreck,
Glarcd on our way toward death, l remember,
thought as We passed.
Docs il matter how many the saved" We are
all OF u wrecked n last.
DO you frar:-and there came through the
roar OF that breaker II whisper, 4 breath.
Fear: Am not with you. am frightened
AT life not death.
And the suns o; the limi;le-s universe spark
led and shonc in the sky.
Flashing with fires a. OF Go.., bu. ~" know
that their light was Il lie.
Lightly step over th. sands, the waters, yen
hear them cali,
Life with its anguish and sorrow and errors,
away with il all.
And size laid her han.l, in my nwm she was
ALWAYS loyal and swcc.
Till tLc rnirts of thc fo,u in I'm. Iu.k came
playing ar"unu on feet.
There wa. s,ron,, so, curr.,, yull .,.,.n
usc,,,,,h. main
An Cnl,,h,, I f.i, -, .nnt, i MIS- t,,;iuu
ia" maine in vain.
An Z; a, ,n, v-o ,,rn.l +, ,..,ch n,h,.r we
kissed We She and l.
E,oyi,, ,ho low. ,y, u,r.. ,,s.i ln h,liryc
,yrrI,.,iuo wnulI die
~. had read th,ir know uo;L,u, lnnks and
,,, l,,ncI ia ,,,r ,i,rlrr side.
All cni, >houI,i ~, find him n,r,,,us ncr-
,.,,- if w,. ,!i.,: if wc ,iir,.
wrncy,r lind tnuuI h,m on c,r,h hi. ,.r,h
i,.t,;lcr,,.. he'll
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f,rovcll,
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l.r,,
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