The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1883-06-20
WM. J. SLATE

WM. J. SLATER
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But for physical suffering We would
have attended MI the exercises Of the
two splendid schools in our town which
have just now closcd-but to open, we
hope, with increased patronage in the
Fall. So crowded vas the large audi.
forum Of the Normal on the morning OF
it, first days exercises that wc could
not procure scat nor did our physical
condition warrant an effort for one. Al
the Mary Sharp We ~ero able to spend
nearly one hour, during which time
Prof. Blclsoe had his class in English
Literature before the audience. The
poets were under consideration, and our
own American poet, William Cullen
Bryant, Consumed very nearly all the
time, in which was accorded to him the
need Of praise as the most picturesque
poe. America has produced. Even his
+ private life, habits, &c went under the
scalpel Of criticism, to the extent Of
bringing forth from persons in the au-
dicnce many Irrelevant questions, as ace
thought ia fact, 1t seemed, sometimes,
10 If the discussion would evolve into Il
biography Of the individual rather than
test of the merit Of his p0cnls. But We
\ arc not aware if the browning glory Of
Il Bryanl's valuable life was brought up.
4 We mean his translation Of the "lliad.
I. In this Mr.. Bryant succeeded, to the
satisfaction Of the scholar and the de-
4 light Of the general mass of readers, in
which last body we cnsconcc oursclf
/. 1t has been said that Il man who at
4 tcmpts TO translate the Had is, meta
\ phorcalIy, almost in the condition Of
i those who attempted to guess the riddle
n Of the Sphinx, or the adventurous per
son in the Arabian Nights who under
/. took to cure the fair princess stricken
with some mysterious malady. "Failurc
is utter condcmnaiion-c condemnation
unpiIicd, because no one is compelled 10
make the experiment and run the risk.
Bat the risk was far more serious TO
William Cullen Bryant than to an oh.
scure man, because so much was expect
ed OF him IL was great labor, but hc
(. conquered. IL is said to be the only
rendering Of Homer into English which
t'lhis generation can accept. But we
have not read ii. We have read
Popc's, We base our remarks upon the
Criticisms Of those who are judges. Lord
Derby's translation is sulrusel every
where with the light of n genuine schol- |
rarship, but is still inferior to Bryants.
N overcoming Derby, Bryant ovcrcame
MS only rival. lie discarded rhyme
md gave us sense instead.
N Byron was discussed II little. Ah!I
he world has never given us more cl.
iiquent poet, and scarcely more pie.
mcS2"c one. Leave out his foiblcs, his
a norbldness, his unhappy domestic rela-
ions, his uJnstly,provokcd anger and
lhdgc him by his poetry, and VIC say he
as the greatest poet ever born, and
rom the moment he commenced his
a,irc-"EngIish Bards and Scotch Re. Fl
LEVERS, he never wrote thing that t.
|. nes not deserve to live forever, us j, Il
i'l' MS long as language lasts. u
ANA Bnrns-Scotia's sweet Bard ',
as not mentioned. Talk Of nat,,ral NJ
ipetS-herc is one. As lyric poet, as "
natural one, he stands upon the apey. ci
\ urns did not go out into the woods to Pr
flll Il flower and then bring it home TO :
lRll over it. lie was not mechanical
\ ,e was true to naierc. He turned up
mouse while plowng; Or watched the L
.fcumlocutions Of q louise on fdgeiy
}nng lady's bonnet in church, and i'm CO
edIately n poem with a moral was in {:
! great brain. Love, Patriotism aud 20
easare made the trinity ofour dearly ty
Jed flvorte poet. If Prof Bledsoc M
d, unfortunately, called upon US for en-
opinion we fear VIC should have for VI,
Eten the Subject theme" and talked M,
ogether Of "Bobbic Burns"