Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-11-14
Plants in Literature and Superstition.

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The earliest folklore OF India de-
scrlbed a tree whose fruit eaten by the
birds made them immortal, in such q
manner as to suggest the tree of life,
which with us has become q household
word. Nor hern mythology had a tree
which was wide as the universe. The
gods met under its shadow. and guard
ians, which typiiied past, present and
future, protected the sacred growth.
When the sacredness Of The tree was so
early an article OF religious faith we
can no 'onger wonder at the rcverential
feelings the Druids had for the oak
trees:nor that Bryant should have been
inspired to write that great invocation
which begins:
The groves were Gods first temples"
Stvd of that poem might add breadth
to the character OF even q profession
naturalist. 1t could hardly fail 10
warm n neg ected side of Ii S nature
the emotional. Pocteal illusions to
liant life are not all weakened by the
cense OF ~inaccuracy. Tennyson ''In
y emoriam" contains in that address to
the Iew tree, which begins, cold
warder OF these buried bones" three
clear statements Of scientific facts, that
is, one in each third line of each stan a.
Ut these the second one is a distinct
state nj Of the doctrine of cross-fer-
tilization.
"rvangeline" contains at least one
hundred and fifty illusions 10 plant
life. And the scene in the Bayou of
laqucmine, even if it lacks the ac-
curacy of science, is nevertheless an
elective picture of the dreary surround
ings. His "Sea Weed" is exquisite in
measure and euphony:
when dcsccnds on the Atlantic
The gigantic
~Storln-wind of the Equinox,
Landward il his wrath he scourgcs
The tOlling SurgeS,
Laden with seawecd from the rocks"
LIS Hunts "Chorus of Flowers is
philosophy as we'll as poetry. The
same might be said of Burns "Address
TO the Danny" LowelTs verses on the
dandelion give a complete picture of
chlld-iife in spring. Tom Hoods
poem, ''flowers, contains illusions to
nearly every human trait. Read Bay
ard laylor's lines on the '.Palm..'
where, after his sweetheart and his
horse, the Arab says:
Next to ye both, / love the Palm,
With his leaves OF beauty, his fruit of balm:
Next To We both, / love the tree,
Whose tiNttering shadow wraps us three
With love, and silence, and mystery"
The last stanza of Fcnner's "Gulf
Weed appeals to every human heart
aud 10 every restless mind that seeks y
wider sphere.
Burns petition of Bruar Water"
in charming measure. explains the C.
lation between shaue of the trees I'D
the consery alton OF rainfall. So, toe,
does his poem on .!ohn Barleycorn tell
the tale of The human fail as reached
through y deluge OF Scotch whisky,
while James Smith uses the tabled
upas to illustrate the gin curse Of En-.
gland.
"..Brittania this Upas Tree boughtof Myr,heer
Removed il through Holland and painted i:
here;
lis now a stock plant Of the genus wolff
t4nc,
And one OF them blossoms in Marybone lane"
1t is somewhat remarkable in all that
Shakespeare has written, how lew arc
his illusions 10 plant lie. True, there
are many OF them, and always wonder
III ~ torcibls; out, a compared with
Bryant. they arc not common.
BE seldom, appeared 10 need them
for his " ideas, but used the plants
more when lie touched on the opinions
and superst lions of others. ''Macbclh''
conta rs somc OF his choicest alllsions.
Root OF hcmlo X, slips OF yew amt bir-
nam wood, all are pungcnt with mean
ing. So, 100, is the phrase, '''tis in
his buttons" in the "A.erry Wives OF
Nindsor.'
The midsummer Nights Dream" IN
II sense hinges OF tic relative strength,
OF supernatural force residing in the
pansy and III the bud OF Angus f, astus
-l'ol. hcAhrofki, tauwaouaA Park Lee
tGF.a.