The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-04-16
A DELIGHTFUL CHALK-TALK.
w. NJ. r. French's Lecture on the Wit and
Wisdom Of the ~Crayon-Poe's Raven.

Wisdom Of the Crayon-Poe's Raven.
The closing lecture OF the Plymouth Church
| course was given last night by w. M. r. French,
of Chicago, the well known chalk artist, always
a favorite here as elsewhere. There was a large
au~dience-large in spite Of the dismally wet
weather-and those who came were well paid for
their attendance. Mr.. French's subject was the
wit and Wisdom of the Crayon," showing the
a~nalogies between composition in literature and
art. In illustration of his theme the lecturer
used colored crayons on gray paper, showing
thirty or more subjects, the sheets upon which
the sketches are made being three and a half
feet wide by Eve feet long.
He said that the subject of art comprehended
the whole field Of picture making and decora-
ton, but that for the evening he would choose
a study of the common principles of art and
literature. AS the essayist frames an outline for
his article, so the artist blocks out his picture in
general lines and broad shadows. This the lee
turer illustrated by profile sketches of the heads
of a man, a lion, a girls head and a bunch Of
| grapes, the last as large as the vineyard trophy
brought back by Caleb and Joshua from the
land of Eschol He said that a minister talks of
Tie SKELETON OF a sermon, speaking uSuf-
atively, but the artist uses the literal skel-
eton. II the latter wishes to draw
a figure striking a blow he, perhaps, las
Mr.. French did in illustrationl sketches the bones
in the required position, and then fills them
out with flesh, afterwards clothing and embel-
fishing his figure. This developed into a fight
ing rough, with the accessions of a club, bottle
and bulldog, a process analogous to the literary
method.
Following this, Mr.. French did a number of
clever things-one them showing the effects of
intelligent application of the principles of pro-
portion, Transforming the stalwart figure of a
base ball professional to that of a child, by
changing the size of the head. He gave as an
illustration of arrangement In pyramidal co mpo-
sition, an imitation of Landseers picture, the
People of the Mist" a group Of deer
so standing as to naturally form a pyramid. He
also, after showing a small copy of the well-known
as he does all his work, with wonderful rapidity
and with a singular effectiveness, for the purpose
OF showing analytically the several laws OF art
he has been intoxicating, the audience here, as
in other places in the performance, warmly ap-
p~lauding the skill and facility Of the artist
After analyzing this picture, and, as carrying
out his idea of analogy between composition in
literature and in art, he said: "A poet OF the
last generation analysed his most important
poem in much the same way in which l have
dissected Stanfield's excellent picture. Edgar A.
Poe has described how he wrote 1.-THE Raven.
Poe set himself. he said, to the composition of a
poem which should make itself acceptable to the
public. Rejecting upon the desirable length for
a popular poem, b decided that about 100 lines
was as much as would be read at one sitting,
which was necessary for unity and effect. The
poem is accordingly 108 lines long. That was
the size of his canvas. Seeking next the most
pleasing and effective artistic element he fixed
upon beauty as the theme, the motive of the
work; and for an interesting tone the expression
Of sadness, a natural sadness from the lips of the
lover Of beauty: So much being determined, he
~piquancy which should give character to
the projected poem, and the refrain
80 universally employed occurred to him. Here
we have plainly enough our principles of repeti-
long 0 sound is manifestly the most favorable,
especially where combined with the letter r, and
the word more cannot fail to suggest itself
and in accordance with the melancholy charac-
ter of the poem the word 'nevermore.' This
word repeated over and over by o human being
would be ridiculous. and so the idea first oc-
CURED of putting it into the mouth of a parrot,
but that was Immediately replaced by a raven,
as better for a local color-a bird of somber plu-
mage best according with the picture. This
also secured variety by using it as a response to
questions of differen. import, the melancholy
lover putting questions, and then startled out of
his reverie by the reiterated 'nevermore,' to in
tensify the questions, until spurred by a human
passion for self-torture, and interrupting the
unvarying response. he makes that demand OF
extreme import whether he shall be reunited in
the better land to his lost Lenore.
Prophet. said ], thing of evil, prophet still if bird
or devil,
BY that heaven that bends above us, by that Gtd we
both adore
Tell this soul that. sorrow-laden, if within the distant
Alden
It shall clasp the sainted maiden, whom the angels
call Lenore-
Clasp the rare and radiant maiden, whom the angels
nam Lenoreg'
Quoth the raven, 'Nevermore."
The poet assures us that if he had been able
to write a stronger verse than this he would not
have done it. lest he should impair the artistic
effectiveness, and it was at this point that he
actually began the poem, the first stanza written
| begging the third from the last. What is this but
the artists law of principalityf 1t is like the
main feature in the picture, the White Tower,
in the poem, and you see bow the fact has
sought variety, contrast and interchange. There
is hardly one Of the laws of artistic composition,
unless it be such physical matters as curvature
and radiation, which we do not recognize at
once in the corresponding laws of poetic compo-
sition. l would not press the analogy to the de-
gree of fancifulness only SO far as to show how
| the same kind Of deliberate composition is
practiced, both in art and in poetry.
Yesterday afternoon Mr.. French gave an en-
tertainment to the school children, consisting of
sketches of animals, etc, with comments upon
them, and afterwards with a series of illustra-
tons of Robert Browning's pied Piper of Hame-
lin" accompanied by a repetition of the amusing
poem. While the afternoon entertainment was
highly relished by the children. it was of a char
| acter not often given by the lecturer, Mr..
French's mission being to deliver serious lectures
upon fine art, using sketches to popularize his de-
liverances.
Patrolman Meeks Requested to Resign.
The trial of Patrolman Meeks, charged by
Robert Douglass with drunkenness and conduct
u~nbecoming of an officer, was held last night in