Telegram-herald., 1888-02-14
ABOUT SHAKESPEARE
IA Admire ~ taz s2rs ~ Aso@ f1zs =
tsas@tsx t4issa~ - ass A3ss4szs
- Bsassastist aad - Lls-
tsasa ta - sEi AyPrs-
e1A1sss Asa escs.

A4FA lE4pSl iast sFeai1<. Tie -si1Iset -
ias saakespeare - a Dramsfis aud tie
lecture seiag the third Is . series 0f Twelve.
CIV talki1s tltro4lcfo t-s spezzfE
Hnh a 80 humorous realzFSz- ~. 5Esg-
hsm spsxs ~ laslaali li4ily a. follows.
lsu So ss0a lsTs lie pie4saae Of hst-
enfnz ~ q lscilrs Ga -'s3az espsars ss =
llHzsH to-nislg "a Eoslz Attention to
= skorl aFtscle On 'caakszgsare ~ Dra4-
zhsf
That Ne nay proceed 4ith a fa.i under
standing u NhAG tAAE sa1jsel iaciules. il
nag os sell ~ tie - Lsst - pat and decide
ta< questsoa, " aat = a drsmatists First,
ant laosg important oi al. he is . poet.
Whether hs writes IN blank OF rhyme. the
draln2lisL sill lave Iausie IA bis soul, the
u4asic 0f numbers. here may oe Jars aut
ciscords IN his creaL0asa yes. lhers slll he
Il he iaabfully depicts the life Of human
nature eai running through al these
breaches IN ths melody, se shall
hear The soothing rhythm OF the
bard gradually gaining pace. until
Al ths climax 0f kis art be bursts
forth in jabliant harmony. yindicst0ry Of
the ultimate true beautiful and good. II
there De any so-cailsd poet who has failed
30 SEE this ruth. or. seelag. hss Hot mad4 It
the motive power ot his writings, thereSy
impress-ng i apoB The minds OF his Fsad-
srs, ns has wandered from the path. and.
whatever his natarai gifts. las ceased to os
a pceg. A pessinlist may become = verse
m0ager, a poet IS always an optimIs..
Peer nz through aud beyond ali incidental
e0nnict, he knows il is bat incident4l. ree-
ogaizing in ORDER ssd harmony the frst
az 81 nature ne e 5 who listens 70 the
music Of tie spheres aud The stars watch
sing together ii their course. This sen
sitiye soui. thee welded 10 law and biased
tossrI tie right. IS The poetic germ, from
this origin Is evolved the sOng, which h0ws
gracefully along. modified and bounded By
The thought, observation and excefience ot
the poets selL
Shakespeare was poet-a true poet IN
deed we are forced 10 yield him tribute OF
possessing a poetic soul second 10 none,
and from the evidence Of his writings alone.
For. Notwithstanding occasional shocks TO
our modesty. AMI the fact OF much openly
SCI down ia the lines, added TO what a care
tai student NAV often read between the
lines Notwithstanding he shus lets Us into
the secret that be is possessed of knowledge,
the quiBtessence Of vice, chaos and an
archy,l 10 Is neyerthsiess impossible, after
careful aud candid delioeraIlCn. TO put
down the book and not say the good, beau
ti.ul and true prevails. This was the post's
own conviction OF things. it lies there in
dslibly iuprinteo on ais work.
Milton, Virgil and Dante were nurseiings
0f culture and vlrgu0us refinement; but
here IS one OF the crowd, meanly bred. run
ming about with 3 de>pissn set Of actors,
stealing audience in bans and by-ways in
fiuenesd b. ooyerty. and tempted by nobil
ify 10 prostitute uis merit seeing the worst
Of life on one hand and on the oiner most
seductive offers, anu yet maintaining tae
while So much OF manly dignity and clean
e he. of -
sOug whose sony Is ever onward and up
aarj An inspiring word for all, whether
IA prosperity or adversely: no King so
misnlly enthroae1 be shall not be prlcked
70 .et the bad blood out; no person so hum
BE or Dssotiei be Is not cheered oy being
told what comfort and virtue he still owns.
II IS marvellous. The decisions of three cell
turies of thinking men the world over re-
peat the verdict, Marvellous"
As was before casually noticed, poetry
NAV be stt down in either rhyming verses
or blank verse. Many authors make Use of
both stvies. Shakespeare did 80 10 the full
est extent. In earlier wears he was much
ggen 10 rhymes. this wa. his period of
comedy and there undoubtedly is in the
pDgle Of repeated rhyme an air Of levity
and light grace consonant with mirth and
humcr. Ills buoysnt spirits now and then
ran riot with the muse.
IRLer n lie NAen DIS genius tCOk
more sober face through he tragic passions
Of humanity. he dropped for The most part
couplels and quRrtrsins a. unable TO stand
the brunt of the stern battle for existence.
JiDglings and lrinkets, and gewgaws for
the amusement of those whose only aim
was the pleasant killing OF time; bat in the
mimic field where life and death wrestied
momentarily" for their hero. sternsr meas
ures and more ponderous feet became nee
sssary. Consequently, in. tragedy. be left
rhyme usually IN reserve. calling its aid
sparingly IN ranks of iwos or fo..ss when
ever he might wish TO call attention 10 some
particular point, or put artistic finish 10 .
grand climax.
As fnr the different varieties of verse, De
used them all each and every one 10 meet
the demands Of his theme. No SYLLABLE
vas 50 short ana suotle as to elude detec-
ton. no foot 80 STUD. twisted or obstinate il
could nos BE- brought into line. Aph-
.sresis syncope, apOcOpe proved that ex-
pressed thought was rnsllesble. ElisiOn put
and undesirable companion out ofcOmpany.
Compound imperatives brought in most
welc0ms and eloquent guests. In 8 word,
he was = complete artificsr of verse. Like
ali greatness. he has left hurried and indif
fersnt vorx so also models of beauty and
perfection beyond comparison. Thus We
see what in Hnsb we knew before, tbst
Shakespeare was = poet. one Of true riDg
working from right incentive towards the
destined snd Ct nature. with the hsndicrAlt
OF nsturs completely under control
Shakespeare was a poet, dramatic poet
the world says. ss If TO define and circum-
scribe bis powers. 50 we must follow in
the scho. dramatic poet" because men
are Judged by the reflection OF their highest
gsnlus-with much justice. too. II may De
admitted AFR all
Retoricisns rel-gats poets to ;brse broad
classes Epic or heroic, lyric aud drsmatic.
Let as in passing dance a. these other fields
II achievement 20 see II they in saY way
concern our present subject To spes <
abruptly no sin-ie name stands pre-emi-
nent in all these excslleoces, although sew
ersl bsvs cultivated two branches vito sue
cess. Milton. in an especial degree, for
While his is the honor Of producing the
standard Eaglsh epic, Paradise Lost. ne
s.so bsqueathed a. several lYrics which. in
/ csssiC style and elegant dictiOn, srs gns1r-
passed. refer to / Allegro. IL Pensereso,
I ycidas and Hgpan on the Nativity. Once
/ Ia Cossm and again more PAL psbiy in sam
sen Asonistes be attempted 70 fosi dra-
msfic osrk Tas shipmsstsr vas clever
I but unsbs 90 divorce himself from
/ the quality az his timber. He pus-
/ Eshed q thespisn christssinz. bat
evsry ri that sprung iroHl her xsei
vas string Of thar Tyre whsse ionss be
had INVOKED one handFed times before.
I The ensign f0sls& n the old heroic eie-
nsnfs To svoii further diEr-ssion, sa1
nos % wound fbe Feelings u snv hero
7 worshippers Of the Puritan pstrarch-pon
der \ moment vhethsr Shakespeare
+ iii nor resch as aear a. snT TO universe +
itv Trn~. none ~ his lexz-ies are epic IN