The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1889-06-26
Our &ups ann Girls.
The Scribe's Report.

come, but some one who knows the Hill I
Country and is still loyal to it, though
so far away; else how could she
know what we are doing among
the hills? We are glad that ecu
nice" had the patience to knock
a second time for admission to our
number, although sorry that the answers
she sent before, to the questions of May
l, have not reached us. Uncle Sam
must have been mapping that week, for
it was then that no answers came in
season for use. While we gladly well
come each new member, we do not
want any of our earlier members to
cease their contributions; for we cher.
ish with special gratitude the names of
those who came forward so promptly at
the outset and bore so large part of
the burden of initiating this new
scheme of study. Let us hear, at least
occasionally, from every one of you,
and remember that suggestions are
always in order, as well as questions
and answers.
The following general view of
Shakespeare's works, contributed by
B. II. A." will serve to prepare the
way for a more particular notice of
some of them: There were four dis
tinct periods in Shakespeare's life be-
tween 1888 and 1912. In the Work
shop light comedies, histories and
one tragedy. In the World his
torical poems and bitter and boisterous
comedies. Out of the Depths Sc
rious comedies and great tragedies.
Con the Heights all plays produced
after the beginning of the seventeenth
century. We find 154 sonnets, perfect
gems of verse, filled with sweetness
and pathos. They are pure poetry,
and attest to the universal genius of
Shakespeare as forcibly as his greatest
plays. Their theme is love. OF the
time of composition little is really
known, most of the evidence being OBJ
tanned from the sonnets themselves.
1t is probable, however, that the pc
Rod of composition extended over
three years, and seems to lie some
where between 1895 and 1905. Three
narrative poems, somewhat inferior,
on classical subjects, thirty-seven
plays, of which two or three are doubt
full and others bear internal evidence
of having been touched by some other
hand, constitute his works. These
divisions of Shakespeare's work must
be studied separately and together to
be fully understood. Some of the SON.
nets are sad and serious, like Hamlet,
and others boisterous, like King Lear
and Merry Wives of Windsor, while
others closely resemble Romeo and
Juliet. His works are all intimately
related, and should be carefully studied
if one wishes to become familiar with
the most versatile mind of all ages.
Shakespeare says much about himself
in his plays, and to those who deny
that he had education sufficient to
write such marvellous plays l would
say, Study his Education of Genius,
as set forth in Henry ", scene one
His social relations are pictured in the
first part of Henry w., scene two, and
his chummy' relations in King Lear
The transition from the boisterous
comedies to such tragedies as Hamlet
Macbeth and Othello, and again tC
such beautiful compositions as The
Tempest and A Midsummer Night't
Dream is beyond the comprehension o
ordinary minds. 1 would recommend
that each one read Shakespeare thor
oughly. 1t is stimulant to the actor
of the intellect, and will aid one in tn,
use of language far more than slang,
novels.n
Responses have been received to TIL
topics of May 20 from Cousin Polly,
"B. II. A." Peach-blow AM
Eunice." Ten of the dramatic work
of Shakespeare were asked for, and tn
following list contains all those men
toned, some of the plays having BEEF
ny tdCL VI lnc
Macbeth, Merchant of Venice, OthellC
Julius Cesar, Romeo and Juliet, !
Midsummer Nights Dream, The Temp
est, King John, AS You Like 1t, All
Well that Ends Well, King Henry VIII
Tanning of the Shrew, King Leaf
Loves Labor Lost, Measure for Meas
ure, Antony and Cleopatra, Richar
Ill, Merry Wives of Windsor, Coined
of Errors, Much Ado about Nothin!
These, together with his other hi
torical plays, include all his mo-
important works-those which ever
one is expected to know about, {
at least to recognize as being Shak
speare's.
We will give in the same wav II