The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1889-08-10


Notwithstanding the beauty and simplicity
of this poem, the poet was obliged to wait
for reputation till he had written II poem
today scarcely Ineligible in all its parts to
many Of his admirers who have long been ia
miliar with il. But it at once gained Tenny-
son recognition as IA poet There are many
elements in it to accomplish such result.
Whatever he touched he TRANSPORTED Who
but Tennvson could describe n vision Of ay-
ing machines in such beautiful language as
this:
For dipt into the nznaA far as human eye could
see,
Saw the vision Of the world and all the wonder
that would be.
Saw the heavens I'll with commerce, argoses Of
magic sails
Pilots Of the purple twilight, dropping down with
costly vcils
Heard the heavens fill with shouting, and there
rained CHASTITY dew
From the nations airy navies graphing in the
central blue
wind rushing warm,
with the standards Of the peoples plnnging
through the thunder storm.
All this, stated in common parlance, means
that the poet looked forward TO u time when
naval fights might take place among the
clouds But those articles, SO tresome to
many who vainly endeavor TO understand
their mechaniNn--modcrn flying machines
are made poetic under the name of largo
sies Of magic sails, and there Is something
splendid in ''the standards Of the peoples
plunging through the thunder storm"
Tho fealiup md mission ayprVwhara trcy.
ent through tho poem are accounted for in
the fact that Tennyson was telling his own
story. When ho was n promising young
poet crowned with Oxfords academic laures
he wooed his first cousin, the story OF which
wooipg he afterwards wove into beautiful
verse and gave to the world. Another sutton,
tho wealthy heir 10 the earldom Of Boyne,
however appeared on the scene and the fair
Amy, afterwards 80 literally adjccti> ed US
false and servile," became a peeress.
Lord Boyne, who is the owner of large es-
tates and valuable coal mines in the county
Of Durham, the heart Of the northern coal
fields of England, freely extended his hospi-
talty to the brides cousin at Brancepeth
castle, "A modern but imposing mansion. The
poet repaid the kindness by satirizing the
good aatured peer, his brand new title and
his recently acquired wealth most mercilessly
in Maud and "Locksley Hail. Indepepd
ent Of his wife's very natural indignation,
Lord Boyne was not grutifled to find his
beautiful home described by recent guest
Ms a 'gewgaw' castle, or at having the world
Informed in verse, however harmonious, that
his wealth had come from the sweat of mi.
ners; neither did he enjoy the thought that
the tongues of the world were wagging over
the story of his money having bought him
wife who preferred another lover
In the year 1859 Tennyson was married 10
Miss Emily Sellwood, and in tho same year
succeeded Wordsworth as poet laureate
and he produced on the day Of the flu
neral Of the Duke Of Wellington, in No
vember, 1852, his immortal Ode The
Crimean war exerted depressing effect on
the sensitive genius, during which time
Maud" appeared After n silence of sew
eral years the first series of "Idylls of the
King" embracing four stories in blank verse
drawn from the Arthurian legends, restored
the poets waning popularity, and was gen
orally accepted as his greatest poetical effort,
a verdict confirmed ten years later, when the
cycle was completed by the publication of
1.-THE Holy Grail and Other Poems" QSG9 In
the interval between the publication of the
second parts Of his ''Idylls" Tepryson had
issued "Enoch Arden" 1864. He has since
then published THE Widow, or the Songs
of the Wrens" nsT0, Queen Mary"
drama 1879, and in 1877 another drama
called Harold"
The poet is, in some respects, like the mu-
tician, vino depends upon his voice. Age in
terferes with both. To hear one who has
moved vast audiences with An exuusite voice
come upon the stage TO make notes which
rival those made on a cracked tea kettle with
poker, is doubly painful from the remem-
brance Of better days To read the verses Of