The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1890-09-04
The Poetry of Life.

exclaim, as they glance at the caption of
this article. what! poetry of life in prison?
All the poetry of our life has long since
vanished; there is nothing left us but prose
of the most painful and persistent char
acter!' All! so thought Dante. who. when
penning his inimitable ''Divina Comedia"
within his gloomy cell, suggested the plac
ing of the memorable inscription. He who
enters here leaves hope behind" over the
gates of his prison. y So have thought. and
with ample reason, the tens of thousands
of unfOrtunates-manyo of them innocent
who have lived and died within the narrow
boundaries of their iron bound fOrtreSseS on
this great continent of the west. But,
though secluded from the outside world, de-
prived of liberty, and precluded from COM
municatiOn with those near and dear to
them, they may be immured in their cold.
dark dungeOns-prisOn bars and chains are
powerless to fetter the soul, or extinguish
that spark of hope and those aspirations for
the future which throw an occasional CLEAN
of light even in those homes when the night
seems darkest. and the prospect of liberty
the most remote and unlikely. Yes, there
look for it.
There are various descriptions of poetry,
all of which. at one time or another, form
part of our life experience. Who cannot
on reviewing his past experience. find trac-
ings OF comedy, tragedy, farce. burlesque-
aye, and blank verSe-verSe of the blankeSt
and glOOmiest character, in his lfe's history
and all these are reproduced, time and
again. in the experience of the prison COM
munity. We cannot reasonably expect to
dance through life to the tripping measure
of the 'Lancers," or the noisy jOllity of a
''Virginia breakdown" There must be a
time when the sad melody of 1.-The Heart
Bowed Down." or the solemn measures of
the Funeral March" can alone give utter
ance to our OverwrOught feelings. Then,
again. the hopeful. cheering strains of
Life Let us Cherish" or THE Silver Lin
ing Behind the Cloud" dispel our gloomy
anticipatlOns and brOOding fears. at times
when the waves of trouble and adversely
assume the most threatening aspect.
If our lives. from the cradle to the grave,
presented a mOnOtOnOus uniformity, whether
of pleasure or pain, of work or play, of
prosperity or adversely, it would be scarcely
endurable, and we should soon find that
Life was not worth living" The old
maxim Variety is the spice of life," is so
palpably true that it defes contradiction or
question. Underwriting uniformity would
be the death-knell of happiness. II there
were no variation in the atmosphere; if the
face of the earth were one fiat undertaking
surface; If there were no rapids or water
falls, storms or calmS succeeding one an
other in the world of waters; if vegetation
and animal life presented no variety-man
would cease to exist. and fervently pray
for death. The great scheme of creation
has one essential and abiding principle
variety. by which the wants and wishes of
every individual (within reasonable lmits)
may be satisfied.
Yes. even prison life has it's poetry. it's
harmonious varieties and compensations.
Our melancholy monodies of disappont-
ments. of mistaken steps. of frustrated
hopes. and unforeseen or unavoidable calam-
tiles, are lightened and illumined by the
opportunities afforded by our temporary
secluSiOn for advancement in knowledge,
and educational and technical requirements.
Like the EOlian harp, as its strings are
swept by the passing breeze, the very winds
which threatened to wreck us, sing us
song OF hope and joy in the future. Again,
when we are tempted to sink in hopeless
despair in the contemplation of our own
troubles; our feeble efforts to sympathize
with and cheer our brethren in misfortune
watt to our own minds an atmosphere of
peace, thankfulness and hopeful anticipa-
tion. dispensing the clouds of discomfort
and sorrow which have so long hung around
us. Then. when we glance at the causes
which have brought us behind the bars. F."
and contemplate the fact that, had we not
been too erratic, too yielding, too reckless.
too wavering, too thOughtless. too reliant
on the advice or representations of others
we put our feet firmly down; and with a
determination to ignore and live down the
miserable past. we brace ourselves up. col
lect our scattered and enfeebled energies