The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-03-29

Among the happieSt tributes ever paid by
one son of song ID another was that bestowed
on Wordsworth by Matthew Arnold, IN the
memorable lines whore he says OF him
He was priest TO rs all
or the wonder and bloom OF the world.
Which we saw with his eyes eyes and were glad
And truly this is not only happyas an ascrip-
ton of homage 10 the individual poet. but, as
description. il Is the most fcllcitous we
know. Of what constitutes. IN the true sense,
the poet by pre-emncnce. II is a crystalzlng
in words Of the supreme quality distinguish
ing the "DiiAlajOres' of the lyre-th that quality.
without which other endowments. such ~
wealth Of fresh imagery, music Of expression.
and power 20 seize and portray characters and
feelings although most precious as auXlharies.
will yet fail. apart from divine gift, 20 reach
the true aureOle of the Muse In the case Of
the great Pan Of the Lakes II was this power.
frequently yet only ftfully manifested even
by him. of what we are inclined 10 call Or
phic song" that has made then of Words
worth the greatest IN English literature since
Milton and one Of the Three Mlghtles
in the field Of English as distinguished from
Scottish poetry. IN conversation on one oc-
casOn with N. Crabb Robinson. Wordsworth
came nearest TO q revelation Of the secret of
this mystic pOwer-thc occasion, namely.
when he let fall the observation rs 10 how
common things can be glorihed, IN the
object with that nfnltv without which there
is no poetry" This. when interpreted, must
mean that only when an object Is linked on
to. and lii up in the light Of. the infinite and
the eternal. is there any radiance on the
horizon. or any vista Of hope or JOY encirchng
il beyond this visible dlurnal sphere IL j.
this "Orphic" element characteriZing the
great Hierophant Of Nature IN his higher
moods. that has been transiused, as Is now
well known, from him and his twin-brOther
Coleridge, through Keats and Shelley and
TennysOn, into the main stream OF our Eng
lIsh verse during the present century, and
wherever this element can not be found, there
We may feel snre there Is no true title 10 the
supreme dignity of poetry. and We look in
vain for the inspiration and the poets dream
The light that never was on sea or land.
Through the might of this mystic power
Wordsworth WIS enabled 10 irradiate the com
mon sights and sounds Of nature so largely
with the light Of eternal beauty, and 20 reveal
10 us as none ever did before him with such
potency the glory Of the visible world As the
symbol of a divine and invisible oInnpres-
ence. Hence 70 him the radiance Of mystery
surrounding the neanest flower that blows,
and the inscrutable depths OF feeling in the
human heart. which Is lowered 10 be the in
terpreter of that mystery. All this vision. as
Arnold expresses il. Of the wonder and
bloom Of the world he taught Us TO
see with his eyes as fresh revelation,
for the world was through this new
Opneus touched with a new emotion
the most fruitful and potential in the domain
Of poesy known 10 this latter age and time.
Perhaps the most notable trophy Of this Or
phc spell rs exertcd 10y Wordsworth Is the
titanic muse Of Lord Byron That proud and
strong spirit long resisted but in the end sue
cumbed while snorting scorn and indigna-
ton. TO drink deep finally of the love Of
nature as distilled from Wordsworth. and
imbbed through the medium of Shelley. so
that in the latter cantos Of "Childe Harold"
he, too, has learned the mystic mood. and, as
he elsewhere expresses IL, can find 1t JOY,
To bend upon the mountain high
The quiet of 4 loving ego.
Thus Byron. the Titanic, has grown Orphic,
and become a priest of the wonder and
bloom Of the world. Blackwoods Magazine
for March