Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-01-21
GREEKLYRICPOETRY
A CLASSICAL AND ENJOYABLE EVE
MING AT RICHMOND COLLEGE.
A Distinguished Audience Taken Into the
Emotional Field Of Greek Verse by
Professor Harris

The bright, mild weather and the repu-
tation Of the lecturer brought out last
night good audience to hear DR.. II. III.
Harris. the distinguished professor OF
Crock at Richmond College. The lecture
was delivered in the college chapel before
the senior class in regular course, and they
as the hosts Of the evening furnished the
ushers and did the honors Of the interest
ing occasion.
The class consists Of the following young
gentlemen: J. f. Crawford, III. =. Corey.
K. +. Chambers. III. G. Burnley. 4. 4. Dill
lard, T. s. Dunaway, e. M. Pitcher, G. Nj.
Long. w. b. Loving. Garnett Ryland, +.
+. Reid, g. II. Whitfield. O. q. Twombo,
and w. G. West.
CULTIVATED GUESTS.
A number of distinguished gentlemen Of
the city and fair women, no less Guilt
waited, were present. among them Messrs.
Il. II. Nash, W. +. Fox, James Leigh Jones,
w. l.. Boyd, John @. Williams. II. X.
Gwathmey, Captain West, Rev. Drs.
Richardson, Dickinson. Clopton, Upper,
and Others.
The lecture was thoroughly enjoyable,
was splced with humor, and adorned with
graceful imagery.
THE LECTURE.
The following brief abstract affords a
cursory glance at the salient points of the
lecture:
A year ago, said Professor Harris, we had
the pleasure of looking at some of the great
epics ascribed to Homer. This species OF
verse reached its meridian as early as $50
b, c.. and then rapidly declined, to be
succeeded about 700 b. G. by new and
more varied forms.
CHANGE FROM EPIC TO LYRIC.
The transition was not merely in out
| ward form but still more in substance and
jn adoption to new surroundings. The
forms of government were changing IN
nearly all the Grecian States from regal
first TO aristocratic, and then to demo
cratic. Achilles and Hector were NJ
longer the model men, the fate OF Prian
and the wanderings of Ulysses could not
interest the proud mobiles at their ban
auets, still less the assemblies of people
rioting in new-found freedom. The time!
were also intensely active. Commerce and
colonization. with constant wars at home
and abroad, left little time for the contem
plation of q glorious past. All energies
were absorbed in social questions pressing
for immediate solution.
This, then, was the youth Of the Greek
speaking people. In childhood they hac
loved the stately monotony OF epic; II
manhood they would come to appreciate
the drama; between these must come tn,
period of surging passion, OF intense self
consciousness. Lyric poetry Is essentially
personal, an outpouring of the present
emotions, as may be seen in our popular
songs and in the masterpieces OF sucl
poets as Robert Burns and Father Ryan
There is no great breadth of thought, bu
immense depth Of feeling.
DIVISIONS OF LYRIC POETRY.
The fragmentary character, as well as th'
position Of Greek lyrics, wes illustrated b.
comparison to the asteroids, O multitude o
| little globes, once perhaps a splendit
planet that rolled between the orbits o
| fiery Mars and benignant Jupiter. The dl
| vision into elegiac and iambic persona
and choral, with the structure, subjects
| chief authors, and their dates, was brieti,
| exhibited in tabulated form upon th
| blackboard.
The lecturer then proceeded to discus
| the two kinds of verse which were tn
most important steps in the TRANSITION
from epic, the poetry for recitation, T.
melic, the poetry for song.
RLEGIAc VERSE.
This species of verse shows but sligh
departure, and that only in alternat
verses, from the epic model. 1t was use
first. perhaps, at funerals, then as yehicl
| for all sorts of emotions in politics, in wal
| in banquets. in proverbs.
| Callinus of Ephesus, reputed inventor O
the rhythm, lived in the dark days OF
| Cimmerian invasion and used his gift I
| stir his fellow-citizens to meet their foes J
battle.
Tyrtaeus, the lame school-master. wa
sent by Athens to aid the Spartans III on
and pleas for discipline did much to WI
| them victory. 49,,
Solon, the great lawgiver, accomplishe
by a poem revolution of sentiment whie
he would not have dared to suggest i
prose. A.
Bourbons, opposed the swelling tide Q
democratic progress all in vain, but tim
has dealt kindly with his works IN pre-
serving much of them as textbook TO
schools.
Simonides, of Ceos, was specially fame
for his brilliant epigrams composed durln
and after the Persian war.
From each of these writer's the Professo
| gave. first in the original, then in transls
ton, some brief and characteristic eS
tracts.
IAMBrc POETRY
The other kind is in several respects an
tipodal to elegiac. It's rhythm is mos
| familiar, being that of the great body q
| English poetry. IL was specially adapte
TO satire, but used for many other pul
poses.
born on Paros, o mountain of purest ma
ble. went in early manhood to hunt 10
cold amid the Black Hills of Thrace, kne'
ali the vicissitudes of frontier life and col
fiict with savages, loved with intensest pa
sion tine girl he left behind him, returne
poor. was rejected by her father, had a
his passion turned TO gall, and poured
out in bitterest inyective. His later veal
were equally turbulent, and he fell In battl
bemoaned as one of the brightest wits eve
known, and ranked by the Greeks az secon
only to Homer,
Sinionides Of Amergos was respectabl
merchant of narrow views and moros
temper. Two of his works survlye-a plet
of advice to his son and low-tung satii
on woman.
The lecture closed with brief referenc
to the Fables of Esop and TO the fashfo
of impromptu toasts at teasts, both
these being commonly in iambic verse.
NEXT TUESDAY.
The subject will be resumed at Fame hot
and place next Tuesday in a discussion
the genuine melic or song-poetry IN sew
raj of its most conspicuous varieties.
What the Police Are Doing.