Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-03-06
sAaroR REsARrus.


SIV1coSoI 0utnou Ahaiy<So eho Sss-
cusscs cariyIe's MASTERPIECES.
Professor Dsmmon's nth lecture in
tho university extension course WAS de-
voted to Carlyle and that MASTERPIECES
OF Engllsh prose. "Sartor Resartus."
Professor Dsmmon began his lecture
by DISCUSSING the condition OF Eui ope
at the cIosc Of the Napoieonlc wars,
and past cu trly the legislation which
these wars lad called forth IN Eng
land. The eneral unsettled and Tevo-
lntionary c6nuiti0n OF the ihboriEg
classes was described In detail. IL Was
during this time that Carlyle was en-
gagged In wiring the Sartcr Ressrtus. y
satire on he times. Professor DEM
mon then gave q brief biographical
sketch of 'stbis man who With the gilt
of song would have been the greatest
epic poet siuce Homer" The passage
IN Ssrtor Ressrtus descriptive Of Herr
Teufelsdrockh's iifc at tue gymnatinm
WAS read as Carlyle's recoiiectious OF
his own school days. HIS experience
mt Edinburgh university he also in
serted III his masterpiece. Professor
Demmon read these passages as Illus
trating Cariyle's utter franSness in
dealing with the work OF the great
European universities. After CarlyIr's
graduation h~ devoted himself for ten
years TO u study OF the German au-
thors. The $artcr Resartus was begun
at the close of this period, first rs Il
magazine article. He failed in getting u
publisher ant 1t was finally produced
in Frazer's Magazine IN l3S3-3f. 1t
was iirst pubiisned in book form in
Boston undet the patronage of Emer-
son. The object of the Sorter Hesartus
was to makelhis countrymen look be.
low the shinI1nering surface of human
lie. While bis thoughts were dressed
IN German farments. yet they were
stamped with his own hardy, tumuit-
ous, manly personality. The struggles
IT 4, ufe sirockl, In Sartor Resarlus are
tut q transcript OF his own emotions,
particularly hls soul experiences IN
passing from doubt to faith. It's ex-
preston in the Everlasting Nc" 1.-THE
Center OF Indlfs renee" and the "Ever-
lasting Yea.' was not original with
Carlyle. The idea came from Goethe,
but the magnificent strength of ex-
precision belong ~ the Scotch essay
ist b mself.
Professor Demmon then treated the
Sartor kesartus from literary
standpoint. The one sentiment OF
Clothes-philos0ph pervades the entire
work; the one thought being that
Whatever exists physically is only the
outer garments Of the eternal. The
fanciful title, "the tailor patched" il
| typcai of tneskcnerai plan Of the work
| In style the unity of Sartor Resartu.
has aptly been characterized rs that ot
the universe. His one theme is, the
things that are seen are temporal; ths
things that are unseen are eternal.
Carlyle's description of fTeufelsdrockh',
style was read as treatise on his own
method of writing. On the whole
Carlyle isa wonderfully clear writer
but he tries the learning Of the reader
to the utmost. Literature. art, science
labor, everything was bent TO his ser.
vice. His apparent obscurity II ire
! quently due TO the inability of the
reader to grasp his thought. His stud,
| of the German tended 10 develop hi
taste for the fanciful and grotesquc
He had the temperament and power
of n great artist. aud his new artist,
methods are apt TO produce bewllder
| ment. When he attempted to write ht
went to the basis of MANS nature. II
SO doing he strove tn invent a style tina
would express not only human knowl
edge, but also human ignorance. The
effect OF Cariylsse is to teach us how
little we really know.
Professor Demmon analyzed Carlyle
peculiar humor He believed tina
Carlylo's expression seldom failed I,
to express the thought he wished
Several passages were read in illustra
ton OF the striking effect of his humor
Herr Teufelsdrock b'sdescriptiono wa
being read as q typical example o
that wonderful style. The lecture
said that Carlyle's power OF represent
ing a situation was perhaps the mos
| wonderful In Literature