The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1892-10-27
ALFRED 71LELNNYSOIN,
SOME REFLECTIONS ABOTJT
THE DEAD POET.
The Intellectual World. is Be-
reaved by the Passing Away of
Great Heroic Soul.
Buena Vista Advocate. I

Alfred Tennyson is no longer
known as the 'greatest of living poets, I"
but there are many in the world who
will not hesitate to proclaim him the
greatest of dead poets.
The word dead, when used in
reference to the passing away from
actual physical life, of a great genius
like Tennyson, almost loses its signifi-
cance, for it seems to but open the
door tor a greater sunburst of living
fame.
The intellectual world is bereayed.
A great, heroic soul has passed away.
We no longer contemplate as a living
fact the calm, grand face looking out
on the cold gray stones of his ocean
home. Though the stately ships 90
on to their haven under the hill, vet
there are men and women scattered
all through the world that pause and
wonder with reverent sadness as thew
feel the touch of a vanished hand and
the sound of a voice that is still.
Alfred Tennyson is dead. We
repeat it over and over to ourselves.
till we sit with King Arthur in the
bowers of Camelot or Usk, among his
Knights, hearing high talk of noble
deeds in the golden days of yore, or
watch him lead his hosts far down to
the great battle in the west.
The present is lost in the haze and
splendor of the poets imagination
and the past comes up like the memory
of yesterdays beautiful sunset. Then
the flesh tires and we settle down in
the presence of death and reality.
Alfred Tennyson is dead, who
taught the world so much truth and
beauty. He had the strength of
Shakespeare, the fire of Lord Byron.
the music and subtle refinement of
Keats and Shelley, the purity of
Wordsworth, and besides and above
all this, the rich originality of his own
individual, genius, giving him a
distinct and aggregated superiority.
"The deeds of great men alone can
praise them. All other praise
languishes by the side of their great
names" Feeling the truth of this,
We would only recommend the literary
student to Tennyson's works, and
"lift hand to him who under
stands.''
Swinburne will probably be pro-
NOTED to the laureate's vacant chair,
but how slight and puny his voice will
sound in forest that still trembles
with the lions roar.
1t is saying worthy of all accepta-
tion that "every man should be en-
gagged in the highest and most honor
able occupation of which he is capa-
ble.' No one in thinking of the lifework
of this dead poet can deny his adher-
ence to such a maxim. And, con-
vinced Of the entire purity and
christian truth that pervades all of his
we feel that his record
In the highest and best view, must be
as clear of critical censure as, from a
literary standpoint, it passes beyond
the power {. most men to scan. But
whatever eternal recompense remains
for him, the man, the poet, the
the philanthropist has
taken his leave of US and gone to
where beyond these voices there is
peace.
Hugh McCulloch, Carl Schurz,
Walter Q. Gresham and Wayne Mac
Veagh, four exRepublican Cabinet
members, are supporting Cleveland.
We could add to these the names of
1t least twenty former Republicans of
distinguished prominence who are
1olng likewise, while in our own
state at least a dozen well-known Re-
oublicans, recognized leaders in that
oarty in the past, are now supporting
Cleveland and the Democratic party,
While Marion Butler and Dr.. Exum |
lave tumbled over the fence and gone ,
o making faces at it.-Wilmington |
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