The University daily. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 18??-????, 1895-06-11

| and it was AS a poetthat he wished to
live ID the mind of his fellows. He
was well aware that all his powers de-
rived their vitality, lucidity and har'
mony from the poetic principle that
was the basis Of his mind. And there
is a quality in his verse which gives
assurance that his instinct was sound
the result of his discursiVe and indie
pendent thinking tends to formulate
his sentences into epigrammatic forms.
America has produced no greater
master or genuine lyric note than Pr
Holmes. He sang as the birds sing,
with an ease a musical cadence, 4
freshness of tone, that only the borr
singer can command, He was poe1
of human life, emotions, hopes and
affections and his verse was marked
with supreme felicity theY like d
which we shall scarce ever see again.
Through the medium Of verse he
impaired hls c'3eFtql philosophy,
wide eager and quick synlpathies with
all that teuehed mankind. OfalI The
styles 1fethas chosen he was easily Tho
master, so perfect that one cannot
conceive Of the1thought apart from
Has, :, 4 f,,,o ,,,,,tia cttyln yr,s4s 10 4t,5S
and melody were all entirely his own
whatever he wrote had a charm mex.
plicable due to the man himself. Thu
metrical form which is{so identified
with Pope seemed always to appeal tx
him and it lost nothing at his hands
But this was only oneof the many in
/ struments he used. His. humorous
and satirical PONIES are represented al
their bestsby the ultra-logical tale 0.
the I One Hoss Shay" the did Worl
/ far finer and better than all.this, lex
cellent as this was Of its kind. M
writer has suggested SO sadly, SO pa.
| thetically the strains surprising al
earthly music that die away unheart
/ in the voiceless temple Of the soul
Sweetness and grace and certain
subtle human sympathy rather thar
passion are the peryading qualities o.
his serious verse.
sThe Song Of Other Days may b
! cited as onelof the most splendid and
Orante specimens in modern litera
ture. The silent Melody" is hi
most saddening poem but the cen
4 ception and work OF "a true poet, anc
TO those, 10 can read between til;
fines it is a passport into the uncre
ate or destroyed world Of possibilities
ItsThe chambered Nautilus represent
4 his highest plane. of sentiment; ais,
"The last leaf is a chief fayorit
4 among his poems, and perhaps d,
\ other piece 50 good Of that kind ha
4 ever been written.
A large part Of his verse was writ
t ten to serve a passing need, the slustr
! Of these are fading with the interes
which called them forth. 1 Still Their
/ is left an abundance of durable worl
of a peculiar and rare quality which
has passed into our speech and become
| q part:ofour inheritance.
t% People generally link his name will
i "a memory of wit and humor for HI
had both in large measure but TIL,
sentiment and aspirations are thu
purest and tenderest. TO cast tn,
sunshine of pathos and genial mirtl
over his fellow-men was great socia
mission to which his whole Igeniu.
was devoted. He stands forth in ou
memory as the humorist of the age
But his humor was in a new veir
which did notstop at characters and
manners but ranged through the wild
realm of philosophy. as welTas tn,
lightest fancy. The charm and pow
IIer Of his wit is, that while it gives u,
present pleasure it carries with i
l|something for thought and feeling
lit is full Of tender lessons in scharit,
L 3 = e.
with deep openings into human ma
Iture; it has constant sparkle of wi
lbut never descends to buffoonery. II
was a wit without malice, effort O
lEartif1ce which had The sparkle ant
IIfioW Of a natural force and suggested
endless possibilities Of brightness, Vi
E|tality and laughter which cheers but
ldoes not degenerate into idle mirth.
He. He was emphaticalls a man of thu
present day sympathizing fully witt
/ the march Of thought and in every il
rection Of advance standing in TIL,
4 front line. He knew the world as il
Is and spoke for the mobility that il
in man. The readersfs continual,
moved forward toward the steadfast
cheerful performance Of duty by his
inspiring watchworls Of labor and
hope and his unquestioning faith il
/ the final prevalence of right. Ht
reached millions Of minds as no othel
American writer has or could, anl