The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1895-10-19
THE TRAGIC ELEMENT IN.LITER-
AUTHORIZATIONS OF USING 1T.

The tragic element IN lie is nlSDef
than the comic element. This is self
evident truth. Life is real, life is
earnest. I" Try as we will, to make
light of the passing hours, there will
inevitably come the day of death, when
the body will shrink in physical terror
at dissolution. and when the heart viii
know it must part from all it loves
best on earth. Therefore. life is set tc
a tragic key. There may be song rip.
pies of ioyousness in it. but the deel
undertone is tragic. This undertone
clear, strong, fall as the rushing music
of river is always heard; and the
best writer is he that can best in
terpret it.
Hence the greatness Of a scrster mag
be measured By the success wtth achtcl
he uses tragedy. Let us examine the
manner in which different authors dea
with tragic themes, and grade them &C
cordingly.
First we will mention some tragic
themes. They are death, intense pas
sions of love. hatred. jealousy, ambi
ton, revenge aud remorse. Wher
these themes are well presented they
appeal TO the tragic element that exists
in every heart, and affect it more pow
erfuly than do the themes of Joy, pros
periry, contentment and repentance.
There are two principal methods O
dealing with tragedy. One 11ethoo
striues for simplicity; the other methoc
for effect and pictuersqueness. The
first method is advocated by Thack
cray and George Eliot. The lat
ter method by Edgar Allan POI
and Charles Dickens. The frs
two authors assume Urged,
lies entirely in the soul, no mattel
what may be the surroun dings. Tht
latter two make the external sur
rounding correspond with the liz
ternal emotions. Shakespeare EN-
ploys both methods. In his celebrated
poem of the Raven. Edgar Pc,
depicts that most tragic o
all themes--remorse. And how doe
be impress its dread effects on thu
mindp BY making the physical at
mOSpueTt VI tuc WoLh Soi'CoPOhN Wttt
the mental atmosphere.
1t is stormy night in bleak Decem
Der, The clouds are black and lower
ing, the rain pours in great sheets o
water, the skies are riven by flashes o
keen lightning. Inside of the students
room the air is heavy with the oder O
musty volumes. The silken sad, I'M
certain, rustljng OF each purple cur
tain of the oak bed is as weird anC
melancholy as the dark night and tn.
wind and the storm. Dreary ane
alone, with his relentless conscience
the scholar tries to discipher his parch
ment. The effort is useless. Every
wall of the wind, every rafting of the
window, the fall of each dying embel
from the CRATE unnerves him. A crims
stained soul makes him restless anc
afraid. Finally there is rapping at hi.
chamber door. The thought OF the
supernatural glide phantom-like before
his mind. 1T is the spirit of Leuore
the scholar thinks, come here in the
blackness and the solitude and the des'
olution to comfort me-" He opens the
door and peers into the night. dark
ness there and nothing more" ''Back
into the chamber. turning all his SOU
within him burning. Soon again he
hears tapping something louder than
before.n This time the sound pro
nounced, and yet uncertain is at bis
window pane. Opening the lattice he
admits into the room bird, which
men of all centuries have considered
to be of i'll omen. 1t is raven thai
enters. His plumage is blacker than
the black night, and .,his eyes have in
them all the seeming of a deamon thai
is dreaming He is the personifcatlor
of righteousness and blight. In the
poem he represents remorse. His one
word is ..Nevermore. The past j!
gone. In it, you committed 9
crime. You cannot recall the days and
act differently. The opportunity o.
being good has left sou forever. The
consequences of the crime will las
always, and the memory Of it will ca
into your heart. Never, never more
viii you have the chance of peace and
innocence THAT was granted you long
ago and that you despised. Now
through Gil the coming ages Your son