The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1897-10-02


many as the poet Bunns chef-d'oeuvre.
should like to say word about
Moore's popularity in his own day
With Bryon and Scott, Moore completed
stood highest amongst his contempor-
aries; whilst all the poets of that time
We're Moore's friends and admirers-ex
cept, perhaps, Wordsworth and his set
off from the general flow and current
of the outside world. Coming to men
Of letters with whom most Of us have
been familiar, l find Thackeray COM
when "the roses were blooming by calm
Bendemeer;" while, as for Dickens, he
scarcely quotes from any other poet. No
admirer of Mr.. Richard Swiveller will
have forgotten his copious and peculiar
references to the Melodies" Go, sir,
returned Dick, leaning against a post
and waving his hand. Go, deceiver, go,
some day, sir, perhaps you'll waken,
from pleasures dream to know the grief
of orphans forsaken." Then there is the
"Uncommercial Traveller" in that
stormy crossing of his to Calais, VINO
is under such curious compulsion to
occupy himself with the Irish Melo-
dies" "Rich and Rare Were the Gems
She Wore" was the particular melody,
he says, to which he found himself de-
voted. But indeed, as have said, Dick
ems seldom refers to any poetry except
Moore's. So much for the hold he had
obtained over the best intellects Of
England. Then as to Ireland, l came
lately upon a copy of the Melodies
in the British Museum reading room
tiny volume in 32's. 1t bore the date
of 1882, and, in Photograph, the name
of namesake of my own; and how 1t
came to be in the national collection
and bear the impress of the crown Of
England is a mystery. 1t appears to
have been carried about for many years
in the owners waist-coat pocket, and
to have been resorted to at odd mo-
ments of leisure, for the owners de-
lectation," "a most charming song
''The repetition of the last line here has
good effect" or "This song refers to
the p. of W., "Emmet's Song" "Bessy's
Song" etc, etc. The little book brought
back the memory of my own youth and
my own home, where every note Of the
Melodies" and every line that Moore
wrote was familiar in our mouths as
household words. And as 1t was with
the unknown Mr. Dermott, the owner
of this little book. as II was with ,ls-
so 1t was with hundreds and thousands,
| aye, with hundreds of thousands Of
Irish people all over THE world. Wher-
! ever, as Davis says, English had been
laid upon the child's tongue with its
| first Observation-Disclosures one was
born into the English language, wher-
| ever it had served as the basis of edu-
cation, there Tom Moore's verses were
supreme in Irish hearts. There was no
other limitation Moore is an Irish poet
with an English tongue That Irish
| English dialect, racy of the soil, with the
flavor of the Gaelic, In all it's words
and expression, Moore did not possess.
The writer of the "Melodies" knew
| perfectly we'll the limitation which this
| absence of an Irish form Of expression
| imposed upon him. In the letter pre-
| fixed to No. 8 of the Melodies" and adj
| dressed to the MarohiOness Dowager OF
| Donegal, he admits it fully, though in a
manner not complimentary to the pop
ular majority of the Irish nation. After
disclaiming any intention of appealing
| in his songs ITO the passions of an
| ignorant and angry multitude" he de-
clares that it is not through that gross
and inflammable region Of society a
work of this nature could ever have
| been intended to circulate" and that
"it looked much higher for Its audi
! ence and readers; it was found upon
| the pianofortes Of the rich and the cdu-
! cated,' etc, etc. This language is not
| the language of democrat, but Tom
! Moore was no democrat; it is not even
the language of poet whose heart went
out to the whole people and who wanted
songs and music that would be at hOm'
| at every Irish hearth, gentle or simple
| like Davis. Still in what Moore did
| he was perfect; and | am afraid VIC
may have to wait a long time before
another Irish songwriter shall arise
of equal musical and literary gifts
equally versatile and accomplshe d-and
on whom Heaven shall bestow, in ad
ditiOn to all these qualifications, thai
Gaelic fux which alone was wanting
in Moore to dissolve all Irish hearts.
It is pitful to think that, as with Scott
all the marvellous brilliancy OF Moore's
intellect had left him long before hi;
death. His closing years were like what
we see as we watch the sun setting ne
Find the sea. One by one the brlgh
spots grow less bright, then they want
still more, then fade away altogether
and the night has come-and the illimit
able ocean. But the last joy to leave
our poet on this earth was his love o
music. "He warblcd," his wife says
"thc day before he died.