Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-05-12
THE EPITAPH.

And melancholy marked him for her
own.
Large was his bounty and his soul
sincere,
Heaven did a recompcnse as ,orro,v
send:
ne gave to misery all he had-a tear:
lie gained from heaven-'twas all he
wishcd--a friend.
| NO further seek his merits to disclose
or draw his fraitics from their dread
abode;
Ihere they alike in trembling hope re-
pose,
The bosom of his Father ana his God.
EPlTOME or THE "E;LEGY."
In order to understand the "Elegy"
me young student should read it care
fuliy several times. Its grandeur will
not be appreciated unless he enters
INTO inc spirit OF the author IL will be
| seen that solemn meditations form tho
principal feature of the pocm AZ "a
suitable prelude the author gives n
description (stanzas l-3) OF the church,
yaru ana ITS surroundings as they APP
shades OF night. The life and fate
t4-6 of the humble occupants OF +hn
grave are stated. and the labora. lows
ana Sorrows which marked their ca
, ,io,s. H.li) referred to. while the ambi-
tous and noble arc requested not to
| dcspise their simple history Circum
stances alone u2-lG) prevented them
from attaining those high positions of
,iliuenco ior which their natural abili-
ties fitted them. Their lot also saved
them rI-lW from committing tho
crimes of those occupying prominent
stations But even they are not for
go,,en. since "frail memorials" and
rude inscriptions coed show that thev
arc remembered by friends This Is
only evidence of tho universal desir-
,22-23) of mankind for immortality.
THESE musings lead the author to ina
| CINE CLEO what may possibly no tho
thoughts Of Il "hoary- headed swain"
[ regarding his own life. The mcdita-
| tive inquirer is directed to read his
epitaph (30-32). and with this the poem
| closes
THE SUBJECT MATTER.
Tho poem Expresses in an cxuulsite
manner feelings ana thoughts that arc
UNIVERSAL. The musings are natural and
OF an obvious character. The mystery
OF ire Is solemn. awful and suggestive
OF contemplation. Any one who fingers
IN the precincts OF death and who re-
fleets on life will have feelings like
| those expressed in the "i.lcgy." Hence
the freshness and fascination of the
poem to al persons when in a. solemn
ana mcditative mood. There is the
| broadcast humanity Indicated The
thoughts arc not expressed in n philo-
sophical manner although the dignity
oi the language is OF the highest order.
ne rclcctions arc nut in ~ simple.
| humbl" ana upprctcntous style. 1t will
he noticed that the poets thoughts turn
| to the poor. ana he forgcts the fine
| tombs of the rich The "moldering
| heaps" In tho churchyard bring to mind
| tho thought of what might have result
ed had the rude forefathcrs" been sur
| rounded by different circumstances The
problem thus suggested is not solved by
the author. though he finds considera-
lions to mitigate the sadness that
arises. The poem has dignity. and yet
tenderness. The reflections it produces
Will appeal to the heart of every one so
long as the love of liberty and n spirit
of patriotism dominate the human race.
| In spite of it's finish as u work of art
there Is nothing s;itf or frgid in the
Elegy The melancholy tnge is in
setarable from the subject. and the
| personal illusions in the .I,pitaph" are
not out of place.
NOTES TO THE POEM.
| Tho student not familiar with the
| poem should consult a good dictionary
| In order to master verbal difficulties.
1t has been contendcd that 'curfew"
was the term applied to the cover
placed over the fire and not to the bell
runS to warn people to cover their fires
before retiring. Parting" means here
departing. The appropriateness OF
''plods" is noticeable. In the second
stanza "glimmering." it will be seen. is
|
tering. Air is the object of holds"
The beginner might wrongly suppose
that i: is the air which holds the
Stiffness" "Droning'-a buzZing. use
| less sound. "FoldS''-thc nocks. Ivy
mantled"-thc tower is represented as
| covered or mantled with ivy Tho
lonely nature Of the place Is we'll de-
picted.
| In Gray's time and long before 1t was
the custom to bury the well-to-do In
side the church, and hence the author
| refers only to the outside in stanZa l.
| Ride" here means simply uneducated.
| The breezy call" ctc.--tnis stanza (5)
is one of the most striking of the poem.
Notice the sound and significance of the
words "LowIy bed" does not refer to
the grave 1t will be we'll for the stu
| dent to compare the sentiment OF the
next stanza 90 with that of Burns
"Cotters Saturday Night" Notice how
we'll the poet refers to four duties of
| the peasants in the seventh stanza.
The boast" etc.-this has been con-
! sidercd the finest stanza in the poem.
1t is said Gen. Wolfe repeated tho
| "Elegy" tho night before the capture Of
! Quebec" What Il mournful meaning at
be the author of that poem than take
| Quebec" What q mournful morning at
| the time must have had the words 1.-THE
paths of glory lead but to the grave"
In the tenth stanza the choice of Ian
guage is especially in keeping with the
solemnity Of the subject. S'Trophies'
has here its primary meaning and sig
| nifieS monuments of an cnemy'S defeat.
| "Fretted" is an architectural term and
| has reference to small fillets intersect-
ing each other at right angles
In stanza IL the term "storicd urn