The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-06-16

graduates in the greatest country In the
world Continuing. he said that on his
recent visit to Europe he had conyersed
with many excellent people, and Just 50
soon as they learned that he was Amer
ican feeling Of offense seemed to per-
meate them. The whole world. he said,
is Jealous Of America. The reverend
speakers remarks were filled with pa
triotism. and he was frequently greeted
with enthusiastic applause. Inter-
J. spersed, We're many witty anecdotes
Z that convulsed the audience.
The concluding feature Of the after
Moons programme was the retiring
march. which was Il spectacle OF beauty,
i Poets aud Poetry"
The essay. Poets ana Poetry" by
Miss Marion Collins. of the graduating
class, which was 50 well received by
\ the audience. is printed In full below:
There Is in our hearts an ecstatic rap
ture. When, In the languld heat of sum-
mer, we leave the turmoil OF the crowd
4 ed city, ana stand alone at the base of
a 5ruGsed, juttinS mountain range. con-
tehipfdttHg tn the cain, sweet stiffness
which surrounds us, the strength.
beauty and love Of Him who created
z the universe. =
So The heavy foliage of the mountain
Il oak, the hemlock and other forest trees
= casts q deep impenetrable shade about
us: the cool waters fail from the,
heights, throwing Sparkling spray
high In air; like a .silrery ribbon, the
: river winds in ana out among the foot
hills. becoming narrower and narrower,
until at last hidden BY projecting
bluffs; the perfume of the fragrant,
dainty mountain Hover, is waited down
the valley by the cool breez. which
\ signs around. and on one side looms UP
Il wall OF living green that seems to
meet the blue dome OF heaven.
rh!s beauty inspires us with a joy-a
* rHpture-sWhich We cannot convey to
others: but the true poet. in express
ions common to many minds but un-
Z common in exquisite utteyarce." inter-
EI'%csS cur emotions for US and repro
dpces in verse the cauSe Of our joy.
4 Byeon echoes the sentiment of every
heart Wien he says:
& H"There Is pleasure IN :he painless woods,
There Is 4 rapture on the lonely shore.
Z There Is society where none !ntrude.
Z Gy the deep sea and music In Its roar;
ia love not nan the less. but nature more.
i&Frorn these cur interviews. IN which, steal
l,rotn n! may he. or have been before
Y n7insie With the universe. and feei
what can re'eT express, yet cannot all
conceal" a
To reveal the beautiful Is an instinct
of the poet and his poetry like the
y sparkling waters of the fountain,
energies clear and bright from It's deep
source, giving expressions to thoughts
which lie too deep for ordinary utter
ance. To use the words OF Shakes
peare:
.'As Imagination bodies forth the forms
OF things unknown, the poets pen
Turns them to shapes. and gives to airy
nothing
a local habitation and a name"
Not only does the poet portray the
beautiful but he preserves that which
Is transient The beauty of the flower
fades: the glory Of the sunset sue
cumbs to night; the friends of our
youth pass away: but the poet chains
the leeting. preserves the freshness of
the flower, the glory Of the sunset and
rcproduccs the emotions of the past.
He embodies ir his verso the truth that
in the transitory, familiar and hum
blest things of life there Is something
b. l'el DciulIlut Civ cItNdlsh. In
all things, even the most common and
trivial, he sees the ideal element and
his soul is raised to God in the con-
: temptation of the least of His works.
With n power not found in the pic
toral artist, the poet draws his picture
of nature. perfect In detail. full of
beauty and nnturalness. In that which
has neither color nor dimension. lie
portrays the visible and tangible.
But beautiful as nature Is, descrip-
tons of it are of value to the poet only
when used to illustrate some truth. or
when connected with the Joys. the
fears, the hopes OF mankind. 1t is only
when permeated with human interest
that descriptive poetry addresses it
self 10 the higher and more elevated
portion of mans nature.his whole NOR
al being. his feeling his sympathies. his
affections, his love of all that is high
and pure and good" Longfellow has
become our favorite household poet,not
because he Is an artist Of the beauti-
full" but because of his love and SYM
pathy for suffering humanity. He who
himself knew grief says:
"And only the sorrows OF others
Cast their shadow over me-
And what. we may ask, has made
Shakespeare the poet of poets? Why
do his works appeal alike to the hearts
OF all nations and ages? Because they
are imprcgnatcd with human action
and passion. With the mighty power
OF genius he pOrtrays the conflict be-
tween good and evil that Is ever raging
In the heart, and within the embrace
OF his works is comprised u world of
thought and beauty that addresses the
jnagInaiIon and calls out the emotions
of man now. and will ages hence.
In the highest sense of the word, the
poet Is an historian who hands down
'.tr:llitlons and "reminiscences of n
glorious past" While the historian
proper records the defeats. the victor
les. the rise and fall OF nations. 1t IS
the province of the poet to immortaiiHe
deeds Of heroism and self-sacriilce that
are nations glory; to inspire others
with the spirit OF emulation, and Keep
alive the fire OF patriotism. But the
highest mission Of the poet Is 10 en-
body In his work. truth, beauty and
goodness, ana to do this. he must De-
lievc in God and Eternity.
The epic, the highest form or poetry,
"a tho product OF religious enthusiasm.
The ..Ilind" and the "Encld'' We're writ
ten when the Greeks and Romans be-
iievca the gods, not when they hnu PC
come nations 81 scoffers: Milton's
E.paradisc Lost" Is n poem full OF the
light of Christianity, and the "Dlvinh
Comedia" was written In an age or
faith, when religion inspired and In
formed every department of art. Car
lyle says: In Dante. ten silent cent,ir-
lc. rollnd n voice -. he Is n
spokesmnn OF the Middle Ages" and
l. II al