The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1899-11-04
GERALD GRIFFIN.


There was no man among all the Irish
poets so full of sweet, tender poetry as
Griffin. His whole life was a poem. He
had not transcendent powers like
Moore; but more tears will be brought
to the eye, and more piety to the heart
and more wise counsel tenderly and
gently inculcated by reading one of
Griffin's shorter pieces, perhaps, than
some of Moore's best.
Griffin had the insight of a philoso-
pher, the inspiration of poet, and the
heart of a woman. Though knowing the
Irish character as few men knew it,
and though DESTROYS Gas the biographer
tells u.s. to write songs which should
! find a place among the peasantry of
ireland, ne failed to do so. Griffin felt
that a Burns was wanting in Ireland,
and Burns place he tried to fill, but
did not succeed. His poetry, like his
own sweet nature, was a shade too re-
fined. His "Shule, Shule, ShuIe Agra, &"
was one of his best attempts in that di-
rection and was written to d wild and
tender air prevalent in Munster The
very first verse of that song gives us
an idea of his powers as a poet. A
young couple are going to be wed. They
are of the peasants lot in life. The
dawn of their bridal day is breaking
in the east. The bridegroom addresses
his betrothed:
My Mary of the curling hair
The IaughlnS teeth, and bashful air.
What a picture She is handsome,
joyous, and. best of all. modest. That
is picture-fnished and perfect in two
lines. What a fine moral song he then
goes on to weave for the guileless Irish
peasant:
Our bridal morn is dawning fair,
With bushes in the skies.
Not an idea of the whole verse but
one of beauty and innocence-the curl
ing hair, the laughing teeth, the bash
full air. the bridal morn breaking in
the east; the beautiful dawn with
bushes in the skies. Surely that is
poetry, and poetry worthy of Griffin
And yet, in the next verse. he seems
almost to surpass that. The bride
groom still continues:
w dhc. llIIHel III IIlG OSleI grove.
Wake! trembling. stainless virgin dove,
Wakei nesting of a parents love,
Let Moran see thine eyes
By everything that is gentle. endear- |
ing and pure. he calls her What an
idea of modesty. which, thank God, is |
to be met with in thousands and thou
sands of homes throughout poor Ire |
land. that second line gives US, 'Wakel |
trembling, stainless, virgin dove
The man that believes that the poets
heart never throbs with the fervor of !
religion or believes that while he
weaves his moral lay religion does not |
stand approvingly by. knows little, and
very little, of the poets inner life.
If 1 wished to illustrate. have 1 not
an instance at hand? Poor Gerald
Griffin, turning from the ways of the
world, leaving name fame and ambi-
ton behind; for a while looking to the
Driestly state, as the one most caIcu-
ated to bring honor to God and com
Fort and sympathy to human souls:
hen, thinking that ambition was in the
thought, sacrificing ALL except the idea
Of doing good, and dying in the hum
Die, but holy, garb of a Christian
brother.
The song of Gerald Griffin's, which
will come oftenest to the lips of most
If us, is, perhaps. his
"old times! Old times. the gay old times,
When was young and free.
And heard the merry Easter chimes,
Beneath the sally tree;
My sunday palm beside me placed
My cross within my hand.
heart at rest within my breast
And sunshine on the land.
Old times! Old timest'
How truly he describes our fondness
or the past, and the pain we feel that
We can never more be as we were
hen, in this verse:
IF 1 could cry away mine eyes. Il
My tears would flow in vain:
If | could waste my heart in signs,
1hey d never come again
Old ulmesl Old timesl"
In his
Giela machree sit down by me,
We nov are Joined and ne'er shall sever;
his hearth's our own, our hearts are
one.
And peace is ours forever
e returns thanks to the same attempt, |
hat of writing peasant songs. He has,
owever. succeeded better in one that /
J net so well known {
The mi-ne-meala now is past.
oh. wiTra sthruei oh. wirra sthrue!
And ] must leave my home at last
Oh, wirra sthrue! oh, wirTa sthrue. s
The poor girl is newly married; the
li-ne-meala Tor honeymoon is past, :
nd she is going home with her hus- /
and. A presentiment seems to take t
ossession of her mind she remembers
hat a happy, quiet life she had be- :
cath her parents roof. Still there is a
D thought of refusing to go, but her {
leading adds to the beauty of her 9
leave-taking, and the fear of ;