The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1901-12-07
THE POET LoNGFELLow.
His Debt to Catholic Legendary
Lore.

am not going to tell the story of
Longfellow's Indebtedness to the grand
old faith. To do this even specifically
would require deeper range of thought
and expression than propose to cover.
My theme is narrower one-his debt
to Catholic legendary lore. There have
been great writers, who, delving deep
into the resources of history and ro-
nance, have brought forth the gold mug
gets and woven them into verse. Such
a one is Nngfellow. 1t is said that all
great men owe their success in life to
the selling Of golden opportunity. So
Longfellow owes his everlasting fame
to his exquisite rendering of the quaint
old Catholic legends that he loved so
well. Into their narration he puts the
noblest and best of his genius; his fair
est and sweetest of thoughts. For their
Inspiration was his master opportunity,
which, Selling rs he did, has immortal
ised his name, says A. Gertrude Lynch
in the Boston Republic.
Had these legends not been in existence.
or. being in existence, had Longfellow
passed them by, he would never occupy
the place in American literature which
he holds today and will hold forever
he took the tide at it's flood, and it led
him on to greatness.
Because Longfellow was Of Puritan
ancestors does not necessarily imply
that he was bigot. He was too high
minded to admit of ignoble feeling, and
being gifted with wonderful powers of
perception and that love of the beauti-
full which is innate in every poet, he
could not but admire the grandeur of
the Catholic church, which is the soul
of poetry. There is poetry In her glitter
ing candles burning upon her affairs; in
the grand old master paintings that
adorn her wallis. in her melodious
strains of music-the great triumphant
'Alleluia," and the plaintive wall of
the 'NIiserere"-all this is poetry. There
is poetry also in her famous legends
yes, and inspiration, toO-and it is
his fine rendering Of these legends that
has made Longfellow's name illustrious;
to these alone belong his undying fame.
Many critics assert that "Miles STAN
DISH" not "Evangeline," is his master
piece; that the calm-eyed Puritan Pris-
ILL., :., IT.. IL 70
me that the lives of Priscilla and Evan
geline are too dissimilar to allow Il close
comparison. Both were true women,
but around the one hangs the gloom of
an early New England settlement and
the cold rigidity of Puritanism; the
others story lies in the quiet, peaceful
shade of tranquil Catholic comm,l-
nifty in the fair land Of primitive Nova
Scotia.
Nothing can be better conceived nor
more truly pictured than the tales Of
that Canadian colony with its simple,
happy, unworldly people; it shows the
radiance Of the golden age with it's
music and poetry around us as we read,
and rs the soft, gray shadows of the
twilight steal from the mind all thought
Of the days strife and care so this
charming Arcadia lures us willing cap
tives far away to that forest prime
VAL" and in ecstacy we listen to the
"Angelus sounding at evening over the
roofs of the village" and "the columns
Of pale blue smoke like clouds of in
cense ascending" arise before us. Beau
tiful, Inflated Arcadia! What pathos
fingers around that name! Light and
darkness, hope and sorrow, here are
mingled-tle word is poetry ITSELF So
Longfellow must have thought when he
first heard Evnngeline's sad story and
resolved upon converting it into verse
"Under the towering oak, that stood In
the midst of the village,
Knelt the blacE-robed chief with his
children. A crucitix fastened
High on the trunk of a tree, and over
s'A''N""NN ~ SiHlSNHAS
Looked with its agonzed face on the
multitudes kneeling beneath it.
This was their rural chapel. Aloft
through the intricate arches
OF it's aerial roof rose the chant Of
their vespers,
Mingling it's notes with the soft susur-
rus and signs Of the branches"
Among Longfellow's shorter Catholic
legends may be mentioned est. Francis
of ASSIST" and the birds that came and
listened to his teachings; ''rhe Ladder
of st. Augustine" which though not cX-
actly legend, is sometimes classed
with them: "King Robert of Sicily"
and 'The Legend Beautiful"
In the opinion of most critics. "Rob-
ert of Sicily" is the best tale told in
''The Wayside Inn" Although shorter
than the others. in diction, clearness Of
expression, and beauty of meaning It
certainly leads the rest. Like the LEG
end Beautiful it is known and ad-
mired by every child ut school old
enough to understand its meaning. Told
as only that sweet singer could tell a
Catholic legend, is it any wonder that
its melody sinks deep into our hearts
and finds there an answering chord. for