Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-02-10

FSE 80 80
Nor can we place them in the list of
purely devotional writers.
But it is a narrow mind or narrow cul-
| ture that refuses to see anything good or
helpful outside of the Bible and the pull
pit.
That poetry is an aid to higher think
ing, feeling and living. and therefore
means of grace many there are to test-
fy. Many say:
Blessings be with them and eternal
Who gave US nobler loves and nobler
cares
The poets who on earth have made US
heirs
OF truth and pure delights by heavenly
lays.
The poets have brought US closer to the
| heart of nature. They have not only
taught us that 1.-THE heavens declare the
glory of God" but that every common
bush is aflame with God" to those who
will turn aside to see.
Let the poets teach you; live in sympa-
thy with them: If your eyes are not
trained and your ears are dull let them
| look and listen for you and soon all
things called inanimate will be instinct
with life and beauty. You will not unfeel-
| ingly crush a worm or bruise a rose. For
these also to the poet are things to be
| loved because they are the handiwork OF
God. The ancient mariner was right:
He prayeth best who loveth best,
All things both great and small;
For the dear God who loveth US.
He made and loveth all.
To the untutored and unpoetical mind
| tree is just a tree and flower but a bios
soming weed. The tree is good for boards,
| IL it is straight and firm; If guarded and
| full Of limbs II Will do for fuel. And the
| flowers are good for nothing but to be
cast out and trodden under foot. But
| the poet sees a sermon in the tree and
a song In the flower. The Christian poets
90 not confound God with nature. They
are not Pantheists. They look through
nature to natures God. AS an American
poet has said:
Not long can nature satisfy the mind,
Nor outward fancies feed its inner flame.
Poetry. has an elevating and refining
power. 1t lifts us UP and out of things
fiat and stale and places us in touch with
the high and the good. This is eminently
true Of modern poetry as distinguished
from ancient. A great critic has said that
the tendency of the former is to make us
aspire of the latter to make us satisfied.
The old poets knew only of this world and
therefore could sing only of this world.
But the Christian poets believed that
here we have no continuing city but that
we seek one to come" The pagan poets
made much of this world for they. knew
no other With our poets this world is
nothing in comparison to that to come.
They do not teach us to despise this world,
but to not make too much of 1t. What
is worth while? What is good and great
enough to call out our strength and COM
mand our obedience? r. gold, or power,
or earthly glory?
The boast of heraldry the ponp Of power,
All that beauty, all that wealth e'er
gave,
Await alike the inevitable hour.
The paths Of glory lead but to the grave.
The paths of earthly glory leading but
to the grave, the gifts of wealth being
| perishable we know to seek other paths
to walk in, other things to live for. ~
''Tis only noble to be good,
Kind hearts are more than coronets,
And simple faith than Norman blood.
Mans life is not to be measured by the
abundance of gold he has or the honors
heaped upon him by the world.
For we live in deeds, not years; in
thoughts, not breaths.
In feelings not in figures on dial.
We should count time by heart throbs
He most lives who thinks the most feels
the noblest, acts the best
The study of such poems as these quoted
from are bound to "give us nobler loves
and nobler cares" They make us despise
mere tinsel and show and aspire to things
of real worth They refine our feelings
and help to purify our souls. When we
come to face the world and duty fresh
from the companionship of such thoughts
we will look up and not down. We will
not be afraid of that which is high ''in
the estimation of the world. nor ashamed
of things despised by it if they belong
to duty and obligation.
Poetry helps us to understand ourselves
1t helps us to express ourselves. How Of
ten, when reading poetry, are we made to
say:
''Why this is just what have always
thought" We feel great deal that we
can't say. We lack power to express our
best and dearest thoughts, but we find
many of them put into words for US by
our favorite poets. '--
Poetry also helps us to undertand our
brother men. 1t gives us ''nObler loves and
nobler cares" by opening our eyes to see
virtue and beauty in people we had deem
ed unlovely or commonplace. The great
poets dealt with feelings that are COM
mon to the human race. They were men Of
broad sympathy, free from the prejudices
of the Pharisee and Sectarian. Like. the
good Samaritan they were wont to lift
men up who had fallen. Gray, musing in
a country church yard could say of the
poor peasants sleeping there:
Perhaps in this neglected spot is laid
Some heart once pregnant with celestial
fire;
Hands which the rod of empire might
have swayed.
Or walked to ecstacy the living Tyre.
Being men like themselves, children
of the same dear Cod the rich and the.
proud are not to mock their useful toll
and homely joys. The poets would have
the rich say to the poor and the poor to
the rich: Let there be no strife betwixt
me and thee for we are brethren.
Human beings are not to be despised
because they are lowly and wear home
spun.
What tho on homely fare we dine,
Wear hodden-gray and a that
Give fools their silk and knaves their
wine,
A mans man for a that.
1t is the province of the poet to call our
attention to what is human and lovable
in men and women. We are quick enough
to see the bad and unlovely. A poor wo-
man deceived and deserted. perhaps by