The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-22
w O IN a n

tion and while the leader was out of town
"a case of when the cats away, you see.
We had delightful time over it, too-no
trouble with Irregular attendance. Every
body there every Wednesday after
noon. Somehow, the imperative reasons for
absence that so often arise, seemed to be
in allegiance 1 suppose there were no more
than three or four women out of the dozen
that ever would have read it by them
selves. but they all enjoyed equally the
splendor of the poetry, the rich impas-
stoned humanness of the people, the won
derful effect of the changing point of view,
when we read it together. We didn't finish
it, though. October came too soon, our
leader came back. and she thought We
ought TO work.. instead of merely read
ing"
But I'm sure I've heard of wonderful
paper that you wrote on the plan of
'Dramatis Personae.'" persisted the Ele-
CANT One. Il thought that was for
Browning club"
"Oh, that-yes, did read a paper on that
once, but it was not before a Browning
society-just our old Conversational Club
I've always felt half ashamed of it, too,
as if it were an impertinence, applying
arithmetic to a sunset, as one might say.
But the plan, the methodical arrangement,
seemed to be there, when / looked for it,
''You know what Browning says in the
preface to the selection OF his shorter
poems, that by simply stringing together
certain pieces on the thread of an imagi-
nary personality, he presents them in sue
cusson as the natural development OF a
particular experience. Well, that is be-
yond mel can't make out the imaginary
personality nor the particular experience.
But the remark set me to thinking of that
collection of poems he entities 'Dramatis
Personae'-the persons of the drama of
human life, of course-any one could see
that but why does the book have an cpl
logue, If 1t were a unity, not mere
haphaZard collection? So / looked for a
| unity, a plan, and seemed to find it. You
| remember, perhaps that the critics have
| said that the poems of this book seem as
| if scraped together and that while some of
| his finest are among them, others are so
displeasing that one wishes they had been
| omitted. But when one observes the plan,
one sees that each has it's necessary place
| and none can be spared
but what is the plan?"
Elm brief, something like this: the dram
ats personae are not merely actors caught
up haphazard from the drama of life, but
are carefully selected types-the actions
and interests with which they have to do
are the paramount facts of human life, and
through them all and by their means the
solution of the problems of existence is
| sought. The great facts of life are sin
and death, love and religion; these are the
4
question of humanity and time isis
Christianity real revelation of God to
man? Is it the final hope of the human
race? This, above all others is the question
| Dramatis Personae considers and decides
Next to the question of the truth of Chris
tianity, the truth most emphasized is the
worth and the obligation of love.
1.-THE book is like an Italian palace of the
| renaissance, and the five types of evil in
PRODUCED are like horizontal black lines,
emphasizing and dividing the stories of the
palace. Besides these five types of evil, the
| poems are divided into five triads. First
| come the two types of evil-James Lee, the
light inconstant sinner. Gold Hair, the
| avaricious one. The first triad follows
three poems of defeated and disappointed
Love. The hero of each is a true lover. as
is also James Lees wife. and the four
| form ascending series. with each lover
nobler, more unselfish, more utterly de-
| voted than the preceding one. The Sec
| ond triad is three poems of saints, also
| an ascending series, eliminating in St
| John. Then comes the dividing black line
again, still lower form of evil, the bestal
| and malignant, personated by Caliban.
| Then a triad of Love and Death, culminat-
ing in the high triumph of Prospice Next
the fourth triad, art in different forms.
Then two more black lines, Mr. Sludge,
the crafty, hypocritical villain. and, not the
| most depraved, but the most hopeless char
acters the types of despair, the suicides in
| the Paris Morgue. The fifth triad is the
Epilogue, where David speaks the word of
triumphant faith that has never dreamed
| of doubt, Renan voices the universal doubt
and questioning of the nineteenth century,
and Browning himself sums up, as the soul
that faces doubt and conQuers it, and be-
lieves with an unshakable faith founded on
reason.
There are a great many points of con-
trast and interdependence 1 haven't
touched on, but that will give you an idea
| of the general outline. AS said, 1 am al
| ways half ashamed of having measured
anything of Brownings with a footrule,
| and I'd advise you to join your Browning
class If. they study Browning, but not If
| they only study things about him."
The Practical One, meanwhile, had been
putting in some intricate stitches in the
| towel end she was ornamenting with fine
drawn-work, but now she looked I'D and
said with animation, ''Well, there are only
two lines of Browning's that 1 could ever
either remember or understand, and those
are
oh! the little more and how much it Is!
And the little less. and what worlds awayr
The others looked at her with so much
| surprise and interest that she felt en-
| ccuraged to go on. Eyes, that is so true
| especially with salt"
with saltI'
Eyes, all those things, like SOUP and
! oatmeal, porridge and cooked vegetables
If there is little less salt than there ought
to be, you'd think it was worlds AWAY.
| they taste so fiat and raw Then, if YOU
tell the cook to put in a little more. Won
have reason to reflect how much it is for
they become so salty you can't eat them. -
The rest gazed at her with some sus-
| picion, but she looked so innocent and
Il