The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-01-19

second copy TO the press for publication.
b. r. SIMON, Pm. D.. Chairman.
THE STORY OF TENNYsoN.
At the close of -hese matters OF busi-
ness Mr.. Cooper was introduced and en-
tertaIned his hearers for half hour with
the story OF Tennyson. delightfully."- told,
an dshowing throughout an intimate ac-
quaintance with the beautiful poems oil
the poet.
The paper was in part as follows: THE
poet Is primarily seer See deep
enough says Carlyle. and you see musi-
cally: the heart or nature being every
where. music II you can only reach IL
Poetry Is thought melody. All deep things
and divine things are songful. The poet
penetrates the outer wrappinss OF things
and sees the soul and attempts 10 put
the version into words. Mystery is In
such expression. because mystery Is the
elemental atmosI ere OF the div1nest
things. The unmysterious is apt 10 oe
the shallow and insignificant Isaiah
and Browning touch some of the deepest
springs OF human thought and experience
and only a few follow them into their
piunges into the inarticulate
The poet is also the artist. He sees
artistically. his iston OF things Is colored
by the ~, prism Of rasi nature tbas sn e blSsen
under the garment OF the seen. The high
est and best things arc said or sung po-
etically The devotional work surpasses
the poettcai psalms. no histories ravished
the intellect like the poetry prose of Pres
colt and Green. no analysis OF the beauti-
full Is more sublime than the anthem. sas ike ie
always POLITICALLY written.
Tennyson is essentially the poet of
| beauty. Goethe SAYS 1.-The beautiful Is
| higher than the good because IL includes
| the good
| Tennyson's poetry shows sublime
! witchery OF words. Language under his
/ subtle touch In sublimed and transhgur-
! ed Facts become pictures OF beauty.
/ Veins OF gold simmer from out the cold
| gray quartz of life. Its standy monotonies
are flashed with diamond spleudors
whose facts sparkle radiant In the burn
ing sun. Dealing as he does. with many
| Of the saddest experiences OF life yet he
| clothes them with natural lovliness
| that makes them only the shadowy back
| ground OF the permanently sublime.
| Following this brief introduction, the
essayist gave sketch OF the life OF the
| poet and then touched upon his principal
| works
/. King Arthur. Knight OF the Round Ta-
| ble," he said. is a purely ideal creation
| whose dim outline may be found In the
| Arthurian romance Of Sir Mallory. who
| took his text from the Celtic history OF
coming and going shows MS the ideality
4 OF the poets conception.
Arthur comes as the spirit OF pro-
| gress or the spirit of Truth os he ap-
I pears I'm the legends he is a concretion OF
| all Christian heroes.
The poems contained In the Idylls
have a weird old world beauty, that fas-
| cinates the imaginary and sweetly sings
| unworded music in the soul. The locali.
ties from whence the historic germ OF
| the story takes its rise are among the
| most romantic OF any land.
''Tlntagle castle where Arthur was born
| Is nothing now but ruined walls that rise
4 al Hal
| by the sea. At the cliffs the water beats
and raves and rosrs, as though seeking
| To finish the work OF destruction which
| must have begun long before those old
| Celtic days.
Strangely do these old times and places
appear in story and In sopg. but none
| approaches Tennyson I'm beauty OF con-
! ception or moral fruitfulness as seen and
\ felt in the Idylls OF the King"
| Continuing, the esseyist said: "I am
1 not sure that Tennyson Is not the great
\ est OF poets. James Russell Lowell echoed
| the same thought when he said, IT may
+, he a generation or two before there come
! another so delicate a thinker and speaker
\ as Tennyson.'
There IL. in his poems. an underlying
| pathos OF divine threnody that thrills us
with deep toned intensity"
Continuing. Mr.. Cooper gave beautiful
description OF that charming lyric termed
| Immortal" by Henry Van Dyke
| Break. break, break on they cold grey
| stones q sea"
lie described also al some length that
masterpiece of Tennyson. 'In Memo
] RAM
The paper was aptly illustrated
throughout by readings from Tennyson.
CONGREGAT1oNA1IsTs.
The Congrega tional ministers met in tho
Bible room OF Benefceut church at 10
o'clock this morning for their regular
monthly conference sermon being de.
livercd by Rev G. " whitley. an ESSAY
by Rev u. ". Wicket ON the Church
and the Communitv." an address by Rev.
VI. L. Williston and an outline OF GLADDEN.
! by Rev. l.. :. Woodwork
The following were also appointed n
committee Co arrange for a general day of
| prayer among the CONGREGATIONAL
churches OF the city and state Rev. r.
". Pullen. Rev. r. T. Root, Roy. Wallace
| Nuttug. Rev. q. T.. Sweet