The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-07-19
NEWS OF THE BOOK WORLD

NEWS OF THE BOOK WORLD
Says That Before Everything ESQ the
Apostle Was Poet-If So, Was He Apos-
tie Because He Was Poet, or Poet Be-
cause He Was ApostIe7
st. Paul in the role Of poet strikes one
at first as rather novel, tho once the
hint is given it is in no wise difficult
to trace a strong poetic vein in all his
writings. But to say that before and
beyond everything else we regard st. Paul
as poet" Is certainly novel enough to
be striking The words are those Of
r. 2. slSellett, writing for the Expositor
London, and quoted at some length in
the Literary Digest Here is very small
part OF what Mr.. Kellett says:
The doxologies and fragments Of church HYMNS
with Which his epistles are studded may or may
not be his own, tho we incline to the view that
IKE ~ " esley, he contributed to the hymnology
or MS own services; but we are not left to
iconJectures like these for indications of his
sinsuppressive poetic mettle. ~ In the Epistle
to {, the Romans. after heightened and profound
dsquistion on the nature Of faith and the
doctrine OF Justification, he begins to exhort his
readers: Il beseech you, therefore, brethren,
by the mercies of God, that We present your
c.
or poetry is this!t 1t is metaphor so deep
meaning and only our unfortunate familiarity tt
It Il Ing hoM far
Ephesians, again, having occasion to urge watch
fulness and courage upon his readers, he gives
them q number OF metaphors of which the ex-;
IRENE holiness and beauty have long been lost
thru use.g but which must have reused the minds
Of his Enhesian readers to whom they came
fresh, like the strokes Of whip. t.Put on. y,
he SAYS, In words for which ITO Tea tab
had given but the barest hint, the whole armor
OF God Stand, having grded your loins with
righteousness. and having shod your feet with
the preparation of the gospel Of peace; withal
taking the, shield of faith; and, take the helmet
OF salvation, and the. sword of the Spirit, which
Is the Word of Cod If this is not, poetry
then. Sponsors ''Faerie Queene' itself. that most
for what is the ''Faerie Queene'' but an eXpan-
sion of these few verses?
His words indeed do not fall into metrical
lengths; his lines do not always begin with CAPT
tai letters; but their imagery. their passion,
| their fine frenzy glancing from heaven to earth,
| from earth to heaven seem literally to body
forth the forms of things unknown and to give
local habitation and name to the most airy
and impalpable of spiritual things.
Poetry, therefore, we will call musical
thought, says Carlyle The poet is he
| who thinks in that manner. At bottom
| 1t turns still on power of intellect; it is
| a mans sincerity and depth of vision that
makes him poet. See deep enough and
| you see musically; the heart of nature
being everywhere music, if you can only
reach it,
! Men since the human record began have
had faith in their poets and in their wit
! ness to the existence of realities answer
ing to the highest aspirations of heart
and mind, and 1t has been because of
this deepseeing of which Carlyle speaks.
/ The question, now that the fact that Paul
/ q hoc han h,,n1 crJ,f co ctr rocrt1
4 home to us, Is: Was Paul poet before
or not until after his conversion? Did
1 his conversion open his eyes and awaken
a skeener; sensitiveness to wider environ.
ment OF, the. soul than average mortals
know? Or was the poetic sensitiveness
and depth Of insight there before, max
| Ing the vision on the road to Damascus
/ possible. or at least more easily brought
about? Other poets have been stricken
/ with sense of the presence of God
Lowell, for example. Is it fair to as.
sumo, then, that it was because Pau
was a poet by nature that an extraor.
i binary revelation was made thru him
i Would this detract from the claim of re.
ligious inspiration for Paul? Would 4
not rather support that claim, on The
basis that deepseer would be most likely
4 when brought into contact with deep re
4 ligious problems, with the deepest prob:
lens of life, to catch the real music II
ehtGsfS ItSt1l ~ VI .@8$
! would not PauPs experience be In SUP.
pertaof nrankind's confidence ;insthe, itrutl
4 Of sthe messages of. thes poets-tfe rea
Il poets, 4 not the sversifers ?,s $50 Ill
Futile. questions, perhaps; but it 1
mans nature to question. b VA
Henry Harland the author Of MY ,Frfen
i Prospero, is now the type of the SUCCESS
!; full and opulent novelist. The latest new
!, from him is that he is travelling luxur
lousy in Italy with his family. But
| was once quite different with him
friend Of his younger days gives an in
, teresting picture of Harland .'before talk
; ing his dose of popular success 81
was at the time he was writing his frs
novel, Mrs. Peixada.' I" he says. "'that
knew him. He worked feverishly, goin
to bed at each night and rising at som
such 1ungodly hour as 4 or S O'Clock in tn
) morning, to.;write until breakfast. The;
he worked at his office where he earne
: his,.daily bread-a lawyers office I be
) lieve-and rushed back as soon as h
! could to work on the book an hour or S
before going to bed. It takes a grea
deal Of pluck to give up everything Xix
that when man is young and fond q
living. The Uneasy Chair.
) All hope abandon We who enter here.
: Would not that be the spirit Of thos
| undertook the study of that immortal wor
without the; advice of. those who hav
} gone before
: Adolphus T. Ennis. an Italian and a
enthusiastic student Of Dante, has writ
: ten little volume entitled An Introduc
? ton to, Dante's Inferno. The. book
E intended to fill the office of mentor an
to guide the beginner step by step thr
: the. path followed by Dante and Virg
!: in the dark regions Of the city of woe
! It not only explains the obvious story {
$ the poem, but seeks to interpret its allie
cory and mysticism. The work Is trlll
4 an introduction and will be Of grea
! value to the beginner in the study {
J. the 1tailan poet. IL. S. K.
THE MAGAZINE SAMPLER
Poem by Secretary Hays Dauqhter.-
TOMORROW
Tomorrow and tomorrow Shall there be
4 Perchance morrow when may not see
Il Your face beside me any more? All no.
3 My love-my love, cannot let yon go.
3 Like sun in Egypt, ever kind and fair,
My heart must wake ut dawn and know "
d ns. there. .3s
= No dread of day that holds weeping rain,
e No fear OF chilly love. and Swallowed pain "
But ever fperfect-ever wise and true
: Tomorrow and tomorrow holding you.
Helen Hay Whitney, in August Ainslee's.
& lees