The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1905-06-11

ETRARCH and that Laura,
whom his poetic genius made
= immortal in human memory,
snd-let gallantry not falter in
believing it-Laura and that
Petrarch whom her angelic
graces, shown through that glorious
woman-beauty in which her spirit was
incarnate, taught while his soul was
stilI on earth its Iove-winged Flying
Lesson" which made his poems posi-
bic, are what the beautiful little book
Of verse by San Franchises Miss Agnes
Tobin is all about-them and their
love, most lovingly interpreted by tai
ented translation of the lovers SON
nets and canzonL Let US. by an act of
faith, consider IL correct to say dually
their love" rather than his love. for
though Laura while on earth could not
in sweet religions law give response
TO this-one of the greatest passions
OF history, IL would be unpoetic infidel-
fly TO doubt that love like Petrarch's
viii live on and up to the heaven where
poetic vision saw her as graciously re-
spOnsive; and there-what know we of
new heavenly relationships to make us
fear the love-laws of the eternities,
when God shall unsex us on the fur
Their shore" would bar the singer from
the love Of the beautiful inspirer of
his immortal songs
The collection of beautiful -ransla-
tons is well called The Flying Les
son." for although the title is taken
from a single sonnet anent Laura's own
lesson in use OF new given angel
wings,
How plain I see the sapphire studded gates
The vaporous angels eoaxing her TO fly
Tlrr- he So che cffo arH oft
the whole music of all the lines in the
book is a flying lesson" We see by ali
its passien-breathing pages how Pc
trarchs love, which was seven years
sublimated before il became poetry,
taught him that flying lesson by which
from its first starting point of passion
for physical possession his wish became
ever stronger and manlier in the exalta-
ton Of its desire, till his spirit drank
announcement even as wine" and he could
say Of the woman, 81 loved only her
soul"
is also TO all of us who read flying
lesson taught us by Agnes Tobin, for
when she, by power and grace Of poetic
temperament, diligently trained, brings
home TO US from far Italian lands, from
distant ages. and out of a language for
eign 70 our ken, that story that rings
true poetry in the melody of our own
mother tongue about a love passion that
bore itself to spiritual victory above all
seeming battling and that triumphed over
death, she helps us TO go thought-winged
with our guardian angels up to where we
can believe that our dead still live and
love US. She so uses her gift of poetry /
10 uplift that all men, standing where /
grief can any moment lead them-in fact 1
IN memory or in magma tons forecast |
may find in the books treasures the /
same fine answer Petrarch found to that /
pleading over Laura's grave:
Take what you viii as pawn
u you will lift me, Love, and let float
Where hope may read what endless longing
wrote.
That love did lift Petrarch to
where he might read as truth what end
less longing wrote we may hope from the
,,,sion called The Visit" Here is part of
Miss Tobin's rendering:
Indeed but that toward dawn. beside my bed /
cffen that sacred beauty greets me-yea
Takes my poor hands and talks Of oid-tine
And doth intentIy listen, deeply brood
on my long agony ana al II orings-
Then ste goes back to heaven--lingering wings
Wet eyes. sob-shaken hreas,-Ahi II could!
And here is another beautiful express
SON Of a sweet experience of being love-
lifted out Of grief:
what pitying thing. what angel was so quick
" [ ne nv hearts cry through midmost heaven
70 wheel2
al-esaT though cannot see. I feel
NJ LAWS coming-and my heart beats thick.
'r6en stops. then hurries on in longing. sick
49, elett of her to whom shallssay Heal
Touch. take me, save me; teach n'e-here i
! hie --.v live. for ] have lost the trick"
- iovrIy beauty OF that face-the hand
tf5ufstretclsed Oh God The lit'is phrase
-rhst only she and / can understand
: Dear--your poor cries through all my body
:. - for Won / did ibid withstand
TIE rest are words whose sweetness stops |
the sun.
For the translator TO so beautifully |
,.onsnort poetic ecstacy from foreign !
'sneuare into ours without loss in sound |
- 49,. eense means that she is herself poet. |
md in the dedication Of the book TO her
fsfber's memory we get some brief proof
Of her power OF wTiung poems u ne
Z ..s,,v v,fen she chooses. Here 10