The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1905-04-29
Il Literary Table.
SACRED HEART ACADEMY.
THE GREAT CHRISTIANS EPIC.

Il
Standing in sight Of the mighty forest, the
swaying pines a surglng of green, the very
air redoent with sweetness and around all the holy
calm of nature; we arc awed by its subhmity and
majesty: and vet in this one glance, how little
see of the real beauty of the forest Nesting near
to the heart of the rugged pines are hundreds of
dainty ferns, hiding under the fallen trees are
myriads of woodland vioets, tucked away III the
sylvan beauty of forest glen, slumbers the clear,
cold spring. A symphony of blrd-muslc rings
from the lofty trees, re-echoes across the tahom-
less depths of the woods. SO Iasso's monumental
work stands before sublime forest OF
thought: its noble cantOs swayng in the breeze of
inspiration, every line rcdoent with beauty; and
around all the haly calm of faith, and stand
before this vast forest of literature In awe and
admiration. Yet if we would fill our souls with It's
real beauty-we must take up abode III Its
DEPTHS must breathe in the very air which gives 1t
life and alone. must wend our way through
It's tangled paths seeking out the hidden fern and
violet and drinking in the melody which echoes
from stanza to stanza-a glorious burst Of song
"A tragedy says Dryden lis the miniature of
human life epic poem IS the draft at length.
How well-ftted was TassO to make draft OF the
workings of humanity! To write epic poem
which would last for all time He had suffered
every defeat. The recognition he craved was CIV
en- to him. Just as his hand closed over the crucltX
in the agony of death; the of laurel so well
merted was placed on his noble brow when the sad
heart was still and cold The chains which bound
the hands of genius have crumbled into dust, the
proud Duke of Ferarra is forgotten; but IN
thousand hearts does TorquatO IassO live today
Silently but eoquently does his immortal epic plead
his cause III innumerable Temples of Fame
Led by the great Homer, the poet stood with
Achilles and Hector where the blood of heroes
moistened the battle field of fray; guided by the
noble Virgil the sage has stood with Eneas and
Anchises at the funeral pyre of a nation but guld
ed by the immortal Tasso,-poet priest and sage,
with bowed head and humble heart have knet with
Godfrey and Pinado where angels hover round the
sacred spots consecrated by the Blood of God
Man.
The epics of Greece and Rome are great it Is
true but the glamor of pagansm Is about them
and the gospel which they preach is gospel OF de
spair.
But how different the gospel of Dante and a
Tasso! ,:-
Truth robed in songs benign disguise
Has won the coyest soothed the sternest minds"
With all the earnestness and sincerity which
characterize great souls Tasso felt his responsible
ty as teacher of mankind and trembed lest he
might not be equal to the task.
What humility and beauty III his invocation,
not to the Muse of Pindalm but to the angels Waro-
ling celestial psalms.
Make thou my song lucid and pure
Breathe thou the song divine i'll my BOSOM.
In twenty glorious cantos Tasso sketches one
of submest struggles in history, the FIRST Cru
SADIE. SO perfectly is the picture drawn that we
see the marshalled troops of Christiandom bearing
the banner of the cross to victory.
With wondrous skill has the poet sketched his
characters In Godfrey, the noble leader OF the
expedition, we are forced to admire the exalted
virtues of the ideal knighthood. In Raymond, the
good old knight, too young to fear" we see
reflection of maedieval proves combined with
strong belief in the supernatural. In fancred, the
gallant chief. and Rnaldo the dauntless boy
knight we see heroic valor and daring chivalry
personifed Nor is Tasso less powerful in describ-
ing the valiant breaks of the opposing forces but
their subtle ways and dark ntrques are in striking
contrast to the open measures OF the Christian
hosts.
Beautiful, indeed, are many of the episodes
woven into the great work-and none more beautl-
full that Tancrede's combat with the unknown
knight What anguish wrngs his soul when he
discovers that his expiring antagonist is no other
than his beloved Clorinda! And quickly at her re-
quest he bestows 1.-The sacred right that drives all
sin away"
Realism and materiasm have sneered at the
daring exploits of chvalry ignorance and pride
have scoffed at the middle Ages" but what can
they give us today for the masterpieces of olds
Where among all the productions of the nineteenth
century is poem like Tassos Jerusalem De
liveredT' Where among all the plg9y heroes 10 OF
modern fiction is there hero like Godfrey, like
Rinaldo like Fancred! Amidst this galaxy OF he
roes-there are women, too, whose lives an in
spiration. Erminia, with all her charms, with all
her graces is firm in her love, loyal in her friend
ship. Surrounded by all the terrors of war, she
loses none of her refinement.
"In every action through the quaint attire,
The latent spirit of the lady shone.'
That so many turn today to this marvellous eplc
poem as one of the masterpieces of the world
proves well the words of the immortal author:
Genuine worth tho negligent is crowned
With sufficient ornament.
Arrayed in its own excellence"
ANNA mcguire,
Sacred Heart Academy, Ogden Utah.