Crittenden press. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1879-1907, 1907-01-10

aEuheial to plain FOLK who missed
heartiness and melody in ali the
measures Of these book lyrics.
Classical illusions, especially to
the old forest duties a. Pan. Syrinx.
and the wood nymphs. are aften en-
ployed in Arcades. There j. the
same beauty in these when under.
stood a. in L Allegro and Il Penser-
go. The descriptive passage, are
also considered very beautiful for in.
stance the shady roof, Of branching
elm s,ar-prooi, or many other. might
be mentioned.
Comus was written in 1884 and
ike Arcades was a mask. II wa
presented at Ludlow Castle before the
Ear Of Bridgewater in honor Of biz,
awning been made President Of Walc..
This mask shows that the Puritan
spirit was growing 90 Milton but yet
j, belonged 10 the earlier age. Like
the masks Of the the time Of Queen
Elizabeth it had music and dancing
bat it also contained growing strain
Of moral eafnvstnes.. Comus settled
Milton rank forever as a poet 1t
displaced itself a. a mask to rise a. a
magnificent poem, a song to temper
anee
Comus teaches that purity and in.
nocence can tread the darkest paths
and most tangled mazes Of earth with
out receiving harm and this through
the inherent strength Of goodness
Milton enjoyed the masks quite a.
keenly as any eourtier Of Charles |
and in Comus ne wished to set forth
in finer and more glourious verse than
had been dedicated TO eourtly tastes.
the battle between virtue and it.
tempters and the Divine help which
is always aiding il. We see that the
very power- Of Heaven come down to
protect and care for assailed Innocence
and that virtue j. a mighty power
within itself
Against the threats Of malice or o.;
seorcery. or that power,
Which erring men call chance
Halloman says "Comus was sui.
hclent to convince any one OF taste
and feeling that a great poet had
arisen in England and one partly
formed in a different school from hi.
contempories. In many ways Com
u was the most ambitious Of Milton .
works in his earlier days. Tn,
Lady j. the sweet embodiment Of
Milton. Youthful idea Of virtue.
I Comus. although he l. wicked and
vile inwardly, has an outward beauty
and grace that are scarcely surpassed
villain though he Il, yet he is the reaI
hero Of the mask.
The yersihcation Of Comus render.
ed 1t them unparalleled. lit va,
marked by greater grandeur OF
style and throughout, by a grAyer
beauty and more exercised and con.
seious art than any poem Of it, char
acter which England had as yet
known. Il belonged to the Elila-
bethan spirit, but it went beyond il
and made a new departve for Eng
lish poetry.
Dswden says: Milton as an ar
aist works 10 the manner Of an idea
/ list. Comus j the work Of a youth.
full -pirit There are some feature.
in Comus which do not appear in hi.
other poems. Humor, the quality
which Milton almost entirely lacked
Is best displayed in Comus. 1t Is in
Comus also that his poetic power j.
Greatest. IL teaches that the struggle
between good and evil is the prime
factor Of life and that the good must
always win.
! Lyadas, the last Of the Minor
poems, was written in 1851. IL was
au elegy, or poem mourning the
death Of his friend, Edward King. 1t
was also written in the form Of a pas.
toral and represents King and HIM
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