The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-06-23

who 10 lmeeling at his feet. while Homer
n Virgil attentively witness the coFo-
nation. What echoes this story and this
picture must have awakened in the breast
Of the German adoleScent who was destined
TO be a jurist. but saw his greatest source OF
happiness in Life in the laurel wreath woven
to decorate the poet!
MOI is this the only point Of likeness
between the lives Of 1.-THE two writer's. Manso's
biography Of the Italian poet, published In
1774, had portrayed in rich and warm colors
Tasso's Ne ct the court Of FerraFA, his
hopeless bpve Of Princess Leonora Of Este
and his struggle against enemies. secret
and open, Little moro than q year there-
after Goethe found himself In an astonish-
ingly similar situation. He too had cons
to q court. had become involved In an aim
less love for q noblewoman Of the court
oirole. and had to contend with many q
stubborn enemy. So 1t came to pasS that
In the German poets drama Ferrara 10
Weimar; Tasso is Goethe. and the Princess
Leonora 10 Frau Won Stein. We are told
that any one who is familiar with the history
Of Weimar during the decade from l77o to
1888 must feel, in reading Goethe's play.
as though he were listening to real som
VIBRATIONS Of that period. According to
his present biographer, Goethe's encourage
knew perfectly well the facts upon which
the play was based and that the prototypes
Of the characters were members Of the court
circle. Nobody. for example. could mistake
his portrait Of Frau Won Stein. In later
years, when interpretations were no longer
dangerous, Goethe made nc secret Of how
much personal and local color there was in
the poem. 80 that he felt justified in saying
Of it. 1T is bone OF my bone and 6esh OF
my flesh In the earlier stages Of the
composition. indeed, Goethe had reported
to Nine. Won Stein, step by step, how he
was revealing his love for her under the
veil OF poetry. This circumstance was
the real source Of his happiness, and kept
alive within him the fire in which he forged
the drama.
The fundamental motive Of Goethe's
drama seems to be the disproportion be-
tween Tasso's poetic genius and real
experience. During the authors life the
play was often performed, but It is now
rarely seen upon the stage and evidently
in better adapted to be read than to be
acted. The action often moves forward
very haltingly and the scenes that have
the least action are p out TO the greatest
length. Touching this point the biographer
observes: "The extraordinarily tender
beauties with which the play is resplendent,
the Raphaelesque soul painting, now family
suggestive. now glowing with saturate
color, the subtle purposes OF the compost
ton. the thoughtful discussion Of the entic-
ing problems Of life and history, the
delicate elegiao tinge which marks the
emotions, the noble graoefulness Of the
dialogue. the lofty human sentiments.
the atmosphere Of the time and place and
the wonderfully flexible verse which readily
accommodates itself to every character
and every s~ituation-can but be weakened
by staging, or If fully preserved must be-
come a h~indrance.' But while for the rea-
sons stated the'play is pronounced unsuited
for the theatre, our author expresses the
conviction that we may examine all the
in the literature Of the world and
none of them will be found equal to 'Tasso'
in specifically poetical qualities. 1t has pre-
dominantly the feeling and the coloring
of a lyric poem. This may be it's weak
ness, but it is also its incaloulable great
ness"