Amarillo daily news. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 19??-current, 1912-12-19

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princes banner
Wavered. then staggered backward.
hemmed by foes.
A craven hung along the battles
edge,
And thought Had sword OF
keener steel
That blue blade that the Kings son
bears-but this
Blunt thing he snapt. and flung
IL from his hand.
Then came the Kings son, wounded.
sore-bestead
And weaponless. And saw the bro
ken sword.
Hilt-buried in the dry and trodden
sand,
And ran. and snatched IT, and with
battle-shout
Lifted aloft. he hewed his enemy
down
And won a great cause that heroic
day.
Here. friends. is a ruby. militant,
liery. burning red. blood red, to the
| deep heart Nth life. Life with
its myriad struggles, life, battle
field. where a thousand foes encom-
pass the hunted but heroic soul, yet
! life which holds ~ It's height a guer-
don for the brave, the kingly, who
daring 10 do. or die In the daring
wrest from the trodden sands Of
adversely the broken weapon discard
ed by some craven fellow, with
which 10 beat back the depressing
fates and win to glorious victory.
The message is here. But II is
even more clearly conveyed. ] think
through comparison with the two
other poems to which reference has
been made enc by John j. In
gals with which ;ne most of you,
feel sure. are familiar. The other
by Walter Malone. Tennesseean,
still living. with whose work you
should become better acquainted.
ingalls, treats OF Opportunity as
a EIlN anu lIoH'io'N'u 'ioi'""N ""N
knocks at the door OF every human
and knocks but once. ending a pow
erful. but Irregular son
net with the hopeless refrain. and !
return no more Malone refutes the
memorable theory. declaring that Op'
. portunity Is fresh, new, omnipresent
and ever-recurrent. asserting:
-" Each night we burn the records
of the day. az sunrise every SOUL :.
= born again.
This poem of Sills', deem
, stronger and more powerful presen
I tation. II conveys a message, a
. martial-shrill as n trumpet call
which rallies the brave and hunted
4 heart to renewed and victorious en-
g deavor.
so much for the meaning. w
have caught, perhaps at first glance
: the rich light at the ruby's heart
rudy as humanity itself
g Now for the setting. No attemp
AZ intricate or delicate design
;. Rhyme discarded The hard, fine
$ hammered gold Of blank verse, mu
steal in a measure. not because IN
l. author intended making II so, bu
h because sill could not be other tina
IS musical. An epitome OF life, witt
n In the restricting compass OF ! 6 line
e 4 fitting setting for such a jewe
No other would serve so we'll pc
II haps. or give freer play for the leal
Y ing fires that flash on the impre
(. sionable thought.
Ie And now for the carving. \
lapldarys work is here. No fin
,r close cutting on the artists wheel
m Immediately apparent. But loo
N Observe the broken meter No a.
I herence TO strict form. Aftermath
AZ will from the trochaic TO the n
,e tive Unable, blending the two
times in a sudden leap OF phrase In
. perfect amprihrachys droppii
T. Tor the sake o. blunt terseness In
T. stern. strong s.ondcc. II requir
or no powerful Tense 10 inspect the
e facets But they are worth examin
ne ton. Note the first line. This
beheld. Real life. The battlefie
ne cf eyedy day Kings sons In I
fray OF the present, witnessed by {
az eye Of the soul Mayhap.
nd or dreamed il in dream T
OF poets touch here. Jus. enough
ne the indefinite 20 lend imaginati
he interest 10 the readers thought.
ne added haziness is given by the d.
nd cloud. which envelopes the opp'
ne. ing armies. But presently this III
is. Here is the battle before US. A
10. here. Observe the powerful use
,rd ALTERATION in the fourth and III
ne lines: Swords shocked upon swoi
Of and shields The letter s. by
ng addition OF the aspirant. II. Is n
ra- bed OF it's usual sibilant suggests
with such combination IL has a III
4 I ing. changing force This is accen
ex- ated by iambic ending OF line 4
~. and the trochaic beginning OF ]
nee five. forming a powerful spond
- Intentional. DO you doubt
me Drop lower down TO line Inc. ]
nd. spondees here. But this bl
nj, thing Get the superb effect
,,s duced nv sudden resort TO the
the chez. wayered. staggered backwi