The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1914-02-21
At the Library
Poems of Francis Thompson
A Great Catholic Poet.

francls Thompson was born III Pres
ton, Lancashire, England. December
Is, 1859, and died in London Novem
Der -. 1907.
The family being Catholic Francis
was educated at Ushaw college. "a well
known Catholic institution Of learning.
After completing his course at Ushaw.
he was sent to Owens college to study
medicine, his father, a physician, being
anxious to have his son follow the
same profession. The study of medi-
cine became more and more obnoxious
to the young man and he finally dis
appeared from Owens, leaving no trace
behind.
OF the next few years of his life
little IS known. lie led Il precarious
existence about the streets of London
selling matches, running errands, sleep
ing in lodging houses when he had a
shilling in his pocket, walking the
streets when he was penniless
Finally in ls>s, Il poem which Ii
sent to Merry England, a Cathoh,
publication, attracted the attention
the editor, Wilfred Mcynell After
repeated efforts, Mr.. Meynell succeeded
in finding his contributor and a grca
genius was saved to England 5 litera
turc. From that time Francis Thomp
son was never without home am
friends Cardinal Manning, Mr.. aue
Mrs Meyneil, Coventry Patmore. vii
fred Blunt and other leaders o.
Catholic thought in England gave him
sympathy and support, and receivee
him on a footing of intimate friend
ship.
During Thompson 5 lifetime, hi
verse found Il small though Very dis
tinguished audience. but with the pub
LEGATION of his collected works Their,
has come Il more general recognition Q
their merit. While most of Us have
been saving that poetry is dead. :;
great poet has lived, done his WORK.
and died. and we have known it not
Recognition and applause. however
were things that Francis Thompsol
could DO without lie knew the wortI
Of his own work, and had the sam,
high provision Of the value the worl.
would set upon II. that Keats aue
ShakSpcrc entertained Tor their work
When an artist dies unrecoguized w
are apt to feel that he missed some
thing. but il i we with our dull per
ceptions and pre-oceupations Will
trivial things who have been losers
+ Once more we stand convicted OF nav
ing eyes that see not. ears that hea
not.
Francis Thompson j. great Cath
Ollie poet. not because his poetry
technically religious. but. because L
i sutfuscd with Catholic feeling. \,
Protestant, no jew, no Buddhist, coul,
have written it. The mental attitude
the spiritual point of view, make i
Catholic rather than the subject mat
ter Just as the note of Puritanisn
pervades the poetry OF Milton, or tbs
note OF Pantheism that OF Goethe, 81
the note OF Catholicism pervades th'
verse of Thompson. Shakspere NIGH
have been anything, Keats might hay
been Pagan. Shelly an atheist. bu
Francis Thompson could have beer
nothing bat "a devon: Catholic. Th
is the primary impression made by hi
poetry.
These poems also express an intens
personality, self-polsed but vibrant I
the beauty and glory of the creates
and the least things in the universe
There is nothing in our literature NOR
magnificent than the Ode to the Set
ting SUM- nothing more poignant thai
the Hound of Heaven, nothing NOR
delicate and tender than the poems t
children. Thompson did wonderful
things with words, and technically hi
work IS to lie compared only with tn
great masters of song.
The stanzas following were his las
work and did not receive his fna
: revision
The Kingdom of God.
{. In No Strange Land.