New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1914-04-11
ROBERT BROWNING.


of the Southwestern Louisiana
Industrial Institute of Lafayett
to a most select audience at tn
High School Auditorium las
> Wednesday evening at s o'clock
Browning is one of the most TN
popular poets that has eve
lived, by unpopularity, w
mean unattractiveness to the
general reading public. II,
does not appeal neither to The
fancy nor to the general intelli
gence Of the average public. He
is too ponderous and profound to
be easily understood by the fast
reader who has been trained 20
absorb lighter literature. Brown
ing is considered 10y the highest
authorities on literature. one o.
the best poets of condensing
thoughts in few words. There
are more compressed ideas and
phylosOphies in his lines and
stanzas than any other poet, eth
err living or dead could ever pro.
duce in English The heaviness
and the fecunditv of ideas eX-
pressed in each phrase is mainly
the reason that nobody but a
trained ana veteran litteratuer
studies him. The verses as we'll as
his poetry is surcharged with ev-
cry problem of life and every
phase Of our existence. He GER
tainly is a master ord-painter
of every emotion that animates
the human heart. A close scrut
my of his poetical philosophy of
life reveals him TO be one of the
most skillful architects Of the
psychology Of human nature and
proves him to have had
keen penetrating view of the for
ces that make the character and
the types of the human race and
peoples. Like all great poets
life furnishes the inexhaust;-
Ole material for mans observa-
tons and for the poets music.
Life is the culver that vibrates
and permeates every living con
dition in the Universe. While
Browning may appear to some
people as a mystic Or as having
endeavored to develop the science
Of .occultism, at close range he is
one Of the most inspiring and
thrilling verse writer's that ever
dipped pen in ink.
DIR. Stephens after having pre-
sented the virtue and value of /
the Institution of which he is the
head according to the regulation
and ability Of the best publicist !
and booster, with great skill dove
into his subject and analysed |
some Of the finer points and lof-
tier views of some Of the immortal
passages Of his poetry. Some Of
those poetical ideas after they
were submitted to an instructive
explanation reached the heights
of the divine dominion. DR..
Stephens in presenting a compar-
alive review of the influence and
value Of the greatest Of English
poets pronounced Browning, based
on the impression his studies of
his writings and the explanation
to his audience have
evidenced as the greatest Of
the great next to Shakespeare
whom he considers the tow
ering master before whom
all lovers Of literature must bow.
It is very encouraging to see
The audience who will go out CT
their way to enjoy a literary treat
increase in numbers and interest.
Il means the ascendency Of intel
oct over the more popular sordid
matters in this community. The
of the taste for art
and literature can be made of as
great a service to the creation of a
higher type of manhood and
than the work per-
formed daily by our civic asso-
'iations. To put an aesthetic
value on the finer sentiments and
moral views that must sometimes i
govern the conditions that will
eventually solve some of our
most urgent social problems is a
Happy evidence of the loss of
prestige and dignity of Mammon.
3reat thanks are due to the or
that from time to time
BRING these learned people to ;
New iberia and bring also those
higher criticisms and discussions ,
# the best works and minds of
he best people on earth nearer {
lome to the ordinary man and |
who otherwise world be 4
prevented from the sight Of that