The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1915-09-04
WHAT Is POETRY?
"THE VISION OF A GREAT AND
GIFTED SOUL" SAYS DR.. o'HA-
GAN IN 1.-THE MAGNIFICAT."

GAN IN THE MAGNIFlCAT."
do not by any means intend to-
offer the reader in this paper a defini-
ton of poetry. 1t is enough to know
that like all great art poetry has its
root in the infinite and is but the
splendor of truth. He who must have
a definition of poetry in order the
better to enjoy and appreciate it
should turn from poetry to the realm
of mere fact and knowledge, where
everything can be formulated in terms
of and y. 80
Poetry is the vision OF a great and
gifted soul:
The light that never was on. sea or
land aaN
The conservation and the poets
dream
The true poet is prophet of the
people, and if true to the gifts given
him of God will lead the world up to
the higher tablelands of life and living.
He has been consecrated for his divine
office of song by a gift of God, and if
he does not turn from his high voca-
ton and look down towards Camelot
he will assuredly bless the earth, and
the seedlings of his grace will take
root and blossom in all the gardens of
mankind.
Let me rather in this paper discuss
somewhat the elements of poetry and
the value and individuality of it's gift
as found among various races. In the
development of civilization down the
centuries it will be observed that
poetry has always preceded prose for
the very good reason that in the life
of the nation as in the life of man
feeling precedes reason.
Poetry Before Prose.
If we look at the literary dawn of
such countries as England, France,
see the altar fires of poetry burning
long before prose has found a shrine.
English prose proper dates only from
the Tudor period while the voice of
English song reaches back to the days
of "Old Dan Chaucer"-yea, back to
to France and Germany long before
the French halbert and German battle
axe of thought had fashioned French
and German prose on the banks of
the Rhone and the Rhine, French
troubadours and German minnesingers
had struck their harps in the chateaux
of Provence and Suabia, and charmed
the hearts of peasant and prince in
those courtly days of chivalry and
goodly cheer.
In the development Of poetry flow
ering from the soil of the Middle
Ages, nothing is more interesting than
study of it's national expression as
seen in the literatures of Europe: how
this flower springing up early revealed
in hue and fragrance it's racial root;
how the breath from alien lands
sweeping across the garden of its
setting influenced it's life and unfold
ing; and Notwithstanding all this, how
it has continued through the centuries
to reflect the manner and mode and
inner spiritual thought of a people
giving creative form to their highest
and noblest dreams.
In the national development of art
there appears to have been a certain
compensation melted out. The only
art in Europe that seems to have
dropped it's Seeding in every soil dur
ing the Middle Ages is that of archi-
lecture. The faith of the sanctuary
blossomed everywhere in temples
raised to God. Neither in England nor
France nor Germany nor Italy nor
Spain lid the Gothic cathedral fail to
take form and express the nations soul
in these medieval days.
But it was not thus with all the
arts. England knew nothing of paint
ing till the middle of the eighteenth
century. Why was this? Was it be-
cause she cut herself off from the
fountain and source of true faith and
spiritual life early in the sixteenth
century? The same thing happened
to Holland. She has within her art
period produced only portrait and
landscape painters.
Religion and Art.
Is it not significant, indeed, that
not country in Europe that gave up
| the ancient faith has since the time
| of the schism produced great art
when measured by the spiritual reed
| Only in poetry is there an exception
to this, and even when one takes the
three greatest poets who have ap-
| peared in the countries that broke
with Shakespeare and Milton
in England and Goethe in Germany
by far the greatest of these, Shakes
peare, is really the product, as Carlyle
says, of Catholic medievalism, and is
as truly representative of it's I'M
broken and unnamed faith as Chau-
Ger was of Catholic England.
Remember well that I am not here
holding that Shakespeare professed
the Catholic faith, or was an affiliated
member of the Catholic Church. Any
one who knows the spacious days
of Queen Elizabeth knows full well
that all religion sat lightly just then
on the English people, who we're ever
ready to don their Sunday garments
/ to suit each new religious procession
as it filed by with its political leaders.
But William Shakespeare was of Cath
Ollie blood, nurtured by centuries of
Catholic living and Catholic tradi-
tons, and it would be strange indeed
i liz he. the greatest of dramatiStS, look