Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-05-21
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE.
Three hundred Years ago thi, A,

L
Three hundred years ago this April.
| William Shakespeare, the poet OF his
| time and the poet OF all times. died i'm
| Stratford- on Avon. Every boy and girl
! OF America to-day Is studying the life
| and the plays Of this man OF all ages:
! plays. lectures and pageants are given
! I'm his memory. And we are doing all
this I'm order that we may ind out for
| ourselves his greatness and his worth.
we can learn little OF shakespeare
life and character by studying his
biography, but who could read the
writings OF this man and then not
| know something of his personality? lie
was kind and arfcctonate, humorous
| and witty. Some of his plays are Just
bubbllng over with laughter and fun:
| they Ill us with sunshine. they Danish
our cares. and make US smile i'm spite
OF everything.
Shakespeare was n lover of tho beau
tiful Ills home, Stafford on Avon.
was place OF flowers, streams and
birds, and in many of his plays just
such places as that are pictured He
makes us SEQ more OF the beautiful In
life: he. makes us love the birds and
the flowers and the springtimc
From his knowledge OF life Shakes
peare Is called It philosopher; Indeed.
ne was reader or human nature. and
ne made his characters as real rs life
TO us. He dwelt upon tho mysteries
or life, it's joys and its SORROWS and
In the end he found out that life was
beautiful and noble. and i'm having only
the highest ideals can we find true
happiness.
Shakespeare wrote OF his time, but
he also wrote OF all times. 1--WE can
fancy him radiant aloft over all tho
nations of Englishnen thousand
years hence" says Carlyle. His inrlu-
ehce VIII be felt over the whole Garth
until life is changed. Next TO the
| Bible. his writings have been felt more
Than any other literary influence His
ideals are high: he tells us that only
| true manhood Is worth while after all.
! ne shows that character comes before
wealth. or anything else. His plays
| broaden our minds they give us a clear
| insight into human nature and they
'each MS to be sympathetic. kind. low
aoie ana true. Above ALL they teach
us TO live up to the highest princi piles
| OF life
II we never read Shakespeare W,
VIII miss half there Ia In life: we will
be shutting out that which would make
US wiser and better men and women.
his writings give us the highest in
srirations: his thoughts express III.
very emotions of tho soul; his poetry
Is universal In that II appeals to all
classes OF people The lovers OF nature
and or the beautiful find him interest
'hS. MS words are like the sweetest
music. To all, his s,ories-those won.
derful comedies and tragedies-appeal
lie has fully pictured every kind o.,
character TO us. He has taken our
noolest thoughts and expressed them
as one who can read tho very dcpthe
OF the heart.
ana who does not want 20 read tho
writings OF such man? A man whose
influence is felt over the whole world
one VINO arouses our eympathies and
teaches us TO realize that tragedy IL
not In empty event. but in tho fall OF
soul Who does not want to read
the writings OF n man who has taught
ns to find life beautiful, and always 10
look to the nohlest ideals? He was
truly man OF the highest tyne for:
ms lie was gentle. and the ele-
mcnts so miH'd in him that nature
might stand up and say TO all the world
This was n man"
FRANCES McDEARMON.