Evening star., 1925-09-22
THIS AND THAT
ny CHARLES 3. TRACEWH.

Thomas Heed, ''humorist and poet
(as one biosrapher called hifn), gave
about as good an explanation OF
something that has puzzled us since
childhood as any:
E Eye and Adam wore no dresses
Becauee they lived watercresses. .,,
And TIL they learned to cook their cruditles
Went blind as beetles to their ntidities.
= 1t Is not as a humorist. however
but as d poet that Tom Hood lives
among us today. 1t is true that the
bulk of his humorous verse far ex
ceeds the amount Of his serious
poetry, In the proportion at about
100 to I. .s
YET ii Is the one part that lives
whether il be in the form OF the
song OF the Shirt" or in those iines
familiar to all.
rsniemtsef, I rshi3niber,.
RE Thf f,tRs tReuss rss shsfe evb.se r'i s soFH .aa
Hsc caas sysrp pespas esls N wink n faSen soo soon.
Nor bfonkht too lcrs DAY.
Had borne MY breath away
I rsnismber, remember.
rh sidIsss fIsss.' asa rsa AZ fna ly.aess Th'e
rna afa q inSls %hsss y 4 fSsisf #. Is,ss,y ss
The tree 10 living yet
rsnismber. remember,
..Where I ussd 20 swins, ,...h
AND thonshs the sa air ,s must ,,. rush as ire'h
NY spirit R ffsw IN IN feathers sss then.
And dhsa sansS Il e beois nesEy eSSd SST hardly cool
The fever on my brow.
renhepber. ! remember,
1s The Etses Is isis. ds5h ,hs,s sna s.ngsr nth
Were close sgainst the sky:
II was a childish ignorance.
To Know I'm farthef of from heaven
Than when I was a boy.
4 x X X
There are many people much far
ther eff from Heaven today thai
Thomas Hood ever thought of being
and among them, certainly, are the
bright psyChs -analysists who sofemnl,
'analyze" this very poem into pic
ture of restraints and suppressed de
sires.
What Hood meant. however, is what
all of us feel. now and then. Because
we do. Il remember, l remember
has lived, and may be found in mos
of the antholosies today. One would
hardly call it a great poem, but II il
very good one, at any rate.
saw We not fair Ines:
She gone into the west.
So begins another of Hoods lyrics
included I'm most of the better collec
tions We refrain from quoting 1t. be
cause we like better the serenade:
All sweet. thou little snowest how
i wake and passionate watches keep:
And vet, while l address thee now,
Methinks thou. snilest in thy sleep.
lis sweet enough to make me weep,
That tender thought OF love and thee
That while the world 's hush d 30 deep
Thy souls perhaps awake to me
Sleep on. sleep on. sweet bride of sleep!
With golden visions for thy dover.
While this midnight vigil keep,
And bless thee in thy silent bower.
To me 'tis sweeter than the power
OF sleep and fairy dreams unfurled:
That I alone. at this still hour.
In patient love outwatch the world.
That last line is one of the finest tc
be found in all poetry. There is nc
necessity To plow back through tn,
ages for great line. There it is,
Somehow or other il reminds me oi
George Eliot's "Choir Invisible
There is another of Hoods songs
that has perennial appeal. The title
"I Love Thee" was taken for the "bis
hit of Victor Herbert's early oper
eta. The Serenade," with an entire
ly different set of words, by Harry r
Smith. | am sure that had Hood &
version been used ii would have beer
better all around.
| love thee-I love thee
'Tis all ! can say:
It 10 my vision n-tie night. t.r-a---.--.-.
My dreaming in the day.
The very echo of my heart.
The blessing when I pray:
| love thee-I love thee
Is all that ! can say.
| love thee-I love thee
Is ever on my tongue.
In all my Broudest poesy
That chorus still is sung
II is the verdict of my ewes,
Amidst the gay and young:
| love thee-I love thee,
Thousand maids smUne.