第3章

类别:其他 作者:Morgan Callaway字数:22457更新时间:19/01/03 14:06:53
AndfloateddowntheglassytideAndclarifiedandglorifiedThesolemnspaceswheretheshadowsbide。 FromthewarmconcaveofthatflutednoteSomewhat,halfsong,halfodor,forthdidfloat,Asifarosemightsomehowbeathroat: \"WhenNaturefromherfar-offglenFluteshersoftmessagestomen,Theflutecansaythemo’eragain; Yea,Nature,singingsweetandlone,[101] Breathesthroughlife’sstridentpolyphoneTheflute-voiceintheworldoftone。 Sweetfriends,Man’sloveascendsTofineranddivinerendsThanman’smerethoughte’ercomprehendsForI,e’enI,AshereIlie,Apetalonaharmony,DemandofSciencewhenceandwhy[111] Man’stenderpain,man’sinwardcry,Whenhedothgazeonearthandsky? Iamnotoverbold: IholdFullpowersfromNaturemanifold。 Ispeakforeachno-tonguedtreeThat,springbyspring,dothnoblerbe,AnddumblyandmostwistfullyHismightyprayerfularmsoutspreadsAbovemen’soft-unheedingheads,[121] Andhisbigblessingdownwardsheds。 Ispeakforall-shapedbloomsandleaves,Lichensonstonesandmossoneaves,Grassesandgrainsinranksandsheaves; Broad-frondedfernsandkeen-leavedcanes,Andbrierymazesboundinglanes,Andmarsh-plants,thirsty-cuppedforrains,Andmilkystemsandsugaryveins; Foreverylong-armedwoman-vineThatroundapiteoustreedothtwine;[131] Forpassionateodors,anddivinePistils,andpetalscrystalline; Allpuritiesofshadysprings,Allshynessesoffilm-wingedthingsThatflyfromtree-trunksandbark-rings; Allmodestiesofmountain-fawnsThatleaptocovertfromwildlawns,Andtrembleifthedaybutdawns; AllsparklingsofsmallbeadyeyesOfbirds,andsidelongglanceswise[141] Wherewiththejayhintstragedies; Allpiquanciesofpricklyburs,AndsmoothnessesofdownsandfursOfeidersandofminevers; AlllimpidhoneysthatdolieAtstamen-bases,nordenyThehumming-birds’fineroguery,Bee-thighs,noranybutterfly; Allgraciouscurvesofslenderwings,Bark-mottlings,fibre-spiralings,[151] Fern-wavingsandleaf-flickerings; Eachdial-markedleafandflower-bellWherewithineverylonesomedellTimetohimselfhishoursdothtell; Alltree-sounds,rustlingsofpine-cones,Wind-sighings,doves’melodiousmoans,Andnight’sunearthlyunder-tones; Allplacidlakesandwavelessdeeps,Allcoolreposingmountain-steeps,Vale-calmsandtranquillotos-sleeps;——[161] Yea,allfairforms,andsounds,andlights,Andwarmths,andmysteries,andmights,OfNature’sutmostdepthsandheights,——Thesedothmytimidtonguepresent,TheirmouthpieceandlealinstrumentAndservant,alllove-eloquent。 Iheard,when`ALLFORLOVE’theviolinscried: So,Naturecallsthroughallhersystemwide,`Givemethylove,Oman,solongdenied。’ Muchtimeisrun,andmanhathchangedhisways,[171] SinceNature,intheantiquefable-days,Washidfromman’struelovebyproxyfays,Falsefaunsandrascalgodsthatstoleherpraise。 Thenymphs,coldcreaturesofman’scolderbrain,ChilledNature’sstreamstillman’swarmheartwasfainNevertolaveitsloveinthemagain。 Later,asweetVoice`Lovethyneighbor’said; ThenfirsttheboundsofneighborhoodoutspreadBeyondallconfinesofoldethnicdread。 VainlytheJewmightwaghiscovenanthead:[181] `ALLMENARENEIGHBORS,’sothesweetVoicesaid。 So,whenman’sarmshadcircledallman’srace,TheliberalcompassofhiswarmembraceStretchedbiggeryetinthedarkboundsofspace; Withhandsa-gropehefeltsmoothNature’sgrace,Drewhertobreastandkissedhersweetheartface: YeamanfoundneighborsingreathillsandtreesAndstreamsandcloudsandsunsandbirdsandbees,Andthrobbedwithneighbor-lovesinlovingthese。 Butoh,thepoor!thepoor!thepoor![191] Thatstandbytheinward-openingdoorTrade’shanddothtightenevermore,Andsightheirmonstrousfoul-airsighFortheoutsidehillsofliberty,WhereNaturespreadsherwildblueskyForArttomakeintomelody! ThouTrade!thoukingofthemoderndays! Changethyways,Changethyways; Letthesweatylaborersfile[201] Alittlewhile,Alittlewhile,WhereArtandNaturesingandsmile。 Trade!isthyheartalldead,alldead? Andhastthounothingbutahead? I’mallforheart,\"theflute-voicesaid,Andintosuddensilencefled,Likeasablushthatwhile’tisredDiestoastill,stillwhiteinstead。 Theretoathrillingcalmsucceeds,[211] TillpresentlythesilencebreedsAlittlebreezeamongthereedsThatseemstoblowbysea-marshweeds: ThenfromthegentlestirandfretSingsoutthemeltingclarionet,LikeasaladysingswhileyetHereyeswithsaltytearsarewet。 \"OTrade!OTrade!\"theLadysaid,\"ItoowillwishtheeutterlydeadIfallthyheartisinthyhead。[221] ForOmyGod!andOmyGod! WhatshamefulwayshavewomentrodAtbeckoningofTrade’sgoldenrod! Alaswhensighsaretraders’lies,Andheart’s-easeeyesandvioleteyesAremerchandise! Opurchasedlipsthatkisswithpain! Ocheekscoin-spottedwithsmirchandstain! Otraffickedheartsthatbreakintwain! ——Andyetwhatwonderatmysisters’crime?[231] SohathTradewitheredupLove’ssinewyprime,Menlovenotwomenasinoldentime。 Ah,notinthesecoldmerchantabledaysDeemmentheirlifeanopalgray,whereplaysTheoneredSweetofgraciousladies’-praise。 Now,comesasuitorwithsharppryingeye—— Says,`Here,youLady,ifyou’llsellI’llbuy: Come,heartforheart——atrade?What!weeping?why?’ Shameonsuchwooers’dappermercery! Iwouldmyloverkneelingatmyfeet[241] Inhumblemanlinessshouldcry,`Osweet! Iknownotifthyheartmyheartwillgreet: Iasknotifthylovemylovecanmeet: Whate’erthyworshipfulsofttongueshallsay,I’llkissthineanswer,beityeaornay: IdobutknowIlovethee,andIprayTobethyknightuntilmydyingday。’ Woehimthatcunningtradesinheartscontrives! Baselovegoodwomentobaselovingdrives。 Ifmenlovedlarger,largerwereourlives;[251] Andwooedtheynobler,wontheynoblerwives。\" TherethrusttheboldstraightforwardhornTobattleforthatladylorn,Withheartsomevoiceofmellowscorn,Likeanyknightinknighthood’smorn。 \"Nowcomfortthee,\"saidhe,\"FairLady。 ForGodshallrightthygrievouswrong,Andmanshallsingtheeatrue-lovesong,Voicedinacthiswholelifelong,[261] Yea,allthysweetlifelong,FairLady。 Where’shethatcraftilyhathsaid,Thedayofchivalryisdead? I’llprovethatlieuponhishead,OrIwilldieinstead,FairLady。 IsHonorgoneintohisgrave? HathFaithbecomeacaitiffknave,AndSelfhoodturnedintoaslave[271] ToworkinMammon’scave,FairLady? WillTruth’slongbladene’ergleamagain? HathGiantTradeindungeonsslainAllgreatcontemptsofmean-gotgainAndhatesofinwardstain,FairLady? Forayeshallnameandfamebesold,Andplacebehuggedforthesakeofgold,Andsmirch-robedJusticefeeblyscold[281] AtCrimeallmoney-bold,FairLady? Shallself-wrapthusbandsayeforgetKiss-pardonsforthedailyfretWherewithsweetwifelyeyesarewet—— Blindtolipskiss-wiseset—— FairLady? Shalllovershiggle,heartforheart,TillwooinggrowsatradingmartWheremuchforlittle,andallforpart,[291] Makeloveacheapeningart,FairLady? ShallwomanscorchforasinglesinThatherbetrayermayrevelin,Andshebeburnt,andhebutgrinWhenthattheflamesbegin,FairLady? Shallne’erprevailthewoman’splea,`Wemaidswouldfar,farwhiterbeIfthatoureyesmightsometimessee[301] Menmaidsinpurity,’ FairLady? ShallTradeayesalvehisconscience-achesWithjibesatChivalry’soldmistakes—— Thewarsthato’erhotknighthoodmakesForChrist’sandladies’sakes,FairLady? Nowbyeachknightthate’erhathprayedTofightlikeamanandlovelikeamaid,SincePembroke’slife,asPembroke’sblade,[311] I’thescabbard,death,waslaid,FairLady,IdareavouchmyfaithisbrightThatGoddothrightandGodhathmight。 NortimehathchangedHishairtowhite,NorHisdearlovetospite,FairLady。 Idoubtnodoubts:Istrive,andshrivemyclay,AndfightmyfightinthepatientmodernwayFortrueloveandforthee——ahme!andpray[321] Tobethyknightuntilmydyingday,FairLady。\" Madeendthatknightlyhorn,andspurredawayIntothethickofthemelodiousfray。 Andthenthehautboyplayedandsmiled,Andsanglikeanylarge-eyedchild,Cool-heartedandallundefiled。 \"HugeTrade!\"hesaid,\"WouldthouwouldstliftmeonthyheadAndrunwhere’ermyfingerled![331] OncesaidaMan——andwisewasHe—— `Nevershaltthoutheheavenssee,Saveasalittlechildthoube。’\" Theno’ersea-lashingsofcomminglingtunesTheancientwisebassoons,LikeweirdGray-beardOldharperssittingonthehighsea-dunes,Chantedrunes: \"Bright-wavedgain,gray-wavedloss,[341] Theseaofalldothlashandtoss,Onewaveforwardandoneacross: Butnow’twastrough,now’tiscrest,Andworstdothfoamandflashtobest,Andcursttoblest。 \"Life!Life!thousea-fugue,writfromeasttowest,Love,LovealonecanporeOnthydissolvingscoreOfharshhalf-phrasings,Blottederewrit,[351] AnddoubleerasingsOfchordsmostfit。 Yea,Love,solemusic-masterblest,Mayreadthywelteringpalimpsest。 TofollowTime’sdyingmelodiesthrough,Andnevertolosetheoldinthenew,Andevertosolvethediscordstrue—— Lovealonecando。 AndeverLovehearsthepoor-folks’crying,AndeverLovehearsthewomen’ssighing,[361] Andeversweetknighthood’sdeath-defying,Andeverwisechildhood’sdeepimplying,Butneveratrader’sglozingandlying。 \"AndyetshallLovehimselfbeheard,Thoughlongdeferred,thoughlongdeferred: O’erthemodernwasteadovehathwhirred: MusicisLoveinsearchofaword。\" ____ Baltimore,1875。 Notes:TheSymphonyThe`Introduction’(pp。xxviiif。,xxxiiiff。[PartIII],xlvii[PartIV]) gives,besidestheplanof`TheSymphony’,adetailedstatementofitstwothemes,——theevilsofthetrade-spiritinthecommercialandsocialworldandtheneedineachofthelove-spirit。 Thesequestionspreyedonthepoet’smindandweretobetreatedatlengthin`TheJacquerie’also,whichheexpectedtomakehisgreatwork,butwhichhewasunabletocomplete。ThishetellsusinanoblepassagetoJudgeBleckley,inhisletterofNovember15,1874。Afterdeploringthelackoftimeforliterarylabor(seequotationin`Introduction’,p。xlvi[PartIV]),hecontinues:\"Imanagetogetalittletimetho’ toworkonwhatistobemyfirst`magnumopus’,alongpoem,foundedonthatstrangeuprisinginthemiddleofthefourteenthcenturyinFrance,called`TheJacquerie’。Itwasthefirsttimethatthebighungersof`thePeople’appearinourmoderncivilization; anditisfullofsignificance。ThepeasantslearnedfromthemerchantpotentatesofFlandersthatamanwhocouldnotbealordbybirth,mightbeonebywealth;andsoTradearose,andoverthrewChivalry。Tradehasnowhadpossessionofthecivilizedworldforfourhundredyears:itcontrolsallthings,itinterpretstheBible,itguidesournationalandalmostallourindividuallifewithitsmaxims; anditsoppressionsuponthemoralexistenceofmanhavecometobetenthousandtimesmoregrievousthantheworsttyranniesoftheFeudalSystemeverwere。Thusinthereversalsoftime,itisNOWtheGENTLEMAN whomustriseandoverthrowTrade。Thatchivalrywhicheverymanhas,insomedegree,inhisheart;whichdoesnotdependuponbirth,butwhichisarevelationfromGodofjustice,offairdealing,ofscornofmeanadvantages;whichcontemnsthesellingofstockwhichoneKNOWSisgoingtofall,toamanwhoBELIEVESitisgoingtorise,asmuchasitwouldcontemnanyotherformofrascalityorofinjusticeorofmeanness;——itisthiswhichmustintheselatterdaysorganizeitsinsurrectionsandburnupeveryoneofthecunningmoralcastlesfromwhichTradesendsoutitsforaysupontheconscienceofmodernsociety。 ——Thisisabouttheplanwhichistorunthroughmybook: thoughIconcealitundertheformofapurenovel。\" Mr。F。F。Browneisdoubtlessrightinsayingthat`TheSymphony’recallspartsofTennyson’s`Maud’,buttheclosestcongenersof`TheSymphony’ inEnglishare,Ithink,Langland’s`PiersThePlowman’inpoetryandRuskin’s`UntoThisLast’inprose。Widelyasthesetwoworksdifferfrom`TheSymphony’inform,theyareonewithitinpurposeandinspirit。Allthreevoicetheoutcryofthepooragainstthehardnessoftheirlotandtheirlongingforalargerlife; allthreeshowthattheonlyhopeofreliefliesinabroaderanddeeperloveforhumanity。Analoguestoindividualversesof`TheSymphony’ arecitedbelow。 1-2。See`Introduction’,p。xxviii[PartIII]。 31-61。See`Introduction’,p。xxix[PartIII]。 42-43。SeeSt。Matthew4:4。 55-60。ItispreciselythisevilthatRuskinhasinmind,Itakeit,whenhecondemnsthecommercialtext,\"Buyinthecheapestmarketandsellinthedearest,\"andwhenhedeclaresthat\"Competitionisthelawofdeath\" (`UntoThisLast’,pp。40,59)。 117。Compare`Corn’,l。21ff。 161。For`lotos-sleeps’seeTennyson’s`TheLotos-eaters’,whichalmostlullsonetosleep,and`TheOdyssey’ix。80-104。 178。SeeSt。Matthew19:19。 182。SeeSt。Luke10:29,ff。 183-190。Compare`Corn’,ll。4-9,andsee`Introduction’,p。xxxii[PartIII]。 232-248。See`Introduction’,p。xxxivf。,andPeacock’s`LadyClarinda’sSong’(Gosse’s`EnglishLyrics’)。 294-298。See`Tiger-lilies’,p。49,and`Betrayal’inLanier’scomplete`Poems’,p。213。Theselinesof`TheSymphony’showclearlythatLanierdidnotbelievethatGodmadeonelawformanandanotherforwoman,orthatoneverygrievoussinshouldforeverblightawoman’slife。 WhatChristhimselfthoughtisclearfromSt。Luke7:36-50,andSt。John8:1-11。 302。See`Introduction’,p。liv[PartVI]。 326。Forafullaccountofthe`hautboy’andothermusicalinstrumentsmentionedinthepoemseeLanier’s`TheOrchestraofTo-day’,citedinthe`Bibliography’。 359。See`Introduction’,p。xxxvi[PartIII]。Compare1Corinthians13; Drummond’s`TheGreatestThingintheWorld’;WilliamMorris’s`LoveIsEnough’;`AuroraLeigh’,Bookix。: \"Artismuch,butLoveismore! OArt,myArt,thou’rtmuch,butLoveismore! ArtsymbolizesHeaven,butLoveisGodAndmakesHeaven;\" andLangland’s`PiersthePlowman’(ed。bySkeat,i。202-3): \"LoveislecheoflyfandnexteoureLordeselve,Andalsothegraithgatethatgothintohevene。\"* —— *Thetwolinesmaybetranslated:\"LoveisthephysicianoflifeandnexttoourLordhimself;moreover,itisthewaythatgoesstraighttoHeaven。\" —— 368。See`Introduction’,p。xxxii[PartIII]。 ThePowerofPrayer;or,TheFirstSteamboatuptheAlabamaBySidneyandCliffordLanierYou,Dinah!Comeandsetmewharderibber-roadsdoesmeet。[1] DeLord,HEmadedeseblack-jackrootstotwis’intoaseat。 Umphdar!DeLordhavemussyondisblin’oldnigger’sfeet。 It’peartomedismornin’Ikinsmelldefusto’June。 I’clar’,Ib’lievedatmockin’-birdcouldplaydefiddlesoon! Demyondertown-bellssoundslikedeywasringin’indemoon。 Well,efdisniggerISbeenblindforfo’tyyearormo’,Deseears,DEYseesdeworld,like,th’u’decracksdat’sindedo’。 FordeLordhasbuiltdisbodywiddewindows’hindand’fo’。 IknowmyfrontonesISstoppedup,andthingsissorto’dim,Butden,th’u’DEM,temptation’srainwon’tleakinonoleJim![11] Debackonesshowmeearthenough,aldo’dey’smons’ousslim。 AndasforHebben,——blessdeLord,andpraiseHisholyname—— DATshinesinalldeco’nersofdiscabinjes’desameAsefdatcabinhadn’tnar’aplankupondeframe! WhoCALLme?Listendownderibber,Dinah!Don’tyouhyarSomebodyholl’in’\"HOO,JIM,HOO?\"MySarahdiedlas’y’ar; ISdatblackangeldonecomebacktocalloleJimf’omhyar? Mystars,datcain’tbeSarah,shuh!Jes’listen,Dinah,NOW! WhatKINbecomin’updatbend,a-makin’sicharow? Fus’bellerin’likeapawin’bull,densquealin’likeasow?[21] DeLord’a’mussysakesalive,jes’hear,——ker-woof,ker-woof—— DeDebble’scomin’rounddatbend,he’scomin’shuhenuff,A-splashin’updewaterwidhistailandwidhishoof! I’sepow’fulskeered;butneversomelessIain’tgwinerunaway: I’mgwinetostandstiff-leggedfordeLorddisblessedday。 YOUscreech,andswishdewater,Satan!I’seagwinetopray。 OhebbenlyMarster,whatthouwillest,datmus’bejes’so,AndefThouhastbespokedeword,somenigger’sboundtogo。 Den,Lord,pleasetakeoleJim,andlefyoungDinahhyarbelow! ’ScuseDinah,’scuseher,Marster;forshe’ssichalittlechile,[31] Shehardlyjes’begintoscrambleupdehomeyardstile,Butdisoletraveller’sfeetbeentireddismanyamanyamile。 I’sewuflessasderottenpoleoflas’year’sfodder-stack。 Derheumatizdonebitmybones;youhear’emcrackandcrack? Icain’stsitdown’doutgruntin’like’twasbreakin’o’myback。 Whatusedewheel,whenhubandspokesiswarpedandsplit,androtten? Whatusedisdried-upcotton-stalk,whenLifedonepickedmycotton? I’selikeaworddatsomebodysaid,anddendonebeenforgotten。 But,Dinah!Shuhdatgaljes’likedislittlehick’rytree,Desap’sjes’risin’inher;shedogrowowdaciouslee——[41] Lord,efyou’sclarin’deunderbrush,don’tcutherdown,cutme! Iwouldnotproudpersume——butI’llboldlymakereques’; SenceJacobhaddatwrastlin’-match,I,too,gwinedomybes’; WhenJacobgotallunderholt,deLordheansweredYes! Andwhatforwastedevittles,now,andth’owawaydebread,Jes’fortostrengthdeseidlehandstoscratchdisolebaldhead? T’inkofde’conomy,Marster,efdisoleJimwasdead! Stop;——efIdon’tbelievedeDebble’sgoneonupdestream! Jes’nowhesquealeddowndar;——hush;dat’samightyweaklyscream! Yas,sir,he’sgone,he’sgone;——hesnortwayoff,likeinadream![51] OgloryhallelujahtodeLorddatreignsonhigh! DeDebble’sfai’lyskeeredtodef,hedonegoneflyin’by; Iknow’dhecouldn’tstanddatpra’r,IfeltmyMarsternigh! You,Dinah;ain’tyou’shamed,now,datyoudidn’trusttograce? Iheerdyouthrashin’th’u’debusheswhenheshowedhisface! Youfool,youthinkdeDebblecouldn’tbeatYOUinarace? Itellyou,Dinah,jes’asshuhasyouisstandin’dar,Whenfolksstartsprayin’,answer-angelsdropsdownth’u’dea’r。 YAS,DINAH,WHAR’OULDYOUBENOW,JES’’CEPTIN’FURDATPRA’R? ____ Baltimore,1875。 Notes:ThePowerofPrayer;or,TheFirstSteamboatuptheAlabamaAsthetitle-pageshows,`ThePowerofPrayer’isthejointproductionofSidneyandCliffordLanier。ThelattergentlemaninformsmethatoncehereadanewspaperscrapofabouttenlinesstatingthataNegroonfirstseeingasteamboatcomingdowntheriverwasgreatlyfrightened。 Mr。Lanierthenwroteoutinmetricalformtheplotof`ThePowerofPrayer’,substantiallyaswenowhaveit,andsentittohisbrotherSidney,whopolisheditupandpublisheditundertheirjointnames。 Mr。CliffordLanierhadnotseenthepiecementionedinthenextparagraph,norhadhisbrother;butonbeingshownthepiece,theformerwasoftheopinionthathisnewspaperclippingmusthavebeenbasedontheworktowhichIturn,asithadalreadyappearedandtheincidentsweresomuchalike。 Inthethirdchapterof`TheGildedAge’(Hartford,Conn。,1873) byMarkTwainandCharlesDudleyWarner,thereisapiece,`UncleDaniel’sApparitionandPrayer’,sosimilarto`ThePowerofPrayer’ thatIquoteitalmostentire。UncleDan’l(aNegro),hiswife,hisyoungmistress,andhistwoyoungmastersweresittingonalogbytheMississippiRiveronemoonlightnighta-talking。 \"SuddenlyUncleDan’lexclaimed:`Chil’en,dah’ssumfinacomin’!’ \"Allcrowdedclosetogetherandeveryheartbeatfaster。 UncleDan’lpointeddowntheriverwithhisbonyfinger。 \"Adeepcoughingsoundtroubledthestillness,waytowardawoodedcapethatjuttedintothestreamamiledistant。Allinaninstantafierceeyeoffireshotoutfrombehindthecapeandsentalongbrilliantpathwayquiveringathwarttheduskywater。Thecoughinggrewlouderandlouder,theglaringeyegrewlargerandstilllarger,glaredwilderandstillwilder。Ahugeshapedevelopeditselfoutofthegloom,andfromitstallduplicatehornsdensevolumesofsmoke,starredandspangledwithsparks,pouredoutandwenttumblingawayintothefartherdarkness。Nearerandnearerthethingcame,tillitslongsidesbegantoglowwithspotsoflightwhichmirroredthemselvesintheriverandattendedthemonsterlikeatorch-lightprocession。 \"`Whatisit?Oh!whatisit,UncleDan’l?’ \"Withdeepsolemnitytheanswercame: \"`It’sdeAlmighty!Gitdownonyo’knees!’ \"Itwasnotnecessarytosayittwice。Theywereallkneelinginamoment。 Andthenwhilethemysteriouscoughingrosestrongerandstrongerandthethreateningglarereachedfartherandwider,thenegro’svoiceliftedupitssupplications。 \"`OLord,we’sbenmightywicked,an’weknowsdatwe’zervetogotodebadplace,but,goodLord,deahLord,weain’treadyyit,weain’tready——letdesepo’chil’enhabonemo’chance,jes’onemo’chance。Takedeoleniggahifyou’sgottohabsomebody。—— GoodLord,gooddeahLord,wedon’tknowwhahyou’sagwineto,wedon’tknowwhoyou’sgotyo’eyeon,butweknowsbydewayyou’sacomin’,weknowbydewayyou’satiltin’alonginyo’charyoto’fiahdatsomepo’sinner’sagwinetoketchit。But,goodLord,desechil’endon’t’blongheah,dey’sf’mObedstownwhahdeydon’tknownuffin,an’youknows,yo’ownsef,datdeyain’t’sponsible。An’deahLord,goodLord,itain’tlikeyo’mercy,itain’tlikeyo’pity,itain’tlikeyo’long-sufferin’lovin’-kindnessfortotakediskindo’’vantageo’sichlittlechil’enasdeseiswhendey’ssomanyornerygrownfolkschuckfullo’cussednessdatwantsroastin’downdah。OLord,spahdelittlechil’en,don’ttardelittlechil’enawayf’mdeyfrens,jes’let’emoffjes’disonce,andtakeitout’ndeoleniggah。 HEAHIIS,LORD,HEAHIIS!Deoleniggah’sready,Lord,deole————’ \"Theflamingandchurningsteamerwasrightabreasttheparty,andnottwentystepsaway。Theawfulthunderofamud-valvesuddenlyburstforth,drowningtheprayer,andassuddenlyUncleDan’lsnatchedachildundereacharmandscouredintothewoodswiththerestofthepackathisheels。Andthen,ashamedofhimself,hehaltedinthedeepdarknessandshouted(butratherfeebly): \"`HeahIis,Lord,heahIis!’ \"Therewasamomentofthrobbingsuspense,andthen,tothesurpriseandcomfortoftheparty,itwasplainthattheaugustpresencehadgoneby,foritsdreadfulnoiseswerereceding。 UncleDan’lheadedacautiousreconnoissanceinthedirectionofthelog。 Sureenough`TheLord’wasjustturningapointashortdistanceuptheriver,andwhiletheylooked,thelightswinkedoutandthecoughingdiminishedbydegreesandpresentlyceasedaltogether。 \"`H’wsh!Wellnowdey’ssomefolkssaysdeyain’tno’ficiencyinprah。 Dischilewouldliketoknowwhahwe’dabennowifitwarn’tfo’datprah? Dat’sit。Dat’sit!’\" Therefollowsadiscussionastowhetherornottheprayercausedtheapparitiontogoby,ofwhichofcourseUncleDan’lhasnodoubt。 TheapparitionreappearsandUncleDan’lbetakeshimselftoprayeragain,thistimealongwayoff。 Iwrotetheauthorsof`TheGildedAge’andaskedthesourceof`UncleDaniel’sApparitionandPrayer’。Mr。Clemenskindlyrepliedthatheistheauthorofthepiece,andthatitispurefictionwithouteitherhistoryortraditionbackofit。 Acomparisonofthetwostoriesshowssomedifferences。 ThesceneintheonecaseistheAlabamaRiver,intheothertheMississippi。 Moreover,thePERSONNELisdifferent。TheNegromaninTwain’sstoryisaboutforty,inLanier’sheisoldandhasbeenblindforfortyyears。 AnotherdifferenceMr。SidneyLanierpointsouttohiswifeinhisletterofOctober1,1874:\"Cliff’sandmy`PowerofPrayer’ willcomeoutintheScribner’s;probablyinthe`Etchings’ attheendoftheMagazine。IwrotetheewhatDr。HollandsaidanentitsresemblancetosomethingofMarkTwain’sinplot。 DaybeforeyesterdayIcalledandaskedDr。HollandwhatworkofMarkTwain’shereferredto。`Well,’saidhe,`Iknownothingaboutitmyself: Ireadthepoemtoafriend,andhesuggestedthattheplotwaslikesomethingofMarkTwain’s。ButyesterdayIreadhimyournote,andhethenrecollectedthatinTwain’sversionitisGodAlmightythatiscomingupthebend。InyoursitistheDevil:——whichcertainlymakesalittledifference!’andherehebrokeintoagreatlaugh。 `Yes,’Irejoined,`adifferencetotocoelo,’whereathelaughedagain,andtoldmehehadalreadyorderedachecktobesentmeforthepoem。\" Mr。CliffordLanierwasbornatGriffin,Ga。,April24,1844,enteredbusinessinMontgomery,Ala。,atfourteen,subsequentlyattendedcollegeforayearandahalf,andinMay,1862,joinedhisbrotherintheConfederateArmy。Hissoldierlifehasbeendetailedinconnectionwiththatofthepoet。InOctober,1864,Mr。CliffordLanierwasassignedassignalofficertotheblockade-runner`Talisman’,which,aftertwosuccessfulrunstotheBermudaIslands,waswreckedinDecember,1864。Heescaped,however,andsurrenderedtotheFederalauthoritiesattheendofApril,1865。 Hehasbeensuccessivelylawyer,hotelmanager,andsuperintendentofschoolsinMontgomery,Ala。ForseveralyearspasthehasbeenadirectoroftheBankofMontgomeryandothercorporations。Allthewhile,however,hehasbeendeeplyinterestedinliteratureandhaswrittensomegracefulsketchesandpoems,amongwhichmaybementionedthefollowing: `Thorn-fruit’(1867),`LoveandLoyaltyatWar’(1893),`BidingTryst’(1894),prose;`GreatestofTheseisLove’,`TheAmericanPhilomel’,`KeatsandFannyB————’,`TheSpiritofArt’,`AntinoustoHadrian’,`Time’,`Tireless’,`Tramp’(inStedmanandHutchinson’s`LibraryofAmericanLiterature’),`LoveandLife’,`EdgarAllanPoe’,etc。Asstatedinthe`Introduction’,theChautauquansof1898havenamedthemselves\"TheLaniers\" inhonorofMessrs。SidneyandCliffordLanier。ThemottooftheclassisthefirstlineofMr。CliffordLanier’s`Transformation’ (`Sunday-schoolTimes’,Phila。,June30,1894): \"Thehumblestlifethatlivesmaybedivine。\" 8。Thecomplete`Poems’has`the’before`world’,butMrs。Lanierthinksthepoetmusthaveused`de’hereaselsewhere。 Rose-moralsI。——RedWouldthatmysongsmightbe[1] Whatrosesmakebydayandnight—— DistillmentsofmyclodofmiseryIntodelight。 Soul,could’stthoubarethybreastAsyonredrose,anddaretheday,Allclean,andlarge,andcalmwithvelvetrest? Sayyea——sayyea! Ah,dearmyRose,good-bye; Thewindisup;so;driftaway。 Thatsongsfrommeasleavesfromtheemayfly,[11] Istrive,Ipray。 II。——WhiteSoul,gettheetotheheartOfyondertuberose:hidetheethere—— TherebreathethemeditationsofthineartSuffusedwithprayer。 Ofspiritgraveyetlight,HowferventfragrancesuprisePure-bornfromthesemostrichandyetmostwhiteVirginities! Mulchedwithunsavorydeath,[21] Grow,Soul!untosuchwhiteestate,Thatvirginal-prayerfulartshallbethybreath,Thywork,thyfate。 ____ Baltimore,1875。 Notes:Rose-moralsRose-moralsinEnglishliteratureprobablybeginwithSirJohnMandevilleinthefourteenthcentury。Atanyrate,intheeighteenthchapterofhis`VoyageandTravels’heprofessestotellustheoriginofredandwhiteroses。Afairmaidhadbeenunjustlyaccusedofwrong-doinganddoomedtodiebyfire。 \"Andasthewoodebegantobrenne(burn)abouthir,shemadehirprayertoourLordeasshewasnotgyltieofthatthing,thathewouldhelpehirthatitmightbeknownetoallmen。Andwhan(when)shehadthussayde,sheenteredthefyreandanonethefyrewentout,andthosebraunchesthatwerebrenninge(burning)becameredRosesandthosebraunchesthatwerenotkindledbecamewhiteRosiers(rosebushes)fullofwhiteroses,andthosewerethefyrstrosesandrosyersthatanymansawe,andsowasthemaydensavedthroughthegraceofGod。\" ThomasCarewhasseveralrose-moralities,as`TheTrueBeauty’,beginning\"Hethatlovesarosycheek,\"andhisexquisite`RedandWhiteRoses’: \"ReadintheserosesthesadstoryOfmyhardfateandyourownglory: InthewhiteyoumaydiscoverThepalenessofafaintinglover; Inthered,theflamesstillfeedingOnmyheartwithfreshwoundsbleeding。 ThewhitewilltellyouhowIlanguish,Andtheredexpressmyanguish: Thewhitemyinnocencedisplaying,Theredmymartyrdombetraying。 ThefrownsthatonyourbrowresidedHavethoserosesthusdivided; Oh!letyoursmilesbutcleartheweather,Andthentheybothshallgrowtogether。\"* —— *SeeSaintsbury’s`ElizabethanLiterature’(Macmillan&Co。,NewYork,1887),p。363。 —— RollickingRobertHerrick,too,drawshismorals,nowadvisingthevirginstomakemuchoftime,asinhis`Gatheryerose-budswhileyemay’,nowpreachingararelypatheticsermon,asin`ToBlossoms’: \"Fairpledgesofafruitfultree,Whydoyefallsofast? Yourdateisnotsopast,ButyoumaystayyethereawhileToblushandgentlysmile,Andgoatlast。 \"What,wereyeborntobeAnhourorhalf’sdelight,Andsotobidgood-night? ’TwaspityNaturebroughtyeforthMerelytoshowyourworth,Andloseyouquite。 \"Butyouarelovelyleaves,whereweMayreadhowsoonthingshaveTheirend,thoughne’ersobrave: AndaftertheyhaveshowntheirprideLikeyou,awhile,theyglideIntothegrave。\"* —— *`Palgrave’,p。89。 —— Muchlikethislastpieceinimport,andscarcelyinferiortoitinexecution,is`Mylifeislikethesummerrose’ofRichardHenryWilde,whichisfamiliartoeveryone。 PaulHamiltonHayne’s`TheRedandtheWhiteRose’(`Poems’,pp。231-232) isaninterestingdialogue,whichtheauthorconcludesbymakingtheformeran\"earthlyqueen\"andthelattera\"heaven-boundvotaress\"。 Mrs。Browning’s`ALayoftheEarlyRose’showsthatwearenottostrive\"forthedoleofpraise。\" To————,withaRoseIaskedmyhearttosay[1] Somewordwhoseworthmylove’sdevoirmightpayUponmyLady’snatalday。 Thensaidmyhearttome: `LearnfromtherhymethatnowshallcometotheeWhatfitsthyLovemostlovingly。’ Thisgiftthatlearningshows; For,asarhymeuntoitsrhyme-twingoes,IsendaroseuntoaRose。 ____ Philadelphia,1876。 Notes:To————,withaRoseThispoemwassenttoMrs。GibsonPeacock,ofPhiladelphia,whowasoneofMr。Lanier’skindestandmostappreciativefriends。 Thepoet’sletterstoMr。andMrs。Peacockhaverecentlybeenpublishedin`TheAtlantic’(see`Thayer’in`Bibliography’)。 Ofthenumerousrose-complimentsinEnglishIcanherespecifybutafew。 OneoftheprettiestisthatbyHenryConstable(`Saintsbury’,p。113): \"MyLady’spresencemakestheRosesred,Becausetoseeherlipstheyblushforshame。\" Carew’scomplimentishardlyequaltohismorals(`Gosse’,p。101): \"AskmenomorewhereJovebestows,WhenJuneispast,thefadingrose; Forinyourbeauty’sorientdeepTheseflowers,asintheircauses,sleep。\" Fewbetterthingshavebeenwrittenthanthis,thesecondstanzaofJonson’s`Drinktomeonlywiththineeyes’(`Gosse’,p。80): \"Isenttheelatearosywreath,NotsomuchhonouringtheeAsgivingitahopethatthereItcouldnotwitheredbe。 Butthouthereondid’stonlybreathe,Andsent’stitbacktome; Sincewhenitgrowsandsmells,Iswear,Notofitself,butthee。\"* Evenmorefelicitous,perhaps,isWaller’s`Go,lovelyrose!’whichisatonceacomplimentandamoral(`Gosse’,p。134): \"Go,lovelyroseTellherthatwasteshertimeandme,Thatnowsheknows,WhenIresemblehertothee,Howsweetandfairsheseemstobe。 \"Tellherthat’syoung,Andshunstohavehergracesspied,ThathadstthousprungIndeserts,wherenomenabide,Thoumusthaveuncommendeddied。 \"SmallistheworthOfbeautyfromthelightretired; Bidhercomeforth,Sufferherselftobedesired,Andnotblushsotobeadmired。 \"Thendie!thatsheThecommonfateofallthingsrareMayreadinthee; HowsmallapartoftimetheyshareThataresowond’roussweetandfair。\" Browning’s`WomenandRoses’shouldalsobementioned,andMrs。Browning’stranslationofSappho’slovely`SongoftheRose’。 —— *ThefactthatJonsonheretranslatesaproselove-letterofPhilostratus,theGreeksophist,maydetractfromtheoriginalitybutnotthebeautyofhispoem。 —— UncleJim’sBaptistRevivalHymnBySidneyandCliffordLanierSOLO。——Sin’srooster’scrowed,OleMahster’sriz,[1] Desleepin’-timeispas’; WakeupdemlazyBaptissis,CHORUS。——Dey’smightilyindegrass,grass,Dey’smightilyindegrass。 OleMahster’sbloweddemornin’horn,He’sblowedapowerfulblas’; OBaptis’come,comehoedecorn,You’smightilyindegrass,grass,You’smightilyindegrass。 DeMeth’disteam’sdonehitched;Ofool,[11] Deday’sa-breakin’fas’; GearupdatleanoleBaptis’mule,Dey’smightilyindegrass,grass,Dey’smightilyindegrass。 Deworkmen’sfewan’mons’rousslow,Decotton’ssheddin’fas’; Whoop,look,jes’lookatdeBaptis’row,Hit’smightilyindegrass,grass,Hit’smightilyindegrass。 Dejay-birdsquealtodemockin’-bird:\"Stop![21] Don’gimmenoneo’yo’sass; BettersingonesongfordeBaptis’crop,Dey’smightilyindegrass,grass,Dey’smightilyindegrass。\" Anddeolecrowcroak:\"Don’work,no,no;\" Butdefiel’-larksay,\"Yaas,yaas,An’Ispec’youmightyglad,youdebblishcrow,DatdeBaptissis’sindegrass,grass,DatdeBaptissis’sindegrass!\" Lord,thunderusuptodeplowin’-match,[31] Lord,peertendehoein’fas’,Yea,Lord,habmussyondeBaptis’patch,Dey’smightilyindegrass,grass,Dey’smightilyindegrass。 ____ 1876。 Notes:UncleJim’sBaptistRevivalHymnIthinkthatthefollowingnote,prefixedbytheauthorstotheirpoem,sufficientlyexplainswhatistomeoneoftheirbesthumorouspieces: \"NotlongagoacertainGeorgiacotton-planter,driventodesperationbyawakingeachmorningtofindthatthegrasshadquiteoutgrownthecottonovernight,andwaslikelytochokeit,indefianceofhislazyfreedmen’shoesandploughs,setthewholeStateinalaughbyexclaimingtoagroupoffellow-sufferers:`It’sallstuffaboutCincinnatusleavingtheploughtogointopolitics\"forpatriotism\"; hewasjusta-runnin’fromgrass!’ \"Thisstateofthings——whenthedelicateyoungrootletsofthecottonarestrugglingagainstthehardiermultitudesofthegrass-suckers—— isuniversallydescribedinplantationparlancebythephrase`inthegrass’; andUncleJimappearstohavefoundinitsomuchsimilaritytotheconditionofhisown(`Baptis’’)church,overrun,asitwas,bythecaresofthisworld,thathehasembodieditintherefrainofarevivalhymnsuchasthecoloredimprovisatoroftheSouthnotinfrequentlyconstructsfromhisdailysurroundings。 Hehasdrawnalltheideasofhisstanzasfromtheearlymorningphenomenaofthosecriticalweekswhentheloudplantation-hornisblownbeforedaylight,inordertorouseallhandsforalongday’sfightagainstthecommonenemyofcotton-plantingmankind。 \"InadditiontotheseexegeticalcommentariestheNorthernreaderprobablyneedstobeinformedthatthephrase`peertenup’meanssubstantially`tospurup’,andisanactiveformoftheadjective`peert’ (probablyacorruptionof`pert’),whichissocommonintheSouth,andwhichhasmuchthesignificationof`smart’inNewEngland,ase。g。,a`peert’horse,inantithesistoa`sorry’——i。e。,poor,mean,lazyone。\" TheMocking-birdSuperbandsole,uponaplumedspray[1] Thato’erthegeneralleafageboldlygrew,Hesumm’dthewoodsinsong;ortypicdrewThewatchofhungryhawks,thelonedismayOflanguiddoveswhenlongtheirloversstray,Andallbirds’passion-playsthatsprinkledewAtmorninbrakeorboskyavenue。 Whate’erbirdsdidordreamed,thisbirdcouldsay。 Thendownheshot,bouncedairilyalongThesward,twitchedinagrasshopper,madesongMidflight,perched,prinked,andtohisartagain。[11] SweetScience,thislargeriddlereadmeplain: HowmaythedeathofthatdullinsectbeThelifeofyontrimShakspereonthetree? ____ 1877。 Notes:TheMocking-birdBesidesthissonnetMr。Lanierwrotealonger`ToOurMocking-bird’,consistingofthreesonnets,and`Bob’,acharmingaccount,inprose,ofthelifeanddeathofthebirdapostrophized。 Inhis`BirdsandPoets’(Boston,1877),Mr。JohnBurroughssaysthatheknowsofonlytwonoteworthypoeticaltributestothemocking-bird,thosebyWhitmanandbyWilde,bothofwhichhequotes。 Butsincetheappearanceofhisbookmanypoemshavebeenwrittentothemocking-bird,severalofwhichareofenduringworth。 Indeed,severalnoteworthypoemshadbeenpublishedbeforetheappearanceofMr。Burroughs’sessay,aswillappearfromthelistbelow。InasearchoftwodaysIfoundthirty-twodifferentauthorspayingtributetoourmarveloussinger: JuliaBacon(seeJ。W。Davidson’s`LivingWritersoftheSouth’。 NewYork:Carleton,1869),St。L。L。Carter(ib。),EdnaP。Clarke(`Century’,24。391,July,1893),FortunatusCrosby(`Davidson’,l。c。),J。R。Drake(Duyckinck’s`CyclopaediaofAmericanLiterature’。 NewYork,1855),R。T。W。Duke,Jr。(`SouthernBivouac’,2。631,March,1887),W。T。Dumas(`TheGoldenDayandMiscellaneousPoems’,Philadelphia,1893),F。(`SouthernLiteraryMessenger’,Richmond,Va。,5。523,August,1839),H。L。Flash(`Davidson’,l。c。),Va。Gentleman(`Harper’sMagazine’,15。566,September,1857),CarolineGilman(May’s`AmericanFemalePoets’,Philadelphia,1865),HannahF。Gould(`Davidson’,l。c。),PaulGranald(`So。Lit。Mes。’,8,508,August,1842),P。H。Hayne(`Poems’,Boston,1882:two),W。H。Hayne(`Century’,24。676,September,1893),C。W。Hubner(`PoemsandEssays’,NewYork,1881),C。Lanier(`Sunday-schoolTimes’,Phila。,July8,1893),S。Lanier(two,asabovecited),Gen。EdwinG。Lee(`SouthernMetropolis’,Baltimore,1869),A。B。Meek(inhis`SongsandPoemsoftheSouth’,NewYork,1857),W。Mitchell(`Scribner’sMagazine’,11。171,December,1875),Nugator(`So。Lit。Mes。’,4。356,June,1838),C。J。O’Malley(`So。Bivouac’,2。698,April,1887),AlbertPike(Stedman&Hutchinson’s`Amer。Lit。’,NewYork,1891,vol。6),D。Robinson(`Century’,24。480,July,1893),ClintonScollard(`PicturesinSong’,NewYork,1884),H。J。Stockard(`TheCentury’,xlviii。898,Oct。,1894),T(`So。Lit。Mes。’,11。117,February,1845),MauriceThompson(`Poems’,Boston,1892:several;also`Lippincott’sMagazine’,32。624,December,1883),L。V。(`So。Lit。Mes。’,10。414,July,1844),WaltWhitman(`Burroughs’,l。c。,alsoinWhitman’s`Poems’),R。H。Wilde(`Burroughs’,l。c。,andStedman&Hutchinson’s`Am。Lit。’,vol。5)。 Roughlyspeaking,thepoemsmaybedividedintotwoclasses—— firstthosethat,asintheIndianlegendcitedbelow,makeoutthemocking-birdonlyorchieflyathiefandthingofevil,andsecondthosethatfindhim,thoughaborrower,originalandgreat。 Theformerview,fortunatelyupheldbyfew,isstrikinglysetforthinGranald’s`TheMock-birdandtheSparrow’。Afterdescribingminutelythevarioussongsofthemocking-birdandemphasizingthattheyallcomefromotherbirds,theauthorgivesthedialoguebetweenthemock-birdandthesparrow。Theformertauntedthelatterandinsistedonhissinging;and\"Thesparrowcock’daknowingeye,Andmadehimthismosttartreply—— `Youstealfromallandcallitwit,ButIprefermysimple\"twit\"。’\" Butthelatterviewisespousedbymostofthewritersmentioned,notablyandnoblybyDrake,theHaynes,theLaniers,Lee,Meek,andThompson,thepoet-laureateofthemocking-bird,whosepoemsshouldbereadbyeveryloverofnatureandespeciallyofthemocking-bird。 AsThompson’stributesarealltoolongforquotation,IgivehereMeek’s,inthehopethatImayrescueitfromthelongoblivionofanout-of-print。 Myattentionwascalledtoitbymyfriend,Dr。C。H。Ross,towhomeveryreaderwillbeindebtedalongwithmyself。Itrunsasfollows: \"Fromthevale,whatmusicringing,Fillsthebosomofthenight; Onthesense,entranced,flingingSpellsofwitcheryanddelight! O’ermagnolia,limeandcedar,Fromyonlocust-top,itswells,Likethechantofserenader,Ortherhymesofsilverbells! Listen!dearest,listentoit! Sweetersoundswereneverheard! ’Tisthesongofthatwildpoet—— Mimeandminstrel——Mocking-bird。 \"Seehim,swinginginhisglory,Onyontopmostbendinglimb! Carollinghisamorousstory,Likesomewildcrusader’shymn! NowitfaintsintonesdeliciousAsthefirstlowvowoflove! Nowitburstsinswellscapricious,Allthemoonlitvaleabove! Listen!dearest,etc。 \"Whyis’tthus,thissylvanPetrarchPoursallnighthisserenade? ’TisforsomeproudwoodlandLaura,Hissadsonnetsallaremade! Buthechangesnowhismeasure—— Gladnessbubblingfromhismouth—— Jestandgibe,andmimicpleasure—— WingedAnacreonoftheSouth! Listen!dearest,etc。 \"Birdofmusic,witandgladness,Troubadourofsunnyclimes,Disenchanterofallsadness,—— Wouldthineartwereinmyrhymes。 O’ertheheartthat’sbeatingbyme,Iwouldweaveaspelldivine; Isthereaughtshecoulddenyme,Drinkinginsuchstrainsasthine? Listen!dearest,etc。\" Asiswellknown,themocking-birdisoftencalledtheAmericannightingale。 Astotheirrelativemeritsassingers,hereisthejudgmentofonethathasheardbothbirds,ProfessorJamesA。Harrison(`TheCritic’,NewYork,2。284,December13,1884):\"Well,itismyhonestopinionthatphilomelwillnotcomparewiththesingeroftheSouthinsweetness,versatility,passion,orlyricalbeauty。Themocking-bird——bettertheecho-bird,withavoicecompoundedofallsweetsounds,astheblossomoftheChineseoliveiscompoundedofallsweetscents—— isapurelyrist;itsthroatisalyre——Aeolian,capricious,many-stringed; asitsnamesuggests,itisapolyglotmime,abirdlinguist,afeatheredMezzofantisingingallthebirdlanguages;yetoverandaboveallthis,withasomethingofitsownthatcannotbedescribed。\" Themocking-birdspeaksforhimselfinThompson’s`ToanEnglishNightingale’: \"Whatdoyouthinkofme? DoIsingbyrote? Orbynote? HaveIaparrot’secho-throat? Ohno!IcaughtmystrainsFromNature’sfreshestveins…… \"HeAmatchforme! Nomorethanawrenorachickadee! Mineisthevoiceoftheyoungandstrong,Minethesoulofthebraveandfree!\" Thisself-appreciationisconfirmedbythegreatestauthorityonbirds,Audubon:\"Thereisprobablynobirdintheworldthatpossessesallthemusicalqualificationsofthiskingofsong,whohasderivedallfromNature’sself。Yes,reader,all!\" Itwillbeinterestingandinstructivetocomparethetributestothemocking-birdwithKeats’s`OdetoaNightingale’,Shelley’s`ToaSkylark’,andWordsworth’s`TotheSkylark’。 AsidefromAudubon’s`BirdsofAmerica’andRidgway’s`ManualofNorthAmericanBirds’,thestudentmayconsultwithprofitBurroughs’s`BirdsandPoets’,Thompson’s`IntheHauntsoftheMocking-bird’ (`TheAtlantic’,54。620,November,1884),variousarticlesbyOliveThorneMillerin`TheAtlantic’(vol。54on),andWinterfield’s`TheMocking-bird,anIndianLegend’(`TheAmericanWhigReview’,NewYork,1。497,May,1845)。 14。Wildecomparesthemocking-birdtoYorickandtoJacques; Meek,toPetrarch;Lanier,toKeats,in`ToOurMocking-bird’,asdoesWm。H。Hayne: \"EachgoldennoteofmusicgreetsThelisteningleavesdivinelystirred,AsifthevanishedsoulofKeatsHadfounditsnewbirthinabird。\" SongoftheChattahoocheeOutofthehillsofHabersham,[1] DownthevalleysofHall,Ihurryamaintoreachtheplain,Runtherapidandleapthefall,Splitattherockandtogetheragain,Acceptmybed,ornarroworwide,AndfleefromfollyoneverysideWithalover’spaintoattaintheplainFarfromthehillsofHabersham,FarfromthevalleysofHall。 AlldownthehillsofHabersham,[11] AllthroughthevalleysofHall,Therushescried`Abide,abide,’ Thewillfulwaterweedsheldmethrall,Thelavinglaurelturnedmytide,Thefernsandthefondlinggrasssaid`Stay,’ Thedewberrydippedfortoworkdelay,Andthelittlereedssighed`Abide,abide,HereinthehillsofHabersham,HereinthevalleysofHall。’ Higho’erthehillsofHabersham,[21] VeilingthevalleysofHall,ThehickorytoldmemanifoldFairtalesofshade,thepoplartallWroughtmehershadowyselftohold,Thechestnut,theoak,thewalnut,thepine,Overleaning,withflickeringmeaningandsign,Said,`Passnot,socold,thesemanifoldDeepshadesofthehillsofHabersham,ThesegladesinthevalleysofHall。’ AndoftinthehillsofHabersham,[31] AndoftinthevalleysofHall,Thewhitequartzshone,andthesmoothbrook-stoneDidbarmeofpassagewithfriendlybrawl,Andmanyaluminousjewellone——Crystalsclearora-cloudwithmist,Ruby,garnet,andamethyst—— MadelureswiththelightsofstreamingstoneInthecleftsofthehillsofHabersham,InthebedsofthevalleysofHall。 Butoh,notthehillsofHabersham,[41] Andoh,notthevalleysofHallAvail:Iamfainfortowatertheplain。 DownwardthevoicesofDutycall—— Downward,totoilandbemixedwiththemain,Thedryfieldsburn,andthemillsaretoturn,Andamyriadflowersmortallyyearn,AndthelordlymainfrombeyondtheplainCallso’erthehillsofHabersham,CallsthroughthevalleysofHall。 ____ 1877。 Notes:SongoftheChattahoocheeTheChattahoocheeRiverrisesinHabershamCounty,innortheastGeorgia,and,intersectingHallCounty,flowssouthwestwardtoWestPoint,thensouthwarduntilituniteswiththeFlintRiveratthesouthwesternextremityofGeorgia。TheChattahoocheeisaboutfivehundredmileslong,andsmallsteamboatscanascendittoColumbus,Ga。Hon。HenryR。Jackson,ofSavannah,Ga。,lateMinistertoMexico,hasaninterestingpoem`TotheChattahoocheeRiver’,inhis`TallulahandOtherPoems’(Savannah,Ga。,1850); andMr。M。V。Moore,inhispoem,`SouthernRivers’(`Harper’,66。464,February,1883),hasaparagraphontheriversofGeorgia,inwhichhespeaksof\"thesandyChattahoochee\"。 Inthe`Introduction’(pp。xxxi[PartIII],xliv,xlvii[PartIV]) Ihavespokenofthis`Song’asLanier’smostfinishednaturepoem,asthemostmusicalofhisproductions。\"Themusicofasongeasilyeludesallanalysisandmaybedissipatedbyacritic’sbreath,butletustrytocatchthemeansbywhichtheeffectisinpartproduced。 Infivestanzas,oftenlineseach,alliterationoccursinallsavetwelvelines。Inelevenofthesetwelvelinesinternalrhymeoccurs,sometimesjoiningthepartsofaline,sometimesunitingsuccessivelines。 Syzygyisusedforthesamepurpose。Ofthelettersoccurringinthepoemaboutone-fifthareliquidsandaboutone-twelftharesibilants。 Theeffectofthewholeismusicalbeyonddescription。 Itsingsitselfandyetnowheresacrificesthethought\"(Kent)。 Anotherwaytotestthebeautyof`TheSongoftheChattahoochee’ istocompareitwithotherkindredpoems。Therearemanystream-songsinEnglish,severalofwhichareverypretty,butthereis,Ithink,butonerivaltoour`Song’,andthatisTennyson’s`TheBrook’。 EvensocarefulacriticasMr。Wardsaysthat`TheSongoftheChattahoochee’ \"strikesahigherkey,andisscarcelylessmusical。\"Itwillbeinstructive,too,tocompareLanier’spoemwithSouthey’s`TheCataractofLodore’ (see`Gates’,p。25),whichexhibitsconsiderabletalent,ifnotinspiration; withP。H。Hayne’s`TheMeadowBrook’,whichissimpleandsweet; andwithWordsworth’s`Brook!whosesocietythePoetseeks’,whichisgraveandelevated。ProfessorKentsuggestsasinterestinganaloguesPoe’s`Ulalume’andBuchananRead’s`BayofNaples’;and,ifthestudentcarestoextendhislist,heshouldreadthestream-songsbyBryant,MaryAingeDeVere(`Century’,21。283,December,1891),Longfellow,WeirMitchell(`Atlantic’,65。629,May,1890),ClintonScollard(`Lippincott’,50。226,August,1892),etc。,etc。 TheRevengeofHamishItwasthreeslimdoesandaten-tinedbuckinthebrackenlay;[1] Andallofasuddenthesinistersmellofaman,Awaftonawind-shift,waveredandranDownthehill-sideandsiftedalongthroughthebrackenandpassedthatway。 ThenNangota-trembleatnostril;shewasthedaintiestdoe; IntheprintofhervelvetflankonthevelvetfernShereared,androundedherearsinturn。 Thenthebuckleaptup,andhisheadasaking’stoacrowndidgoFullhighinthebreeze,andhestoodasifDeathhadtheformofadeer; Andthetwoslimdoeslonglazilystretchingarose,Fortheirday-dreamslowliercametoaclose,[11] Tilltheywokeandwerestill,breath-boundwithwaitingandwonderandfear。 ThenAlanthehuntsmansprangoverthehillock,thehoundsshotby,Thedoesandtheten-tinedbuckmadeamarvelousbound,Thehoundssweptafterwithneverasound,ButAlanloudwindedhishorninsignthatthequarrywasnigh。 ForatdawnofthatdayproudMacleanofLochbuytothehunthadwaxedwild,AndhecursedatoldAlantillAlanfaredoffwiththehoundsFortodrivehimthedeertothelowerglen-grounds: \"Iwillkillareddeer,\"quothMaclean,\"inthesightofthewifeandthechild。\" Sogaylyhepacedwiththewifeandthechildtohischosenstand;[21] ButhehurriedtallHamishthehenchmanahead:\"Goturn,\"—— CriedMaclean——\"ifthedeerseektocrosstotheburn,Dothouturnthemtome:norfail,lestthybackberedasthyhand。\" Nowhard-fortunedHamish,halfblownofhisbreathwiththeheightofthehill,Waswhiteinthefacewhentheten-tinedbuckandthedoesDrewleapingtoburn-ward;huskilyroseHisshouts,andhisnetherliptwitched,andhislegswereo’er-weakforhiswill。 SothedeerdartedlightlybyHamishandboundedawaytotheburn。 ButMacleanneverbatinghiswatchtarriedwaitingbelow。 StillHamishhungheavywithfearfortogo[31] Allthespaceofanhour;thenhewent,andhisfacewasgreenishandstern,Andhiseyesatbackinthesocket,andshrunkentheeyeballsshone,Aswithdrawnfromavisionofdeedsitwereshametosee。 \"Now,now,grimhenchman,whatis’twiththee?\" BrakeMaclean,andhiswrathroseredasabeaconthewindhathupblown。 \"Threedoesandaten-tinedbuckmadeout,\"spokeHamish,fullmild,\"AndIranfortoturn,butmybreathitwasblown,andtheypassed; Iwasweak,foryecalledereIbrokememyfast。\" CriedMaclean:\"Nowaten-tinedbuckinthesightofthewifeandthechildIhadkilledifthegluttonouskernhadnotwroughtmeasnail’sownwrong!\"[41] Thenhesounded,anddowncamekinsmenandclansmenall: \"Tenblows,fortentine,onhisbackletfall,Andreckonnostrokeifthebloodfollownotatthebiteofthong!\" SoHamishmadebare,andtookhimhisstrokes;atthelasthesmiled。 \"NowI’lltotheburn,\"quothMaclean,\"foritstillmaybe,Ifaslimmer-paunchedhenchmanwillhurrywithme,Ishallkillmetheten-tinedbuckforagifttothewifeandthechild!\" Thentheclansmendeparted,bythispathandthat;andoverthehillSpedMacleanwithanoutwardwrathforaninwardshame; Andthatplaceofthelashingfullquietbecame;[51] Andthewifeandthechildstoodsad;andbloody-backedHamishsatstill。 Butlook!redHamishhasrisen;quickaboutandaboutturnshe。 \"Thereisnonebetwixtmeandthecrag-top!\"hescreamsunderbreath。 Then,lividasLazaruslatelyfromdeath,Hesnatchesthechildfromthemother,andclambersthecragtowardthesea。 Nowthemotherdropsbreath;sheisdumb,andherheartgoesdeadforaspace,Tillthemotherhood,mistressofdeath,shrieks,shrieksthroughtheglen,Andthatplaceofthelashingislivewithmen,AndMaclean,andthegilliethattoldhim,dashupinadesperaterace。