Of grove, of lawn, of mead survey, His silver-winding2 way ;— Ah, happy hills! ab, pleasing shade! Where once my careless childhood strayed, I feel the gales that from you blow A momentary bliss bestow, As waving fresh their gladsome wing, Say, father Thames !5 for thou hast seen The captive linnet which enthral ? To chase the rolling circle's speed, (1) Whose turf, &c.-These nouns pair with those in the previous line, thus :— the turf of whose lawn, the shade of whose grove, the flowers of whose mead. In a similar style Shakspere writes : "The courtier's, soldier's, scholar's eye, tongue, sword." (2) Silver-winding-literally, winding like silver, which would be absurd. The word means shining like silver as it winds along. (3) In vain-to no purpose, since he was obliged to leave them. (4) Redolent-from the Latin redolens, emitting a smell-smelling sweetly. The word is here used metaphorically, and means, in connection with " of joy and youth," fraught with the influences of, &c. A beautiful expression. (5) Father Thames-Dr. Johnson pettishly says that "this supplication is useless and puerile. Father Thames has no better means of knowing than himself." The great critic, however, in his own "Rasselas," makes one of the characters thus address the Nile :-" Great father of waters! tell me," &c. (6) The captive, &c.-Some think this expression tautologous, but it may perhaps be thus explained:-Who imprison the captive (or captured) linnet? i. e. who catch and cage the linnet? A somewhat similar idiom is pointed out in note 4, p. 107. While some, on earnest business bent, 'Gainst graver hours that bring constraint Some bold adventurers disdain The limits of their little reign, And unknown regions dare descry; Gay hope is theirs, by fancy fed, And lively cheer, of vigour born; Alas! regardless of their doom, Yet see how all around them wait The ministers of human fate, And black Misfortune's baleful train! Ah, show them where in ambush stand, (1) Snatch a fearful joy-A happy combination of words. A fearful joy! (2) Buxom-in Old English, boughsome; i. e. easily bent or bowed to one's will: hence, obedient, pliant, easily moved, elastic, merry. "The (3) Minister-from the Latin minister, an attendant—an official servant. ministers of human fate" are the dangers of human life, appointed by the Supreme Power, who is here, somewhat heathenishly, called fate. (4) Ah! tell them, &c.-The conception of the grim ministers of fate-the murderous band-awaiting in ambush the approach of their heedless victim, is very striking, whatever opinion may be formed of the view of life which it suggests. These shall the fury Passions2 tear, And Shame that skulks behind: Ambition this shall tempt to rise, The stings of Falsehood those shall try, That mocks the tear it forced to flow; Lo! in the vale of 4 years beneath A grisly troop are seen, The painful family of Death,5 More hideous than their queen :6 (1) These-some of these-in contrast with "this" and "those" in the nex stanza. (2) Fury passions-This stanza presents, in a short compass, a graphic sketch of the passions-those "vultures of the mind." They are mostly characterized by their effects, as "pallid Fear," i. e. fear that makes pale; "faded Care," i. e. care that makes the cheek fade, &c. (3) Sorrow's piercing dart-An instance of anti-climax, or bathos. A climax an ascending series of thoughts or illustrations, rising in interest from one step to another. An anti-climax, on the contrary, is a descending series. In the presen case, "sorrow" is tame after the bold personification of "Grim-visaged, comfortless Despair." (4) Moody Madness, &c.—In contrast with the close of the last stanza, this may be characterized as a very striking climax. (5) Family of Death-diseases. (6) Queen-There is a fault here in making Death feminine; and it is believed that no other such instance occurs in our literature. One cannot but be reminded of Milton's grand conception of Death in the "Paradise Lost," book ii. : This racks the joints, this fires the veins, Those in the deeper vitals rage; To each his sufferings: all are men, Yet, ah! why should they know their fate, Gray. INSCRIPTIONS. I. FOR THE ENTRANCE TO A WOOD.1 And view the haunts of Nature. The calm shade "The other shape, If shape it might be call'd that shape had none Or substance might be call'd that shadow seemed, Fierce as ten Furies, terrible as hell, And shook a dreadful dart; what seem'd his head, The likeness of a kingly crown had on." (1) An inscription should be simple, short, and eminently suggestive. That given above is simple and suggestive, but its length is somewhat inconsistent with the imaginary purpose for which such a composition is written, and yet we could hardly wish to lose any part of what is so graceful and beautiful. And made thee loathe their life. The primal curse But not in vengeance. God hath yoked to guilt' The squirrel, with raised paws and form erect, That sucks its sweets. The massy rocks themselves, Bryant. (1) To guilt-i. e. to guilt only. The inseparable connection between guilt and misery is vividly denoted by the imagery of the text. (2) Hence-i. e. because guilt haunts not these shades, they are still, &c. (3) Shade-i. e. not among the branches, but below; a somewhat unfortunate word, since, if taken strictly, it contradicts the next line. (4) Cleft-born-springing from a cleft, or fissure in the rock. (5) Knoll-from the Anglo-Saxon cnoll, a head or top-a little round hill. (6) Causey or causeway-from the French chaussée, which is either from the Latin calcata, trodden down, or calceata, shod or protected by a hard covering of wood or stone. See Philological Society's Journal, vol. v. p. 39. |