Selections from American poetry Part 47

94. astral: a lamp with peculiar construction so that the shadow is not cast directly below it.

BURNS

Burns. In connection with this poem may well be read the following poems by Robert Burns (1759-1796): "The Twa Dogs," "A Man's a Man for A' That,"

"Cotter's Sat.u.r.day Night" (Selections), "Ye Banks and Braes o' Bonnie Doon," "Highland Mary."

40. allegory: the expression of an idea indirectly by means of a story or narrative. Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress is probably the best-known allegory. What others can you name?

67. Craigie-burn and Devon were favorite Scotch streams.

71. Ayr: a river in Scotland. This whole region is full of a.s.sociations with Burns. Near it he was born and there is the Auld Brig of Doon of Tam o' Shanter fame. Near the river is a Burns monument. Doon: a river of Scotland 30 miles long and running through wild and picturesque country. Burns has made it famous.

91-92. The unpleasant facts of Burns's life, due to weakness of character, should not be allowed to destroy our appreciation of what he accomplished when he was his better self.

99. Magdalen. See John 8:3-11 and many other instances in the Gospels.

103. The mournful Tuscan: Dante, who wrote "The Divine Comedy."

THE HERO

1. Bayard, Pierre Terrail (1473-1524): a French soldier who, on account of his heroism, piety, and magnanimity was called "le chevalier sans noun et sans reproche," the fearless and faultless knight. By his contemporaries he was more often called "le bon chevalier," the good knight.

6. Zutphen: an old town in Holland, which was often besieged, especially during the wars of freedom waged by the Dutch. The most celebtated fight under its walls was in September, 1586, when Sir Philip Sidney was mortally wounded.

12. See John 16: 21.

28. Sidney. See note on line 6 and Proem, note on line 4.

31. Cyllenian ranges: Mount Cyllene, in southern Greece, the fabled birthplace of Hermes.

36. Suliote. See Fitz-Greene Halleck, "Marco Bozzaris," note on line 13

42. The reference is to Samuel G. Howe, who fought as a young man for the independence of Greece.

46. Albanian: pertaining to Albania, a province of western Turkey.

78. Cadmus: mythological king of Phoenicia; was regarded as the introducer of the alphabet from Phoenicia into Greece.

86. Lancelot stands for most of us as the example of a brave knight whose life was ruined by a great weakness. Malory writes of him in "Mort d'Arthur," and Tennyson has made him well known to us.

THE ETERNAL GOODNESS

24. See John 19:23 and Matthew 9: 20-22.

36. After David had suffered, he wrote the greatest of the Psalms which are attributed to him. The idea of righteous judgement is to be found throughout them all, but seems especially strong in 9 and 147.

54. Compare Tennyson's Crossing the Bar.

THE PIPES AT LUCKNOW

9. Lowland: the south and east of Scotland; distinguished from the Highlands.

13. pibroch: a wild, irregular martial music played on Scotch bagpipes.

18. A small English garrison was in possession of the city of Lucknow at the time of the great Sepoy Mutiny in India,. They were besieged, and their rescue is described here.

32. Sir Henry Havelock commanded the relieving army.

36. Sepoy: a native East-Indian soldier, equipped like a European soldier.

51. Goomtee: a river of Hindustan.

77. Gaelic: belonging to Highland Scotch or other Celtic people.

COBBLER KEEZAR'S VISION

The element of superst.i.tion which enters into many of Whittier's poems is well ill.u.s.trated here.

19. the Brocken: in the Harz Mountains in Germany.

35. swart: dark-colored.

49. See "Prophecy of Samuel Sewall," note on line 32.

52. Religion among the Pilgrim fathers was a harsh thing. What ill.u.s.trations of its character did you find in the early part of this book

84. Doctor Dee: an English astrologer (1527-1608).

85. Agrippa, Heinrich Cornelius: German physician, theologian, and writer (1486-1535), who tried to turn less precious metals into gold.

89. Minnesinger. Hares Sachs (1494-1576), the famous cobbler singer, is probably referred to. For another famous minstrel see notes on Longfellow, "Walter von der Vogelweide."

139. Bingen, a city on the Rhine, has been made famous by the poem written in 1799 by Southey, "G.o.d's Judgment on a Wicked Bishop."

Longfellow refers to this legend in "The Children's Hour."

140. Frankfort (on-the-Main), in Germany.

147. droughty: thirsty, wanting drink.

THE MAYFLOWERS

1. Sad Mayflower: the trailing arbutus.