Songs All the poems which we have so far printed are lyrics. Our language is singularly rich in this class of poetry, and we have been embarrassed by the number from which we can choose. The student will find many more in his general reading that are worthy of a place in this course. Songs form a class of lyrics as varied in content as the possible subjects in life. One might consider them as sacred and secular and under the former recognize the psalms which our poets have many times rendered into metrical form, not infrequently detracting from the sublimity of the originals. "The Lord is my Shepherd" needs no change, no remodeling from the biblical version to make it a true lyric, but that it may be sung to the tunes of our churches it has more than once been paraphrased. For the sake of comparison this somewhat noted version by James Montgomery is reproduced: The Lord is my shepherd, no want shall I know; I feed in green pastures, safe-folded I rest; He leadeth my soul where the still waters flow, Restores me when wandering, redeems when oppressed. Through the valley and shadow of death though I stray, Since thou art my guardian no evil I fear; Thy rod shall defend me, Thy staff be my stay; No harm can befall with my Comforter near. In the midst of affliction my table is spread; With blessings unmeasured my cup runneth o'er; With perfume and oil Thou anointest my head; Oh! what shall I ask of thy Providence more? Let goodness and mercy, my bountiful God, Still follow my steps till I meet Thee above: I seek, by the path which my forefathers trod Through the land of their sojourn, Thy kingdom of love. Hymns are religious songs expressing devout reverence for the deity, displaying confidence and faith in the goodness of God, breathing a prayer for help in hours of difficulty and distress, or for consolation in the hour of affliction. Our literature is full of these noble poems, and their lofty sentiments, clothed in beautiful words sung to the thrilling music of other inspired composers, have been potent factors in the culture and refinement Lead, kindly Light of the race. Some of course are sectarian and thereby lose much of their power for universal good, but there are many grand hymns that can be sung with perfect sincerity and deep emotion by members of every creed. Cardinal Newman has given us in Lead, Kindly Light one of those hymns that smile at creed and voice the universal trust of the Christian world. Others will suggest themselves to the reader. Lead, kindly light, amid the encircling gloom, The night is dark and I am far from home; Keep thou my feet; I do not ask to see The distant scene; one step enough for me. I was not ever thus, nor prayed that thou I loved to choose and see my path; but now Lead thou me on; I loved the garish day, and, spite of fears, Pride ruled my will. Remember not past years. So long thy power has blest me, sure it still Will lead me on O'er moor and fen, o'er crag and torrent till The night is gone, And with the morn those angel faces smile Which, I have loved long since, and lost the while. Secular songs are written upon nearly every conceivable topic of human interest and are more numerous than any other form of literature, but so many of them are inferior in composition and so dependent upon the jingle of the tunes to which they are sung that their life is little longer than the time consumed in their production. But a large number are conceived in the true spirit of art and are as worthy of immortality as anything we read. There are comic songs that sparkle with wit and whose music laughs with the hearer; sentimental and love songs whose sensuous cadences intensify the passion of their words; convivial songs where toasts are drunk to the accompaniment of the clinking glasses; and patriotic songs that roll with the ringing cheers of thousands and the tramp of armed men. Odes When one thinks of all the poems that he may see the impor But lyric is a There are still properly call songs he begins to tance of the group in literature. far more comprehensive term. three large classes of lyrics each distinct in itself, though, as we see if we try to draw the lines closely, shading off into one another. Usually these are in the nature of a direct address to some person, place, or thing, and are distinguished one from another by the nature of the subject or the rules of form. All are in a greater or less degree complimentary to the thing addressed and show interest, respect, admiration or love. The ode and elegy have most in common, although the latter is a tribute to the dead. The sonnet partakes deeply of the nature of the others but is set off by very arbitrary limitations of form. There are no rules governing the form of the ode; the poet is at liberty to select whatever form seems best adapted to his purpose. The length of the stanza, the meter, the rhyme, may be as varied as his fancy dictates, but the ode is an address direct and personal, an address with praise for its object. The subject may be a flower, a piece of pottery, a person, a bird or a nation, but some definite inciting object is necessary. The ode is |