Saint Ursula Academy - Scroll Yearbook (Toledo, OH)

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'Twas Heaven T 0 Be Young 9 O ATTENIPT will be made here to compare or contrast the two English poets chosen for this study. Each will be treated separate- ly-the unity being achieved by dealing with their common interest, children- since some of the greatest flashes of their inspiration were enkindled from their attraction and love for the littlest ones in the kingdom of man. f'Bliss was it in that dawn to be alive But to be young was very Heaven l This VCl'SC was written by one of E n gl an d ' s greatest poets, Williain VVordsworth. C1770-18505. It no doubt would be surprising to some peo- ple to have their attention brought to the fact that some of the greatest mas- ters in versecraft actually spent hours writing fanciful verse about the delight- fully entertaining episodes of childhood. It is noticeable in the above-quoted verse that VVordsworth writes with a childlike perceptiveness, lndeed at times he has even been accused of being too consciously childlike, some critics make the indictment that in his desire for simplicity he allows the chatter and baby talk of the child to insinuate it- self into his incessant pen, so utterly engrossed is he in his subject. It was possible that VVordsworth had hoped to settle in France, but the Con- tinental disorders and the war between France and England in 1793 upset his plans and he returned to England, sad and disillusioned. Late in his thirties, he married Nlary Hutchinson, by whom he was blessed with four children. S0 intrigued was he with his offsprings' every living H10- ment, so observing of their whims and artihces, that his father-heart urged him to set down in verse their every belief and action. Thus he wrote of his daughter, Catherine. Loving she is, and traitable. though wild, Page Sixteen 0 And Innocence hath privilege in her, To dignify arch looks and laughing eyesfl The very close propinquinity between father and son gave VVordsworth an excellent opportunity to express his feel- ing concerning this filial bond. Having experienced the same, he wrote in L'An- ecdote for Fathersfl- HI have a boy of five years old. His face is fair and fresh to seeg His limbs are crest in beautv's mold, And dea1'ly he loves mef, Although life may run smoothly. one cannot expect to pass along its winding road without stumbling here and there. Into VVordsworth,s life death stalked, taking two of his children, thus caus- ing him much grief and sorrow, In reflecting on his loss, again the desire came to verbalize his emotions. It seemed to relieve his mind and heart of the poignant sadness which tortured him: Departed child! I could forget thee once Though at my bosom nursed: this woeful gain Thy dissolution brings that fn my soul Is present and perpetually abidesf' 'Q' 'U' '? 1 .' 'U' 'TQ' '. l .' 'lfiff' By . Betty Gerken L-Q-4 -1-ll'-'fl-'lf' 'M' 'll' 'fl-JP 'in-Qui So was the life of VVordsworth-one of delicate understanding and sympathy as a father to his much-loved children. In his works he shows true genius in revealing thoughts that occur to all men but who do not possess the ability to express them. 0 i-.. o Children, their charm and simplicity engaged the pen of another great Eng- lish poet, Francis Thompson. As was

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ton where llr. Nlurphy was. She said that he was in his room, sleeping, and she was about to do likewise, because she added a few more pints of tomatoes to her already plentiful store. UAm-azingf' l whispered to myself, Hand l thought crime,-No, I must not say that. Well, what is it then?y' l argued aloud to myself. ln the kitchen, on a small roughly built table. stood six beautiful, gleam- ing pints of tomatoes. I Carefully extracted the tomatoes from my pockets, and found a knife in the table drawer. After peeling them, I opened one of the pints. l thought of what l would do with the tomatoes in the jar. After a meal of only tomatoes-the good ones--l Carefully packed the others in the pint jar and sealed it. l then retired for the night. llrs, Slaxton served her first jar of tomatoes two weeks later. I ate corn instead of tomatoes. VVell, that's all to tell. That's the way it happened. I only wanted Nlrs. Slaxton to eat them, but old glutton Klurphy had to eat also. 'fSay, l gasped weakly. how did you find out? 'fYou were seen taking tomatoes from lllrs. Swartz's garden, and the poison- ing came from the tomatoesg so we came to the Conclusion that you were the one. I moaned. and said weakly, Hthose rotten tomatoes. they -- .H Dead, someone said softly, dead. BECAUSE I mics li'?ZL'ZL' a man who zvas oId and gray, IIO 'zcas jmor and clothed in rags, 11nd ht' tald me the story of 'why it was so- Of zrhy hr was dothffd in rags. II Izvn I was young, I was greedy and mid, And had nothing to do with the poor. I never had time to say a hind word, Or pray for the sich a cure. I 7lt l't'7' smiled at little children I hmficx flnd I rzvwr tcm! out of my way, To sand flowvrs to those who were IanvIy, Or say thanhs for II favor one gafuefi Nou' I'w last mifrything and have no jwlarv to go. rind nary a friend do I fad. I'm afonv in the tvorld, and the reason zt'hy- Is hvfvzzzsv I 'zcas never hind. So I Ieaw you this message: Never For- aft! That the best things in Iife are free. For a song, a s1niIe, and a hind word shared, Illahe Iifv a s-zveet symphony. -ANN Loisizt '46 Paga Fifteen

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stated before. the two poets cannot be compared. as there is really no analogy in the salient points of their lives. Vvordsworth led a quiet and successful life, while Thompson tasted the dregs ot the bitter side of life. lfrancis Thompson, however. did lead a rather pleasant life as a child, which fact probably gave him the inspiration for his many writings in later life. :Xtter his father died. lite cruelly turned upon him: watched him strive avidly tor the joys which were generally shared by most normal human beings. but which fate seemed to deny him. Une thing. however, could not be snatched away-his Catholic faith. His tenacity in clinging to it was the most important guide in directing Thompson in his paths, which at times were most difficult to travel. After disappointing his family by failing to persevere in the study nf medicine, Thompson left for London. where. after slumming for months. he was received into the home of XViltred and Alice Kleynell. publish- ers ot the periodical. Mllerrie ling-V landuawriters and poets in their own right. He became very attached to the younger members of the family. sudier- ing their every pain and sorrow as if it were his: Yom eleven years, was't not, or so? Wvere just a child, you know. :Xnd so you never said Things sweet immediately and wise To fnterdict from closure my wet eyes. But Thompson did not restrict his love to the Kleynell children only. The village children too Came in for a goodly share, :Xn excellent example ot this is a poem written to llaisy. a little village girl, whom he had met one day while he was strolling through the country- side. 'She knew not those sweet words she spoke. Nor knew her own sweet way. Hut there's never a bird so sweet a song Thronged in whose throat that day. Uh, there were tlowers in Storrington On the turf and on the spray But the sweetest tlower on the Sussex hill. XVas the Daisy tlower that dayfi As religion was the most vital factor in Thompson's lite, it was not surpris- ing that he employed much of his poetic genius in writing religious poetry. As he was devoted to children, it was not strange that he would combine these two loves into a dedicatory piece to the most Adorable of all children, the ln- fant Alesus, his most loved and popular child-poem: 'Al,ittle -lesus. wast Thou shy Once, and just so small as I? :Xnd what did it feel like to be Uut of Heaven, and just like ine? YVordsworth and Thompson both thought childhood important enough to write poems about. They expressed in poetic form the thought and experiences which undoubtedly have occurred to most of us but which languish be-times for want of an interlocutor, until a stranger from Parnassus seizes upon the idea and sets it down for the enjoyment of all men. Page Sevenieen