St Ignatius College - Ignatian Yearbook (San Francisco, CA)

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linpfa illllenniah ll Ye Nymphs of Solyma! begin the song: To heavenly themes sublimer strains belong. The mossy fountains and the sylvan shades, The dreams of Pindus and the Ionian maids Delight no more g-O, Thou my voice inspire Who touched Isaiah's hallowed lips with tire! r cc my I b N - by HOUGH Pope s Messiah claims our atten- Ygm tion in this paper, a short slcetch of the M yw development of the Pastoral in both ancient and modern times will not be altogether out of place. Theocritus gave birth to this G! ' X ' form of Sicilian poetry from the germs supplied by Epicharmus and developed it into a distinct and finished art. One may safely say that no other poet, Greek, Roman or modern, has quite reached the high standard, which Theocritus has set for posterity. He has perhaps attained his greatest success in The Harvest Feast, a pastoral in which he introduces his friends under fictitious names. Bion, also of Sicily, drew his inspiration from the solitude of country life, and though his poems breathe an exaggerated sentimentality, and show traces of overstrained reflection fre- quently observable in later developments of pastoral poetry, still he is generally recognized as one of the foremost bucolic writers. Moschus, another Sicilian, also wrote some pastorals of merit. These, however, can hardly be classed with the masterpieces of Theocritus and Bion, ' The earlier efforts of Virgil's art, the Eclogues, faithfully reproduce the pastoral fancies of Theocritus. The country was Virgil's home, and .its solitude and grandeur are the sources of many of his noblest themes. Tibullus, in his pas- torals, shrinks from the rough contact of city life, and all his

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Jlgnaiian f ' DECEMBER, 1913 No.2 Glnria in- Exrzluin LORY to God in Heaven! The Angel choirs sing, And star-lit hills of Bethlehem 4 With gladsome echoes ring. Glory to God in Heaven! Joseph and Mary pray And kneel beside the manger Where the Infant Savior lay. Glory to God in Heaven! Breathe shepherds who attend, And, wrapped in silent wonder, In adoration bend. Glory to God in Heaven! Murmurs each Eastern King, While Gold and Myrrh and Incense, Tributes of love they bring. Glory to God in Heaven! Sing it on' Christmas-dayg Peace and good-will to mortals Will come in its wake, and stay. STANLEY Bmms.

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POPE'S MESSIAH 63 sympathy is- with the life and traditions of'the country peo- ple. His style as a pastoral poet tends to follow that of Vir- gil more closely than that of the idylls of Theocritus. The pastoral made its first impressions on English poetry in the 16th century. In Italy and Spain it made more rapid strides, completely outdistancing England, which at the close of the century noted a great poverty of original pas- torals among her literary achievements. The English love of country life soon overcame this- lead, for in a short time her poets forged ahead and overtook their rivals. The great strife between Phillips and Pope led to the highest development that the pastoral attained at the hands of an English author. Gay with his Shepherd's Week stands at the head of British pastoral writers, the Gentle Shepherd by Ramsay may be characterized the last true pastoral from the pen of an English poet. Pope's Messiah is a close imitation of Virgil's Pollio, the famous fourth Eclogue in which the poet treats of the expected birth of a child who is to become the Regenerator of his race and times. In the Messiah, Pope exemplifies the full development of his powers. This poem has a more pleasing 'effect than his other works, due no doubt, to the sublime Subject. The poetic translation of Isaias could hardly be more beautiful, though we must admit that he often robs the Prophet of his majestic grandeur. In explaining the poem Pope says: I have endeavored in this translation of Virgil's 'Pollio' to show the reader how far superior are the images and descriptions of the Prophet than the Poet. He certainly gives us an imitation of Virgil, in fact some of his verses are almost direct translations of the Latin poem. Unlike Milton, who was also wont to f1lch from the ancient authors, Pope does not merely take the style and fit another thought to it,-though in this poem it is essential that he adopt the thought,-but boldly makes his own the style, the theme, and not unfrequently whole expressions of Virgil. The ,wonderful child-subject of Virgil's poem has been discussed by critics, ancient and modern. Some consider that