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

Page 16 text:

ll N 411 Un a fllllaterialint S THIS your final word,-that men are naught But Nature's. accidents,-that we exist Because by blind and freakish chance Some chemicals in contact close are brought, Of which the mixtures known as men consist? Perchance some lucky wind blows north a base And east a salt, and then some planless plan Brings salt and base together, making man! Can rocks, those senseless things, give precious life? Can splashing streams that furrow cliff and wood, Give honor, hatred, love, deceit or truth? Can peaceful meadows offer war or strife To man when he is made, or can his good f Proceed from metals valuable or base? Or evil blossom from the flowers sweet, That cloaking fields form carpets 'neath our feet? Whence come those men whose fame shall never part,- Whose names and deeds outlived each strong rebuff Of life? Whence Caesar? Pompey? Can these men Gr their ambitions from a test-tube start? They say ambition's made of sterner stuff, And well they say, for who has ever heard Of chemical,-of acid,-metal,-stone, Into ambition, restless passion, blown?

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POPEKS' MESSIAH 1 67 The intrinsic value of the poem, its poetic worth, may be judged by the essentials of the pastoral poem. In con- templating the innocence, quiet and candor of the Mes- siah, the emotions aroused are of the 'gentler kind. As Pope directly introduces no characters, we need not dis- cuss the pastoral characteristics. Though his subject bears not immediately on the peace and cares of rural life, it is surely one of supreme joy and happiness. His sweet and gentle style leaves nothing to be desired. His fig- ures, drawn from the daily scenes of the countryside, are well nigh' peerless. Rev. Eugene H. Brady, S. I., con- siders Pope's Messiah the most beautiful of Pope's trans- lations and the grandest pastoral poem in the English language. ' The Messiah ! How fitting to be made the subject of ag pastoral poem. A pastoral, we are told, is an imitation of a shepherd, or of one considered under that character. As' Christ is often referred to as the Good Shepherdjf and so many traits and characteristics of the shepherd 'Hare symbolically ascribed to Him, surely the pastoral lends itself perfectly to the praise and glory of the Nativity, long years ago proclaimed by the angels to the lowly, shepherds as they tended their flocks on the hills of Bethlehem. FRED B. BUTLER. .4 U-'fare ' ji- 'f D EW .ti- x1Hj1f?il fir

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TO A MATERIALIST 69 What mineral, what oxide dead, can brave, Like Washington, the cannon's thunderous roar? Or what reaction is there that can raise A shepherd girl, like Ioan of Arc, to save A nation from the bloody wave of war? Or can you bring Napoleon back to life Or else produce his strategy in weight? Such formula, my friend, is hard to state! Whence comes the pride and lust of Tarquin bold, 3 The honor of Lucrece, or sordid shame ' Of Cataline, or mother's ceaseless love For daughter fair, or son? What wondrous mold Produced a Shakespeare's or a Milt0n's fame, - Both potent kings whose sceptre was their pen? Were their great minds with keener vision blessed ' Because of liner chemicals possessed? 1 Have you not heard of Boone who braved the light Of wildsg who ope'd the path for pioneers i l To seek existence in this Golden Land? an Or Father Serra, great Franciscan Light Who heeded not elusive months and years, , Who spurned the pangs of hunger, scorned the heat l V . Of day, the black of night and irksome strife Of toil in foreign land, 'ere leaving life? A If you will pardon me, I shall attempt To give a definition where you fail: Man is a being from the hand of God,- Some matter rightly formed, but not exempt From spiritual soul that doth entail A A conscious passion of eternity. . Now there is God's own 'formula for man ,- Improve it,--weigh,--produce it if you can! , THOMAS FOSTERQ A