The poem ions on the nature and mission of woman. is a singular mixture of prose and poetry, in which passion and sentiment are intermingled with metaphysical discussions and commonplace conversations. Her last publication was a volume entitled Poems before Congress, issued in 1860, which also bears evidence of her great interest in Italy and its people. ercised so healthful an influence over our literature as has Mrs. Browning. Indeed, there is scarcely a sentiment of all that she has so gracefully written which any one would wish omitted. Few writers have ex Mrs. Browning died on the 29th of June, 1861, at her home in Casa Guidi, Florence. A marble tablet in front of the house, erected by the grateful people of Florence, records the fact that here "wrote and died Elizabeth Barrett Browning, who, by her song, created a golden link between Italy and England." CRITICISM BY CHAMBERS. THE highest place among our modern poetesses must be claimed for Mrs. Browning, formerly Miss Barrett. In purity and loftiness of sentiment and feeling, and in intellectual power, she is excelled only by Tennyson, whose best works, it is evident, she had carefully studied. Her earlier style reminds us more of Shelley, but this arises from similarity of genius and classical tastes, not imitation. "Poetry," said Mrs. Browning, "has been as serious a thing to me as life itself; and life has been a very serious thing. I never mistook pleasure for the final cause of poetry, nor leisure for the hour of the poet. I have done my work so far as work—not as mere hand- and head-work, apart from the personal being, but as the completest expression of that being to which I could attain." COWPER'S GRAVE. NOTE. This is one of Mrs. Browning's earliest poems, but also one of the most finished of her productions. It is written in her best style. It is a place where poets crowned may feel the heart's decaying, It is a place where happy saints may weep amid their praying. Yet let the grief and humbleness as low as silence languish : Earth surely now may give her calm to whom she gave her anguish. O poets! from a maniac's tongue was poured the deathless 5 singing; O Christians! at your cross of hope a hopeless hand was clinging; O men! this man in brotherhood, your weary paths beguiling, Groaned inly while he taught you peace, and died while ye were smiling! And now, what time ye all may read through dimming tears his story, How discord on the music fell, and darkness on the glory, And how when, one by one, sweet sounds and wandering lights departed, He wore no less a loving face because so broken-hearted, He shall be strong to sanctify the poet's high vocation, taken. ANALYSIS. 3. What figure in the line? Parse silence. 5. a maniac's tongue. To what fact in the poet Cowper's life does this refer? 9. what time, the time in which. 11. Give the construction of one by one. 14. Give grammatical construction of bow. 16. Named softly, etc.; that is, he should be named softly, etc. Give grammatical construction of Named. 10 15 With quiet sadness and no gloom I learn to think upon him— With meekness that is gratefulness to God whose heaven hath won him, Who suffered once the madness-cloud to His own ve to blind him, But gently led the blind along where breath and bird could 20 find him, And wrought within his shattered brain such quick poetic senses As hills have language for, and stars harmonious influences. The pulse of dew upon the grass kept his within its number, And silent shadows from the trees refreshed him like a slumber. Wild, timid hares were drawn from woods to share his home- 25 caresses, Uplooking to his human eyes with sylvan tendernesses. The very world, by God's constraint, from falsehood's ways re moving, Its women and its men became, beside him, true and loving. And though, in blindness, he remained unconscious of that guiding, And things provided came without the sweet sense of providing, 30 He testified this solemn truth, while frenzy desolated— Nor man nor nature satisfied, whom only God created. Like a sick child that knoweth not his mother whilst she blesses, And drops upon his burning brow the coolness of her kisses ANALYSIS.-19. Name the antecedents of Who, also of His. 20. breath and bird. What figure? Give the meaning. 22. Give the grammatical construction of influences. 24. Parse the words like and slumber. 26. Point out the figure in this line. 29. in blindness, etc. Is the expression figurative or literal? 33. Give the grammatical construction of Like and child. What Is the antecedent of That? 34. drops.... the coolness, etc. What figure? That turns his fevered eyes around-"My mother! where's my 35 mother?" As if such tender words and deeds could come from any other!— The fever gone, with leaps of heart he sees her bending o'er him, Her face all pale from watchful love, the unweary love she bore him! Thus woke the poet from the dream his life's long fever gave him, Beneath those deep pathetic eyes, which closed in death to save 40 him. Thus? Oh, not thus ! no type of earth could image that awaking, Wherein he scarcely heard the chant of seraphs round him breaking, Or felt the new immortal throb of soul from body parted, But felt those eyes alone, and knew-"My Saviour! not deserted !" Deserted! Who hath dreamt that when the cross in darkness 45 rested Upon the Victim's hidden face, no love was manifested? What frantic hands outstretched have e'er the atoning drops averted? What tears have washed them from the soul, that one should be deserted? Deserted! God could separate from His own essence rather: ANALYSIS. 38. all pale. Parse. Parse also uneasy love. 39. What is the meaning here of his life's long fever? (See sketch of Cowper.) 40. What is the meaning of this line? 45. Give grammatical construction of Deserted. What is the meaning of the cross in darkness rested, etc.? What is the figure? 48. Why is one emphasized, and to whom does it refer? 50. Give the meaning of this line. Yea, ouce, Immanuel's orphaned cry his universe hath shakenIt went up single, echoless, "My God, I am forsaken !" It went up from the Holy's lips amid his lost creation, That of the lost no son should use those words of desolation! That earth's worst frenzies, marring hope, should mar not hope's 55 fruition, And I, on Cowper's grave, should see his rapture in a vision. ANALYSIS.-51, 52. To what do these lines refer? 52. What is the antecedent of It? 54. What figure in the line? 55. What is the meaning of fruition? 56. on Couper's grave. What does this phrase modify? THE SLEEP. NOTE. The following are stanzas 5 and 6 from Mrs. Browning's porm, The Sleep. O earth, so full of dreary noises! O men, with wailing in your voices ! His dews drop mutely on the hill, Though on its slope men sow and rean "He giveth His beloved sleep." |