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THE GREAT STONE FACE.
53
for the poet had celebrated it in an ode, which was grand
enough to have been uttered by its own majestic lips.
This man of genius, we may say, had come down from
heaven with wonderful endowments. If he sang of a
mountain; the eyes of all mankind beheld a mightier
grandeur reposing on its breast, or soaring to its summit,
than had before been seen there. If his theme were a
lovely lake, a celestial smile had now been thrown over
it, to gleam forever on its surface. If it were the vast
old sea, even the deep immensity of its dread bosom
seemed to swell the higher, as if moved by the emotions
of the song. Thus the world assumed another and a
better aspect from the hour that the poet blessed it with
his happy eyes. The Creator had bestowed him, as the
last best touch to his own handiwork. Creation was
not finished till the poet came to interpret, and SO com-
plete it.
The effect was no less high and beautiful, when his
human brethren were the subject of his verse. The man
or woman, sordid with the common dust of life, who
crossed his daily path, and the little child who played in
it, were glorified if he beheld them in his mood of poetic
faith. He showed the golden links of the great chain
that intertwined them with an angelic kindred ; he
brought out the hidden traits of a celestial birth that
made them worthy of such kin. Some, indeed, there
were, who thought to show the soundness of their judg-
ment by affirming that all the beauty and dignity of the
natural world existed only in the poet's fancy. Let such
men speak for themselves, who undoubted!y appear to
have been spawned forth by Nature with a contemptuous
bitterness ; she having plastered them up out of her
refuse stuff, after all the swine were made. As respects
all things clse, the poet's ideal was the truest truth.
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"ocrText": "THE GREAT STONE FACE.\n53\nfor the poet had celebrated it in an ode, which was grand\nenough to have been uttered by its own majestic lips.\nThis man of genius, we may say, had come down from\nheaven with wonderful endowments. If he sang of a\nmountain; the eyes of all mankind beheld a mightier\ngrandeur reposing on its breast, or soaring to its summit,\nthan had before been seen there. If his theme were a\nlovely lake, a celestial smile had now been thrown over\nit, to gleam forever on its surface. If it were the vast\nold sea, even the deep immensity of its dread bosom\nseemed to swell the higher, as if moved by the emotions\nof the song. Thus the world assumed another and a\nbetter aspect from the hour that the poet blessed it with\nhis happy eyes. The Creator had bestowed him, as the\nlast best touch to his own handiwork. Creation was\nnot finished till the poet came to interpret, and SO com-\nplete it.\nThe effect was no less high and beautiful, when his\nhuman brethren were the subject of his verse. The man\nor woman, sordid with the common dust of life, who\ncrossed his daily path, and the little child who played in\nit, were glorified if he beheld them in his mood of poetic\nfaith. He showed the golden links of the great chain\nthat intertwined them with an angelic kindred ; he\nbrought out the hidden traits of a celestial birth that\nmade them worthy of such kin. Some, indeed, there\nwere, who thought to show the soundness of their judg-\nment by affirming that all the beauty and dignity of the\nnatural world existed only in the poet's fancy. Let such\nmen speak for themselves, who undoubted!y appear to\nhave been spawned forth by Nature with a contemptuous\nbitterness ; she having plastered them up out of her\nrefuse stuff, after all the swine were made. As respects\nall things clse, the poet's ideal was the truest truth."
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