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Literary
August 29, 1827
Literary Cadet And Rhode Island Statesman
Providence, Providence County, Rhode Island
What is this article about?
Biographical note on young poet N.P. Willis, praising his talent, followed by his elegy 'Burial of Arnold,' mourning the death of a manly Yale College senior class member, emphasizing his strength, generosity, and the comrades' grief.
Clipping
OCR Quality
95%
Excellent
Full Text
N. P. Willis, Esq.—Mr. Willis is a young aspirant for public fame, and has been but a short time before the public. But during the little period he has delighted the public with his strains, he has acquired no mean distinction, and promises to attain an enviable rank among the sons of song. The lines below, on the burial of Arnold, a member of the senior class of Yale College, are from his pen. They partake largely of genuine poesy, and are highly creditable to the muse of the gifted bard.
BURIAL OF ARNOLD.
Ye've gathered to your place of prayer,
With slow and measured tread;
Your ranks are full, your mates are there,
But the soul of one has fled!
He was the proudest in his strength,
The manliest of ye all:
Why lies he at that fearful length,
And ye around his pall?
Ye reckon up the days since he
Strode up that foot-worn aisle,
With his dark eye flashing gloriously
And his lips marked with a smile.
Oh! had it been but told you then
To mark whose lamp was dim;
From out yon rank of fresh-lipped men
Would ye have singled him?
Whose was the sinewy arm which flung
Defiance to the ring?
Whose laugh of victory loudest rung.
Yet not for glorying?
Whose heart in generous deed and thought,
No rivalry could brook,
And yet distinction claiming not?
There lies he: go and look.
Or, now: the requiem is done.
The last deep prayer is said;
On to his burial, comrades, on,
With the noblest of the dead!
Slow—for it presses heavily
It is a man ye bear:
Slow—for our thoughts dwell heavily
On the noble sleeper there.
Tread lightly, comrades! we have laid
His dark locks on his brow,
Like life; save deeper light and shade—
We'll not disturb them now.
Tread lightly! for 'tis beautiful
Those blue-vein'd eyelids sleep,
Hiding the eye death left so dull—
Its slumber we well keep.
Rest, now. His journeying is done,
Your feet are on his sod;
Death's chain is on your champion,
He waited here his God.
Nay, turn and weep; 'tis manliness
To be heart-broken here;
For the grave of earth's best nobleness
Is watered by the tear.
BURIAL OF ARNOLD.
Ye've gathered to your place of prayer,
With slow and measured tread;
Your ranks are full, your mates are there,
But the soul of one has fled!
He was the proudest in his strength,
The manliest of ye all:
Why lies he at that fearful length,
And ye around his pall?
Ye reckon up the days since he
Strode up that foot-worn aisle,
With his dark eye flashing gloriously
And his lips marked with a smile.
Oh! had it been but told you then
To mark whose lamp was dim;
From out yon rank of fresh-lipped men
Would ye have singled him?
Whose was the sinewy arm which flung
Defiance to the ring?
Whose laugh of victory loudest rung.
Yet not for glorying?
Whose heart in generous deed and thought,
No rivalry could brook,
And yet distinction claiming not?
There lies he: go and look.
Or, now: the requiem is done.
The last deep prayer is said;
On to his burial, comrades, on,
With the noblest of the dead!
Slow—for it presses heavily
It is a man ye bear:
Slow—for our thoughts dwell heavily
On the noble sleeper there.
Tread lightly, comrades! we have laid
His dark locks on his brow,
Like life; save deeper light and shade—
We'll not disturb them now.
Tread lightly! for 'tis beautiful
Those blue-vein'd eyelids sleep,
Hiding the eye death left so dull—
Its slumber we well keep.
Rest, now. His journeying is done,
Your feet are on his sod;
Death's chain is on your champion,
He waited here his God.
Nay, turn and weep; 'tis manliness
To be heart-broken here;
For the grave of earth's best nobleness
Is watered by the tear.
What sub-type of article is it?
Elegy
Poem
What themes does it cover?
Death Mortality
Friendship
What keywords are associated?
Elegy
Burial
Yale College
Poet Willis
Comrades Grief
Manliness
Death
What entities or persons were involved?
N. P. Willis, Esq.
Literary Details
Title
Burial Of Arnold.
Author
N. P. Willis, Esq.
Subject
On The Burial Of Arnold, A Member Of The Senior Class Of Yale College
Form / Style
Elegiac Verse
Key Lines
He Was The Proudest In His Strength,
The Manliest Of Ye All:
Why Lies He At That Fearful Length,
And Ye Around His Pall?
Slow—For It Presses Heavily
It Is A Man Ye Bear:
Slow—For Our Thoughts Dwell Heavily
On The Noble Sleeper There.
Nay, Turn And Weep; 'Tis Manliness
To Be Heart Broken Here;
For The Grave Of Earth's Best Nobleness
Is Watered By The Tear.