POSTMORTEM POETRY.docx
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POSTMORTEM POETRY.docx
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POSTMORTEMPOETRY
POST-MORTEMPOETRY[1]
InPhiladelphiatheyhaveacustomwhichitwouldbepleasant
toseeadoptedthroughouttheland.Itisthatofappendingto
publisheddeath-noticesalittleverseortwoofcomfortingpoetry.
AnyonewhoisinthehabitofreadingthedailyPhiladelphia
LEDGERmustfrequentlybetouchedbytheseplaintivetributes
toextinguishedworth.InPhiladelphia,thedepartureofachild
isacircumstancewhichisnotmoresurelyfollowedbyaburial
thanbytheaccustomedsolacingpoesyinthePUBLICLEDGER.
Inthatcitydeathloseshalfitsterrorbecausetheknowledge
ofitspresencecomesthusdisguisedinthesweetdraperyofverse.
Forinstance,inalateLEDGERIfindthefollowing(Ichange
thesurname):
DIED
Hawks.--Onthe17thinst.,Clara,thedaughterofEphraim
andLauraHawks,aged21monthsand2days.
ThatmerryshoutnomoreIhear,
NolaughingchildIsee,
Nolittlearmsarearoundmyneck,
Nofeetuponmyknee;
Nokissesdropuponmycheek,
Theselipsaresealedtome.
DearLord,howcouldIgiveClaraup
ToanybuttoThee?
Achildthusmournedcouldnotdiewhollydiscontented.
FromtheLEDGERofthesamedateImakethefollowingextract,
merelychangingthesurname,asbefore:
Becket.--OnSundaymorning,19thinst.,JohnP.,infantson
ofGeorgeandJuliaBecket,aged1year,6months,and15days.
ThatmerryshoutnomoreIhear,
NolaughingchildIsee,
Nolittlearmsareroundmyneck,
Nofeetuponmyknee;
Nokissesdropuponmycheek;
Theselipsaresealedtome.
DearLord,howcouldIgiveJohnnieup
ToanybuttoThee?
Thesimilarityoftheemotionsasproducedinthemournersinthese
twoinstancesisremarkablyevidencedbythesingularsimilarity
ofthoughtwhichtheyexperienced,andthesurprisingcoincidence
oflanguageusedbythemtogiveitexpression.
Inthesamejournal,ofthesamedate,Ifindthefollowing
(surnamesuppressed,asbefore):
Wagner.--Onthe10thinst.,FergusonG.,thesonofWilliam
L.andMarthaTheresaWagner,aged4weeksand1day.
ThatmerryshoutnomoreIhear,
NolaughingchildIsee,
Nolittlearmsareroundmyneck,
Nofeetuponmyknee;
Nokissesdropuponmycheek,
Theselipsaresealedtome.
DearLord,howcouldIgiveFergusonup
ToanybuttoThee?
Itisstrangewhatpowerthereiterationofanessentiallypoetical
thoughthasuponone'sfeelings.WhenwetakeuptheLEDGER
andreadthepoetryaboutlittleClara,wefeelanunaccountable
depressionofthespirits.Whenwedriftfurtherdownthecolumn
andreadthepoetryaboutlittleJohnnie,thedepressionandspirits
acquiresandaddedemphasis,andweexperiencetangiblesuffering.
Whenwesaunteralongdownthecolumnfurtherstillandread
thepoetryaboutlittleFerguson,thewordtorturebutvaguely
suggeststheanguishthatrendsus.
IntheLEDGER(samecopyreferredtoabove)Ifindthefollowing
(Ialtersurname,asusual):
Welch.--Onthe5thinst.,MaryC.Welch,wifeofWilliamB.Welch,
anddaughterofCatharineandGeorgeW.Markland,inthe29thyear
ofherage.
Amotherdear,amotherkind,
Hasgoneandleftusallbehind.
Ceasetoweep,fortearsarevain,
Motherdearisoutofpain.
Farewell,husband,childrendear,
ServethyGodwithfilialfear,
Andmeetmeinthelandabove,
Whereallispeace,andjoy,andlove.
Whatcouldbesweeterthanthat?
Nocollectionofsalientfacts
(withoutreductiontotabularform)couldbemoresuccinctlystated
thanisdoneinthefirststanzabythesurvivingrelatives,
andnomoreconciseandcomprehensiveprogramoffarewells,
post-mortuarygeneralorders,etc.,couldbeframedinany
formthanisdoneinversebydeceasedinthelaststanza.
Thesethingsinsensiblymakeuswiserandtenderer,andbetter.
Anotherextract:
Ball.--Onthemorningofthe15thinst.,MaryE.,daughterofJohn
andSarahF.Ball.
'Tissweettorestinlivelyhope
Thatwhenmychangeshallcome
Angelswillhoverroundmybed,
Towaftmyspirithome.
Thefollowingisapparentlythecustomaryformforheadsoffamilies:
Burns.--Onthe20thinst.,MichaelBurns,aged40years.
Dearestfather,thouhastleftus,
Hearthylosswedeeplyfeel;
But'tisGodthathasbereftus,
Hecanalloursorrowsheal.
Funeralat2o'clocksharp.
Thereissomethingverysimpleandpleasantaboutthefollowing,
which,inPhiladelphia,seemstobetheusualformforconsumptives
oflongstanding.(Itdeploresfourdistinctcasesinthesingle
copyoftheLEDGERwhichliesontheMemorandaeditorialtable):
Bromley.--Onthe29thinst.,ofconsumption,PhilipBromley,
inthe50thyearofhisage.
Afflictionsorelongtimehebore,
Physicianswereinvain--
TillGodatlastdidhearhimmourn,
Andeasedhimofhispain.
Thatfriendwhomdeathfromushastorn,
Wedidnotthinksosoontopart;
Ananxiouscarenowsinksthethorn
Stilldeeperinourbleedingheart.
Thisbeautifulcreationlosesnothingbyrepetition.Onthecontrary,
theofteneroneseesitintheLEDGER,themoregrandandawe-inspiring
itseems.
WithonemoreextractIwillclose:
Doble.--Onthe4thinst.,SamuelPervilWorthingtonDoble,
aged4days.
OurlittleSammy'sgone,
Histinyspirit'sfled;
Ourlittleboywelovedsodear
Liessleepingwiththedead.
Atearwithinafather'seye,
Amother'sachingheart,
Canonlytelltheagony
Howharditistopart.
Couldanythingbemoreplaintivethanthat,withoutrequiringfurther
concessionsofgrammar?
Couldanythingbelikelytodomoretoward
reconcilingdeceasedtocircumstances,andmakinghimwillingtogo?
Perhapsnot.Thepowerofsongcanhardlybeestimated.Thereis
anelementaboutsomepoetrywhichisabletomakeevenphysical
sufferinganddeathcheerfulthingstocontemplateandconsummations
tobedesired.Thiselementispresentinthemortuarypoetry
ofPhiladelphiadegreeofdevelopment.
ThecustomIhavebeentreatingofisonethatshouldbeadopted
inallthecitiesoftheland.
Itissaidthatonceamanofsmallconsequencedied,andthe
Rev.T.K.Beecherwasaskedtopreachthefuneralsermon--
amanwhoabhorsthelaudingofpeople,eitherdeadoralive,
exceptindignifiedandsimplelanguage,andthenonlyformerits
whichtheyactuallypossessedorpossess,notmeritswhichthey
merelyoughttohavepossessed.Thefriendsofthedeceasedgot
upastatelyfuneral.Theymusthavehadmisgivingsthatthe
corpsemightnotbepraisedstronglyenough,fortheyprepared
somemanuscriptheadingsandnotesinwhichnothingwasleft
unsaidonthatsubjectthatafervidimaginationandanunabridged
dictionarycouldcompile,andthesetheyhandedtotheminister
asheenteredthepulpit.Theyweremerelyintendedassuggestions,
andsothefriendswerefilledwithconsternationwhentheminister
stoodinthepulpitandproceededtoreadoffthecuriousodds
andendsinghastlydetailandinaloudvoice!
Andtheir
consternationsolidifiedtopetrificationwhenhepausedattheend,
contemplatedthemultitudereflectively,andthensaid,impressively:
"Themanwouldbeafoolwhotriedtoaddanythingtothat.
Letuspray!
"
Andwiththesamestrictadhesiontotruthitcanbesaidthatthe
manwouldbeafoolwhotriedtoaddanythingtothefollowing
transcendentobituarypoem.Thereissomethingsoinnocent,
soguileless,socomplacent,sounearthlysereneandself-satisfied
aboutthispeerless"hog-wash,"thatthemanmustbemadeofstone
whocanreaditwithoutadulcetecstasycreepingalonghisbackbone
andquiveringinhismarrow.Thereisnoneedtosaythatthis
poemisgenuineandinearnest,foritsproofsarewrittenall
overitsface.Aningeniousscribblermightimitateitafter
afashion,butShakespearehimselfcouldnotcounterfeitit.
Itisnoticeablethatthecountryeditorwhopublisheditdid
notknowthatitwasatreasureandthemostperfectthingofits
kindthatthestorehousesandmuseumsofliteraturecouldshow.
Hedidnotdaretosaynotothedreadpoet--forsuchapoet
musthavebeensomethingofanapparition--buthejustshoveled
itintohispaperanywherethatcamehandy,andfeltashamed,
andputthatdisgusted"PublishedbyRequest"overit,andhoped
thathissubscriberswouldoverlookitornotfeelanimpulsetoreadit:
(PublishedbyRequest
LINES
ComposedonthedeathofSamuelandCatharineBelknap'schildren
byM.A.Glaze
Friendsandneighborsalldrawnear,
AndlistentowhatIhavetosay;
Andneverleaveyourchildrendear
Whentheyaresmall,andgoaway.
Butalwaysthinkofthatsadfate,
Thathappenedinyearof'63;
Fourchildrenwithahousedidburn,
Thinkoftheirawfulagony.
Theirmothershehadgoneaway,
Andleftthemtherealonetostay;
Thehousetookfireanddowndidburn;
Beforetheirmotherdidreturn.
Theirpiteouscrytheneighborsheard,
Andthenthecryoffirewasgiven;
But,ah!
beforetheycouldthemreach,
Theirlittlespiritshadflowntoheaven.
Theirfatherhetowarhadgone,
Andonthebattle-fieldwasslain;
Butlittledidhethinkwhenhewentaway,
Butwhatonearththeywouldmeetagain.
Theneighborsoftentoldhiswife
Nottoleavehischildrenthere,
Unlessshegotsomeonetostay,
Andofthelittleonestakecare.
Theoldesthewasyearsnotsix,
Andtheyoungestonlyelevenmonthsold,
Butoftenshehadleftthemtherealone,
As,bytheneighbors,Ihavebeentold.
Howcans
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