large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_04_morris_64kb_41
large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_04_morris_64kb
English
6138
Half a dozen stanzas of it are worth a cartload of the whining introspective lyrics of to day; and he who, when he has mastered the slight differences of language from our own daily speech, is not moved by it, does not understand what true poetry means nor what its aim is. HALF A DOZEN STANZAS OF IT ARE WORTH A CART LOAD OF THE WHINING AND PROSPECTIVE LYRICS OF TO DAY AND HE WHO WHEN HE HAS MASTERED THE SLIGHT DIFFERENCES OF LANGUAGE FROM OUR OWN DAILY SPEECH IS NOT MOVED BY IT DOES NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT TRUE POETRY MEANS NOR WHAT ITS AIM IS
 of looking on this life as part of another yet remained: the world is fair and full of adventure; kind men and true and noble are in it to make one happy; fools also to laugh at, and rascals to be resisted, yet not wholly condemned; and when this world is over we shall still go on living in another which is a part of this. Look at all the picture, note all and live in all, and be as merry as you may, never forgetting that you are alive and that it is good to live. That is the spirit of Chaucer’s poetry; but alongside of it existed yet the ballad poetry of the people, wholly untouched by courtly elegance and classical pedantry; rude in art but never coarse, true to the backbone; instinct with indignation against wrong, and thereby expressing the hope that was in it; a protest of the poor against the rich, especially in those songs of the Foresters, which have been called the mediæval epic of revolt; no more gloomy than the gentleman’s poetry, yet cheerful from courage, and not content. OR LOVED STILL THE HABIT OF LOOKING ON THIS LIFE WAS PART OF ANOTHER YET REMAINED THE WORLD IS FAIR AND FULL OF ADVENTURE KIND MEN AND TRUE AND NOBLE ARE IN IT TO MAKE ONE HAPPY FOOLS ALSO TO LAUGH AT AND RASCALS TO BE RESISTED YET NOT WHOLLY CONDEMNED AND WHEN THIS WORLD IS OVER WE SHALL STILL GO ON LIVING IN ANOTHER WHICH IS A PART OF THIS LOOK AT ALL THE PICTURE NOTE ALL AND LIVE IN ALL AND BE AS MERRY AS YOU MAY NEVER FORGETTING THAT YOU ARE ALIVE AND THAT IT IS GOOD TO LIVE THAT IS THE SPIRIT OF CHAUC'S POETRY BUT ALONGSIDE OF IT EXISTED YET THE BALLAD POETRY OF THE PEOPLE WHOLLY UNTOUCHED BY COURTLY ELEGANCE AND CLASSICAL PEDANTRY RUDE IN ART BUT NEVER COARSE TRUE TO THE BACKBONE INSTINCT WITH INDIGNATION AGAINST WRONG AND THEREBY EXPRESSING THE HOPE THAT WAS IN IT A PROTEST OF THE POOR AGAINST THE RICH ESPECIALLY IN THOSE SONGS OF THE FORESTERS WHICH HAVE BEEN CALLED THE MEDIAEVAL EPIC OF REVOLT NO MORE GLOOMY THAN THE GENTLEMAN'S POETRY YET CHEERFUL FROM COURAGE AND NOT CONTENT
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