Selections from American poetry Part 41

56. welkin: sky.

THE CULPRIT FAY

25. ising-stars: particles of mica.

30. minim: smallest. What objection may be made to this word?

37. Ouphe: elf or goblin.

45. behest: command.

78. shandy: resembling a sh.e.l.l or a scale.

94. oozy: muddy.

107. colen-bell: coined by Drake, probably the columbine.

114. nightshade: a flower also called henbane or belladonna. dern: drear.

119. thrids: threads, makes his way through.

160. p.r.o.ng: probably a prawn; used in this sense only in this one pa.s.sage.

165. quarl: jelly fish.

178. wake-line: showing by a line of foam the course over which he has pa.s.sed.

193. amain: at full speed.

210. banned: cursed as by a supernatural power.

216. henbane: see note on line 114.

223. fatal: destined to determine his fate.

245. sculler's notch: depression in which the oar rested.

255. wimpled: undulated.

257. athwart: across.

306. glossed: having gloss, or brightness.

329. This is only the first of the exploits of the Culprit Fay.

The second quest is described by the monarch as follows

"If the spray-bead gem be won, The stain of thy wing is washed away, But another errand must be done Ere thy crime be lost for aye; Thy flame-wood lamp is quenched and dark, Thou must re-illume its spark.

Mount thy steed and spur him high To the heaven's blue canopy; And when thou seest a shooting star, Follow it fast, and follow it far The last feint spark of its burning train Shall light the elfin lamp again."

FITZ-GREENE HALLECK (1790-1867)

"The poems of Halleck are written with great care and finish, and manifest the possession of a fine sense of harmony and of genial and elevated sentiments."

--ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANNICA.

Born in Guilford, Conn., he was the closest friend of Drake, at whose death he wrote his best poem, which is given in this collection. "Marco Bozzaris" aroused great enthusiasm, which has now waned in favor of his simple lines, "On the Death of Joseph Rodman Drake."

MARCO BOZZAARIS

Marco Bozzaris (c. 1790-1823) was a prominent leader in the struggle for Greek liberty and won many victories from the Turks. During the night of August 20, 1823, the Greeks won a complete victory which was saddened by the loss of Bozzaris, who fell while leading his men to the final attack.

13. Suliote: a tribe of Turkish subjects of mixed Greek and Albanian blood, who steadily opposed Turkish rule and won for themselves a reputation for bravery. They fought for Grecian independence under Marco Bozzaris.

16-22. These lines refer to the military history of Greece. See Encyclopedia Britannica--article on Greece (Persian Wars subt.i.tle) for account of the Persian invasion and battle of Plataea.

79. What land did Columbus see first? Where did he from? Why then is he called a Genoese?

107. pilgrim-circled: visited by pilgrims as are shrines.

JOHN HOWARD PAYNE (1791--1802)

Born in New York, he graduated from Union College and later went on the stage. He was appointed U.S. Consul to Tunis, where he died. He is now best remembered by "home Sweet Home" from one of his operas.

EDGAR ALLAN POE (1809-1849)

"Small as the quant.i.ty of his true verse is, it more sustains his peculiar genius in American eyes than does his prose; and this is because it is so unique. He stands absolutely alone as a poet, with none like him."

--GEORGE E. WOODBURY

Born in Boston, he spent most of his literary years in New York. His parents, both actors, died when he was still a little child, and he was adopted by Mr. Allan, who educated him in Europe. He served as literary editor and hack writer for several journals and finally died in poverty.

TO HELEN

"To Helen" is said to have been written in 1823, when Poe was only fourteen years old. It refers to Mrs. Jane St.i.th Stanard, the mother of one of his school friends, whose death was a terrible blow to the sensitive lad. This loss was the cause of numerous poems of sorrow for death and permanently influenced his work.

2. Nicean: Nicaea, the modern Iznik in Turkey, was anciently a Greek province.

2. Nicean barks: the Greek s.h.i.+ps that bore the wanderer, Ulysses, from Phaeacia to his home. Read "The Wanderings of Ulysses" in Gayley's Cla.s.sic Myths, Chapter XXVII.

7. hyacinth: like Hyacinthus, the fabled favorite of Apollo; hence lovely, beautiful.