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4'l
'[Jil l \Ilx(;Rl'r ANNUAL.
'.URREV DE \'ERE.
17
a( ,on,timmatr master of Ia ii ii .LL II i, diction
ingularlv rich and felicitinis. II is >'uherant
f.tnc iianiiest, itself in the rich iina,rv with
which lie clothe, his subject.
a draillatic poet _ul )re\ deVere was not so
I rt iii iate, though Iii., (Ira iii at ii works give proof
of i',niIerahI I)n(:li 4' p-r, with nit .1 little
A
transplanted them into iiii hern surri 41111 >Ii
while thcN. themselves preserve their > ld-titi>c
personality nor has he remodelled Ilium so as
to make then> fliollirn lierOes-)iii'i(iit only iii
itluie. (uchuhin i5 fOr ti a living reality. We
follow his adventures, not as we lb those It
pniie In a lair tale : lie liv> h>>t'> ire us ill .4
I be •losing lines of the poem, it> wh>i-li is
dvihwd the death of hinola, wit;) .\,dlu on
hm right hand and Inure on her left, and her
Ik Conn cradled on her l)reast. sIlo>> lw
s,lI the bard ('an slur the teuidcr feeling of wir
Pit- charm of the language, the li.istc
Iuty of tilt- i iiiagerv, the sweet Iragran 'e it
rhgsun that breathes throughout, all comimic to
e th author oft Ii, Legends of St. Patr ick
hieing tilt: Islets nit only of our own hut
ii,tti
ag all tIuiie. hew will, have read the i'r.tver on
( ,uachamm " but have been struck h the dranittic
vividness if the description. In lailgii.ige that
m -alls the simple grandeur 01 1 Joiner. iii' I 'ci
0 wcalm to us the Saint in struggle n t uii u> lv
with angels but with ( id himself.
There is indeed an epic power in all these
legends. they are the nearest approach to
an Irish epic that we possess in English. 'Ihey
>v,uitcd but unity of action to hind lIen> together
Ito one of the great literary iil>,nunicnts of all
tiWe.
Such praise net)' seen> e\agg>'rited : it is ccrtainlv
novel. lut .uh>rev de\'ere has too long
been suhjeet',l to the adverse criticism of Unsuiipatht-tii'
lnghisIi Protestant re> iewers. The
time has nim c,,nie for Irisl>m,'n I>> recognise in
him a great nitintitI poet. He iinderst>iod, as
never Moore nor ( olllsilliilI did. tile true glory
of the Irish ri,' their st,'iihIa,t adherence,
1>-F> lv, 1> the Faith of Patn-k.
>1-i i' I,. I'll in, E.A.
iCr
(\
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skill in dealing with conlllle\ situations. hut
the combination of dramatic interest with happ
c\pressi in of Sentinitilt IS wanting. If ence the
cold reel tjn which the public accorded hi,
.\]e\ander the (;rtlt.
In his heroic lUcius love of Ireland and her
hero', is the Ill-pervading theme. In his rh ic>- ot
suhj ts lie has gone to the aiicjetit legi'ti>ls and
myths of his eouiitrv, and he has thrown around
her hierot's, so long hidden in the darkn& s ii
Iah ile, the bright halo of his poetic fancy. In
doing this he has not taken his characters and
>ondcrfullv real sti' fashion. In I lie I 'hiildren
if l.ir," the poet strikes a chord >t t- nderiiess
that finds its echo in our Irish hearts. Nothing,
can be more touching, than the tale of the sad
fate brought Upon thise ('hiltiren by a treacherous
Ste 1>11)> it lie r.
'I heir li>pelul 1ittie1'i' is very l>eiiutiftillv
portrayed, as iii their new I, riii, they sick refuge
from the fierce storm in that
II Ui' ,-a i rail
ii se racing 4.iht mc lii
T> xl Erin and the cluud.gurl headland Moyle.'
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lIE>> I- o>tiiw I;>ti'.\V ii Iii clii' il-c >i,>tc,