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"He's a Derivative poet's" the Critic said; But with that cheerless charge I disagree. Such fallacy, common at least in some degree, With all who write, is often seen. It led Poe to say the same of Burns! It Fed The Fires to scorch the record of Chaucer! We Are only human ; so those who seem to see The shadow of Boccaccio o'er Chaucer's head, Lurking in the mind of England's First Great Poet, show only the enmity that lies Sunkened in human frailty! "Tis true that both Pursued a work of Art more than a Thirst For fame. But - - Alas - - Art's Province Cries; "You've Over-stepped the Mark! Your sins, You Loathe! '' The Two Retractions of These Literary Lights Have Much to say to All who know our Lord And glory in the Comfort of His Word. Written Words that take their Fearful Flight Through Time, we can't recall! This Aweful Plight Moved both to Cries of Anguish, scarce heard By those who know not God! "Twould be absurd To deem the Masses exempt, however slight, From this Besetting Sin! The Throes of Guilt That moved these Two in Holy Felt Contrition To Humble themselves before God's Throne of Grace, Should make All search their Hearts, Brush off the Silt That tends to hide the guilt and seek Remission For sin - - And be made Anew before His Face! The Originality and, indeed, (Pray, Think), The Universality of William Shakespeare Has been questioned by that Conglomerate that links The Truth with Error - - Like Public Opinion! Well, here l respect the effort of those who would clarify This expression of doubt through strange research. But bear In mind; These qualities Were Not His Aim! He tried, And with Great Success, did Magnify the Dear And the Sordid personalities of former days! He made them Live, not one but All He tuned The Universal Lyre with anthems and lays Of Song, awakening the sleeping centuries, perfumed With the Essence of the souls of men, their right And their wrong Intent - - their Lowest depth, their highest Height! How could this celebrated Author Know So Much? How does he enter in, seem Quite At home; in a Living way portray and write With ease astounding Variations; show Forth the workings of conscience, mind, and mode Of expression in countless situations - - Unite Them with Coloring that befits them all? Such light, Revealing the outer and inner Man, might throw Confusion into the minds of some. But to me I neither find nor feel any fraud or stain That would detract from His all-embracing power To jar the frame, to make our eyes thus see; To take the Old and bid it Live again; And sound the note Required in the Urgent hour! I love the Strong and Poignant Appelations So nobly given Him by "Rare Ben Jonson''. They abound In the soul, in the Truth, without exaggeration: "My Shakespeare"; "My gentle Shakespeare'' ; "Sweet Swan Of Avon'' are endearing, but, beginning with "Soul Of the Age'' and ending with "Star of Poet's, he dons His Excellence with That of Nature, surpassing the Old With Britain's Stage'' when Shakespeare's Socks were on"! Originality and coveted Equality And absolute Superiority - - All belong to God! Creation we see ls Not of Man! Our thoughts are Hampered with duplicity! Words appeal to All but differ; and So do we! To name the many facets involved in the Art Of Speaking and Writing would be an Endless task; The Boredom in such discussion - - one would hardly ask Even a Friend to Endure! And apart From words and forms and actions, the Way one Starts Or Ends his piece, Plots his play; or Basks His Players in jolly laughter or in bloody casts Of Sin and Sorrow, Adds to the Mixture - - Darts Back and Forth in Uncertainty! It's true That one can be a plagiarist and steal and claim The loot to be his own. But this is rare Among those who Seriously write or speak. The Two Include the Personality Which Maintains Its Origin from God! - - A Gift without Peer! Three Periods in Life hold Great Importance for Man - - The Beginning, the Journey, the Final Change! In all three He must Reckon with Time, with Currency, and Eternity! Though interwoven, each must serve and can, And should, contribute to the Other! Our Land And its People Suffer because they fail to See The Priceless value of this Truth. But We, Engrossed in self, vainly try to change the Plan! The Past, the Present, and the Future - - You Are duty-bound to consider, to gain a Mature Understanding of Life in Its Fullness and Its Beauty. Yes, each Sector throws out a Challenge, something New Or something Old but vital to the Nature Of Your Need and Indispensable in Your Duty! Chaucer and Boccaccio were Troubled In their Old Age, and seem Unique in Cause Of writing their Retractions! In such a Pause In busy Literary Lives a Doubled Misery of Conscience and Regret, coupled With Unusual Remorse in both, roused Them to Action! Boccaccio allows More Humanistic views than Chaucer, but Muffled Reasons give little Solace to hearts and minds Disturbed by Guilt! But True Repentance in Both Reveals our Salvation's Free in Christ, our Only Stay! Not by works or Merit of man, one finds The Word doth Teach; and Not a matter of Growth! Redemption's in Him! He said, "I am the Wayl'' Good and Evil, Right and Wrong, Wise And Foolish, Light and Darkness, Food And Starvation, Poverty and Wealth, Cries And Laughter, Chaos or Law, Polite or Rude - - These Antitheses seem helpless to move - America! Why? Do Her People Understand? Isn't the Key that Unlocks these Doors the Heart of Love? God is Love, we can't deny! We Planned A nation Under God! Here's where we stand In this very Hour. Only a few of These Dilemma-spawning Crossroads in the List above. But well enough, If Solved, to quell and ease Our Fears and point the Way and Set the Stage To Win over Sin in this our Troubled Age! The Humanist of today will probably say There's no such thing as sin. But these two Humanists of great renown here lay Great Stress upon Reality that drew Them into agonizing Regret! Boccaccio Would not be comforted by his Friend Petrarch, Though the praise-worthy author did his best. So The Patient, irked by the quaint Pilatus, (whose art In the Greek saved the Works of Homer to the Western World), continued to suffer under the load Of Guilt! Fiammetta's Charm seemed replaced with stern Conviction! In poverty, yet helped by the Church, (though Without success), he died a Broken Man - - Let us hope Forgiven in God's Holy Plan! Chaucer, who seemed the more specific in confession Of this sin, deplores his "Many a lecherous poem'' And in his longer tales his guilt, depression, And regret abide! His Translations now move him In the same direction! He seems unable to stem The flood of Heavy waters, though his Retraction Seemed written in good Faith. Disturbed, he then Cries out in earnest search for satisfaction; The serious moments come with strong attraction To those attending him while nearing death! Some may discount as unreliable the action Of reporters, but the approaching Last breath Of the Great and of the Lowly seems to call For the Truth - - So fitting and noble for one and all Finally, what shall we say of Originality And Universality as implied at length above? Indeed, we are made in the Image of God! The Likenesses of Him, though various, essentially Prove A Universal Role to Play - - A Love Transcendent, above all earthly ills! Still Man's Fall deters, disrupts, and bids him Lose His Perfect State! This Loss, though Not God's Will, Is Temporary or it is Final! To Fill Man's Need God Gave His Son in Grace to Save, Perfect His Highest Creation! O what a thrill To be Redeemed in Christ; in Faith to Have This Universal Redemption in His Name! Origins, all Traits are ours in Him to Claim! |
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