THE VISION OF SIR LAUNFAL

475

According to the mythology of the Romancers, the San Greal, or Holy Grail, was the cup out of which Jesus partook of the Last Supper with his disciples. It was brought into England by Joseph of Arimathea, and remained there, an object of pilgrimage and adoration, for many years in the keeping of his lineal descendants. It was incumbent upon those who had charge of it to be chaste in thought, word, and deed; but one of the keepers having broken this condition, the Holy Grail disappeared. From that time it was a favorite enterprise for the knights of Arthur's court to go in search of it. Sir Galahad was at last successful in finding it, as may be read in the seventeenth book of the Romance of King Arthur. Tennyson has made Sir Galahad the subject of one of the most exquisite of his poems.

46

The plot (if I may give that name to anything so slight) of the following poem is my own, and, to serve its purposes, I have enlarged the circle of the competition in search of the miraculous cup in such a manner as to include not only other persons than the heroes of the Round Table, but also a period of time subsequent to the supposed date of King Arthur's reign." -J. R. Lowell. For stories of King Arthur and his Round Table see:

"In the Days of King Arthur," Horace Mann Fourth Reader, pages 295–313. "Gareth and Lynette," Horace Mann Fifth Reader, pages 334-351. The Boy's King Arthur, Lanier.

The Idylls of the King, Tennyson.

To the teacher:

For helps in studying this and other masterpieces see Fifty English Classics Briefly Outlined, Hix.

"Not only around our infancy

Doth heaven with all its splendors lie."

When writing this Lowell was evidently thinking of the lines by Wordsworth given below:

"Heaven lies about us in our infancy!

Shades of the prison-house begin to close

Upon the growing Boy,

But he beholds the light, and whence it flows,

He sees it in his joy;

The Youth, who daily farther from the east

Must travel, still is Nature's Priest,

And by the vision splendid

Is on his way attended;

At length the Man perceives it die away,

And fade into the light of common day."

- From the Ode on Intimations of Immortality.

476

auroral flushes, flushes of light at the dawn of day. Among the Greeks, Aurora was the goddess of the dawn.

we Sinais climb. Mount Sinai was a holy mountain of the Israelites upon the top of which Moses saw God face to face and received from Him the tables of the law upon which were written the ten commandments. (Exodus XIX-XX.)

druid wood. The druids were the priests of the ancient Britons. They were accustomed to worship in the woods, especially in forests of oaks. benedicite, bless ye. It is the first word of a beautiful Latin hymn, frequently used in the services of the Roman Catholic church.

a leper, one suffering from leprosy, a disfiguring and loathsome disease, generally incurable.

a mite, anything very small; a small coin, worth half a farthing. (See the story of the widow's mite, Mark XII, 41-44.)

PLAN OF STUDY

I. Before reading the poem, read the notes given above and make sure of the meaning of each of the following words:

courtiers

locust-leaf

heifer

rebuffed

seneschal piers

fervor

illumined

VOW

leper

surcoat

theme

deluge

vision

crypt

serf

vista

ebbed

churlish

relief

bower

rare

maize

pavilions

monotone

II. Read the poem through, if possible, at one sitting. Do this before

recitation time.

III. Make a brief outline of the story as told in Parts I and II.

IV. Using this outline, tell to yourself, or write, the story briefly but connectedly. Be ready to tell the story in class.

V. Find the central idea or thought in this poem.

This central thought is expressed by the poet in a very beautiful and effective passage.

Memorize it.

In the earlier parts of the poem the author has suggested or hinted
at this central idea at least twice. Find and read the lines in which
he has done this.

You ought now to be able to understand what Lowell meant by
What do you think he
the lines about the "musing organist."
did mean?

477

VI. This poem contains many beautiful and effective contrasts and parallels. Go through the poem, noting the parallels and contrasts outlined below:

Prelude to the First Part

Nature in Summer

Prelude to the Second Part

Nature in Winter

Sir Launfal departing from the Sir Launfal turned away from the castle.

The first meeting with the leper.

The Grail that Sir Launfal went
out to seek.

castle gate.

The second meeting with the leper.
The Grail that he actually found.

The castle at the beginning of The castle at the end of Part II.
Part I.

Many other parallels and contrasts may be found in this poem. Find
as many of them as you can.

VII. From a study of the text, answer these questions:

Part I

What vow did Sir Launfal make?

Why was the castle "dull and gray"?

What does the poet mean by saying "Summer besieged it on every side"?

What was Sir Launfal's feeling when he saw the leper?

What does this show about Sir Launfal's character at that time?

Part II

At what time (month, day) did Sir Launfal return to his castle? (See Prelude to the Second Part). Can you think of any especial reason why Lowell placed Sir Launfal's return at that particular time?

Why was Sir Launfal turned away from his own gate?

Why did Sir Launfal muse as he sat in the cold of the cavern, the desert, and the oasis?

How did Sir Launfal feel toward the leper at the second meeting?
What is meant by "The Heart within him was ashes and dust"?
What change took place in the moldy bread and the water?
What does the poet mean by the lines

"Himself the gate wherein men can

Enter the temple of God in Man,"

478

What was the Holy Grail which Sir Launfal found?

Explain the reference to the Holy Supper.

What change has taken place in and around the castle?

What was the cause of this change?

VIII. In this poem beautiful figures of speech are very numerous.

Per

sonifications are especially abundant. Go over the poem for the
special purpose of finding and studying the figures. Note how they
enrich the thought and increase the beauty of the whole poem. The
personification of the little brook is especially interesting and there
are many other figures of almost equal merit.

IX. Select and memorize some of the most beautiful passages. The de-
scription of June is especially suitable for memorizing.

JULIUS CÆSAR

Act I. Scene I

mechanical (people), laborers, i.e., mechanics.

profession, trade, occupation.

neat's leather, cowhide.

triumph, a celebration in honor of a victorious general.

tributaries, conquered nations or tribes who pay tribute.

Pompey, a great Roman general, the leader of the party opposed to Cæsar. replication, echo (reduplication).

Pompey's blood, Pompey's sons.

intermit, ward off, avert.

ceremonies, decorations.

feast of Lupercal, a feast held in February in honor of the Roman god Lupercus who was supposed to protect sheep from wolves. Lupercus was also called Februus, whence the name February.

trophies, tokens of victory.

vulgar, common people.

pitch, height.

QUESTIONS

(Unless otherwise indicated, all answers to the questions on this and the following scenes are to be based upon material furnished by the play itself, the text, scene headings, stage directions, etc.)

What of particular interest was going on at that time in the streets of
a triumph"? If so, what?
Rome? Have you ever seen anything like
Judging from this scene, what political factions or parties existed in Rome?
Give two reasons why the two tribunes were opposed to Cæsar.

Judging from this scene, who is to be the principal character in this play?

Act I. Scene II

Antonius, Antony. At this time Antony was the chief of the priests of Lupercus. The ceremonies of the Lupercal included a race or chase which was led by the chief priest.

The Ides of March. In the Roman calendar the Ides fell on the 15th of of March, May, July, and October, and on the 13th of each of the other months. The date of this feast of Lupercal was February 15th.

sennet, a signal.

gamesome, in the mood for sport.

quick, lively.

as I was wont, that I was accustomed.

merely, entirely.

passions of some difference, conceptions only proper to myself, conflicting emotions, thoughts particularly my own.

coil, blemish, unpleasant appearance.

construe, interpret.

many of the best respect, many of the most respected people.

jealous on me, suspicious of me.

to stale, to make common or cheap.

every new protester, every new acquaintance who protests or declares that he is a friend to me.

scandal, slander, defame.

I will look on both indifferently, I will look on honor steadfastly, on death fearlessly it makes no difference to me which; i.e., Give me honor or give me death.

speed, prosper.

favor, appearance, look.

accoutred, armed.

hearts of controversy, with contending hearts, in the spirit of rivalry.

whose bend, whose glance or look.

temper, nature, constitution.

palm, emblem of excellence or superiority.

Colossus. The Colossus of Rhodes, one of the seven wonders of the world,

was a bronze statue of Apollo, 120 feet high.

in our stars. It was believed that the fate of each human being was ruled, or at least influenced, by a certain star or planet. Born under a lucky star."

conjure, work a magic spell.

66

brook'd, endured. "There was a Brutus once who would not have endured a King at Rome any more than he would have endured having the devil as ruler there."