Ad Matrem.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 13, 23 December 1911, Page 11

Ad Matrem.

From j " The Spectator." 1 @ : ©

There is 110 moro oft-quoted saying than th;il: which claims for poet? that they are born, not made. Primarily tlio aphorism indicates Hint tin- poetic temperament Heaven-bestowed gift, impossible (>/' manufacture; incidentally it includes the obvious truth that all poets have mothers. Considering the universality of this fact, it is somewhat astonishing, and perhaps also a little disappointing, to find how few of these elect have offered tribute to their mothers, and bestowed upon them immortal fame by enshrining their memory in imperishable verse. The poets "who on earth have made us heirs Of true and pure delight" * have been inspired by themes as wide apart as the poles. The "heavenly lays" to which mankind has access cover a wide range. Dante descends to the Inferno, Milton mounts to tho Throne, Herrict praises Julia's lips, Swinburne ' sings of the sea, in short, from Patriotism to Pincushions, from Lovo to "an objectionable intruder upon a lady's bonnet in church" (the poet, it would seem, allowed his thoughts to wander sadly during Divine service); nothing appears too great or too insignificant to be enshrined in a sonnet or perpetuated in a poem. Yet tho roll of poets who ran say of their , mothers, as Shelly said of Harriet, "Thou wert the inspiration of my song," appears to be lamentably small; the nnmber of tributes entirely disproportionate to the number of poets. However, what is lacking in quantity is made r.p in quality. Those who acknowledge the. debt do it with suc.h warmth of affection, gratitude, and admiration, and repay it with such full measure, that filial lovo may well be satisfied. Shakespeare permits his mother to go unsung. She is nc.t rtscued from obscurity through the medium of a sonneteer does filial piety greatly illumine Jii.s verse. Hamlet is distinctly discorteous, not to say disloyal, when ho exclaims with reference to his mother (even [lowing the accusation to be merited): "Prailty, thy name is woman This, however, is a side issue, and whilst out of tho main track it is perhaps interesting to note that to Edgar Allen J'oe belongs the distinction of having written a sonnet to bis mother-in-law, thereby proving himself superior to a prejudice more popular in his day than at the present time. Perhaps the most familiar poem to tue memory of any mother is Cowpcr's wellknown address, containing tho lino "Oh, that those lips had. language." It is a veritable cri-de-coenr, an outponring of poignant regret, and as such remains an undying testimony to the greatness of his love and of his loss. In like maimer, \V. M. l'raed writes of spirit communion with his departed parent, visualising her "With all the quiet of a thought And all the passion of a dream." Coleridge. sums up brijflv in allusive rather than dedicatory fashion his opinion that "A mother is a mother still, The holiest thing alive." William Itoscoo iu a sonnet "To my Mother" pays her the tribute of tho charming thought, "Time hath made friends with Beauty in thy face," and concludes with the entreaty: „ "-Move slowlier, geutlicr vet, 0 Time, or find A way to fix her here; bound bv our 1 filial loves."

In some cases the continuity of the poetic ollorings is remarkable. 'Tims during the consecutive years from 1870 to ISS'o Christina Uossetti produced a series of short poems which she named "Valentines to my Mother." But in the case of Julian Fane the unbroken record is still moro remarkable. Prom early youth lo the close of his life lie vearlv wrote a poem for his mother's birthday. Tho two beautiful sonnets written in IS7O "possess a singular interest," writes his biographer. "On the evening of the 12th of March his physical suffering was excessive. The following day was the birthday of his mother. That da'v had never yet dawned upon a deeper sorrow than it now reawakened iu the soul of her lie loved so well. For the first time in all the long, course of their intercourse she could not look forward to that accustomed and treasured tribute of dedicated, song wherewith her son had never yet failed to honour the advent of this day. Yet she lound what she dared not could not, anticipate. . . . Thev were tho last .words written by Julian Pane. 'So like a wanderer from the world of shades Back to the firm earth and familiar frkics, I Back to that light of love that never lades— The unbroken sunshine of thv blissful eyes 1 m!" 1 ? - ,''] grcft: tbf>€ 0,1 this ha PPy day that lets a fresh pearl on thv life appear; ' | That decks thy jewelled ago with fresh ; array j Of good deeds done within the circling ' year.'" In "Isabel" Tennyson has left a faithtul portrait his mother, find he again refers to her in "Tho Princess" as? — V i. 1 1 • " oue -No.. learntcl save m gracious household ways. Happv ho With such a Mother! I'a:tii in womankind Beats with his blood and trust in all things high Conies easy to him." Henley, ever challenging and bold of spirit,; defies Death and Change in his "Matri Dilectissimae":— And tl.e brave truth comes overwhelmingly home That she in us yet works and shines, Lives ai;<l fulfils herself Unending as the river and 111" stars. ..... . What is death But' life in act ? llow should the un-te-eniing grave Be victor over th-.-e llothsr, a mother of men?" Pine tributes as these few are, it yet remains for' Kipling in his "Dedication I ) the Light that Failed" to ; Huind the note uf supremo faith in t motherhood:— I "If I were hanged on the highest hill ! lUotuer o* mine, 0 mother u' mine! j I knoYr whose lovo would follow mo I still, | Mother o' mine, 0 mother o' mine! If I were damned of body and soul I know whose prayers would make mo whole, Mother o' mine, 0 mother o' mine!"