Chapter I: , there is a definite principle underlying movement. The

analysis should reveal that the various ideas are of different degrees of importance, and the recognition of these differences will lead to the variety of movement.

Attention is also directed to transitions, and occasionally to the atmosphere.

Every comment should be carefully considered and challenged. The printed page is a monochrome of type. The danger is, therefore, that we read monotonously. With the years we acquire a fatal facility for pronouncing words without getting the underlying thought. The object of these analyses is to take the mind from the words to the ideas which they express, and so to improve the reading.

HORATIUS

A LAY MADE ABOUT THE YEAR OF THE CITY CCCIX

I[16]

Lars Porsena of Clusium
By the Nine Gods he swore
That the great house of Tarquin
Should suffer wrong no more.
By the Nine Gods he swore it, 5
And named a trysting day,
And bade his messengers ride forth,
East and west and south and north,
To summon his array.

* * * * *

XI

And now hath every city 10
Sent up her tale of men:
The foot are fourscore thousand,
The horse are thousands ten.
Before the gates of Sutrium
Is met the great array. 15
A proud man was Lars Porsena
Upon the trysting day.

XII

For all the Etruscan armies
Were ranged beneath his eye,
And many a banished Roman, 20
And many a stout ally;
And with a mighty following
To join the muster came
The Tusculan Mamilius,
Prince of the Latian name. 25

XIII

But by the yellow Tiber
Was tumult and affright:
From all the spacious champaign
To Rome men took their flight.
A mile around the city, 30
The throng stopped up the ways:
A fearful sight it was to see
Through two long nights and days.

XIV

For aged folks on crutches,
And women great with child, 35
And mothers sobbing over babes
That clung to them and smiled,
And sick men borne in litters
High on the necks of slaves,
And troops of sunburned husbandmen 40
With reaping-hooks and staves,

XV

And droves of mules and asses
Laden with skins of wine,
And endless flocks of goats and sheep,
And endless herds of kine, 45
And endless trains of wagons
That creaked beneath the weight
Of corn-sacks and of household goods,
Choked every roaring gate.

XVI

Now, from the rock Tarpeian, 50
Could the wan burghers spy
The line of blazing villages
Red in the midnight sky.
The Fathers of the city,
They sat all night and day; 55
For every hour some horseman came
With tidings of dismay.

* * * * *

XIX

They held a council, standing
Before the River-Gate:
Short time was there, ye may well guess, 60
For musing or debate.
Out spake the Consul roundly:
“The bridge must straight go down;
For, since Janiculum is lost,
Naught else can save the town.” 65

XX

Just then a scout came flying,
All wild with haste and fear:
“To arms! to arms! Sir Consul:
Lars Porsena is here.”
On the low hills to westward 70
The Consul fixed his eye,
And saw the swarthy storm of dust
Rise fast along the sky.

XXI

And nearer fast, and nearer,
Doth the red whirlwind come; 75
And louder still, and still more loud,
From underneath that rolling cloud,
Is heard the trumpet’s war-note proud,
The trampling and the hum.
And plainly, and more plainly, 80
Now through the gloom appears,
Far to left, and far to right,
In broken gleams of dark-blue light,
The long array of helmets bright,
The long array of spears. 85

* * * * *

XXV

But when the face of Sextus
Was seen among the foes,
A yell that rent the firmament
From all the town arose.
On the housetops was no woman 90
But spat towards him, and hissed;
No child but screamed out curses.
And shook its little fist.

XXVI

But the Consul’s brow was sad,
And the Consul’s speech was low; 95
And darkly looked he at the wall,
And darkly at the foe.
“Their van will be upon us
Before the bridge goes down;
And if they once may win the bridge, 100
What hope to save the town?”

XXVII

Then out spake brave Horatius,
The Captain of the Gate:
“To every man upon this earth,
Death cometh soon or late. 105
And how can man die better
Than facing fearful odds
For the ashes of his fathers,
And the temples of his gods,”

* * * * *

XXIX

“Hew down the bridge, Sir Consul, 110
With all the speed ye may:
I, with two more to help me,
Will hold the foe in play.
In yon strait path a thousand
May well be stopped by three. 115
Now, who will stand on either hand,
And keep the bridge with me?”

XXX

Then out spake Spurius Lartius,--
A Ramnian proud was he,--
“Lo, I will stand at thy right hand, 120
And keep the bridge with thee.”
And out spake strong Herminius,--
Of Titian blood was he,--
“I will abide on thy left side,
And keep the bridge with thee.” 125

XXXI

“Horatius,” quoth the Consul,
“As thou sayest, so let it be.”
And straight against that great array
Forth went the dauntless Three.
For Romans in Rome’s quarrel 130
Spared neither land nor gold,
Nor son nor wife, nor limb nor life,
In the brave days of old.

* * * * *

XXXIV

Now, while the Three were tightening
Their harness on their backs, 135
The Consul was the foremost man
To take in hand an axe.
And Fathers mixed with commons
Seized hatchet, bar, and crow,
And smote upon the planks above, 140
And loosed the props below.

XXXV

Meanwhile the Tuscan army,
Right glorious to behold,
Come flashing back the noonday light,
Rank behind rank, like surges bright 145
Of a broad sea of gold.
Four hundred trumpets sounded
A peal of warlike glee,
As that great host, with measured tread,
And spears advanced, and ensigns spread, 150
Rolled slowly towards the bridge’s head,
Where stood the dauntless Three.

XXXVI

The Three stood calm and silent,
And looked upon the foes,
And a great shout of laughter 155
From all the vanguard rose:
And forth three chiefs came spurring
Before that deep array;
To earth they sprang, their swords they drew,
And lifted high their shields, and flew 160
To win the narrow way.

* * * * *

XXXVIII

Stout Lartius hurled down Aunus
Into the stream beneath;
Herminius struck at Seius,
And clove him to the teeth; 165
At Picus brave Horatius
Darted one fiery thrust,
And the proud Umbrian’s gilded arms
Clashed in the bloody dust.

* * * * *

XL

Herminius smote down Aruns; 170
Lartius laid Ocnus low;
Right to the heart of Lausulus
Horatius sent a blow.
“Lie there,” he cried, “fell pirate!
No more, aghast and pale, 175
From Ostia’s walls the crowd shall mark
The track of thy destroying bark.
No more Campania’s hinds shall fly
To woods and caverns when they spy
Thy thrice accursèd sail.” 180

XLI

But now no sound of laughter
Was heard among the foes.
A wild and wrathful clamor
From all the vanguard rose.
Six spears’ lengths from the entrance 185
Halted that deep array,
And for a space no man came forth
To win the narrow way.

XLII

But hark! the cry is Astur;
And lo! the ranks divide, 190
And the great Lord of Luna
Comes with his stately stride.
Upon his ample shoulders
Clangs loud the fourfold shield,
And in his hand he shakes the brand 195
Which none but he can wield.

XLIII

He smiled on those bold Romans,
A smile serene and high
He eyed the flinching Tuscans,
And scorn was in his eye. 200
Quoth he, “The she-wolf’s litter
Stand savagely at bay;
But will ye dare to follow
If Astur clears the way?”

XLIV

Then, whirling up his broadsword 205
With both hands to the height,
He rushed against Horatius,
And smote with all his might.
With shield and blade Horatius
Right deftly turned the blow. 210
The blow, though turned, came yet too nigh:
It missed its helm, but gashed his thigh.
The Tuscans raised a joyful cry
To see the red blood flow.

XLV

He reeled, and on Herminius 215
He leaned one breathing-space,
Then, like a wild-cat mad with wounds,
Sprang right at Astur’s face.
Through teeth and skull and helmet,
So fierce a thrust he sped, 220
The good sword stood a hand-breadth out
Behind the Tuscan’s head.

XLVI

And the great Lord of Luna
Fell at that deadly stroke,
As falls on Mount Alvernus 225
A thunder-smitten oak.

* * * * *

XLVII

On Astur’s throat Horatius
Right firmly pressed his heel,
And thrice and four times tugged amain,
Ere he wrenched out the steel. 230
“And see,” he cried, “the welcome,
Fair guests, that waits you here!
What noble Lucumo comes next
To taste our Roman cheer?”

* * * * *

LI

Yet one man for one moment 235
Strode out before the crowd:
Well known was he to all the Three,
And they gave him greeting loud.
“Now welcome, welcome, Sextus!
Now welcome to thy home! 240
Why dost thou stay, and turn away?
Here lies the road to Rome.”

LII

Thrice looked he at the city;
Thrice looked he at the dead;
And thrice came on in fury, 245
And thrice turned back in dread,
And, white with fear and hatred,
Scowled at the narrow way,
Where, wallowing in a pool of blood,
The bravest Tuscans lay. 250

LIII

But meanwhile axe and lever
Have manfully been plied;
And now the bridge hangs tottering
Above the boiling tide.
“Come back, come back, Horatius!” 255
Loud cried the Fathers all.
“Back, Lartius! back, Herminius!
Back, ere the ruin fall!”

LIV

Back darted Spurius Lartius:
Herminius darted back: 260
And, as they passed, beneath their feet
They felt the timbers crack.
But when they turned their faces,
And on the farther shore
Saw brave Horatius stand alone, 265
They would have crossed once more.

LV

But with a crash like thunder
Fell every loosened beam,
And, like a dam, the mighty wreck
Lay right athwart the stream: 270
And a long shout of triumph
Rose from the walls of Rome,
As to the highest turret-tops
Was splashed the yellow foam.

LVI

And like a horse unbroken, 275
When first he feels the rein,
The furious river struggled hard,
And tossed his tawny mane,
And burst the curb, and bounded,
Rejoicing to be free, 280
And whirling down, in fierce career,
Battlement and plank and pier,
Rushed headlong to the sea.

LVII

Alone stood brave Horatius,
But constant still in mind; 285
Thrice thirty thousand foes before,
And the broad flood behind.
“Down with him!” cried false Sextus,
With a smile on his pale face.
“Now yield thee,” cried Lars Porsena, 290
“Now yield thee to our grace.”

LVIII

Round turned he, as not deigning
Those craven ranks to see;
Naught spake he to Lars Porsena,
To Sextus naught spake he; 295
But he saw on Palatinus
The white porch of his home,
And he spake to the noble river
That rolls by the towers of Rome.

LIX

“O Tiber! father Tiber! 300
To whom the Romans pray,
A Roman’s life, a Roman’s arms,
Take thou in charge this day!”
So he spake, and, speaking, sheathed
The good sword by his side, 305
And with his harness on his back,
Plunged headlong in the tide.

LX

No sound of joy or sorrow
Was heard from either bank:
But friends and foes in dumb surprise, 310
With parted lips and straining eyes,
Stood gazing where he sank;
And when above the surges,
They saw his crest appear,
All Rome sent forth a rapturous cry, 315
And even the ranks of Tuscany
Could scarce forbear to cheer.

LXI

But fiercely ran the current,
Swollen high by months of rain:
And fast his blood was flowing, 320
And he was sore in pain,
And heavy with his armor,
And spent with changing blows;
And oft they thought him sinking,
But still again he rose. 325

* * * * *

LXIII

“Curse on him!” quoth false Sextus:
“Will not the villain drown?
But for this stay, ere close of day
We should have sacked the town!”
“Heaven help him!” quoth Lars Porsena, 330
“And bring him safe to shore;
For such a gallant feat of arms
Was never seen before.”

LXIV

And now he feels the bottom;
Now on dry earth he stands; 335
Now round him throng the Fathers,
To press his gory hands;
And now, with shouts and clapping,
And noise of weeping loud,
He enters through the River-Gate, 340
Borne by the joyous crowd.

* * * * *

Stanza I

l. 1-4.--The exalted position of Lars Porsena, the oath, and the grandeur of the Tarquin house, all contribute to make the movement slow and the atmosphere dignified.

l. 5.--Note the repetition and its effect on the movement.

l. 7.--Rather fast.

l. 8.--According to the importance we attach to this line will be the rate of movement. If it means simply in all directions, the time will be moderate. If, however, we desire to emphasize that the messengers rode far to the east, and far to the west, and so forth, the time will be slow. Probably the former is the better interpretation.

Stanza XI

Colloquial style and moderate time prevail throughout the stanza except in

l. 16, where the transition is marked.

Stanza XII

The atmosphere is that of the pride of Porsena in his army.

Stanza XIII

l. 26.--Observe the transition to the atmosphere of fright and terror that pervades the entire stanza.

l. 30.--Conceive that mass of humanity and note how the length of the inflection on _mile_ is extended.

l. 33.--Very slow; each day and each night seems to be endless.

Stanzas XIV and XV

Observe that the principal verb does not appear until line 49. Hence there will be a rising inflection at the end of every line of these stanzas except 49.

The movement is rather fast and the atmosphere that of despair.

l. 49.--Very slow.

Stanza XVI

l. 50-54.--Narrative style.

l. 55.--Slow.

l. 56.--Note the longer inflections on _every hour_.

Stanza XIX

l. 58.--Be careful to separate the last two words.

l. 63.--Slower time and marked transition.

Stanza XX

l. 66-67.--Fast time; not in imitation of the speed of the scout, but in sympathy with his feelings.

l. 68-69.--No effort should be made to shriek these words; it is sufficient to suggest the fact that he is calling, and his fear. The time will be fast.

l. 70.--Observe the change in time and atmosphere.

l. 73.--A good illustration of the principle underlying movement. This line is read slowly, for it announces the doom of the city.

Stanza XXI

l. 74-75.--Moderate time.

l. 76-79.--Note that the time grows gradually slower as the mind becomes more and more engrossed with the picture, and how the voice swells with increasing grandeur.

l. 80-85.--Prevailingly moderate movement.

l. 84.--Rising inflection on _bright_ because the speaker no doubt has in mind the two lines, 84 and 85.

Stanza XXV

The hatred and contempt of the speaker will color the entire stanza. The movement will be on the whole moderate.

l. 88.--Slow.

Stanza XXVI

l. 94.--Slower time, and an atmosphere of sadness. Bear in mind the speaker sympathizes with the Consul.

l. 98.--Despair and sadness.

Stanza XXVII

l. 102-103.--Manifest the speaker’s pride in Horatius, and note the striking contrast between the atmosphere of these lines and that of the concluding lines of the preceding stanza.

l. 104-109.--Solemn and deliberate.

Stanza XXIX

l. 110-115.--Note the change in Horatius.

l. 116-117.--As if addressing the crowd; a marked transition.

Stanza XXX

A good study in variety; nearly every line presents a change of atmosphere.

Stanza XXXI

l. 126-127.--Very deliberately the Consul speaks. Why? What are his feelings?

l. 128-129.--Observe the patriotic ring in the speaker’s words.

Stanza XXXIV

The stanza is in simple narrative style, and contains but little emotion. The significant idea is that the patricians in this hour of trial worked side by side with plebeians.

Stanza XXXV

The time is moderate at the beginning, becoming gradually slower to the end.

Observe the change in atmosphere in the last line. Once more it is well to remind the reader that the speaker is a patriot.

Stanza XXXVI

The movement of the first two lines is rather slow; after that it accelerates to the end, in sympathy with the fast moving picture.

Stanza XXXVIII

The atmosphere is that of struggle and of the joy of victory.

The time will be rather fast, retarding towards the close.

Stanza XL

l. 170-173.--See note on preceding stanza.

l. 174.--Transition. Observe the hate of Horatius.

Stanza XLI

The time is prevailingly slow, and the atmosphere in marked contrast to that of the preceding stanza. There is, too, a note of contempt and irony.

Stanza XLII

l. 189.--Abrupt transition to atmosphere of what is almost fear. Time fast.

l. 190-196.--Time slow, and atmosphere in sympathy with the size and strength of Astur.

Stanza XLIII

l. 197-198.--Observe the contrast between the atmosphere of these lines and that of the succeeding two.

l. 201-202.--Astur’s contempt for his own allies.

l. 203.--Boastfully.

Stanza XLIV

l. 205-208.--Fast and strong.

l. 209-210.--Fast.

l. 211-212.--Slower, and note change in feeling: Horatius is wounded.

l. 213-214.--The joy of the enemy serves but to increase the speaker’s sorrow.

Stanza XLV

l. 217-222.--Note the intensity of the speaker’s feeling and his savage joy at the close.

Stanza XLVI

Slow time throughout.

Stanza XLVII

l. 227.--Moderate time.

l. 231-234.--Transition to the proud and contemptuous defiance of Horatius. The time is moderate; the key is high, because Horatius is calling to the opposing army.

Stanza LI

l. 235-236.--Simple narrative.

l. 237-238.--Contemptuous.

l. 239-242.--Sarcastic throughout. Time quite slow.

Stanza LII

l. 246.--Very slow and contemptuous, especially the last four words. Falling inflection on _dread_.

Stanza LIII

l. 251.--Note the transition.

l. 251-254.--Rather fast.

l. 255.--Suggest the sustained call and the warning.

l. 256.--Subordinate.

l. 257-258.--Faster and with greater trepidation.

Stanza LIV

l. 259-262.--Fast.

l. 263.--Transition.

Stanza LV

This stanza is the climax of the poem. Horatius’ work is done! The atmosphere is that of joy, triumph, and exultation.

Stanza LVI

The excitement of the speaker carries him on with headlong speed as he recalls the picture described in this stanza.

Stanza LVII

l. 284.--The excitement subsides.

l. 286-287.--No hope.

l. 289.--What is the emotion of Sextus? Note the _smile_.

l. 290.--Observe the difference between Lars Porsena and Sextus in their feelings toward Horatius.

Stanza LVIII

l. 292.--Slower time. Is there not a note of pride in the speaker’s voice as he recalls the bravery of Horatius?

l. 297-299.--Tender and slow.

Stanza LIX

l. 300-303.--Slow and reverential.

l. 304-307.--Rather fast, with pause before and after _headlong_.

Stanza LX

l. 308-312.--Rather slow.

l. 313.--Note transition to the feeling of joy.

Stanza LXI

The entire stanza is permeated with the speaker’s suspense and with his sympathy with the struggles of the wounded man.

Stanza LXIII

Observe again the contrast between Sextus and Lars Porsena, both enemies of Horatius.

Stanza LXIV

If we will follow the picture and describe it as we see it and as the speaker now recalls it, we will make long pauses after _bottom_ and _stands_.

The time increases in rapidity through the first four lines, and then is retarded to the end.

The atmosphere of the first four lines is that of joy, and it is hardly possible to keep back the tears as we utter the last four.

* * * * *

In the final selection we shall call attention to all the interpretative difficulties which the teacher is likely to meet with in the class-room. There is no reason why such a piece of literature as this cannot be used to advantage even in the public school, provided we take the time for careful analysis.

JULIUS CAESAR.--SHAKESPEARE