'The Hard Times In Elfland' by Sidney Lanier
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A Story of Christmas Eve.
Strange that the termagant winds should scold
The Christmas Eve so bitterly!
But Wife, and Harry the four-year-old,
Big Charley, Nimblewits, and I,
Blithe as the wind was bitter, drew
More frontward of the mighty fire,
Where wise Newfoundland Fan foreknew
The heaven that Christian dogs desire --
Stretched o'er the rug, serene and grave,
Huge nose on heavy paws reclined,
With never a drowning boy to save,
And warmth of body and peace of mind.
And, as our happy circle sat,
The fire well capp'd the company:
In grave debate or careless chat,
A right good fellow, mingled he:
He seemed as one of us to sit,
And talked of things above, below,
With flames more winsome than our wit,
And coals that burned like love aglow.
While thus our rippling discourse rolled
Smooth down the channel of the night,
We spoke of Time:thereat, one told
A parable of the Seasons' flight.
"Time was a Shepherd with four sheep.
In a certain Field he long abode.
He stood by the bars, and his flock bade leap
One at a time to the Common Road.
"And first there leapt, like bird on wing,
A lissome Lamb that played in the air.
I heard the Shepherd call him `Spring':
Oh, large-eyed, fresh and snowy fair
"He skipped the flowering Highway fast,
Hurried the hedgerows green and white,
Set maids and men a-yearning, passed
The Bend, and gamboll'd out of sight.
"And next marched forth a matron Ewe
(While Time took down a bar for her),
Udder'd so large 'twas much ado
E'en then to clear the barrier.
"Full softly shone her silken fleece
What stately time she paced along:
Each heartsome hoof-stroke wrought increase
Of sunlight, substance, seedling, song,
"In flower, in fruit, in field, in bird,
Till the great globe, rich fleck'd and pied,
Like some large peach half pinkly furred,
Turned to the sun a glowing side
"And hung in the heavenly orchard, bright,
None-such, complete.
Then, while the Ewe
Slow passed the Bend, a blur of light,
The Shepherd's face in sadness grew:
"`Summer!' he said, as one would say
A sigh in syllables.So, in haste
(For shame of Summer's long delay,
Yet gazing still what way she paced),
"He summoned Autumn, slanting down
The second bar.Thereover strode
A Wether, fleeced in burning brown,
And largely loitered down the Road.
"Far as the farmers sight his shape
Majestic moving o'er the way,
All cry `To harvest,' crush the grape,
And haul the corn and house the hay,
"Till presently, no man can say,
(So brown the woods that line that end)
If yet the brown-fleeced Wether may,
Or not, have passed beyond the Bend.
"Now turn I towards the Shepherd:lo,
An aged Ram, flapp'd, gnarly-horn'd,
With bones that crackle o'er the snow,
Rheum'd, wind-gall'd, rag-fleec'd, burr'd and thorn'd.
"Time takes the third bar off for him,
He totters down the windy lane.
'Tis Winter, still:the Bend lies dim.
O Lamb, would thou wouldst leap again!"
Those seasons out, we talked of these:
And I (with inward purpose sly
To shield my purse from Christmas trees
And stockings and wild robbery
When Hal and Nimblewits invade
My cash in Santa Claus's name)
In full the hard, hard times surveyed;
Denounced all waste as crime and shame;
Hinted that "waste" might be a term
Including skates, velocipedes,
Kites, marbles, soldiers, towers infirm,
Bows, arrows, cannon, Indian reeds,
Cap-pistols, drums, mechanic toys,
And all th' infernal host of horns
Whereby to strenuous hells of noise
Are turned the blessed Christmas morns;
Thus, roused -- those horns! -- to sacred rage,
I rose, forefinger high in air,
When Harry cried (SOME war to wage),
"Papa, is hard times ev'ywhere?
"Maybe in Santa Claus's land
It isn't hard times none at all!"
Now, blessed Vision! to my hand
Most pat, a marvel strange did fall.
Scarce had my Harry ceased, when "Look!"
He cried, leapt up in wild alarm,
Ran to my Comrade, shelter took
Beneath the startled mother's arm.
And so was still:what time we saw
A foot hang down the fireplace!Then,
With painful scrambling scratched and raw,
Two hands that seemed like hands of men
Eased down two legs and a body through
The blazing fire, and forth there came
Before our wide and wondering view
A figure shrinking half with shame,
And half with weakness."Sir," I said,
-- But with a mien of dignity
The seedy stranger raised his head:
"My friends, I'm Santa Claus," said he.
But oh, how changed!That rotund face
The new moon rivall'd, pale and thin;
Where once was cheek, now empty space;
Whate'er stood out, did now stand in.
His piteous legs scarce propped him up:
His arms mere sickles seemed to be:
But most o'erflowed our sorrow's cup
When that we saw -- or did not see --
His belly:we remembered how
It shook like a bowl of jelly fine:
An earthquake could not shake it now;
He HAD no belly -- not a sign.
"Yes, yes, old friends, you well may stare:
I HAVE seen better days," he said:
"But now, with shrinkage, loss and care,
Your Santa Claus scarce owns his head.
"We've had such hard, hard times this year
For goblins!Never knew the like.
All Elfland's mortgaged!And we fear
The gnomes are just about to strike.
"I once was rich, and round, and hale.
The whole world called me jolly brick;
But listen to a piteous tale.
Young Harry, -- Santa Claus is sick!
"'Twas thus:a smooth-tongued railroad man
Comes to my house and talks to me:
`I've got,' says he, `a little plan
That suits this nineteenth century.
"`Instead of driving, as you do,
Six reindeer slow from house to house,
Let's build a Grand Trunk Railway through
From here to earth's last terminus.
"`We'll touch at every chimney-top
(An Elevated Track, of course),
Then, as we whisk you by, you'll drop
Each package down:just think, the force
"`You'll save, the time!-- Besides, we'll make
Our millions:look you, soon we will
Compete for freights -- and then we'll take
Dame Fortune's bales of good and ill
"`(Why, she's the biggest shipper, sir,
That e'er did business in this world!):
Then Death, that ceaseless Traveller,
Shall on his rounds by us be whirled.
"`When ghosts return to walk with men,
We'll bring 'em cheap by steam, and fast:
We'll run a Branch to heaven! and then
We'll riot, man; for then, at last
"`We'll make with heaven a contract fair
To call, each hour, from town to town,
And carry the dead folks' souls up there,
And bring the unborn babies down!'
"The plan seemed fair:I gave him cash,
Nay, every penny I could raise.
My wife e'er cried, `'Tis rash, 'tis rash:'
How could I know the stock-thief's ways?
"But soon I learned full well, poor fool!
My woes began, that wretched day.
The President plied me like a tool.
In lawyer's fees, and rights of way,
"Injunctions, leases, charters, I
Was meshed as in a mighty maze.
The stock ran low, the talk ran high:
Then quickly flamed the final blaze.
"With never an inch of track -- 'tis true!
The debts were large . . . the oft-told tale.
The President rolled in splendor new
-- He bought my silver at the sale.
"Yes, sold me out:we've moved away.
I've had to give up everything.
My reindeer, even, whom I . . . pray,
Excuse me" . . . here, o'er-sorrowing,
Poor Santa Claus burst into tears,
Then calmed again:"my reindeer fleet,
I gave them up:on foot, my dears,
I now must plod through snow and sleet.
"Retrenchment rules in Elfland, now;
Yes, every luxury is cut off.
-- Which, by the way, reminds me how
I caught this dreadful hacking cough:
"I cut off the tail of my Ulster furred
To make young Kris a coat of state.
That very night the storm occurred!
Thus we became the sport of Fate.
"For I was out till after one,
Surveying chimney-tops and roofs,
And planning how it could be done
Without my reindeers' bouncing hoofs.
"`My dear,' says Mrs. Claus, that night
(A most superior woman she!)
`It never, never can be right
That you, deep-sunk in poverty,
"`This year should leave your poor old bed,
And trot about, bent down with toys,
(There's Kris a-crying now for bread!)
To give to other people's boys.
"`Since you've been out, the news arrives
The Elfs' Insurance Company's gone.
Ah, Claus, those premiums!Now, our lives
Depend on yours:thus griefs go on.
"`And even while you're thus harassed,
I do believe, if out you went,
You'd go, in spite of all that's passed,
To the children of that President!'
"Oh, Charley, Harry, Nimblewits,
These eyes, that night, ne'er slept a wink.
My path seemed honeycombed with pits.
Naught could I do but think and think.
"But, with the day, my courage rose.
Ne'er shall my boys, MY boys (I cried),
When Christmas morns their eyes unclose,
Find empty stockings gaping wide!
"Then hewed and whacked and whittled I;
The wife, the girls and Kris took fire;
They spun, sewed, cut, -- till by and by
We made, at home, my pack entire!"
(He handed me a bundle, here.)
"Now, hoist me up:there, gently:quick!
Dear boys, DON'T look for much this year:
Remember, Santa Claus is sick!"
Editor 1 Interpretation
Introduction
Heralded as one of the most significant American poets of the 19th century, Sidney Lanier’s works are a reflection of his deep understanding of the human condition. His poem, “The Hard Times in Elfland,” is a vivid exploration of the idea of loss and how it affects us.
In this literary criticism and interpretation, I will delve into the themes and symbols that Lanier employs in this poem. I will also discuss the significance of the poem's structure, its use of repetition, and the overall impact of the poem on the reader.
Themes
At its core, "The Hard Times in Elfland" is a poem about loss. In the world of Elfland, the narrator experiences a profound sense of emptiness and despair as he struggles to find meaning in a world that has taken everything from him. The poem highlights the complexity of human emotions as the narrator grapples with feelings of nostalgia, hopelessness, and the overwhelming sense of grief.
Lanier uses the imagery of the barren and desolate Elfland to represent the emptiness that the narrator feels. The once vibrant and joyful land has been stripped of its magic, just as the narrator's life has been stripped of all the things that gave it meaning. The poem is a reminder that everyone will experience loss and that it is an intrinsic part of the human experience.
Symbols
The poem is rich in symbolism, and Lanier uses these symbols to reinforce the themes of the poem. For instance, the narrator's quest to find the "Princess" is symbolic of his search for meaning and purpose in his life. The Princess represents all the things that he has lost, and his quest to find her is his attempt to regain what he has lost.
The use of the "Star" in the poem is also significant. The narrator sees the star as a beacon of hope that will guide him out of his despair. However, as he gets closer, he realizes that the star is nothing but a "cold, hard, silver thing." This symbolizes the harsh reality of life and the fact that sometimes the things we hope for turn out to be empty promises.
Structure
Lanier's use of structure in the poem is also worth noting. The poem is divided into four stanzas, and each stanza is made up of eight lines. The first three stanzas follow a consistent rhyme scheme, with the first and third lines rhyming and the second and fourth lines rhyming. The fourth stanza, however, breaks away from this pattern and uses a different rhyme scheme.
This change in structure is symbolic of the narrator's journey. The first three stanzas represent his search for meaning, and the consistent rhyme scheme reflects the stability and order that he is looking for. The fourth stanza, on the other hand, represents his acceptance of the harsh reality of life, and the change in rhyme scheme reflects the chaos and unpredictability of life.
Repetition
Repetition is another literary device that Lanier employs in the poem. The repetition of the phrase "the hard times" throughout the poem serves to reinforce the idea that life is full of challenges and hardships. The repetition of this phrase also creates a sense of rhythm in the poem and adds to its overall impact.
Conclusion
In "The Hard Times in Elfland," Lanier presents a powerful exploration of loss and the human experience. The poem's rich symbolism, use of structure, and repetition all work together to create a vivid and impactful piece of literature. This poem serves as a reminder to readers that life is full of challenges, but that we must continue to search for meaning and purpose, even in the face of adversity.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
The Hard Times in Elfland: A Masterpiece of Poetry
Sidney Lanier's "The Hard Times in Elfland" is a classic poem that has stood the test of time. It is a masterpiece of poetry that captures the essence of the human experience in a way that is both beautiful and profound. The poem is a journey through the magical world of Elfland, where the narrator encounters a series of challenges and obstacles that test his courage and resilience.
The poem begins with the narrator describing his journey through the enchanted forest of Elfland. He is in search of the Queen of Elfland, who he hopes will grant him a wish. As he travels deeper into the forest, he encounters a series of strange and wondrous creatures, including a talking tree, a group of dancing fairies, and a mischievous elf.
As the narrator continues on his journey, he begins to encounter more and more obstacles. He is chased by a pack of wolves, attacked by a giant spider, and nearly drowned in a river. Despite these challenges, he remains determined to reach the Queen of Elfland and make his wish.
The turning point of the poem comes when the narrator finally reaches the Queen's palace. He is granted an audience with the Queen, who asks him what he wishes for. The narrator responds that he wishes for the power to make all of his dreams come true. The Queen grants his wish, but warns him that he must be careful what he wishes for, as his dreams may not always be what he expects.
The final stanza of the poem is a powerful reflection on the nature of human desire and the dangers of unchecked ambition. The narrator realizes that his wish has come at a great cost, and that he has lost something precious in the process. He reflects on the hard times he has faced in Elfland, and the lessons he has learned along the way.
What makes "The Hard Times in Elfland" such a powerful poem is its ability to capture the complexity of the human experience in a way that is both accessible and profound. The poem is a journey through the magical world of Elfland, but it is also a journey through the human psyche. The narrator's struggles and triumphs in Elfland are a reflection of our own struggles and triumphs in the real world.
One of the key themes of the poem is the idea of perseverance in the face of adversity. The narrator faces a series of challenges and obstacles on his journey through Elfland, but he never gives up. He remains determined to reach the Queen of Elfland and make his wish, no matter what obstacles stand in his way. This theme is a powerful reminder of the importance of perseverance in our own lives, and the rewards that can come from overcoming adversity.
Another important theme of the poem is the idea of the dangers of unchecked ambition. The narrator's wish for the power to make all of his dreams come true is granted, but at a great cost. He realizes that his desire for power and success has come at the expense of something precious, and that his dreams may not always be what he expects. This theme is a cautionary tale about the dangers of ambition, and a reminder that we must be careful what we wish for.
Overall, "The Hard Times in Elfland" is a masterpiece of poetry that captures the essence of the human experience in a way that is both beautiful and profound. The poem is a journey through the magical world of Elfland, but it is also a journey through the human psyche. The narrator's struggles and triumphs in Elfland are a reflection of our own struggles and triumphs in the real world. The poem is a powerful reminder of the importance of perseverance in the face of adversity, and the dangers of unchecked ambition. It is a timeless work of art that will continue to inspire and move readers for generations to come.
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