American readers, for whom it has
been a first initiation to the beauty of poetic idealism."

While studying _The Vision of Sir Launfal_ the student should be made
familiar with Tennyson's _Sir Galahad_ and _The Holy Grail_, and the
libretto of Wagner's _Parsifal_. Also Henry A. Abbey's magnificent
series of mural paintings in the Boston Public Library, representing
the Quest of the Holy Grail, may be utilized in the _Copley Prints_.
If possible the story of Sir Galahad's search for the Grail in the
seventeenth book of Sir Thomas Malory's _Morte Darthur_ should be
read. It would be well also to read Longfellow's _King Robert of
Sicily_, which to some extent presents a likeness of motive and
treatment.

THE COMMEMORATION ODE

In April, 1865, the Civil War was ended and peace was declared. On
July 21 Harvard College held a solemn service in commemoration of her
ninety-three sons who had been killed in the war. Eight of these
fallen young heroes were of Lowell's own kindred. Personal grief thus
added intensity to the deep passion of his utterance upon this great
occasion. He was invited to give a poem, and the ode which he
presented proved to be the supreme event of the noble service. The
scene is thus described by Francis H. Underwood, who was in the
audience:

"The services took place in the open air, in the presence of a great
assembly. Prominent among the speakers were Major-General Meade, the
hero of Gettysburg, and Major-General Devens. The wounds of the war
were still fresh and bleeding, and the interest of the occasion was
deep and thrilling. The summer afternoon was drawing to its close when
the poet began the recital of the ode. No living audience could for
the first time follow with intelligent appreciation the delivery of
such a poem. To be sure, it had its obvious strong points and its
sonorous charms; but, like all the later poems of the author, it is
full of condensed thought and requires study. The reader to-day finds
many passages whose force and beauty escaped him during the recital,
but the effect of the poem at the time was overpowering. The face of
the poet, always singularly expressive, was on this occasion almost
transfigured--glowing, as if with an inward light. It was impossible
to look away from it. Our age has furnished many great historic
scenes, but this Commemoration combined the elements of grandeur and
pathos, and produced an impression as lasting as life."

Of the delivery an