The Death of Saul and other Eisteddfod Prize Poems and Miscellaneous Verses — Themes and Context

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In Category - Fantasy Juvenile Worlds

Authors: Manning, J. C. Digital Source: Project Gutenberg Gutenberg Release Year: 2007 First Publication Year: Not confirmed

Key Word: Poetry Target Reader: Readers of public-domain and historical texts

Book Edition: Project Gutenberg digital edition Book Language: en

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Words 43,998

Reading time 192 min

Text sections 6

This digital edition of The Death of Saul and other Eisteddfod Prize Poems and Miscellaneous Verses — Themes and Context is described by source-level measurements including 43,998 words, 3 hr 12 min estimated reading time, and 6 detected text sections.

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Source: Project Gutenberg record #20764

J. C. Manning's 1877 collection of prize-winning and occasional verse, including the title poem restored from a 200-line Eisteddfod entry to its full length, with poems spanning twenty-five years and varied in tone from martial to domestic.

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Bondage was worse than death. "They come! They come!" He moaned. "Stand ye upon my breast," he said, To one, a stranger, lingering near the spot, "And force the gurgling stream back on my heart, "To quench the life within me. Quick! They come!" The stranger did the cruel bidding. (_j_) Hark! "The King!" the foemen cry, and fiercely rusht Upon the Royal captive, who, till then, Had lain by them unseen. But while the shout Swept like a storm along the swelling ranks The soul of Saul went drifting through the dark, Like some fair ship with sails and cordage rent, Out from the stormy trials of his life, To tempt the terrors of an unknown sea. And then the cry of lamentation rose In Israel, and the Hebrew maidens hung Their speechless harps upon the willow branch, And mourned the loved and lost unceasingly.

(_a_) Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay, but we will have a King over us, that we also may be like all the nations. And Samuel said to all the people, "See ye him whom the Lord hath chosen." And all the people shouted and said, "God save the King!"--I SAMUEL, viii. and ix. 19, 20, 24.

(_b_) And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel. And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment.--I SAMUEL, viii., 1, 2.

(_c_) And Saul said, "Bring hither a burnt offering," and he offered the burnt offering. And Samuel came, and Saul went out to meet him. And Samuel said, "What hast thou done? Thou hast not kept the commandment of the Lord thy God which he commanded thee, and thy kingdom shall not continue."--I SAMUEL, xiii., 10, 14.

(_d_) And Samuel said, "The Lord sent thee, and said go and utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites. Wherefore didst thou not obey the voice of the Lord, but didst fly upon the spoil?" And Saul said unto Samuel, "The people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God at Gilgal." And Samuel said, "Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee."--I SAMUEL, xv,, 18, 23.

(_e_) And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand. So Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.--I SAMUEL, xvi., 23.

(_f_) And the Philistines gathered themselves together, and came and pitched in Shunem; and Saul gathered all Israel together, and they pitched in Gilboa.--I SAMUEL, xxviii., 4.

(_g_) Then said Saul unto his servants, "Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her and enquire of her." And his servants said to him, "Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor." And Saul disguised himself, and came to the woman by night. And he said, "I pray thee, divine unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring him up whom I shall name of thee."--I SAMUEL, xxviii., 7, 8.

(_h_) And Samuel said to Saul, "Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up?" And Saul answered, "I am sore distressed, for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answereth me no more. Therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do." And Samuel said, "Because thou obeyedst not the voice of the Lord, nor executedst not his fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore hath the Lord done this thing unto thee this day. To-morrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me; and the Lord also shall deliver the host of Israel into the hand of the Philistines." Then Saul fell straightway all along on the earth.--I SAMUEL, xxviii., 15, 20.

(_i_) And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers hit him, and he was sore wounded of the archers. Then said Saul unto his armour-bearer, "Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith, lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through." But his armour-bearer would not, therefore Saul took a sword and fell upon it. And when his armour-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise upon his sword, and died with him.--I SAMUEL, xxxi., 3, 5.

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J. C. Manning's preface to this 1877 collection acknowledges that the poems, written over twenty-five years, bear 'variety of sentiment and incongruity of feeling.' The volume opens with the title poem, 'The Death of Saul,' which Manning submitted to the Wrexham National Eisteddfod in a compressed 200-line version that won first prize. Here he restores it to nearly 400 lines, remarking wryly that squeezing a poem into half its length 'is an achievement worthy of a prize in itself.' This editorial note focuses on the collection's structural variety, recurring images, and movement between scenes.

The Prize Poem Restored

Manning's prefatory remarks about 'The Death of Saul' offer a rare glimpse into the constraints of competitive verse. He describes having to 'lop away' from the original to meet the committee's limit, and compares the process to encasing his muse in 'a straight waistcoat' or 'temporary stays.' The restored poem, he implies, is more 'comprehensive' than the prizewinning excerpt. Readers can compare the two versions in spirit: the full text includes battle imagery such as 'the red blood streams, and the fire-flash gleams' and 'the hoarse-throated cannon belch fiery breath,' which may have been trimmed for the competition. The episode illustrates how institutional demands shaped Victorian poetic production.

Recurring Images of Nature and Emotion

Across the collection, natural imagery recurs as a vehicle for emotional states. In 'Unrequited,' a 'beautiful Streamlet' dances along 'with its bright brow fretted with flow'rs,' while a willow tree yearns for its affection. The streamlet 'laughed at the willow's heart-strife' and continues 'laughing away,' indifferent to the willow's death. The same pattern appears in 'The Household Spirit,' where a spirit moves 'noiseless as thistle-down upon the wind' and its cheeks are 'like languid lilies flusht with rosy wine.' These images link human feeling to natural cycles, though the tone shifts from the willow's tragic unrequited love to the spirit's comforting presence.

Movement Between Public and Private Scenes

The collection juxtaposes public, martial scenes with intimate domestic ones. The battle passage in 'The Death of Saul' shifts rapidly from cannon fire to hand-to-hand combat: 'Crash! Crash! Then a leap and a dash! / Hand to hand—face to face, goes the fight.' In contrast, 'The Household Spirit' describes a spirit that 'stealeth up and down the stairs' and 'doth angelize each angry thought.' The poem 'To Lord Derby' addresses a political figure, praising him as 'the Voice of the Land,' while 'Had I a Heart' returns to personal loss, recalling 'days that now are o'er' by the 'sounding shore.' This alternation between grand and intimate registers gives the volume its varied texture.

The Poet's Self-Presentation

Manning frames his work with a defensive yet hopeful address 'To the Public,' where he asks for 'the bright sun of Approbation' and compares himself to a lark that 'spreads his pinions for a loftier flight.' He anticipates 'chilling frowns of critics' but insists they 'cannot kill the ardour of the Bard.' The preface similarly acknowledges unevenness in the poems, attributing it to the 'varied and chequered circumstances' of their composition. These framing devices reveal a poet conscious of his audience and his own artistic standing, seeking to justify both the collection's range and its occasional lapses in 'high constructive art.'

Readers approaching this collection may find it useful to read the preface and the address 'To the Public' first, as they establish Manning's intentions and constraints. The poems can be sampled in any order, but noticing how images of nature and battle recur across sections—and how the poet moves between public declamation and private sentiment—will illuminate the volume's internal coherence. The restored 'Death of Saul' offers a particular point of interest for those curious about the relationship between prizewinning excerpts and their fuller originals.

There’s a particular ache in Manning’s Eisteddfod verses—prizes earned, then lost to time—that makes me think of quieter mornings with Dream Blocks, where whole worlds hide behind a child’s closed lids. That same wistful patience, really, of things seen only in passing. A reminder that poetry keeps its promises softly. Dream Blocks — A Closer Reading sits beside it well, like an old friend’s photo.