nature by this contact with one of
the masterpieces of the spirit of man
as well as of the art of literature. It
is also possible to so absorb Dante's
thought and so saturate one's self
with the life of the poem as to add
to one's individual capital of thought
and experience all that the poet dis-
cerned in that deep heart of his
and wrought out of that intense and
tragic experience. But this perma-
nent and personal possession can be
acquired by those alone who brood
over the poem and recreate it within
themselves by the play of the ima-
gination upon it. A visitor was
shown into Mr. Lowell's room one
evening not many years ago, and
found him barricaded behind rows
of open books; they covered the
table and were spread out on the
floor in an irregular but magic circle.

[[40]]

p039 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p040w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p041

v?