Synthesized answer
The "Bayard Taylor" poem focuses on the death of the poet, describing him as "Dead he lay among his books!" [1]. His hand will "nevermore Turn their storied pages o'er" [1]. The poem questions where his spirit has gone, asking, "Traveller! in what realms afar, In what planet, in what star... shines the light upon thy face?" [1]. It suggests that "On the ruins of the Past Blooms the perfect flower at last" [1, 4], implying a transformed existence after death.
The "Dedication" poem, addressing "Ultima Thule," contrasts past journeys with the present state of rest. It speaks of sailing "for the Hesperides" and the "lost Atlantis of our youth" [2], but now the travelers "lower our sails; a while we rest / From the unending, endless quest" [2]. This poem explores the idea of reaching an ultimate destination, "Ultima Thule! Utmost Isle!" [2], as a place of temporary solace after a long search. The passages do not directly compare these explorations of time, loss, and ultimate destinations between the two poems, nor do they explicitly state what each poem suggests about finding solace or meaning in life's ultimate realities beyond the imagery presented.
Synthesized from the book passages below. Chat with the book on Feynman for follow-up.
From the book
For works with similar titles, see Bayard Taylor . ← Dedication Ultima Thule by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Bayard Taylor The Chamber over the Gate → Bayard Taylor was a poet/journalist who died in 1878 11383 Ultima Thule — Bayard Taylor Henry Wadsworth Longfellow POEMS. BAYARD TAYLOR. Dead he lay among his books! The peace of God was in his looks. As the statues in the gloom Watch o'er Maximilian's tomb, So those volumes from their shelves Watched him, silent as themselves. Ah! his hand will nevermore Turn their storied pages o'er; Nevermore his lips repeat Songs of theirs, however sweet.…
← Ultima Thule by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Dedication Bayard Taylor → The collection is dedicated to G. W. G. ( George Washington Greene ) 11382 Ultima Thule — Dedication Henry Wadsworth Longfellow DEDICATION. DEDICATION. TO G.W.G. With favoring winds, o'er sunlit seas, We sailed for the Hesperides, The land where golden apples grow; But that, ah! that was long ago. How far, since then, the ocean streams Have swept us from that land of dreams, That land of fiction and of truth, The lost Atlantis of our youth! Whither, ah, whither? Are not these The tempest-haunted Hebrides, Where…
← Bayard Taylor Ultima Thule by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow The Chamber over the Gate From my Arm-Chair → 11384 Ultima Thule — The Chamber over the Gate Henry Wadsworth Longfellow THE CHAMBER OVER THE GATE. Is it so far from thee Thou canst no longer see, In the Chamber over the Gate, That old man desolate, Weeping and wailing sore For his son, who is no more? O Absalom, my son! Is it so long ago That cry of human woe From the walled city came, Calling on his dear name, That it has died away In the distance of to-day? O Absalom, my son! There is no far or near, There is neither there nor…
, with organ tone, In Deukalion's life, thine own; On the ruins of the Past Blooms the perfect flower at last. Friend! but yesterday the bells Rang for thee their loud farewells; And to-day they toll for thee, Lying dead beyond the sea; Lying dead among thy books, The peace of God in all thy looks! ↑ In the Hofkirche at Innsbruck.
← The Windmill Ultima Thule by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow The Tide Rises, the Tide Falls My Cathedral → 11396 Ultima Thule — The Tide Rises, the Tide Falls Henry Wadsworth Longfellow THE TIDE RISES, THE TIDE FALLS. The tide rises, the tide falls, The twilight darkens, the curlew calls; Along the sea-sands damp and brown The traveller hastens toward the town, And the tide rises, the tide falls. Darkness settles on roofs and walls, But the sea in the darkness calls and calls; The little waves, with their soft, white hands, Efface the footprints in the sands, And the tide rises, the tide…
More questions about this book
- In your own words, how does Longfellow define or characterize "Ultima Thule" across the different sections of this excerpt, and what contrasting emotions or states of being does it represent in the "Dedication" poem versus the introductory context?
- Explain the significance of the imagery used to describe Bayard Taylor's death (e.g., "statues in the gloom," "gone, as travellers haste to leave an inn"). What does this imagery reveal about Longfellow's perspective on death and legacy?
- Trace the journey described in the "Dedication" poem, from "Hesperides" and "Atlantis" to the "tempest-haunted Hebrides" and "Ultima Thule." What is the speaker's emotional trajectory throughout this journey, and what does it suggest about the nature of a "quest"?
- Considering the introductory information about "Ultima Thule" being a collection, and the specific dedications to Bayard Taylor and G.W.G., what common threads or overarching message might Longfellow be trying to convey through these seemingly distinct poems?