questionable proposition. There were the Psalms, in the Old Testament,
to be sure; and the minister had been heard to allude to them as
poetry: might not that indicate some heretical taint in him, caught,
perchance, from the "German neologists" whose influence we were
beginning to dread? It did not seem quite orthodox to describe the
Psalms as poems; and when, a little later, some one ventured to speak
of the Book of Job as a _dramatic_ poem, there were many who were
simply horrified. Indeed, it was difficult for many good people
to consider the Biblical writings as in any sense literature; they
belonged in a category by themselves, and the application to them
of the terms by which we describe similar writings in other books
appeared to many good men and women a kind of profanation. This was
not, of course, the attitude of educated men and women, but something
akin to it affected large numbers of excellent people.

We are well past that period, and the relations of religion and
poetry may now be discussed with no fear of misunderstandings. These
relations are close and vital. Poetry is indebted to religion for its
largest and loftiest inspirations, and religion is indebted to poetry
for its subtlest and most luminous interpretations.

Religion is related to poetry as life is related to art. Religion is
life, the life of God in the soul of man--the response of man's spirit
to the attractions of the divine Spirit. Poetry is an interpretation
of life. Religious poetry endeavors to express, in beautiful
forms, the facts of the religious life. There is poetry that is not
religious; poetry which deals only with that which is purely sensuous,
poetry which does not hint at spiritual facts, or divine relations;
and there is religion which has but little to do with poetry: but the
highest religious thoughts and feelings are greatly served by putting