252 DEMOCRATIC ART 



The essence of Democratic Art, so far as Whitman helps 

 us to understand it, has been sufficiently indicated. The 

 divine in nature and humanity is everywhere, if we can pene- 

 trate the husk of commonplace and reach the poetry of 

 things. There are, indeed, degrees in its manifestation. 

 Special revelations, as in the life of Buddha or of Christ for 

 instance, do not rank in the same class with the ' ever recur- 

 ring miracle of the sunrise.' The heroism of an engine-driver, 

 performing his duty, has not exactly the same moral quality, 

 the same complexity of spiritual forces in play together at 

 one moment, as the self-dedication of Menoikeus for the 

 welfare of his native city, or the oblation of their lives by 

 Cratinus and Aristodemus in order to save Athens from a 

 god-sent plague. 



The pioneer of Democratic Art wishes mainly to remind 

 the world that our eyes have too long been blinded to one 

 cardinal truth the truth that virtues and beauties, wherever 

 found, are of like quality, and their essence equally divine. 

 Whitman insists upon this truth in a passage which sounds 

 paradoxical, but the grotesqueness of which is calculated to 

 arouse intelligence : l 



Three scythes at harvest whizzing in a row from three lusty angels with 



shirts bagged out at their waists ; 



The snag-toothed hostler, with red hair, redeeming sins past and to come, 

 Selling all he possesses, travelling on foot to fee lawyers for his brother, 



and sit by him while he is tried for forgery. 



The resplendent manhood of Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, 

 ' starred from Jehovah's gorgeous armouries,' is of like quality 

 with that of the three reapers. Do what we will, our imagina- 

 tion cannot transcend the stalwart strength of thews and 

 sinews. We can clothe this strength with grace, gift it with 

 ethereal charm, inspire it with ideal fancy, wrap it around in 

 religious mystery. But the beautiful, strong body of the man 

 remains the central fact for art. In like manner, the spirit of 

 Christ revives in the poor, ugly drudge, 'despised and rejected 

 of men,' like Paul, ' of presence weak, of speech contemptible,' 

 1 Walt Whitman, 41. 





