courage. And it is good for children to have examples even of physical
courage set before them, provided it be not brutal. The craven heart
ought to be despised. Mere good intentions ought not to count. Unless
one has the resolute will, the fearless soul, that can face difficulties
and danger without flinching, he will never be able to do a man's work
in the world. This lesson should be imprinted early. A second
prerequisite of success is presence of mind, or what has been called
above resourceful intelligence. And this quality is closely allied with
the former. Presence of mind is the result of bravery. The mind will act
even in perilous situations if it be not paralyzed by fear. It is fear
that causes the wheels of thought to stop. If one can only keep off the
clog of fear, the mind will go on revolving and often find a way of
escape where there seemed none. Be not a coward, be brave and
clear-headed in the midst of peril--these are lessons the force of which
is appreciated by the growing pupil. The Iliad and Odyssey teach them on
every page.
Bravery and presence of mind, it is true, are commonly regarded as
worldly, rather than as, in the strict sense, moral qualities. However
that may be--and I, for one, am inclined to rank true courage and true
presence of mind among the highest manifestations of the moral
nature--these qualities when they show themselves in the young soon
exert a favorable influence on the whole character, and serve especially
to transform the attitude of the child toward its parents. Hitherto the
young child has been content to be the mere recipient of favors; as soon
as the new consciousness of strength, the new sense of independence and
manliness has developed, the son begins to feel that he would like to
give to his parents as well as to receive from them; to be of use to his
father, and to confer benefits, as far as he is able, in the shape of
substantial services. These remarks will find their application in the
analysis of the Odyssey, which we shall presently attempt.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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