Books and other items printed in Gaelic from 1871 to 1900 > Gaelic bards, and original poems

ALEXANDER MACDONALD.
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Conn : even with a string of sonorous adjectives—a good
many of them too compounded by himself, with no little
ingenuity for the occasion.
Alexander MacDonald, in his Song in Praise of the
Lion, is sufficiently ferocious and complimentary to the
MacDonalds to have pleased Lachlan Mor himself.
Rather than leave out any portion of his Clan’s due meed
of praise, he has perhaps said nearly the same thing more
than once over, in slightly different words. This,
however, is not more than two or three times the case,
and does not lessen the value of the lyric, as a spirited,
energetic production—full of ardour and poetic fire.
It will contrast pleasantly with those soft and tender
descriptions of Nature that have just been given; and
show, along with them, the variety of bardic power
possessed by the author. As a piece of animated war-
poetry, not unworthy of any lyric writer, may be cited
the four stanzas in the succeeding Poem, following from,
“ Strong rock, and everlasting,” down to, “ Groaning hard
and moaning, resound the site of battle o’er.” These
display, not merely vigorous composition, but genuine
feeling. The Poet is describing what he really admired,
and would have joined in himself. He is not like too
many of our most martial poets, working up a safe
effervesence, for the sake of effect; and crying, “ Ha-ha!”
amid a dim fancy of trumpet sounds—a proceeding not
commendable, being so evidently the very reverse of their
natural propensity,
c...