he was royally welcomed,
and where he fell in love with the king's daughter, Temineh, and married
her. But he was of a roving, adventurous disposition, and soon went back to
fight among his own people, the Persians. While he was gone his son Sohrab
was born, grew to manhood, and became the hero of the Turan army. War arose
between the two peoples, and two hostile armies were encamped by the Oxus.
Each army chose a champion, and Rustum and Sohrab found themselves matched
in mortal combat between the lines. At this point Sohrab, whose chief
interest in life was to find his father, demanded to know if his enemy were
not Rustum; but the latter was disguised and denied his identity. On the
first day of the fight Rustum was overcome, but his life was spared by a
trick and by the generosity of Sohrab. On the second day Rustum prevailed,
and mortally wounded his antagonist. Then he recognized his own son by a
gold bracelet which he had long ago given to his wife Temineh. The two
armies, rushing into battle, were stopped by the sight of father and son
weeping in each other's arms. Sohrab died, the war ceased, and Rustum went
home to a life of sorrow and remorse.

Using this interesting material, Arnold produced a poem which has the rare
and difficult combination of classic reserve and romantic feeling. It is
written in blank verse, and one has only to read the first few lines to see
that the poet is not a master of his instrument. The lines are seldom
harmonious, and we must frequently change the accent of common words, or
lay stress on unimportant particles, to show the rhythm. Arnold frequently
copies Milton, especially in his repetition of ideas and phrases; but the
poem as a whole is lacking in Milton's wonderful melody.

The classic influence on _Sohrab and Rustum_ is especially noticeable in
Arnold's use of materials. Fights are short; grief is long; therefore the
poet gives few lines to the combat, but lingers over the son's joy at
finding his father, and the father's quenchless sorrow at the death of his
son. The last lines especially, with their "passionate grief set to solemn
music," make this poem one of the best, on the whole, that Arnold has
written. And the exquisite ending, where the Oxus, unmindful of the trivial
strifes of men, flows on sedately to join "his luminous home of waters" is
most suggestive of the poet's conception of the orderly life of nature, in
contrast with the doubt and restlessness of human life