AMERICAN POETS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 562, 17 July 1909, Page 9

AMERICAN POETS.

//:• :: :'■■■TOβ.lLon3dil^■:"ffimes■^^: l ' - " Bome.letters written:by/Swinburne. to'EdnvuM : . . .tensely - interesting '.doquments .'.the .following ■•■ o:judgment|Vupon vAmeri«uij : poetry - : :■ ;4(""Now let meCat'tfast'J-teilv;you:.bovrtruly muoli--.l? ; haveV^enibyecl '■'■'' iful vbpofcof ;poems;:*lifch; you;;must ;■ long , ■•':\"Winie'''-'l»iTO^'t£Qilghli^df\'ißS'-VtMqyra^ajray" , pn v ">'■ :tbe-mostthapljless'and.ungraGio.ua'of recip- ;■•]:-■ ienti.'-vjfpnr. rebuke on'the.subject :of ; Ameri- ,"■ ;cari : poetry deserved.< as ■':';';it *.;Yet 'I '.:-must-: say..^tHat;VwHilo , :l;;.app'r^ciate , :;(l : hdpe) ' vtho v :respectir^'iescellenbe■/,of:iMr.' Bryant's V. ' Thanatopsia''and" of',;Mr. ; :Xp'well's/Comrherii-; v Gde; i ;l«':caiinot')'say.'!tbiit: i l eitber- of ''■'-. note y 6i■ ;Spng;ir;lt'. l ■is:-ce'xce!le)it: good ''speech,. ;; but ifi given sas :•■■■'"'•'duty is;ip>ising">^/^The^one'.is'.'mpst.''august;. :; '" mbditationi'Hbp';ipthe'r;;a ißoble;;:espression;.;df ■ " deep- and ; ' preme national ofecisipn;' .■butj th'o. thing more : ; necessary;-thougn■ it;.may,be,less :npble than .:..-:'; these, ; is ■ firej 'the; passion of ;< : .quality,'.of.'• a r 'singer, 'not: of, a •■; solitary : --ph'flosopher>. ; pr?a '.'.patriotic '.orator. Now. when Whitman/is : not/speaking bad ■ ■■ prosW ho /sings, ; and'■when,: he. sings,: at .'all , . he 'sings 1 -well;./ Mr,' ; Longfellow :has: a pretty ■'■'-■■■-little 'pipe of. his own,.but' surely, it. is. very ■■':thin and"reedy.; Again, .whatever:. :inay. be -• -Mr Emerson's .merits,, to'talk.of. his-poetry '■■- ■-)- B eemstto<.'me like the.; soholar-■■":'.;/-Bb'ip'.:qf 'a : ; child- : whb:has ;not; learnt- its .let- ' : ters.• .•Even*;Browning's : verso-always; goes',to ;: a recognised tune (I: say .-not to .a'good one), ' but inHho-name^of-all.pagpipes. what-.ii : tho : '.'tune of; Emerson's?.;' Now, .it;:;is;a;poor thing to have nothing :bnt melody' and be.unable , •"' • to-'riso : above it into harmony,-.but ;orip Tor ''- the other,■•••the'less -if greater, you : ''. ■■■mvist"-:hayo'./ 'Imagine a. man . full of great : 'thoughts, arid/•empfcipns.. and--resolved;,'to:ex- '■ ;; press'^ them ; iu : painting :;,who': has'-,'absolutely. ''■;■'■ no power upon either:;form br. colour;. : Wain-; . : wrii'h't the , murderer, who • never "had" any '• thought 'or/erhotipn: above :those;;bf.a-.pig or "oF-B- butoherfi will be■ ai'.better.r : nian.for..;us r than^e.;; But (aß:Blake says),- 'Enough! or ' '?'■': too much.' "-■. ■■- : ' :, '' ; ': /: i ; .i','ft .'A- , ■■■ ! '' , ' , 4 ; n ■'■ ■ '.v;.-''l.read your former letter^ery;carefully,. ■ and: have'sinco'reread a l ', good-deal., Pf.'Em- ■•■'- 'eribn's ■ first-:volump of poems ..therein; men";v'tioncilf"wKich>certaihly:contains noblo verses :':iind : passages v well -wor% ;f remembenng. ■-• --..I; ■ ] : '■- ; : hope W personal 'feeling or s;conSulera- '■■-'- 'aioh 'wjll.-'ever prevent or. impair my. recog- ■% '/nitioh?: of' any man's, Higher qualities,,- In : .tho; power .{arid ■pathos :and nght--&'-:;eousness;;(to,!:use.;.a '|reat-. old: ; word _ which -■-sliould'nbt:be left;to,the pulpiteers) of .nob o > demotion ; Woiild'-be.:inoro;-eii]oyable and. ad- : : v: if he were .not • so deplorably ready

to put up with tho first word, good or bad, that comes to hand, ami to run on long alter he is out of breath. For Mr. Lowell a verso, when out of tho Uiglow costume, I could never bring myself to caro nt all. I believe you know .my theory that nothing which can possibly be as well said in prose ought over to bo said in vorso.