The Wheeling repository — Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.], 1807-12-31 00:00:00, page 1

THE
WHEELING REPOSITORY
(VOL. I.)
Thursday, 31ft December, 1807.
(No. 34.)
MIS C E L L A N T. .
jfc/T the Wheeling Repository.
Thf. following article of criticism,
Upon a poem lately published in Wheel
ing, is selected from the Port Folio.
Its republieation in the Repository may
answer some good purposes. Some of
the small wits of tills country, such as
read indexes and arguments, have in
their wisdom condemned this poem, as
a siupid production, an unintelligible
jargon. I hough I never supposed the
production to be faultless, I was among
the few who conceived it to contain a
considerable portion of merit; and I atn
glad to have my opinion supported by
suih respectable airfhffiity as the Editor
of tne Port Folio.
1 hat an original poem should be
writt n and prime !, in a litil village a
mong the wilds ol the Ohio, is a cir
cumstance which will, o* itself, excite
attention. I in, the an hur a man who
“ has read profitably, thinks jusily, and
with soilie att-nti >n to his vci sification,
will w rite ;ld .is a matter of fact
which we are all iivensttd to know.
Such talents ou5'u not to be overlooked
* or underrated among us; and possinly
the opinions id Di nnie, when known,
mai' teach some oi our cavillers to be
"cauii. .us how they condemn the labours
4 ol him v. ho has
aai on a hill, retired
In thought more elevate, and reafoned high”
subjects beyond the comprehension
«f every one.
Widi respect to the criticism its, If,
we would just observe, that the words,
41A sunshine of the soul,” are different
from the line relent'd to in the poem,
and we think are no amendment. It
ought to be read,44 Which hung upon that
smile,” he. Sec 1st p. 1. 102.
Tiie striking tautology noticed by the
critic, is not in the work, but made by
hunscli; perhaps inadvertently. In the
instan t alluded to, the author wrote,
Th’ aftii£t.ve bias, convo’ativc btnt,—
Their fympathies, and tbeir ii.Huxious turns,
—not “ inflexions turns.” By the con
volutive bent, we suppose, is meant the
quality of a thing as referring to itself:
by inttuxious turns, the powei* or influ
ence ot one tiling upon another thing,
may be intended. ✓
The line,
Mike Horror and Ruin rule over all,
wc also think an objectionable one, but
certainly not lor the reason assigned,
as bidding defiance to all measure. By
this decision would not such lines as the
following, from the greatest poem in our
language, (and the book swarms with
similar ones) be condemned?
And towards the gate rolling her beftial train.
With impttuous recoil and jarring found.
Yours be ih’auvantage all ; mine the revenge.
That little which ia left fo to defend.
Immeafurably all things (hall be your prey.
Let th’Earth bring forth fotil living in her kind
Which tailed.works knowledge of good Sc evil
Still glorious before whom awaked hood.
This remark is not intended to prove
the line in question a good one, but to
ask a better reason lor condemning it.
H.
From the Port Folio,
Criticism.
The Independency of the Mind, A firmed.
A poem, in txvo parts, with occasional
notes.
The following preface will sufficiently
explain the intention of the author.
“ The discussion of a question lately
in conversation with a friend, gave rise
to the following essay. The controversy
originated in his advancing, as a posi
tion, 1 hat the atrocities committed in
trance, during the Revolution, pro
ceeded Irom each other in such a man
ner as to preclude the possibility of act
ing oth< revise than as the people did act;
which he illustrated by the simile of
bricks placed on end, and falling, thro’
a long line, in consequence of a blow
given to the first one. just hard enough
to knock it down. This position wa;>
denied ; and a few evenings afterwards
the line from Young*s Night Thoughts,
with which this poem commences,being
read, was claimed by both disputants as
a text suitable to their respective opi
nions.
“ The writer is too much of a recluse,
to be very anxious concerning the rank
in which this little work will place him
as a poet. Though the fire of his eye is
not dimmed by age or infirmity, he has
lived long enough to know, that humam
applause, or human censure, ought not
to be the capital consideration of his
mind. Nor is he fond of controversy
with any one, whose ear is disingenu
ously shut against the voice of fair and
dispassionate argument.
“ He is a lover of mankind ; a friend
to the diffusion of true knowledge ; and
he is earnest in his endeavours to spread
before the view of other minds, those i
deasof Being which he has found, after
much anxious starch, to be most satis
factory to his own.”
We were surprised to find a poem of
this nature dated at “ Locust Ridge, on
the Ohioand in this age of amatory
poets, it is no small merit to have
“-fit on a bill retired.
In thought more elev itr, and reafoned high
Of Providence, foreknowledge,-will and fate.
Fix’d fate, free will, fo<eknowledge abfulutt.*'
On the subject of the controversy we
give no opinion : our business is with
the poet.
The production before us appears to
have been hastily written, as there arc
several errors which a caredul revision
would have easily detected. The au
thor has taken the style of Cowper for
his model, and in many passages imitat
ed it very closely. This similarity must
strike the most unpractised ear in the
following lines, with which the poem
commences:
‘Object *re but th'occafion; mao'* th'< xploit.*
— Vr»r I 1 preacher, and were this my text*
And as diffufivr <8 the theme my ftraim
In whar jd o»hit flwtttd my fpiiit move,
Difcuifive, through th' expanfe of Ioldled4