Literary cadet, and Saturday evening bulletin. [volume] (Providence, R.I.) 1826-1827, 1826-07-22
RECENT 10 uriie "LINEs TO Miss =
fit to publish in any newspaper.

Receipt 10 write "LINEs to Miss -" any body,
fiji to publish in any newspaper.
Select from twenty or thirty old newspa-
pers, all the poetry, original and selected,
you will then be possessed of good stock
of words--addition to which may be obtain
ed in Walkers Abridgment. Should you
find any two words sound tolerably near like
each other, place one under the other on
the right hand of the paper, thus,
ssss .%as.
You will find but little difficulty in filling up
the lines with the usual sentimental phrase,
for instance.
Dear girl. in your eye, my finger I--poke,
TO show by the spark (or smart) that my flames
not all---smoke.
Should the lines limp a little by having
one leg shorter or longer than its neighbor,
you may dock it by abreviation, or elongate
It by interjections or repetitions, thus,
Oh! Sophia, Sophia, Sophia, Oh!
I've got pain in my big toe
Poetry is measured by the foot as leno is
by the yard---two syllables make foot of
poetry, and three feet make yard of leno.
In writing very long lines, care must be
observed to count the syllables Of each line
on the fingers, so that, in reading, it may
come "trippingy Off like the revolution Of
a grindstone, or the sound produced by
steam saw mill, thus,
Dear maid I've long courted you be side Of
this brook
And am better minded on having you by
hook or BY crook. .-.
perceive have made small mistake
in counting the above feet, but it serves to
give some idea what good poetry ought to
be besides it is not to be presumed one is
to be acquainted with all the minuta of the
subject on which he is writing for the in
struction Of mankind.
In the class of poesy of which l am
speaking, ideas are superfuous. The i'm
mortal Shakespeare, who seems to have
stolen many Of his best phrases from our
modern newspaper poets, gives US fine
hint in what consisted their greatest merit
Polonius-'Whatd do you read my lord'''
Hamlet-"Words, words, words.'
A few days ago, one of the most popular
modern Poets being on his way to London,
at some short distance from the metropolis,
was accosted by a respectable looking man,
who inquired whether he knew Mr.. w.
gentleman well known in the literary world.
Perfectly WE'LL" was the reply: '"Then
you are probably acquainted with Mr.. -w
=" am that individual" said the poet
"Bless me, how fortunate 7" rejoined the
stranger, Il have often wished to see you
and although it is our first meeting, you
will not, l hope, think me. intrusive, if re-
quest your autograph, for have been col
lecting signatures of eminent men for some
time past" The poet drew some paper
from his pocket-book and wrote upon it his
name. They parted. In a day or two af-
ter, he had occasion to call on an eminent
London house, the principal Of which in
formed him he had honored his order.
"My order 7" said the poet, )" explain your
self" "The lOl Sir" "What iOl I"
"The money which we paid the strange
gentleman!" 1t appeared, on further exc
planation, that as soon as the collector Of
autographs had got the much desired sig
nature, he wrote above il, Please to pay
the bearer 10l." presented il to Mr.. -,
and received the money.