Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1829-01-22
DECLINE OF POETRY.

Iemporaries," contains some wholesome truths,
which it would be we'll for our fashionable wea.
vers Of blank verse to read, reflec, upon, and
"inwardly digest" The reviewer mentions Sc.
yeral causes which have contributed to deprive
poetry Of the public favor; one OF which is, that
the world has grown bustliag and consequent
,ial, and seems to have given over The whole
department Of Imagination to those who have
nothing else 10 DO; another, that, "long alter
the world had begun to grow weary great
ness, poetry kept on celebrating the old glorle'
instead OF imagining uew;i i, has done too much
10 "consecrate the fame Of destroyers;" and
taken its "pathetic scenes from the higa places
Of life, and adopted the faith Of the Syrians,
The Lord is God Of the hills, but he is not
Coo Of the yalleys.'" The following para
graphs contain excsllen, admoni,ion, if ladies
and gentlemen, and perhaps we might say, If
girls and boys, who are in the habit OF writing
wha, they call poetry, for Annals and Lcsen
daries, would consent in sober moment TO
suppose i, could have any application to their
particular cases. Boston Courier
The poets Of The present century have con,ri
butrd 10 the disrespect into.which their ar, has
fallen. They have done much 10 unse,,le The
public taste,--by se,iiog up new and exclusive
creeds; by insisting on iuvariable principles in
an art which must adapt itself 10 the circum-
Stances and feelings OF men; by desire TO
strike out new paths, and ridicu'ing the good
old way Of Milton, Dryden, and Pope, they
have given the impression that il is impossible
10 tell what poetry is, and as happens in all
such cases, have succeeded in producing gen.
eral indifference 10 the art. They seem also TO
have succeeded in producingthe same indtier-
ence in themselves; and seeing the channels TO
wealth crowded with Adventures, the poe,s have
determined TO share the spirit OF the age, in
which the organ of gain is developed in re-
markable degree We will not in this connec.
ton, take liberties with living names entitled
10 respect; but even Mr. Hunt has discovered
that there are things more substantial than
fame, and openly declares his purpose to con-
suit his interest mere; 10 which, even II II i'm
niles that he will cease 10 sing, the world viii
have no objection. We cannot help regarding
this change as rather prof able than glorious
The STYLE Of many writer's of the day is amo-
Their instance Of folly. The Nersihcatiob oil Eng
Iish poetry was polished slowly and with grea,
labor, from the roughness OF The metaphysical
nort>. hui ain writers have lately found par
ticular beauty in this roughness, and labored
with singular diligence to make their own verse
lame aud halting. They are moi aware that
the u, polished vigor, which seems natural IL
Cowper aud Burns, appears like gross sHrc''-
ton in them; but as most men md cha M ~
musical verse, il is quite hop; less u c II or
them TO turn from the well o'&erec military
march, to admire The crippIe's stumbling pro
lS nj hR T.
location of the day; there is an affected vague
ness and obscurily,--a style in poetry res'm-
bling Hazlitt's in prose, which seems 10 be PEE
culiarly lascina ing to writer's, though not TO
readers. We suppose that poets often feel hat
LANGUAGE is made ouate 10 convey their glowing
sentiments and emotions But they must con
slider that others are not thus oppressed win
these same fine imaginings, and the language
which seems striking 10 them, because II Is
indefinite, will most probably seem unmeanlng
IN their readers Certainly there are cases OF
description, like the vision o: Eiipaaz, where
ob.curi,y is impressive; but the obscurity
should be in the nature Of the subject, not in
the mind Of the writer. Those who think
CLEARLY, will generally express themselves with
precision; and every one knows that the
thoug hts and images Of the most gifted poets
appear with u clear outline, like that OF the
statue against the oright oiue SKY. ine au'o>
Gates of these various systems, OF course, deny
the name Of poet to those who have not follow
ed their rules; and hos every great name has
been roughly dealt with in its turn, except, per-
haps, Milton and Shakespeare, which all pro-
fess to venerate, as all parties in this country
bow to the name of Washington, without think
ing il necessary to follow his instruction or ex-
ample.
We may say too that the poems Of the day
have generally been adapted 10 a youthful taste;
they have been founded on the excessive pas
sions Of youth, or romantic sentiments which
those more advanced in life can neither svm>
oa,,ire with, nor understand. We seldom find
The history Of patience and resou ion; the ad-
venture phi'sn,hropists. the high endurance
OF living and dying martyrs, forming the sub.
iec,s Of these poems; neither do We meet with
nortrai,s of affection in lis simplicity, depth &
bower. We have more Of the passion Than the