Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1843-08-12


perhaps bat often nOby imagined. and far to be preferred
10 ~. NOR. critically aseertancd uthsthcre i. more than
hides beneath ts fantastic incidents curious moral
political truth. Nothing can be finer than the rape OF
the Sabine Virgins and their subsequent interpretation up.
the very Of battle to stay the Of their
fathers and brothers, lifted against ravishers now become
their husbands The tale Of Egora beautiful although
nowadays the legislator seeks civil wisdom no, in the les
sons ct some woodland nymph the solitude of some
ncdiiatve gro but rather in city pothousc or at the
The story OF her who sold the KEYS OF
tho city the enemy "or what they ON their arms
meaning their btaccets-whe they, they passed in
pretending think she had their sheds) threw
upon her ill she crushed il more impres
lesson the treatment which earhery may expect
from those who have protcd by H. Then the political
dom covered up in that practical apologize cutting down
the tac poppeshow truly does il teach that, when you
would wish cnslave people, you have only destroy
the elevated class and may then lead the headess
crowd wherever you will
There are however, among these traditions Others
german present purposeas for instance that OF the
Syb who King Tarquin sell him mystic.
ohos OF her composition. He will be reco-
ectcd-whether that he thought, dealer that asked
much for her copyright whether that he great
admircr Of female auhorshp-relused to give her price.
She Withdrew burnthalf her books and presently returned
o,r the remainder still asking the for them.
Again the King liking for the half what he had
Just refused give for the whole declined purchase The
prophecies again disappeared burnt half Of her remaining
tne King had probably mot the story saws consulted
th, nugur buO made few critical relcctions-as name.
w. that literature and its worth not BY guam
uu but quality; that IT the whole worth any thing it
probably worth By dint Of less than fourth OF the
matter; the lady author had done Just what she
should have done at rstbumt threcfourths of what
had written; and that, perhaps after large n publication
by m her compositions might really be of great yaue tor
no sacrifice grateful the MUSES. burnt of
alarp, part O; what has written and ii they ever
be rendered proPous TO man or woman il only in that
This apprehend, is the why since King Tar
GUMS time, female compositions OF high have been
Nobody hiss dealt with the US he did and conf
PEELED them largely TO submit their works the ordeal of
flames.
H. have said, the divnitics of Song shed their in
rlsucC upon mature productions only large oba
this is certain that their emotions as TO our
earlier acmpts TO win their favor, still seyeer. They
truth Of all decs, the wrathfu the hardest to
b. arpcas,d Other gods content with n mere uthc-
the due tenth OF the votas goods but Poets the poorest Of
Tnol must out Of their only wealth, their rhymes, all
ucs lay upon the aars Of those they invoke least
halt ct what they wre while ifthey are Young their only
chance Tor reputation is to burn ALL
Accordingly, how few things have we, OF the
productions OF great geniuses of unusual precocy that
then own judgement has permitted o survive. Mioas
earliest DATED piece OF his 18th year-a youthful
hl marked with promise Of exceence of the both
Psalm HIS neX-On the death of fair infants the first
o. bis productions that discovers certain poetic ability 1t
belongs his 18th year.-His next English poem is the
lode on the Nativity" written when he 81 Up thai,
bar three pieces, from and early genius of high
ye-siiy when he was ten years old.
The fact Is nearly the Pope, who though (as
he himself tell US he almost "sped in numbers has yet
taken that his poetic should not suffer from the
preservation OF his juvenile performances Cowey and Bv.
published while boys boyish verses which they would
afterwards have gladly recalled when yTper performances
they had won forgiveness tor these childish aront the
MUSES..
II may, short be stated as literary law that poetry
the mosi difficult OF all the and asking the highest union
Of genius with cultivation be written, unless the
L IN IL gaIlv
CHasgerouon the beautiful and vigorous lines which
Swift has IN his Rhapsody" forth the endowments
ecssaFy 10 make the Poet:
"Noi empire to the rising sun,
b va!or, conduct fortune won;
Not highest wisdom IN debates
For framing laws to govern States;
Not skill IN sciences profound
SO large 10 grasp the circle round,
Such heavenly influence require
As how to strike the Muses. Tyre"
r. then. Milton remarkable as he WINS for early pootc
genus produced nothing before his Comus lin his 25ih
az :6 year at could eniie him the praise of being
really fe poet-not say a great one-for Comus itself
has higher poetic merit than "The Castle of Indo.
lcuce or The Rape OF the Lock"-what possibility is
thee that almost eteros child, of the other SEX should
lge Of commonplace, and the unpoeuc Of
tnt with education made up for its robusest resources
Le-een the studies OF female academy and the subse-
futa iuuhy Of romances and magazines, have written
from her sh her 9Th year, whole quantities Of what Is fit
10 Doe called poetry Nothing be directly and
simply impossible and preposterous.
Consider little further the specific mpedimenis such
thing. Poetry 10 be good, must be either highly original
ar, initiative aud artificial make itself that
met out Of conSummate art and labor. But ia age
as artificial a. the present, there can be very little positive
originality but the entirely uneducated being unmbu-
81 w imitation and the thoughts of others. Il only in
The infancy aud rudeness Of Language that poetry be-
by the rude. Even then, Its poets must be
skiu than others. But when tongue passes this pc
nod OF freshness, and takes all sorts of artificial forms
that a aud unculiiyutcd verse which may be called po
puar poetry almost and can no longer produce nigh
effects because instrument which II uses has become
artificial An elaborate and complex dialect has
bcenOmci and he who is to write poetry must be master
Of To be- This, he must be thoroughly familiar with IL
literature. and make for himself secondary KIND
Of originality, 10y and sliliu combinations OF though
and expression, by using his tongue IN its common
ios atha long since lost their power TO please ~ b,
employing those obvious images which every body has beer
familiar with almost from the beginning OF the Language
iu word. poetry, which is the very perfection Of speech
no time be produced unless by him who knows In
language suprcmely we'll The best poet OF language
less its best writer and the thinker, who ha
known how 60 give TO noble thoughts and striking image
the charm o harmony and the grace ana force OF nppn
Pirate dct1n. His Imagination must be rich with all tina
Art Nature, Taste supply: has scnshiitcs ant
hs understanding be highly cultivated; Passion anC
Thought taken in him their wancst, their mo,
vivid iIuz To all these nc must join the creative faculty
or though vcrso.maker lac cannot be truly that thing
that child OF Immortality, really high Poet.
Such be the conceptions Of oil who have sildic
por not q mere argon-H collection Of pretty phrase
rhyme pulling measure but rs lofty orr ca
pabc beyond all others of moving mems affections. Sue
inon of the skilu. There IS however, very diicren
sort which people without fancy, tnstc, and - WHOM
all Is butB jingle confound with the genuine
gut persons who enjoy the most deplOrabe ba
,d singing quite much the most rayIsng melody tina
lc -iiycrongucd Pasta wurbod OF the exquisite Ma
hhrsu poured from her throat.
There poetry Of bright Of passionate thoughts mar
Rcd o. harmonious sounds poetry equally strong uu
swecrch yet simple, elaborate get natural compact y'
flowing and De where the words however beautiful, ur
boot the subordinate par-thc instrument, not the obec
and there another where the words aud the mere nkc
ycisicaton every thing rhymcd nanity' poeucn
ftrImmi1g. hc twccdle-du and twcedo-doe Of pootr
where "hrau" always rhymes to dart and love {
"do,o mud where short, every thing b. said in vcfs
which worth saying in prose. This Is that whic
made Figaro say "A0urdhUi, ee 7u ne ranf pas u PEN
fss DIT, on H. ehane." IL Is made by the Rhym
ng Dictionary and by counting the fingers the poctca git
bcr U the Della Cruscans; the machncvcrso oi ie li
school, whore the pootoa vocabulary stands or poo
ty, where pretty conventional phrases ARE played bnor
the eyes instead of thought kind Of composition o
short which ha. qunrccd with prose in order TO be turnc
out Of doors by verse.
When lnd sense have come to such pi's that child
poetry hc productions Of n fhymcsrckcn girl scarcely
b. in srfFI