Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1846-01-08
Criticism.


by reading two criticisms on Reds Gulzar. The one
is by Perkins, of the Jeersonian the other by Clark
son, of the Indiana American which, by the by, are
perfect antipodes TO one another.
The critique of Mr.. Perkins, if not all praise, APP
pears to have been written with the pen of friendship
and gives an accurate and honest description of the
leading incidents OF the work, therein found
Clarkson opens in seeming candor, and attempts TO
give his views of the quality of the production but
he writes with pen dipped in gall.
Perkins declares his esteem for the author-quotes
the opening sanzas of the poem-says that the verse
is graceful and fowing-the imagery rich, and the
sentiments delicate and beautiful and suggests that
the lovers of song, at least ought to paronze it for
its own excellence, and from local pride that so fine
work is produced among them, &c. &c.
Carkson, on the other hand, ridicules the poetry
laughs at the caracters-sneers at the plot and incl
dentsdeclares that the taste and style of the work is
badand asserts that his ear panied by the harsh
lines and ill-rhyming examinations with which it
abounds, whilst his fingers would involuntarily tin
gle to count the irregular syllables, they came
rushing upon him. He also quotes from the poem
several coupets to prove his assertions and to show
that is neither prose poetry, sense nor nom
sense and then very obligngy leaves his readers to
decide for themselves what it is after telling them
what it is not.
Either the one or the other of these critiques must
be unjust which, we think the public can easily
Judge from the feeling that is evidenced in the diff
ferent criticisms.
But let us enquire, what is poetryi Does it con-
sst only as Mr. Clarkson would have it, in plot in
incident in beauty of style elegance of dcton, and
in the exact number of feet which serve to make
plete rhymes! Most assuredly not although these
are necessary, in great measure, to constitute a
poem of the first order. The Novelist, and Drama
fist, look to their plot the chief object of their
piece the Historian to the accuracy of his facts, and
perspcuity and elegance of his narration but Poetry
has Its own language, its own imagery, its own
thoughts and diction for it is universal maxim,
that the chief gratifcation afforded from this kind Of
writing, arises from the beauty of the thoughts and
the true test is that which, to competent judges, a
fords the appropriate pleasure of Poetry.
Ungrammatical expressions, in book, may Oh
may be the fault of the author; but although they
are, still they do not destroy the poetry. They may
pain the accurate grammatical ear, like the illrhym
ing examinations; but these are faults which all po
cts have been less charged with, and the
faults which Horace in lis " Art of Poetry" says he
is not angry with, they only tend to show human
frailty a careless hand, and ought to be excused
when the beauties are more in number.
| A poet of the present day, and one of no small
fame, writing of the duty of apoet, says that IL is
keep alive the fealty of the heart, and to the
despised, even when it has been banished by the
usurping intellect; and with the sweet persuasion
Il
which had their existence in the days of our youth
ere the cold world had with the breath of winter
nipped them in their boom leaving in their stead th
frozen flowers of intellect, brilliant and beautiful i
may be to the eye of the stranger but cold and un
feeling as the winter palaces of the Gar.
Such was the action of the world on the heart o
Napoleon, making it almost as cold and feelingles
as the polar iceberg; yet the evening bell of his
tive village, its simple sounds fell moumfully Oh
the ear of the worlds conquerer, awoke in his bosom
the early sympathies of his youth, and made hin
weep like child.
Does the heart then feel any of those hoier emo
tons in reading the Guzar Of Reid Does the wOrl
inculcae virtue and discourage vicel Does it speal
of the beautiful in the language of beauty, and appea
to the heart for the truth of its affections Is til,
ledI vi SOiiOW efSi iVuhu W start iioH A'o iou q
the recital of the wrongs of innocence, or does The
feeling of anguish thrill the bosom at the triumph o.
crime
If they do, then the work has accomplished wha
poetry intended, and although as finished produc
ton, it may not compare with the Lalla Rookh o
Moore yet the Gulzar is poem of no mean order
and the future will award it that place in the rank
genius, which the present may refuse to allow.
The critique of the Journal accords more with oui
opinion of the merits of the poem, when they say tha
:" it much resembles Laa Rookh in style, and in ou
judgment not much inferior that the best of Moore
productions o.
Or An attempt was recently made to rob the Banl