New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-01-28
Modern Poets and Tneir Critics.
A LECTURE.

BY WI. ID. GALLAGhEh, OF ClNCiNNAIl.
The Third Lecture of the Peoples
Course, was delivered at the Broadway Taber-
nace last night, before a very good audience BY
WILLIAM d. GALLAGHER, of Cincinnati. His SUD-
Ject was Modern Poets and Their Critics." and
additional interest manifested in the lecture
from the fact that Mr.. G. himself occupies con-
spcuous position as one Of the most popular Poets
OF our Western country.
Mr. c. said he feared the title Of his lecture might
have raised expectations which would not be real
lied. This lecture was sort Of abrdgenent OF
tie fist ana second OF Course Of six Lee.
lures which he had planned in defense OF Mod
EN- Poetry against COtemporaneous Crticism.--
lie proceeded ~ explain his views OF the
query-Wbat is Poetry There bad been various
explanations, widely different he was on the side
of popular judgment, AID against critical calons
which he could not understand. Any attempt to de-
scribe poetry BY its internal peculiarly must fail
lie thought the external form OF poetry must be re-
ceyed AS its scholastic distinction from prose-lhe
~ thin must be the distinguishing feature. MI G.
quoted Hazli.!s definition, which though rather
vague was probably near the mark. But the great
critic explains this to make it just no dehnl-
ton at ali. To my apprehension, said Mr.. C., Po-
etry suggests itself to be the life OF the soul and OF
the affections, while Prose is the language OF the
passions The sublime poetry of Milton was cer-
tainly voice OF the soul. AS man is lower than
the angels the affections 10 wer than the soul
The lecturer explained that Prose the language
of life which hgec only Ill the present and looked
for no future. It's utteTance was the Janglng volc
OF trade and human toll and struggle. Inc boundary
between Poetry and Prose is pAlpabe limi. Po-
eTy the invisible life Of the sOGl, and verse rs Wis
ole form Of expression. IL Is NOT an expression 10
the mind only, but 10 the eye and the ear Tne lee
upon the Poeuy of the Day In reviews, magazines
aid papers find sneers at Modern Poets ana
Moc EN- Poetry. He saJd Lecturer before the NTH
soniaD Institution had lately delivered violent phi-
lipic upon Modem Poetry, which The Rev gentleman
characterized trash that dsgraced our literature
aid this philippe VIII probably form the Judgment OF
many persons upon this abused branch OF literature
But this lecturer was only one Of class OF literary
merchants who sell their efforts weekly and monthly
for publication. This war upon Modern Poetry Is
rot a new thng-it IS the old battle between Con-
seryatism ana Progress, begun by the SAVIOR III
bis dispute with The Doctors Ia the temple aud con-
tnued down TO the present day, by the noble minds
of every age. Ii IS now mainly developed
in struggle between monarchy sud republl-
cs1lfm on the field Of political stIlie Mr.. IT,
spoke sarcssiically and severely Of those critics
who ratified the cry bones OF the Past and called
music while they could see no merit IN the free
gushing songs OF the Present By loud taking these
crlllcs succeed in misleading the public and decry-
ing metit But what Is Poetry What the Ancient
Poetry which is SO much lauded WAT the Mod
ern Poetry which is so much decned Biz. G. went
back to Homer. The Had Is finished, polished
and soporous war-poem Its imagery Is supernaIu-
raj its heTois hbertne and IT'S heroine prostl.
tute its poetry is false, and sham. Then came
Anacreon, Plndar and the Athenian dIamaIsts
Their language is of,en forced and oitener ncen-
tious The Eneid came II is but shadow OF the
Had The Art OF Love followed though polished
II IS often vulgar. The Horatlan odes are beau
tlful hut the beauty neither came nor died with
them What then IL the merit OF ancient Poetry
But YOU say have not given view of that poetry
NO but nave named the chiefs OF 1t. Inc lecturer
came rext 10 English Poetry. lie thought that In
AM noble essentials Of poetry, the Paradise Los!
tansce need the HAD 1t was purer and more adapted
10 The classroom and the domestic circle In dra-
matte poetry, Beaumont and Fletcher, Messenger
and others OF the age Of Elizabeth were far ahead OF
the Greek cIamatIstS. But VINO compensaies TOT
aracreonl / say, Thomas Moore We have the
lyrcs of Coleridge IN place OF those OF pindar we
have Spenser, Dryden, Pope, for Virgil, oSId anu
Horace And after thus balancing 'nese az the
latter still has its SnakspeTe It's Burns and lie Byron
Where among all that is Roman shall we nnd tue
gorgeous imas inatien OF Tempest, the Keen WI. OF
. King John VINO will set up Holauan ooss ,oi
Tam O'shanter, the Cotter's Saturday Nlgn1,
and other songs Of Burns Where Is the an
cient Childe Harold, the Giaour, the Dream,
he Hebrew Melodies Where can we hAd au .
Southey, Coleridge, Shelley, a Keats buI
We have said enough on this point. Thefe are some
who admit and admire these writers, out INSIST ina.
for thirty years the spirit OF Poetry mas oeeh surrey
dying out But facts which Stare every insl IA sne
face, from toe works of Tennyson. MosneI"eu,
Hood Bailey, ana the Brownlngs, contranlct Inis,
and prove the proposition absurd. All over inc
pages Of modern poetry are scattered gems uho
stars, sown broadcast from Heaven. But mere -
yet another class who rush 70 the magazines auo re-
views to reye especially the poets OF our sn coun
try. This class arose IN England, where they hIss
/ cried " W no reads an American BOOK but lhls
CIV has been drowned IN the hundreds OF american
! books issued from the English press. Tney no" say
/ America mas produced good wooden nuimess, gu,
/ 10 Poetry. | would here be silent, out u VII.
] rot always answer 10 treat win coAIsnP.
/ that which is really contemplate. Inc iec'uIe.
/ then came duecty TO American poetry In 'ne LAYS
/ Of John Trunbul and Freneau, American p9e'y
! began to improve. There were good SATIRE, Keen
wi. and hIeh patriotism but European models weie
savishly foil. ed. Il not until tie rise Oh nar
/ leck Sprague Dana, Bryant, Plsrponi, DfaAe'
that we could claim stand II poetry Ahs1oh, .iLs
Brooks Hilhouse Dana and others were quo.ea saa
praised In English reviews, especially MS oIovAss
! '.Zophtlv which was highly appreciates "
southey Mr. Gallagher referred BY name 70 nass
| of the best poems of that day he tneh oal,s ~
/ cur own period. AL over tue IAhd oaus
/ appear Ike re,eors, blaze mcmeht en,
| 20 out But what II their Work be no' perm tnenl
l. answers its purpose 1t relieves the sarchsisso
heart which tellsits Joys ano woes iof no S.aei
purpose Jus, to hear h0w they VIII soutd oasi
there be DO brooks because they cannot ali DC NV
era or sbsI The rivers SIM INTO tie earth sc
! ,asy cannot sill b seas But may nsnsion h'us