Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1853-03-09
TyrOs i'm Poetry


Every week we receive vast quantitle
of poetry for publication in the Banner
which charity for the writers and duty t
the public compel us to decline. we ar
always happy 10 crafty our young con
!. tributors by printing their poetic ellusions
whenever, even with the exercise of con
siderable iorbearancc in cri'icising them
our opinion Of their merit will warrant it.
But there are great many articles sen
: us, which, while they evincc good degree
of talent in the writers, are so faulty II
their versifcation that we are obliged TO re
iect them. We object to rewriting o
tinkering the productions Of another ant
1t IS with regret that we often throw int
the stove verse embodying e&cellen
thoughts, because the writer paid no atten
ton to the construction of it. Many Of oul
young friends, who aspire to climb Parnas'
sus, seem to have no conception of the rule:
of poctry-makihg, no idea that it is an art,
to whose principles they must conform.
We receive poetry with lines Of random
length, entirely deficient in rhythm--want'
ing those melodious numbers which distin'
guish metrical composition from prose-
The art is so simple that child may COM
prehend it. But probably many who write
passable poetry, have never read anything
on the subject, beyond the measse page or
two contained in the school books. These,
for the most part, leave the subject after
explaining the nature, and the different
kinds of poetic feet; SO that the pupil, tho
familiar with iam6us and daciyI, cannot
combine the feet into lines, and lines into
verses.
For the instruction of our young poets,
we present the analysis of a verse, ,compos-
ed Of iambic feet An iambus, the reader
remembers, consists Of one short aud one
long, Or accented syllable, as delay.
King Henry sat upon his throne,
And full of ,rrath and sco'n,
lis eye rec-Ieant knight sur-reyd-
Sir Ber llr-dine du Born
The accented syllables are in italic.-
The first and third lines contain four feet
each, the second and fourth, which thyme,
three each. In the first lire, there are eight
syllables-two TO each foot, and the line is
a regular succession of short and long
sounds. A word of one syllable may be
long or short,as its position in the measure
may require.
But 1t is not the eight sWidbles alone
which constitute the rhythm of the line it
is placing the word so that the accented
syllable may fall upon the accented part
OF the measursas may be seen by substitute
ing Jerome, accented on the second, for
Henry, accented on the first, as
"King Jerome sat upon his throne"
This arrangement brings the two long
sounds together, which is in violation Of
The rule for This description of verse.
This kind of verse is called in the "hymn
books" common metre. Written on this
plan with eight lines to stanza, it is con-
wenient for novices. because il requires less
study for rhymes.
The writer should carefully scan his verse
before sending it to the printer, correcting
such errors as may be discovered. If the
beginner finds any difficulty in compre-
hendipg the rule we have explained, let
him take the verse quoted above, and read
II, throwing fall emphasis upon the long
sounds, and pausng after them, thus
King Henry sat upon his throne.
This exercise is invaluable to the learn
er. Scan the "Od Oaken Bucket" or
"Grey's Elegy," and principles of Yersif-
cation would very soon be apparent. In
no other way can writer become famil-
,rtih tho a,hnn,oo1 s
verse.
We commend this subject to the inexpe-
rienccd, referring them to Blair, Montgom-
cry, and others, for full exposition Of the
whole matter.
Rnt, while the young poet is attentive 10
the mechanical part Of his composition, it
should never be forgotten that true poetry
can only be manufactured of lofty and pure
thoughts, which mast be dressed in smooth,
flowing, posiic language. A mere Jingle of
words. without sense or sentiment, wil not
pass for poetry. A mechanic, to perform
good piece of work, must have the best
material, and good workman cannot sue
ceed with bad material. So with poetry;
lofty ideas and right construction are both
requisite for success. Failing in either,th
composition is defective.
We trust the hints thrown out will be
acted upon by our contributors. Nothing
but patient study Will make poet. Dash
ing off" poetry is piece of affectation in
which only fools and pedants ever indulge.
A true poet never dashes it off. "Grey's
Elegy," jast row attracting renewed inter
est, remained seven years in the authors
hands. Pope wrote and re-wrote several
times before printing, and every poet who
has produced anything worth preserving,
has accomplished it only by patient study
and repeated reyisions+--Ster Spanglsd
Banner.
HINTS TO CoRRESPoNDENTs.-A Lon
don paper lays down the following pithy
code OF newspaper bylaws. They are adj
mirable, and we'll worth the attention of
newspaper writer's and forensic debaters:
81. Be brief. This is the age of tele-
he, as,H NJ In