Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-07-02
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER.
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publication of these I. Poems" His advent, in truth,
has taken the literary world, at least on this side of
the water, by surprise and the surprise was
heightened by the fact that the race of poets was
supposed in these latter days to have become ex-
tinct the critics had unanimously registered the
drs pocticd among the drtes perdite; nay, 1t had
been clearly and cogently proved that in this philo
sophical and materialistic age the poet was simply
impossible; and we suppose that even now, in the
face of Mr.. Alexander Smith, the curmudgeon re-
viewers who preside over solemn and oracular
Quarterlies will the objection that the rise OF
poets among US does not exactly quadrate with the
theory of their impossibty by asserting that 1t ls
so much the worse for the poets Such we are sure
would be Professor Aytown's verdict, whose madison
against this prosac age of ours has been breathed
alike in prose and verse, in lectures after the most
approved modern style, and in ballads of very an
tique rhyme and old poetic spirit, he conceives
Carlyle, too, in his " hugepaw" style and tilt-ham
mer maledictons, INDUCED against the "shams
and unrealites" and cheats" of this degenerate
time, is clearly pledged against the hypothesis of
any such phenomenon as great poet arising IN our
midst Nothing less than a miracle could bring
about any thing so utterly contrary to the ordinary
operations of modern nature, and Carlyle has no
faith in miracles after having excluded those of the
gospels. Since Goethes death he evidently thinks
poetry has become a fossil remain among US and
Vic cuulScucc VI lcutoH VIZ
quite extinguish the dim twinkle of " certain Jew
stars, such David and Isaiah he is fully per-
suaded that ages must elapse before the true seer
or divine-souled poet shall again appear with his
large utterances." At present the world must
worship deceased heroes and-read Carlyle. There's
nothing better left us.
1t certainly argues no little hardhood or selfcon-
fdence in Mr. Alexander Smith that he should have
chosen an age so slow of faith and hard to believe in
poets before which to cast the pearls of his fancy
But since the old Latin proverb tells US that " the
poet is born and not made" we suppose he could
not help it. He must take the world as he finds it,
and if he feels any colicky symptoms indicative Of
the divine afiatus, it would certainly be a false
modesty in him to shrink from the diagnosis of the
public. If he must write, let him write. To do
otherwise would be to resemble that dfident per-
sonage about whom Robert Hall remarked that in
the Of his meekness he seemed ask pardon of
the world for'havng had the audacity to come into it.
But Milton wont regret that he had been born
after his time, may perhaps be permitted to Mr. Smith
to heave sigh two being born before his time The
world has just passed through cycle of pcesy Byron
Colerdge, Southey, Scott Campbell Wordsworth Crabbe
Shelley, Keats, Rogers, and Tom Moore, say nothing
OF Lamb, the Montgomerys, Hogg, Landon and Hemans
compose galaxy in whose light the world still rejoices
too much to be very thankful for such esser lights
Tennyson, Henry Taylor, 1--WE fear Alexander
Smith.
We have already said that we know little Mr. Smiths
past history. When, however, first heard that
poet had arisen bearing the paronymic Of this
and respectable family, We pleased to find in the
fact confirmation of Bulwers pathological speculation
that the Smiths all the neal descendants of Apollo
the patrsn god Of poetry. All whose acquaintance with
the old mythology has been carried far Tooke Pan
theon are aware that Of Apoos most familiar cpl
thets Smintheus which, says Bulwer, becomes by
syncope Smitheus, Agee Smith. Apollo, suspect,
no more pattern of conjugal fidelity than his
father Jupiter though the old failing poets have made
much Of his various iaon STILL if he
at all chip Of the old block" may safely presume
that he left behind him large family, which by its
branches has been perpeuated until the present
day. and promises remain " household word" among
future generations when the of Cesar shall have
been forgotten and that Of Napoleon the First shall
yive only as dim myth in Archbishop Whateys His
toric Doubts" When that single naked fisherman, =
about whom Macaulay grew eloquent shall sit
the banks Of the Thames and wash his nets in the river
of the thousand masts, his name, pro-
phesy will be John Smith, linea descendant Of Apollo
Lord Bacon used to say that every owed debt to
his profession and So when one belongs family which
is destined to last while globe lasts clearly becomes
his duty add fresh blazon to its escueheon, or
metaphor german to the subject, TO add fresh
laurel to its "wreathed honors" Mr.. Smith has dis
charged his debt descendant of Apollo he has proved bis
paterna ancestry by paying court to the MUSES., and
shown by "modern instance" how much there is il
blood when transmitted through upwards of six thou
sand generations Of Smiths, who have lived and moved
aud had being since the senior Smintheus romped with
the tunefu nine and played the Tyre which Mercury
gave him. Henceforth the classical gin Of this
be defended by something besides the philology
Bulwer.
But dropping the sportiye what is to be said Of Mr.
Smiths pretensions the and rank Of poet Much
has been already said and written Of which he has
the theme and far discover he has been re-
ceved with favor than ever before fell to the share
Of poet on his DEBUT before the public How the first
efforts OF Byron and Wordsworth Of Souhey and Of Cole
ridge were yipended and Knocked ut is still within the
memory Of all. The notice. he has received from the
London press would be deemed frstrate" by any pub
Usher aud ought to satisfy the pride Of any poet at
in his embryon state. Our American re-pubisher has
obgiDgy pasted these frst-rate notices. in tho reor
Of the volume offered to the American public where
they intended suppose serve as sort Of poet
cal swimbladders and preservers to keen Mr. Smiths
head above the water We do not think lie needs them
Sand if he does not they than useless IT, Of
the contrary, he discovers any alacrty for sinking
the publishers may assured that Of gear
the way Of buoys and pontoons will make otsa Of the
} etsdm. We would say 70 Mr. Smith, as Horace tells u
his father said to him, "When you grow older you'll
swim without cork" But let listen to the voice
the London press" in its notices Of "Poems, by Alex
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