St. Charles Republican intelligencer. (St. Charles [Charles City], Iowa) 1856-1857, 1857-01-08
st. Charles, Iowa, Jan. 10, 1857.
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> Literary Readings.
There is no pleasure go delicious
and unalloyed as that derived from
literature, whether you be the writer or
reader-the producer or consumer.
The pleasures of the author are be-
yond compare. He that finds a lump
of gold, and he that developes a beau
tiful thought, have both delight, but
one, is sordid and circumscribed by |
selfish views, and soon subsidies into
cankering care while the other is ex-
allied and benevolent, and gushes up
in the heart, with pure and constant
wealth, like crystal spring, yelling
from some rural hillside.
Our literary readings are the source
Of our greatest enjoyment. We look
forward to the close of the days bust
ness-to the quiet evening hour, and
the family circle, convened around the
centre table, with some good book, to
read, or to hear read, as the only event
of the twenty-four hours, in which we
taste real pleasure. A new volume Of
poems-which are real poems-a spi-
cy review, well written book Of
travels, biography, history, awaiting
our return to the domestic hearth at
night, how delicious has been the
whole days anticipation Of their Pc
rusal, and often, too, how inpatiently
have we borne the slow moving hours
of our incarceration in the Office, till
we should be permitted once more,
through the early dusk, to see
.our wee BIT ,ngle blinking bonni,y."
i But the pleasures of our readings
do not expire with the lamp they fol-
low US through the next day, and at
{ intervals, years afterwards, we find
them at our side, like attendant fairies
or good genii, refreshing our recollec.
tions with the thought imbibed long
a3o. The mellifuous words, in which
it was appropriately clothed, ring up
on the heart chords, and resound
through the dim chambers of the ina
gination, in long continued repetition,
, like echoes among the hills.
Poetry has had many definitions,
none of which were entirely satisfac.
tory to the poetical world in general.
But if we may not define its subtle
essence in words, we may point out
; some Of it's unerring tests, and this is
f one: those lines which often return to
play upon the chords of the soul, and
f which haunt, as it were, its innel
!, depths, are genuine children Of nature
! and constitute true poetry. Poetry
therefore, embraces as many varieties
!. of excellence, as the mind has tastes
G and capacities. What Pope said o
!. wit, may be said of poetry, that it il
] "Nature 70 advantage dressed,
What of was thought, but meier well expressed"
Nature and truth-if we may be SO
Pathological, since these are really one
constitute poetry. It may be play
full or pensive; wild as cataract, or
calm and unruffled as cairn at sun
set, it may be grand and heaven-scal-
ing, gazing
Into the awful depths Of Deity"
or may have no higher sphere, than q
peasants hut and maiden's love -
still, if it touches the soul, if it comes
back to haunt the memory for it's beau
ty or naturalness of thought, or ex-
preston, it is poetry. We would rath-
er be the author of one such line, than
to possess all California-one thought
woven into language, that should vi
brate upon the hearts of men, through
many generations, winning them to
holy purposes, or high resolves. or fill-
ing their souls with love for the beau
tiful and good.