Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1860-06-22

POETS AND THEIR INFLUENCE


Perhaps there is no class of literary men
whose productions have had more salutary
influence, IN forming the character of man
KIND, IN all ages, than that class who come
under the somewhat Indefinite term. Poet
Poetry itself seems to be part of human
nature; man is SO constituted, mentally and
morally, tEat he cannot resist poetic ipAu
ence.
Nature herself the greatand perpatra' poet,
is forever chanting her cadences in the ears
OF mankind. The face of nature, as viewed
IN sprlngtime, fills the contemplative mind
with unwritten volumes of sweetest poetry.
too sacred and melodious to arrange in tan.
glble form, the tablet of the innermost soul,
being It's most proper receptacle and radiator.
Midsummer has its poetry, and bounteous
autumn hers, and also hoary winter has his
own.
The elements are charged with poetic effu-
slons; the gentle showers of falling rain, Bo-
reas treble blast,-the lightning's vivid flash,
and heavens artillery's deeply sounding
bass, are high style of poetry, to the lover
OF nature, and natures God; everything that
bears the impress of the Eternal One, radi-
ates poetry. ..-...
If poetry, then, is a heaven,borh influence,
and Connected with all we behold and con.
template, it is not strange that some genial
mind, by its influence, in deep contesa pla.
ton drawn, should catch some of this essence
uncreate, bring it into form, clothe it in the
garb of language, and reflect it back on other
minds, in the form of written poetry.
1t Is rot strange either, that a form of lit
erature deriving its spirit from so high a.
source, should possess power superior to
any other.
Since the days of Chaucer, who was
the earliest cultivator of the harmony of the
English language to any extent, down to the
present time, poetry has taken the lead, in
literature, as well as in the hearts of men,
Spencer, Milton, and Dryden, each success
lvely set their gems in the literary armament;
and have been springs from which succeed
ing poets have drawn.
Of Shakespeare, | can truly say, to attempt
eulogy on him would be time and pains
thrown away. For, to use his own beautiful
language,
'To gid refined gold, to paint the lilly, - s B..
To throw perfume on the violet,
TO smooth the ice, or add another hue
Unto the rainbow, with taper-lght,
To seek the beauteous eye of heaven to garnSh,
Is wasteful and ridiculous
ssHath not oft, his faithful tongue
Told you the fashion of your own estate
The secrets of your bosom;
lie, who walked in every path of human life,
Felt every passion, and to all mankind, 80.
Doth now, will ever, that experience yield,
hich his own genius only could acquire.'
| Of all the poets who have succeeded Shak-
speare, we perhaps, should concede to Pope
the pre-eminenee, his Essay on Man, is un-
doubtedly the wisest thing ever written, since
the time of Shakespeare.
On the grave of Byron, it has been said,
there can be but one inscription, "that living,
long enough for fame, he died too soon for
his country"
All hostility should be sacrificed on the
spot where the remains of the great poet
sleep, and no man worthy to tread the ground,
will approach it, but with homage for his ge-
MUS, and sorrow that such genius should
have been seEt to darkness, in the hour when
it might have begun to fulfill its course, and
freed from the mists and obliquities of its
rising, run its high career among the enlight-
eners of mankind. .-..
Of Oliver Goldsmith, although his prose
writings are models of English composition,
it is to be regretted he did not write more
poetry. $685.
His immortal Deserted Village" cannot
fail to reach the heart of every candid mind,
and draw forth its warmest affections for the
author. His vivid and Iifelike picture of the
Village School, and the Minister more skill,
led to raise the wretchers than to rise )" "The
Alehouse where once the signpost caught
the passing eye;" the departing of emigrants
from their once happy home; the man of
wealth and pride taking up space that ma
no poor supplied, are sufficient to draw
forth the warmest sympathes Of the human
heart, and cause US to exclaim with the poet,
= Ye friends of truth, ye statesmen who survey
The rich mans joys increase, the poors decay,
Tis yours to judge how high the limits stand,
Between splendid, and happy land.''
No writer has reahced the heart, and won
the affections OF bis countrymen to a greater
extent; than Robert Burns. His 81 Twa Dogs
a simple tale; but what a comment on man.
kind. The "Cotter's Saturday Night,"-
what beautiful description of rural life in
his native land. He has truly said, +" From
scenes like these old Scotias grandeur
springs, that makes her loved at home re-
vered abroad
While some poets command our esteem,
others our praise, and others sill, cur admi-
ration. We cannot but love Robert Burns,
and with all his faults, acknowlede, The
mans man, for a. that" To the poets OF
our own country we owe more than we are
inclined to acknowledge. Their influence
on the popular mind is incalculable, and is
still on the increase. While the lofty and
noble strains of Bryant and Willis are eleva.
| ting our literary tastes, Longfellow, with his
silver tones, is chanting in our ears his me-
lodious cadencies, and SAKE and Holmes, with
their ever pungent lines, are adding the
| spice oflife, to give it flavor, ond poor Edgar
A. Poe" Rest his purturbed spirit,-still is
| speaking to US, in his wild and whirlins
strains of sadest, madest, and most awful
r1aonoc of poo4,a Gro ,-,.L