The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1861-09-06
GREEN MOUNTAIN FREEMAF' 0i1A =. y, -
4" Original Poetry

OIlSludl I ooIiy'
We have never regarded Poetry as an art.
Some years since it was said by gentleman OF
considerable ability, that the" Poet is born not
made" and we had been led to infer from that
remark that something besides versifeation was
needed in the manufacture Of the genuine article
called Poetry. We have doubtless been in error
in this inference ; the true Interpretation of the
aphorism conveying rather this idea, syllogistl-
cally expressed Poets are born All men are
born Therefore all men are Poets This inter-
probation receives much countcnance from some
verses recently printed by our daily cotempora-
ry over the way on the " Fall of Sumter" The
efusion was doubtless penned as soon as the
writer learned the particulars of the lombard
ment of that Fort, but has been prudenty with
that disaster to our arms was SO far allayed as
to remove all apprehension of danger to the
d" body polite from exciting poetical illusions
addressed to the Imagination of the people.
The writer having mounted his in this instance
particularly spirited and fiery Pegasus, " sets
out y in this fine style
The morn's early light family CLEANS on the shore
With FLAG from the ramparts Of Sumter displaying;
When fash the emorasures, the rockets red pour
Where Moultries dark walls show her mortars brayng
And the white sulphurous cloud the blue bowed
The fast falling shot and the shell bursting loud
Now threaten with peril the men who declare
he Stars ami the Stripes the standard they bear.
We, efficiently as in the presence Of genius,
beg leave to ask the particular use of the first
word Of the second line of the above stanza
And what kind Of an institution, grammatical
or otherwise, is the " rockets red pour" -! This
being satisfactorily explained, what is to be said
of the g mortars braying" And were these
50 mortars anything like the " mortar ;" allu-
ded to in Proverbs, in which fool might be
brayed with a pestle, without making wise
man Of him Or were they similar to the
" article " once owned by BALKAN? And was
poetry ever shot out of such gun?
Here is another verse
Darker is the smoke asi hangs on the sea,
And thicker the hail from the batteries shrieking
And the thunder of guns in the dire revelry
From the deep and the land and the island speaking
And our bombs back we ur where the Stripes yet unfur
Our PaiXlans at work, while the wreahs upward curl
Where exults the Bald Eagle broad spread in the air
With the blazonry of Heaven bequeathed to his care!
The" Bald Eagle broad spread ~ is unques.
tionably flight of fancy otherwise we might
be led to inquire whether it was not poetical
way of limiting that the Bird of Freedom was
" barely and simply" spreading himself on &C
count of the extensive bazonry that had
been g bequeathed ?" to him.
The writer proceeds
Q rueful the day where the few guard our shield
While with drea du resentment rockets 60 screaming
intimating doubtless that the nation is or was
in the Pyrotechnic business and carrying it on
with I" dreadful resentment"
A novel historical fact is (" set down " in this
couplet
Hail hail. to the flag which your sires gave in prayer
Which took with oath that foe we would spare
The g foe may expect no quarter from men
who have taken that oath.
Here is another fine verse
Crowd Crowd to the ranks We dread egons of death
AS the trees of the forest be countless your number
And the beacon of vengeance flame red in hv bre ath
l he ire of people aroused from their slumber!
destruction as hath the dark hurricanes path
Denote by its ruin how fierce is thy WRATH
Like the dead leaves of trees cast off to the air
Be the banners of blood SO red with despair
g Legions Of death,'' countless in number as
the trees Of the forest, with flaming red beacon
issuing from their Notwithstanding we nre-
sumo, otter the style Of the professors of the
black art-and mad because they were Just
walked up, "cutting up; in such q fearful
way, Gs we infer from tie closing lines above
they may be expected to, would be, we are free
to say, terrific sight. We think VIC are safe
in making this remark.
The poem closes in this fine style:
Thrice accused be the traitor, in shame let him die
BE Withercd his branch with green thing upon Isl
And where his foul breath but llutcs the MIRA sl
May Freeman not hear Of his name but to scorn ii
And to battle we must, for FLAG trails in dust
And God and the world know our cause is but inst,
" the glorious old standard so tattered we swear
o hing to the breeze every Star shining there
In respect to the desire expressed that the
traitors " branch" may be withered, with no
green thing upon it, we wish, in the language
of K. N. Pepper, Esq, {" to join into the en-
treaty. and say emphatically, Nary green"
Let him die " in shame" an / after that let his
branch " be withered." If he could get a conv
OF the above verses perhaps he would be kind
enough to take himself off If he should do 50
" mortars" and other things might then stop
ga braying.'