New-York daily tribune., 1865-11-18
DIR. Holiness Lccture-Thc Poetry OF 'he
War.

The Lecture of Professor Oliver Wendell
Holmes m Irving Han last night IN behalf Of the MeT-
cautlle Library Association was greeted by large
and intelligent audience. number of gentlemen emi'
rent in letters and art graced the sieakers pAorn'
DR. Holmes referred TO BOswells Life OF Johnson
wherein in speaking Of Ireland one chapter on SNAKE
rs foows There are no snakes in this Island aud
SAID that many persons could of the poetry OF The
war Tie was disposed 10 look kindly upon the meahe-t
efforts 20 embcllisk the literature Of the war lie Wls
going 10 search flowers In this garden not weeds. ne
would leave carpng and criticism 10 Rebels clltcs
and Sunday tapers. HOr0ce said there was no shch
thing as moderately good poet, but do not believe
H. Poems were among the staples OF our daily exist
euce Nearly every young man or woman nag % trleu
their hands at rhymng. IL hurts noDoDy ana his NJ
corner Of the paper. The war Lad hardy ncsuh "hvh
the lips OF thousands were turned ~ al uninshcd dog
gere
Hi soul is marching on
to be sung at the head Of half OF million Of armed men,
The attempt has been made since 10 complete The song
but every fresh attempt bears evidences oi hard qael
ing. IL ought 10 have been finished as was Oesun'
spont lueous. scriptural grand and soDorons.
Maryland my Maryland Is said ~ be Northern
air Read II aud hear il sung. and II has the ring OF
feeling in il. IL is typical Of The southern people lu S
defects vet fue passionate uCIance. Us influence IN
prol0ngng the war is uncOuuted. These are the two
poems characteristic OF the sII1ie. southern poetry
soon became hysterical. a poem called stone" az
JacksOns Grave" had some merit.
Albert PKG did write vile song although porn ih
Boston look ~ vain for any verses beside these wear
inc evidence Of artistic po or. perhaps some o I1c
subs might be called rc.ct tui be sunseiul -
eat a plentiful meal of dirt The London IiHes called
1s early n the war, "a great Empire which threatens
10 OveraWc mankind" Most OF the leading wrltfs .n
England looked IN silence while the great struggle
OF freedom wae going on Carlyle ond IuplTf Ola
squeak but we rese too busy 10 heed them. The Tan
Teate might have spoken but be lost his great chance
Bron's ode TO Greece might have found repetition
somewhere.
First in order Of our war.Poets should be mentioned
those who wrote sword in hald. Gen. Lander aLd
Fits James OBrien among the dead ana Mlle'
ORelly former officer IN STUART hnslue.r, L'gl
meD who is the author OF The Countersign oi thos'
who remain 20 u.s. Nest cones the unWariike sex
Fifty women might be named but De WOulu select o'
halfa dozen whose war lyrics were memorable-Alr,
= Howe Mrs. Whitney, Miss J. y. Proctor. Rose Ierr!
Miss Nancy Bricst ana number VINO have either pro
vOking mons ds plume or simple initials on Jj caml
l. songs before him, IA contain rue inspiration 81 mother
showing that the heroes OF this War land the same
true OF The HeyouliOu) are boys. The echo oi
= moiher's heart goes ont TO nearly every shot %
r for tie author TO remain Another, Mature kAowi
no Strife" he had but just discovered, was wri'tcI
by Mrs. Paul Akers. There were three claimants io
e the song To Canaan one lads; but the Truth Is
, wrote ii myself anonymously for The Boston TroHscr
OF the older poets, John Perpont Bryant, Emerson
and Fields had all renewed tlcir youthful ire in iA
# war LOngiellow the sympahctic c0ntrao of poets
y had contributed Paul Revere Ride and The Cum
% berand.' j. q. Whittier might be called the big
Priest of our poetic temple; though aQuaser he has
TO ring the pfans OF the batue Tor the right Amefca
r AIT waSfemnne IN Its tendencies and character a
witness the greatest statues ana poems bat of j. X
Lowell II must be said he was thoroughly masculine
J. The Bigelow Papers although covered over With th
rough burr Of urcOuth dialect crammed fnl
meaning. 4. Buchanan Read bad written one Of th
five great equestrian poems IN Sherdans Ride" Nj
j Boxers "Dnge for Soldier" Mr.. Leland's Nortl
q erners Come Out" Mr.. TaylOr's ITO Bait
, more and John Meals "Batile Ode" were su,
cessvely commended and quoted Messrs StoC
, dard, Story Dr. Leber DR.. Bctbune. q. i. Moul
[ and Mrs. SigOuIney also cOmplmentet
Lieut.. II. II. Brownel had written several very Dc
llightiul poems-"Lct Us Alone" The Fdll {
AlatO0na" "Ihs River Fight" The Bay Fight,
! and one IN Abraham Lincoln" Theodore Tito
had also written some things which the world w0ul
not willingly let die" Bel Roland" g.. A. 1Ownscn
was hard TO place, and should beware OF the temptG
tons Of the market i. j. Gutter had some fine verse
in "The Rising Of the People poem which hG
most cndeared itself TO him written for The LOHa
uile Journal by &. Forsyth Wilson, which recite
with excellent power" The Old Sergeant" But theT
were poems in prose abundant, a. also poems In
single fentence or even word al the fitting time
Col Stetson, though perhaps disclaiming the name
poet had all its best IN his dispatch to GoI
Butler" The Ast0r House makes no charge for eedin
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