The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1865-11-18
THE POETRY OF THE WAR.
Lecture by oliver Wendell Holmes.

Lecture by oliver Wendell Holmes.
Tho Ast Of the annual Of given before
the Mercantile Library Association delivered last
evening In frvug Hall to very large and intellectual
audience by gDr Oliver wendeli Holmes His subject
''rhe Poetry Of the War must hare been pecu.
iarly gratifying to the genial and witty Auocst OF the
Breakfast Table 10 witness such an aprrsciatve aud
numerous assembage around the evening board DESTROYS
OF hearing him discourse upon topic consenal TO
his tastes, and upon which hs Ii 70 well qualified by
genius and CULTURE to treat. number Of distinguished
citizens occupied seats on the platform.
Or. Holmes, presenting himself, received With
enthusiasm He said that some might meot him with
the assertion that there poetry In thu recent
He believed thai greet deal OF roidabIe aud
some genuine poetry bad been written during the pact
four year, nder the inspiration Of the times through
which we have been passing. he trusted they all felt
Kindly to those who, to the best OF their ability had
spoken for 6Yr dear country 10 bor time Of need. X
they had failed thoy bad nothing 70 be ashamed Of and
he he icctufer) had thousand times rather have writ
ten the worst stanzas the brought forth, %
that they were prompted by hearty, loyal
spirit, than ihavs sneered at them ever 20
smessly !or their Yaus q artistic sscclles6e,
fis 1 going through this poetic garden 10 searsh IL
Ssist ssasias Amy as9l;y 200 SSs.. ssa b b
thought that IL our boaraHs hah mi,es spent much
time their sanzss on their pIsuos they might DO
p po. o. s q ss soldier:
tcrs psrouts children and friends Of soldiers many Of
them trembling With emotion. and the paper gu whic,
they were written bstefed with tears The lsctu.
Grown which began in noble aud sublime strain and
ss bss ,SaSsred ike the CRY o. doom 10 the ears Of
proud rebels Tho attempt was made subsequently 10
shape soas but II the John brown song had 6sen
10 The fourth s,ansa would have stood vivid majestic
terfble-ths Marsellase o. thai great evolution which
Maryland" was pronounced truly poc.ie but the voce
Of the recresM author Of was drowned by the Of
Maryland who pennsd the star Spanged Banner. The
battle songs Of the south soon exhausted and the
majority c them were common -pisce. The poem on
Ssonswsil Jeskson was good ons-hs was one OF the
possible that crop Of stonssa Js0ksons Jonsses and
smiths was growing up 10 the North. Albert Pike was
severely criticised 70, calling Yankee: me osprns q
. Yankee artisan and himself Yankee schoomaster
"Bcyond the Potomac and 'Hnrrylng On we're ad.
Of PINCH might b called rsosi products; but ISao1
crawed out backwards 40 soon ~ he quite Ere he
-. % y. s.ns side The Lecturer was ssa 70 re
With civilization, LOSE his chance OF wionins
1 Britain who had spoken 70 American hearts
we're John Bright and John Stuart MIL Applause.l
Among tho poets Of the war should be mentioned nrst
tbose who had written sword IN hand and who had
fought with songs on their lips No name could head
them better thau the hero General Lauder His tncs
ssRhode Island TO the SOUTH and his "rrbuts 10 the
Massachusetts, twentieth full OF the same feel
ing that led him TO oher hts services In tho neM
stFitx James O'Brien" and "Miles O'Releyu wers
highly spoken o. 'rhe CouDtsrsgn,n wntteu By
privste soldier besutfsl production and in order
10 convince his hesrs Of his OPINION he quoted OF
tho verses Nothing was more remarkable than tho
number OF female pocts There were not less than
dfty Of them, among whom were Mrs Howe, Mrs Whit.
uey Miss Austin, Edna Dean Proctor aud Rose Terry.
volume could be written on the songs Of the camp.
Out OF thirty three songs selected by popular song
vendors less than fourteen found hcr inspiration In
tho sacred name OF mother Popular songs, such as
nwho win Care for Mother Nowsn "Just Before the
Battle" and Tramp, Tramp were dnned ia
until thoy made our cars like spots on drumheads and
yet there was some genuine pahos IN some OF them
DR. Holmes then spoke OF tho Anonymous poetry ~
the war aud recIted nurnbes 81 Of the mytnoe
authors He alluded 70 the wei know poem, ITO
Canaan to taapan, and 10 the CLAIMS made by lady
and geDticm1n TO its paternity ~ usiv tout tho
fact that was written by himself ard published IN the
Boston Traveller long list of VOL knosn American
pocs wloe rcp asion had hccn established yos-q ago.
ve rcgcytd aud ,hys w,r'ikc r,g.a ..ispk pGaucl