The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-12-20
Notes on Pooms and Reviews.

have now undertaken to write a few words
on this affair, not by way OF apology or Vindlca-
ton, OF answer or appeal have none such to
offer Much of tue criticism l have seen is as
usual, in the words of Shakespeare's greatest
follower
"As If a man should spit against the wind;
The Nth returns ms face"
Certain poems of mine, it appears, have been
mpUgned by judges, with or without name, as
Indecent or as blasphemous. To me, as have
intlmated, their verdict is matter of infinite
indifference; it is of equally small moment to
me whether in such eyes as theirs l appear
moral or immoral Christian or Pagan. But,
remembering that science must not scorn to in.
vestigate anImalcules aud infusoria am ready
Tor once TO play the anatomst.
WITH regard to any opinion implied or eX-
pressed thIt ughout my book, desire that one
thing should be belemembered-the book is drama
tic, many faced, multitariouS; and no utterance
of enjoyment or despair, belief or unbelief, can
properly be assumed as the assertion of its
authors personal feeling or faith. Were each
poem TO be accepted as the deliberate outcome
aud result OF the writer's conviction, not mine
alone bat most other mems verses would leave
moth ing behind them but sense OF cloudy chaos
and suiCidal contradiction. Byron and Shelley,
speaking in their own persons, and with what
sublime effect we know, openly and insultingly
Knocked and reviled what the English of their
day held most sacred. have not done this. |
DO not say that if chose, l would not do so to
the best OF my power; do say that hitherto
have seen tit TO do nothing of the kind.
Ii remains then to inquire what in that book
can be reasonably offensive to the English reader.
In order to resolve this problem, will not fish
uU any OF the ephemeral scuTrlities born only
to sting if they can, and sink as they must
will take the one article that lies before me; the
work Il adm) OF an enemy, but the work Il
.lckno Hledge) of a gentleman. | cannot accept
& ~ accurate; but l readily aud gladly allow
tIat 1t neither contains nor suggests anything
yl.se or filthy. To him, therefore, rather than
10 another, [ address my reclamation. Two
iT,h hic Ni,,io
9 aCialy horrible" Good. Though the
.. &c be somewhat INEXPENSIVE" l am con-
te, to meet him on this ground. 1t is some
Jh ,g-nay, 1t is much-to ind an antagonist
vi has sufficient sense of honesty and honor
ID mark out the lists in which he, the challenger,
il desirous to encounter the challenged.
The first, it appears, of these especially horr
bic poems is 'Anactoria." am Informed, and
have not cared to verify the assertion, that this
poem has excited, among the chaste and candid
critics of the day or hour or minute, more
vehement reprobation, more virtuous horror,
a more Passionate appeal, than any other OF my
writing.
| have never lusted after the praise of re.
viewers; have never feared their abuse; but ]
would fain know why the vultures should gather
here OF all places; what congenlal carrlon they
smell who can discern such ut is alleged) in
any rose-bed. And after little reflection dc
know or conjecture, Virtue, as she appears
incarnate in British journalism and voluble
through that unsavory organ, is something o
u GOuupOuhu NANO'uAS
"a lump neither alive, nor dead,
DogheadedJ bosom'eyed and bird-tooted;"
nor have any dragons jaws been known to emit
on occasion stronger and stranger sounds and
odors. But having, not without astonishment
and disgust, inhaled these odors, find myself
at last able to analyze their comp parts.
In this poem | have simply expressed or tried
to express, that violence OF affection between
one and another which hardens into rage and
deepens into despair. The keynote which
have here touched was struck long since by
Sappno. We in England are taught, are com
PEELED under penalties to learn, to construe and
to repeat, as schoolboYs, the impecishable and
Incompatible verses OF that supreme poets and
l at least am grateful for the training.
| have abstained from touching on such
details, for this reason, that l felt myself in
competent to give adequate expression in Eng
lish to the literal and absolute words o
''Sappho;" and would not debase and degrade
them into a yiler form. No one can feel more
t'That is not 'Sappho," a friend said once Il
me. ] could only reply, ut is as near as car
come; and no man can come close to her." He
remaining verses are the supreme success, thu
final achievement, of the poetic art
What is there now OF horrible in this? the eX
pressions of fierce fondness, the ardors of pas
sionate despair? Are these so unnatural as Il
afr ght or disgust? Where is there an unceaI
detail? where 6n obscene allusiOn? writer a.
impure as my critics might OF course haV
written, on this or on any subject, an imp, n
pOemi l have not. And il to translate OF
Paraphrase Sappho be an ofense, indict tn,
heavier offenders who have handled and re
handled this matter in their wretched version
of the ode. is my poem more passionate in de
tail, more unmstakable In subject? | affirm
that it is less; and what affirm have proved
Next on the list OF accusation stands the poen
of Dolores" The gst and bearing of this
should have thought evident enough, vie we
by the light of others which precede and folloy
it. | have striVen here to express that transien
state OF spirit through which man NAV b
supposed to pass, foiled in love and weary {
loving, but not yet In sight of rest; seekin
refuge in those "Voent delights" which "hay
violent ends" in fierce and frank sensualtie
which at least profess to be no more tnan the