The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1867-03-07

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7
| Allow us 70 say few, words about
newspaper poetry. When we take into
consideration the intellectually Of Mil.
ton, the fefSeBcy Of Moore, the FIRE oI
Byron, the music Of Scott, the natural.
ness of 1Cowper, the philosophy Of
Young, the, piee perception rof Shaks-
peare, the spirituality Of Hemans, and
the prominent characteristics Of scores
Of other great poets, we mast admit
the difficulty of filing up the spoets
corner" With fragments Of great soul
utterances.o Rhyming sinot1 always
poetry, Some wit if be is not a poet,
pretends to have machine which gifDds
ont poetry. It measures the lines and
arTanges the rhymes With mechanical
precision. The conceit is a good illus
tration of the method OF much of the
rhymipg Of the newspapers. One need
not be able to write poetry in order to
understand and appreciate true poetry.
True poetry we may call the musical
expression 'Ofa ideas - that is, poetry
when written, Some poets pprite =
others do not All poetry has less or
more to do with the beautiful; and
! poetry may be called practical, So far as
Jeanty may be practicals and beadty may
be practical SO faF'as itleads, to the good
| for, Of course, the bestpractice is that
which is good. d,
1t is difficult to get at the object Of
much newspaper rhyining.9 If the OBJ
jectl is merely to rhyme, they often
though not ialways-sucoeed.l y Bit the
success is perhaps more satisfactory to
the, writers than to any others. The
thinking seems to be concentrated at
the endsIof the liHes!idThea ideas are
abruptly subservient to the necessityfof
terminal jingling Probably the rythm
of real poets makes;som impression on
the minds of rhymsters, and their effort
isto produce something thatahswers to
it@-if nothing more than mechanical
repetition.iI -rllqqEji .iiIi III lag7 /.
There is very, often the poetic ex-
preston Of private feelings. which
is not of common interest. Not that
the expression Of the poets woes or
joys may not correspond with the SYM
pathies of many Others; but that the
topic may not be of -saeh character as
to call forth such syhipathies. 1t may
be SO very singular as not to be under
stools it may be sofvery common as
to create no pleasant or sad surprise.
Men are seldom pleasedlo hear others
murmur. There is no more poetry in
selfish mnrTnurlng than there is motal
beauty The case IS different, even,
when one sings the Joys or sorrows of
others. .fo;i, 4; ..r.e.,,, al, tastog,; Is
A-peculiar mission of newspaper poet
ry is to employ whatever OF power there
is aih the poetieal expression Of ideas
with reference to passing events, and
with reference to the worthy sentiments
of the times-the same that may be said
Of the higher order Of fiction, For
while some classes may be reached
through fiction others may be through
real poetry Some minds seem formed
to apprehend truth when clothed in
beauty. Who does not at. once think
of the influence of sacred song,i,, Say
not that the passing poet has never
served the rights of menAas, for in
stance hewho sang, "Man'sinhnmanity
to man makes countless thousands
mourn!
Thousands Of men are led by others;
they do not, they tcR not act in any great
measure, for themselves. They may
follOw--and that intelligently-but they
will not lead; neither will they go alone.
Very often they refuse to act for their
own good OF for that Of others upon
abstract reasoniiig;' even when they
perceive the reason of things Q To act,
they must feet; and to feel, they must
have subjects presented to their minds
in.sone other way than by the formal
processes of logic this is the poets
methods this is the secret of his power. j
And herein we conceive what might be-
the use of high order of newspaper
poetry; or what an editor may do by
happy selections. To move only by hl-
pulses is better chan not to move al all, /
provided one mOyesi in the right direc-I
ton. .:r.f,, ~ c,;,e,i.,.ogo ,,,.s
/ The vicious doggerel of the newspaper
press can not be too severely reprehend-
edo Mere rhyme can not sahctify that
which will make people blush.g we have
enough Of that, bound in "blae aud
gold" Things are said in persc which
would ruin the reputation Of the authors
if said iii plain prose. In other times
meh winked at such poetic depFatiisf; but
now, a portion at least OF society call
upon poets to be decent. M, dsiE ow -
The markets. oyerstocked with the
sickly sentimentaIity Of love. The
suspicion is that it is thework Of young,
unmarried peopleia7 they caricature a,
noble sentiment Indeed, the tendency
has ever been respecting this subject To-
transfer to the exageration of poetry
that which in great part belongs to
common sense, ,,aa,., NJ y y. tud s a.1 h sf
"My boy" said afoid mother, "neyer
I defer i ill toi Tomorrow ~ OWN dwyhatyOH can DO
4 srThsg rjotbsy0 go,S,,oA tba ,Jroh;n