The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1869-12-23
Early at the Cato and Mars.
Frank LeIand's Letter.

Frank LeIand's Letter.
Our readers will find in this number of
the TELEGRAPH letter by Mrs Frank
Leland and also an introduction by
Frank Leland, which we take from the
Walworth County Independent. We also
reprint the poem, Early at the. Gate"
to help to the better understanding of
the letter. We print the poem as it was
first published in the Independent with
our suggested changes. The readers of
the TELEGRAPH will remember an arti-
Gle entitled "Our Home Poets /" which
appeared on the 18th of November. Our
remarks-we can scarcely say criticisms
and suggested changes of the poem,
Early at the Gate" has called forth
Mrs Leland's letter And we
commend it to the careful consideration
ofour readers, and more especially to
those who love and can appreciate good
poetry.
" Our Home Poets" we have no objec-.
tions to " frosty" only as it is connected
with the idea of old age being the aOi,ster
of life.
Of" Brushing Mrs. Leland says: &c
grant you, it is not good. L knew it
when wrote it. And brush is only
better in giving trife, perhaps, more
correct rythmical accent Brushing
spoils the verse, or changes the first two
feet from what should be an Iambus to
Trochee, -Aad brush leaves the verse
good, but it is not as expressive of the
sense as brushing, and we knew this when
wrote the article, "Our Home Poets"
We are not satisfied with either If a
dress-m cannot fit a dress for fash
enable lady from a hundred yards, she
can order thousand. So ifa poet, can
not write poem expressive of its sense,
and in its chosen verse, measure and
rhyme, from a thousand words, she can
order-call to her assistance hundred
thousand Now what one word or two
words will fully and clearly express the
sense and keep the verse good. we do
not call to our mind any one word or two
words which fully answer the purpose,
and we think Mrs Leland failed as we
do. And perhaps it may be her good
fortune to have the right word brought
to her mind, as Washington Irving once
had the right word FOR his use brought
to his mind swhen in conversation with a
friend. Irving suddenly exclaimed with
much animation and satisfaction: g
have got it have got it" On his
friends asking him what he had got he
replied "The Right World He had
been long trying to find the right word
but had failed His friend, in converse
ton on another subject, had just used
the right word, and Washington Irving
had SCOT IT."
We do not quite agree with Mrs. Lee
land in what she says of the word
"glow" Glsa0, when used in connection
with heat, means a white heat or incand-
essence. When used in connection with
person, it is expressive of something
connected with the person, as a glow of
health, a glow of animation, a glow of
passion. And, as the goodly seed to be
sown by the fair maiden, is good works,
to be found again in full life, we can not
see why one should think of "coals of
fire " " in fiery glow, tending to ashes, "
when speaking of her good deeds being
in lively glow when found again,
Our chief objection to the poem, is the
idea connected with it, that old age is
the '0inter Of EJ6 As an argument against
the correctness of this idea we refer to
the poem, "The Old Mans Blessing"