The New York herald., 1871-09-09
whit Whitman.

We have doubted the poetcal abilities of
Mr.. Walt Whitman, but since he calls the
Muse of Poesy ''famous female"-'sever
youthful, cute and handsome"-we can doubt
no longer. We were always willing, as q
matter Of course, to concede more far
reaching and deep-searching vision to Mr..
Whitman than to any one else, and, modest
man that be is, we are glad that he at last
claims it for himself. The Muse, or more
properly Mr.. Whitman's "famous female"
must be an extraordinary bird-she cannot be
a common dunghill fowl, for the poet asks
her to migrate" from Greece and Ionia.
Still, how are we to reconcile this bird idea
with some of Mr.. Whitman's other notious !?
He asserts of this famous female, ".in Ian
guage wonderfully poetic, but fearfuly un-
quotable- ss
Yes, If you will allow me to say so.
/, my friends, II you do not can plainly see Her.
But he cannot only ''plainly see Her." but
he hears ''the rustling of her gown" aud has
visions of her washing bills. It is not honest,
however, in man Of his sterling worth to
ask her to
Cross out please. those immensely overpa,d ac-
counts.
Having escaped the fury of the washer
woman and the activity of the police, he brings
her over in the steerage, and we are then as
sured that it is Ia
New York, Philadelphia, London;
As she, the ilustrious Emigre (having 1t s true in
her day, although the same, changed Journey'd
Making directly for this MISUNDERSTANDING
clearing path for herseif-sriding through the
BY thud q machinery ana shrtl steam whistle un.
Blud nota bit by drain pipe gasometers, artificial
smiling and pleased with palpable intent TO stay,
She's here, instar amid the kitchen ware
These specimens will illustrate what
wretched trash Mr.. Whitman perpetrates in
the name Of poetry, and show somewhat para
doxically, to use one Of his own forms Of
poetic expression, that his verses ought not be
''laid on the shelf'-they had better be kicked
under the table. From one end to the other
of the 'poem" which he read at the opening
of the American Institute Fair there is scarcely
poetic idea. He steals names from the my
thology Of "Greca" and 'Roma," and, after
sprinkling in a few others from Tennysons
'Idylls Of the King, he catalogues the whole
into harsh and irregular lines--bad prose
badly arranged-and asks us to accept it as
inspiration. Obliging as we are, this, we
think, is a little like imposing on good nature.
We are willing to admit that Mr.. Whitman has
seen more Of his ''famous female" than we
have; but we don't want him to come any
confidence games over us. Even DR.. johnson
never asked anybody to accept his dictionary
as blank verse, and neither ought Walt Whit
man expect us to call his catalogue Of names
and his array of words poetry, though they
are about the blankest verse we ever saw.
The English critics pretend to find In Mr..
Whitman Americas true poet. He accord
ingly reposes faith In the English judgment;
nor are we discomfort that he shall say or
sing -
raise voice for far superior themes for poets ana
To exait the present and the real,
TO teach the average man the glory Of mis- daily walk
To sing in songs how exercise and chemical life are
Boldly 10 thee, America, to-day ana thee immortal
TO practical, manual work. for each and ALTO
To plant ana tend the tree. the berry. vegetables.
For every man 70 see to II that ne really do some
m To use the hammer and the saw trlp or cross-cutl
TO cultivate turn for carpentering, piastering,
To work as tailor taoress, nurse. hostier. porter
TO invent little-something ingenious--to aid the
And hold no srs a:arscs 70 taHs hand OF them
We think however. II he cultivated his