New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-04-16
CONGRATULATIONS IN TERSE.

Although at all times and in all seasons,
cases of the mania poetica, OF type much
or little aggravated, are to be observed
by the Editorial practitioner, long experience
leads us to the belief that Spring-tide is most
fruitful of this lamentable affection. As April
advances and as the additionally sentimental
Nav approximates, we observe that our rhyth-
mical remittances from all the quarters of the
country are multiplied-a fact which we are
inclined to attribute, in part, to the vernal
vacations of the neutrality-suspicious. We have
at this moment before US small mound OF
manuscripts, sent to us mainly by misses who
think that they arc poets because they
read poetry with pleasure, and who write Tor
the most part from the recollection of what
has pleased them in others. With these "cf-
illusions" there come TO us small notes made
lid of personal condolences and fragments OF
personal experiences, morsels of aspiration,
pretty little mock modestics which never de-
coive hardened old executiOners like ourselves,
and appeals for sympathy which we are al
WAYS ready to extend, both to the deserving
and the undeserving. While we are obliged,
in reference to the waste basket, to consider
these contributions in the aggregate, we try
never to forget that each of them has
an individual history sufficiently pathetic,
and that each contributor must bear personally
the pain and modification of rejection. We
wish that we could hope to make our young
correspondents understand that no real good
could come to them, but oftentimes much
harm, from the printing of these donations.
We wish that we could make them all COM
prehend that the quantity Of mediocre verse
at present in existence is quite large enough,
and that the world has no need of any addi-
ton to the stock in hand This, we would
point out, dsposes at once of the matter of pub
LEGATION. Our typographical resources are large
but they are too small to be wasted in giving
n lew form or any degree of permanence to
that which is essentially valueless OF course
we publish q great deal which is sheerly ephe-
neral, but we try to publish as little as pos
sible Of matter which has not at least mod
icum of human and social interest.
The petty songs which are sent to us, harm
less enough in themselves save for the wasted
time and emotions of their writers, if sub
mtted to the test Of utility-nOt dry and
prosaic, but generous and refined utility
would be found lamentably wanting. The
test may seem to our young correspondents
q harsh one, but it is that to
which, sooner or later, all literary work
must come. There is no magic in printing
which can give value to that which is want
ing ip all the elements of value. Between
not being noticed at all by the world and
noticed only to be instantly forgotten, we
think that O noble nature would choose the
first. Publication is only of real service to
that which has merit making it worthy of
publication. Particularly of poetry let young
aspirants for the laurel understand that
mere poetical feeling is the commonest
thing in the world; everybody who
breathcs has more or less of it-men
and women and children of all ages and con-
dtions, tho refined, tho shrinking, and the
silent, az we'll as the coarse. tho loquacious and