Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-03-18

i observe in your issue of the eth an extract
from the Toledo BLADE, entitled Modern Crit
cism." can offer some more modern, being a
criticism OF that article. 1 cannot call 1t an
imitation, or even a plagiarism, except perhaps
Of idea; but can show that much more mas
terly criticism of "Jack and Gill; was written
before the author OF your quotation was born,-
unless he has outlived the allotted term OF life.
At the beginning Of the present centuSy lite
raTy paper was started at PhilS0 phia, called
the Portfolio. IL vas, for its day, OF high er-
der, ana was valuable contribution TO Ameri-
can letters. Its editor, Joseph Dennie, of
ChaTlestown, Mass, was man of much ability
and genius, but unfortunately, like Poe, was a
victim OF mtemperance, and died in 1872, after
a short career, at the head of his paper. He il
was who wrote the scriticism' OF which |
speak, few extracts Of which, besides being OF
literary interest. will suffice to show its supe-
riority over the modern article, upon compari-
son with II in your issue OF the It'll inst
Jack and Gill.
The first duty OF the poet is TO introduce his
subject, and there is no part OF poetry more
difficult. We are told by the great critic OF an
tiquity that we should avoid beginning d6 orc,
but 90 into the business At once. Here our au-
:hor is very happy, for instead of telling Us, A.
|. an or,.,nary writer would have done, who were
the ancestors Of Jack and Gin, that the grand
father OF Jack Sas respectable farmer, &c,
he introduces them at once in their proper per-
SOILS.
Jack and Gill
Went up hill.
Here the imagery is distinct, vet the descrip-
ton concise, We instantly figure to ourselves
the two persons travelling up an ascent, which
we may accommodate to our own ideas OF de,
clivity, r0ckinese, barrenness, sandiuessN &c. al
of which, as they exercise the Imagination, are
beauties of high order. Yhe reader will par
don my presumption ii here attempt to breach
new principle, which no critic with
whom l am acquainted has ever mentioned.
IL is this, that poetic beauties may be divided
INTO Negative and posture the former consisting
in mere absence of fault, the latter i'm the pres
ence of excellence; the first of an inferior order
but requiring considerable critical acumen to
discover them; the latter of higher rank, but
obvious to the meanest capacity. To apply the
principle IN this case, the poet meant TO inform
us that two persons were going up a hill. Now
the act Of going up hill, although Locke would
pronounce ii very complex idea, comprehend
ing person, rising ground, trees, Sc, Nc.,-is
an operation so simple as to need no descriI-
ton. Had the poet told therefore how the
twoheroes went up, whether in a cart or
gon, and entered into the thousand particulars
which the subject involves, they would have
been tedious. because superfuous. The orns-
sion of these little incidents, and telling
simply that they went up hill, no matter now,
Is very high pe gatiye beauty"
Another extract shows the author getting
classical i'm his criticisms:
- IL has been objected flor every Homer has
his ZOiusl that their employment is not suff
GENTLY dignified for epic poetry; hut in answer
TO this, ii must be remarked, that il was the
opinion of Socrates, and many other philoS0-
piers, that beauty should be estimated by
utility; and surely the purpose OF the heroes
must have been beneficial. They assembled the
rugged mountain TO draw water; and drawing
water Is certainly more conducive to human
happiness than drawing blood, as do the boosted
heroes OF the liiad, or rowing on the ocean and
invading other mems property, a. did the pious
-Eneus. Is not our author more ju
dicious than Apollonius, who chooses for TIE
heroes OF his ArgOnautics set of IA seals I'M
dertaking to steal a sheepskin? And if dignity
is to be considered, is not drawing water a cir
cumstance highly characteristic of antiquity?
10 We not find the amiable Rebecca busy at the
well? Does not one of the maidens o. the Odys-
sey delight us by her diligence in the same stu
alton? And has not learned Dean proved
that it was quite fashionable in Pelopennesus?
Let there be an end to such frivolous re-
marks"
the mastery whole the BLADE may be charged
with initiating. IT is the conclusion:
The subject is the fail Of maa-a subject
high, interesting, worthy of poet: the
heroes, men who 10 not commit single fault,
and whose misfortunes are to be imputed, not
TO indiscretiOn, bat to destiny. To the illustra-
ton OF the subject every part Of tie poem con-
duccs Attention is neither wearied by multi
plcity OF trivial incidents nor distracted by
frequency Of DEPRESSION The poet prudentiy
clipped the wings of Imagination, and repressed
the extravaganza of metaphOrical decoration
All l. simple, plain, consistent. The moral.
toO,-that part without which poetry is useless
sOund,--has not escaped the view OF the poet.
When We behold two young men. who, but a
short moment before, stood up in all the pride
of health, suddenly falling down hill, how
must we lament the Instability of all things
particularly Ito carry out the moral to our pur
pose) of literary ownership, for Joseph Dennie,
ten, and another, even writer in the ToIedo
BLADE, aspires to the title of commentator of
Jack and Gill. The last effort, however is not
without merit. and as it works IN a;;a3c::,isi;;
vein it is worthy to stand beside the original
article in the pages Of literary curiosity.
HOLLYWOOD,