American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1873-09-20
OUR POETIC CONTRIBUTORS.

OUR POETIC CONTRIBUTORS.
We find in our literary drawer
quite a number of MSS, chiefly in
verse, or, rather, attempts at verse.
1t ought to be generally known to
our readers that we do not publish
poetry except on the outside of our
paper, the inside being devoted to
subjects of more general Interest,"
Our friends, however, persist in SEN
ding us their illusions. and though
we feel battered by the preference
shown us, vet for the reason above
assigned, we must ask that they
seek other mediums of publication
for the future.
Many of the pieces before us are
neither prose nor poetry; others
are made to rhyme without the
slightest reference to reason; some
contain thoughts that would reflect
credit upon their authors if they
did not limp and hobble in style
most inelegant and ungraceful,
while a few evince very decided tai
emf, with considerable grace and
skill in versification. These merits,
however, are materially marrel by
attempts on the part Of their auth
ors to exalt their themes by cloth
ing them in an ostentatious drap-
cry, and not uufrequently by invol-
wing their meaning in obscure
metaphors. Of this last class, and
by far the best production in the
collection, is a poem in blank verse,
written by lady, and whom we
judge to be quite young. This po-
EN- in not without merit, and but
for some of the defects mentioned,
would be highly creditable to the
genius Of the writer. The follow
ing passage will serve to show the
character of defects alluded to, and
which destroy the beauty OF any
poetic effort:
"Aud OF ~hen the suo!ight
Streams q radiant glory dov1, fairer
Vision starts and wakes. aud los the sunlights
Bower; for there were CLEANS OF gold, you know.
In the wavy massey hair. and the bright
Blue eyes were like the sky, when the sun has
Risen fair
Now, we doubt not, that the fair
young writer, and many 9th
ers, may regard these words
as exceedingly graceful and po-
etc, and that the editor who
would attempt to make them the
subject of criticism, must certainly
be lamentably deficient in taste,
and sadly wanting in true apprecia-
ton. But, he it remembered,
words alone do not constitute poe
try, nor do they always present i'm
ages in unobjectionable rhetoric, as
we shall proceed to show.
The thought evidently intended
to be presented in these lines, is the
effect of a certain scene upon the
memory. The sunlight wakes a
vision, and this vision the writer
seeks to bring to the minds eye of
the reader in similitude taken from
the vision of nature embraced in
the words, "When the sunlight
streams radiant glory down."
What is the vision. "And 10. the
sunlights bower" The similitude
follows the vision. and comes in
play more as explanatory than as
part of the vision. ''FOr" throws
his unavoidably upon the mind
md by it's attracting the mind,
Travis comparison between "when
he sunlight streams a radiant glo-
y down. and "suhlight's bower"
The play of sumbeams as they |
steal to earth may, to the eye Of
ancy, very naturally and prettily |
suggest the "gleams of gold' in the
'wavy, massy hair,' but when the
bright blue eyes are intr oduced to
AIRY ont the similitude, another
element is added to a thing alIeady
perfect, and thus destroys the
whole.
The 'ssunlight's bower is, in the
Gene of nature, encOmpassed by
,lue and bending skies, OF rests
.gainst background of sky; in the
multitude the order is reversed,
nd the "sunlight's bower" be-
ONES the background for the sky,
nd the only similitude presented is
q color. If the idea intended to be
expressed is not this, but a mere Wis
On in which Claudia, fthe berOine,) !
) the subject of thought, owing moth
ng to the cause Of thought,
hen there is no harmony in the
ines beyond the mere harmony of {
ound. If the latter part of the '
mes in question have no rhet- {
ricaI denendeDce uDOn the line i