Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1874-11-29

IRON The chicago Times.l

"a 1sHt = bSAelot4g SUI iiuNcN 70 De the
Thomas Parr OF American poets; the
man 70 Mnom the honor belongs is
kichard Henry Dana, stin on this side
OF me tomb although ne passed his
elgnlty-seFenth birthday on the fifteenth
on re prese pc month. Our grandfathers
perhaps our fathers, were aware Of his
S SAlslencei put we of this generation
hno" MN OILY By tradition. Very few
NOT DeueYe il myself if q RestOnian had
not recently made affidavit 10 the fact
- within his personal KNOWLEDGE
tlghty-seven yesrs old, Whew! The
very idea is enough to take ones breath
away. 1t ought 10 have taken DAna's
breath away long ago. What is the
use Of a human being sticking To AZ
planet for the greater part Of century .
Is there any good reason for ito h n
paying respect to ones fellows to stav
50 interminably? A man ought To
know when his grave is ready. and
ought 10 get into his earthly bed al
proper season, in lieu OF sitting up YEAR
after mis- contemporaries have gone to
sleep forever. Il is downright defraud-
ing Of the undertaken; 1t is injustice,
uisloyalty 10 pOsterity. Il aniggardly
Withholding Of ones self fram the innu-
merable population OF the cemetery. Be
TINS as Il may, Richard Henry Dana still
ives, ana hls home is in Cambridge,
Massachusetts. At one time be was re-
garded by many as the first poet OF the
republic, and even 70 this day, old-fash-
Toned people assign him that rank. Born
al Cambridge, be entered Harvard in his
seventeenth year, remaining there until
ne was twenty. In consequence Of his
completely with the Tebellious classes OF
the college, he left his alma nate. pre-
cipitately, but completed his studies at
Newport Rhode Island. He then read
law with lis father, Chief Justice Dana;
was admitted to the Boston bar in 1911,
and subsequently 10 the bar of Bslti-
more, with the intention, never car
ned out, Of practiciug in the
courts Of that city. He soon
returned to the metropolis OF Mas
sschusetts, where he engaged in his pro-
fessiOn, and also took an active interest
in politics, ranging himself on the Fed
ersl side. His predictions, however,
were strongly literary, and he Joined
{lSl4) the club Of Hubbites, who set up,
and for & while conducted The NOTfh
american Hcicr. The essay on "Old
Times, and a criticism on the poems OF
Washington AllstOn, who afterWard
married his sister Is a second wife, ap.
pesred in that periodical, Of which he
was subsequently associate editor. That
was the time when Pope was in fashion,
and Wordsworth and the Lakers We're
held in contempt. Dana, holding diff
ferent views, attracted much attention.
anu excited no little Indignation by the
uold expression Of mis- opinions. He re-
az %
after begsn The Idic Nda, which he
abandoned on account OF its unprofta-
eleness. His next literary labor
and his f.rst poem, was "The Dying
Raven contributed 10 Tie Mar
York Rcriltr, edited by bis friend Brv-
ant: Two years later, be printed a small
volume Of poems, including Tie Btcc0-
HeCr, his Most famous production. Prof.
Wilson, OF BidckEC0Od, pronounced il
the most powerful and original of Amer.
lean pOetiuaB compositions, and ii was
generally praised by the critics. In 1850.
ne published two volumes, containing
ali the prose and poetry lie deemed
worthy OF preservation, although he
wrote very little after 1888. He was one 4
OF The earliest OF our lecturers, having
repaired, 'ly advice Of his cousin, VIM.
t-lery Ohstnning, a course OF zen lectures /
on Shakespeare. Delivered 10 the win I
{ ef OF loZ5-'}0 il Boston, New York aud !
Z niladelpEila, they were largely attend
5di and wfirmly admired. BE was deep
~ interested N the controversy that 1
ragged between the Unitarian and Trini-
.aflan coDsregadOnaiists Of Massachu- /
-etts U.s. 10 1855, standing stOutly 1
with The latter which readily
MS subsequent cOnnec-
Ion VIII, and Jealous devotion /
. the Episcopal church. IN poetry, |
Jana was one OF the first to depart from !
slaylsh imitation Of British models
dc mas good deal Of originality, not
: outstanding mis- style is colOred and |
.omeWhat formed ~ Crabbe, COleridge l
ma Wordsworth, for whom he has had
passionate attachment al his lie Esiu
influence upon the literature Of the |
'OuntCy has been marked and whole
Ome, although he has been little read |
turing the last quarter Of a century. His |
verse IS not Of g popular kind, nor are his
very wide in their range. |
While he has been a delightful COM
lani0n TO O circle OF his intimates, heis
generally considered cold and exclusive, |
having inherited the BeaoOn-sTeet ague,
which very early chilled his blood aud
titlened his manners. Like so many |
n the Bnstonians. be is strongly in |
renched In family feeling, as tie has
light to bt. being descended from Rich |
,rd Dana Richard settled iu this coun-
~ in the middle OF the seventeenth |
ientury), himself descended from |
William Dana, sheriff Of Middle
.eX during the reign Of Elizabeth. The
On Richard Henry, IT,, the prominent
Boston lawyer, Is nearly sixty, aud is
Known 70 the literary world, a. the au-
hor Of THO Years Before the Mast. The |
'l1er Dana has survived nearly all his
except Bryant, and is so
ancient ~ this rapid age and country !
hat people think he entertained Chris 4
opher Columbus did this country the /
lonOr Of discovering it. His health has
naturally been feeble Of late; but he still
nJOys the good things by which he is
uuOundeu. His lot has been excep- |
lonally fortunate. He has had health, /
7eaith, fame, friends, and has never 1
cen so OveTladen with sympathy, a. !
ten happens with poetic natures, as to
e made Wretched on account Of Others.
CHARLES sPRAGUE.
Anothet aged bard, who, il chronology
al any rights, would long since have !
cen inhJImed, is Charles Sprague,
noWn a. the clearinghouse poet. Born / {
2 Boston, October %, 1861, he was
Jerk IN a mercantile establishment I [
hen but thirteen, and In time became I
partner. He quilted the firm, how
YER before he was twenty, 10 accept
De position as teller in the State bank, ( (
nd I've years later was appointed ( /
ashier O. the Globe bank, just then es- !
He held that position two OF {
lree years ago, and may hold il still, for [
E IS Of so sturdy mold a. to seem invgl- , '
cradle by Time. From bOyhOOd he has I
zen addicted 10 veree-msking; but he 1
as not known as a poet until he was $
Tarded prize offered for the best pro- 1
que al the opening 1S2ii Of the Park ( y
heater IN this city. PrOl0gues, indeed, / I
re his specialties. He gained similar !
istinctiOn st the opening Of the new Z
MIA theater in 1922, and st the !
peniDg Of another theater in the same I
ty in 1873; also al the opening OF !
heaters IN Salem and Ports /
loutb. he has delivered various Odes, Z
anniversary poems, commemorative d-
resses, and temperance lectures. There {
ave been three editions of his collected I
rulings, the best known Of which is his S
1C or isiJk6s p6drc delivered at the e
in 1923, and q metrlcal il
say on Curiosity recited before the T
hi Beta Kappa society Of Harvard col I
&c In 1929. his prOiogues are excel [
Mt, and be has been called the Ameri- a
N Pops from his teTseness, elegance, I
nd regu srity OF meter. II is = sony
lucIsm 10 call any man the this OF that
sny nationality, since il is little else y
lau an ingenious manner Of presenting y
no as an imitaIOr IL is far better TO be =
.methlng original, however unfinished,
IAN % he q polished echo Of others %