The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-07-16
MIR. Lucas's Semi Centennial Poem

We have succeeded both in letting our
readers know our opinion OF Mr.. LUCAS S
poem and in directing the fire Of his admi-
rers upon our contemporaries Of the Peters
burg press. That piece Of strategy merits
laudation, Alta California theatre, once upon
a time, a spectator asked second. VINO sat
in front of him, to touch third, who sat
still further off. When the third man turned
his face, the first discovered that it was not
the man he had supposed it to be, and so he
looked uneoncernedly back at him; where.
imam the second man indignantly inquired
whether he had not asked him to touch the
third man. Yes" said No. l; 81 just
wanted to see ii you would do it, Now
here follows what No. 3 says TO No. =:
60 the Editors Of tie Dispatch:
|, in cor Junction with many others who
listened to Mr.. LucaS's poem at the Uniyer.
| sity. have been leaking for some reply to the
structures Of the Petersburg papers, Is your
paper is ever ready 10 give both sides hear.
ing. The reply is an easy one to make. for
each OF those papers laid themselves open 10
| criticism in way to delight the heart OF q
savage critic were one disposed to avail him.
self OF the opportunity. They admit that
Ar. Lucas Was full of the spirit that should
animate one on such IN OCCASION, but deny
him the power of expression. Pray. how
did these wise pundts, who were not pre-
sent to hear it, find out this daimus save
FROM the poem itself. unless, indeed, they
possess the magician's power? We who
heard it read, aud were thrilled by
the tones of the poets voice, can.
| not without qualification deny bin both
| rbpne and reason. The whole audience
greeted him repeatedly with enthusiastic ap.
pause not eXcelled by that which greeted
the iamened Thompson on similar occa-
sion. This might be accounted for by the
effect of the spoken word The Appedts
criticism might have some weight under
similar circumstances. TIE Appeal goes on
to Say'that "there is not staDZi in Mr.. Lu-
| caS's composition that does Got betray some
such fault as those who bare no ear for cor
rect measure can readily discover by count
ing Oh The ends Of their 6uges." Of course
We can al see that the writer Cd this criticism
neither understood Mr.. LBeas's poem nor
any other verse save such as has each line Of
the same number of syllatles, the error in a
given verse being proporti0Med directly to
the numhr of the syllabLes anere or less
| than those ia what the couGter considers the
standard.
1t is unfortunate that one anO 'lagS down
! such course OF criticism in regard 70 poetry
had not illustrated what be meant by
counting on the ends of ones kpgers." We
take it to meactbat lfSaxerse is tsmbie, all the
feet must be iaGsbuseS If the verse Gs tro
chsic, all the iaat must be trOcaees. IL he
doesn't mean this he means nothing ut ali.
1t is needless to sly there is no such rule in
any manual, not .can such rule be deduced
from the practice Gany poet. 1t only exists
in the AppeaPs imagination. Gray's Eiegy
IS one OF Tue most Gegular ismO'c cot& pSsi-
lions in the EngllsA Hgnguage, and yet, in'the
very second line, he iatioduceS the sDeDdee
Io.eiye slow movement TO the verse. But
as che spondee has tW0 Syllables and the
iaM,hus TWO, the AppelG would never SEE tbe
irresnlarlty or feel The beautiful effect
What fue time he would have
counting sylables in Dryden's ode on ST.
CecelS'S Day, where every foot allowable 10
Euglisk measures is used. This cannot be
read unless the reader has q good ear for
rhythm, and suppose the Aepeal has never
on such composition. know he
wouldn't like it. The rhythm in Mr.. Lucas's
though changeable. is not fal.e,
Us Will appear upon eximinsti0n. II may he
|eeollecle1 that Pope couldn't Seas Milton,
ye. Milton Wro;e poetry. These papers
charge also obscurity OF meaning; but this
Is kseause they have not examined the poem.
There are no more invoIutions than are |
Usually found in such poems. We do not
ay that this poem IL The best that could have
been written, but it compares very favorably
With Loug1elIo VS. commencement poem and !
hat Is saying enough. Il. l.. Ii.