Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1878-11-28
The Value Of Sentiment in Poetry.

The Value Of Sentiment in Poetry.
Some folks can always tell the woman
who "writ piece Of poetry" and want to
J know "what you think Of it." Biiah can
tell 'em. The older he grows the easier Il
is Cor him to recognize the female who sat
up till midnight to make broom" rhyme
with moon When he opened his recep-
ton room Saturday q woman was In wait
Ing, and the minute he got his eyes on her
he said to himself
an bet she's got q poem on autumn
leaves or the last corpstalk!"
| She had.
"Mr. JOY" she began. as she took the
red rocking chair and united the strings Of
her bonnet, ''how many volumes Of poetry
| have you written2"
IL don't remember the exact number,
madam"
Have you written anything latelyT'
well. no-nothing except q letter to
my sister,
II suppose the papers and magazines
are continually annoying you with invefta-
tions to write for their coumns?" she que
ried. as she began to unfold her poetry.
'Oh. Of course
II have written q few verses-just for
my own amusement, which should like to
have you read, Mr.. Joy. may send them
to either the Christian Witness or the Chi
cago Times, If they offer pay enough.
don't know but you can dash in little of
your peculiar sentiment here and there and
add piquancy to the whole. | Will read it
verse by verse.
Summer, dear. has fed and gone,
And autumn Ii is here;
The wind II has 3 lonely howl
And everything looks drear.
How Is that?"
That. madam, is superb. have read
thousands OF Daniel webster's poems
which didn't begin with that. 1t, however,
seems to lack tone"
"How!''
well, should have the las, two lines
The wind 1t makes me awful dry,
And feel like drinking beer.
You see, madam, you y
"Slr. do you think I'd write poem on
beer!' she interrupted
Madam, the object in writing poetry l.
to appeal to the varisus sentiments OF the
humm heart. In the first line you appeal
to memory. Summer has fled ard gone
and We at once remember how we ate
Strawberries and cream aud went In swim
NfN'''
present. In the third, as have 1t. you
appeal 10 the sense Of thirst. which. | as
sure you. madam, Is perfectly awful. The
last line mentions beer, and thousands of
hearts will at once expand at the word
That verse will be remembered when
Shakespeare is dead and forgotten"
Mr. Joy. is that honest?"
''iionest Iniun. madam
She hardly believed him. and after some
hesitation went on TO read the second
verse:
The oaken oaks robed in red,
The grass has lost its green;
The leafiess branches leahess are,
And cloudlets cold are seen"
Madame, that beats the other for orig
inal though. and purity Of cultivation, but
! think you can MAKE Il few slight changes
for the better. For instance, Id start the
verse of with:
The coal bin hasn't got lump.
And I'd arrange TO end it with
And the price OF 'tsters Is too high
..si- L~--- -. vany.-
How dare what. II you don't appeal
to sentiment, what Is poetry good for? W
all know that the grass has lost its greene
we expected il to; It always does this time
o year. Bat, madam, what sad echoes
gallop through the soul when you come To
mention au empty coal bin at this time OF
year, We know that cloudlets are cold;
They are out all night and the frosts gets
after them. Sentiment turns from cloud
lets to the price of Peachblows aud Early
Rose potatoes, and there you appeal to
public indignation"
Mr.. JOY" she remarked, as she rolled
up the paper in determined way, I'VE
cannot agree on poetry. don't think you
can add piquancy to this little effort OF
mine"
well. I'm sorry. Ny style is known as
the Eastlake. while yours is more on the
Corinthian and II l should write poem
suppose you'd see several places where you
could improve it?''
Il don't think So she dryly remarked
as she rose to 60.
We'll. that hatters me, Of course. and
in return desire to say that could read
your poetry Till fell asleep
Thank you she snapped as she shot
through the door. and her heels struck the
walk as il she had unpleasant thoughts
Detroit Free Press.