The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1878-01-12
mrs XYooIson,s i.ec,nre.

Last evening Mrs. Woolson had crowded
house and she discour5ed upon the lives OF
Cowper, Burns, Scott, Byron, Shelley and
Keats. The first named did not bagin to write
until two years before Johnson'J death. His
simple songs, full of love for all mankind, and
n fact for every living thing were departure
from the old styls of writing, but notwth-
standing this, johnson praised his writings.
Possessed OF shrinking and retiring DISPOSE
tion, he would not accept OF any position in
the House of Lords, aud the thought of being
compelled to pass au examination drove him to
insanity. Il wassto prevent these attacks that
his friends urged him to write poetry and upon
one of these suggestions he wrote John Gil
piD." The Task was written undsr similar cir
cumstances His translation of Homer was
not particularly happy, some of the more STIR
ling scenes being too tame. His poems in OBJ
position to slavery will always b. RENT mbered
-Four years after Cowper's first production an
peared, Robert Burns first poem was given 10
the world. he was peasant of Scotland. In
1856 he went TO EdiDburg and spent two Years
there; he learued bad habits which caused his
early death. The most remarkable thing about
his poetry was the fact that he was unlettered.
His songs butbled up from his warm heart and
are easier to read, bat do ct contain as much
real poetry as his SONGS
SIR W alter Scott first appeared as a writer in
1875, when he translated q German ballad.
Three years later he furnished prose transla.
tlon Of one OF Gcethe's dramas. In 1902 he
edited collection IF songs entitled "The Min
streisy OF the Scotch Border In
1905 he wrote "The Lay of the last
Minstrel" Following these came a number of
his best poems. At last he discovered the day
1or his poems bad passed. and be began 10
write historical novels. He was not a great
poet, from the fact that there was but little
real poetry IN what he wrote. AS novelist he
was too elaborate, and he was not correct
enough IN his statements to be reliable as his
torlan. de always portrayed all women as
lovely, young, and unprotected, and there are
many OF Us who protest agaiUst such classifica-
ton. Scott had a noble character aud for this
we snail always remember him.
Lord Byron's poems probably would not have
attracted SO much attention had they not been
written by member of a noble family, who
was young and rich. His writings declined as
rapidly as they came up. The best thing be
wrote was Childe Harold " He appeared to
nave 4 responsibility for his writings many of
whlch are OF the most corrupt nature, and he
can be dismissed shortly
Shelley and John Keats were two young
poets, both OF whom died at an early age, but
they left good evidences of what they could
produce. The former was an airy and visiona-
ry poet and there was little foundation for his
WORKS. She cited several of his hest works.
y Ohm Keats was his bosom friend, and when
ms BODY was found in the water copy of
Keats works was found on his person Keats
was Londoner and was very poor. His lode
to Autumn" aud " Ode to a Nightingale" were
his best productions. When criticising bis
WORKS bis age should always be considered. If
other greatipo9ts had died at his age their pro.
dlctlonS would be very meapfe