The Democratic advocate., 1881-12-17
For the Democratic -Adrocate.
Poets of One Poem.

number of poets there is, whose reputation
as such has been acquired by one single
production, whose names have gone through
out the enlightened world made famous by
one single effusion.
And by this we do not refer to such poets
as Homer, Milton, Chaucer and Spenser,
known the world over for such master
pieces as the 'Iliad," Paradise Lost, "
Canterbury Tales and the ''Fairie Queen, .
nor do we mean those who have risen to
eminence like Pope by his Essay on Mar" :"
Thomson by his Seasons" Young by his
''Night Thoughts, Cowper by his "Task, F"
or Campbell by his Pleasures of Hope )"
nor yet those who, having excelled in a
great number of exquisite poems, have one
amongst them with which we are most fa-
miliar, as Burns Comm Thro' the Rye" :"
Tennyson's MAY Queen" Longfellow's
psalm of Life" or Bryant's "Thana-
topsis !" but we do mean those who have
sung merely one song and died, whose
| thoughts have been crystallized into one
diamond of richest and brightest radiance,
!. or the fountains of whose hearts have is
sued forth in one single jet in which all
their holiest and divinest emotions have
been mirrored- as John Howard Payne in
''Home, Sweet Home" Francis Scott Key
in ''The Star Spangled Banner" or Au-
gustus NJ. Toplady in Crock of Ages"
The list Of such is long and were they
put together in one volume, they would
form diadem of the choicest gems ever
collected This indeed seems to be one of
the strangest freaks of genius, that it should
ever be heated up to such intensity as to
t give vent to its emotions in these sporadic
Jets, which almost surpassed in their beauti-
full simplicity the grandeur of its more ex-
tensive outbursts. And it is interesting to
examine the history of these and see what
circumstances have produced them and in
doing this we can present no original
thoughts, but only make r6chaufS of
what has in different ways been said before
/ Have we ever wondered what surround.
ings inspired that touching and memory,
awaking melody of 'Home, Sweet Home?'
1t was written when its author was standing
under the windows of one of the most aris
tocratic houses of Mayfair in London
when he was without food or semblance Of
shelter he could call his own. In fact il
issued from Paynes heart by the absolute
want of home. And though born in this
abject condition and of these poverty
stricken circumstances, the world has liter
ally sung it until every heart is familiar
with its melody.
There appeared in the Edinburg Annua
Register many years ago short account o
the death and interment of Sir John Moor,
on the battlefield of Corunna. 1t was plail
and unattractive to the casual reader, bu
to Rev Chas. Wolfe it formed the founda
ton of his literary Immortality. He devo
ted himself at once to turning it into verse
which he did with such taste, pathos ant
even sublimity, that his poem has obtained
an imperishable place in literature. TIL
ode to which we refer "The Burial of ST
John Moore" was first published anony
mously, but the author now wears his sin
gle branch of laurel
1.-The Old Oaken Bucket was writer
more than fifty years ago by printe
named Samuel Woodwork. He was il
the habit of dropping into noted drinkin
saloon, kept by one Mallory. One day al
ter drinking glass of brandy, he smacke
his lips and declared that Mallory's brand
was superior to any drink he ever tasted.
No said Mallory, 'you are mistaken
There is drink which, in the estimation
of both of us, far surpasses this.
Whats that? +" incredulously aske
Woodwork.
The fresh spring water We used t
drink from that old oaken bucket, tina
hung in the well, after our return from tn
fields on a sultry day -
'Very true, replied Woodwork, tear
glistening in his eyes.
Returning to his printing office, he seate'
himself at his desk and began to write, AM
ere he stopped.
was embalmed in neverdying verse.
Fitz Greene Halleck may also be style'
"poet of one poem, for by what else
he known Familiarity than by the tribute il
which he has hallowed the memory o
Marco Bozzaris, the hero of Messolonghi
and by which he won for himself the dis
tinction of being the author of the bes
martial lyric in our language.
Charles Dickens humorOusly ly remarked o
GRAY, ''No man came marching down t
posterity with so small a book under hi
arm" referring of course to his "Elegy i
Country Churchyard" i" This has n
particular incidents connected with its his
tory further than that it was all write
within the precincts of the church at Gran
chester, near Cambridge. But we ma
notice. that while all other poems of which W
have made or will make mention, have bee
the work of the shortest space of time, thi
on the other hand was the work of FIJI
seven years.
Though Mrs Hemans does not strictl
belong to our category, yet when we thin
of Cassabianca, we forget all else she ha
written. Every schoolboy knows Th
Boy stood on the Burning Deck, but tn
history of the little hero thus immortalize
is not generally known. Owen Cassabiancs
native of Corsica, was born 1888. Hi
father was distinguished French polit
clan and naval commander, and his mothe
beautiful Corsican lady, but she die
young and little Owen went with his fathe
in war-vessel, and at the early age of tel
participated in the Battle of the Nile. Th
rest of the sad story we know-of the ship
taking fire-of the fathers death unknow
to the boy, and of the maintenance of hi
post to the last extreme.
Hoods touching lyric, like others W
have mentioned, was the work of moment
Its author was prompted to write it by tn
condition of thousands of working womel
in the city of London. On its first presen
tation it was rejected by three Londol
journals, and was finally sent to Punch a
the author was ''sick of the sight of it
and it was only after much hesitation OIL
the part of the editors that it appeared il
the columns of Punch But its first ap
pearance created sensation Throughout
Grao+ Rritain and at once trahled the sal