The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1883-01-14

by 90 doing prevented tho ends OF Justice"
Tho House OF Detention Is disgrace to
civilization, as 1t now exists under the law.
and ought to be abolished. We oan at least
go as far % Massachusetts,. where Witnesses
are only detained In cases Of felony, and
their deposition may always DO taken with
the consent OF the defendant
The Immodesty OF Certain Female Poets.
It is one Of our privileges to examine
great number and variety Of POEMS submit
ted for publication In THE SUN by verso
makers OF both sexes. This pleasure Is not
wholly unalloyed, for 1t frequently involves
On unwolcome duty. Much OF the poetry
that we read-slways with care, often with
real interest-has to be returned to the
author. or otherwise rejected. because 1t
lacks some Of the qualities which we consid-
or as essential. Perhaps the ideas are COM
monplace; perhaps they are old. Perhaps
the merit OF an original and striking concep-
ton has been obscured by infellcitous troat-
mont. Perhaps brilliancy OF execution has
been wasted upon hackneycd or insignif-
cant theme. Perhaps genius has been too
impatient Of the regulations OF prosody. or
even Of the laws OF grammatical construc-
ton. Then again. perhaps tho poetic fervor
has been imperfectly restrained by sound
Judgment and good taste; so that humor is
misplaced, or sentiment exaggerated, or tho
mind betrayed into unworthy thought. and
tho pen into indicate expression. Good
poetry, poetry worth printing In THE Sun
for the benefit OF our readers, has to meet So
many different requirements that those who
hit it of just right are few and fortunate.
Nothing within our experience in this sort
OF censorship causes us more regret than
o surprising fact Of which we intend to speak
with plainness. BY far tho greater part-in-
deed, almost all--of the poetry which we are
compelled to decline because 1t conveys i'm
modest thoughts or suggests indecent pic
lures, Is submitted by women; oftenest, ap-
parently, by young unmarried women.
Most observers of the minor poetry OF the
time must have noticed tho growth, espe-
cially at tho West OF q school OF female poets
whose imaglnations seem to have been
charmed out Of healthy common sense by
the earlier productions OF ALaERNoN
CHARLES SwrNBUBNE and DANTE GABRIEL
RossErTr They miss the finer qualities OF
these writer's; the crude indecency Is what
affords them both model and q vocabulary.
They affect the dialect OF fleshly mysticism
They would have you believe that APHRo-
DrrE. AsTARTE. PHRYNE, MEssALINA. and
the Empress FAUsTINA are their types of
divine and human womanliness. In their
holder flights they intimate that they them
selves have no more maidenly reserve or
respect for the moral law than a skipping
bacchante might have. They live In a
chronic dolirium. They think and dream OF
1.-the limbs, kisses that char, blood that
leaps, and the salt, sharp tears Of sin. They
langulsh or gasp In sensual Mysteries. II
you take their word for 1t, they would sell
Heaven for one long, lingering OSCILLATION.
No doubt they are lying, but their pretence
Is that they arc ready. In the language OF
their school, to leave the lilies and languOrs
OF virtue for the roses and raptures Of vice.
In all tho degrees, from simple suRges-
ton to absolute pruriency, utterances OF
this sort are disgusting; proceeding from
young women who are estimable In other re-
spects, they become inexpressibly revolving.
Yet there are some young women among the
contemporary poets who appear to feel
sort OF professional pride In their ability to
8ONoty ucoi Iuo iiuo lHoI oepoTutco tuc Quc5-
tionahle from tho Dnsitivol,, ipdaoopt Not
"AA 'A' Po''''' on'' N>o'
.'ot"oa''y' W. a'1 ,, eoity " nuu' .noy man
"sH ~ ~. ose. 1no Aue "au away oeyonu ~.
~ 'no .eoo". poo.l. vi Ine ne"spapels we
unu p'eu.S VI i''us'la''ole VI 'nis uep'olao'o
senu.n.y "nu 'loi" oou'u 10 Nv o'ton1er
PITY. "a VIM W. 81. sayihs unan 'i.c Simple
contained in passages which, for an obvious
reason, we CANNOT lay before our readers.
uoro is n ,,on,r. Iol,, u,.> ,,,.,to, 80 rok-
AAoAo 10 -" SounS A"uy WIZ "'lIco "a WV
her the month Al imnOrt ant tn all c,Ilti vators
-. >.
49, ~ - ~ .oss no. u'T ,,.O
wsntan. ' ''''~'''' '''A'A 'p'0"'' ''A'
He, crimson bodice is torn ..d.
And her ,; sof, pale bo.on CLEANS like snow;
iisr .snsaous ips are red aud rare
Her arms aud her f.e are Will. and Sar.
The samc poet feels IL incumbent unon her.