The Arkansaw traveler., 1883-04-28

of that richness ito 6orrox from colloqny a sogcihle terml which ~e are too fond of confounding with the ideal. l, Is the ex- cess of the suggested meaning-it IS the rendering this the upper, instead of the undercurreni cf the theme which turns into prose (and that of the very hattest kind), the so-called poetry of the so-eaiied transccndentalis,s
 l, is doubtless true ths, the chief ob- lection to most of Emefson's 5 poetry Is, that II lacks the dcitcate truth. or art minor art, m maybe-~hich gives a mellow tsnge te verse: and u IS in thls delicate and harmonious establishment of verse that. more than all else. renders Poe master word-painter. and lends gentle halo to his verse. On the other hand. Elmer son often ~eds abrupt words aad unpoetical phrases to the mos; poench thoughts Still. with all his defects Tn the making of good verse. i, seems to me that his conception of poetry and the province ot poetry, IS most artist and philosophical. In other words his ideas of the poeiieal surpass has ability to exc cute. His eye behc.ds more th sn his pen can achieve. Though he has not. and. perhaps. never ~ill meet the popular ear as a poet his verses coatain many melo- dies. ~ln his prose are some of the most beautiful and suggestive sentences to be found m all literature. and one is fotetbiy reminded that thnugh h. under the" under current of thought. suggestion may i predoninate in his verse. Il Is equally true i that poetical suggestions and art-tinses i crowd his manly prose. In view oi the gentle fancies which he in,er~caves with hls prose. Il migh, not be too much to say that he wrote poetry when he s,- tempted prose and, in view Of the cN- cess of thought in his verse, that he wrote prose when he attempted verse. To this statement there arc many exceptions. As an illustration of the general statement relative 10 his poems. l submit an eN- am pie. Here is one of Emersons poems. written as preface to spiritual Laws. Read il. and you will md the thought so dense AS to mar is beauty as poem:
 The living heaven thy prayers respect.
 House al one and architect, i Ouarrylns mans rejected hour,
 Builds ;herc~ .th c;crna. toacts l Sole and self-commAnded ~orN.. Fears not undermining days. ] s, Grows by decays.
 And, bS the tanlai> nj ght that sAfAs.
 He reaction and tee9Ii
 Mike, flame ;o iteesr. and icc i3 bon.
 Forging, taEoagh sSaEtll arms c! aHras#..
 The s.IsUr seat U. !aaoeense, -
 There IS not one person in thousand who w,ll reaa that verse and call II beae- .,i ,t has descubaole charm. As contrast. take the poem of Foes. beginning
 II, was many a...! a4ey | sca- Aso
 In a klnedo b, the sea.
 Iaat mad th.fe lsea w!'o:i -. s..ts kno~.
 By the nalae Of Am sbel Lee -
 And il $ generally admired for .,s melo- dies.
 When you desire to sec Emerson's po- etry you may ind 1t by turning to his prose essays. Every page of his remark able essay on Love IS suggestive of fairy-lAnd pictures What can be more beautiful than this
 :" No man ever forgot the visita,ions of that power to his heart and brain. which created all things new; which was the dawn Tn hun ot music, poetry and art :: which made the face of nature radiant with purple light. the morning ard the night varicd entertainments"
 Aga.n .. The day was nos long enough. but the night. too. must be consumed in keen recollection: when the moonlight was pleasing fever and the stars were letters and the flowers eiphers. and the air was co;ned into song" See waa; a fancy is here: The lover sees no reseia- blance except 10 summer evenings and diamond mornings. to rainboss, and the song of birds
 canno, dismiss the subJec, wi;hoa; word relative 10 Emerson's ideas oi po- etry. He regarded poetry as the second and higher meaning of prose, as sym bol which points to the fact next beyond reality. The poet gives us the eminent experiences oply-a god stepping from ! peak to peak, now planting hs foo, but on a mountain. :. First. the fact: sec ond. it's impression. or wha, think oft This IS the bass of facts as viewed by Emerson: The impressions on the ln- i agination make the great days of life. Perhaps the keynote to his philosophy of poetry IS in this sentence: Poetry Is the perpetual endeavor to express the spirit of the thing. 10 psss the brute boldly, and search the life and reason which causes ! ii to exist. to See tha, the obyec, is always floating away, whiis, the spirit or neces- sity which causes II subsists" Emerson viewed poetry through the eye of philos- ophy Poe, through the eye of art Poe studied effects and attained them Emerson. studied though, and attained it. Poe studied with elocu,ion m view. as the actor studies the capabilities of his art Emerson wrote for the few, Poe for the many. Poe wrote for the heart by the intellect. and Emerson wrote for the in- tellect in the language oi the heart.
 Thaekeray and Dickens