Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1884-03-20
Arnold on Emerson.

bthnu even pleasanly IN the memories
Of his English readers. In truth, Emer-
son is not in my Judgment 4 legiti-
mate poet. His poetry is interesting.
IL make one think. but il is not the
poetry OF a great poet say this with
regret, for admire Emerson, but I saw
IL as a matter Of justice not only to
truth but TO his own great soul and
mind.
Milton says that poetry should be
simple, Serious, and impassioned
Emerson's poetry seldom contains any
one of these qualities. His poetry
lacks feeling, ciearness and energy.
There are some passages, to be sure,
which in beauty and grace are worthy
of Cray, but Cav held his place as q
poet by the power and skill with which
his cvo' utions were conducted. Emer-
sons ''Maydayh has no evolution at
all. In general his poetry has no evo-
lu,ions. In his "TitmouSc" the reader
is never able TO obtain a clear idea of
what his tilmouse did. The author is
not concrete enough-not poet enough
TO TEL us. His readers are left to guess
for themselves. do not place Emer-
son among the great poets or the great
men of letters. VINO are the great
men of letters? such men us Cicero,
Patio, Bacon, Swift and Voltaire. They
were writers oi grace AMI stvle. Emer-
sons style was not only uncertain but
often very weak. Some of his English
critics had ventured to call him too
green. Emerson has written passages
of noble and pathetic eloquence and
sbrewd and pointed wit, besides some
OF the most exquisite epigrams. He
has not the style of great writer,
however. do not even consider Car
lyle great writer. Emerson promised
Carlyle immortality for his histories.
They will not have it.
Emerson has been called the founder
of philosophy. Speaking carefully,
Aristotle, Plato and Kant cannot be
called great writer's. Yet they build up
pniiosphies. Emerson cannot be called
II great philosophical writer because he
could not build. His philosophical
works have no progress, no evolution.
He knew his own defects very well,
and he formulated the defect of his
own style of production when he spoke
of his tendency to the lapidary style.
Some who say that Emerson's poetry is
too abstract and his philosophy too
vague declare that his best work was
his English Traits" l am free to
admit that the English Traits" have
most excellent qualities, but they are
not great. 1t is but simple justice to
Emerson to measure him by the high
est standard. The faults OF his En-
glish Traits" are faults of observation.
Emerson's observations were of sys-
tematic benevo.ence. They will not
stand the stern test OF actual condi-
tions. We should keep our literary
conscicnces true, and judge every kind
of literary work by the conditions
proper to it. Judged in that way En-
glish Traits" is certainly not work of
perfection.
We rea ize then that Emerson's re-
lation TO mankind is not that of great
poet, a great writer, or a great philo-
sophy-maker, but it is of superior inn
portance, nevertheless. His relation
is more like that of the Emperor Mar
Gus Aurelius. He Is the friend and
alder OF those who would live in the
spirit. All of the points in thinking is
necessary for purpose he takes, but
he does not combine them into sys-
tenn OF philosophy. Emerson possessed
the talent necessary to give aid to those
who desired to think and to see the
good and the pure in life. Character
and earnestness. were necessary qualiti-
cations for such task, and those he
possessed in a large degree. The good
is close TO us, and the skepticism OF our
age and OF many of our eminent men
should be resisted. Pretcnsion is use
less. 1t never wrote an ..Iliad," it
never gave birth to nor developed q
Christianity, and it never abolished
slavery. Exclusion is deadly. Tne
exclusionist in religion does not see
that he shuts the door 10 himself in
trying to shut out others. Compensa-
ton tinallv is the great law of lie. 1t
is everywhere, 1t is sure. and there is
no escape from it. More practical
positiveness is what we want. Emer-
sons optimism and his defiance of
favorable relations have in them that
which is dangerous. Enerson's points
are true and fruitful if they are under
stood in the right sense. From their
own high points of view they are CO..
tainly true. The secret of his effect is
in his temper--his hopeful and serene
temper. Never had any man such a
sense of the Observation-Disclosures of nature
and of hope as did Emerson. HIS abid-
ing word for all his readers is that the
qualities which benefit them is cheer
fulness, courage and the endeavor to
realize their aspirations. One can
hardly overrate the Importance and
the value of holding on 10 hope and
cheerfulness. This teaching alone gives
to Emerson's work an estimable vir.ue.
Inc scope and upshot of Emerson's
teaching is truth. The guiding genius
is his moral sense 1t has been said
that Emerson in his writings is too
sanguine; that the present generation
is not going to turn out as we'll as he
hoped. 1t is very Likely that he was
too sanguine as to the near future.
Possibly the next few generations may
prove TO be unworthy of his high hopes.
But time will demonstrate the truth
tulness of his gentle theories. BY the
convi> Ion that in the life and hope OF
the spirit is happiness, Emerson was
truly great. Franklin and Emerson
are the most distinctly and honorably
American of any OF the writer's that this
country has produced. They are tho
most original and valuable.--NeD