The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-01-13
lFor THE HERALD.
CRITICISM.
BY JOHN q. KILSoN.

and concise definition shows at once,
| what a dignifed and important pc
sition true criticism occupies.
The true critic il q judge, and q
Judge OF the very highest .ank. The
position Of q Judge is noble, honora-
bic and digni6ed. There ia halo oil
| sacredness and divinity around TIE
mere name.
4 Judge! The personifcation OF Wis
dom and learning! Justice, blind
folded, holds the scales; wealth, repu-
tation, honor, life. is poised in d.sad''
ful arbitration with poverty. disgrace,
death. The eye Of one only catches
J the exact balance; only one voice an
neunces the laws msiestio mandate;
one voice only pronounces the awful
sentence. It is the eye OF wisdom and
the voice OF the Judge.
But the position and functions OF
the critic are superior and more diff
| cult than those of the secular judge.
His honor has to do, principally, with
the immoral obliquities. the discor-
dan. and fretfol elements of social
life; while the critic deals with the
best, the brightest, the Hottest OBJ
jecss; and pronounces judgment upon
the best things done by the best men.
The critic is by no means an Ordi-
nary judge.
The art of criticism originated with
the Greeks. and was adopted and per.
haps improved by the Romans.
These nations carried the art to q
high state OF perfection. Considering
their limited sphere Of knowledge,
and the immense facilities that We
enjoy, it ia doubtful if our critical
| champions can claim any great de-
gree of progress. For just apprecia-
ton OF propriety OF diction; for keen
diucernment of beauties and hidden
excellencies OF thought and genius;
for the rigid scrutiny and discrimina-
ton between the faults and errors oil
the heart, and the crudities and mis-
takes of inexperience and ignorance.
how many Aristotles, Dionysiuses,
Langinases, lCiceroes and Quintilius
can be seen, bead and shoulders
above the great army OF volunteer
critics of nowadays. The reflection ID
unpleasant, and too humilisting to
dwell upon.
The Office OF criticism has enlarged
as knowledge has increased in variety
and scope. The sphere OF the ancients
being more limited than ours, they
confined themselves more to the
principles OF perception, beauties OF
thought and elegance of expression.
And they became such perfect mas
tiers in these branches OF the art,
that the examples and models they
left are referred to as the highest and
best rules to be used in just criticism
and effsctive comp osition.
Tha province of criticism 10 now
very extensive, and embraces litera.
ture, philosophy, and the fine arte;
also subjec o! antiquarian, scientific
or historical investigation. There are
general rules of criticism which sp-
ply to all these branches collectively;
and every branch OF literary study, as
well as each of the arts, has its proper
rules OF criticism. In this article we
will consider criticism only as it per.
tains to subjects OF literature.
Every aspirant for the dignifsd
position of critical judge ought to be
acquainted With the general rules of
his profession; but If he should be ig-
norant OF the proper rules which gov
ern his in yestigations of any particu-
lar subject, or fails to make @ ju-
dicious application OF them, be has
mistaken bis calling, degraded his
high position, and rendered himself
liable to criticism.
And then, the mere acquaintance
with the rulea OF criticism does not
confer the ability to apply them.
Good education and extensive &C.
quaintance with the laws of national
and provincial jurisprudence might
qualify person to be judge in sec
ular affairs; but the true critic must
possess something more than art can
teach, or study supply. In passing
judgment upon works of literature he
should be guided. not by rules alone,
but by feeling. He must possess
soul so delicstely sensitive. and so
nicely attuned to the harmonies of
intellectual power, as to discern the
hidden besuties and excellencies of
art and genius. An ordinary student
may detect srrors in grammar. and
captions pedant might csvll at
bunRling sentence; and yet, the true
critic will discover a GEM of marvel.
Gus worth beneath the dress OF un-
skillfui diction. Pearls lie in deep
waters, and he that would find them
must dive beneath the surface. ANY
land-lubber might skull boat, bot
very few possess the skill or daring
to be divers. There must be poetic
fervor IN the critic, or tae poem will
never move bis soul, though it may
glow with the fire of Pope, or sob with
the melting pathos of a Longiellow.
A person devoid Of this inner sense of
perceptive appreciation does not DOS.
sess the qualities OF the sound critic,
no matter how anxious he might be
to display his knowledge, or use the
imperfections of literary effort as
points upon which to strike out the
fitful sc!ntillations OF witty trivislties.