The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1884-02-09
POctry's Influence.

Ing account Oh MS OWL experience as w
the effect of poetry on his own life. It's
only recommendation he remarks, is
its strict and literal truth:
'Is the poetic sensibility really a
gainp" You ask the question; let me
give brief and plain review of my
own experience during my apprentice
ship to life. Twas born north of the
Tweed. Death too soon appeared in
my home, and was cast out on what
/ | found to be cherries and callous
| world. began to question fate and
wonder why my lot should be so hard.
| became fond of solitude | did not
dream of the future. could see moth
ing beyond the cru'l present, with its
daily, deadening drudgcly, But there
came II change, was on my way one
clear and sharp winter night to my
lonely garnet lodging waen | paused
on the bridge across which | had to
pass. was leaning over the parapet
and gazing down into the water when
suddenly | experienced mental change
which altered the whole current Of my
being. | could not account for it then
and cannot do so now; but there it was.
A wide vista of hope and possibility
was spread out before ne. seemed
in an instant to have entered upon a
new and nobler stage OF life, | had
suddenly awakened to a new percep-
ton of the beautiful, although the light
was yet dim.
About this time found a companion
who was fond of books. He took me
often home with him, and we spent the
evening reading Burns and Byron and
Scott Byron was the favorite, We
never tired of him. In Graham 5 Sab
bath" and Pollock ; Course of Time, "
forgotten though both be nowadays,
our youthful minds found many pas
sages which pleased. Summer came,
and began to discover in my walks
many of the beauties of nature of which
the poet sang. In the trees and flow
ers, the gray hills and green valleys,
the simple hamlets with their blue
smoke curling upwards in the gloam-
inc, the rising and setting sun, | eXpe-
rienced an inexpressible pleasure which
| had never known before. On Sun
days sought the country more and
the kirk less. The harmonies which
n slight breeze stirred in the fir woods
near my home were far sweeter to me
than the strains of the well trained
choir in the old cathedral. The Pris-
oners OF Chillon' and the death of
Haidec had far more attractions then
than 'In Mcmorium" The years Slip
ped away and the inevitable changes
followed in their train. Fortune or
dained that | should visit foreign lands.
And what joy then my acquired tastes
gave me! | shall never forget the day
| spent at the waterfall in the island of
Penange-than which spot there is not
Il more beautiful in this beautiful world
-reveling in the wealth of tropical
scenery which there aboundS. And
nearing Singapore, how truly, felt,
did TennysOn's lines describe the scene
Summer isles of Eden lying in dark
purple spheres of sea-" Then and ever
afterwards thanked God with all my
neart that had learned to read and
appreciate poetry.
Several years of quiet life on an is
land in the far east increased my "po-
etc scnsibilty" tenfold. What to many
men would have been simple Danish
ment, only afforded me an excellent OPP
portunity of getting acquainted with
the works Of most OF the men who have
made English poetry what it is. As
my knowledge of their writings widen
ed, my sympathies with all mankind
quickened, | saw hundreds of times
brutes in human shape from this old
England OF ours kick and cuff the help
less Oriontals, and my blood boiled.
| returned to my native land with q
deeper experience of life, and Il greater
desire to do what | could to lessen the
of some VINO bear so much.
| walk through the streets of this
mighty metropolis sometimes, and
call it weakness and unmanly if you
tears start TO my eyes at the !
scene | see. 1t was poetry that opened |
my eyes to these things, and many |
more besides. think were il only pos |
sibIe to get some of the poor creatures
that throng our thOroughfares and |
teach them TO see some of the beauties |
Of nature what different men and wo-
men they would become! | have little
time to read poetry now. Twelve hours
per day of hard work leave no time for
the cultivation of the mind. But, thank
heaven, have Il good memory. And
amid all the hustle and worry with
which | have to contend, often recall |
n verse or a picture from some of my
tavorite authors, which makes the
wheels of existence run far more
than they would otherwise
10. No man can truly love poetry and
the beautiful in the material and moral
worlds without being the better for it.
Life is worth living and poetry does
more to brighten and cnnoble it than
most persons suppose. Poetic sensi-
bility, then, hold is "really gain"
Pal Mall GdzcHc.
-
knowledge in Nutshell.