New-York tribune., 1885-01-21
TIE LAKE SCHOOL or POETS.
MRS. ABBY SAGE RICHARDSON on cOLERIDGE AND
wOHDswOR1H.

MRS. ABBY SAGE RICHARDSON on COLEmDGE AND
WORDSWORTH.
Mrs. Abby Sage Richardson delivered the
first OF her course lectures upon Poets aud Poetry OF
the Nineteenth Century yesterday morning. The sub
lect was The Lake School OF Poets" Mrs. Richardson
spoke OF the Lake School being the transition step
between the poetry of Crbbe and hi, contemporaries
and that of scott and Byron The was first applied
by Ihe EdiabHgh Rerew to a cotero OF poets. who lived
In the lake region OF England. and whose poetry Is
characterized by intense sympathy with nature and
thorough appreciation OF tho poetic aspects OF every
day lio Colerdge and Wordsworth, tho chiefs ot the
Lake School, held the theory that poetry is not dis
honored by dealing with what are ordinarily called
commonplace and that the poet draws inspiration
even the daily toll Of the laboror COlerdgc. said
Mrs, Richardson. was unfortunately slave 0l the opium
habit lie INDUCED I'm the drug not To procure the
dreamy pleasures which II gives but was driven 10 lts
AN antldoto against terrible bodily pam lie dd
not follow the example or many poets ana reserve the
choicest OF his mind for the printer His con
,ersatiOn brilliant than his written works
ana his contemporaries testify To the charm which he
cIcrcd over all those VINO approached MN. Ol MS
printed works Mrs. Richardson selected three which.
she said are the Dniy ones 6hich justly ms great opu
tation These The Ancient Mariner the intro
ducOn to The Dark Lady" and ChrstabeL or
The Ancient Mariner she said that ii' charm ana tue
effect that IL produces can be explained acc0IdlhS 70 no
rules Of poeticai critcsm Coeridge himself could not
have explained them; they are tue spontaneous pro
duction of genius. Having read few lines from Ihe
Dark Lady" and called attention to tho wonderful
passion and tenderness hch they breathe. Mrs Richard
son passed to the consideration Of" Christahel This
Two widely separated periods, and monument OF Cole
ridges unfortunate incapacy for complete accVeineht
While the poem yet existed only In fragments. Coeridge
read OF them friend who subsequently re-
Teated them TO scott. The great novelist was struck
with the beauty OF the measure ana suggested 10 nm
the metre which he used in "Thc Lay oI the Last
Minstrel
Mrs Richardson said of Wordsworth that he seems to
have been felcred by his theories or poetry aV-
Ing madU up his mind that every day SUBJECTS are I'LL or
pootc treatment he carried his theory To excess, ana III
many Instances became absolutely commonplace; On
other hand. hc has great qualities. among Whch may
bo
Office OF poet his deep OF nature, and his living
sympathy with his fellow men. Ills greatest merit now
most spiritual Of winch human nature Is capable
Unfortunately his complete lack OF all sense of hunor
prevented MIN from seeing the absurdity O some Of his
poetry souey belongs to the Lake school rather
association and conviction than by an actual adoption
OF it, principles IA his works The themes OF MS longer
poems aro taken rather from history and books th rom
nature II IN his shorter poems only that he follows
theories OF C0erge and Wordsworth and seeks MS
subjects among the Incidents OF actual ie inc lecture
with tribute to the purity OF mind whIch charc
tcriLcd every poet OF this school.