Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-11-19
ORIGIN OF FAMOUS POEMS.

Grays immortal "Elesy" occupied him for
aven years
Bryant wrote "Thanatonsisn in the shade
of a grand old forest-a fitting spot iorsuch
theme.
Cowper wrote one OF the drollest and
quaintest English ballads, John Gilpin's
Ride" when he was under one Of those terri
bic fits OF oppression 50 common to him
Gen. Lyle wrote his beautiful composition
"Antony and Cleopatra" which begins,
81 am dying, Egypt, dying" on the night
before his death. lie had premonition that
be was going to die the next day.
Tue noted poem The Falls of Niagara
was written by It's author, j. e. e, Drainard,
the editor OF q small paper in Connecticut in
fifteen minutes lie wrote 1t under pressure
in response to a cali for more copy"
after the Ball. the little poem which
made tie name Of Nora Perry known in the
world Of letters, was jot ed down on the back
OF an old letter, with 10 idea of the popular
ity it was to achieve in the pages of a noted
magazine.
Thomas Moore, while writing "Lalla
Roosh,' spent SO many months III read ng up
Greek and Persian works that he became an
accomplished Oriental scholar, and people
found 1t difficult to believe that its scenes
we've not penned on the spot Instead OF in .
retired dwelling in Derbyshire
Poe first thought Of The Bells" when
walking the streets Of Baltimore on win
ter's night lie rang the bell of n lawyers
house Ia stranger to HIM, walked into tie
gentleman'S library, shut hl sell up and the
next morning presented the lawyer with
copy OF his celebrated poem
The "Oid Oaken Bucket was FIRST sug-
Gested to the author, Samuel Woodworth, in
q bar room A friend with whom he was
drinking said that when they were boys the
old oaken bucket that hung in his fathers
fweil was good enough for them TO drink
from. Hoodworth immediately went home
and wrote tie famous poem
old Grimes, that familiar little felicity
In verse" which caught tho popular fancy
rs far back ms iS2I was sudden inspiration
OF the lase Judge Albert G. Greene, of Provi-
tence, L. l., who found the first verse in a
collection of old English ballads, and, enjoy
h's Its humor, built up the remainder OF the
p en- III the same cOueeit
1t is now definitely settled that tho roman
tic incidents narrated IN Winters - Barbara
Frtchie" had little foundation IN fact, but
tna the story chiefly emanated from the
fertile brain OF tue popular novelist. Mrs. L.
ID n. Southworth, is not generally known
Tint such was the case however, we have
AIR. Whittier own assurance
The verses which lifted Drete Earte into
notice "ere careiessly written, and thrown
into drawer of his editorial dess IN San
Francisco as unT 'orthy CT publication. One
day, in search OF copy" for tho magazine he
was then edittng, ho found the forgotten
lines, which, as The Heatuen Cnlneen matIo
one Of tde muet remarkable hits in American
literature,
Wordsworth wrote I'VE Are Seven back
ward. When be had finished all but the first
stan-a, Coleridge, whom be was visiting, told
him to SO III AMI get has tea and lie would
finish 1T Coerldse I'D So Inc idea
OF tho dead Ecn pulling tho ropes
in the "Anc .eut Mariner" winch would sem
more ike Coleridse than WORDSWORTH, was
nevertheless suggested by the latter