Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1888-11-07
WHAT is LITERARY MERlTs
What Is the Agreed Upon Standard?-In.
trinsic Literary Worth.

What Is the Agreed Upon Standard?-In.
trinsic Literary Worth.
What constitutes literary meritF'
Each editor thinks he knows 80 does
each literary critic So do the people who
viii tell you that the poems or essays or
books that live are possessed Of 1t. There
Is sort of agreed upon standard, known
in vague way by literary people and
represented by our best periodicals. By
all means keep this standard high, and
keep yourselves up to the standard; but
ut the same time, once In a while, let
your mind dwell upon the lesson con-
tanned in the parable of the widows mite.
If poems or prose writings had intelli-
gence, and could think for themselves,
there would be one infallible test for in
trinsic value that they might append to
themselves after they had stood the fur
ther test of time: "Only remembered for
what have done" For instance, several
years ago a little poem appeared in one of
our daily papers from local author.
cannot think he was paid for it, nor can
I think any other paper ever thought 1t
worth copying for it's own columns.
well remember glancing over it with q
little bit Of contempt in my mind and q
good deal of indifference, and feeling sure
it was quite without literary merit" 1t
was about the "baby boy" a very hack
neyed subject, you will all agree.
Well, the other day my pride of judg-
ment received humiliating blow. A
woman, good and true. in the humble
ranks of life, had seen this poem. Her
own baby boy was only few weeks old,
and perhaps she had let creep into her
heart the thought that he was something
Of burden. with poverty and hard work
pressing upon her each day. The little
poem struck higher, better chord than
that, and the tune of her thoughts grew
sweeter. She cut it out of the paper and
tucked it into the sewing machine drawer,
and learned it, line at time, as she sat
at work. Nor did it stop there; around
among the neighbors it went, and brought
many blessing to the little babies in the
poor, crowded houses.
Question: ''Did the poem have literary
merritt Certainly; its simple phraseology,
it's humble truth. its honest purpose,
spoke to the mind as well as the heart of
these people as one of Browning's sonnets
could not have done.
Again: There is housekeeping paper
published in one of our western cities.
Every ordinary" have been wont to pro-
nounce it, and after a cursory, Indifferent
perusal have sent away my numbers to
a little housekeeper on a Virginia farm.
She is brave little woman, left, at the
age of IA, by the death of her mother, to
bring up the three younger children and
do the housework. Very limited was her
schooling, of course For two years, now,
she has had this housekeeping journal,
and I have had her occasional letters. And
how she has grown mentallyl 1t must
have been the literary merit" in that
paper that called ordinary. and could not
waste my time upon.
There is apparent literary value and an
intrinsic one, I feel bound to admit.
There may be two ways of considering
whether poem or book lives. If it is
printed over and over again at the de-
mand of the people, all the world knows
it lives. But it sometimes happens that
it is printed only once, is caught up by
some heart, passed on and on In word or
influence, and the good it does never dies.
Is it not really literary merit" that makes
it Hve-the mode of it's expression as well
as it's inherent thought? lam asking; for
at the very end of my remarks, with o
full recognition of the value of high
standards, with just respect for editors,
critics and cultivated readers, but with
an equally ardent appreciation of compar-
alive value, humbly confess that I do
not know what literary merit" really is.
-Juniata Stafford in Belford's Magazine