The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1889-06-22
ENGLISH LITERATURE PRIZE.

President of the University for spe-
cial excellence in the school of Eng
lish was this year awarded to Mr.. j.
z. Brown. The average marks of
essay and examination determine
the award. The following extracts
are taken from Mr.. Browns essay,
the subject of which is:
THE LITERARY MERITS AND INFLUENCE
OF WORDSWORTH.
Wordsworth cannot be ranked
among the popular poets. Mere
popularity, however, is not a true
test of merit. Many poets of less
excellence are far more widely read,
because they deal with the tangible,
with concrete images, while Words
worth, on the contrary, deals largely
with abstract ideas-with the un-
seen.
One of the greatest obstacles
which opposed itself to the favorable
acceptation of the Wordsworthian
poetry, and at the same time a self
created one, was his theory of poetic
diction. The age Immediately pre-
ceding was characterized throughout
by the same style of classic verse
Although noted for its elegance, pol
ish, and purity of diction, it was
conventional, critical, and artificial
in the highest degree. Wordsworth
rebelled against the style, the rhet-
ORIG, and the unreality of the times
and sought to reproduce in poetry
"the language really spoken by men
with the meter superadded." His
theory of poetry was, in substance,
that its diction should be very SINH
lar to that Of prose, and that the
only essential difference between
prose and poetry is, that the latter
is written in meter, or meter and
rhyme combined. This theory sprang
from the simplicity and sincerity Of
his nature.
Although he says, Il have taken
as much pains to avoid what is usu-
ally called poetic diction as others
ordinarily take to produce it," yet
he invented theory of his own and
for years adhered to it with tenac-
ity that knew no compromise. He
renowned the old regime, and urged
that the poet should strip himself of
conventional language and poetic
diction, abandon show and seek eff
feet, and insisted that the grand
question is, not ornament but truth.
His position was certainly an ex-
IRENE one, but the evils against
which he had to contend were sufli-
GENTLY great to justify this course
of action
But the change. was too sudden,
the age was welded to style and was
10th to give it up. He did not ex-
pect to overturn the sentimental
school of verse with its elegant and
polished diction at one fell stroke
of his genius; it was far too firmly
established in the public mind.
He was long neglected, abused and
ridiculed, but in defiance of hostile
criticism he rose to place among
the foremost poets of his age. 1t is
fully demonstrated in his own verse
that a strict adherence to such a
theory is incompatible with the
highest poetic art He has been
criticised more severely for advocat-
ing this theory than for putting it
into practice, for in but few of his
productions has he adhered to this
principle. He so far outgrew it that
but faint traces can be discovered in
bis longer poems
Although his language is at times
prosaic, it is but the relapse of q
man of genius from style noted
for its excellence and beauty, style
from which the unmistakable glow
of genius is never wholly absent,
and which, famed by the breath of
poetic inspiration is ever bursting
forth into bright and generous
fame. He was not forced to yield
to popular criticism, but tacitly
abandoned his theory. The transi-
ton was gradual, there was conces-
sion on both sides and the poet
grew into favor. His genius
rose superior to his taste. He
educated public to appreciate
his originality, although in so doing
he suffered years of neglect, insult
and scorn, but since then, learned as
semblies, societies of letters, and
senates have rung with acclamations
to the echo of his name. His repu-
tation rs poet depends almost en-
tirely upon the purity of thought
and elevated moral feelings so char
acteristic of all his works. He was
not guided in his writings by the likes
or dislikes, the approval or the
sneers of men; he was not nourished
by the "sickly food of popular APP
plause,a but had faith in his works
and their ultimate reward. On one
occasion he wrote to Southey, "Let
the age love its own darkness, I shall
continue to write, with, trust, the
light of heaven upon me-" He was
successfully the pioneer, martyr, and
patriarch of the new school. He
was fitted by nature for the duties
and trials of reformer.
William Wordsworth was born
April 7th, ITO, at Cockermouth,
England, and was the second of five
children
4 4 <
His father died when William was
fourteen years of age, and his two
uncles, on whose care he was thrown,
sent him to st. Johns College, Cam
bridge, in 1887, where he remained
for four years. He became a good
Latin scholar and a profound admir-
er of the higher mathematics, but
did not distinguish. himself as stu
dent.
X \ y 4
While at College he read Chaucer,
Spenser, Goldsmith, Grey, and Mil
ton, but his soul was i'll at ease. 1t
seems singular that mind SO medi-
tative and so philosophical should
have been dissatisfied in this "gar-
den of great intellects"; but his love
for nature surpassed his love for all
else, and, amid these grand old halls
grey with age and rich with historic
and intellectual renown, for centur-
les the sacred nurseries of blooming
YOUTH" he longed for the freedom
of his native hills, and the beloved
lakes and mountains of his earlier
days. His vacations were spent with