San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1890-07-03
CORN POETRY.

From the Western Presage, Indianapolis.
In the somewhat elaborate essay on "1n-
dian Corn" which recently appeared in
the Presage, somo reference was made to
the poetry of the subject by Bayard Taylor,
&c. Mention of some other compositions
of the same class, equally meritorious, was
not made. 1 propose supplying this omis-
sion with respect to writer of onr. Revo-
lutlonary era. whose name was then not n
little noted as that of poet, philosopher,
and statesman, however little known it may
now be. l alude to Joel Barlow of Con-
necticut, He was, rs is pretty well known,
the author of The Columbiad, an epic poem
upon which he bestowed great attention,
and on which he fondiy rested his hopes OF
Immortality here below. But his great
epic" has long since passed out of notice.
and its author, the equal and associate OF
rulers and legislators, would ere this, per
hars, have followed it into oblivion, had ii
not been that he wrote, besides The Column
biad, poem of three cantos, entitled The
Hasty Puddipg-which (it may be neces
sary to inform the Western reader) mean'
W hat is vulgarly called "mush," the ust
of which designation, how ever, our author
deprecates in the apostrophe--
Even in thy native regions, how blush,
To hear the Pennsylvauians call thee mush!'
This happily conceived and executed paste
raj was, rs appears from it, suggested b.
the authors unexpectedly meeting with
Hasty Pudding while residing IN Europe:
''Dear hasty pudding! what unlocked fo
JOY
Pervades my heart to greet thee in Savoy,
Preparatory to his subject, the antho
necessarily is led to consider the materia
of it-Indian Corn, in Offering tribute t.
which he pays fine compliment to his na
tive land:
''For climes oblique, that fear the sum
full rays,
Child in their fogs exclude the generous
maize,
A grain whose rich, lIxuriant growth ro
quires
Short, gentle showers, and bright, etherla
fires"
He proceeds to describe the planting ant
cultivation of Indian Corn-thus graphical
ly depicting it when in its prime:
"Now the strong foliage bears the stand
ards high,
And shoots the tall top-gallants to the
sky"-
down to the gathering.
But hear the soldier, poet, diplomotiit
and philosopher in praise of Hasty Pud
ding and Indian Corn:
"My song, resounding in its grateful glee
No merit claims; praise myself in thee.
My father loved thee through his length Of
days;
For thee his fields were shadowed DER will
maize;
From thee what health what vigor he pos
sess'd,
Ten sturdy freemen from his loins attest;
Thy constellation ruled my natal morn,
And all my bones were made of Indian
Corn"
And again, as to the origin of Hasty
Pudding:
Some tawny Ceres, goddess of her days,
First learned with stones to crack the wei
dried maize,
Through the rough seive to shake the
golden shower,
T 1 "a, Tho yaliOpv Hnur.
The yellow -four bestrewed and stirred
with haste,
Swelis in the food, and thickens to 9
PASTE" &c.
As closely allied to bis subject-furnish
ing n chief accompaniment, which com
mends it to the palate-our author pays the
following tribute to the COW:
"Blest COW. thy praise shall still my notes
employ,
Great source Of health, the only source oi
joy;
Mother Of Egypts god-but sure for me.
Were to leave my God I'd worship thee.
How oft thy teats these precious hands have
pressdi
How oft thy bounties proved my only feast
How oft I've fed thee with my favorite
grain!
And roard, like thee. to find thy children
slain"
We have not space to quote many other
similar fine passages Of this poem. We
refer the reader 10 il, ns a complete manual
Of Hasiy Pudding faith and practice. II
NAV be found in Guswold's Poets Of Amer
ica. and also in that laier and greatly 81
psriur work. DuyKinek's CyeloPedia Of
American Literature. J. II. j.