The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-08-30

mont OF existenoe-by which Man Ia pro-
PEELED to act. and strive. and buffet with Cir
| cumstance. Tho sure way. IA Icy. Is ilrst to
know n Mans faults and then be passive-it
after that he insensibly draws you iows' d
! him. then you have no power to break the
link" To Reynolds. also. Keats told many OF
his most earnest thoughts 1t waa 10 Rey-
nolds. for example, that remarkable letter
/ was addressed. from which We make the fol-
lowing excerpts: " I had an idea that Nh n
might pass very pleasant life In
this manner-Lst him on = certain day
read a certain mage OF full Poesy or dis
tile | Prose. and let him wander with 1t. and
muse upon It. and reflect from It, AMI br! ng
homo to It, and prophesy upon it. and dream
upon It, until It become stnle. Bat when will
| 1t do SOP Never-When Man has arrived at n
certain riponess In intellect any one grand
and spiritual passage serves him rs n
| starting-post toward all the two-and-
thirty Palaces How hapry is such q
voyage OF conception. what delicious. dill
gent Incidence: A doze upon sofa docs
does not hinder It, and u nap upon Clover en-
Renders ethereal finger po!ntings-the rrattls
OF a child gives II W ngs. and the converse Of
middle-Rge II strength to bent them q strain
OF music conducts to an odd angle OF tho
lsle and when the leaves whisper It puts
grille round the earth" Keats COOS
OF great books need involve no ir-
reverence to their writers. FOR perhaps the
honors paid by man t., man are trifles In COM
rarison to tho benefit donc by great works to
tho spirit and pulse OF good. by their mere
passive existence" Memory" he continues,
".hcud not he called knowledge. Many have
original minds who do not think It; they are
lei away by Custom. Now. 1t appears to mo
that almost any Man may. liko the spider. spin
- Ii. II.
the points OF leaves and twigs on which tho
spider begins her work are few AMI she nils tho
air with beau ifu circuiting. Man should DO
content with as few points to tip with the fre
Wob OF his Soul. and weave = tapestry empy-
roam. full OF symbols for his so ritual eve. OF
softness Tor his spiritual touch. OF space for his
wnndering OF distinctness for his luxury. But
the min Is 81 moitns nre so different and bent
on such diverse Journeys that II may at first ap-
pear impossible for any common tnste and fell
lowship to exist betwsen two or three under
these suppositions. 1t 10. however. quite tho
contrary Minds would leave zach other In con.
trary directions. traverse each other In num-
berless points. and at last greet each other at
the journeys end. An oil man and u child
would talk together. and the old man be led on
his path and the child lott thinking Man
should not dispute or nssert, but whispor re-
suits to his Nei9hpor. and thus by every germ
OF Shirt sucking the sap from mould ethereal
every human beiug might become great. und
humanity instead OF being n wide henth OF
furze and briars. with here and there remote
Oak or Pine. would become a grand democracy
OF forest trees.' 1t is In he course OF tho Same
striking letter to Reynolds thatrecurring to the
timeworn metaphor Of the beehive Keats says,
1t seems to mo that We should rath,r be the
flower than the Bes-for 1t is a false notion that
more is gained by receiving than giving
no. the receiver and the giver are equal In their
benefits. The flower, doubt not. receives a
fair guerdnn from the Bee-its leaves blush
deeper in the next spring-and who shall say
between Man and Woman which is the more
delighted? Nowit IL mnre noble to sit like
Jove than to fly like Mercury: lot US not.
therefore. go hurryinG about and collecting
honey. be,.like. bnzzing hero ami there Inn
patiently from knowledge OF what is to be
arrived at. But let us open our leaves like
flower. and be passive and receptive; budding
patiently under the eye OF Apollo and taking
hints from every noble insect that favors Us
with visit. SAP will 10 given US for meat.
and dew for link"
Keats did MT overestimate "Endymton."
and most people ngree with Shelley in thinking
that In spte OF its ent beauties 1t is impossi-
BILE to read that poem throuch q: . sitting.
Keats was to give tho full measure OF his
talent In his third book. containing. besides
other poems OF superlative excellence. "Hy-
perion" and st. Agnes Eve" Meanwhile. he
tells his friend Taylor In a letter dated Feoru-
ary. 1918. that in Endymion" he had most
likely but moved into the go.oart from tho
leading strings" He goo, on to mention that
in poetry he has n fow aXioms to wit:
"First-1 think postry should surprise BY a
fine excess. and not by singularity; 1t should
strike thu realsr as a wording Of his own
highest Thoughts. and appear almost q re-.
memorance.
"Second-lts touches Of beauty should never
be half wav thereby making tho reader breath
less instead Of content. Tho rse. the prog
ress. thu setting OF Imagery should. like tho
sun. come natural to him. shine over him. and
set soberly. although in magnilcence. leaving
him in the luxury OF twilight. But 1t is custer
to think what poetry should be than to write
1t. And this lends mo to another axiom-that
II poetry comes not as naturally as the leave.
to u tree. 1t had hetter not come at ALL
In the spring OF 1878. Keats. who was already
threatened with pulmonary troubles spent
some weeks In Teigumouth. 1t does not take
him long to discover that tho Devon hire lasses |
are pretty and that the Devonshire men are
louts. Of more permanent value than such
oc"oA
poor Keats. who had but few years to live.
sketches somewhat extensive plan OF SELF |
Q lucatIon. Il have written" no says. to
George for some books-shall learn Greek an
worry likely Italian-and In other ways prepare
myself to ask Hnzitt in about a years time the
best metaphysical road l can take For
although take poetry to be Chief. yet there ia |
something e!s" waning to one who passes |
his lifo among Books and thoughts on
Books. long to feast upon old Homer 40 we
have upon Shakespeare. and as have lately |
upon Milton. II you understand Greek. AID |
would road mo passages now and then. ak
planning their meaning. 'twould be. from its
msiiness. perhaps. a greater luxury than
reading tho thing ones sell. l shall 10 happy
whom ran do the same for YOU" KeRts pro.
ceeds to tell hi. friend that he has finished tho
poem OF " Isabella. or the Pot OF Basil" As he |
quotes three stauzas 1t is evden, that he liked
them and for that reason We reproduce them:
Were they unhappy then lit cannot be-
Too many tears for lovers have been she'd.
Too many signs give We to them In fee
Too much Of pity after they are dead
Too many dOleful stories do We see