The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-07-11
THE AMERICAN POkE
Heis Vigorously aud Ably Defended By One
Who ksows,

who Knows.
To TrE EDIToR OF THE suN-Sir In re-
sponsc to recent paragraph In your paper.
alleging denrth OF great American poets and
suggesting the mood OF new onos. there aro
one or two considerations that II seems to mo
worth whllo TO submit.
You speak OF all the cont porary American
poets under seventy as "a rampant horde Of
hnnd-organ men. turning out their woarlsome
stanzns while they look up Mt the windows Of
tho houses with anxious eyes"
Don't you think you are pretty rough on the
contemporary American poets who are not
yet neutrality-suspicious.? There Is Aldrich. What
has he been doing that you should class him
as a hand-organ man don't class every Jim
Riley ~ n hand myself. nor yct Bun
ner, nor Clinton Scollard. as q general thing.
And MS for Eugene Field II no turns his hand
to tho crank sometimes 1t must lie admitted
that his Is an acceptable hurdy- gurdy. and
that the windows respond
DIR. Weir Mitchell OF Philadelphia announced
last month. In q contemporary magazine. tho
discovery OF poet who may not le as lightly
dismissed NJ the countlese small singers who
feelly chirp in the hospitahle little lighthouses
lett In tho magazines ut tho foot Of the page
who're the PROSE has given out and there was
space for padding" Ipresumo you havo con.
sidoret the documentary evidence submitted
by Dr. Mitchell in support OF his claim.
I am informed that Prof. George T. Wood.
berry OF Columbia College lately contributed u
mcritorous ode on Columbus to the Century
Magazine Have you held due inquest on Prof.
Woo nsriormance. and is that hand.
mSMes ana exploited in HaS s's STUDY any an;
n, And are you, acquainted with tho work. OF
NJ Niennrd Glider including his Harvard Phi
Beta knpnn noem and is he droning to tho
II your verdict was given after duo eonsid.
2 harsh verdict it may be Just. and il it is Just
It demands attention. Critlrsm will not iro-
fyTa th IND BE- p2s, hns lend in
cles t" tlr'ir development. Advrrting day "r
Two ago to- some amusing Iuirk Of current
may BE- the root OF ali evil. it is tho root tbs
is sfSs. s' '0Stn sne for s''sy
poets. For tncre is not mueh mo msy'ei in
great great poetry, 1t r. paid for by tho inch. and
sse OF w GH tha h"s
govern il. 4 sublime sent ment in lifting
poetic garh will bring more than u petty ono
than ono that i subj mo. It is not That tie 9
poets or nTssiSo poets TIT
W y, MI L"rT..Il3w ana MI Lowell and 81
lofty sentiments and learned to make them
SSoeHr"Ss for y or Mses 2 c%ffy w wss
year round and it was sim possii Ie t. live an
Intellectual Intel, lite il New England VILLAGE
ward into. two or three figures willie he sat
cropping for n rhyme. Railroads. were barely
invented. tel"grarhs were unknown. and
ton ont q d mo@' and int? eau.
T ssure y but e,eryt,n"E Is dear and IS
has come to 10 tho Americans favori,o
bulb. 1t Is the bulb til. poets nre digging for
write sublime r"etrv, ana after they have got
It they no longer wish to be poets. or they
have forgotten how. The consequence is that
vocation before it destroys them. and those
who keep their hold uron It tend to the pro.
for. used. and forgotten; ali within week. '"''
A remedy might be suggested for these mis-
chicvous conditions. but it is almost homo
lessly difficult of application What enables
The Sun to disseminate its particular bran
OF moral and nolltlSM&l truth nmomE great
%, Mmn, enables .s
brands Of truth mmong other masses. md the
magazines and rictnr" rnners to supply
literary matter "i acceptable IualtyI The
undi;rS'nmdinC Is mat In" power ina, makes Il
possible To 40 tneSe thlhSS on IN" vast Scnlo
un which Wa see tnem done il tn" advertiser.
1t the interests OF the sublime poe, and tho
advertiser could he so adjusted that they
might work together for good the most seri-
Gus hindrance to tho development Of great
American poets would he removed.
do not nrete nd to SEQ how 1t can be done.
Advertisements cannot lie worked into the
body Of u rcom, without destroying its sub
Unity. Even when served as nrpenhages or
mental to its effect. The most that it seems
reasonable to hope for ia that out Of the anu
cnce which they bring to newspapers and
magazines editors will somrtim" feel war
rnnted in paving great ,,ric.s for great poems.
and even in paying loets. il promising. retain
ing fees which shall no IN some drgrrc com
m"rsurntr with tho contemporary cost of
pOstic production.
II The Su% insists upon having great Amcri-
can poetry. let l. send u Thousand dollar ro-
tAiror to the lik.liest American poet it knows.
Tho experiment III iCht not turn ont to b" direct
" pr"atni,l" to THE SUN. hut ut least it would
lie interesting. and any way. it would be profit
able to tho poet j.. S. NJ.