The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-04-17
OUR LITERARY BUDGET.
Different Views Expressed as 70 the Author
Of the Leaves OF Grass-Considsrsd 20
DO . Great Poet by Some.

his champions ana detractors, his admirers
and despisers, is clearly shown In the news
paper comments the event has called forth.
sHe lived long enough" says the Washing
ton American, "to know that public opinion
had largely forgiven his onenses, and that he
was everywhere esteemed, and by thousands
Of his countrymen greatly beloved" Yet the
New York Evening Post attributes his pre-
mature physical collapse to immortality In
early manhood. The Boston Beacon, how
ever, saws ''the neart OF the man was sweet,
sound and pure;" and the Camden Post,
speaking OF the discoveries made at the
autopsy upon his body, says: "a perfect
wreck almost destitute OF lungs, and suffer-
ing other ailments be sides paralysis, he made
no moan and fought the battle of life to the
last with CHEEKY courage aud unfiinching de-
termination, and his last work, instead oil
being the dribbliug Of disease and the s0mDre
sentiment of the ever-present premonition OK
death, was among his best work"
To the Independent, his designation as
"the GOOD, gray poet" fails OF the compete
and supreme inielcty Of the famous deilni-
ton of the crab, in that time had made MN
gray.v "He wrote the nOsiest, noisomest
stun ever called poetry, in lines beginning
with a capital letter, sand whose elusive
dactyllic suggestion had habit OF dribbling
out into utter prose- TO The Christian Union
be presents a very different appearance: 10
understand Whitman at all, one must not
only approach him with an open mind, but
with the patience which endures and suffers
Such an approach will be rewarded By the
discovery OF man of extraordinary interest
and "A work of very uncommon iOrce.'
The Springfield Republican, under the
headline "Walt Whitman, the Only One,'"
declares that ian original, unique ana great
force in American literature, philosopher,
poet and prophet OF American life, and one OF
It's immortal representatives., has departed
this mode OF life for another and ampler
mode" But the Philadelphia Telegraph,
living lust across the river from the prophet,
being therefore in his own country, and having
wthal an antipathy TO the unconventional,
dspOses of him ana OF Robert browning ana
several others in a breath-prODaDly ueening
IL too great an honor TO devote whole article
TO any one Of these, its pet ayersions. "Inere
il not much profit in seeking the causes OF MS
notoriety abroad" the editor rules, "but 1t
NAV reasonably enough be attributed 10 that
disposition 10 exploit the new, the UNKNOWN
and especially the unknOwable, that gave rise
10 -Raphaehtism, TO BrownlnglsH, 10
Burne-Jonesism. to lbsenism and TO the
several other fads that have run their course
among our British cousins and have been
faithfully followed by their imitators on
This sine of the sea. His death
NAV revive interest ia his writings for
the moment. but the Whitman fad is
already on the wane in England, scandi-
nayik and other outlandish claimants
taking his place, and it can hardly be long
sustained here. The utterance OF shocking
EXPLANATIONS and bawling out Of forbidden
things il not the way 10 Immortality, and
Walt Whitman's not0riety will presently be
among the bruits properly forgotten
Close observers in England are unable TO
accept the Telegraph's diagnosis. Mr.. Harold
Frederic, for instance, cables as follows to the
New York Times:
"Casual Americans happening TO be in
England during the week must be greatly
surprised TO see the amount of space the
English papers devoted TO Walt Whitman. IL
is no exaggeratiOn 10 say his death created
twice the amount Of comment that Lowers
evoked, and the press has not yet done print
inc critical essays on his works, and portraits,
accompanied by sketches OF his life. In much
the same way we first saw how deliciousiy
comic a caIicature 'Pinafore' was, and by
our bowls of laughter induced England 10
examine il again and see that il was funny.
The English discovered the Yirile character
istc note in Whitman when we ourselves
seemed deaf 10 il. 1t Is not improbable mat
his future place in American estimation Will
be largely based upon the reflection OF British
admiration back TO our own shores"
T.. o
"To the memory OF Whitman, England does,
perhaps, more general honor than America
herself. He has always been, not, perhaps,
more popular here than at home, but the
critical estimate Of him has been higher. The
homage of Lord Tennys0n and Mr. owinburne
naturally turned the minds OF English readers
to him. He was thought TO have answered.
in a measure, 10 the frequent English demand
for an American literature that should be
enough bu; this poet OF the democracy, as he
thought himself, appeals far more 10 the Jaded
literary sense OF the older community OF
England than TO the American democracy
itself The critic of the wiser kind has pretty
well ceased 10 discuss him as a poet. lie Is
discussed as an individuality rich in tempera-
ment and of a very considerable intellectual
force and originality. His ignorance Of poetic
form, or contempt for it, removes him from
the list of true poets. IL is not likely that
Lord TennysOn or MIR. Swinburne ever thought
of Whitman as competitor. They liked
something else In him than his formlessness
and chaotic method
Here is new view of the late Sage of
Chelsea, painted posthumOusly by Mrs. John
Stuart Blackie for the Strand Magazine:
zone day. said Mrs. Blackie, IL went to
call on Mrs CARLYLE. Ii was IN she afternoon
of a very not day. i was just saying good
bye. when it suddenly occurred to me to ask
referring OF course TO her husband-'May /
see the great manT Mrs. Carlyle took me
down some dark kitchen stairs, and there, IN
n corner, with his trousers drawn up 10 his
kness sat Carlyle on chair, with his feet
and lees in a great tub of cold waterw
The writer's husband, Professor Blackle
who will be eghty-three years old in July,
has needed no medical advice for over thirty
wears, and has never worn spectacles. lie is
a patriarch in appearance, with classical
features and lOug pure white nair which
reaches to his shoulders; but he mas all the
vitality Of young man.
4 trip alone 70 ConstantnOple ut the ace OF
eiehty.twO is a good record He attributes
his robust health 10 the fact that he has
always worked and lived, read and thought,
on a system. lie rises at 30 and breakfasts.
The morning is occupied ip work and cores
pondence. T1e open air claims nm every
dav for two hours before dinner and Morpheus
for An hour aiter the midday meal. NO nard
work after nine. Unless he has lecture or
other engagement, the evening nnds him
playinga game Of backgammon with his wife,
and re opens the door Of his bedroom as the
clock is Ginning twelve.
~
Mr.. Freeman says in the April number OF
the Forum: | am told that the matchless
writing of MacaEiay Is nowadays leered at.
| am not sure whether 1t is allowed To be
..style;r | am not sure whether 1t Is allowed
o..I tl....