Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1892-03-28

Il is with regret that the world hears OF
the Good Gray Poets" death. His con
temporaries were not always kind to him.
The critics "cut him up with their pens,
but the sturdy OLD man never deigned re.
ply or a defense.
His CHIEF crimes in the eyes Of his uppo.
nents were his utter lack of convention.
ality, his use of words not often sounded
in ears polite and his total disregard OF
the laws Of vcrsifying. But Whitman
calmly ignored the onslaughts LIade on
him and insisted that he had merely in
auguratcd Il new style.
IL dismiss" be said, without ceremony
all the orthodox accouterments, tropes,
haberdashery OF words feet measure that
form the entire stock In trade Of rhyme
talking heroes and heroines. My meter Is
loose and free. The lines are of irregular
length. apparently lawless at first perusal,
but on closer acquaintance you will find
that there is regularity, like the rccur.
renee, for example, of the lesser and larger
waves on the seashorc, rolling in without
intermission and 6tfully rising and fall
ing
The struggle for Fame.
Abroad there Is no question as 20 tho
feeling which will be called out by the
DcNS OI MS uelllSc. III tuc uufktsb nUufs
OF his struggle for fame IL was Whitman's
consolation that he was appreciated in
Europe. The English people particularly
hailed him as genius, as the true Ameri.
can poet greater than Bryant or Long
fellow In America, when Leaves of
Grass" appeared. in 1855, there was prac-
tically no one To utter II good word for il
except Ralph Waldo Emerson, who said
of il in n letter written TO the author:
II find it the most extraordinary piece
OF wit and wisdom that America has yet
contributed"
But there was no other prominent Amer
lean writer TO echo the sentiment. In
Great Britain, however, the literary world
accepted the work Mt Emerson S valuation,
and when Whitman subsequently fol-
lowed IL up with his other poems, he was
accorded singularly exalted place in the
foreign world of letters.
Tennyson and Browning and Sir Edwin
Arnold all wrote of him In the highest
terms, aud no English writer visiting
America ever neglected TO call at the poets
Camden home Ills first interview with
Sir Edwin Arnold two years ago was
almost pathetic in its earnestness. The
two men literally fell into each others
arms, and the distinguished English liter.
ateur afterward related that he had spent
one of the happiest days Of his life in the
company Of the septuagenarlan poet.
Admired by Epgiishmcn.
Nearly all the British literary men OF
note were equally enthusiastic In their
praise Of the American bard. He was
held up again and again in the English
magazines as the long looked for apostle
OF new and perfect school Of pocsy, and
when IL became known that the poet was
actually In want the depth Of the English
admiration for him was manifested in the
most couvinc. ng manner. An appeal for
aid was printed in nearly every paper PUB
lished In the kingdom.
The Response TO this call was prompt
and generous. and saved the poet from
any future fef< OF actual hunger. In view
Of this general admiration and esteem
awarded him, 10 j. no wonder that Whit.
man held the English in high regard, aud
IL would seem that he would have sought
IN asylum among them. But he never
orce tresmed Of such q course Hs WA