The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-09-25
yybe,c Ar, the Poet. I?

The twilight of our American puts w
which Mr.. Stedman called attention
few years ago, has been followed ~ NJ
most total darkness Yesterday Whittier
nassed away; a few months ago 1t was
lowell and Whitman; only recently Mrs.
Rose Terry Cooke, one of the best OF orr
women poets. died, and last saturday the
serene soul of DR. Thomas William Far,
cong crossed the harbOr bar. Of the Ola
circle-Bryant, Lowell, Longtcllow' I'm
erson, Whittier-Only DR.. Holmes ~, re-
mains. Where are their successors ne
field Of possibilities is depresslngly mar
ow The review is impressive, only ne
cause of the slender list TO be MADE.
There are, true enough. poets and poets;
Almost every person of cultivation and
imagination who possesses an artlstls
sense attempts, at one time or another
the writing of verse. Many also, who
have absolutely no qualification, try a
hand. But of the novices we do not
speak. We mention only those whose
work has acceptance and recognition
With them that have blind preJudlces IN
poetry we shall not pause TO reason,
Edmund Clarence Stedman is, no doubt,
entitled to first place in our new order OF
poets Mr. Stedman seems almost 10
have abandoned the muses. for the Writ
ing of essays He must abide by BIS
early accomplishment, unless he return TO
his first love. Richard Henry StOddard
is Mr.. Stedman's senior. He is, indeed,
far advanced in years. and belongs rather
to the passing than the present genera
ton. His place in letters is not so hlgh
as Stedmans. His range is narrow, ana
there has always been an obtrusiye SELF
consciousness about his work. Thomas
Bailey Aldrich has written many poems
of the "1ittle-gem" order; he has been our
Dobson. though without the intricate
methods of DObsOn. He is not great
master. but he has carved in cherry
stones with a cunning hand. Robert
Burns Wilson, Of Kentucky, has written
much noble verse Professor George I'd
ward Woodbury. is the author Of several
odes of power; his "North Shore Watch
is an elegant poem of great path0s ana
beauty. Richard Watson Glider writes
for the few with poetic insight and musl-
cal grace. Some of his sOnnets are among
the best Of our American essays in that
form. Maurice ThOmpson's poems OF out
door life show him to be a true poet of
nature 1t has been as a stOry-teller, and
not as q poet. that Mr.. lIowells has es-
tabished a reputation. This is true, too.
of Bret Harte, whose early verse gave
much promise.
James Whitcomb Riley has won fame
by his deineatiOn of lOwly characters,
often with touching pathOS. lie is easily
one of the most quoted Of contemporary
American poets. He has made the
Hoosier dialect known far and wide.
Some of the songs will have permanent
place in American literature, and his
work grows better. Mrs Celia ThaXter
is loved for her songs of the sea. Profess
sor Henry A. Beers. of Yale, Joaquin
Miller. Charles Warren Stoddard, Maui
rice Francis Egan. Robert Underwood
Johnson, VIII Carleton and John James
Patt are names that recur but their con-
tributions to real poetic literature have
not been sufficient in quantity or quality
to give them high place.
This list might be extended with names
which will occur 10 every reader, but we
believe the outlook may be pretty clearly
understood from a pnrusal Of the names
we have brought together. We may have
included some which will be questioned
by the hypercritical. We merely call at
tention to the past and the present poets
of America, and leave our readers 10
speculate as to the future Are the poets
left among us really poets? Have they
any pressing message for their day and
generation? ard if so, who deserves TO
sit on the empty thrones Of Bryant. Low
ell, Lcngfellow, or Whittier!-Indianap-
oils News.