Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-08-10

An American poet whose fame Is cs.
tablishcd ON firm ground on both sides
Of the Atlantic wrote some time since 20
the editor Of u leading American maga.
zine asking u there was any room foi
verses IN his great monthly. Tho editor
wrote bacl; at once, "S.y Dear sir--W.
have already on hand aud paid for s. 1000
worth Of first class poetry" The poe,
wrote back instantly, "Then why don't
You print some Of it,
This poet docs not believe that Tho
tasto for genuine poctical literature In.
died ont from the American soul. The
only trouble IS. In his Judgment, that
the American public never gets anything
to whet It's poetic appetite, Tho trouble
ia with tho writer's and editors. The
poet says;
do not bclisvo IN tho present newspaper
doctrine that "iho American people no LONGER
read poetry" bvllevo thoy rcHd II ~ murl
n over Whcn they End any worth reading n
thoy turn With disgust from the endless Hood
poured ont by the sunday papers, where's the
Wonlcrf The public seems to have only q
choice between this wrgtchcd trash dt d bias.
phomy 90 call IL iootryl aGd the foggy, oh,
tduro, incumprehonslblr ycrsoa served NJ ly III,
magazines. Look AZ tho last - poems"
-nc1Tly all written by persons rover heard OF
before persons without reputation or cxpsrl.
cncc or ability. Not ono uf them Il quotahle,
not one OF them voices any human emotion o.
eAp,tlyncr' not one appeals 90 any tymrathy
Of tho human heart. To the average intclll.
pcroc they do not mean Anytime.
Inns ID IA 4 L.
letter. from strnngurs, asking ml for copies OF
poems, Tor Information rs 10 where certain
Ncrtgs may DO found and lnquirinr that mag.
ntincs 1 writu for aud why do not write
more, shall believe that there arc stlll per.
Sons who read versa and who like what they
can understand.
think tho trouble Il primarily with a few
magazine editors who. having littlo Hcusr u
poetry themselves, think may mottlcal article
IL poetry, and b cycglltut In exact proportion
a. u Is incompfrhcnslhlc. SoWtpnptrs do not
think ,lfs- worth paying for. but they think
u worth borrowing; aud thoy can only borrow
u nom magasinea-or publish the work oi
Lcrc tyres aud children not out u school. M
really good workman can afford Co work for
nothing.
MAI, may be q very excellent editor Of a
political, scientific, humanitarian, or even
strictly literary magazine, AMI got have no
idea whatever of poetry or musici indeed, tho
Il much more common than the pnctlcal. plcn-
" OF bright. Intelligent, we'll read persons arg
no Judges " music. Thoy never hang a note.
Would any musical composer think Of having
such persons decide on the merits OF nn opera,
an anthem or nn oratorilg
Yet this Is what 10 continually done with 70.
gard 10 much rarcr aud moro uhstruso urt
b. the average editor. lie seems To think a
"pocm" must be iino because lthn8 nno words
In Il. IL must he profound because he does
not understand It. Walt Mhitmana idea OF "a
poem was that Il was an inventory cut into
lcnfihs, aud numbers OF popular edllors arc
quite ~ Wide Of the mark, --- has tho idea
thatu Is farm talk, chopped 10 measure, and
- aud ----- seem 10 think Il Is ANYTHING
they happen to hear "a the street, tho kitchen
or the saloons, after they have tortured Il
into given dimensions. And because come
hupclcfaly maticroffact man IN the employ
Of the --- happens TO know no better than
10 call this sort Of trash poetry" the wore
roos out that "thc American people no longer
read poctryw