The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-10-29
POETRY'S INFLUENCE
1T HAS FURNISHED INSPIRATION FOR
GREAT AMERICAN ORATORS.
Tennyson's Poems Not Particularly Popu-
lar with O'Conor, ConkIing, Corwln,
Chonto and Ingcrsoll--Thcy Preferred
Shakespeare, Milton and Byron.
Especial Correspondcncc.1


OF Tennyson was announced publishers in
New York city began to offer various edi-
lions OF his wOrks-some of them very eX-
pcnsive and others rs low rs fifty cents for
IL very fine type complete edition. Yet the
sale has not been large, and it is evident
that, while Tcnnyson is esteemed rs II great
poet, his works have not that popularity
IN America which some others have en-
joycd.
a greater sale of Whittier's poems fol-
lowed the announcement of his death thon
was the case with Tennyson's. and when
Longfcllow died very large editions of his
works were sold. 1t is interesting to know
what some of TIL" ADLER professional mon
have Thought OF TennysOn and other poets
and to what extent they have relied upon
tho greater vcrsillers for such charms of
language they have possessed.
Charles O'ConOr, one of the greatest
lawyers who ever practical ut the Amrri-
can bar, was lover Of good poetry, and
was also nDlc TO say wherein the highest
charm OF poetry lay. He knew Tennyson
and reas him with pleasure, but he did rot
rely upS9 Tcnnyson as he did upon othcr
OF the English poets for discipline in
diction O'Conor studied Milton and
shakespeare, and he often said that what
ever capacity he had for expressing in pure
English saoh thoughts as no had to utter
was due very greatly to his familiarity
with these poets He was fascinated with
Shcllc. s poems, and often declared that
The nrs of vcrsifyirg could he expressed in
III II" more exquisite melody than was to
DC found in some of Shcllcy's verses.
1t is not generally known that Roscoe
Conkling, who had an extraordinary com
mand OF English, gained that mastery
over the mother tongue through as5idu2ns
study or some OF the poets. COnkliny had
no great admiration for TcnnySon rs com.
pared with the vencrltion with which he
regarded Milton. Shakespeare nLd byron.
He was accustomed To commit PASSAGES of
Milton and ByrOn to memory. He has
sad that no man can become II perfect ora
tor who does not know Milton Tcnnyson
he was fond of reading, just rs he was fond
OF rcndinS the greater novclists He nd.
mired TcnnySon's technical skill and his
mastery of words, but he often said that
Ir'lnySon was os no service TO one Nvhc
made public speaking profession except
ing that the reading of Tcnnyson gave him
broader culture
Tom Corwin, whom many regarded in his
day rs the greatest orator the west has
produced, cared hit little for Tennyson.
lie was inclined To regard him us n won.
ans poet ana i young lovers ideal versi-
ficr. Corwin rcvclel in Byron, and he
knew "L'lllah Rhook" by heart. In CORE.
spondencc which he ore had with Conklnr
he spoke of the benefit he had gained from
IL thorough familiarity with Byron, whose
coplouS and oriental richness of tliction
was peculiarly fitted in his opinion to the
study Of one who desired to gain fame no
an orator
Joseph III. Choatc, who is one of the most
delightful! Of orators AT tho American bar
declares chat Shakespeare, aside from the
intellectual discipline the study OF his
works gives, is the poet for the orator.
Coi"nci Bob 1ngersoll knows two poets
by hcnrt-Slakcspedrc and Durns-and it
Is his opinion that there is more of genius
in hall Il dozen Of Burns poems than there
Is lii all OF Tcnnyson's verses. Ingersoll.
however, Gocs not mean by that to dispar-
age Tcnnyson ms poet. Whatever excel
lcncicS he has rs an orator-at least so far
as diction is concerncd-he attributes to his
familiarity with Burns and Shakespeare.
Abraham Lincoln never read any of Ten
nyson. bun he was Of opinion that IL he had
any style at all the first suggestions of It
came To him when he as n lad read Mil
tons Paradise Lost" and that poem he
read frequently rs long as he lived
Ruius Choatc, the most gorgeous in his
dction of any of the American orators
loved byron and studied Byron's poems
Those who read Choate's speeches care
fClly can detect the influence of Byron in
his '.iction. Tcnnyson had not reached the
lusier OF his fame when Choatc died but
as Il poet he could lot have appealed to
that Iaastcr mind.
Daniel Webster, who began his career of
oratory with what he called IA hifalutin
STYLE" afterward changed it to one of Sc
we're simplicity, and nscribed such merits
OF diction rs he possessed to the study of
Hooker, to familiarity with Miton's prose
and poetry, and above all to Shakespeare
1t seems 10 be Il fact that the greater
orators liave for the most part made
Shakespeare, Milton. and of later poets,
Byron their constant companions On the
other hand the gentle essayists and the
fine writers are those who love Tennyson
above all Howells, Warner, George Will
liam Curtis and Allrich are among those
American authors who have been willing
To defend Tennyson against any who have
claimed superior merit for other English
poets, Shakespeare excepted. Clergymen,
too, seem to prefer Tennyson Bishop
Brooks reads him constantly. He was a
favoritc with Beecher. Dr. Greer, who is
rapidly coming to the front as one of the
most brilliant Of American pulpit orators.
has Tennyson upon his study table. Cor
don, the charming orator of the Old South
pulpit in Boston, admires Tennyson above
the others, and Professor Swing, of Chi
cago, finds his greatest literary delight in
the reading of Tennyson's poems
L. j. EDWARDS.