The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-03-05
OF WRITER'S AND BOOKS.
Is THERE POETRY IN THE Ey0LrsH
UfGE2
New Publications That Are Attracting At
tention- Marion Crawford's Latest
Story-Hls Methods.

taken gloomy views OF the present con-
di,ion and future prospects OF poetry I'm
the English language. They consider
English poetry on both sides OF the At
lantic 90 he In a state OF decay. and
perceive no ground for supp >sing that
1t viii ever flourish vigorously again.
"rhc Future Of Poetry" has a much
more cheerful aspect for Mr.. Charles
Leonard Moore, who in the February
Forum bids us be Of good cheer and
rest assured that poetry in the English
nreuage is neither dying nor dead. These
ato his encouraging words:
AS critic, Matthew Arnold has mo-
mcntg when he irTitates; he tempts one
40 times TO hay hands on father Par
monilcS. lie writes occasionally as II
hc bad bought truth at fair, as English
n 20 used 10 do their wives. and had put
rope around her neck and led her away
hr main force to mutual dalliance. But.
when ala allowances are made. what a
victorious figure he appears His main
elort was 20 impose poetry on mankind.
lie believed that men and women would
De- u not saved, at least made more in
tercSting by an habitual use Of poetry
Io presented poetry as cure for most
% poetry he wrote, I'm his introduction
90 Wards English Poets lis immane.'
III is well 10 recur to such q word as
this az time when we are all taking
stock OF our pOetical assets. when many
people are reslgnedly prepared 10 think
mat we have buried poetry with the
poets There are those among as to-day
who admit the power and persuasiveness
OF poetry. but deny the necessity Of the
formal art. To Them one must try 20
Justify the ways OF metre 70 men. There
are those who think that faith, idealism,
disiinction-the very breath Of the nos
trtIs OF poetry. the light Of her counte-
nance-are no longer possible. now that
science and material welfare and uni
vorSal democracy have made us all so
happy and so good. To such / must
whisper that faith idealism, and distinc-
lion are such admirable Inventions that,
n poetry will help MS preserve or win
thcm back, we ought all 10 offer up
hecatombs 20 Apollo. And there are
those who. seeing the great luminaries
OF English verse that assembled towards
the beginning Of the century and march
81 almost in a body over the sky of lite
nature now sink enc by one under the
horizon grave. seeing this great col
lateral movement. feel that the vigor Of
th. race and the resources Of the Ian
rnar- must be for a time exhausted
1ir Moore inun4tes that, If poetry Is
O. gain renewed vigor. It must be by
vigorous criticism. which, OF late, he
thinks. especially IN the United States.
"hls lost us gift Of contradiction"
I'VE write expectations, subtle delin-
cations Of single authors, but we % not
draw comparisons Like Frederick's
guard. everybody is six feet high. and I
ann sure l have read the obituary notices
oi half a score Of English writers as
great as Shakespeare. This seems an
excessive allowance of greatness for the
last half Of the nineteenth century IL
m1r seem ingratitude 10 put our bene-
81 .'ors into the scales Of measurement,
but IL Is for their final good and ours.
Promotion with US in the United States
goes by seniority. We grade the ranks
NJ our poets by the date OF their first
publications. Distinction once gained,
incense and burnt-sacrihce are their I'M
failing due. Murder and arson and bias
rhemy would do better for our literature
than this tepid acquiescence in every
body. The fiery enthusiasm which makes
the respective adherents Of Gray and
Collins. Keats and Shelley. Wordsworth
and Byron want TO burn the idols OF
he opposing camp, is utterly lacking
80 our way Of wOrshipping our poets.
Only Poe has strayed into the strife OF
The world. has been loved and hated, has
become interesting.
Il am reluctant TO accept the theory
which makes the poet simply "a child of
his age. a creature OF his circumstances.
Great poets defy the calculations of aver
age or the laws Of evolution. They move
the minds OF men to make the events we
note as cpochs as often as they follow
after 20 record events. Such intellectual
stir as is known TO our time has been
inimlcal 10 poetry rather than helpful.
The hypothesis Of evolution. the ration
aisuc method Of inquiry, have done their
best % cut the ground from under the
feet Of faith and idealism. Poetry's kill
iug foe. however is wealth, and wealth
oi lale has grown beyond the dreams of
aNarice. Money. which can call into ex-
is,encc many q the arts. which can rear
architecture. lay out gardens. which can
even greatly help In the creation of music
and pdinting-mOney has no potency over |
the proud and disdainful Muse.
1t is ill prcphesying when one does not |
know. The future Of poetry is as certain |
as the future of anything else; but the |
poetry Of the future-to that we cannot |
give date or a description. At any mo- |
ment some poet may by a lucky stroke |
reveal an unsupported pocket OF golden |
ore. and the world will be the richer |
Tor II. Ii MAY be that the circumstances |
which seem at war with poetic effort are |
just those needed TO encourage and call |
lA lOIAU. Vt We may luuulBt lIt utpt
that the increasing wealth and luxury |
Of men may have their usual end. and |
that corruption and decay may set in |
and flame forth In colors Of such grain |
and dye that poets looking on will dip /
their pencils in the hues OF sunset and /
eclipse and bring forth visions 10 enchaat |
the coming years. Or they may. pene-
trated with disgust at the spectacle turn
their Tyres 10 hail the dawning OF a
purer. simpler time: they may sing OF |
new Saturnan reigns-and so the circle
round.
Poetry is not going to save anybody's
soul. that Is what religion promises. ..
least 10 do. Poetry is not the art OF
administering affairs nor the art OF ex-
pounding prophecy. 1t is the art which
fills our minds with the hapDiest and
loftiest images and impressions; it is the
Grt which makes US more contented with
ourselves ana more agreeable to those
about las. Ii has it's office 10 inspire. 10 |
charm, 10 console: Its business is to show
US the things OF hfe which most assert
themselves 10 be realities are neither so
real nor so important as they claim TO be.
It's future is immane. because when ac-
Qualities Cypress. when utilities task,
when. tired OF all these, for restful death
We cry. we need merely open our book
and without effort attain ease, without
putting of mortality, have part In the i'm
mortality of the sole things which show
u semblance OF eternal life--the creations
Of the divine poets. Ponce de Leon sailed