The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-04-09

lessness OF art: the FIRST by the public
the last by the critics.
The answer 20 the first Is plain. Whit
man simply n~eglects nothing; he glorlnes
the body. he makes the soul and body
one. What degrades the one degrades the
other; what beauties the one beautlnes
the other. He has but one teacher-
Nature. lie sees her ever reproducing
herself. simply, naturally; he sees her
ever developing herself physically he
follows in her footsteps. lie deals With
the body Of man as a botanist deais WIN
the petals Of a flower. and ne supposes
that men are sane enough TO understand
what he understandable blending or
body and soul. the reaction OF the one
upon the other. The emotional side or
nature is the great side for him. and the
emotions display themselves mainly
through the forces Of the body. He rec
ognizes ~this-almost makes a religion OF
it-yet there is nothing weak, nothing
sensual. in the vulga sense, about his
doctrine. Browning taught the same
when he said.
Nor soul helps flesh no more.
Now. than flesh helps soul"
Walt whitman has made it the central
idea. because nature has made IL so. He
has done it in the solemn spirit of ma
ture. working through the laws Of ma
ternity and paternity. Nature unfolded
10 him many truths. lie said: Now l
see the secret of the making OF the best
persons. II is TO grow In the open air,
and TO eat and sleep with the earth
lie realized what largeness OF physical
life and exaltation OF spirit these lands
of America can give TO a man who Is
willing to take root in them and be nOur-
ished out OF their resources. He calls
upon Americans TO yield themselves up
10 their influence; to live with nature;
grow with nature: TO he pure and strong
with nature. His manner Of address has
been often coarse. rugged, fierce; TO the
vulgar even vulgar. Few have been able
simply TO gather the spirit Of she matter,
leaving the method 10 the inspiration or
the poet. The American. eager 10 qua
the European In manner and polish. has
allowed himself TO be carried away from
nature. has missed the robust develop
mont which is his birthright. and instead
has ACQUIRED a pseudo refinement. an eN-
ternal cultivation merely, while the soul
has been cramped and stunted. Such a
course is directly opposed TO That pursued
bv Whitman. and it's followers could
never be his sympathizers ana inter-
prefers. Burroughs says; we nave re-
fined our -four until all the substance IS
taken out oil II, anu We liz ''iNH'S ~
literature as fast as possible feed
men upon the finest grade Of flour. and
thew are not inclined to return TO a diet
Of cracked wheat. though cracked wheat
may produce a much stronger race oil
men.
The answer to Whitman's lawlessness
of art is not so simple. The artistic tenn
perament rebels utterly at his methods
refusing TO be reconciled to them. Inc
richness and the beauty in his poetry are
given TO us with so much ~roughness ana
coarseness of expression, the terms used
are so broad and homely and unpoetlc'
the result so far from artistic, lacking
the rythmic smoothness and Tennysoman
finish. which we have come to admire ana
demand in poetry, that the artist cries
ont. NO beauty! No beauty! A vulgar
sensualist!" fleeing the meanwhile. HIS
mind is hurt and torn; this raging tor
rent of human emotion has been 100
strong for him; yet those who have
ston1 ed. steadied themselves, plunged IN
a second time, determined to understand
have found true the old saying, The hair
Of the dog is good for the bite and
have come away, not only cured OF their
infdelitv. but ardent disciples eager
EVERYWHERE and at all times, to teach the
new faith. w.