New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-11-05
NOTES ON WRITER'S.
Nm u,u,JN GARLAND AND DIR. HOLMES
MR. LEWIS NORRIS ON PoErRY-MR.
HERBERT SPENCER.

London, October Is.
Mr.. Hamlin Garland's recent remarks OF
American Literature have aroused certain ian.
pu,d curiosity in England. where MS views IN"
less acceptance than his Prairie folks. Inc
westward movement Of literature OF the literary
centre in the United States, Is an ola s'ory' q
propbecy which comes true 80 SLOWLY '"a', w.
for the continual repetition OF II, inc prop"'.'
might run the risk OF being iorso''c' GIG 80
fulflmcnt occurred. The Enghsh''a" 20 49,
more inclined to agree on th's POM WV"
Oliver Wendell Holmes than win MI "'' .""N
Dr. Holmes has been interviewed anu .ne I"e
lish interviewer asked the ever-acni'"o'e ~
tor, What about literature OF "e'.e." N
lea, with Chicago for centrc' ANU '"e
admirable Doctor made answer
"E,vcrvthing is possible: and new American
literature springing In the west Is "o' "po
sible But as yet am bound to say dont
see any evidence OF the lie" "'e'"'''S'
Chicago for a chief seat
~ 600. Dr Holmes convinced. when re-
minded that Mr.. Walter Bcsant who spent
,o, =. 80, II those parts found there the begin
ninps If q distinctive literature. He would
ou,,, ans, .xyo,, II may come to something
wbv not?" With which 1 apprehend Chicago
,,u he rd,,, no content. But Chicago must give
tho root NJ the world and particularly Eng
land time The pace is slower here, as 1t Is IN
pos,or .,so and neither Boston nor LONDON
wishes to he superseded. or to recognize chi
caro- all at once as the literary capital OF the
Enp,ish-writing world Why should they! Are
thew not always told that to Chicago 1t Is only
tho oninion of Chicago that matters?
Mr. Louis Norris whose genius for the COM
n,onnlace Ia surpassed by that OF no living
writer has been discoursing at Birmingham on
tho "Future of English Poetry" Birmingham Is
q homo Of the mechanical, and most suitable
n,ace for the mechanical in poetry. Mr. Lewis
Norris who is supposed to have political
claim IN the vacant Laureateship, mas dls-
covered that there Is in poetry con-
servatiye and liberal tendency. In MS
mouth these words have reference 10 metri-
cal forms. II you set value on metre, you are
a purist. and to you neither fire nor inspira,io''
compares with the proper arrangement Oh syria
bles and rhyme Such Is the verdict Oh Mr.
Lewis Morris He does, however, go so 1ar as
TO admit that verse which assumes 10 De
written I'm a certain metre should "generaily
conform to it's rules.
This daring opinion Is supported py o'he''
equally daring Not only the best poetry pu'
the best prose has "a subtle metre OIL hhus'o'
an expression which Mr.. Morris might Iurthei
explain He goes 50 far as to say 'hat IL 'ou
write rhymed verse the rhymes shou'd oe soou
onos He complains that the numDer oi soou
RHYMES in English is limited, especially OF rhymes
To love- There are, however, poets VINO nave
practised the entire disuse OF rhyme Oh "ho''
he chooses as tine most conspicuous eNaihP'e'
southey Whitman, and Matthew Arnold Inc
readers of Arnold-Southey has no readers eA-
cent Mr. Lewis Morrs-will hear WIN sur
prise that he has entirely disused rhyme for
tho future Mr.. Norris hopes there VIII DE less
rhyme. and that writer's will assert their iu'i
measure of literary freedom, and Withstand the
domination of critics of narrow views That
is what the late Mr.. Topper did; and the lui'
measure of his success we know.
II seems to be Mr. Morris's opinion that the
"orlinary ten-syllable line is the only metre
which appears in blank verse" He Is further
convinced that 1.-The rhymed couplet mas almost
tramp,ed out Of English verse the power OF
heroic expression" There is some virtue IN an
almost" but does Mr.. Morris think that rope
had no power Of heroic expression, ana that ne
and his rhymed couplet have trampled 1t out OF
all English poetry since Pope's time! lie re-
ioices that the rules Of the strict versifier were
not enforced upon the writer OF the lhad. Does
no then consider that the Had is written In
the lawless manner of the late Mr. Walt
Whitman?
whatsoever ventures upon new epithet does IL
to show what a clever fellow he Is, which
wearies and perplexes the reader. That MT.
Morris ever perplexed his reader need not De
asserted. That he never wearies him wouid DE
a very different proposition. lie Is neVerthe-
less aware that modern poetry Is proliX Adonais
is twice too long. The author or tha' asser-
ton ought to be delivered over to the Shtleyites;
they only competent to award him suita-
bic chastisement "A modern poem TOO often
goes on till 1t frizzles out at last like spent
squibr In that spirit of dignity does Mr.. Lewis
Morris discuss modern poetry. He has judge,
a strong antipathy to Browning, AMI perhaps
to Tennyson also, as we'll to Mathew Ar
mold He does not approve Of the taste OF the
day. which. he assumes, 'is in favor Of compo-
siticns which require much thought and know-
edge and are wholly and Of set purpose devoid
Of tune" He disapproves of the 'pseudo-Eel-
lenic and 'pseudo-Gallican" crazes alike, but
omits to define either. They are only pass
Ing phrases" and therefore perhaps not worth
defining. though the evil effects of the latter
have yet to be got rid Of"
Mr.. Lewis Norris has. nevertheless, belief
that race of promising writer's is growing up.
They are the more wanted because most Of
their great predecessors missed the mark by
dealing with subjects which had no relation
to the life of their readers. Are we then to
understand that the Epic Of Hades'' has
close relation, or was meant to have. to the
life Of Mr. l.. Morris's readers? Whether it
have or not. there are now to be rules and
new restrictions inconsistent as these may seem
with that full measure Of literary freedom
which not long before he was advising the
new race to assert. Thus is new poetry
to grow up to ennoble and inspire human life:
the old meanwhile. | suppose to be forgotten
as not sufficiently ennobling. And Of this
new and cnnoblng poetry it is fair to suppose
that Mr. Morris. teaching by example well
as by precept. is ready to contribute consider
able share His versifled work is already con-
siderable in volume.