Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-02-26
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william Wntson's Poems.

To ne Editor OF he UisDdtch:
l have not seen the volume Of poems re-
viewed so GisDaraglDgly IN your issue of
last Sunday. but have read some Of Mr..
Natsons work. as well as many comments
on it. and am constrained to think that
your reviewer has not done this new
poet Justice. In England be is
highly regarded, while IN this country his
reputation is steadily growing. The
New York Critic, for instance, which is
cOncededly the leading literary journal of
America. and which Is distinguished for
its intelligent and impartial criticisms.
says of him: IF. after his recent volume
of Poems,' anything further had been
needed TO establish the reputation of Mr.
William Watson as poet, it would
be easy to adduce conclusive evil
dence to that end from his latest
book, entitled 'Lachrym@ Musarum.'
OF the earlier volume we have already
spoken and ventured the opinion that its
author is unquestIonably at the head OF
the English poets of his generation. This
position he won and now maintains by
virtue of his superior gifts, the most nota-
BILE of which (imagination) has been de-
MED to nearly all of his contemporaries. !"
1t Is this quality OF imaginatiyeness. the
critic thinks. which enters into and gives
character TO Mr.. Watson's work, while he
also possesses other qualities. rare and
beautiful-namely, those of dignity and ele-
walton Of thought and distinction of STYLE"
This is high praise, indeed, but, allowing
for possible extravaganza and considering
the source from which the commentator
emanates, We must conclude thatAlr. Wat
son Is poet VINO merits our serious atten-
ton. Saws another eminent authority !:
MIR. Watson's verse Is not great in
volume-ls, indeed. scanty for man of SO
much force and of such devotion to his
art, but it discloses Enthusiastically the pos
session of some of the qualities which GO
to the making of great poet. II IS work
of lofty intention, filled with the spirit
which dominates great art, serious IN
temper, and inspired by conception OF
the dignity and authority OF poetry as the
greatest of the arts. A study OF
his verse reveals a sustained power of
thought OF avery high order. His
musical faculty is adequate TO his thought
and like the later work of Iennyson, seems
to gain fulness and richness rather than
lightness and facility from the noble
freightage of thought committed to it.
Insight so keen. intellectual force so
marked, and imagination of such pure
quality seem to mark Mr.. Watson as one
of the men of the future"
NY own humble opinion. based upon the
few poems of Mr.. Watsons which l have
read. comedies with these judgments
rather than with the disheartening conclu-
sions of your reviewer. Lovers of true
poetry may well Join in echoing the hope
of the Critic that 1.-THE great affection
which has so suddenly befallen him may
soon be removed and that he NAV live.
strong in mind and BODY, to add to our
delight and to the lustre OF his own fame"
Mr.. Watson was horn IN Liverpool in
1856. Ia his early youth he was excluded
by physical delicacy from the schools.
After his 18th year he improved in health
rapidly, and being fortunately situated,
he had ample leisure and opportunity to
indulge and cultivate his taste for books
and study. lie spent unbroken hours of
compromising with the poets and in RAM
bles along the Lancashire sea-cosst and in
frequent excursions into the country I'M
mortalized by Wordsworth. mo poet
could have had ripper training for MS art
than this double companlonship with ma
ture and the masters of English speech"
Shelley and Keats were the masters of his
youth, and exercised the greatest influence
over him during the formative period.
Mr.. Watson Is not only writer OF verse,
but is also o msster of vigorous and sug-
gestive prose style. a. is usual with most
poets. volume of essays from his hand IS
promised for the near future. He is a
regular contributor TO the Spectator. the
Acdieray. the Nationdl Rerie,r. and other
well-known English periodicals, He is
unmarried and lives with his mother at
Southbend. a London suburb, thirty-fye
miles from the city, and near the mouth
of the Thames.
Mr.. Watson's most notable poem thus
far is his Wordsworth's Grave" His
ode to Shelley is surprisingly beautiful
lyric, while his threnody on the death of
Tennyson shows that large and true utter
ance of the genuine poet. The latter con-
tains lines which will surely live if any
thing in the English language will sur
viye T..