The morning call., 1894-04-06
IN POETIC MOOD.
William Greer Harrison
Addresses Ladies.
The Sisterhood of Poetry and Art
as a Theme Developed Some
Original Views.

"You are here as an audience. not to be lect
ured-lecturing belongs 10 women-but to see
how an otherwise sensible man can make foo
of himself"
William Greer Harrison spoke about the
"Sisterhood OF Poetry and Art' yesterday be-
fore the Sketch Club at sos Montgomery street.
and he n ade this candid statement In intro
dncing his subject. And then he went on to
explain that his thoughts would be confined
chiefly in the sense of painting and poetry.
Painting is of importance to you" he said
Poetry is absolutely necessary, for you cannot
paint without il. As l understand it poetry is
the highest expression of the best thought. arr
the clearer expression OF the best thought"
His audience, all OF whom were ladies. paid
correct attention 10 the playwright and art
critic, who sat beside a huge bean-pot filled
with peoples and lilies. Later on, however
there was relaxation.
"WheD poetry is put on canvas it is difficult
to lend a nough 10 the imagination. II you paint
an emotion you paint only one emotion; II an
action, only one aclion. Nothing is left when
finished TO The imagination. That does not APP
ply 10 poetry which conv Us thoughts and I'm
pressons. l have here some lines from Shake
speare which | selected at haphaZard. He is
tile God of my idola ry.' No artist could paint
picture to convey so much as this TO the i'm
aginaiion. He might paint Juliet at the feet OF
hei Romeo. or he might paint her kissing Romeo
making love 10 Romeo, or at Rome0's grave,
but he could never give the absolute idolatry.
passed nights trying TO get within thousand
miles of that line, but failed. No poet could
come near IL.
ono artist is successful when he has to Label
his picture; he fails when he has 10 put the
name under painting"
The emphasis of delay and expounding on
THIS thought gave 1t some peculiar significance,
which might be that pictures needing diagrams
TO explain what they meant are not true and
beautiful. When it becomes necessary TO write
underneath This is cow" for instance, the
artists efforts were misplaced.
"'Beauty's ensign yet Is crimson" continue
Mr.. Harrison, sis line which every artist has
painted. Morn In russell garment cl d. One
can see the morning in this line. Ii conveys a
picture OF russell morning. and TO do this the
poet must be an artist. Shakespeare was an
artist. Taking the measure of AN unmade
grave what artist could paint the picture
this conJureS? Ii is easy enough to make a
grave and measure 1t. but To measure an I'M
made graye-imnossible. l took those lines
SIM ly TO show what art ana poetry may do In
contradistincti0n one 10 the other L have al
WAYS held that poet is an artist and an artist
a poet"
Another idea presented was that IL man has
not some qualities of woman he lacks poetic
instincts. He cannot be an artist or poet
without qualities that belong TO the tender and
gentler SIDE OF feminine nature. hat women
have not yet reached the higher phases OF art
Is simply because they don't do IT," he added
Nv oman could say, Il would be an artist II
chose That is better than no artist at all.
Il have no doubt that when Dante wrote his
Inferno be was suffering from coDgeSted
liver. No one can be an artist who Is suffering
from dyspepsia, headache or the other ills that
mesh Is heir 10. FOR when the pain er Is unwel
Inc eye IS deranged and cannot determine color
h alt OF the poetry we see in the world Is the
result of vanity aud egOism, half of the pictures
results OF distorted minds. The slsterhood
must be healthy. One of the things you
should insist on as sketch cluD is you should
do no work when not feeling we'll"
MIR. Harrison held modern male attire up 10
scorn for its uginess. Certainly" said he,
"the man is not given an opportunity Of dis.
playing what nature has done for him." This
provoked suppressed litter. but the speaker
signed by ladies Of artistic sense and ability.