The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-01-05
ASPECT.
David Lesser LeZinSky's
Message.
Potentially Every Man Is a Poet.
The End of the Divine Art to
Bring God to Man.

Whatever may be the opinion OF David Lesser
Leznsky's poems and bis comments thereon.
one must do him the justice TO say that amid
much incoherence ana tall talk" there was
much truth IN his explanation last evening OF
its message, or rather the explanation Of The
message of poetry in general
Mr.. LeZnsky commenced The explanation Of
the message by ereading three OF his Oems,
"PrOmetheus Unbound" Unto Cesar and
Unto God' and Heavenly and Earthly Night"
The FIRST dealt with mans power of cOcreation
with God, the second with mans debts to COD
and man and their payment, and the thiId eI-
pressed The idea that though God is In his
heaven. all is not right with the world"
There Is but one worship in the world"
said Mr.. LeZiusky, land that is the faculty of
service 10 each other, the strong in body and
mind and money helping the weak and pour
Art is fine but love is finer, song Is great but
love is greater, and thought is great but love
is greater As Richard Realf wrote: Every
one who lives is poet because be has SOUL
but every one has nOt found thai soul In a
garden there aTe various roses, some Wiited,
so me buddin z, and some in bloom. Aud so
with man, as Hawthorne said: In every one
there Is a sleeping poet Some express III iT
poetry In cOlUiS-pairttrS: some In sound
musicians; some IN Undergraduates; and
som In words, those ordinarily called poets.
The greatest poets, however, are those who
NEtlc luclI poetry I'D lAEtE lives ScuiiicF salQ
on his deathbed: Honor me not Tor the songs
l have written but for those l have felt aud
many man may say L ask not honor for the
songs could not write but Tor those l nave
lived
The poet requires love, faith and courage.
Ethics lead to justice. The end OF love is
gIeater-GOd. The poe is not dreameT. He
sees COO anu applies his know ledge 10 the beu-
ell OF Ills felOW-men. II lie does MOI this he i
q hypOcrlte ana iuSlueeTe, whether IN the pulpit
or lauGel-cIowued Mau IS not finite; be Is not
NF Nan MT 9.s.sN.
know God. Between N n aud God, the finite
aud the INFINITE, III this paradox the poet stands
and brings the explanation Of the latter TO the
former. The poet j. The scout 10 prepare the
way for his fellow soldiers. or he may be lIkeued
10 The burulng-glass concentrating tie suu's
rays-knOwledge of God-on the world and
burning bis mark thereon; or a spinner who
out OF countless threads that obscure The WIS.,
ion and confuse the brain knots them into
rope ladder that reaches the b. ayens.
Science demands utility. The poet has it,
What does IL profit a man 10 gain the whole
world aud lose his sCul.' The business mau
w0Iks day and night 10 dress his wife and chill
dlen better than their ntighbOrs, 10 house
them better, and all the tine he depiives his
vile OF her husband, his children of their IA
Their.
"Science has made the notion Of socialism
and UNIVERSAL brotherhood familiar and brought
It's TealIZ lion nearer. Our future civilization
Will be built on the ensiayemenl Of the forces
OF nature, not ON the enslaYcment OF our fellow
men. What bur This Is the message of poetry
tie IN yersal brotherhood In God, when divineT
nOles OF pOesy tnan Shakespeare ever b. eathed
viii fall on the enthTalied ears OF regenerated
world? The greatest poetry Of the world has
yet 10 be Written
''HOw must the result be attained? As in
science II Is done by experiment, in poetry il
must be reached by experience. BY comparison
Of others experiences aud our own We ulti-
mately come ON Tie line thai will unite US to
God.
The poet through his experiences can save
US much, not all. He cuts the pathway, we
must walk it; he makes tile steps, we must
climb them. SO labor Is our part TO acquire The
benefit Of the poets experience.
"ln the nineteen century the poet stands
Ike Christ before PLATE. The only answer he
can give TO a soothing generation Is silence, tor
lie measures his work not by counters of gold
but by other counters in value Infinitely above
them-the souls OF his fellOw-men."