The morning call., 1894-02-09

the world has waited 1000 for the dis
coverer, but the poet and publisher need
a present audience. Wordsworth's early
books bankrnpted his publisher, but
C0leridge, De Quincy and Wilson lived to
see their first judgments affirmed by the
world. Edward Fitzgerald tran station OF
Omar Kayham.' SO popular now, was sold
in England in the original edition at one
penny.
ITO find the beginnings OF our nineteenth
century literature we must seek them in
the eighteenth century. for all that is dis
unctiye in our age was IN embryo In the pre-
eSedi1g one. The change from The poetry OF
worth. Shelley and Byron is very great one,
as 1t makes new way of looking on poetry.
man and nature. With a change in matter
came change in manner, and the new poets
neither use the same tones nor ideas. express
the same nor employ the verse forms of their
predecessors.
The Queen Anne literature was classic in Its
clearness OF expression and thought, in its
adaptation of language TO sense, In obedience
10 critical rules and the mandates OF estab-
lshed law anG in its intellectually Tie school
that grew up in opposition 10 this has been
named the romantic. The term Is unfortunate
ana loose. 1t applies TO Wordsworth, who de-
tested Pope. and TO Byron. who admired him.
A writer who speaks with authority defines IL
as the development OF liberalism In literature
1t Is the addition Of curiosity TO the desire of
beauty that constitutes the romantic temper
considering The change OF temper as ex-
pressed by change of style we lind writer's who
had become weary of the dull monotony of the
couplet and sought relief. Hence blank verse
was used In Thomson's Seasons" Young's
Night Thoughts Akenside's Pleasures of
the Imagination Milton was initiated;
'DAllegro' and III Penseroso.' as well as
Paradise Lost So too was Spenser in
Prior's ODE and Shcnstone's 'Schoolmis-
iress,' Thoms0n's Castle OF INCIDENCE
Whanon's 'Elegy,' Beatte's Minstrel The
new school was fairly on its way. The elegiac
quatran became popular. Songs and ballads
were initiated, introducing new forms, better
adapted TO express the passions. Fancy
Shelley, Tennyson or Browning writing In
couDlets.
CLOSELY connected with the revival of these
forms. III fact causing the change. was the
change OF The manner of expressing the
thought. Poetry once again followed Mil
toms criterion ana became simple seusuOus
and mpassioned. Poets sought not cold in
tellectuality or witty antitheses, but to express
hOmeIy truths In homely Wy. There were
no more limitations OF TheOcritus with Cory
dons and Strephons. men who knew sang OF
the life OF The country and The DOOR, and
Crabbe arose Pope's verses might do for
filtration with Mary WortIey Montague
Robert Burns needed another style for his
Highland 'lassies.' The style that suited
The grOwlings of Boswelrs bear would not suit
the fancies-sometmes mystical. sometimes
half mad-of Blake.
Classical poetry dealt with arguments
literary criticism, systems OF philosophy, etc.
Criticism Vanity Of Human Wishes liz was
devoted 10 The intellect. 10 saying things In a
witty way. Leslie Stephens says that the Eng
Hsblnen OF 100 years ago had the same amount
OF Imagination as they have Today, only II was
not displayed.
THE reaction was threefold. First, from
common-sense treatment OF commonplace
Things TO all that was mysterious and marvel
Gus; second, from town, with its worries and
cares TO the country and natural life, and
tniIa' ID me past were sought the qualities
sucn as existed III popular poetry. Hence
came The development OF the historic sense
the feeling OF universal brotherhood The demo-
cratic feeling which eliminated in tile two re-
puzzles OF France and the United STATES
"lnleIest III The marvellous was deyeIoped
witnessed by Horace Walpole's Castle of
Otran5o followed by countless limitations
Mrs. Radcliffe. and leading the way 10 The his
torieal novels OF Scott. PeTcy's ballads TOO
brought back witches and fairies 10 English
literature.
Interest in natural scenery was deyeIoned
heretofore Ii was merely used as background
now 10 was loved for ITS own sake and the
poetry OF Natural description began. Milton
mas beautiful description; ThUmson's Seasons,
"a catalogue perhaps-led the way TO Words
worth, Heats, Shelley and Tennyson Country
III III became one OF The objects OF poetry, shown
III Gray, Collins Goldsmith and the Whartons
VINO saw IN nature The reflection OF their own
moods. Then followed BeaItie's Minstrel:
put the dlsc0ntent OF the age with the classical
forms is pest recognized In Cooper, who at the
suggestion OF Lady Austin, wrote : The Task
poem IN blank verse. wherein there is a de-
s SCI OF The wrIter-his life In The country.
DIS home his thoughts, his walks the land
scape AT Olney. eic. The broadening sympathy
with man that characterzes the poem brings
US 10 The wider Interest in humanity
From 1850 10 1853 no less than five edi-
Mons OF the Fairy Queen were published.
While Tor thiriy-ive years before one had
suniceu; Gariick revived Shakespeare, edi-
lions OF whom were brought out nv Johnsou
ana WafDurion, ana NJ Stratford d. ou-Avon was
celebrated the famous jubilee. The brothers
wharton were leaders In the reaction TO roman
tcism; unlike tile oihsrs They wer,. conscions
IesoitefS linen came the Osslanic poems by
James James McPherson. esteemed by Napoleon,
byron and Goethe- The reason why these
great men valued lie poems was that Ibey
nelped 10 release the spirit from effete formal
Ism. these were followed by Pcrcy's Re.