The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-12-05
NOGUCEII AND HIS CRITIC.
a Japanese Vieso of the Alleged Plagsar-
isus OF the Poet.

isms of The Poet.
To the Editor of the San Francisco CdlI-SIR
l request the courtesy of THE CALL for the
use OF your columns to expose our opinion
about the articles in which Rev. Jay William
Hudson attacked NJ. Yone Noguchi. Dear sir,
need not necessarily ask your courtesy for
the defense of our young Japanese poet on q
charge OF plagiarism but Tor reason which
shows so often the difference of standards for
the plagiarism. Our oriental land seems ap-
preaching at present to the conclusion of the
question OF plagiarism, being so old country
that so many poets suffered with that charge
and so tired now with that gossip; but at least
this question is always worthy enough to illus
trate the genins of the so-called plagiarist
and the possibility to produce the same
thought in exactly the same words-the mat
ter OF interesting coincidence
The ancient Chinese poet, "Kayu," has some
lines quoted thus:
On the watery field, the white stork hops.
Among the sum mer trees the yellow bird chutters.
And the certain famous poet at the same age,
"O-i," who sang his poetry OF the same
thought in almost the same words with
"Kayu" was ever proud to show to the public
his lines, which quoted thus:
On the watery field, dim and dim, the stork hops
Among the summer trees, gloomy and gloomy, the
yellow bird chutters.
And after them the ambitious Chinese poet,
whose name is written with the spell "Choy-
oku," wrote his poetry with a few changes,
thus:
see just on the watery field the white stork hops.
hear now among the summer trees tn e yellow
bird chatters.
Some one among these poets ought to be the
plagiarist. Ii the old person could claim its
originality the foundation that any other
poet did not sing before such thought with
the same words the other poets, "O-p' and
"Choyoku," must be charged as the shameful
plagiarists; but, being not so in our oriental
country. the people compare eve- who can
be praised as the highest genius among them.
Mr.. Oh, elected as the foremost person, Leaves
his high honor TO our future age. Why, this
is the question of poetry
Mr.. Noguchi's poem, entitled "Lines," being
fortunately compared with 1.-THE Sleeper" q
poem of the late Allan Poe, who has so many
devoted admirers in this world, and was &C
knowledged as the first poet ever the Ameri-
can could produce Perhaps suffers as the
plagarist at present. wonder why the people
compares not which poetry has more founda-
ton as the originality and expresses more
poetical high thought-in one expression,
which person has more genius OF the poetry.
We never claim the poem OF the young Japan
csc poet more superior than the Poe's Droduc-
ton; but, for ms lance, Mr.. Noguchi stealing
the lines from the exoteric American genius
Iuwelt alone
In word of moan,
And my soul was a stag nant TIDE.
II the young Japanese poet made out his
"Lines," which singing thus:
uWell alone
Like once ed star,
In frightened. darksome, willow threads,
In world of moan,
My soul is stagnant down
Finally rushes down with the strength of
thundery groan, asking what he may has
$; God
Demon-light-
Darkness-Oh!
We must feel for him why he cannot be so
satisfied with the plagiarist. Oh, poor little
boy poet, you be contented with the thief OF
another poet but you might believe that there
are many persons who estimate your genius
more original and more higher than the dead
poet. About The critic which denies to him
the right to such adj ctives or verbs as "mys-
tic, 'dewy, DIM" 'isteals drowsily," evan
ton" CLOSED and priced" we have FORUM
ately none OF the words to answer. Mr.. No
guchi made out bravely with such words,
mystic and "opiate vapor. dewy, din"
hiring from Poe his first three lines oil "Lines."
am compelled 10 admire ana love his talent.
For the second article of Rev. Jay William
hudson the Examiner shared her editorial
column, defending the young poet. There's
no necessity TO expose again the certain
preachers foolishness. T. WATARI.
Jackson street. San Francisco.