The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1897-12-02
TRIBUTE TO STOCKARD.
EDWARD GILLIAM'S ESTIMATE OF THE
STATES POETIC GENIUS.
The Dual Purpose of the Average Poet
is to Exaggerate the Little aid Be-
Little the Great-POemS are the
Flowers in the Field of Litera-
ture.

lessor Henry Jerome Stockard and
myself by asking of you the publica-
ton Of this humble, belated and alto
gether inadequate tribute to his genius
(much abused and little understood
word). His "Fugitive Lines" from
the press of the Putnams, is a notable
contribution to contemporary verse. If
| may be allowed to record here my
individual opinion l would call this
volume the most notable within my
recollection Of recent years. There is
so much in it TO differentiate and dis
tinguish it from the commonplace
stuff which is made for and made by
the magazines the standard of current
poetry that l hope to be pardoned if
betrayed into apparent excess Of enthu-
siasm over it. This seems to me like
a case in which any lack of precision
in epithet should be condoned, if not
altogether overlooked.
"Fugitive Lines" comes like the
airiose Tilt of mocking bird above the
clatter, the clamor and the babble of
cuckoos and parrots. There are in
Professor Stockard's rhymes notes in
the gamut of poesy which are, indeed
unknown quantities to Munkittricks,
Banges and other driveling, sniveling
and grovelling latter-day votaries Of
the muse. 1t becomes to me one Of
the worst possible commentaries upon
the materialistc tendencies of the age
that the discord of the poetasters and
doggerel scribblers is SO great that the
voice of true poet can scarcely be
heard. Midiocrity abounds; merit is
as rare as ever. "A great deal Of the
bad is accepted in lieu of the good
rather than winnow SO little grain
from so much chaf. The SO called po
etry of the day is SO much hatsom and
jetsom cast upon the literary sea and
the pity is that so much swlms and SO
little sinks l challenge any lover of
good poetry, be he or she ever SO per-
sistent and undispairing searcher of
the "poet's corner" of the magazines
and newspapers (tre former are by far
the worst offenders), }, TO count over on
his or her fingers of one hand the
really good, new poems read in this
annus mirabilis and not have when the
computation is complete thumb and
one or two other digits to spare. The
Il nf ha If
this generation is to exaggerate the lit
tie and belittle the great. The "airy
nothingness' to which he gives ga
local habitation and a name' affl!Cls
one with al the causes Of escaping gas.
the international poe,icalp athoS, fl ap-
doodle and poppycock which vexes
our ears and distresses our souls OF K.
K. Munklttrick and his transatlantic
laureate cousin, Austin and Others on
| both sides of the ocean Of their type
and class, if not enough to drive strong
men to strong drink, is enough tc
make them wish they could hear-tha'
they had heard-lhe lay of the last
minstrel. If the poetry market Ga
follow out one Of the mel cenary meta
phors Oft this commercial age) be Con
,rolled by that said to be lnexorable
law of supply and demand one cannot
but regret the degree to which The
popular taste has been debauched
The love of poetry look upon as the
super finest sense of the soul. Writing
poetry regard as the mobiles: g'it o
expression. That those who are un
worthy should essay to employ tn:
gift or that those who are capable
should misuse and abuse it-all with
the result of lowering the standards
and ideals of poetic expresslon-are
matters which cannot be regretted too
much or too often. Poems and poet.
are born and not made, the presen
preponderence of expression and opln
ion to the contrary, Notwithstanding.
Poems are the flowers in the field 0
literature. Bud and blossom are in
stinct with beauty. They appeal only
to the love of the beautiful. They toi
not, neither do they spin. They have
no didactic or utilltarlan value. The
roots and herbs of prose may be fo
medicine; the flowers Of poetry are fo
beauty and perfume alone. Poem:
are not articles of manufacture or com
modi,ies of the mart, but creations Q
art. Such art, dedicated 10 beauty IL
its highest phenomena, should not b'
desecrated by penny-a-llners who con
tract to make their lines end in
rhyme. Who would not rather be a
kitten and cry new than one Of thes'
ballad mongers?
Friendship for Professor Stockard-
contempt for the poetic rabble whicl
attempts TO set the pace, SO to speak
Of the poetry of to-day-may ,ogethe
becloud and disquallify my judgmen
when l pause and ask myself If ne ha
many-lf he has any-equals among
living American poets. He has no
the rhyming faculty of Frank L. Stan
tou, nor can he spawn stuff like JONI
kendrick Bangs But he seems to N
to have stepped out from crowd wit
twanging and discordant chord
and struck notes of deeper, richer
clearer measure His instrument ap
pears to have always been attuned ant
he has but to pitch upon the key h
wants. He has The confident touct
the easy sweep, the majestic movemer
, which recall the grand old masters
He has the ultra artistic, but only /
I the way Of making art conform MOI
than ever TO nature He seems TO b