The San Francisco call., 1897-07-18

Joaquin Miller has laid strong hands on
the broad Pacific. He who for years in
toned his chants as the high priest OF the
mountains, who was recognized by his
title of "Poet of the Sierras." has m odu-
lated his Tyre to the moaning and the
groaning" of the ocean, and right royalty
he signalizes his devotion to the grandeur
of "Balboa's seas"
In speaking OF his new volume OF poems
that Will issue from the press of the
Whitaker & Ray Company about the
close of the present month, Mr.. Miller
said: 81 sang of the mountains, streams
and plains, of the forests and the deserts,
because L loved them, and now l speak
my love of the waste of waters. If there
be one who loves these things better
than l he has better right to them, but
until he comes l will not yield my privi-
lege TO tell their glories."
1t was at THE Heights" above Oak
land, that 1 talked with the poet of the
mountains and the seas, and he said that
he hoped his book would be worthy of
the themes that had inspired his muse.
His intention was, and Is, to gather all
that he is willing to recognize as his.
In the preface is this significant para
graph:
Fault may be found, as with Hawthorne
when he gathered up his tales, that all I nave
written is not here. Let me answer with him
that all l wish to answer for is here. The
author must be the sole judge as to what be-
longs 10 the public and what to the flames
Much that 1 have written has been on trial
Tor many years. The honest, wise old worlo
OF to-day is a fairly safe jury. While Ii is true
NJ
must he lead pleasantly, patiently, or he may
not lead al all So that which the world let
drop out OF sight the years surged by
have, as a rule, not cared TO introduce second
time.
The putting forth of book like this is
Sufficiently important to mark an epoch
in the literary history of the Pacific Coast.
1t would be deemed a noteworthy event
even in the crowded author-world of Eu-
rope, for 1t is there that our Californian
singer has in fact received such acceptance
that has compelled recognition at home.
The scope of the new volume, in addi-
tion to giving ali the acknowledged works
OF Mr.. Miller, will contain copious foot
notes that will be autobiographical to a
great degree. l am permitted to include
some of the most interesting passages in
this article, giving a brief view of the life
and character of the man, as we'll as an
outline of his revised works. He asks in
dulgence for the basty creations that in
years gone by he was impelled by circum-
stances to put forth for the public, and
after explaining that much of MS writing
was done while traverslng the four cor
ners of the globe, he says:
LJa1oa +ba road Of Az
even now, after all my cutting and care, am
lar from satisfied, and can commend 10 my
lovers only the few last poems in the book.
True, the earlier ones have color and cline and
perfume of wood or waste, and l am not un-
grateful for the friends they have brought me,
but fear they fall short of the large eternal
lesson which the seer is born to teach-the
visions of worlds beyond. I have tried to mend
this fault in my later works to give my poems
not only body but soul
The purpose here, outside OF revising entirely
and gathering into this book such poems as
are 10 be preserved, is TO blaze some trees along
the trail; note of warning here, a campfire
there, the experience of a pioneer; that
those who come after may not falter or go
astray in the wilderness that darkens along
the foothills of Olympus.
4 great land without a great literature,
were such a thing possible, must be TO the end
AOTS6 lAhu ; pOub6leSs. JHTuSdISm was ever
but small place. You can cover her on the
map OF the world with a pins head, yet she
is more than all the Babylons that have been.
She loved, and devoutly loved, the sublime
and the beautiful From this love was born
her poets. The cedars of Lebanon, the lilies
OF the valley, these were the first letters of
their alphabet. And as there cannot be great
land on the page OF history without first a
great literature, so there cannot be great
literature without first deep, broad, devout
and loving religion.
The great poet of this great land of ours
these westmost mountains and the ultima te
seabauk, so ike the olive-set Syrian hills, will
come when we, too, have learned to love and
relgiously love the sublime and besuuful.
Why not permit the coming poet to ia Ike up
his work in the morning OF life where 1t is
now laid down in the twilight OF one who Is
going away?
To this end let US divest the prophets of all
that mystery and special evil and special good
with whicn ignorance and superstition have
garmented them. They were ever plain men.
They were ever human; and the more human
the broader, richer, deeper their divine voices
OF the land.
Genius is love that Is born of this truth,
leading ever by plain and simple ways, and
true toll and care, all nature tolls and cares,
as God tolls and cares; that is all write this
down for those who may come alter. We will