The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-02-14
Joaquin Miller. Complete Poems.


The work Of editing ones own poems
II ust be rather an embarrassing one for a
poet since it involves the double duty OF
admitting that some of his verses, once
deemed worthy to be written and published,
are not worth preserving in a permanent
form, ard Of putting the seal of his appro-
val those which he thinks will live or
which he is willing to be judged by This
requires high critical judgment and rare
mpartiality. No doubt those who attempt
it sometimes err for it is well Known that
authors often have a very different opinion
as to the relative merits of their works
from that which is entertained by the pub
lic These remarks have no special appli-
cation to the Complete Poettcal Works of
Joaquin Miller" except that the editing is
done by himself, and it is understood that
this edition contains all that he wishes to
remain as his permanent contribution to
literature. 1t is not known how much he
has left out of it, but it contains enough to
show that he has been very prolific writer.
This large volume contains over three hun
dced pages and more than $50 poems, cover
ing wide range of topics, and some of
them of considerable length. 1t contains
abundant evidence that the author is a true
poet-one of the kind that are born, not
made He is not only natural poet, but
poet of nature in her subjective as well as
her objective aspects, poet OF life as well
OF mountains and plains, of the soul as
well as of scenery. He has been called the
Poet of the Sierras." He is more than
that. he is indeed the greatest interpreter
of Wild rough life in the new West that has
arisen, but he is also a true interpreter of
life under other conditions. His poems de-
Scrfptive of mountain adventures, gold
hunters, Indian fights, crossing the plains
and other phases of pioneer life are indeed
very realistic, but they are no truer to life
than those which deal with other themes
and some of which were inspired and writ
ten in other lands. His songs of the soul
| strike as true note as his songs of the
| Sierras, and, whateyer his theme may be-
he gets at the soul and throws his own into
it. Indeed, his gift of seeing the poetic
side of everything comes very near being a
| fault. Mr.. Millers imagination is almost
| too riotous, and when he gives away to ii
| his poetry comes almost too easy. If this
is not fault it is. at least, a dangerous
! gift, and one whose exercise has to be held
in check. He does not always succeed in
| doing this, and it sometimes runs away
with him. But this is pardonable fault in
| a poet. Better too much imagination than
! too little-better a winged Pegasus than one
| that plods along with leaden shoes.
| The poems in this volume are of unequal
| merit both in q poetic and literary point Of
view, but where there is so much that Is
| original and highly meritorious it would be
! hypercritical to dwell on that which falls
| below the standard of the best. Many read
ers will think those poems the best which
! deal with the wild and stirring phases Of
nature and frontier life with which the au-
| thor became so familiar during his years Of
prospecting Indian fighting. army scouting,
| etc. No other poet has ever handled these
| themes as Joaquin Miller has done. and 1t is
| safe 10 say no other ever Will. But he grew
| beyond these themes and rose to greater
| heights and broader sweeps of imagination
| In the handling of others which. If less
stirring, We're even more full OF poetic pos
| sbilities An interesting feature Of this
| edition is preface by the author, in which,
with characteristic frankneSs, he reveals
| some of his life secrets. Another and even
| II ore interesting feature Is the explanatory