Evening star., 1898-05-07
A Protest From the Bulbul.

The Bultul of Pohick writes:
Il had hoped, long ere this (all poets
say long ere when they mean "a good
while ago, which L suppose is why | once
heard am editor make illusion to iong-ered
pcets) to be able TO write you some real
poetry. But just as l was getting settled
down to ork a short time ago something
was brought to my attention that riled me
so L could hardly write. AS a rule L re-
Train from sayirg anything derogatory
about poets because it might be considered
Enprof fessionaL But when | find that base
imitators ale trying to wrench the laurels
from my brow and wear them themselves
L feel that the poetry business is being as
sailed in way which calls for remon-
STRANGE And as am the party aggrieved,
1t Is not unbecon ing in me to raise the
first protest. l had intended TO write this
out In poetry. when my attention was first
called 10 the following from London Punch
But L realized that 1 was being ousted out
Of my own specially and that others were
l&poflng IN the school of poetry which had
founded and trying to pass the style off
as original with theirseives, which 1 re-
gard as ungentiemaEiy or uniadyiike, as the
case may be, and l became SO indignant
that did not have time to chop the prose
up into lengths and fit rhymes onto the
loose ends
Il lay aside the tact that the poem holds
the Monroe doctrine up to ridicufe and rep
feseiItS this country as a boss Soiiocuiz-
ing to hisseif. Them is poiiIics and so are
rot for me. 1t starts
With that efrete ccngeries called Europe
Our starry Eagle row p-oce. DIS TO cope;
And when tEis urgent Fowl pats down his claw.
His nap Is final and Ills whoop Is law.
IF the suthor had had the fairness TO
acknowledge the source of his inspiration.
L would have took off my sun-bonnet to
the person who could have thought out
anything so bold and dashing as making
Europe rhyme with to cope
Il don't say that they can be called an
out-and-Out plagiarism. But l do assert
that the following shows unscrupulous
readiness to adapt the form which 1 have
labored to develop:
Some time ago a rainful case arose
In which We quoted Monroe tn ough our
quite loud. IL die not have the same effect
As We had been encouraged to expect.
The other Angio-saxons thought the hlun
Was good, bur not precisely good enough,
And they would ''Ia.se''
There Is lot more in the piece which
bears the stamp of my creation, but the
conclusion will suffice to show what L
mean:
Before this triiing gem appears in type,
The fatal moment may be fairly ripe:
Or else II mayn't. One thing alone Is sure
Which Is, that our designs good and pure:
We never wanted ton our solemn werd)
little bit Of Cuba for the Bird!
But the purloirer of regulations has
overdid himself l Lever would have talked
about ripening moments as il 1 thought
clocks and watches was garden truck
And having ventured 10 assert a proba-
bility, l would not have went back on il
in the next breath by heaving in or else
it mayn't just for the sake of having a
little meter here and there
Il refrain from Offering any remarks on
London poetry in general. But 1 don't
want any Protectorate established over
me. In conclusion 1 desire only to say,
Il care rot though folks on the foreign
shore
VIII say THIS is professional jealousy and
nothing more.
l have always thought and think so still
If You don't look out for your own rights
nobody will"