The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-03-28
again referring to Henry rimrod. The

again referring to Henry Timrod. The
recent issue of "A Memorial Edition"
of his poems make it altogether proper
to refer to him, who was perhaps after
Poe, the foremost poet Of all south
land. But few southrons living now
are at all familiar with the charm and
beauty of this very gifted South Car
olinian who reflected much fame upon
his own state and n south gener-
ally. He richly deserves to be far bet
ter known. For any person really en-
dowed by nature with feelings re-
sponsive to poetic melody n inspira-
ton Timrod must prove q delight. It
is a fact hat next to Poe he has been
more praised than any other southern
poet not excepting Sidney Lanier .:
Paul Hayne. The New England n
other northern writer's have been gen.
erous and free in their praise Of the
richly gifted singer OF the south. Long
fellow thought it "a distinct honor to
Charleston that il was the birthplace
of Timrod. General Don Carlos Buell.,
who died not long g and was 2 gal
liant federal regular soldier, thought
Timrod's "a Cry to Arms" was a bat
tie strain throughout, which deserves
a place high up on the roll Of American
poems"
In 1880, The Boston International Re-
view published a review Of his poems
which was extremely cordial. 1t found
Il - Is-- -~1J01;a1 4rLI 0f pao on6
| lines worthy of Virgil, and lyrics even
superior to any martial Greek poetry
now extant. The author Of the critique
held that one poem was "truer and
more spontaneous than TennysoR's
Locklesley Hail." another, "only equal
| ed in glow and grace by that master
of Latin music, half forgotten Catul-
lus;" and another, "far beyond any
thing of the sort by Heine." Still an
other possesses 1.-THE white fire, the
passionate subtlety of Shelley" He
sums up the whole by declaring that
while "Timrod has not, like Poe and
Tennyson, created new forms in style
and verse, he presents in his small vol
ume more quotable lines in proportion
to quantity than any writer since By
ron"
This review was edited by no less
men of authorship than John T. Moore,
author of several biographies, and SEN
| ator Lodge, historian, critic, etc. Mr..
Henry Austen wrote in The Boston Ev-
ening Transcript as far back as 1887,
| in this to1chinp strain.
! Whittier has warmly commended
him. as the best of southern singers
though so short was the space of this
mans being, yet we cannot but env
and admire, so full of calm happiness
1T seems; Poverty and it's Shadow never
left him; yet he possessed so great an
income of delight, that he could lavish
it endlessly on others"
We remember many years ago to have
written at some length Of the animated
and delicious productions of Timrod's
chaste Muse, but have no copy of it.
| We cannot undertake regular criticism
without a fresh study of those poems
; his best and truest n most inspir-
; ed-that should have a high place in
any anthology of American verse. In
: SUCH dill dIllLOlOSy IL HldOe Dy d
highly cultured New England man of
letters, we believe this would be ac-
corded. 1t is nearly or quite a quarter
of a century since we read all hat
the young poet who persisted in his
prime" like young Chatterton, had left
as a rich bargesse to his native land
of the vine and the palmetto and the
teeming sunshine. oh for "the sound
; of the voice that is STILL" Sad indeed
that it ceased SO long 6 and almost
in the very spring time of a rich young
life. Carl Mckinley standing at Tim
rods grave in 1877, began some memo
rial stanzas with this one:
"Our one sweet singer breaks no more
The silence sad and long,
The land is hushed from shore to
shore,
It brooks no feebler song"
! There is one consolation-"though
dead he yet speaketh'' in verse that
| deserves the boon Of Immortality.