The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-02-06

A Discussion of Poetry as the Highest
OF Literary Arts-"Versions and
Verses" by Charles Dex-
Criticisms.

.75f
Librarian Davies IN bis rea,<1v 10
snn,e antars ,nto ~, i, .sa..,.. -.
80 NV 81 l interesting y diseus-
SION OF poetry ana literary discussion.
He says many are the schemes that
| have been devised for Ans ii ! sat ,,a
49,. s'rsS. - -
oAs. DIV al shese schemes
agree IN being an attempt to divide
them iii accordance with the subject az
which thev traat va I, Z. ,1,,,,,, II, !
a. - ' = :. g. z . 80
o ase nat many DOCKS seem TO DEFY
such division, and in nearly every mod
ern system OF classification are assigned
~ j sa,,ar 70 q .1.ss A. t,,a;r o,,,x ,,sl,,,,,
n. M. a'.s- 80. IL $3.50
" q 10TH 19 CLASS anu Is 3caiied literature
Literature, moreover, Is one of the fine
arts. IN our paper last week we in
cl,,aed tho reoant aaa,.i,,s 3, 49,,
hra,s, r,,.,,,., 49, - =
- ~ WnAcAai are 1Hciuaeu IN Tue classes
generally regarded as the fine arts. The
books considered this week no less truly
n,ieht ha ,r,,,,aoa j., ;.
- o.. ~ 2 uise assioH VI
the me arts. Ihere IS, nevertheless,
this difference Last week we consitl-
cred books treating of fine art. This
week we consider examples. For every
book, so far as its arrangement and
it Is product of human mind. is a
piece Of art. 1t may be poor art but
art it is, Notwithstanding. The more
nearly we approach the domain of pure
literature as we depart from those
books written for a merely nractical
purpose, SO much the more we are con-
cerned with the original concentions ~
the human mind. and the more nearly
we approach the fountain Of art. S11ci,
poetry, are as much more worthy the
attention Of the cultured individ,Yal
as the human mind itself Is above the
objects presented to Il Not that nra Il
tical treatises are to Be neglected. s,,rh
books must be studied. B,It along with
the book that feeds the intellect must
be perused those that reveal the soul
in the highest of its manifestations.
The highest of the literary arts is
poetry. And what poetry really is il
the apprehension only of the cultured
soul. In our earliest pht1dhnod ve.
are apt to believe that anv rvthmical
composition in rhyme is noetrv
Then we learn that there Is better M
etry without rhyme than with II E1,r.
Their on we find that there is the hirh-
est order of poetry. which vet docs not
possess rhyme or conventions, stvles
OF meter. The visions Of Ossian and
the wonderful 10Th Psalm do not need
the ordinary accompaniments of noet-
ry to take their place an,nns the dsa th-
less poems of the ages. We will not
attempt a definition of noatrv hnt we
will say that poetry consists in such q
selection and arrangement of words an
will most fifty express the emotions nf
the soul. 1t is a universal riff Eyarv
man when the depths Of his nature ara
touched, whether il pleasure 40 nain
gives expression il he gives expression
at all, In poetry.
Our Introduction has been too long
But we wished to give some reason IA.
the high place which poetry Soecnnies
in the conception of eyery educated
person The first two books on our
list to-day are poems which we desire
to emphasize. particularly on account
of the reasons that thew have q MACE
in our library, There are nc, mora Iowa
BILE emotions possible TO the so,,l Than
those that demand expression TO show
our appreciation of our lenarted ra,a.
tives and friends. TO this end Costly
piles are erected. and other matarial
memorials are constructed. They 10 not
satisfy-nothing can satisfy the beraa y.
ed souf-but thew IRE an exnressian
better memorial we have before nc tbis
week. Charles Dexter was not a preat
poet. in the sense that he aoo,,;ra5
fame. Yet. he was real MOOT who hod
his message to inter- and who aynrassN
ed II well His workmanshin was An
ished and. fhe suhstanca Was wortbv If
its setting. Two hooks Of bis arc ' he
fore us this week .Versions and
Verses" and SIN Memoria n, Warsinns
and idle Measures, The versions arc
mainly axcellant stanvas e,n,,. AZ CO..
man ana French wrists w. anrrahara
that Nh Dexter WAS a. ent bpn Jnsia
angler far ,nanv If he .,a,.sa. -. 49,
voted Ia the smhiect TIA IN Ma,nar
Jam" IN his "a 90 haenn,as da,,,,ia
memorial. inasmuch as # Was writtan
II memorv If lia dsoaa sod fs4h.r Tha
sentiments If This noe,n arc no rt;o,,l.,
ly to be commended apf that. ,snrss
sion is well calculatad ~ silva enr, font
to MANY another affliefed sui Ratio,,s
al Christian resignation is denjcted IL,
the finest poeticaI manner Roth hnols
are presented to the library nv Miss
Mary Dexter. who has chosen this na.
culiarly appropriate method. Of nernef,1-
ating the influence of her fathers 1ife