The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-09-23
Poets in Love
Some Fine and Foolish Things
In Burns and Keats Loye-Letters

Ask yourself, my love, whether you are
hot very cruel to have SO entramelled me;
SO destroyed my freedom. VIII you con-
fess this in the letter you must write
Immediately and do all you can to con-
sole me in it? Make it as rich as a
draught of peoples to intoxicate me-
write the softest words and kiss them
that 1 may at least touch my lips where
yours have been.
For myself. 1 know not how to ex-
press my devotion to so fair a form;
want a brighter word than bright. a
fairer word than fair. 1 almost wish we
were butterf1iec and lived but three sum-
mer days-three such days with you l
could all with more delight than fifty
common years could ever contain.
Keas was a fine phrase maker, and if
some Of the letters are disfured by slight
traces of -artifcialty and too liberal
introduction of the merely trivial, they
abound in striking and beautiful images.
Miss Brawne cared nothing for poetry,
indeed knew nothing of it, and Keats,
who held that poetry was the highest
achievement in the whole realm of art,
and poet one Of the noblest Of Gods
creatures, rejoiced in the simple thought
that as he was not loved for his poetry
he must therefore be loved for himself
alone. Again he writes TO her:
My love has made me selgsh. I can
not exist without you. 1 am forgetful
Of everything but seeing you again-my
life seems TO stop there-I see no further;
you haye absorbed me.
I can not be happier away from you.
" tbs richer than an argosy Of Fearless"
DO not threat me even in jest. 1 have
been astonished that men could die mar
tyrs for religion-I have shuddered at il.
I shudder no more-I could be martyred
for my religion-love is my religion-I
could die for that. l could die for you.
The story Of Burns association with
the fascinating Mrs. McLose is preserved
to US in a series of the most remarkable
love letters ever written by a poet to his
mistress. The improperly of a married
mans philanderings with another mans
wife is a question that may safely be left
TO the moralists; one Timing, however is
certain. that those who interpret the
Clarinda and sylvander correspondence
as rejecting on the purity Of either of
the parties show that they have utterly
failed to understand Burns.
There were no half measures about him
When he admired a woman he declared
that she might be assured of his eternal
love and devotion and he proceeded TO
unburen himself of the most extravagant
nonsense that ever plagued the brain of a
poet.
He adorned Jean Armour; the thought
OF Ellison Begbie warmed his heart SO
that every feeling of humanity, every
principle of generosity kndIed in his
breast;' o Clarinda he was the man
who loves you, who has loved you. and
who will love you to the death, thro'
death and forever" handsome Nell had
no rival in his breast; Chloris was the
peerless queen Of womankind." and
Peggy Chalmers was the name he regis
tered in his hearts core"
Clarinda's happiness. to employ one of
the poets pretties phrases, was twisted
with the threads of his existence. They
discuss with startling frankness the prob
Sems of love and marriage, the necessity
Tor religion in life-and yet the merest |
tyro in the affairs Of the human heart |
thinks he can perceive them fastening
on toward the abyss where honor and re-
spect are sacrificed on the altar of HUI
man passion.
Burns had written less than twenty
letters, and seen Mrs. McLose half as
many times, when he pictures them to-
gether in a paradise enjoying mutual
friendship and love:
Don't you see US hand in hand or |
rather my arm about your lovely waist, |
making our remarks on Sirius, the near |
est of the fixer stars, or surveying a
comet, flaming innoxious by US as we |
just now would mark the passing pomp |
of travelling monarch; or in a shady |
bower Of Mercury or Venus. defeating |
the hour to love in mutual converse, re- |
lying honor and revealing endearment |
while the most exalted strains of poesy |
and harmony would be the ready spon- |
taneous language of our soils?
II Mrs. McLose had been the utterly |
frivolous and unsteady woman which one |
or two writer's represent her TO be, pair |
of lives would possibly have been wrack- |
ed. II is said that no one reading these /
remarkable letters can resist the convie- !
ton that deep and abiding reverence |
for religion led Burns partner in this |
to apply the brake at the
critical moment.
Il
emn promise TO remember in all circum-
starces the fact that they were both |
bound by the marriage tie Burns says |
in q contrite mood:
Now, my love. do not wound our next
meeting with any averted looks or re-
strained caresses: have marked therline
OF conduct, a line ] nknow exactly to
your taste, and which I will invioably
keep. o Love and Sensibility! We
have conspired against my Peacei
love 10 madness and I feel to torture
Clarinda, how can I forgive myself that
have ever touched single chord in
your bosom in pain? Would I do it viii
ingly? Would any consideration, any
qualification make me do so?
Oh. did you love me. YOU would not.
you could not. deny or put off a meeting
with the man who adores you. who would
lie a thousand deaths before he would
njure you. and who must soon bid YOU
ong farewell,
In moments Of genuine feeling such as
he must have experienced at this time
Burns wrote some Of the finest love let
ers in the language. The letters of the
golden age Of S as Mrs. McLose named
he period Of her friendship with the
poet, must always be studied by any one
Who attempts TO give a sound estimate Of
Burns literary powers.-Temple Bar.
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