The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1901-08-03

has been called "the Rossini of musi
clans and the humming bird of poets,"
to bring to the art of the song writer
powers q had almost said) unmatched,
before in poetry and musical feeling
and perception SO refined as to evade
the analysis of words.
OF course, we should have expected
the shallow Brooke to tell us that
Moore had fancy, but no imagination.
This is of the stock criticisms formu-
lated against him by writer's of the
stripe of Brooke, who are incapable of
approaching the poets genius. Like
Heine, the Irish poet had too much
fancy, so they say! I wonder how
much of envy enters into this structure,
for by fancy is here meant that hap
piness Of spirit, that divine confidence
by which the poet is enabled to rise
unto the pure ether.
II have myself experienced what
such critics say" remarks Heine; ''the
fowl stands upon one leg and clucks
that the singer has no soul; the turkey
cock gobbles that he has no earnest
ness; the dove COOS that he does not
know true love; the goose cackles that
he is not sufficiently wise; the capon
chirps that he is not moral; the worm
twitters that he, alas! has no religion;
the sparrow pipes that he is not pro-
life enough; lapwings, magpies, OWLS
all these croak, chirp and chatter"
The Brooke bubbles that Moore had
no depth!
But at least he had fancy-that is
conceded as a species Of reproach to
our unrivaled Irish Ariel. Now this
very quality is almost wholly lacking
in English verse, and Moore is hated
and disparaged for possessing so much
of it. By this gift of fancy, as Lord
Byron finely said, he proved his ORR
entail descent better than the most zeal
Gus of his country's antiquarians.
Moore is the most French of all the
English writer's, says Taine-a remark
easily translated. And it is for this
reason Moore Stands curiously alone"
to quote Mr.. Brooke's invidious
phrase, not because he failed of i'm
aginative power but rather because in
his peculiar province he has not Sc
rious rival.
We do not now regard the NIiltonic
dumps as a great proof of Imagination
at least Tame did not--and we are
very sure that dullness and heaviness
are the clogging curse of the human
intellect, never more thoroughly nat
uralized than in the English literary
atmosphere. Upon the ground that
Moore is never dull or heavy (and
therefore never English), critics like
the Rev. Brooke have indicted him for
lack of Imagination.
1t will not be disputed that Edgar
Allan Poe was better poet than the
Rev. Stopford Brooke, and at least as
good a critic. / beg to quote here what
he says concerning this hackneyed
structure upon Moore:
ut has been the fashion of late days
to deny Moore Imagination, while
granting him fancy-:l distinction orig
mating with Coleridge, than whom no
man more fully comprehended the
great powers of Moore. The fact is
that the fancy OF this poet so far pre-
dominated over all his other faculties
and over the fancy of all other men,
rs to have induced very naturally the
idea that he is fanciful only
but never was there Il greater mis-
take; never was grosser wrong done
the fame of Il true poet. In the COM
pass of the English language 1 can
call to mind no poem more profound or
more wertlly imaginative, in the best
sense. than the lines commencing,
4 would l We're by that dim lake
which are the composition of Thomas
Moore
Mr.. Brooke thinks that he scores
profoundly against Moore when he III
Inmates that the latter neglected, as
a source of poetical inspiration, the
fairies and lcprechnuns so much in IA
vor with the nco-Celtic school of latter
day poets. BE it understood that l
greatly admire the work Of these poets.
and especially the delicate. mystical
genius of Yeats, the most authentic
voice among them ALL But I venture
to submit, the nco-Ccltics have not vet
made better poetry than Moore's; and,
charming as their poetry often is. do
not suppose it will ever drive the
melodies" out Of favor. Mr.. Brooke
is ut great pains to prove that Moore
did not drink at the fount Of pure Gel
tic feeling and inspiration. but let me
tell him that on this point | would
rather have another authority than the
Rev. Stopford Brooke. IL the latter
should ever get into the region of Til
nan Og with those eltin people he
affects to be in such lively sympathy
With I'm sure his presence would
create a great disturbance there, ant
it might require the Intervention OF
Tom Moore himself to save the rever
end gentleman from rough handling.
There is no need to follow the mean