The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-08-05
k,v-aHE supreme desire OF the world
H. IS to discover genius.

be avowed. but IL exists and
= has persisted through the ages.
- '-'--- Aiediocrity may mock, the en-
vious GAYS, the ignorant ignore. but at
the birth OF a genius all mankind-at
least all the better portion OF mankind
rejoiceg.
While the world may have long since
ceased 20 look for another Shakespeare,
q Milton. q Homer, "a Goethe or even
Dryden OF Pope. IL has not given up
tho expectation Of another Wordsworth.
q. Tennyso'i, Longleitow OF n burns.
Indeed IL entcrtains hope OF having
found two Of the latter group in the
English poets who are the subjects OF
t.lis article. William Watson and Rud-
yard Kipnng. They are stlll young
though both have passed the age OF
Byron when be died, and Their literary
work has been In evidence less than
score OF years. yet has been passed
uron and approved by the severest
critics OF our time.
William Watson. the elder Of the two,
nho was born a. Wharidalc, Yorkshire,
England in 1856 Inherited nothing OF
The literary tendency from his ances-
iors His health being delicate as
boy. he WAS privately taught and spent
n great deal OF his time roaming The
fields and woods in the country Of
N.ordRw orth avowedly his master and
his model Ninc years ago ne passed
through severe mental afiilcuon
which gave rise 10 report that he Was
crazy. but-he rallied and has since done
some " iis best work
VI may bc, as an English writer has
saN that poets Of great strength are
rare today but he is ranked as one OF
the strongest OF recent writers. and his
advent has been hailed az an omen OF
poetical renaissance. By his passionate
and high souled poetry, it rs said. and
by his grin on the realities Of life. he
has established FOR himself an enviable
sminence In literature and proved
popular aspiiant for a niche IN the han
OF fame While on admirer OF Keats
and Shelley Who exercised great in
fluencc during the formative years aof
his youth. hc has always been true to
Wordsworth. whose prc-eminence he
has acknowledged and characterized in
me following lines:
The hrst voice then tho second in their turns.
Had sung me captive. This voie set me free.
il was his "Wordsworth's Grave and
Other Poems I'm fact. that first set
upon him the seal OF popular approval
This work was issued in $780, but he
had already appeared In print as a poet.
. first IN 1850 in The Princes Quest"
and again I'm 1854 with his "Epigrams
Of Art Life and Nature In the latter
he showed the poets true faculty for
crystallizing much in single sentences
and in directness. but ;,is Words
worth" gave him immediate recognition
as great nature poet. There were In
this y ork II was declared, both good
workmanship and literary accomplish
ment felicttous simile and metaphor.
With frequent, notes that recall the
greater masters. as well as chaste. lucid
and dignified expression and the true
poetic command OF epithet and Inn
agery." In truth, he gave promise of
still greater performance. and the
reading public awaited his forthcoming
work with pleasurable anticipation. It
Is In the elegiac and the sonnet form
that Watson has proved himself a mas
ter, and after his Wordsworth" az a
threnodic memorial ranks his "Lachry-
m9 Musarum" a tribute 10 Tennyson
a stately and beautiful lyric. the imme-
date result Of which was his securing
the government pension of G 200 attach
ed TO the position made vacant by the
death of Tennysou. The Tennysonian
lyric appeared in 1892. the same year in
which, his Lyric Love" came out. and