The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1901-03-21
fOr
HOW TO BECOME A POET.

Most persons have an idea that writ
ing poetry is rather difficult matter.
But this impression is wholly erroneous,
as 1 shall endeavor to prove in this ar
ticle.
First and foremost you must provide
yourself with the necessary weapons,
which are, a pen we'll corroded and
worn to sharp point. Such an i'm
plement when correctly handled will
invariably jab and stick in the paper
and in so doing, will in all probability
cause you to hurl forth a few choice
cuss words which will greatly aid you
in forming the rhythm of your poem;
and in raising your ire, will cause the
blood to course hotly through your
veins, which, should your poem be of a
tragic nature, will be of great aid in
enabling you to feel more fully the
passionate scenes you endeavor to de-
pict.
Secondly, you must procure ink; the
sticky, gummy variety preferred, which
in Its eccentric motions in failing to
run when the proper time arrives and
IN running when not desired, will bring
more cuss words and consequently
more rhythm and blots-can't write
poetry without blots; that is impossible.
Then you require copy paper, which
can be procured at any butcher shop.
The beautiful golden brown kind that
has fuzzy stuff all over it, causing your
pen to find the road rather rocky, there
by giving you time to get your thoughts
connected in the grandiloquent pas
sages to be transcribed; and lastly,
but in no wise least, you should provide
your study with an ak and rasp The
ak to be used in chopping off corners
and other rough places and the rasp for
the final polish. "a currycomb will
sometimes answer the purpose when a
raSp is not at hand.)
After having procured all these
necessaries you must decide what kind
Of poetry you desire to write and select
your subject. There are as you know
several kinds Of poetry There's the
Kind Jim Riley writes and the kind
Rud Kipling writes and the kind
Browning wrote, not mentioning the
poetry Of ''Slim Johnson" All of which
might come under two heads: Lyrical
and Blank.
Lyrical poetry is the kind that gener-
silly has jingle to it like this:
Had a little dog his name was Rover
When lie died he died allOyer
Or this,
The thunder roared the lightning flashed
And broke granny's teakette all to smash.
Some folks think that lyrical poetry
does not produce as good an effect as
blank verse; but that all depends upon
whether the reader be OF solemn
dignifed disposition or whether he be
of the kind that can be tickled without
being jabbed in the ribs.
Blank verse is of more solemn
nature generally used to describe grand
events and scenery. Remark the fol
lowing:
Behold with what solemn majesty he tilts tbt
From whose capaciOus depths there gurgle!
adOwn his throat the nectar of
The Gods distilled from golden corn.
That, my friend, is blank verse, blank
ETY. blank verse, julaceous blank verse
Now having chosen the kind of poetry
you wish to write you must select YOU
subject. In doing so, do not take fligh
to unknown worlds; but take some
thing of every day occurrence will
which you are perfectly familiar. Fol
instance, you might write an epitapi
for the man who was always borrowing
like this:
Here lies my old friend Swigge,
My coin he'd always borrow,
While saying with giggle,
He'd pay me back tomorrow.
But Swiggle struck some dynamite
While digging for we'll.
Perhaps to heaven he's taken flight
think he's gone To-