The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-07-19
THE STANDING OF LORD BYRON
AS A GREAT BRITISH POET
An Appreciative Sketch of the Literary Career OF
the Great English Bard by DIR.
kingSbury.

bury, admits that the only writer who
ever equalled him in contemporary popu-
larity was Scott, and only as novelist.
He also surpassed all others, admits
Saintsbury, abroad in contemporary APP
probation save only Scott and Richardson,
both novelists. His ungenerous critic says
that abroad he simply took possession or
the Continent of Europe and kept it, He
captured Goethe, the greatest poet OF
Germany, and he had great power over
Heine, its one towering genius, in the
last century, placing Goethe in the egh-
teenth century. Saintsbury admits furth-
er that Byron was almost the sole master
OF Young Russia, young Italy, young
Spain, in poetry How could a pretend
er, a fourth rate verse writer, a man of
interior gifts, do such great things? lie
swept over Europe and the foremost men
of genius paid court TO HIM, and offered
incense to his splendid genius. The lead
ing French writers lauded and initiated
him. While England, and Great Britain,
as a whole, have gone back upon him and
now deny him great or positive genius,
and his writings are neglected, spurned,
denounced, derded, he Is stlll appreciated
abroad, and his best poetry is read and
praised. w. e. Henley, one OF the bright
est, most independent, and acute critics
now living in England, says that Byron
lis the most romantic figure In the
literature of the Cnlneteenth) century, and
his romance is of that splendid and dar-
ing cast which the people of Britain-'an
arIstocracy materialIzed and null a mid
die class purblind and hideous, a lower
class crude and brutal'-prcfers to regard
with suspicion and disfavor.' This caus-
tic, bold writer says ITO be good Briton
d man must trade profitably, marry
respectfully, live clearly, AVOID excess,
revere the established order, and wear
his heart in his breeches pocket or any
where but on his sleeve. Byron did none
of these things" So popular were Byrons
poems at one time that he could not pro-
duce them in sufficient rapidity, although
he was extraordinarily swift and prolific.
One efDhis poems,-I believe it was The
Corsair, sold 10000 copies the first day
Remember that was long ago, much be-
fore the time of the enormous sales Of
third, fourth, or tenth rate stories that
are devoured now by the undiscriminat-
ing million and considered great.
GOtlHc HGlu Byron TO De the greatest
OF all English poets of his time. In fact
lae was well nigh supreme, with possibly
one or two exceptions, in the judgment OF
the greatest author and genius of the
Germanlc race. AS / have mentioned, the
Ilrobable other greatest German poet
Heine, mad most exalted admiration
of Byron If the life and work of the
poet, with his extraordinary surroundings
are well studied, it viii be difficult to de-
ny to him remarkable resource, spendid
powers brilliant achievement and most
distinguished productions Prof. Thomas
B. Shaw, writer of gifts and a critic
OF judgment, insight and taste, who wrote
prior to 1885, regards him as "the most
extraordinary man of his age and perhaps
the most extraordinary person in the mod
ern history of Europe" He writes a
dozen pages to make good his contention
Rev. George Gillfllan, forgotten Scotch
critic, who in the forties and f1fties was
much read and relished. for he wrote
some sparkling, striking, ncisve critical
papers, writes Interestingly OF Byron
His dicta as to many writers are well
worth considering for he was bold and in
dependent, if quite falliblc. He has left
paper on Byron rich in opinion and of
definite, decided impression He analyses
his genius-what he was, what he failed
IN, what he accomplished. what was his
proper rank as a poet. Somewhere about
1913, he wrote of Byron but not in
vein OF ndlscrlmlnate praise but Of
careful discrimination and determination
OF his artistic gifts-his execution as
writer, handling uncommon material, he
wrote this: Strong direct intellect, de-
scriptiye force, and personal passion
seem the main elements of Byrons poeti
cal power. He sees clearly, he selects
jCdiciously for effect from among the
points he does see. and he paints them
with pencil dipped in his own fiery
heart. He was the last representative of
the English character of mind and
every popularity of the English school
(the Dryden, Pope, Johnson, etc, SCHOOL,
seems to have clustered in ana around
him, as its last splendid specimen. :.
Byron was ultimus Romancrum--the last,
and with the exception of Shakespeare and
Milton, the greatest purely English poet
His manner had generally all of the
clearness and precision of sculpture; in-
deed his clearness serves often to dis
guise his depth" He wisely places him
beneatIi ana apart from the HlsL class OF
poets, such as Homer, Dante, Milton,
Shakespeare and Goethe, the world s
greatest verse builders.
While there is vast deal Of sourness,
OF intense bitterness, of flashing sarcasm,
Of excoriating denunciation of lurid in
yeetiye, OF scornful defamation, of
lsitfiolie portraiture, of scathing contempt
for the hollowness and the shams and
the ipsincere. yet the great genius wos
not blind or Indifferent to chat which was