New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-03-03
A LAUREATE'S LECTURE
Mr. Alfred Austin on the Neglect Of the
Higher MUSES..
From The London Standard.

From The London Standard.
Mr. Austin said he appeared as an advocate
the advocate Of the higher Muses.. They might
legitimately ask what he meant by the higher
poetry. To him. poetry TRANSPORTATION
the TRANSPORTATION OF the real into the ideal
As concrete instance, he took Wordsworth.
who served his purpose especially well. because
while he had written the very noblest poetry
ne had. by the allowance OF his warmest admir-
ers. written pages and pages Of verse that could
not be spoken OF as poetry. He quoted Simon
Lee" an example OF what they need not
shrink from saying not poetry nor within
g measurable distance Of being poetry. No one.
however, could hesitate to say that The Rev
erie OF Poor Susan" was poetry. In IL every
thing was transfOrned-Mood-st.. Cheapside.
mists and streams were transhgured, and they
were on a high mountain apart He regarded
the fourth book Of The Excursion as not
poetry. while the lines beginning Those shad-
oW-y recOllections' were a thought Uanshgufeo
by Imagination He thought he had thus de-
fned what poetry WAS Passing on 10 ask what
the higher poetry. he said the answer WOULD
be most satisfactory II they inquired what was
the proper field and dominion OF poetry. BE sub
mitted that il was whatever man perceived.
felt thought or dld. There were four well
known kinds o. pOetry-descriptive, lyrical, re-
Elective and epic and dramatic. For the de-
scriptive and lyrical forms OF poetry there eN-
listed perhaps as much taste and hnng as ever
but from dramatic and reflective poems, unless
they were put in the most modes, dimensions,
most readers nowadays turned away with re-
pugnance.
The change had been caused mainly by the
creation and universal domination Of another
the average mind, and even 10 the ordinary
mood Of the superior minds. Novels and prose
romances had ousted poetry. Prose romance
had rendered great services 10 the present
generation. They could not help recognizing The
talent OF their authors and 10 overwrOught
brains they were great relaxation. But the
overdevouring Of novels simply TO kiu time and
20 feed the emotions must destroy the taste for
mental food OF the more delicate kind. What
might be most wholesome tonic ended by
becoming the moet depressing OF stimulants.
TO describe men and women as they are ior tne
oelectation OF men and women they are might
be one ~ the most profitable tasks % the
novelist but 81 not with the poet. who.
~ ne glanced from heaven 10 earth also glanced
from earth TO heaven IL with extreme
luctance that he referred 70 the feminine tenn
permanent, but he should be SHINING against
truth II he said that the interests or women were
vide and detached those Of men. II
was really beyond doubt that the MUSES. had
fallen upon bad times The stage used TO be
the special domain OF the highest poetry, but
audiences We're determined. let actors authors
and managers Do what they would not 10 have
poetry Inflicted upon them, but IN its place have
sumptuous scenery. sensuous movement and the
lightest o. music. The greatest demand FOR
this came from the stalls Oaughter)
The thing mattered vitality. What did they
behold at the present moment That was not
the place or the occasion TO inquire n trade was
slipping from our grasp, but II the place
and the occasion 70 ask them 10 consider that
The main thought. the great anxiety the burn
ing controversy OF the hour was not whether
we were growing less Intellectual. but whether
we were growing less rich and less materially
prosperous. 0Iear. heard Material prosperity
was the ideal. and wealth was the very divinity
OF the age. That not confined 20 this coun-
try, but was universal and he should not be
exagEeratng when ne said that material
prosperity the cosmopolitan creed and
religion ~ the time II appalling thing
20 say, but should be SAID. and said again and
again. Where should they look for rescue and
remedy, II remedy was 20 be found. but IA the
higher forms OF poetry They like in
valios who were run down; they required
mountain air.