The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1904-02-03
MoRGANTowN, WEST WEDNESDAY
IN PORTO RICO.

In PORTO RICO.
Essay on the Literature of tina,
Island.
Glasses Int which Devotees Of the
Muse Are to be DIVIDED Interest.
Ing Discussion Of Our Insular Posses.
sion BY Native Bora Porto Rican,
To the Editor Of the NEW DOMINION:
1t is 8 great truth that the litera
ture of a people is but the written
expression of it's lite. All nations
have certain bodies Of men whose
feelings, ambitions or ideas are ex-
pressed through their actions; they
are Statesmen, generals, inventors,
There 10 another class that finds a
broader means Of expression in writ
ten words; these are poets, novelists,
philosophers, historians. We find
out what people is partly through
Z hat it does and partly by what il
writes, hence the inseperable connec-
ton between literature and history.
This being the case, l am not sure
that / can give a complete and clear
account Of our colonial literature, as
| am not prepared to 60 into the dis
cussion of our historical progress.
ogive an idea of the literary life Of
the new American possession { which
is my only aim let me make elias
sification OF it. We have,
LIST. An element that thinks and
feels.
End. An element that feel but does
not think.
3rd. An element that neither
thinks nor feels.
By which we see that literary,
sentimental instinct, not to call it
mania, exists in everybody.
A body of deeply educated LAWYERS,
equally deeply learned theological
men and eminent doctors form the
most prominent groups OF our liter
ature. Zeno Gambia tells US in novel
of tie charms OF the rural life and
the peri!s of its ignorance; Nazarie
and Brau search and remove mystic
ries o! old ages, aud Munoz Rivera,
the patriot, the politician, the poet,
together with QuinoneS, the not less
patriot, the philosopher, teach us
how to protest against the intamies
OF the tyrant. These are the people
of thought and feeling The most
prominent feature Of their literature
is its sentimentalism ans it's urity.
The different towns and districts not
being distinct either in origin or in
character have great spirit Of local
pride.
Our literature has always been the
sane, the everlasting protest, the
eternal cry. Whether this Is occa
stoned by real state of oppression
of our rights as people entitled to
the enjoyment of them as granted us
by the creator of all things, or by
our being chronic kiekers, have
been too long away from home TO tell
What / am sure of is that il we,
in our struggle with the power which
oppressed us for four hundred years,
had come out victorious, thus taking
our place among the nations of the
world, that fact would have put a
new and patriotic life in our litera-
ture as it was the case with this coun-
try in its triumphs over England.
uch victory not only worked a
improving and adding life To
American literature, but also put
great amount of enthusiasm in ora
tory and political discussion. And
why should it not when such a great
event is memorable not only IN the
history of America, but also in Eu
ropean history, and just as much as
the epoch o. the French revolution
and the rise and downfall Of Napo
leon?
Our verse IS abundant in quantity,
ambitious in design, and distended
with a somewhat magnificent sense
OF the greatness of its theme, but it
is always the dove that cries wound
ed hy the royal hunter, master IF the
forest, and never the nightingale that
sings IN lsve with its liberty.
Now we come to the second element
of our literary people, namely, those
who think not, but feel. This class
appears the most poetical to me.
They deserve the greatest amount OF
credit and have my love. They do
not count with the same means of
OF the class already men,
toned. Their feelings come out
pure, just as they spring in their
soul, without running the risk OF be-
ing sacrificed by the iron rules OF
rhetoric. They are barefooted rural
people, almost all without knowing
how TO write or read, but with a soul
always full of love and Tyre always
ready 10 sing. Their tavorite and
only metre is that Of the ten line
stanzs, fraught, of course, with in
correct language, as well as of faulty
rhetoric, but always plain 10 sense
and expressive in thought. There
ten line stanzas they slug while at
work, arive the yoke of oxen, pick
down the coffee grain, or cut off the
sugar cane. What has always sur
prised me is that their poetry is IN
variably erotic and very seldom, If
ever. inspired by the misfortunes Of
the fatherland,
Under the blue sky of Italy the
very peasant girls, by an impulse Of
poetical instinct, could utter their
loves aud longing in song. The
youth and maiden Of medieval
Scotland dancing on the green at
twilight sang the ballads that come
poet Of the people had made; the
rural youth and maiden OF my land
sing the song that was made 10 the
shade of palm and inspired by the
murmur Of the creek.
Let us consider now the third class
Of our literary body, those who never
think nor feel. This element, OF
course, 10 the most odious, repugnant
and inconsistent with all principles
Of progress, either physical Or intel
lectual. This group consists Of
crowd of superficial, illiterate, boast
ing, common lads from fifteen to
twenty-five years Of age, without
any idea OF their own, pretending to
Fnow it all and laundering every
time they open their mouths. They
will, II possible, buy all the volumes
of Victor Hugo. CASTELAR,. or Lord