The Wichita daily eagle., 1904-05-29

Fame, greatness, love are my servants.
Cities and fields foolishly 1 walk,
l knock at every door but once, and rul
to new pathways.
If sleeping, wake. If feasting
You try to kill your troubles with win,
and sin;
Rise and follow me. l am the fate Wo,
To whom does not follow me. 1 give hin
horses.
Gold. fame, honor, women and pleasure
He will conquer every foe save death.
Rise; hang to the opportunity which
offer to you.
1 am revengeful. I knock unbidden but
once at every door.
L stay here. Leave me alone" 1 an
swered Thought
And thought alone makes every man hap
by and strong"
INGALLS, OPPORTUNITY"
Here is Ingalls, poem:
OPPORTUNITY.
Master of human destinies am I!
Fame, love and fortune on my footsteps
wait
Cities and fields l walk: l penetrate
Deserts and seas remote, and passing by
Hovel and mart and palace, soon or late,
L knock unbidden once at every gate.
If sleeping, wake: if feasting. rise before
turn away. 1t is the hour of fate,
And they who follow me reach every
state
Mortals desire, and conquer every foe
Save Death; but those who doubt or
hesitate,
Condemned TO failure, penury and woe,
Seek me in vain and uselessly implore,
1 answer not, and 1 return no more
Now, having read these poems, we see
that Ingalls, lines are brief, strong, point
ed, forceful and like ring masters whip,
hits an idea in every line, as each line un-
folds itself and the brain receives it. The
Italian poem is suggestive of force, yet
not fOrceful. 1t is stiIted, rough In some
lines it is vapid, senseless, weak, gross
and does not command attention. 1t has
ideas but the idea does not sustain itself
the entire poem.
All of the above is written on the the
ory that both are original; but let us
admit Ingalls, borrowing from all who
went before him and borrowing from the
Italian.
Emerson says:
Next to the originator of The sentence
is he who first quotes. Genius borrows
nobly.' .
Shakespeare was a borrower yet Ian
dor says: 'He was more original than
his originals He breathed upon the
dead bodies and brought them to life"
Webster used these same ideas with re-
gard TO Alexander Hamilton, as to breath
ng life into the corpse of American pub
ic-credit
Johnson says, Quotation is the parole
Of literary men throughout the world"
Another writer says: IF a writer going
IN a journey, borrows a horse to help
him on the way, he is the gamer thereby.
but if he rides continually, he becomes
1 worn-out literary hack"
Milton says: Among thinkers. he who
,orrows and adds nothing to the thought
borrowed, is deemed Plagare
Emerson says: Thought is the property
If men, who can entertain il and there
Ifter adequately express it. Awkardness
marks borrowing. until assimilation takes
'lace. Thus it becomes our own thought
Who viii say Opportunity has any
mark of awkwardness about it? Who will
ay it does not have all the freshness of
coin. just struck from the mint?
Read the two poems. make due allow
noes for the imperfect translation from
ne tongue to another Dwell on the
ieas and suggestions and coloring of
10Th Then decide II ingalls, borrowed
nything. or. if he did, did he not give
olor, form, power, force and life TO the
riginal idea, stripping it Of sensuality, |
and flesh and robing il in !
arb. that is lofty in tongue, inspiring in |
eminent and charged with pregnant !
hought. that viii make it echo in the |
isles and corridors of time, when we
hall be dust and ashes Long after the |
Italian shall have forgotten and the rock /
hat marks Ingalls, tomb shall have crum- |
led 10 atoms. Opportunity" viii be /
and quoted among the lines |
hat will endure until the tablets of mem /
ry refuse to receive an impression and /
rinting becomes lost art.
The sheep, whose back produced the |
-ool, may as well claim the beautiful |
reations in wooden fabrics. as fits handi- |
Tork, as for anyone TO claim the author
hip Of Opportunity.
The Italian poem is fair brick. loosely |
ut together with coarse mortar "Op- /
ortunity'' is a pressed-brick wall. laid /
cement. with close joints; the removal
{ one brick will mar and disfigure the
vmmetry of the whole.
The Italian poem was little noted or
emembered by any one. ne only recalls
TO minu. Ingalls, poem makes the
orld his debtor. The Italian will gain
lore notoriety by his attack on dead
chieved by a collision with living men
KOS HARRIS.
lay 3. 1901
THE POPE AC HE re