The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1905-06-02
GRADUATING ESSAYS.

~ 81 sIE PETTET.

"''f 4 '"s'EFtIAFf Ht' fts I''bIl1f BR'iR
system Of the Southern cities have moi
been conducive 10 literary achieve
mentFr There has been small demano
for literature the leisure class, as a rule
caring little for reading, and the masses
being iEliteFatc, But even adverse cir.
c~nmBtances have not boon able to keep
out Of sight several true poets. Amid
untold encouragement they have sung
on, although principally to Northern
audiences.
Among our first writer's were George
Washington, John Quincy Adams, Thorn
AS Jefferson, James Madison, Alexander
Hamilton and James Monroe, all Of whom
were important from u political stand
point,
IIaync, the most active spirit Of the
the literary movement Just previous to
the war, was a member of the old South
Carolina family that has played such an
important part in early American His
tory, lie had been reared in a wealthy
and cultured home, had been educated
at Charleston college and, after a course
in law, had been admitted to the Bar of
his state, but law was not to his taste,
~ he abandoned II to devote himself to
literary work in which field of labor he
was brought into wide notice by his
first and second volume Of poems. lie
wrote editorials and book notices for
various journals, being at one time edi-
tor Of a leading Southern paper. A
brilliant career seemed open to him, till
the hardships Of war swept away Mt ono
stroke his homo and property, his
dreams and hopes Of young manhood.
His Last years were spent in Georgia
whore in sickness and poverty ho wrote
his sweetest lyrics, not purely for love
of the work as heretofore but AZ A means
Of support.
or the little group Of poets who sang
the heart and hope of the C%onfederacy,
the youngest was Sidney LanIer of
Georgia. Beers says he Ia "A poet Of
r,ro nror,i.o ,,h,an ouai.a,
somewhat bampered by his hesitation
between two arts Of expression, music
,hen,o To ,,io..na, ,~.t..,' .
o,o ,,,nt on,.,.t.,L .rtn -
s~.,". F"''''"
a., ,
un ln'., g.. La -
uaaIg,
..,,aui,. =, oC', .,, A.. on.
urnn" .,,,. ~ t.,an 49,. t.
a.. - ~, anna1.
.sst'. ,ytadS syeaFfS df hard work and
study the public realized that the South
had sent forth a true poet, tic died in
North Carolina in 1881,
Geo. W. Cable, born in Now Orleans,
was forced ny poverty, at an early age,
to enter upon a mercantile career, where
ho was thrown in contact with people
OF every class. He learned thoroughly
the habits of life and thought much of
tho Louisiana C%rooles, a people pecu-
harry destthct and individual. His FIRST
sketchs OF Creole life which, after ap-
reaFlng In S%crihnor's Monthly, were
Collected unde the title. "Old Creole
DAYS, caused a decided sensation upon
novel readers, ,
Gable describes with f~ullncss and ac-
cnracy, yet he throws over all his IauL. q
the mellow atmosphere OF ro- +
nance. His Crcoles are drawn with =;
patent care FROM living models, vet
Ohcy are coIorcd with warm pigments of ,
Imagination. ,
Although by strange chance, born in .
Edgar Allen Poe had nothing in
with the English group Of au /
NlofS' whether viewed rs a poet, ro- /
naheer or critic, he stands solitary !,
'mohS American writer's, it being i'm h
to classify him, In the bio "A
OF no prominent writer OF Amer. II
ca IL IL so difficult to arrive at an
.oso'uto truth NJ in that Of Poe. His \,
wh statements cannot be trusted for a M
lo'nont, he having given three widely "
dates OF his birth. His youth &C
~ spent IN dissipation and rocklossnoss N