The Washington herald., 1906-11-18

oSifrS " bS ASHN - 80 80 = -
The critic of the London Times has been
finding things TO say about American
poets and poetry. and he complains tha;
he cannot find in American poetry OF the
higher class that spirit of youth and
gayety and hoDefulness which should be
characterized of a young and virile na-
ton. This is somewhat a new view for
criticism TO take. but that II is a Just
and sane view may be seen II we look
back on the American poets whose force
and power are stamped upon our Htera-
ture. It is true that there is decided
note Of mournfulness and sadness-1ot 10
say Of pessimism--abOut the Work OF the
earlier American poets. which seems 70
speak a message OF brief life and the
triviality Of mundane things. To ac-
count for this, the British critic speaks
Of the Calyinistic tendency inherent IN
the American temperament, and con-
cludes that our poetry is not based on
spontaneous national song. but on the
traditions Of race which, by the time
when American poetry can first be taken
seriously, had become an alien and dis
trusted race" There is more than
small measure Of truth in this criticism.
William Cullen Bryant was our first great
poet he Of whom Lowell wrote:
Unqualified merits. III grant il you choose. he has
EN-.
But be lacks the one merit Of kindling enthusiasm.
Nor were Bryant's immediate successors.
in truth. more gay or lighter OF touch
than he. Holmes, Longfellow, Whittier
EInerson-all drew their inspirations less
from America direct than from the things
that appealed 10 them and inspired them
in the learning Of past ages. This is only
] ! hot
American poetry has been more academic
than human, but It is well to have the
fact brought home to US once IN a while.
The British critic thinks that OF al Amer
lean poets Sidney Lanier remains the
most fearless and passionate. the widest
IN range. the greatest master OF melody
OF any Of the American poets" With this
verdict there is likely TO be little disa-
greement but II must not be overlooked
that in our own day American poetry has
taken on the human quality to very
great degree, and no summing up OF the
tendencies OF the American poets can be
considered complete that does not take
into account the skilfull work OF Richard
Hovey, OF Bliss Carmen, OF James Whit
comb Riley and of host Of lesser lights
who, resoIutely turning their backs on
books. have set themselves the task Of
poems here at home.
The new Putnam's Magazine, which has
absorbed the old Critic. is filed with
good things, and seems inclined to be a
little more serious in purpose than The
Critic was under its old management
The choicest among its many contribu-
tons. however, is, perhaps, the last poem
written by Richard Henry Stoddard- II is
prefaced by a few lines by Stoddard' s
friend. also a poet, Edmund Clarence
Stedman, who tells US that OF all the
poets Of his time Stoddard has dwelt
most on the subject OF death. At the
time this last poem was written his bril-
liant and talented son, Lorimer. had just
died, and Mrs Stoddard, his companion
for half century. was fastening 10 her
grave. The poet himself was to follow
all too soon. II was with something like
the prophetic utterance that caused Ten
nyson 10 write Crossing the Bar that
Stoddard wrote this "Threnody":
Eariy or late. come when it vii,
At midnight az noon;
Promise o. good. or threat Of III
Death always comes too soon-
To the child who IS TOO young to know
pray heaven he never nav.
This life Of ours IS more than play
A debt contracted long ago,
Which he perforce must pay;
And the man whose head IS gray.
And Ssd is fam 70 borrow
Albeit with added pain and sorToT
The comfort Of delay:
Only let him live to-day
There viii Be time 70 die tomorrow
NoN. there Is not an hour 70 spare,
Under the uncertain sky.
Save 70 pluck roses for the hair
Of the loving and the fair
And the kisses following these
Like q sEarTning hive Of bees
That soar on high
TIL. drunken WITH Their own sweet vine,
They faH and die
When dear words have all been said
And bright eyes no longer shine.
tAh, no. thineg
Close these weary eyes Of mine
And bear 10 the lonely bed
Where unhouored I shall Gle
While the tar1y years 30 BY
Without question OF reply
From the lons-foggotten dead.
It is not a brave utterance, is il? Not
sublime like Tennyson's Il hope TO see my
! Pilot face 10 face. nor Henley's I am
the Captain Of my Soul" or Stevenson S:
Aud this be the verse you grave for ne:
Here he lies where he longed 70 be:
Home Is the sailor, home IRON the sea.
And the hUntsman home from the hill
There have been many Symphonic OF a
revival Of interest IN Oscar Wilde-in the
man and in his works. II is announced
/ that his 'Salome'- is at last to be put on
the stage, and there is an indication
that his society plays (Which out-Pinero-
ed Pinero) like Lady windermere's
Fan" all CT which attracted thGatergoers
! By their brilliancy Of epigTam and fault
ssrHs-Fff Fa 111f1r ~.1fr~
revived Interest in the man is revived
/ by the biography, very long and ponder
Gus, written by his friend Robert Har-
| borough Sherrard. Wilde said once that
/ ''of all disciples of man, il is al
/ ways Judas who writes his biography,
1 but even this sententious judgment has
nOt caused Mr.. Sherrard to pause. Sher-
/ rard disclaimS that he was disciple Of
| Wilde. but AYERS that he knew him init
mately for fifteen years, and retained his
acquaintanceship when most Of Wilde's
[ other friends fell away With ali his ex-
| pressed admiration for Wilde's work, for
/ his poems. his plays, his prose, he pre-
sents Wilde to the readers Of his biog-
raphy as a eharlatan, q degenerate. He
/ tells US that from his father Wilde in
herited his sensual grossness. and from
his mother. the famous Lady Speranza,
| instability of mind and perverted views
OF morality. Sherrard makes q good deal
Of the fact that Wilde was educated at
oxford, claiming that the university had
an evil influence on such a character as
/ WiIde's He says that oxford produces
side by side the saint, the sage, and the
libertine." Exposure, the contempt of his
fellows, and jail killed. thinks Sherrard
the old wit. the old flashes Of brilliancy,
and toppled down the heights OF egotism
from which alone Wilde could write; anG
yet his life in jail was productive of
that mastery plea De Profundis,"' and
u-hat has hAen caIlsd bxy aY,eirepf s.rfsgce