The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-01-02
Poems You Ought to Know.

When The Times Dispatch began the
publication of Poems YOU Ought to
Know on October ii, 1903, 1t was not in
tended to make this publication a tenn
pie of fame or All unalterable criterion
of the greatest masterpieces written. II
was rather intended to use a quotation
from Professor Norton ITO give our
readers every day n chance for little
inner rofrcslment' That we have sue
ceeded In carrying out this intention IS
abundnntly evidenced by the spontaneous
thanks we have received for this feature
from our readers In every walk of life.
Now, however, comes our friend, The
Daily Progress, Of Charlottesville, bask-
ing in the reflected literary radiance of
the University OF Virginia, and says:
But We must protest against our
Richmond contemporary shovelling out
such rubbish to its readers as poetry. 1t
vitatcs the taste of the younger gene
ration. who are for the most part the
persons who read and devour newspaper
poetry. IT is d good habit, an admirable
habit for every young boy or girl to read
daily n passage from some really good
r2st--an ode or lyric, or a few stanzas
OF selections from soHie standard epic.
Thar are five minor poems OF Milton's
sessi ough. 10 be gotten by heart--the
GrsItts, IASettss. L'Alegro, Penseroso. and
Qfft 20 the Nations. Some of the short
geSrils % Byron. such as the Prisoner of
Gallon ard the Hebrew Melodies: some
ot the minor poems of Tennyson. such
as Locksley Hall. Come Into the Gar
I.-, "a wi
the Songs from the Princess; some of /
Lonsfellow's short poems. such as Ez-
oelsior, the Psalm OF Life and the Bridge;
some of Bryant's. such as Thanatopsis |
and the Evening Wind; some OF Camp !
bells such as Hohenllnden and Battle |
of the Baltic. And there are twenty or |
thirty others that Will occur to the in
'elsigent and cultured reader; Int only /
twenty or thirty.
s51re the Progress has undertaken to
7ass upon the important question of
rssat II and what Is not, poetry that
2asas 10 BE known we viii respectfully
Esest .laat. in this narrow and limited
sg,sle-s ot immortality, II has included
sreh sentimental taiderdash as Long
fellows Excelsior. and has made no men
.saa q any poem by Poe. According to
he Progress there are some twenty or
-hirty other poems, but no more" tina,
may bs added TO It's narrow list. In this
.wenty or thirty we must fine room for
extracts from Shakespeare. spenser,
Tyadsworth. Pope, Dryden, Fitz Gerald. the
3rownings. Coleridge Moore. Keats.
Scott, Shelley. Stevenson. swlnburne.
rhaekeray. Kipling, Rosette and. to use
he Progresses own language, others
hat will occur to the cultured and intel
igent reader"
To come nearer home, it will be
lose fit to ,find place for Poe. Lowell,
Whitman. Timrod and Hayne, if the
arogress is really serious in limiting it's
lNmber to twenty or thirty others, and
10 more" Though, of course the num-
,cr Of poems a man ought to kno is
lot easily determined without knowing
he capacity of his mind. This. no .yevar,
yves a practical turn to an academic dis
,ussion.
Certainly, the Progress has said nothing
hat would lead us to change our custom
If printing daily poem while there re-
main so many good ones still unused
Further, we will say for the Information
If the PrYsress, that these poems are
not furnished by a syndicate or bureau,
out ere chosen and prepared by mem
ser Of me Tlmes-Dispatch editorial staff;
md. II the Progress so desires, it can
set forth it's own IDEAS of what poems
ought to be printed without any further
cost than that which we are now pay
ng-namey, our own time. work and
care.