Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1908-01-29


fed drive Of the magazines yet one may we'll fear Tor
the future H the present any criterion. The very tact
that one would be hard put to to living Ameri
can who in the strict sense, even courteously be
called poet unless it be Mr. Riley shows the exrem-
ties to which we have come.
AS to whether the magazines to blame Tor the poor
quality OF they offer whether better verses are
not produced by the writer's opinions may differ ne
disappointed poets will OF course complain that their
marvellous illusions thrown into the waste basket
while inferior stuff that has certain Jingle and showy.
grace is printed The editors, the other hand, will
hoy declare that they constantly the lookout tor
real poetry and that they print the best that is offered,
often accepting stuff that their artistic gorge to RISE
There be some truth in both contentious Magazine
editors are not any nfabe than theatrical managers
or publishers Of books Dramatic germs have begged
their weary round Of managers ohces books with utures
between their leaves have been sent back, to
their authors Many Of the worlds most famous poems
we're sold for piance after the mute ngorlous Mil
tons who wNote them had starved garrets But the
contrary the managers securing the world tor good
PLAYS the publishers flying at each others hroats IN
the effort to get seller and the editors soemly declare
they haven't real poem in years.
And the editors are very largely correct The whole
question Of blame may be thrown aside, while get
back to the main question and contemplate the tact that
we have to 60 magazines and newspapers tor even
our near poetry The published volumes Of verse, which
might give to the world the gems that the editors cant
see contain for the part only the reflections OF the
editors themselves There has not been poetica sem
saon since the last member of that mighty New England
sextette whose time was the golden age Of American
poetry was laid to rest Now and then have 6tfuI
fash; some Man with the Hoe is produced Field and
Riley wrote real poetry but even their store is
thin and sorry thesaurus, when one admits it.
The truth is we have no real poets and few good vers
6ers For the most part the food OF rhyme which
out is the work Of literary dandies word-mongers the
mere bubbleblowers OF pretty thought without ideas or
purpose None Of them sings Of his SOUL for he has
no artistic soudeph from which real cry real message
may come Our poets chase b-terHies instead Of climb
ing up toward the eagles eyrie. vogue is vastly dit
ferent from message artist soul kiplng has or
! had, a vogue American verslhc o name who would
/ be nvdious, dash off pretty IT, 81 tremendously pro-
found riles soulful yearnings in aton Of Pfowning
and Kpling and Swnburne-ana icy not wiring
poetry, because they have nothing say, wouldn know
how to say it if they had and thers write voluinnous-
and sonorously or trippingly occasion requires.
Perhaps the poets are not all DC but they dying
! fast Three of them have died viz few days. Abra-
ham Goldaden Of whom millions rsver heard. died ini
New York last week and $4,000 people followed his body
% the grave, heaping all the fearful honors Of love and
reverence upon his memory He was poet because lie
voiced the hopes and aspirations Of the crushed and hm
Bile Jews. He had message and his message made him
a poet
Quite Of different sort was another simple poet who
| died last week in Atlanta. He was James r. Randall,
the author Of NY Mar land. He had burning mes
sage, born Of the ncbles sentiment o humanity and
! his message made hun poet His poem made him an
idol whose memory cannot die Poets are born, but they
are born Immortality and having been born they cannot
die
In far cf CcFenhseenthe greatest Danish poet d his
time HoIaer Dracbmann the friend of The kings and the
idol Of his people buried last week with almost kin
] " honors He had message. and His message mas
him poet. Mr.. Field i enshrined in the affection
the American people because he laid bare the message
the childheart bette. than any other American poet As
ever done II Mr.. Riley has followed partly along tb
same way. but his dialect which is pedantic in its W
rusticiiY has weakened the cearness Of his messs.
The lesson Of It all Of all time that be must BE- aLcF
Hanscendently intellectual magnGcenly simple lie
must appea either to the mind q she heat O the Ducr
When America raises up more poeh who Do shsl shs
future u poetry ia America will brighten.