The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-09-05
stairs-people who complain that his
books are too long. and then ask for
more

stairs-people who complain TINT his
books are too long, and then ask for
more"
"The science of Poetry and the
Philosophy of Language"
BY Hudson Maxim Funk & wag-
nails Company, OF New York. $3.50
net.
The author says In his introduction:
THE main object of this book is to
provide practical method for literary
criticism and analysis. .and standard
of uniform judgment for determining
the relative merits OF literary pro-
auctions. and, further. to supply
more practical and efficient means
than we have had heretofore for the
Standardization of poetry, whereby any
poem may be assayed, and the amount
OF its poetic gold determined and sep
arated from the Stag and dross. The
more l have studied the stronger mas
grown my conviction that no other
subject OF equal interest and import
ance to mankind has been SO neglected
by science. so abandoned to the chaos
OF misunderstanding. There is, in
deed. no general agreement as to
what constitutes poetry. There are as
many opinions as there are critics.
often the worst poetry is pronounced
the best, and often the best the worst,
by some who are considered leading
authorities"
The illustrations are by William
Oberhardt
This book VIII unauestionably arouse
great deal OF interest and discussion
in literary circles because of the OAR
Ing of its scientific originality. 1t Will
give the public a new conception of
the many sidedness OF Mr. MaNim's In
teilect. In scientific circles his inven-
tive genius has been demonstrated by
the production of smokeless powders
and high explosives which are now
used by American and foreign gov
ernments. In writing this book he
has applied the same analytical meth
DDS of thought Ito his subject that
have won him success in the field of
invention.
For the first time, in "rhe Science
Of Poetry and the Philosophy of Lam
guage," truly scientific definition of
poetry is given, in spite of the claim
by leading authorities that poetry is
indefinable. The relations Of poetry
and verse as phenomena of thought
and sound are made clear, and verse
is appraised with respect to tonal
values Independently of expressed
meaning. The property that makes
another. and that gives to oratory its
chief impressiveness is fully brought
out. SO are the differences between
wit and humor. the relation of wit to
poetry, wit to slang. and the true
relation of slang to poetry
Mr.. Maxim says at is to the honor
OF Shakespeare that he came nearer
giving the world the true definition OF
poetry than has any other man, for he
did eEN.ain what constitutes the true
art of poetry-making. and from this
we are enabled to know what Shakes
peare considered poetry. The lines
conveying his Interpretation are found
in act fifth, scene first OF 'Midsum-
! summer Nights Dream and run as
follows:
1.-THE poets eye. in fine frenzy
rolling.
Doth glance from heaven to earth,
from earth to heaven;
! And as Imagination bodies forth
The forms OF things unknown, the
poets pen
Turns them to shapes. and gives to
airy nothing
A local habitation, and a name"
Mr.. Maxim does not believe that
poets have monopoly Of fine frenzy"
He thinks there "is no reason why
1
| over his work than an inventor has
1 over his. In fact. the act of inyenting
and the act of making poetry are
| similar, both being essentially crea-
tive acts. We should not. however
| think of defining an Invention as an
emotional production OF the human
mind We should not think of calling
a new steam pillow an embodiment VI
crystallized emotion-a term fire.
| quently applied to poetry. Why, then
4 should the poet have monopoly OF
fine frenzy to theSexclusion of the In
| ventor. the mechanical engineer anC
the chemist, to SAY nothing of the
| geologist. naturalist, astronomer, phil.
| osopher and ma thematician?''
E The average twentieth century
] reader will probably be surprised tt
1 know that, in the opinion Of SO prac.
teal a scientist as Hudson Maxim
| poetry has stronger hold upon hu.
manity than science He gives his
reason for his opinion in these words
''The wonder-science. Which we In.
herit from the long ages, is stronger
In us than the newborn science Of
reason. Poetry has its Foundation
upon our inheritance from the wonder
world of the remote past. While science
4 Is parvenu Fact falls, weary.
winged, in It's flight with fancy"
Not finding an English word i'm.
pressive or distinctive enough te
symbolic the tonal or potential prop
critics of speech. Mr.. Maxim has colnec
Fone from the Latin potens. and calls
1t "potentry." He gives among other
examples Of potentry. the rollowine
quotation from Edward Everett
Faint streaks OF purple soon blushee
4 along the sky; the whole celestla
concave was filed With the infloW'ne
tides of the morning light"
The philosophy of rhythm IN poetry
is analyzed by Mr.. Maxim, whoFspeaks
of 1T as "the recurrence In a. syste'
matte series of emphasized periods
alternating with unemphastzed periods
and rests Now. since Gil nerve
stimuli ara also muscular stimuli IN