The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-09-05
WILLIAM DE MORGAN.

ducing accordant muscular tension.
and since the muscles under tension
react spasmodically or rhythmically
with force and frequency proper
tionate to the intensity of this slim
illus. oral utterances under intense
nerve and muscular stimuli become
rhythmical."
In defining the limitations OF
imagery. he considers that modern
classical education tends to adhere too
closely to tho literal. whereas a
leayening of figure would be beneficial
and relieye many an essay of it's tire
some dryness."
Mr. Maxim gives this reason for the
slump" in poetry by saying:
"All artists necessarily work from
models AS the modern verse-m aker
and the modern poet have by their
education been hedged of from get
ting back to nature, they naturally
pattern their work on that OF others
who have preceded them. There has
been no standard of Judgment for es-
timating the poets and the true value
of verse and poetry. Current judgment
is largely founded upon the say-so OF
certain authorities who are supposed
Ito know. with whom 1t is deemed
most creditable to agree, despite the
fact that these authorities are, by
their own admissions. densely igno-
rant on the subject.
so it is that the poet of our day
naturally employs as his models those
of his predecessors who have been the
most lauded, and apes Whitman or
Browning. Here is a reason for the
decided slump In modern poetry
Hudson Maxim considers great
poetry a great invention, and writes
regarding 1T that:
THE greatest poetry is always the
expression of some magic action, some
action true to imagination, but I'M
| true to reahty-some action like
that OF
a.. the face that launched thousand
ships.
And burnt the topless towers of
Ilium";
or. some imaginative. symbolic action,
like that of Lowell's brute Despair
of trampled centuries, which
"'Groped for its right with horny,
callous hands,
And stared around for God with blood
shot eyes.
when something possessing dimen-
sions Of extension beyond our compre-
hension. or lying beyond our powers
of concrete, sensuous acquaintance
beyond the sphere of sensuous expe-
rience-is symbolized by metaphor in
terms of things concrete and sensuous,
lying within experience; and when
this is done artistically, then we have
true poetry
He draws the line OF comparison be-
tween poetry and science thus:
"Poetry is intuitive. while science is
ratiocinative. Poetry is based on as
sociations by similarity. and is the ex-
preston of one of the associates In
lterms OF another. more concrete OF
/ familiar: while reason Is based on
| ligical deductions from associations by
similarity combined with associations
by actuality.''
| Finally the difference between verse
and poetry is put into words that lead
up to the answered question Of. hat,
then. is poetry?" Mr.. Maxim points
| out that.
IF verse may be written without
containing any poetry. and If good
MISREPRESENTATION is possible without
4 poetry, then we are led ito the conclu-
1 sion that verse and poetry cannot be
the same thing, and that poetry must
depend upon something other than
| these properties Of sound-rhythm. me-
liter, rhyme, reading flow or pitch, dura-
/ ton. loudness and tone color-although
lin the expression OF poetic thought
! these properties of sound may be used
l1ust as they are used in the expression
4 OF any other thought. And they aid
/ in the expression Of poetic thought just
/ ias thew aid In the expression OF ordf-
nary thought.
"What then, is poetry? If the basic
i nrinciple Of poetry be not one OF sound
such as we know that Of verse to be