The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-05-31

Gto, III ~ q
John Shakespeare, the father o.
the poet. was not educated, could not
so much as write his own name. re
married above him, his Wlfe Deins
Mary Arden. daughter of "a falriy
rich farmer" Robert Arden, VINO
lived not far from S~hakespeare's
home at Stratford, a poor sort of VII
lace. very foul, and the streets beng
filed with mad and dung heaps, says
White. in his brief but important Do
graphical sketch of the poet, VINO
was BORN in April, 1864, in Stratford,
and was baptized on 2oth OF the
same month. The grammjr school
at St%ratford taught only Latin and
as before stated, there is evidence
that the poet studied that language.
Such schools, White says, were album
dant in the time Of the poet IN MS
native country. his may help some
of my readers IN the matter OF the
education Of the greatest poet.
The number of writer's in English
at his time. to say nothing OF those
in other languages, who employ verse
as the vehicle of their and
expressions, is simply immense. Pos
sibly now there are 10, 900 respectable
versifers in the United States. OF
this really great number there are
possibly one hundred who have a
true poetic style. some Imagination
and really poetic gift. They are not
probably what shOuld be termed orig
inal voices at all, have no special
distinction, but they have taste, ia
ciIity. a p knack OF rhyme. and
their work is technically correct n
not without some ability and inter
est. There are more men and women
in this age of the world who can
construct neat. felicitous rhymes,
pleasant, enjoyable verses, lively i'm
:-.1 .Nr va
do stanzas. beautiful thoughts
than in any age. ancient or modern.
An anthology of sue writer's in the
last two or three decades would be
very extended and not without gen.
uine interest. There are a few Of the
singers-the best, the most artistic
ard original-who AVE something
very like genius. They are not great,
nor even Of the second k-p
haps not of the third-but they are
genuine ngerS, with a voice OF their
own. with distinct melody, and en-
dowed with something Enthusiastically
significant of really clever poetic
powers. The reviews and chief criti-
cal newspapers overflow With notices
OF constant production Of verses of
many kinds. and a few are approved of
with special emphasis. Nose Of those
who have distinguished technique
and form are more or less disciples
of several of great poets Of the nine
teenth OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. Cole
ridge. Byron, Scott. Keats, Shelley.
T~ennyson, Robert Browning, Mrs.
Browning. and some others. and
some have caugf,t the n Of the
Elizabethan and some of the eigh-
teenth century best poets. But the
mass Of authors who have published
volumes OF verse have not distinct
personality, no marked inspiration
not suggestive Of other poets, no
other gifts than a fine trick Of catch
ing inspiration and method from more
eminent and richly endowed poets
ann Of writing now SO Sen,%,al, if
not universal. Within ten or twenty
years I have received volumes as a
journalist. hat were not worth the
reading, but the rhymes were abund-
ant and the verse flowing, and not
infreQuently you found pleasant
thoughts agreeably expressed and in
graceful English. But really there
was no genuine poetry, no high ar
no inspiration. l am reminded that
l had once a kinsman h wrote end
less cantos almost, sprightly, witty,
sarcastic, repletc, with dash and
spirit and really interesting to read.
| But he was a very gifted man. Of su-
perb mathematical endowment, II
with other remarkable qualities, and
! he knew he was really no poet, and
beyond magazines he never ventured
into print as a versifier. He had
manifest gifts as to technical skill and
hnency Of style. He was a master Of
fine prose and wrote much for the
ablest Northern and Southern month
lies Of a half century or longer ago,
and published a mathematical volume
that was, prior to the great war, a
textbook at West Point, but he aban-
doned verse making, and after he had
,ncssed his twenty-eighth year, ne
probably never INDUCED in rhymes at
all. He stopped where 50 many oti,-
ers rush into printed verse and Hound
err in the Dead Sea Of literature ana
disappear. .unwept. ~unhonored and
uns,1ne" The old Latin idea was
doubtless correct-that a poet IS born.
not made-Poeta n~ascatur. non III.
The meaning CT a poet IS TO create.
He who can not originate, create -
! not a poet.
Recently / read an article IN a lead