Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-03-03
POETRY OF FAMOUS SCOT DIS
cussED BY HUMBOLDT JUR-
lsT AT WoMEN's CLUB.
TOWARD
POETS CHARACTER
Poetry is Poetry, Declares Mr.. coyle,
and the Poet is Not on Trial-says
That Much Said Against Burns is
Not True, and Above All He Was
No Hypoerite.

A delightful meeting of the Mar
Wednesday afternoon at Red Mems
hall. The members of the City Fedora
ton We're guests. and Mrs. May F.
Montgomery, representing the COM
bined clubs, who was on the platform
with Mrs. Will Wallace spoke a few
words of thanks for the invitation.
During the brief business session. Mrs.
Wallace brought up the subject of es-
tablishing visiting nurse in the city,
making a plea for the cooperation of
both clubs and individuals.
The afternoons program was in
charge OF the literature department,
of which Mrs. F. @. Stewart is chair
man. 1t consisted of several delight
full musical numbers, besides the adj
dress given by Judge D. F. Coyle, of
Humboldt, on The Poetry of Robert
Burns
Judge Coyle. who proved a very en-
PERTAINING speaker took, as he said, a
new view of Burns, considering him
as a man as we'll as a poet, notWith-
standing the fact that art is art and
must be judged as art, without inquir-
ing into the character of the artist.
Poetry is poetry, and when we judge
il. the poet is not on trial he said, but
as we become better acquainted with
Burns the man, we shall better know
Burns the poet, for the fact that he was,
heart poet, forms the keynote to his
productions
He told considerable of Burns early
life and surroundings. pointing out
how he took away the reproach from
the uncouth diolect in which he wrote,
making it honored instead. AT heart,
the speaker contended, Burns was al
ways a man of deep religious senti-
ment. which is key to some things
that would otherwise be rnisunder-
stood in his life. Not all that was
said about and against him is true, he
said, and above all, Burns was not a
hypocrite. Neither was he a common
drunkard, as is sometimes charged. and
he can not be fairly judged by the
standards of our own times.
The poet inherited many qualities
from his father, among them a stub
born integrity, as well as liberal re-
igious trend. incidentally, the speaker
told of the origin of Burns immortal
religious satire. IF you want to ach
I the people, make their songs" he said,
4 and this describes Burns fame The
/ poem lives, tho the poet dies, and the
province of the latter is to lead the
world 10 the ideal.
Judge Coyle said that the chief
charm TO him, in Burns poetry. is its
| simplicity and direct expression, and
! that Tam O'Shanter" is probably his
grea test poem. He quoted many times
/ from Burns, and in closing, touched
somewhat on his numerous love af-
fairs. IN regard to this, he said, Let us
| simply say-such love as he had, he
| gave them"
| Judge Coyle was heartily applauded.
and returning to the platform, recited
| by request, two of his own poems. one
being from his volume, "A String of
Pearls" and the other a little poem in
the Irish dialect, entitled, "Biddy."
j Preceding the address, Mrs F. L.
Meeker, with Mrs. c. A. Eadie as ac-
companist. sang Bird Rapture
! (Schneider), responding 10 an encore,
and after Judge Coyle had finished,
sang again, this time a group of Scotch
songs: Better Bide Awee' (ClaribeD ::
/ Loeb Lonlond dawson) and Land
| O. the Lear (Anonymous). These
proved very delightful treat, and the
program closed with another fine mus
! zeal number, violin duet by Miss
! Marguerite Lewis, who played first
violin, and Mrs Cassie Mullineaux
Richards, who played the second violin