The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-01-26

make the remark--for they do not real
ize that no poem was ever little, and
that no poet ever dashed--and one can
heartily agree with them. The little
thing is automatic. the dash" is
painfully apparent. and OF equal clarity
is the improvements OF these poet
asters who fail to appreciate that while
the idea in a poem came to the poet
with the light ming dash OF Inspirations
perfection of artistic form and verbal
felicity were attained only by deep
thought and study based on the canons
of poetic art. It cannot be affirmed that
these secondary Grub Streets. who are
never meticulous. are unconventional
and ignore these canons. for one may
only ignore that which Is known.
AS means of prevention against the
throwing of this literary nlth on the
utter wilderness OF poetry's raiment. II
may prove helpful TO the rhymesters to
be taught the true meaning Of 20 try
with its exquisite passion. in which
there is always super atural effect
that evades anal sis: to place before
them the dictum of Aristotle that poetry
consists of a higher truth and higher
seriousness than c n be expressed in
prose; to tell them that Shelley-do
the rbymesters now im?-considered
the poet as 1.-The hierophant of an unin-
terpreted revelation" and that LAM
called him 1.-The hooking bird of the
spiritual universe. since in him are col
lected all the individual songs OF all
individual natures for in these two
definitions are weide in an separable
union the idea ( thought and harmony
necessary 20 poem TO impeach
them or their arrogance in entering
into the holy of HOLES of literature
without even a primary knowledge of
It's ritual. to inform them that lyrical
poetry is the expression of personal
mo ton and not srineless sentimentality
them that the sonnet at "moment's
monument" as Rossetti termed it-be-
cause of it's graceful dignit of arrange
ment and compacted thought is a form
50 difficult that the poe; may be mag
ined as working like a sculptor; to ad-
was recently done In your columns, TO
a world known hero. where the hating
lines manifesI an ingorance of the nrst
principles of prosody, the use of words
unworthy OF kindergarten in lam
uage. the idea too crudely conceived
for expression. is not only temerity
that denies talent. but an insult to the
ero; 60 hammer into them the fact
that mere rhyme does not constitute
poetry, and bring to their benighted
intelligence the truth that because OF
the very structure of their respective
languages, Sapho and Pindar, Homer
and Virgil, were deprived of the en-
poetasters the further idea that. how
ever great may be poetic talent. its
felicitous expression must be attained
by a systematic study of the masters
Of poetic art. and that the consecrated
mission OF the poet IL to awaken life
TO a vital conception of its high respon-
sibilitites, and that this cannot be done
by such illusions as serve only to beSet
paynim rage in the heart of the 10 er
OF poetry
Let the would-be poet question him
self seriously thus: lis there given to
me an eye which sees instinctively that
beauty which as a strange ard wonder
full garment clothes nature? Have i a
soul which feels the power OF beauty
more intensely Than do the eouls OF
other men. and have / the ability to ex-
press it SO that all men may become
conscious of it? Do possess that high
Iy imaginative quality of mind without
which no man can be a true poet7"
When TO these questions there comes
an affirmative answer. the world has
new poet and stands eager 20 welcome
him. but if the reply is negative, then
let the would be poet join that fnaudible
choir which fnds a happiness in medt-
Eating on the Inspirations of poetic
genius, and so escape ridicule.
HEILEMAN WILSON.
Esmont. Va.