The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-09
Ploughmen Poets

From Tit-Bits.
The greatest ploughman poet who ever
lived was Robert Burns. His birthday
was being celebrated last month by Scots
men in every part of the world.
Just over 40 years ago book of dia-
lect verse entitled Farm Ballads" was
published by Harpers. 1t leapt into inn
mediate popularity and brought it's au-
thor, VIII Carleton widespread fame.
Forty thousand copies were sold In less
than is months, and his success enabled
Carleton to settle down to the literary
life he so much desired.
Carleton has just died, after issuing a
new volume of poetry entitled "A i hou-
sand Verses" and his death removes a
man whose writings have cheered and en-
tertained millions on both sides of the
Atlantic. The poet was of humble birth,
his home being at Hudson, Mich and
he was obliged to combine farm work
with schooling. In his leisure time, how
ever. he read assiduously, and at the
age of 16 was employed in winter as teach
er of the district school. His first poems
date from this time, many OF them hav-
ing been composed while he was at work
in the fields on his fathers farm.
Farm Ballads" was followed by such
well known works as Farm Legends"
Farm Festivals" Rhymes of Our Plan
et." young Folks Centennial Rhymes
and '"Songs of Two Centuries" In addl-
ton to writing these books Carleton
achieved a great reputation as a lee
turer, and he was, until his death, edi-
tor of Everywhere monthly published
in Brooklyn.
Another poet who. like Robert Burns
and Carleton, found poetical inspiration
in farming and field work, and who was
recently awarded by the academic COM
mittee of the Royal Society of Literature
ptstx xu1f fch uiQfa of
and Is a coveted literary distinction, is
MIR. John Masefleld. This clever poet be-
gan his career by going to sea. but ulti-
mately drifted to- an American farm,
where he worked for some time. Then
he tried his luck in a city office; but
the literary germ began to develop and
he soon became known as a writer OF
real brilliance.
One Of the contributors to New Songs
an anthology of contemporary verse pub
lished In London four years ago, was
Alfred Owen Williams, Zimmerman
employed on the Great Western railway;
and his career furnishes a striking ex-
ample of the old-time saying that genius
will out The son of a carpenter, living
in the little village of South Marston
Williams at years of age started work
on farm and finally left school at H.
Then he deserted farm life for the en-
cheering shop, and from IA he has been
successfully rivet lad, steam-hammer
driyer, furnaceman and Zimmerman at
the Great Western Railway Works, SWIM
don. Incited by the Ruskin Hall corre-
spondence class, Williams devoted his
leisure hours to study, doing much before
in the morning and often continuing
until midnight. In this way he taught
himself shorthand, Latin. Greek and
French. acquired an extensive acquaint-
ance with English literature, and became
:, roat ne No little merit
Then there was Joseph 6kipsey. the pit
to work in mine absolutely without
education of any kind, but lived to be
the first editor of the Canterbury Poets"
and to have his own poetic faculty rec
ognized by all the leading poets Of the
day.