The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1913-08-15
LONGFELLON AS A POET
By EUGENE T. McsPEppEN.

Ny purpose in this article Is neither
adulation nor detraction, but simply to
arrive at truth. It is to set Mr.. Long
fellows poetry forth, SO far as may.
ii its own true light.
Il has been said Of Longiellow that
he il the most widely beloved poet that
the world has ever produced, and am
quite sure that it Is true, notwithstand-
Ing the wide popularity Of and affec-
ton for Burns and Goldsmith; and that
fact, within itself, is enough to assure
Us that Longfellow Is not q great poet,
ia the most dignified sense Of the word
great. Mr.. Longiellow sung the COM
mon sorrows. Joys, hopes and aspira-
tions Of mankind in musical, flowing,
simple manner that rendered bis poems
pleasingly ineligible to even the UNI
cultured, while they are also character
ized BY that beauty and delicacy Of
touch, sweetness Of rythm and artistic
finish that command the respect and
solicit the attention Of the most learned
and cultured. Besides, there Is strong,
sweeping current OF human sympathy
q nd 1--we gliding and meandering
through his poetry that flows and MUIR
fnufs over the human heart with a
sweet and refreshing influence that soft
Gus al it's troubles TO twilight calm
and awakens the feelings Of pleasure
until they blossom into hope and glad
ness. Very truly does be sing in Santa
Filonabna
THE tidal wave Of deeper souls
Into our inmost being rolls
And lift us unawares
Out Of all meaner cares.
And while Longiellow is not pro-
ionndly serious, he Is always true-true
Is himself, bis art. and to nature There
ire i'd false notes in his poetry. There
i 4 tone OF simple veracity 10 all he
SAYS. Besides, he is one Of the most
normal Of poets. and his feelings and
emotions are always on the common
level. There are no wild, turbulent
paroxysms Of pain Or despair or rough
and tumble fits Of Joy and exultation
ID LongfelIow. He is never even vi
vacious or lightly playful. Still, ! GER
tainly do not consider yivacity an abb
normal mood, rathor do ! consider It q
very healthful mood and one to be en-
couraged discreetly BY writer's, espec-
tally by poets. Hence do not COM
pliment Longfellow ! poetry on the lack
81 vivacity. Wordsworth, with all his
serious profondity, on occasion could
liz almost Enthusiastically gay, as ia his
kitten and the Leaf Bryant could
sometimes lay aside his staid puritani-
cal seriousness and give US some lively,
free and breezy lines, as in his Green
River. I But Longiellow is never
aIoomily sad OF hilariousIy gay. Tam
o'shanter, : with its reckless, rolick-
;n6. anting abandon would have been
impossible to him. Still there i tone
d mild cheerfulness and restiul COM
pIacency 10 his poems that render them
J ssh
very agreeable companions. They are
aIso peryaded as q whole by an atmos-
phate 81 soft aud lonesome pathos and
melancholy that i pleasingly touching
ana gives one, as explained ~ his own
words, =
feeling Of sadness and longing,
That is not akin to pain,
Aud resembles sorrow only
As the mist resembles rain,
we do not find that tender love and
sympathy Tor dumb animals and imam
innate nature or things in I.ongfellow
thas va find ii Burns. Indeed universal
nature DOES not seem 70 have appealed
x4s54 .z&.x f<....4sft, His asnf1ills