The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-12-08
NORTH CAROL INA POETRY
IN CRITICAL EXAMINATION
DR.. E. L. Starr Strikes Blow at Poetic Complalsance OF
North Carolina-Claims that There Have Been Just
Four Singers Of Worthy Note.

w ~ ANo
morning by DR.. +. l.. Starr of Win
ston-Salem.)
In a critical examination Of tho
poetical output of the State one is
checked and held still in surprise by
"a realization of the difference between
what North Carolina poetry is DO
pularly thought to be and what 1T is.
That fine glow of patriotism which
has led us since Alamance to do, to
accomplish. has also filled us with a
correct and well promised pride In
what We have done Well premlsed
surely: for North Carolina has been
on the death line-that is h front
rank, the honor line-in each of the
three great national crises through
which h country has passed.
BY right of inheritance the North
State possesses a wide strain Of that
splendid self-consciousnesS that hlied
England at the time of the settling OF
the colonies. When England found
that it's horde Of arrowy little sloop
OF war could devastate the greatest
fleet of battle ships ever sent out upon
the Atlantic, when through the acti-
vities Of the Cabots, Of Smith, Of Raj
eigh. the far ends of the earth lifted
their nebulous bulk upon h English
horizon, when the shuttle OF English
brought the woof thread
eve stronger, ever more ~varlegated,
into the central loom Of London. then
there grew to full stature that v1rile
English pride of blood and brain
which has since been modified only
in objective trend, If at all. 1t had
its soundest basis in the acquisition or
a new imaginative outlook. World
vision opened up before the English
eye. No end beyond the national eff
fort to compass. Over sea empire
materialized; the glory Of Shakespeare
and the Elizabethan drama was realiz-
ed.
Directly Touched.
This adventurous spirit Of freedom
and self trust flowed directly into the
three or four of the sOuthernmOst of
the thirteen colonies. 1t emOrraled
originally from those castles of Eng
lishmen to whom q rich flavor and
and new home building for nor con-
Torrance to a creed. Free living,
broad dreaming Englishmcn became
self trusting, aspiring North Carolini-
ans and Virginians. That boldest
dreamer of them all, Walter Raleigh
poured out upon this Carolinian shore
an amounting breath Of freedom, o.
breadth of confidence. More than evel
was our own time spirit when on tn
occasion Of his final voyage he staket
his own life against q dream, played
and bravely lost.
We have remained true to the vision
of Raleigh and have lived out~the ex
banding. upward-urging, spirit Of self
dependence bred into US by the Eng
lish through him.
In view, then, of the States legiti
mate pride in what it has done-an'
a great company Of high achievement
stand ready to answer to the name Q
North Carolina-in view OF the State
trust in it's potentialitieS OF greatnes
In aonv different SnhaYeS OF ACTIVITY
need we hesitate to confess that tn
mood of satisfied approval is perva
sive enough to cover a field over Whlc
It has no right to spread? II we hav
grown to believe that in one partict
lar division of literature we posses
more than we actually own, it is
view point quite compatible with tia
we'll promised pride with which Mort
Carolina regard it's past achiev'
ments.
Popular Estimate Too High.
The popular estimate CT Mort
Carolina poetry is too high. PerhaI
the statement will not be c~ontroverte
that the undiscerning loo with a su
prising degree of complasiance upC
the poetical output of the State. \
critical balance is struck; the worth
and the ~not-so-good are accordt
each a reading, an easy word of con
mendation and forgotten.
The printed volume of q fello
g. s~tatesman's poetry is examined in
mood of warm sectional patriOtiSl
Its faults are glazed. it's merits exalt'
because it is another volume to
proudly added to IL shelf Of Nor
Carolina poets. Many AVE asserte
for instance, that Joseph w. Holder
"Hatteras' is one of the finest of So
thern poems. but who has further d
tinguished it by adding that the eigh
stanza beginning with the line &C
mortal tongue in song convey" is
far below the level Of the RENAME
hat 1t may well be an in%terpolati
of an alien hand.
State rid The Cause.
State pride is a prolific source of Il
popula overestimation. In it's trs
comes indifference to correct standal
OF criticism as deplorable from Z
source as when it comes from ign
rance. The final regretful concom
ant Is a prevalent apathy among tn
Sva CCoc co nnHl0 - ;-xa ~