Evening star., 1922-04-30
MONG the few notable ex-
amples where a single poem
has fixed an authors reputa-

~ ampleS where single poem
n has fixed an authors reputa-
ton for all ages not one
stands out with greater conspicuous
ness than that of Richard Henry
Wilde. author of "My Life Is Like the
Summer Rose"
Richard Henry Wilde was born in
Dublin, Ireland. but his parents came
to America when he was eight years
old. His father having died soon
after the mother located in Augusta.
Ga. where she conducted a small
business with the help of her son.
Through personal effort the boy man
aged to get an education, studied law,
and, in addition to being a brilliant
attorney. he held many honored posi-
tions in Georgia. and at the early age
of twenty-five was sent to Congress.
In 1884 Wilde went to Italy. and
for many years studied italian litera-
ture. AS a result of his residence
there, his we'll known book on the
Love. Madness and Imprisonment of
Tasso" was issued in this country. to
which he returned to spend the latter
years of his life.
DICHARD HENRY WILDE belongs
~ to that class of writer's known as
"many-sided." His character shows
the strange contrast of poet and prac-
tical business. In his political career
he was a success side of ones life
as far removed from poetry as possi-
BILE. Yet through his entire nature
ran that golden thread of ideality-
the thing which makes one dreamer
at times-and back of this was the
trained intellect which enabled him
to evolve a poetic thought into an
ideal poem.
Once, in a mood Of discomfort, there
came to him the glory of single
thought. In this manner all great
poems are born. Richard Henry
Wilde was sad. All great poems
arise from sacrifice or sorrow. He
saw the beauty of life; he saw his
own disappointments. The line. MY
life Is like the summer rose" came to
him as an inspiration. and out of that
one thought and that one line grew
the poem which made him famous and
which has been read and sung in
every part of the world. At one sit
ting he wrote the lines, the pathos
and beauty of which will live forever:
Ny life is like the summer rose
That opens to the morning sky.
But ere the shades Of evening close
ls scattered on the ground-to die!
Yet on the roses humble bed
The sweetest dews Of night are shed.
As il she wept the waste to see
But none shall weep q tear for me!
| Ny life is like the autumn leaf
That trembles in the moons pale ray:
| Its hold is frail; its date is brief.
Restless and soon to pass away.
| Yet ere that leaf shall fall and fade
The parent tree will mourn its shade.
The winds bewail the leafless tree
| But none shall breathe a sigh for me.
Ny life is Ike the prints which feet
Have left on Tampa's desert strand:
Soon as the rising tide shall beat
All trace will vanish from the sand.
Yet, as II grievins to effacc
All yestige Of human race.
On that lone shore loud moans the sea
| But none, alas! shall mourn for me!
4 r + 4
TN all anthologies Of the future "The
L Summer Rose" must have its place.
| It is not a poem that teaches les
| SON of hopefulness, but rather the
reverse, and yet 1t is SO full Of hu-
manity that it has always touched
and held the popular heart.
Like all great songs that live, 1t is
the outgrowth Of both personal ex-
perience and of inspiration. Such
poems come to us at long intervals,
less than dozen. perhaps. in gem
GRAFTON. or. perhaps, In two genera
tions. In making songs like these
all things muqA meet 1t the right time
ana IN ths lht way. Usually We