Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-02-06

| struggles Of existence, and carries the
poor by pleasant paths which they
know not, and into places where they
| shall not otherwise go.
* Il X
Poetry is now, as It always has been,
the expression Of the struggling soul
| OF man. We may not know exactly
what the word Soul means, but 1t
must mean something, after all these
thousands Of years Of use.
We may not be able to define
| exactly, to another's satisfaction, what
we mean by the word, but each one
| can. in a measure. satisfy himself with
his own definition.
1t will do no good to sneer at the
word spirit" in the face OF that sub
lime poetry, blessed are the poor in
spirit, for they shall see God"
These intangible qualities QUAINT
ties. too, II you please are full of
| meaning to right-thinking people, be-
cause they have the sanction OF hun
dreds OF years of use by other right
| thinkers
They find their highest expression
In the poetry Of the world. The poetic
sentiment is not something which ex-
| lists solely in high-flown. rhymed
lines. but finds its true home in any
writing where the heart has been CIV
eli Tree expression.
The flip exigenctes Of much modern
| NE make for an attitude Of defiance.
or scorn OF the emotions, the result
partly Of Anglo Saxon traditions and
twentieth century capitalization.
therefore, 1t has come about that
poetry has been forced, in many in
stances. to lead q sneaking sort OF ex-
| istence' with many posers as 'he men"
giving 1t the merry "ha hat
Tho superficial aspects of some
phases OF our educational methods
nave fostered this spirit, so that
poetry Is commonly read in secret
You will seldom hear two men in the
street quoting or discussing poems,
unless II be some cheap specimen OF
popular song.
a POEMS a poem. for all that.
mere are at least $4,000 amateur
| poets in Washington, and the Lord
Knows how many throughout the
United States.
| Each one fondly believes he Tor she)
| can write poetry.
Their reading Of true poetry has
| k!ndled their enthusiasm. so that
each one longs to 90 out and do like.
| wise.
Every newspaper Office is deluged
with the works of the would.be poets.
| ana II Is heartening thing to know
the kindly way in which most such
! offerings are returned TO their hope
! full writer's.
The point OF the matter IS. not that
| amateur poets write such woeful
| verse. but that they do try
They are trying their best to
! speak the language OF the heart
They are attempting to do what Percy
| Bysshe Shelley and John Keats and
Byron did with complete success.
| Out of the $4,000 poetry writer's In
Washington, perhaps one shall arise
with the true fire. IF so. the writings
OF ali the others will not have been
in vain.
| In addition 10 these thousa nths.
| there are many more thousands who
never attempt to write poems" but
who possess the genuine poetic heart,
and who love to read the real master.
! pieces.
Such is the writer Of the letter car.
ried at the beginning of this column.
| Such are the many others who have
| expressed interest in the articles on
Shelley. Keats. Poe, Bryant. Crane.
| Whitman, Dunbar. Pope. etc. All
these constitute the everlasting audi
| ence OF the true poets