Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-25

"A thing of beauty is a joy for.
ever" so Keats saiu. and. in 50 say.
ing. said 1t all. as far as the rough.
and-ready reader Is concerned.
What did he say all the rest for?''
such one will ask. He said it, we
may reply, in order to elaborate his
theme. to make music, in the true
mea ming of the original definition of a
poet, who was "a maker"
A thing of beauty is a joy forever
Keats tells ms. Its loneliness in
creases; it will never pass into moth
ingness. but still will keep bower
quiet for us and sleep full of sweet
dreams and health and quiet breath.
ing.
Therefore. in every morrow. we are wreath
4 nowery band 10 bind us to the earth
Snte OF dependence OF the inhuman dearth
Or noble natures. of the gloomy days.
Made for our .earehn8 yer. IN spite Of al
Some shape OF beauty moves away the pail
From our dark spirits.
Yes, despite our human falling OF
gloom and all the unhealthy pursuits
common to mankind. whom God made
noble, but who has sought out many
inventions OF evil, w daily discover
new faces of beauty. whether Cf child
or woman, or natural beauty. TO re
move the darkness from our strug
Cling spirits. The poet was right
it is hard to hold US down.
Such the sun the moon
+ or simple sheer: and such arc da ifodils
With the green world they live in; and clear
That for themselves a cooling covert make
R Ga,nst the hot season the m,dforest brake
blooms:
And such, too. is the grandeur Of the dooms
We have imagined for the mighty dead:
All lovely tales that we have heard or read
An endless fountain Of immortal drink;
Pouring into US from the heavens brink.
Nor do We merely feel these essences
For one short hour: no. even as the trees
Dear as the temple. self so does the moon.
Haunt us till they become cheering light
Unto our souls. and hound TO liz last.
That. whether there be shine. or gloom Ger
They always must he with VI. or we die.
*+
Thus Keats. who died at the age OF
IS. sets forth tin his "Endymion"
the very essence of the poetic soul.
In such verse, as in his sonnet2
precise vessels of poetry. and such
verses as la Belle Dame Sans
Merci," meticulous in its ballad form
the poet spoke to the heart OF poetry
lovers of his and all future DAYS.
There are some who think that
PONIES" as they call them. are only
for the classroom, not for real life
"Red-blooded men" they believe. are
not interested in verse.
They are woefully mistaken.
The amount of interest in verse
among section hands. men in all sorts
Of occupations. women and children
is amazing. The writer Of this col
umn in the past two years has had
An unusual opportunity to estimate
this love of poetry.
He never writes of the poets bu,
what he gets K large number OF let
ters of appreciation. and more otter
than not many samples of homemade
verse, which he Is asked TO criticize.
To date he has been very success
full in side stepping all such requests
and. for the peace of his own soul
intends TO keep on shying away.
y far better judgment than ] car
give. kind readers. may be secured
AT will simply by comparing your owr
verse with that of John Keats. or al
Shelley. or Shakespeare. or Longfel
low. or any of the true poets.
True poetry lovers. all We who write
verses. Read your poems side b,
side with those of John Keats l,
will prove An interesting and perha ps
eliminating test.