Modern Scottish Poets, With Biographical And Critical Notices - Third Series

MODERN SCOTTISH POETS WITH BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICA L NOTICES. - 1881. - PREFACE. OES Nature, when she deuies to the age rt royal poetking hy right of mighty genius-concede the gift in another form, cliffusing the poetic art io lesser minds 1lThile it must Ie admitted that there is much true and genuille lxbetry floating about amongst us, it cannot be said that there is at presefit any great poet wlo is know11 to, ancl rl.aches the hearts of the tnasses. The Literary TVorltl, ir reviewing a batch of poets, recently said- A grotesque fancy saggests itself, and will not away, as we gla, nce over the scores and scores of volumes, all pnblislred under the heading nf poetry. It is simply inpossible that so liarly authors sloulcl 1, e great loets. Does Nat111.e grant, instead of one colossal statue, resplendent .in goldell purity, that the fine goll shall he beaten thin, and thus 1, ecome the inferior possession of the multitude lVe c10 iot attempt to answer the quaint fancy, but one thing is certain-rnucsh of the poetry of the present c1a.y is doubtless pure gold, though beaten out, often to attenuation. Popular poetry has Ileen compare1 to the uaild ruse, the stook out of wllicl the richer garden roses are grown. We suspect that it must be the tliror poetry of England that is here referred to. The G.a.qyo.w lernltZ, comleting on the renlarlrs of a writer on tlie subject of the dearth of Euglish ballads, who coulcl not understand how it 1las corne about that English clltivnted poetry is so rich when the wild stock is so poor, remarks that the Scotcll Lots-lands, peopled by sulstailtially the Bame race as that wllicl jnllabits Englalcl, have been prolific in peasant poets, but the Scotchpeasantry llnve for ceituries leen ecllcatedl, wllereas the English peasantry are to this day, for the 1110st part, sulllr in ignorance. The portion6 of Scotland in whicl ecjnration 11as Ieen most wiclely difflsecl are precisely those whicll have produced the largest nulber of working-class poets and it may also be noted that the counties distinguishat1. their religious fervour, and which are flowerecl with the tombs of the Covenanters, have also been the most tuneful. In the Wet Country, for example, there is hardly a village that has not produced its bard Paisley has been likened to an aviary of singing birds and in the land of Wallace, Bruce, and Burns, No brook may pass along Or hillock rise, without its song. It does seem singular that the wild rose of song, which blooms so freely in rugged Scotland, is rarely to be met with iu the g-ardell of England. While superior education, and independent thought and action, which have been so long the heritage of Scotchmen, lnay in some measure account for the greater number of song writers here as compared with England, we believe that poets, like other gifted actors, are to the manner born. And no doubt such inspiring natural surroundiugs as rugged hills, swift flowing rivers, and brawliug streams, inspire her sons. Many think poetry earns its title chiefly through a literary skill in stringing musical words to nusical cadence, producing a soothing effect upon ear, which many consider sufficient charm without any suggestion of noble or pathetic thought. We like to see the combination of the artist and the poet- the inspirational idea being the centre, around which is thrown the robe of a delicate and nusical wording. In every poem thet.honght should be first, while the artistic feeling suggests appropriate expression. Much has been of late written on the subject of the position poetry occupies in the Arts. Imagiuatiou is the spiritual eye, and if a poem fail to kindle it, though it Inay charm the senses or the intellect, it cannot touch the soul and poetry which does not touch the soul is, it is needless to say, of quality below the highest...