The Southern Literary Messenger, Vol. I., No. 4, December, 1834Various
History
The Southern Literary Messenger, Vol. I., No. 4, December, 1834
Various
American literature -- 19th century -- Periodicals
Some of our readers may perhaps complain, that more than a due
proportion of the present number is devoted to the Muses. It may be so;
but our apology is, that some of the pieces have been so long on hand,
that to delay their publication would almost amount to exclusion. If
all the poetry is not of equal quality, there is still enough which is
excellent; enough to demonstrate beyond all question, that if our Bards
would only take courage, and rise superior to the fear of foreign
rivalry, the highest success would crown their efforts. Among the
pieces which have afforded us more than ordinary pleasure, we may be
allowed to enumerate the "_Peasant-Women of the Canaries_," "_The
Heart_," and that which we have taken the liberty to designate by the
title of "_True Consolation_." The oftener that we read these, the more
we like them; but we shall restrain the ardor of our own feelings, lest
our readers should suppose we indulge the presumptuous thought of
influencing their judgments.
It is with real pleasure that we insert two productions from the pen of
the _Hon. R. H. Wilde_. These would be enough of themselves to disprove
the charge of plagiarism preferred against that gentleman during the
Georgia election, in respect to the charming lines which appeared in
our first number, and which we stated were generally ascribed to him.
It is to us passing strange, that the sacred repose of the republic of
letters, should be disturbed by the agitations and conflicts of party
politics. Notwithstanding that the authorship of "_My Life is like the
Summer Rose_," has been confidently claimed by some for O'Kelly, an
Irish poet,--and by others for an ancient Greek bard named Alceus, we
still adhere to the opinion that that beautiful effusion is the bona
fide and genuine offspring of Mr. Wilde's muse. Upon this subject,
however, we shall reserve a more particular expression of our
sentiments for a future number.
We have already expressed our opinion of the bards of Mobile and
Tuscaloosa. May we not expect a continuance of their favors?
The humorous "_Parody on Bryant's Autumn_," or rather on his piece
called the "_Death of the Flowers_," will strike every one acquainted
with the productions of the New York bard, as an admirable imitation of
his style. It is the more excellent, as Bryant's sombre imagery has
been made to assume a light and sportive dress.
We could say much in commendation of many of our other poetical
contributors, if it were not somewhat improper to invade too much the
province of our readers. We hope, therefore, that they will not for a
moment believe that we slight or undervalue their favors.
EXTRACTS FROM THE LETTERS OF CORRESPONDENTS.
FROM AN EMINENT LITERARY GENTLEMAN, NOW A RESIDENT OF LOUISIANA.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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